Jonathan Malesic
Freelance writer
I cover work, education, religion, and culture. I have over a decade's experience in higher ed and am currently writing a book about the American work ethic and the good life in the age of automation.
news.ets.org
When We Talk About K-12 Assessment
Assessment lingo — the language of endless slide presentations and hefty reports — can be intimidating. It doesn’t have to be. When we talk about assessment, we’re really talking about something experienced, expert teachers do every day. Teachers work constantly to determine what students know, and how to push their learning further.
The challenge of talking about assessment is to connect what happens in classrooms to what happens in district offices and statehouses. If students, teachers, ad...
commonwealmagazine.org
A Burnt-Out Case
Feature on the experience of burnout in professional life, told through my personal experience and that of the 13th century scholar Thomas Aquinas.
news.ets.org
The Problem in Graduate Admissions Is Culture, Not Testing
There are growing concerns that the admissions process, including the role standardized testing plays in it, is standing in the way of greater gender, racial and socioeconomic equity in academia. But standardized tests like the GRE are not what’s holding the academy back from attaining greater diversity. The problem is rooted in human psychology and faculty culture; it demands a human-centered solution. (Written for ETS via Contently)
Inside Higher Ed
The Costs of a Calling
The Duke Divinity email fracas shows the peril of academics viewing their work as a vocation and not a job. May 12, 2017
americamagazine.org
The Rich We Will Always Have With Us
Review essay of two books on inequality. May 3, 2017
Religion Dispatches
Douthat's Wager: Go to Church, Even If You Don't Believe
The biggest reason people have left mainline Protestant churches is not sociological. It’s theological. April 18, 2017
newrepublic.com
America Must Divorce Dignity From Work
A universal job guarantee will not heal the deeper social problems with work and inequality in America. March 28, 2017
americamagazine.org
Searching for George W. Bush in his portraits of the soldiers he sent to war
Review of "Portraits of Courage," an exhibition of paintings by George W. Bush. March 3. 2017
americamagazine.org
From Gown to Town
Review of "There is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow," by Jeffrey J. Selingo. Oct. 31, 2016
Religion Dispatches
Right Wing Suspicion of Experts is Martin Luther's Fault
The political right has little faith in experts. It's a trend with roots in the Protestant Reformation. January 10, 2017
americamagazine.org
Field of Vision
Review of "Last Chance U" and "A Season With Florida State Football." Oct. 17, 2016
The Washington Post
Clinton is wrong. You shouldn't have to work to have a place in America
Rising automation means we need a new vision of social inclusion. Oct. 13, 2016
The Chronicle
The 40-Year-Old Burnout - The Chronicle of Higher Education
Why I gave up tenure for a yet-to-be-determined career. Oct. 5, 2016
newrepublic.com
Don't Hate Twitter Because of Trump | New Republic
Twitter has become synonymous with glib pronouncements. But the most enduring ideas have often been expressed in fewer than 140 characters. Aug. 4, 2016