Matthew Lynch, Ed.D.

Substantial educational change will never occur in Mississippi until its citizens decide that enough is enough and make a commitment to change, no matter what it takes. Over the last 15 years, I have hoped and prayed that my home state would fix the systematic issues that plague its public...

America's focus is on the 2012 presidential race. Will Barack Obama be elected to a second term or will a new challenger knock him off his throne? I think it's safe to say that at least half of the country still supports President Obama, even though they may not agree...

On Tuesday, April 3, 2012, Senate Bill 2401, which proposed to expand charter schools in Mississippi, failed to make it through the House Education Committee by a 16-15 margin. In response, Gov. Phil Bryant is considering convening a special session, hoping that the bill will pass in the...

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I were discussing President Obama's performance in the area of education -- more specifically P-20 education, which begins in preschool and ends with graduate school. As is usually the case when we debate matters of education politics, the debate became quite contentious...

Initially, I was hesitant about writing an opinion piece on the killing of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent public outcry, because a multitude of gifted writers had already tackled the story from seemingly every angle. However, after reading Charles M. Blow's, "The Curious Case of Trayvon Martin," I...

The war on drugs has not been won yet. Walk into any urban, suburban or rural environment and you would probably be amazed at how easy it is to purchase illicit drugs. More than one half of American students will try an illicit drug at least once by...

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last couple of months, you have probably heard about Chester Upland School District's (hereafter referred to CUSD) financial woes. Also, you have heard the heartfelt story of its teachers agreeing to work for free, because the district's coffers were almost...

For over a decade, I have hoped and prayed that Mississippi's public school system would find its way out of the dark ages and embrace genuine school reform. Why? As a native of Mississippi and a former public school teacher, I am deeply concerned about the future of its education...

Many school districts across the U.S. could benefit from genuine school reform, but they may lack the resources and/or expertise to carry it out. The purpose of this article is to guide school districts through the reform process, step by step. As a disclaimer, since every school district or educational...

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I write this edition of "Living Legends." On February 11, 2012, the world lost one its greatest voices, Whitney Elizabeth Houston. As far as my series goes, she was definitely on my "wish list" of people that I dreamed of...

President Obama has agreed to exempt 10 states from the most rigorous tenets of NCLB, in exchange for adopting higher standards and creating more innovative ways of measuring student achievement. The president essentially signed this executive order because Congress has failed to amend the law in spite of...

Every February, we celebrate the accomplishments and sacrifices of outstanding African Americans. Why? Because it allows us to pay homage to our ancestors and reconnect with our storied past. We have endured much long-suffering as a race but, we continue to persevere and survive. For over five years now, I...

The second installment of "Living Legends" features one of America's foremost poets and intellectuals, Nikki Giovanni. Her literary works investigate a plethora of topics, from jazz to racism and are extremely individualized messages conveyed through a range of emotions. Her folksy manner makes her poetry accessible to the masses. In...

As a student-centered instructional method, culturally responsive instruction is focused on catering to the social, emotional, and educational needs of the student. Among the first goals that teachers must achieve in order to successfully create a culturally responsive environment is convincing their students that they genuinely care about their cultural,...

When we discuss parental involvement in schools, we often concentrate on ways in which parental involvement can help schools perform better and how parents can help their children excel in learning. It is a well-known fact that parental involvement can help students achieve success in school; however, it is difficult...

In Part I of my interview with Howard Gardner, he discussed his famed theory of multiple intelligences, in addition to some of his other theories and concepts.

Without further ado, here is Part II of the interview:

ML: In 2011, you received the Prince of Asturias Award in...

On Christmas Eve 2011, I came up with the idea of developing an interview series entitled "Living Legends," to spotlight people who are considered to be at the avant garde of their respective fields. Developing the concept was easy, but I couldn't decide who to ask to do the first...

A primary goal of culturally responsive education is to help all students become respectful of the multitudes of cultures and people that they'll interact with once they exit the educational setting. This can be a daunting task for the educator, given that the world at large is infinitely more complex...

Once an educator has thoroughly examined their own cultural beliefs, values, and biases, they are ready to begin learning about other cultures. Researchers have theorized that diverse cultures demonstrate common patterns of thought and community behavior. In order to explore these cognitive and behavioral patterns, an educator must be willing...

Proponents of a year-round school year suggest that a shift in the time designated for teaching and learning will help students achieve more by minimizing summer learning loss, allowing for innovation and implementation of creative programs, and providing the time needed to assist children who need extra help. Many school...