The past two decades have seen an explosion in the adoption of the four-day school week. Though the policy has been documented as early as the 1930s, only 257 schools in the country had adopted it by 1999. Yet by 2019, over 1,600 schools were on a four-day schedule. There are no signs that the… Continue reading The Four-Day School Week: Are the Pros Worth the Cons?
Tag: Intel
Dementia and National Security, Finland Joins NATO, the Four-Day School Week: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss how dementia in the national security workforce could create a security threat; Finland becoming the 31st NATO ally; learning loss associated with a four-day school week; this week’s U.S.-Taiwan news; preventing shortfalls in critical materials; and America’s dangerous short war fixation. Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters Americans are living longer and retiring… Continue reading Dementia and National Security, Finland Joins NATO, the Four-Day School Week: RAND Weekly Recap
The Army Should Be Looking for a Few Older Soldiers
The Army has missed its recruiting target twice in the past five years—by roughly 8 percent in 2018 and by 25 percent in 2022. While COVID shocks and a stronger job market may have hurt its efforts in 2022, other services mostly made their recruiting quotas—if in some cases by advancing recruits who had signed… Continue reading The Army Should Be Looking for a Few Older Soldiers
Why Blockading Rather Than Retaking Crimea Might Be Kyiv’s Best Option
“Crimea is our land, our territory,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared in January, underscoring Ukraine’s determination to reverse Russia’s illegal seizure of the peninsula. At present, Ukraine may lack the military capability to retake Crimea, but Kyiv might still achieve some of its key objectives by blockading it. New technology may ease this task. Crimea… Continue reading Why Blockading Rather Than Retaking Crimea Might Be Kyiv’s Best Option
Europe: Ukraine’s Essential Ally
While the United States is Ukraine’s primary military backer, Europe is sharing the war’s overall burden. Ukraine’s future lies in Europe. It is embracing Ukrainians, notably hosting 8 million refugees and sending generous economic and humanitarian aid. Ukrainian flags fly everywhere in Europe. For its treachery, Russia has lost Ukraine. Prior to the war, few… Continue reading Europe: Ukraine’s Essential Ally
Advancing Women’s Health Requires Better Evidence
For decades, advances in health and health care have had a bias toward the male body. The reasons for this bias aren’t nefarious, but it is simply the case that the research is incomplete. It was long assumed that what researchers found in a male could generally be applied to a female; that, on the… Continue reading Advancing Women’s Health Requires Better Evidence
As China Ascends, Concerns Grow It Might Be Tempted into a ‘Splendid Little War’
When a nation newly ascends or returns to the status of a leading international power, it often feels the need to publicly demonstrate its rise through a brief, victorious war. Today, China’s increasing strength may tempt it to pursue such a conflict, and not necessarily with Taiwan, if it anticipates—perhaps incorrectly—that victory will be swift,… Continue reading As China Ascends, Concerns Grow It Might Be Tempted into a ‘Splendid Little War’
Building a Professional Early Childhood Workforce Requires a ‘Compensation-First’ Approach
Teachers who work in childcare settings in the United States earn $11.65 per hour on average—less than half of what their peers working in schools earn, and below a living wage in most U.S. counties. Accordingly, even prior to the pandemic, childcare teachers (PDF) left the profession at considerably higher rates than K–12 teachers. In… Continue reading Building a Professional Early Childhood Workforce Requires a ‘Compensation-First’ Approach
Truth Decay and National Security, Gun Violence, Blockading Crimea: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss how Truth Decay affects national security; America’s gun violence problem; why blockading Crimea may be Ukraine’s best option; improving educational outcomes for kids in foster care; the benefits of investing in women’s health research; and why the Army should be looking for slightly older recruits. Photo by Stephen Emlund/Getty Images Over… Continue reading Truth Decay and National Security, Gun Violence, Blockading Crimea: RAND Weekly Recap
Why China Should Worry About Asia’s Reaction to AUKUS
When U.S. President Joe Biden met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego last month, the three leaders announced a crucial next step for the Australia–United Kingdom–United States (AUKUS) security pact. Australia will purchase at least three, and possibly five, Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the United States… Continue reading Why China Should Worry About Asia’s Reaction to AUKUS