When an Employer Disappears You
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Have you ever had someone suddenly disappear from an organization? I first
saw this happen in the 1990s when I began working in the Research and
Accountabi...
"Should Presidents Be Cashing In?"
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Donald Trump's brokerage accounts executed 3,642 stock and bond
transactions during the first quarter of the year, averaging about 63
trades per tradi...
The Lure of “Magic Bullets” in Reforming Schools
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I doubt if I am the only one who gets fatigued from the constant use of the
phrase “magic bullet” in school reform. Most often the words disparagingly
desc...
Margaret Spellings Rides Again!
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That’s right—the cowgirl is back, with a whole new look but with the same
old discredited education policy that she started hawking 30 years ago with
her...
The Reflecting Pool Fiasco
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To begin with, some thoughts about the mess that is the Lincoln Memorial
Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, compliments of Reddit. Just some food
for thoug...
Trump / Fascists to Cancel Voting Rights
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Panic within the Trump White House over their impending demise in the 2026
midterms has reached a fever pitch and they are now pulling out every stop
to...
AK: Can The State Force District To OK Charter?
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The Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board has made some charter fans
big mad, and now the courts will be involved.
FNSBSD last fall dealt with a requ...
Voucher Backer Backs Blackburn
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In the race to become Tennessee’s next Governor, U.S. Senator Marsha
Blackburn has the backing of one of the nation’s biggest voucher
supporters. Jeff Yass...
Don Quixote
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As if you didn't indulge me every day, today I ask for a little extra
indulgence.
Our windmill is a former prop that was was regularly set afire in a
p...
The Pitch Clock
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Fidel Castro is smoking a cigar. He is thinking about how he loves
baseball. A revolution is a curveball thrown against history. He stares
into your eyes t...
Principal Apportionment, Fiscal Year 2025–26
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Distribution of funds for local educational agencies (LEAs) in support of
the public school system. Includes elementary school, high school and
unified sch...
Crisis for Public Education and Democracy
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By Thomas Ultican 6/18/2026 A new report from the Network for Public
Education (NPE) documents the ongoing demolition of public schools. For
more than a ce...
Education News Roundup, June 18, 2026
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Posts to come:
- SPS is (quietly) bringing in more tech, both in the classroom and to
"help" students. What's up with that?
- The concern over s...
NYC Primary Odds June 18 2026
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NYC has more real congressional primaries, real ones, than I can ever
recall. There’s not a lot of polling, but there are betting markets, which
is what I ...
“86-47”? HELL, YES
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Some of Trump’s allies and supporters say that the expression “86-47” is a
call to assassinate President Donald J. Trump. As you no doubt are aware,
Trump’...
The ‘Generational Collapse’ in Literacy
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There’s been a robust edu-discourse bubbling up over an article in the
Chronicle of Higher Education titled My Students Can’t Read. The (ahem)
tl;dr: colle...
The One-Room Schoolhouse
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“It seems a universal rule in this world that people will always look for
victims and scapegoats, does it not? Especially at times of difficulty and
tensio...
Husted, we have a (fraud) problem
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Not sure bringing Ka$h and the Trump Gang to Ohio to highlight fraud is a
great idea when vulnerable U.S. Sen. Jon Husted perpetuated the largest
taxpayer ...
Is LA Under Assault From AirBnB?
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The amount of money AirBnB, Inc. has been dumping into the City of LA
(CoLA) and its city attorney’s race…
The post Is LA Under Assault From AirBnB? firs...
Es nuestra hora de defender la democracia
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Nos están arrebatando el derecho a votar. Es nuestro deber restaurar la
salud de nuestra democracia, mientras aún podemos. En una democracia sana,
tenemos ...
May’s Parent Engagement Resources
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San Diego Unified Created a System to ‘Empower’ Parents. It Unraveled is
from The Voice of San Diego. Why Those Disengaged Parents in Your School
Deserve a...
The Math Was Within Us All Along
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Now that I finished my second book, let me tell you a story that won’t make
it into the manuscript: A few weeks ago, I ...
Read More
The post The Math W...
The Return Of The Reformers
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At the height of my blogging, it was hard to keep up with the steady stream
of stories about miracle schools, miracle districts, shoddy educational
researc...
Read and Learn from the Past
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I just finished reading “The Boys in the Light” by Nina Willner. This is a
wonderful World War II story of survival, faith, and brotherhood. I highly
recom...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
-
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 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.
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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
-
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...
Betsy DeVos called me. I sent her this letter - Lily's Blackboard : Betsy DeVos called me. I sent her this letter Education Secretary Betsy DeVos called me the other day saying we should talk. But this seems premature. I’m still struck by the lack of clear answers she gave the public at her Senate hearing. There is no doubt where we stand on issues critical to supporting students and public educa
LGBT employees ask Education Secretary to keep protections | PBS NewsHour : LGBT employees ask Education Secretary to keep protections WASHINGTON — LGBT employees have asked Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to commit to safeguarding anti-discrimination regulations amid fears that the Trump administration may weaken those protections. In the email, obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, staffe
Betsy DeVos is now being guarded by U.S. Marshals - The Washington Post : Betsy DeVos is now being guarded by U.S. Marshals By Danielle Douglas-Gabriel and Emma Brown February 17 at 5:07 PM The U.S. Marshals Service says they are now providing security for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, after a handful of protesters blocked her from entering a D.C. middle school. [ Protesters briefly block Educ
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: How Much Does Your District Pay in Charter Costs : PA: How Much Does Your District Pay in Charter Costs An extremely handy spread sheet has been circulating lately, and if nothing else, I want to put a link here so that I can more easily find it. If you're in Pennsylvania, you'll want to look at this, too. Yes, 502 districts is a lot. The document covers every school year from
How to Protest Against Betsy DeVos : How to Protest Against Betsy DeVos Our schools are being starved into failure in order to justify mass privatization. —Timothy Meegan, Chicago Sun Times A while back, I attended a meeting at the University of Memphis where many of us were against the Relay Graduate School of Education —a reform group that recruits students out of their chosen careers and suppl
CURMUDGUCATION: DeVos: No Real Role for Feds : DeVos: No Real Role for Feds At Axios (the new "media company" from two former Politico honchos ), Johnathan Swan ( formerly of The Hill ) has a quick moment with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos . She uses the opportunity for a bit of a do-over on her confirmation hearing, but it's her thoughts on the federal role in education that are most striking.
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Gates' Annual Letter To Buffet Doesn't Mention Education Efforts : Gates' Annual Letter To Buffet Doesn't Mention Education Efforts For the second year in a row, Bill and Melinda Gates' letter to Warren Buffett on his donation to their foundation doesn't mention what any of their policy and advocacy work in public education. From fellow public education activist,
PTA asks 'Parent Teacher Alliance,' a charter school political group, to change its name | 89.3 KPCC : PTA asks 'Parent Teacher Alliance,' a charter school political group, to change its name In the midst of a contentious race for Los Angeles Unified School Board , some voters have gotten knocks at their door from pro-charter school canvassers introducing themselves as "volunteers with the Parent
Trump backs merit pay for teachers — but one Florida school system now says it doesn’t work - The Washington Post : Trump backs merit pay for teachers — but one Florida school system now says it doesn’t work During the campaign, President Trump said “it is time” for merit pay for teachers. In Florida, the Orange County Public School district thinks otherwise, declaring a years-long experiment wit
The Fight to Privatize LA Schools: Getting What You Pay For - LA Progressive : The Fight to Privatize LA Schools: Getting What You Pay For Is it true there are LAUSD board candidates “supported by” Betsy DeVos? Recently this very central, very arresting question was posted to a neighborhood social media website, highlighting the core themes of today’s political perplexity: culpability, associatio
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » What Works Can Hurt: Side Effects in Education : What Works Can Hurt: Side Effects in Education This medicine can reduce fever, but it can cause a bleeding stomach. When you buy a medical product, you are given information about both its effects and side effects. But such practice does not exist in education. “This program helps improve your
Teaching in the Trump Years (Part 4) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice : Teaching in the Trump Years (Part 4) The following lesson was posted on a blog written by Ed Realist, “a teacher at a Title I high school who usually teaches math, but every so often jumps at the opportunity to teach US history. Ed has credentials in math, social science, and English.” I have kicked off m
Black History Month Series: #1 Alice Walker: Beauty in TruthSF Public School Mom : BHM Series #8: Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth In honor of Black History Month , I’m reposting this previous series. A few years ago, (2015 to be exact!) I challenged myself to write 28 posts highlighting African-American History . This year I finally reached my goal!!! Check out my original post below which appeared
And the GRAMMY goes to...our music teachers! - Lily's Blackboard : And the GRAMMY goes to…our music teachers! In my past life, before I became a teacher, I was actually a starving folk singer. Eventually, I did teach my fourth graders some of the classics (you will have to watch the video to know what I mean). However, I have never won a GRAMMY. Probably the closest I will ever get to the GRAMMY’
NCTQ on States’ Teacher Evaluation Systems’ Failures | VAMboozled! : NCTQ on States’ Teacher Evaluation Systems’ Failures The controversial National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) — created by the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute and funded (in part) by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as “part of a coalition for ‘a better orchestrated agenda’ for accountability, choice, and using t
The Importance of Real Words -B.Keller | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing : The Importance of Real Words -B.Keller As someone who teaches the importance, values, power and etymology of words, as well as teaching people to think before they speak or write and to analyze the things others say and write, I am having a little difficulty with the recent increase of “engineering “ being done to the l
DeVos to tour schools with teachers union head | TheHill : DeVos to tour schools with teachers union head Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the president of a teachers union that strongly resisted her confirmation have agreed to tour schools together. “I said I’d like to visit a public school with her, and then I’d like her to visit a choice school with me,” DeVos told Axios Thursday, recountin
Trump weighs mobilizing Nat Guard for immigration roundups : Trump weighs mobilizing Nat Guard for immigration roundups The Trump administration is considering a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, including millions living nowhere near the Mexico border, according to a draft memo obtained by The Associated Press. The 11-page document
Beyond DeVos, What 5 Key Trump Appointees Could Mean For Schools : NPR Ed : NPR : Beyond DeVos, What 5 Key Trump Appointees Could Mean For Schools l-r: Ryan Zinke, the nominee for Interior secretary; Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Judge Neil Gorsuch, Supreme Court nominee; Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price. Getty Images/NPR The action in the U.
DeVos: Critics want to ‘make my life a living hell’ - The Washington Post : DeVos: Critics want to ‘make my life a living hell’ In her first full week as U.S. education secretary, Betsy DeVos wasted no time in getting to work to try to explain her vision for education and the U.S. Education Department — and to go after her critics, saying they want to make her life “a living hell.” She also said
The Government's "Energy Kids" Website Has Scrubbed Climate Warnings - The Atlantic : A Government Website for Kids Scrubbed Its Climate Warnings In recent weeks, “Energy Kids” has reworked and cut information about fossil fuels’ environmental impacts. Almost 20 years ago, the U.S. Energy Information Administration had an idea: Make an educational website for children about energy sources and the
House Education Committee Staffers Get New Power This Congress - Politics K-12 - Education Week : House Education Committee Staffers Get New Power This Congress The new session of Congress means new rules. Amid the turnover accompanying the 115th Congress, you might have missed changes to staff investigative authority that affects the Education and Workforce Committee in the House of Representati
Who Stays? Who Moves? Who Leaves? Teacher Preparation, Teacher Induction and Teacher Quality | Ed In The Apple : Who Stays? Who Moves? Who Leaves? Teacher Preparation, Teacher Induction and Teacher Quality Rick Hanuchek and Hank Levin, friends since the sixties, are education economists with hundreds of books and articles bearing their names, and, also, have starkly differing views on education a
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: TUNE IN THIS MORNING : TUNE IN THIS MORNING The Klonsky brothers are back on the air this morning at 11 (CST), live and streaming on Lumpen Radio , WLPN 105.5 FM from Bridgeport (the Daley's old hood) on the south side of Chicago. We’re trying to stay profanity-free, according to FCC regs this morning, so I’ll try and refrain from using the word “PUZDER” while we ta
Lacking Checks and Balances, Government Brings Us a Tragicomic Mess | janresseger : Lacking Checks and Balances, Government Brings Us a Tragicomic Mess Today’s post is a lesson in basic civics. When one party reigns supreme, as it does these days in the majority of states and the federal government—when one party dominates the executive branch and the legislative branch—government leaders do pret
CURMUDGUCATION: IOWA: Gutting Unions : IOWA: Gutting Unions The Iowa House and Senate have voted to gut the public service unions of their state . Under the new bill, Iowa's public service unions (that, of course, includes teachers) may not negotiate anything but wages. Health care, evaluation procedures, and other language items may not be part of contract negotiations. And should those wage neg
The Trump/DeVos Privatization Agenda Begins to Take Shape - Network For Public Education : The Trump/DeVos Privatization Agenda Begins to Take Shape The new administration’s attack on public education has begun, and we need you to take action today to stop it. In late January, HR 610 was introduced by Steve King of Iowa, with representatives from Maryland, Texas and Arizona signing on. You can re
Badass Teachers Association: School Choice: Philanthropy or Predatory Capitalism by Cheryl Binkley : School Choice: Philanthropy or Predatory Capitalism by Cheryl Binkley Originally posted at: http://3rdmillenniumteacher.blogspot.com/2017/02/school-choice-philanthropy-or-predatory.html Betsy DeVos, Bill and Melinda Gates, Alice Walton, Eli Broad, the Koch brothers and other billionaires each have
Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: The End of Special Education Part VI: AZ Parents, Heads Up! : The End of Special Education Part VI: AZ Parents, Heads Up! There are generally too many stupid education and special education stories these days to comment on them all, but this one is worthy of everyone's attention. My "The End of Special Education" series has gained a lot of attention sinc
America’s Founding Fathers Were Against School Choice | gadflyonthewallblog : America’s Founding Fathers Were Against School Choice One of the founding principles of the United States is public education. We fought a bloody revolution against England for many reasons, but chief among them was to create a society where all people could be educated. Certainly we had disagreements about who counted
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 2/16/17 Featured Post Parents - Just say NO to the 2017 SBAC Testing Scheme - Wait What? Betsy DeVos, No ESSA Did Not End Common Core | Truth in American Education by mike simpson /