InfoTrak: New Ideas on School Reform

Frederick M. Hess, author of The Same Thing Over and Over: How School Reformers Get Stuck in Yesterday’s Ideas believes that even bitter opponents who argue about how to improve schools agree on more than they realize. He suggested that uniformity frequently gets in the way of quality education and that the American education system must change radically. He also said that schools need to implement a much wider variety of schooling options that would better meet student needs.

InfoTrak: Know what you are eating

Dietician and Wellness Manager Kristen Kirkpatrick said that consumers need to put more thought into the foods that they buy. She offered suggestions to help people read nutrition labels, which will help them make wiser choices. She said locally-produced meat and locally-grown produce is usually a healthier choice. She explained how to find a local farm or produce supplier, which usually can provide information about their food more accurately than a supermarket.

InfoTrak: Addictive Behavior

Dr. Lance Dodes, MD , author of Breaking Addiction: A 7-Step Handbook for Ending Any Addiction explained how to identify an addiction and recognize key moments in addictive behavior. He said that every addictive act is normally preceded by a feeling of helplessness or powerlessness. He offered both long- and short-term advice for those dealing with an addiction.

Frederick M. Hess

An educator, political scientist and author, Frederick M. Hess studies K-12 and higher education issues. His books include “The Same Thing Over and Over,” “Education Unbound,” “Common Sense School Reform,” “Revolution at the Margins,” “Spinning Wheels,” and \"Cage-Busting Leadership\" (Harvard Education Press, February 2013). He is also the author of the popular Education Week blog, \"Rick Hess Straight Up.\" Hess\'s work has appeared in scholarly and popular outlets such as Teachers College Record, Harvard Education Review, Social Science Quarterly, Urban Affairs Review, American Politics Quarterly, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Phi Delta Kappan, Educational Leadership, U.S. News & World Report, National Affairs, the Washington Post, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic and National Review. He has edited widely cited volumes on education philanthropy, school costs and productivity, the impact of education research, and No Child Left Behind. Hess serves as executive editor of Education Next, as lead faculty member for the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program, and on the review boards for the Broad Prize in Urban Education and the Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools. He also serves on the boards of directors of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, 4.0 SCHOOLS and the American Board for the Certification of Teaching Excellence. A former high school social studies teacher, he has taught at the University of Virginia, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Rice University and Harvard University. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Government, as well as an M.Ed. in Teaching and Curriculum, from Harvard University.

American Enterprise Institute

Kristin Kirkpatrick

Kristin Kirkpatrick is a registered dietitian and manager of wellness nutrition services for the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Kristin is a regular contributor to the \"Doctor Oz Show\" and provides expert opinions for several major magazines as well as media and web outlets. She has been helping individuals reach their personal goals for over 13 years and her specialties include weight management, nutritional genomics, dieting on a budget and community/worksite wellness.

Cleveland Clinic