In Who Gets Into College and Why, Jeffrey Selingo argued that "who gets in is frequently more about the college's agenda than the applicant." Today's college counselors and admissions professionals would likely concur, given the radical shifts in education that took hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. To further this dialogue while not exactly turning down the heat, Wendy Fischman and Dr. Howard Gardner advance The Real World of College: What Higher Education Is and What It Can Be, a close look at the many ways in which, they believe, colleges and universities have lost their way. After five years of research involving ten campuses and more than two thousand interviews with students, faculty, administrators, trustees, alumni, and parents, Fischman and Gardner conclude that American higher education "stands in considerable peril" – peril that predates the pandemic. The cause of this imperiled state of being, they argue, is the overly transactional understanding of the purpose of education that permeates American society and its schools, along with the fact that college students do not always feel a true sense of belonging or connection at their respective schools. Fishman and Gardner recommend that colleges and universities pay more attention to onboarding students not as recipients of knowledge or skills but as participants in communities of learning. Whether this message will resonate with a student population that, along with their parents, actively seeks to know the precise value of things remains to be seen.

This compilation of a dozen articles in the New York Times this month is a veritable feast of ideas and reflections on education – well-timed as we begin our work in schools anew, creating plans and rituals for the 2022-23 school year. Anya Kamenetz reminds us of the vision of Horace Mann – how "he championed schools as the crucible of democracy." Lamenting COVID’s devastating impact on public schools, she goes on to say that "Mann’s inclusive vision is under particular threat right now" and compels us to reinvigorate our commitments to diversity of identity and diversity of thought in school communities and classrooms. Emily Hanford discusses literacy's colossal impact and import: "The most important thing schools can do is teach children how to read. If you can read, you can learn anything." Emphasizing the science of reading, Hanford advocates for explicit reading instruction for all students, citing a surprising absence of such across the United States. Students from Oakland's Fremont High weigh in as well: "School is a community, a common place to gain relationships." "School is about making mistakes and learning from them." "Being in school lets you be yourself." A model of journalism engaging multiple perspectives – those of teachers, parents, students, and other citizens in this case – exploring topics from citizenry and care to economics and merit, this twelve-piece study offers insights and provocations for us all.

Despite its subtitle, this book is not about time management as we know it; it is about mortality. Insights from historians and philosophers supplant task list manifestos and time boxing strategies. The introduction features quotes from Karl Jung and Richard Rohr and wastes no time exploring the book's central conceit: we humans have on average only 4000 weeks on this earth. A seasoned student of time management techniques and discourse, Burkeman recounts Western society's (surprisingly recent) instrumentation of time. This history points readers to a harsh truth: time cannot be mastered. "The more you try to manage your time with the goal of achieving a feeling of total control," in fact, "the more stressful, empty, and frustrating life gets." Instead, Burkeman suggests that we should "confront the facts of finitude . . . and work with them rather than against them" so as to access an authentically "productive, meaningful, and joyful life." This book is about letting go of our obsession with squeezing every ounce out of our day, meticulously planning for our future conquests and successes while forgetting about the beauty of today. Funny, thoughtful, and iconoclastic, Four Thousand Weeks challenges us to examine our values and join in life's daily dance.

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It has been plastered on t-shirts, scribbled across memes, and thrown down in argumentative diatribes: "Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie." This rallying cry for equity combats long-held structural racism in America that is rooted in competition. The ugly truth is that the default white American understanding is that racialized groups compete directly with each other. Such a zero-sum paradigm is challenged by the aforementioned t-shirts and memes and thoughtfully taken up by Heather McGhee in her book The Sum Of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone And How We Can Prosper Together. McGhee's book illustrates how zero sum thinking hinders most Americans from achieving gains in infrastructure, health care, school funding, and wages. Throughout the text, McGhee recounts stories of workers and towns whose decisions to embrace a zero-sum approach result in a loss of progress for all. McGhee argues instead for a "solidarity dividend," which she demonstrates repeatedly can spark positive public goods when folks work together across racial and socioeconomic lines. McGhee's compelling, hopeful argument provokes critical thinking and is an ideal antidote to the notion that change is impossible. Educators and students alike will benefit from being introduced to McGhee.

On Jonathan Fields' Good Life Project podcast, Dr. Jennifer Heisz, an author and Associate Professor at McMaster University, explains why many of the behaviors we establish and model for our children are counterproductive. Much of what Heisz unpacks in this podcast interview can be connected to Annie Murphy Paul's The Extended Mind: both researchers highlight the relationship between physical movement and productivity/creativity. As such, they also challenge the design of sedentary cognitive tasks and the urging of students to "grind it out," as both approaches limit the capacity to innovate. Heisz further advocates for unstructured play where mental flexibility and inhibitory control align to create a "flow state." She also recommends taking a two-minute movement break every half hour in order to restore blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, which will both enhance focus and allow access to deeper insights. Additionally, Heisz discusses her extensive research into how movement changes the brain to reduce stress and anxiety. As increasingly more educators and institutions seek out sustainable ways to support faculty and student wellness, Hesiz's work is an important reminder to embed physical activity into our own teaching and work-life practices. Stop working – stop reading even – and go for a walk.

Baruti K. Kafele begins his thoughtful work from the "I" perspective, exploring the way he's played the role of an "equity practitioner" throughout his career and how his own journey has led him to a deep understanding of equity. Particularly in the wake of the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Kafele explains that equity in schools must be examined and dissected through self-reflection and deep questioning. He subsequently asks reflective questions of teachers and leaders in all learning communities as a means of pushing schools forward. For example, one series of questions demands reflection around instructional strategies and asks how different approaches take into account the differing academic, social, and emotional needs of students. Another asks about intentionality in "culturally responsive learning environments" and offers ideas for teachers to ensure that each student is both seen and valued through each pedagogical choice that a teacher or administrator makes. Ultimately, the text urges the reader to question the ways in which some students may be learning at the expense of other learners in the room. This text would be meaningful for all members of a school community, particularly content-area departments and administrative teams. It can easily lead to essential, small-group conversations and reflections around the questions posed and collective work to question systems and choices in place and to forge paths forward.

With the beginning of a new school year, a path full of mystery and excitement unfolds in the mind of each learner. The intrigue for what new learning experiences the year will bring fills up their hearts with curiosity and joy. They wonder how their worlds will change as they gain new knowledge and see things through different lenses. Here is where the mission of educators stands, as we have been given the opportunity of guiding children through the unexpected. In her picture book Bright Star, Yuyi Morales poetically depicts a journey of discovery, learning, and struggle. This piece of Latino children's literature follows the steps of a deer who starts her life's journey. Soon, an encouraging voice guides her along a difficult path – in this case, an allegory of crossing the border between Mexico and the United States. Morales' book is full of sensitivity and capable of starting deep and vital conversations in the classroom around the topics of immigration, experiences, and opportunities.