Ep 44: Natalie Wexler, Education Writer and Author of The Knowledge Gap
In this episode of Catalysts for Change, Jill talks to Natalie Wexler, education writer and author of The Knowledge Gap, her most recent novel on the achievement gap and how to fix America’s education system. A senior contributor to Forbes.com, we talk to Natalie about The Knowledge Gap, the exacerbating effect of Covid-19, the state of America’s education system, and how to fix it.
Having been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications, Natalie focuses her work on education and inequities in the American education system. Recently, Natalie has written about the use of admissions tests for selective high schools, education and public policy, and more. In 2019, Natalie authored The Knowledge Gap, centered around the problem of the achievement gap and her idea of how we should be teaching all children not through the emphasis of reading comprehension “skills” but rather through the presentation of knowledge. Through The Knowledge Gap, Natalie presents the stories of educators, students, and parents to highlight current practices in education and how it can be changed so that all students receive a meaningful, rigorous education.
We talk to Natalie about what is being taught in school and what should be taught in school, addressing opportunity and achievement gaps, and more, in understanding how to transform our education system. If you’d like to read more of Natalie’s work, check out the links below.
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