Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

Labor Day is supposed to be about honoring workers—but what about the essential work that happens at home, often without a paycheck? Professor Jennifer Greenfield explains why caregiving, paid family and medical leave, and the rising cost of child care are not just private family concerns, but issues that affect workers, employers, and the broader economy. She explores what paid leave policies look like across U.S. states, who gets left out of the current system, and what policymakers can do to better support people caring for children, aging parents, and other loved ones.
For more on this topic:
Check out Greenfield's findings, A Colorado Guaranteed Income Program Could Help Families, but the Costs Are High, co-written with Kaitlyn Sims and Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, in The Conversation

Read her op-ed in the Denver Post, Here's How the Big Beautiful Bill Will Hurt Coloradans Most in Need of Assistance

Check out her op-ed in The Hill, Why paid leave should be kept in Build Back Better

As families head back to school, many students may find themselves in a new school this year because their original school has closed. In the U.S., more than 1,000 schools closed in 2025–26. Professor Mara Tieken explains what's driving closures, why they don't always save money, and how they can reshape communities—especially rural and Black communities. She shares what communities can do when a school is threatened with closure, from fighting to keep it open to making sure the process is handled well when closure is unavoidable.
For more on this topic:
Check out Rural Schools Open, a resource toolkit created by Tieken to help communities facing possible school closures

Read her op-ed in The Hechinger Report, Shuttering Public Schools Is a Strategy That Rarely Saves Much Money and Often Leads to Test Score Declines

Read her commentary in The Washington Monthly, Don't Fall for the School Closure Temptation

As the U.S. birth rate continues to decline, some politicians are calling for policies that encourage Americans to have more children, otherwise known as pronatalism—even as abortion access, contraception, and maternal health care face growing challenges. Professor Carolette Norwood explains what pronatalism is, why debates over population growth are often intertwined with race and immigration, and how these conversations intersect with reproductive justice and policy.
 
For more on this topic:
Read an interview with Norwood in The Hilltop, Pronatalism and the Politics of Childbirth

Check out her article, More than Abortion: Why Reproductive Justice Matters in Cincinnati Post-Roe, co-written with Thembi Carr and published in the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy

Read her paper, Forced to Birth: A Case Study of Ohio's Six-Week Abortion Ban, Its Impact on Black Women in Cincinnati and Its Relevance for Reproductive Justice in Ohio and Beyond, published in Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

College closures are becoming an increasingly common part of higher education, largely driven by declining enrollment, shifting federal funding, and rising operating costs. As more campuses face financial strain, what happens when a college can't survive on its own? Professor Mary Churchill shares the story of Wheelock College's merger with Boston University, widely viewed as one of the most successful mergers in higher education. She explains how leaders can protect a school's mission, support students and faculty through major change, and make difficult decisions before a crisis leaves them with no good options. 
For more on this topic:
Check out Churchill's book, When Colleges Close: Leading in a Time of Crisis, co-written with David Chard

Birthright citizenship has been part of the U.S. Constitution for more than 150 years, but why has it become the focus of such intense political debate in recent years? Professor Anna Law breaks down the Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. Barbara, explains what birthright citizenship actually means, and traces the long history of who gets to be an American. Drawing from her new book, she separates fact from fiction on immigration, citizenship, and the Constitution, and explains why understanding that history matters today.
For more on this topic:
Check out Law's new book, Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship

Read her blog post, I Read Trump v Barbara So You Don't Have To

Read her Made by History essay in TIME Magazine, History Shows Why Birthright Citizenship is so Important