“. . . the weight of the evidence is clear: Facility quality matters when it comes to improving student outcomes.

So say what you want about Detroit teachers’ tactics, but they appear to be calling attention to a real issue that can seriously harm kids.” [Bold added]

—Matt Barnum, “The Detroit ‘Sick-Out’ Makes a Valid Point: Crumbling Schools Shown to Hurt Learning” on The Seventy-Four

Glad to hear someone else saying this. And kudos to Detroit teachers for bringing much needed attention to the travesty of decaying school buildings.

Other posts on the impact of infrastructure on learning (there’s been a lot of ’em):

• The Cognitive Impact of Fresh Air
• The Impact of Rosenwald School Design
• Lighting Systems as Interventions
• A School Building as Curriculum
• Cities, Psychology, and Design
• How Can We Design Better Schools Within Aging Infrastructure?
• Crime and Punishment: The Impact of Physical Environment
• Why the new ESEA won’t change US education
• More Research on Impact of Green Space on Learning
• Open High School Design
• Topic of the Week: The Impact of the Physical Environment On Well-being
• The Importance of School Environment
• First, Fix the Buildings
• Let’s Go Beyond Natural Playgrounds
• Building an Enabling Environment
• Design for Safety
• Our Children Deserve Natural Light in Schools
• Access to Natural Light is a Matter of Public Health
• Empowering Environments
• Even Fish Are Enriched By Stimulating Environments
• What Would a Real “School as Ecosystem” Look Like?
• Resiliency from the Ground Up
• The State of Our Schools
• Chairs