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Moderator’s introduction

Students study at a school campus library in Seoul, South Korea

Credit: Bloomberg

Credit: Bloomberg

Students study at a school campus library in Seoul, South Korea
By Maureen Downey
Sept 22, 2013

Today’s moderator: Maureen Downey

Maureen Downey has written about local, state and federal education policy at the AJC for 12 years. She’s also taught college classes in mass communications and journalism. However, she’s learned more about schools from having four children in them.

»Join the discussion online today: Share your opinions and ideas on Maureen's blog Get Schooled.

In today’s guest column, a Georgia Tech researcher discusses why so few African-American students are going into science and mathematics, fields where the jobs are. He cites the lower performance of Georgia’s black students on state math exams, saying this lack of preparation is a major factor. Readers also sound off on this issue. In my column, I share my conversation with the author of a terrific new book on the smartest kids in the world and what makes them so.

Today's columnists:

About the Author

Maureen Downey has written editorials and opinion pieces about local, state and federal education policy since the 1990s.

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