Beginning in 1984 Gerald W. Bracey wrote a monthly column for Phi Delta Kappan making research accessible to teaching practitioners. In 2003 the column received the Interpretive Scholarship Award from the American Educational Research Association. Bracey was both an independent researcher and writer and worked at both George Mason University and the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. He earned a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Stanford University and held positions in private firms, local school districts, universities, and state departments of education.