From the RAND Blog

See below for the latest commentary from the RAND Education and Labor team. For a complete list of related blog content, see education posts and workforce posts on the RAND Blog.

Stop Calling Us 'Women Experts'
Oct 11, 2019
To get to a place where a woman's expertise is valued as implicitly as a man's, women must be freed of the baggage of being “women scholars” and “women policymakers.” Instead, women must be given that most significant form of respect: Just call us experts.
Early Childhood Education and Care Services Across the European Union Member States Still Fall Short of the Mark
Oct 10, 2019
Children's access to education and care from a young age is vital. Large differences exist between EU countries in access to those services and the quality of child care. Bridging the gap would require more efforts at the EU and national levels to guarantee that each child has access to services that will have lasting effects on their development.
I Run Wargames. Too Often, I Am the Only Woman in the Room
Sep 26, 2019
Wargaming has long been a male domain and has significant barriers to entry, retention, and advancement. You can't learn by reading; you have to learn by doing. Failing to include women in all wargaming roles risks missing out on innovative strategies.
Elevating Teacher Voices, Along with Their Salaries to Professionalize Teaching in Louisiana
Sep 18, 2019
Salary raises have a direct impact on teachers' day-to-day lives. But efforts like those in Louisiana to elevate teachers' voices, and not just their salaries, are more likely to make a real difference for the teaching profession by creating a clear career ladder. The state's efforts could also be cultivating a teaching force that is providing students with the curricula and instruction they need to achieve at higher levels.
Saving Farmworkers from Slavery-Like Conditions, Field by Field
Sep 5, 2019
Those at the bottom of the European agricultural supply chain are vulnerable to horrible abuse. But Dean Susan Marquis explains that the same was true in the tomato fields of Florida in the United States until not too many years ago, and the solution developed there may offer a roadmap for doing right by those who put food on the market shelves.
Back to School Means Back to SEL for America's Teachers and Principals
Sep 4, 2019
Schools are increasingly adopting programs and practices to build social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Policymakers can benefit from understanding the educator perspective: how they feel about SEL, what they're doing to promote it, and what resources they need.
Is Training for NHS Staff to Manage Workplace Violence Effective?
Sep 4, 2019
Going to work should not mean being subjected to physical or verbal assault, but this is the reality faced by thousands of frontline NHS staff. De-escalation training may help staff manage patient violence and aggression, but there is not enough research about what works in specific healthcare contexts.
A Wargame at RAND Puts Teen Girls in Command
Aug 20, 2019
RAND analysts developed and hosted a wargame to help young women learn firsthand about national security. It's a lesson in strategy, in the hard realities behind news headlines, but also in agility and resilience. In that, it's not so far removed from the daily life of a teenage girl.
I'm a Sleep Specialist. Here's How I Prepare My Two Teenagers for the First Day of School
Aug 15, 2019
Sleep deprivation has measurable negative effects on teens' behavior and health. Early school start times make it difficult for teens to get sufficient sleep. A RAND sleep expert shares how she helps her teens transition from summer back to waking up early for school.
RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress
Aug 5, 2019
For busy staff, August's respite from back-to-back meetings, hearing preparation, and late votes is hard-earned. The summer recess also provides an opportunity to get ahead of issues that will resurface in the fall. To that end, we have compiled recent RAND research on topics likely to top the congressional agenda come September.