Appreciating Life….
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Earlier this week I reprinted a powerful piece by a college classmate.
Today, a moving meditation on life and aging written by a talented high
school frien...
Trump, Trump, Trump: Thy Name Spells Vanity!
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Tim Dickinson, senior political writer for The Contrarian, compiled a list
of things and places on which Trump has plastered his name: public
buildings, ou...
Brute Fact
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On a regular cycle, the moon in various phases is visible in the morning.
Each day, when I observe it upon waking, it is in a different place, then
trace...
What do teenagers need from their parents?
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Parenting teens requires a careful balance of monitored freedom, according
to Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Greg Fosco
Peer-Reviewe...
Public Schools Form Democratic Citizens
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Constitutional Scholar Derek W. Black believes courts should consider
public schools’ historic purpose as they protect students’ freedom of
speech. In an a...
Has Your Teen Tried TalkSpace?
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This offering from the City of Seattle and SPS recently came onto my radar
and I don't know how I missed it.
I do want to do a complete post on all the...
TX: More Ten Commandments Baloney
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Texas was one more state passing a law to mandate the display of the
state-approved version of the Ten Commandments. That law was challenged,
and U.S. Dist...
TX: More Ten Commandments Baloney
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Texas was one more state passing a law to mandate the display of the
state-approved version of the Ten Commandments. That law was challenged,
and U.S. Di...
Rosenberg Fund for Children
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I went to visit my mom. April 6 – April 11. We went to a lot of doctor’s
appointments. That was hard. But we had a lot of time to chat. She was
happy I vis...
No Need Rushing for AI in Education
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By Thomas Ultican 4/20/2026 School districts throughout America are being
pushed to spend huge dollars to implement artificial intelligence (AI).
This Sili...
I Want You to March With Me This May Day
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I invite you to march with me this May Day, then organize to win elections
and protect our right to vote. Together, we can prove the power of
organized peo...
Let’s Pay Teachers Overtime
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The title of the article made me laugh out loud: Should Teachers Get
Overtime? Subtitle: EdWeek Readers have some thoughts. I’ll bet they do.
Fortunately, ...
We need your help..please read
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I am asking your assistance to help my Pastor. I live in the Adirondacks in
New York State and there is a severe shortage of priests up here. So help
on th...
Stop the Charter School Cash Grab
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NPE celebrates Women's History month by highlighting the accomplishments of
10 inspiring women from Jane Addams to Ida B. Wells to Christa McAuliffe.
The...
Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL
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Eight years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and
resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general
that ...
Follow the Flow
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“If there is one class of person I have never quite trusted, it is a man
who knows no doubt.” ― Geraldine Brooks I’ve picked up a new hobby
recently. Adm...
Reflections on America, the world, and life
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I acknowledge that I rarely post here anymore. Folks should remember that I
am approaching my 80th birthday in less than 9 weeks, I am still teaching
ful...
March’s Parent Engagement Resources
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Better pay, more respect, clearer job description: Here’s what parent
coordinators want Mamdani to know. is from Chalkbeat. Family Engagement
Matters is fr...
Margie Lopez-Waite Out As CEO Of ASPIRA
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In a letter sent to parents, students, and staff members, the board of Las
Americas ASPIRA Academy announced that effective yesterday, 3/23/2026,
Margie Lo...
Donald Trump and the Triumph of Narcissism
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Although I am neither an historian nor a psychologist, I know enough
American history to know that Trump’s demand that Greenland capitulate to
his desire...
Shutting Down The Site
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Ten years ago, I ran for a seat on the LAUSD School Board of Education with
the goal to *Change the LAUSD*.
I am proud of the campaign we ran. We achieve...
A colleague looks back at 2025
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Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I get knocked down But I get
up again BETSY WOLF DEC 31READ IN APP I’ve been quiet for most of 2025.
Much of ...
The Company You Keep
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Even though the filing period for the 2026 elections isn't until April,
let's all pay close attention. The candidates lining up to run will tell
you more a...
This Is What Democracy Looks Like
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The polls for Prop 50, CA’s ballot initiative that counters MAGA’s illegal
gerry-mandering in Texas, opened Tuesday, November 4, 2025,…
The post This Is ...
Blogoversary #19 — Time to Move on
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Times have changed. I had a nice long run here, but let’s face it, it ended
a while ago. So I’ve moved. I’m not writing much any more, but when I do it
wil...
Il Papa è Morto
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Francis brought a distinct pastoral outlook to his papacy. A simple man, he
lived in a small apartment in the guesthouse. He sought to make the church
acce...
Mike Shulman the ARISE UFT Judenrat
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I was surprised to learn that Mike Shulman has aligned himself with ARISE.
I previously supported him, advocating that the Castle Doctrine could have
bee...
How Do We Fight Trump?
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Dear Friends, I don’t know when and why it hit me. But I suddenly realized
how serious Trump is about changing the country into something that
horrifies. I...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
I’ve moved.
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I’m on Substack now. You can continue to receive periodic posts for free.
Or you can read every post and comment for $5 a month, $60 a year.
fredklonsky.su...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen GarcÃa
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
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Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
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Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Critique of Standards-Based Grading
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It first happened to me about ten years ago. I was beginning my third year
of teaching in a new school in Washington, DC. Social studies teachers were
si...
Reduced time for testing? Not so fast.
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NYSED and Commish Elia continue to say that the NYS Assessments are of
reasonable length, I completely disagree.
Here is what NYSED states are average expe...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
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It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
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Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
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I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
The Apotheosis of Betsy DeVos
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Betsy Devos has drawn few headlines in recent months, and that is a good
thing for the Secretary of Education. Her tenure began with Vice President
Mike P...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Should We Be Grateful?
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In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
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Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
REPORT: States With the Best and Worst Schools
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States With the Best (and Worst)Schools
By *Evan Comen, Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins and Thomas C. Frohlich*
January 20, 2017- http://247wallst.com
...
Test Refusal = People Power
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In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
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I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
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Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
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*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
How schools are turning ‘joy’ into a character strength — and why it’s an awful idea - The Washington Post : How schools are turning ‘joy’ into a character strength — and why it’s an awful idea Back in March I published a post titled, “ Now some schools are testing kids for their ‘grit’ and ‘joy’ levels. Really .” For years we’ve heard of schools viewing “grit” as a character strength and moving
Media Coverage from last night’s 2nd Congressional District Debate - Wait What? : Media Coverage from last night’s 2nd Congressional District Debate For pictures and a video of the debate go to: http://www.norwichbulletin.com/ The following is the media coverage from the debate; Norwich Bulletin – Congressional candidates do battle on guns, climate change – http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/201
NY Advocates Walk 150 Miles for Equity | Schott Foundation for Public Education : NY Advocates Walk 150 Miles for Equity In 2003, parents and advocates marched 150 miles from New York City to Albany to herald a court case that claimed New York State was failing to provide quality education to public school students. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, and the state committed to allocating
World Premiere of “Backpack Full of Cash” in Philadelphia | Diane Ravitch's blog : World Premiere of “Backpack Full of Cash” in Philadelphia If you live anywhere near Philadelphia, you should not miss the premiere of the stunning documentary “ Backpack Full of Cash .” It is an expose of the corporate education reform movement. It has the potential to inform the public about the billionaire-funded
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Bad Charter Bill Still Not Dead : PA: Bad Charter Bill Still Not Dead Like that bad enchilada that you just can't keep down, Pennsylvania's HB 530 just keeps coming back. In fact, it appears it will be back this Monday. I wrote about this damn thing last summer , and it has ben kicking around since early 2015. The bill was floated by Mike Reese , who was actually trained to be
Obama’s real education legacy: Common Core, testing, charter schools - The Washington Post : Obama’s real education legacy: Common Core, testing, charter schools President Obama went to a high-performing D.C. high school this week to tout the “progress” his administration has made in public education, America’s most important civic institution. To mark the legacy moment, he brought along the two
[Sponsored Message] Five Signs Of A Privatized Charter School : Five Signs Of A Privatized Charter School Charter schools as a form of K-12 education have been around for 25 years. In those 25 years however, many charter school founders and managers have sought increased public funding and decreased public oversight into school operations, resulting in schools that are essentially privatized. Cha
STUDY: Race Impacts Student Referrals for Gifted, Special Education | Colorlines : STUDY: Race Impacts Student Referrals for Gifted, Special Education Study author Rachel Fish: “This subjectivity has implications for inequalities in education by race and ethnicity.” School buses and drivers at the Atlantic Express Transportation Crop. in Queens, New York, on February 20, 2013 in New York City. Ph
Magnolia charter schools fight to stay open after LAUSD ‘death sentence’ : Magnolia charter schools fight to stay open after LAUSD ‘death sentence’ A leader of two high-performing, independent charter schools in the San Fernando Valley says she’s “very confident” they can avoid shutdowns by appealing their denied renewal petitions to the county and possibly the state. The Los Angeles Unified scho
Reflections from a Nasty Woman: What's at Risk for Women Who "Come Forward"? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher : Reflections from a Nasty Woman: What's at Risk for Women Who "Come Forward"? Never let anyone say that this election season hasn't been a remarkable series of teachable moments. Just one example: the terms "rape culture" and "sexual assault" have become part of the o
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Looking back on the Chicago anti-Trump protest : Looking back on the Chicago anti-Trump protest "I was wondering what happened with my rally in Chicago and other rallies where we had such violence. She’s the one, and Obama, that caused the violence. They hired people, they paid them $1,500, and they’re on tape saying, be violent, cause fights, do bad things." -- DT
CURMUDGUCATION: My Visit To Preschool : My Visit To Preschool I'm in Seattle for almost a week, visiting my daughter, her husband, their newborn son, and their almost two-year-old son. This provides all manner of entertainment (you'll notice blogging has run a little slow), but today it provided an opportunity for me to be a visiting grampa (actually, my grandparental name is "Gump") at my grands
As MA Question 2 Funding Nears $32 Million, DFER Files a New Ballot Committee | deutsch29 : As MA Question 2 Funding Nears $32 Million, DFER Files a New Ballot Committee On November 08, 2016, Massachusetts voters will be deciding whether or not to lift the cap on the number of charter schools in the state. The ballot measure, known as Question 2, would open the door for “up to 12 new charter scho
Education Law Prof Blog : Courts Dividing Over Transgender Students' Rights, Creating Problems of Authority and Predictability Earlier this summer, a federal district court judge in Texas rejected that the Department of Education's position that Title IX protects transgender students' access to bathrooms consistent with their gender identity. That opinion was in contrast to the Fourth Circuit Cou
Greed Is Destroying K-12 Education System | Huffington Post : Greed Is Destroying K-12 Education System We now know the results of rampant greed among the politicians in those states that are cutting education budgets in their K-12 school systems. They would rather preserve the wealth of the wealthiest one percent than see any value in governments or governing of any kind. The cuts are for the mo
Man who hit mayor with pie calls charges ‘trumped up’ | The Sacramento Bee : Man who hit mayor with pie calls charges ‘trumped up’ Sean Thompson, the activist facing assault charges after shoving a pie into the face of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, criticized the charges against him Thursday. “These are trumped-up charges. This was a pie to the face of a mayor. It didn’t create a lasting injury
Ex-California Sen. Ron Calderon to be sentenced in corruption case | The Sacramento Bee : Ex-lawmaker Ron Calderon to be sentenced in corruption case More than three years after FBI agents raided the Capitol office of former state Sen. Ron Calderon , the corruption case against the Montebello Democrat finally comes to an end. Calderon, who pleaded guilty in June to one count of mail fraud for acc
Discussing race in the classroom: 'Are all white people racist'? - CSMonitor.com : Discussing race in the classroom: 'Are all white people racist'? UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER A high school teacher in Norman, Okla. is under fire for this assertion. But how should the conversation about race relations be framed? One high school teacher’s bold premise – that "all white people are racist, period" – is
School choice too often leads to segregation - Baltimore Sun : School choice too often leads to segregation One of Donald Trump 's sons, in a speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention, stated that through his father's plan for school choice, every student would have the same educational opportunities that he and his siblings received. Does he mean that everyone should be able to attend th
See New Details on ESSA Funding for Healthy, Safe, Well-Rounded Students - Politics K-12 - Education Week : See New Details on ESSA Funding for Healthy, Safe, Well-Rounded Students One of the big goals of the Every Student Succeeds Act was to give states and districts significantly more say in how they spend their federal dollars . As part of that effort, Congress collapsed a bunch of small feder
Congressional candidates do battle on guns, climate change : Congressional candidates do battle on guns, climate change WILLIMANTIC – The candidates running for the 2nd Congressional District sounded off on college affordability, defense spending and gun control at their debate Thursday at Eastern Connecticut State University. Republican Daria Novak and Libertarian Dan Reale joined Green Party ca
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/20/16 Featured Post SANDRA STOTSKY: Test-based accountability: The best we can do? | NewBostonPost The US Department of Education’s Digital Promise to advance the ed-tech field and