They Want to Trigger You. I Choose Action Instead.
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I recently told a family member who has been reading my blog: I don’t hate
Donald Trump. I don’t hate the Proud Boys. I don’t even hate the Christian
natio...
Curmudgucation: AI Does Not Know The Truth
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Curmudgucation: AI Does Not Know The Truth
I had my first computer programming coursework in 1978, and one of the
things repeatedly drilled into us was GI...
Free Summer Meals for Kids
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Via Seattle Human Services:
Free summer meals are back! This summer kids and teens ages 1-18 can
receive a free meal at 40+ sites across Seattle, weekday...
What Democrats Need to Do
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Autocracies, by their nature, flood the zone with so many outrages, abuses,
and affronts to democratic norms that they can destabilize and
discombobul...
Help Us Wish Diane a Happy Birthday!
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The Supreme Court heard the arguments in St. Isadore of Seville Catholic
Virtual School vs Drummond, which seeks to establish a religious charter
school....
Schools Need to Prepare for Those Masked ICE Agents
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Persons traveling in groups, wearing masks and often vests that say
“Police” or “ICE”– no other identifiers, including refusing to identify
themselves by n...
The Unprecedented War on Children
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21 Coordinated Attacks That Threaten Children’s Health, Education,
Development, Safety, Well-Being and Fundamental Rights
PA: Cyber Charters as District Killers
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The Wyoming Area School District is wedged in between Scranton and
Wilkes-Barre. It's not a particularly affluent district-- 80% white and
100% free and re...
Analyzing UFT election results – from 2022
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JD2718 blog posts from May and June 2022. Post-UFT election for the last
two decades I have done some analysis of the numbers. I am getting ready to
start ...
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 ...
What’s better than DEI?
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It was the headline that made me read the piece: Let DEI Practices Die.
Replace Them With Something Better. I didn’t recognize (and won’t name) the
author,...
Core Beliefs at Play
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“The more one pleases generally, the less one pleases profoundly.” ―
Stendhal, Love Every discussion about public education policy centers on
the belief ...
OK WE’RE AGAINST KINGS. WHAT ARE WE FOR??
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More than five million demonstrators in about 2000 communities stepped
forward to declare their opposition to Donald Trump, on June 14th. “No
Kings Day” wa...
Bizarre WAPO Opinion Piece by Hanushek and Raymond
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By Thomas Ultican 6/17/2025 It was déjà vu all over again when Eric
Hanushek and his wife Macke Raymond’s shared their views in the Washington
Post. They c...
The Man In The Back
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At the Christina School District Board of Education meeting this past
Tuesday, Board President Donald Patton used his last meeting as President
to air a li...
Marines invade California. Who's next?
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In his June 10 Oval Office press conference, Trump said that “people who
want to protest will be met with very big force”, adding that such
individuals “ha...
What Lessons Are We Learning from Our Students?
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“Mr. Vilson, I’m in a doctoral program, just like you.” One of my former
students posted a picture of a quad at an established university. ...
Read More
...
What Lessons Are We Learning from Our Students?
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“Mr. Vilson, I’m in a doctoral program, just like you.” One of my former
students posted a picture of a quad at an established university. ...
Read More
...
May’s Parent Engagement Resources
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These 4 tips can make screen time good for your kids and even help them
learn to talk is from The Conversation. Using Existing School Messaging
Platforms t...
79
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It was May 23, 1946, in a New York City Hospital, that 30 year old Sylvia
Livingston Bernstein gave birth to the 2nd and final child of her marriage
to L...
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...
Trump plays Putin’s Playbook
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Recently Aleksander Dugin was interviewed on CNN, last week, and he stated
that he believes Trump is closer ideologically to President Putin than to
Washin...
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...
Are we all on the same team?
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Copied from Quora; I didn’t write any of this… As an American I ask my
fellow Americans, why can’t you realize at the end of the day we are all on
the same...
Who is the new CEO of Teach For America?
-
From 1990 until 2013, the CEO of TFA was the founder, Wendy Kopp. Under her
leadership the program grew from a small organization that struggled to
make pa...
Site Index - Updated December 31, 2024
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When I was teaching,
I got tired of hearing how bad American educators were.
*My Promise *
WHEN I STARTED BLOGGING IN 2011, I said I planned to speak ...
Number 18 — A barely-hanging-on Blogoversary
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Blogoversary #18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 I started this blog while I was still
teaching, in 2006. I had just begun my 31st year as an educator. Just like
in pre...
Student "Growth" Measures Are STILL Biased
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This caught my attention:
New Jersey school districts may soon be evaluated differently, *with a
greater emphasis on student growth* as compared to stud...
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
-
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
...
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
-
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 García
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.
-
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
-
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...
My First and Last Visit to Hudson Yards
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Figuring I did not need to invite any more darkness and vulgarity into my
head than that provided on a daily basis from Trump’s White House, and
after read...
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.
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
-
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)
-
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. . . .
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
*“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...
Hundreds of California teachers protest Trump's nominee for secretary of education - LA Times : Hundreds of California teachers protest Trump's nominee for secretary of education Hundreds of California teachers gathered Saturday in downtown Los Angeles to protest President Trump's nominee for secretary of education, calling her an “extremist” with an “anti-public school agenda.” Members of the Ca
Priorities In a School System Where Nearly Half of Students Live in Poverty Priorities In a School System Where Nearly Half of Students Live in Poverty By Laurie Taylor-Mitchell The annual costs for new computers and technology ( STAT* ) is now $57 million, and over $250 million overall is expected to be spent by 2018. Administrative salaries and costs are also increasing within the school system
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Trump election has reformers in a tizzy : Trump election has reformers in a tizzy Credit: Creative Commons/AFGE "Ed reformers are just waiting for their turn to talk. They only want to talk about themselves. Anything you say, they just want to tell you, 'Charter schools are great.' A parent can tell them, 'I broke my foot.' And a reformer will say, 'You know what's
SomeDam Poet: “No Democrat Will Vote” | Diane Ravitch's blog : SomeDam Poet: “No Democrat Will Vote” Our blog poet writes about Senator Franken’s statement that no Democrat will vote to confirm DeVos, highlighting contradictions: “No Democrat will vote” No Democrat would vote For testing and for VAM No Democrat would vote For any other sham No Democrat would vote For Gates and Common Core No Demo
States’ Teacher Evaluation Systems Now “All over the Map” | VAMboozled! : States’ Teacher Evaluation Systems Now “All over the Map” We are now just one year past the federal passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), within which it is written that states must no longer set up teacher-evaluation systems based in significant part on their students’ test scores. As per a recent article writt
CURMUDGUCATION : Don't Read Me Today Seriously. I'm not blogging today. I'm throwing all those words into tweeting, emailing and Facebook messaging my Senators and Representatives and telling them that so much of what's happening this week is not okay (I would be phoning them, but nobody's answering the phones and all the voicemails are full). Not the refusal to oppose Betsy DeVos. Not the muslim
Betsy DeVos paid for a Grand Rapids school superintendent to support her at her Senate confirmation in Washington, DC | Eclectablog : Betsy DeVos paid for a Grand Rapids school superintendent to support her at her Senate confirmation in Washington, DC Betsy DeVos, Pr*sident Donald Trump’s pick to be his Secretary of Education, is rightfully being exposed nationally for her anti-public education a
The telling letter Betsy DeVos wrote to clarify her position on U.S. disabilities law - The Washington Post : The telling letter Betsy DeVos wrote to clarify her position on U.S. disabilities law Betsy DeVos, the Michigan billionaire President Trump nominated to be education secretary, wrote a letter to a senator about the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. What she said in that
Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie Bashes Teachers, But Now No One Cares : Chris Christie Bashes Teachers, But Now No One Cares Chris Christie, like all bullies, is a pathetic figure. Christie has approval ratings so low -- 19 percent! -- they are even worse than Donald Trump's . The current leading Republican candidate for governor, Kim Guadagno, has completely disavowed Christie , going so far as t
Schools Matter: Lamar Alexander, Another Lame Duck : Lamar Alexander, Another Lame Duck I don't know why we, over time, don't make every public school a charter school... .You could not do it overnight, but you could do it over 20, 25 years." -- Lamar Alexander, 2013 Even if the former "Education Governor" of Tennessee has not decided on whether or not to run again in 2020 when his current term i
Update - His group’s anti-gay marriage position did not represent his own beliefs says Bronin nominee for school board - Wait What? : Update – His group’s anti-gay marriage position did not represent his own beliefs says Bronin nominee for school board As Massachusetts moved toward its historic approval of same-sex marriage rights, the Boston Ministerial Alliance engaged in a heated and hateful c
As Opposition to DeVos Swells, Hope for Her Rejection Builds | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community : As Opposition to DeVos Swells, Hope for Her Rejection Builds Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said no Democrat will vote in favor of DeVos, and the party is actively seeking Republicans to oppose her as well byNadia Prupis, staff writer There may be enough opposition to Ed
The Trump War on Public Schools - The New York Times : The Trump War on Public Schools One of the most disturbing things about the Trump administration is its antipathy toward public schools. Perhaps you remember the president’s mini-rant in his inaugural speech about an “education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge.” Well, Trump’s c
My Word: Schools lagging, we need California Dreaming again : Education lags, time for California Dreaming again The education and care of our children should be the most important work of any generation. My parents and grandparents, who withstood the Great Depression and World War II, came out of those experiences with a commitment to education and a generosity toward children that made a remark
School Transformation Hasn’t Worked—Isn’t That Reason Enough to Stop? - Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly : School Transformation Hasn’t Worked—Isn’t That Reason Enough to Stop? Making America’s public education system great was the goal of Presidents Bush and Obama. President Trump also sees the problems in our public schools as needing action—so much so that he i
Famed researcher Linda Darling-Hammond on the future of New York education — and what she makes of Betsy DeVos | Chalkbeat : Famed researcher Linda Darling-Hammond on the future of New York education — and what she makes of Betsy DeVos New York could be on the cusp of “serious changes” to education policy — if the state takes the plunge, according to Linda Darling-Hammond, one of nation’s most in
King County Superior Court hears case on charter schools | The Seattle Times : King County Superior Court hears case on charter schools The ongoing legal battle over the state’s charter-school law continued Friday in King County Superior Court. After the first ruling, charter schools had to scramble to stay afloat financially — and succeeded with help from supporters like the Bill & Melinda Gates
Private Christian schools receiving taxpayer-funded school vouchers continue to exclude students on basis of religion, sexual identity :: WRAL.com : Private Christian schools receiving taxpayer-funded school vouchers continue to exclude students on basis of religion, sexual identity The following was posted by the A.J. Fletcher Foundation. The original post is available here . A review of the stu
Public education advocates cry foul over legislators' private meeting with controversial school reformer Michelle Rhee - The Progressive Pulse : Public education advocates cry foul over legislators’ private meeting with controversial school reformer Michelle Rhee Some North Carolina public education activists are crying foul over a private legislative meet state lawmakers are scheduled to attend
How to Start an ISIS Charter School… - : How to Start an ISIS Charter School… …and have Department of Education pay for it. I teach in a public high school in Los Angeles and every time I hear someone extol the virtues of charter schools and vouchers, I cringe. For 13 years, I taught at a charter school near the ocean in a part of town where the median price of a home is more than $3 million. The
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: Meet The Radical Monarchs: Girls with Social Justice In Their Hearts & On Their Minds : Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: Meet The Radical Monarchs: Girls with Social Justice In Their Hearts & On Their Minds Radical Brownies Berets, badges, Black Lives Matter and social justice: the youth group for
DeVos-Funded Group: How to Indoctrinate Children | Diane Ravitch's blog : DeVos-Funded Group: How to Indoctrinate Children “Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin: They knew one thing, that to change a culture, to change a country, they had to reach the children,” the speaker said. This is a very alarming story about a conservative Christian group funded by Betsy DeVos called the “Student St
Maher slams Trump’s Education pick: Putting DeVos in charge ‘is like putting Ellen in charge of d*ck’ : Maher slams Trump’s Education pick: Putting DeVos in charge ‘is like putting Ellen in charge of d*ck’ ll Maher couldn’t resist taking a shot at two of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks, which he nicknamed “ill-prepared vs. ill-equipped.” “As Energy Secretary, Rick Perry goes head to empty
We are becoming the America I know, not the America I want! | Opine I will : We are becoming the America I know, not the America I want! The America I know is a nation with a checkered past. Yes, we are the greatest nation on the face of the earth! Yes, I love our nation and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our guiding principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happines
Saturday Extra: Read Gail Collins in Today’s NY Times on Trump’s War on Public Education | janresseger : Saturday Extra: Read Gail Collins in Today’s NY Times on Trump’s War on Public Education Gail Collins’ column this morning, The Trump War on Public Schools , begins this way: “One of the most disturbing things about the Trump administration is its antipathy toward public schools. Perhaps you r
CURMUDGUCATION: Friend$ of DeVos : Friend$ of DeVos If you follow the many pieces about Presumptive Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, you will notice that there are folks who stand up for her as a super-duper prospect for Secretary of Education. For instance, Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal spoke up for her hometown girl Betsy, and was, according to released em
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/27/17 Featured Post All Democratic senators will oppose DeVos as education secretary Divide and Conquer: “This proposal would devastate retirees and their surviving spouses.” |