William D. Eddy was an Episcopal minister in Tarrytown, N.Y., and an admirer of the writer and theologian Richard John Neuhaus. When Eddy grew gravely ill about 20 years ago, I asked Neuhaus to write him a letter of comfort. ...more

January 16, 2009

The heir apparent is wrestling with multiplication tables this week, attempting to perfect in a handful of days the expertise that eluded him throughout the previous academic year. ...more

August 15, 2008

Dumbing Down When I was in high school in the late 1960s, schools graduated students who could read and write at a 12th-grade level. They could also make change for a dollar. ...more

January 27, 2008

It's hard to understand how teaching mathematics in elementary school could get so convoluted. After all, 2+2 should always equal 4; students should learn their multiplication tables and first-graders should solve math problems sans calculator. ...more

September 23, 2007