Join us on May 6: No more student data sales!
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In In February, the NY State Attorney General Tish James signed a consent
decree with the College Board, prohibiting them from selling personal
student dat...
Why the Columbia U President Should be Criticized
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Robert Reich
Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more
The most important thing I teach my studentsAnd why Columbia’s faculty
should issue a vote of n...
FL: Ron DeSantis vs. Words (Also, Satan)
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Earlier this year, Florida became yet another state to pass a law allowing volunteer
school chaplains. It's a bad idea for a variety of reasons (outlined wh...
"The Mind at Three Miles Per Hour"
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"The Thinker," Auguste Rodin (The worst possible way to think?)
"(S)it as little as possible," writes German philosopher Friedrich
Nietzsche, "do not bel...
Seattle Schools Waitlists
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From a reader comment:
*Desperate parent here trying to connect with others in the same boat. *
*Is no one going to talk about the school choice waitlist...
More Cartoons on Tests in School
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I scour the web for new cartoons about teaching, curriculum,
administrators, teachers, and, yes, the inescapable practice of students
taking tests. Here is...
Bill Lee Loses School Voucher Battle, Again
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Two days after a stunning repudiation of the Governor by production workers
who voted 3-1 for unionization at the VW plant in Chattanooga, Bill Lee has
s...
Post mortem on a disappointing state budget
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The state budget was finalized on Saturday, more than two weeks late, and
to the surprise of many, Mayor Adams was successful in getting Mayoral
contro...
Defend the People’s Schools
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By Thomas Ultican 4/19/2024 I am sure you’ll be shocked to your core but
there are some really bad people out there trying to end publicly-financed
free ed...
The Super 20
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What follows are thumbnail sketches of the 20 applicants who want to be the
next Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools. Before beginning, I
want to...
Bibliography for History Posts on This Blog
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I remember when school reformers insisted the biggest problem
in education was that teachers didn't come from the best colleges.
Bibliography
VER...
Guess Who’s NOT Coming to School!
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American students are skipping school in record numbers, a crisis that is
so acute that it became the lead story in The New York Times recently, as
well as...
THE EVOLUTION OF OUR SPECIES
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As I considered writing this blog, I did not want to write a piece that
painted a dystopian future for humanity. I felt that the blog should, first
and for...
Why Do My Groceries Cost So Much?
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Giant corporations and billionaires want to keep their taxes low and the
prices we pay high. That’s why they want Trump back in office. In 2004, I
was a si...
Critical Race Theory Is About You, and All of Us
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Recently, Christina Cross, a Black woman sociologist at Harvard, found her
work at the crosshairs of the same person who brought us the bastardization
of...
Grow Your Own Teachers? A BustED: Pencils Podcast
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Julian Vasquez Heilig and Laura Dinehart join Dr. Tim to discuss how
Western Michigan University is ‘Growing Their Own’ teachers, without test
tubes or sci...
UFT Welfare Fund nest egg – bigger than most nests
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A nest egg. A rainy day fund. A reserve. Back up. We all have some, or
would like some. In case things go sideways, a way to pay some bills in the
meantime...
March (2024) Useful Parent Engagement Resources
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“Gentle parenting” seems to be based on sound child psychology principles,
but these techniques may not be as effective for more serious challenging
behavi...
Let’s recall just how bad a president Trump was!
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For the record, concerning Covid:, this is from Quora: ———- President Trump
tweeted that 17,000 people died from Swine Flu under Obama. How does this
compa...
March 5, 2024: The time for delay has passed
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It is time to open the ballot sitting on my kitchen counter. Only, the more
I learn of politics, the…
The post March 5, 2024: The time for delay has pass...
A Change of Plans
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Last September, in a piece titled Where We Expect To Retire, I informed
folks that we were planning to move to Kendal Crosslands Communities, the
Crossla...
Wisdom from the Sage of Mount Vernon
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Words of wisdom appropriate to our time. …from George Washington, America’s
first President, on President’s Day. (Edited and updated from a previous
post) ...
We are making a CPESS documentary!
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In 2020, I was approached by Deborah Meier and Jane Andrais and I decided
we should document the story of Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS).
This ...
2023 In Review And What’s To Come In 2024
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2023 is almost complete and it was a busy, challenging, rewarding, and fun
year. The news of the world was sometimes too much to watch. Countries were
dest...
Volunteer in 2024
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Be the change, volunteer and make the difference! Let’s face it, the world
is in turmoil, and divisive politics in our country is threatening our
democracy...
The Sky is Falling, or is it?
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Well, this is the first anniversary of the introduction of Generative AI in
the form of ChatGPT to the world of education. Before it was a week old,
over o...
Lying Liars of the NYC DOE
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The APPR travails continue.
When last I blogged I shared how my principal, XXXXXXXX XXXXX of PS XXX did
an end run around me. I was refused to be obser...
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...
Metaphors in ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
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In this article, we will explore the powerful use of metaphors in Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” ...
Read more
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...
Skin Deep
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She spends so much time on her outward appearance. There is never a hair
out of place. Her makeup is perfect and her clothes are stylish and match
to ...
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...
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*Defeating the Purpose of Education*
*Most people would agree that the primary purpose of education is to
prepare children for a good and productive life. ...
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 certi...
Abortion: Only For Those Who Need It!
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NOTE: This post contains my opinions on Catholicism based on my experiences
as a child in the 1960's and 70's. Take what you like and leave the rest. I
m...
Hello world!
-
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then
start writing!
The post Hello world! first appeared on Just another WordPress site.
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...
On the Edge of Silence
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“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide.
Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the
fundamen...
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
...
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...
GA run-offs need your help!
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Extremely important. Volunteer if you can. Thank you if you are already
doing so. Out of state opportunities here: Ralph …
Continue reading →
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...
A Citizens’ Rebellion 2020
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The United States began to form after the rebellion against the King of
England when the settlers in the colonies along the eastern coast reacted
to the in...
A Fundamental Redesign of Our Schools
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I climbed the hill leading up to one of my favorite coffee shops in Seattle
this morning to enjoy a coffee while taking in a phenomenal view of the
city o...
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...
Thoughts on schooling in the era of COVID-19
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Well, a whole lot has changed since I returned to blogging a month and half
ago. In case you didn't notice, and I'm sure everyone reading this did,
there's...
NAEP scores and "the science of reading"
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*Sent to US News. They just informed me that they no longer publish
letters to the editor. *
*Re: “National reading emergency” November 12*
*[https://www...
2019 NAEP Scores: Achievement Gap or …?
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Here you go: A ‘Disturbing’ Assessment: Sagging Reading Scores,
Particularly for Eighth-Graders, Headline 2019’s Disappointing NAEP Results
NAEP 2019: Re...
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 Storm is Coming! (…again)
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A new Commissioner will have as much impact on our state ed system as a new
meteorologist will have on …
Continue reading →
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...
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
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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
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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...
3rd Grade Reading: Who is Failing?
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Education Trust Midwest has just released its study on third grade reading
and, predictably, the results aren’t great. This study uniquely compares
Michiga...
Opting out of the Dinosaur (end of year test)
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Today I sent in a second letter to refuse PARCC/CMAS for my son, Luke. The
first email I sent at the beginning of the year was not sufficient as they
requi...
Resurrection
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I realized it's Lent, but this blog, bless Jesus Christ, can't wait.
Ok, so with that said, I plan to discuss Class Action suits in existence,
as well as w...
IDEA Is Still The Law Of The Land
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Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the US Department of
Education (USDOE) rescinded 72 Dear Colleague and other letters of
explanation to ...
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...
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...
Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/2/2017
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Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/1/2017 Education Bloggers Daily
Highlights Courtesy of Big Education Ape A special thank you to education
blogger Mik...
Capturing the Spark
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It’s been a long time since InterACT was an active education blog, though I
remain quite proud of what we did here. Those of us who wrote blog posts
here h...
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...
WTU Peterson Slate: Not a 1 Woman Dictatorship
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Candi Peterson & GeLynn Thompson
Candidates for WTU Prez & GVP 2016By Candi Peterson, WTU Gen. Vice President
*Statements or expressions of opinions herein...
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
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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...
Flaws at the Heart of Current Education Reforms
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Originally posted on Creative by Nature:
“Teaching is an art form rooted in the wise and careful use of educational
research and assessment tools. When gove...
Terri Michal is a member of the elected lard of Education in Birmingham, Alabama. She writes: I love public education employees. They are the most resourceful group of people you could ever meet. They have to be. These employees work in an atmosphere of politics and nepotism. They suffer through Legislators and administrators that create policies for them even though many of these policy makers h
The standards and testing cabal wants to preserve the status quo ante and double down on accountability and NCLB-style measures after the pandemic. The choice crowd wants to push their agendas subsidizing anything and everything while slashing public schools. William Doyle and Pasi Sahlberg have a different vision. They want learning to be creative and joyful. They describe their ideas on Valerie
We have known for a long while that the worst scandals in the charter sector are intertwined with online learning and cyber charters. Consider the bankruptcy last year of ECOT (the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow) in Ohio,
Dana Milbank, opinion writer for the Washington Post, says that the a Republican right wing finally have the helpless federal government they have longed for, and people are dying because of the government’s incompetence. Is this a polite way of saying that the Tea Party libertarians have blood on their hands? Note: there are only two areas where these people are eager and willing to lavish publi
Until recently, the World Bank has been a vocal supporter of for-profit privatized education such as that offered by Bridge International, which had been expanding rapidly in Africa. Thanks in large part to the work of Education International , a world confederation of teachers’ unions, the World Bank has changed its policy. In a sudden and far-reaching policy shift, World Bank President David Ma
Patrick O’Donnell is one of the best education journalists in the nation. He has covered charter and cyber charter scandals in Cleveland and in Ohio without fear or favor. Ohio, as you may have noticed, is awash in charter corruption. O’Donnell worked for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer until last weekend, when the newspaper pushed out its leading journalists and told them they could cover far-flung a
Wisconsin long ago scheduled its primaries for April 7. When the dimensions of the public health crisis became apparent, Governor Tony Evers tried to postpone the election and to encourage voting by mail. Evers’s order to postpone the election was overturned by the state court, and its ruling was sustained by the U.S. Supreme Court, voting along partisan lines. Hundreds of thousands of people wer
Professor Les Perelman, who taught writing at MIT , recently was honored by the New South Wales Teachers Federation for his successful effort to stop the “robo-grading” of tests in Australia. He demonstrated how easy it was to deceive the machines grading thousands of tests in only seconds. Perelman speaks here about the importance of public education, critical thinking, and the dangers posed by
G.F. Brandenburg wonders where the $2 trillion is going. A retired math teacher, he did the numbers. If every American gets $1,200, that’s $400 billion. That’s 20%. Who gets the other 80%? Politico reported on April 8 that Trump insists that there be no oversight of the $2 trillion. Apparently he thinks it was appropriated by Congress solely for him to dispense as he wishes. WATCHMEN — As the Tru
Read the new ending to this post. Trump tweeted a response. The Wall Street Journal offered some useful advice to Trump. Given his ego and vanity, he is unlikely to heed the editorial, even though it comes from his cheering section. His narcissism shields him from any criticism. He thinks that his base loves his attacks on the press. It is always surprising to see any member of the press defend t
The $2 trillion appropriated by Congress as coronavirus relief funds will benefit for-profit colleges with poor records, according to Marketwatch. They are likely to collect $1 billion. DeVos has been an investor in for-profit colleges, so don’t expect her to care. Democratic Senators have complained to DeVos but got no response this far., Dozens of for-profit colleges that are among those most l
While enthusiasts for online learning predict a boom after the pandemic, as students and teachers get used to learning at home online, the reality is different on the ground. Stress, loneliness, and boredom are typical reactions. A team of reporters in Los Angeles reports on student reactions to the loss of face-to-face instruction. A senior at John C. Fremont High School in South L.A., Emilio He
Among the nations of the world, only one is fully prepared for an emergency like the current pandemic: Finland. While the rest of us have lived like grasshoppers, not worrying about possible disasters, the Finns are like ants: storing what is needed for whatever might happen. They long ago decided not to be dependent on the global supply chain for essential equipment. The New York Times published
Parents, educators, and community activists in San Francisco formed an organization to protest the inequities in over reliance on distance learning. They call themselves StrikeReadySF. This is their manifesto.
Concerned parents and educators have created an online petition to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. They are afraid that she will use this period of national crisis to reduce the rights of students with disabilities. Please read their petition, and if you agree with them, please add your name. Letter to the Department of Education
Are charters public schools or are they businesses? The charter lobby wants a slice of the $2 trillion intended to save small businesses even though the charters have suffered no loss of funding during the pandemic. Many businesses are nearly bankrupt. This money was meant for them, not charters and their lobbyists. Please sign this petition to Congress.
John Thompson writes here about yet another virtual charter scam, this one in Oklahoma. He writes: After years of failing to regulate charters, especially online and for-profit charters, Oklahoma is just one state that illustrates how hard it is to catch up and hold virtual schools accountable for either education outcomes or financial transactions. In July 2019, according to an Oklahoma State Bu
In this post, Tom Ultican reviews two recent books . One is Mercedes Schneider’s guide to sleuthing through online records and following the money. It is called A Practical Guide to Digital Research: Getting the Facts and Rejecting the Lies. Schneider is an expert at “following the money,” and she reveals the secrets of her craft in this book. The book grew out of a presentation that Schneider ga
In the age of the Internet, news travels fast. The story below explains how a doctor in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York State developed a drug cocktail that has been endorsed by Trump and even the president of Brazil. Last month, residents of Kiryas Joel, a New York village of 35,000 Hasidic Jews roughly an hour’s drive from Manhattan, began hearing about a promising treatment for
Here are two contrasting views about what happens when (if?) children return to school in the fall. In an article in the Washington Post , Mike Petrilli, president of the rightwing Thomas B. Fordham Institute, proposes that all students be held back a grade to make up for the ground they lost when schools closed in March. He also suggests that this is a good time to embrace distance learning. Jan
You may have heard the news today that Trump fired the independent Inspector General in charge of monitoring the $2 trillion coronavirus relief fund. I want to explain why this is a Very Big Deal. When I worked in the Department of Education many years ago, I learned that the I.G. was nonpartisan and was respected and revered. As a political appointee, you knew that the I.G. was in charge of moni
The New York Times published an insightful and informative analysis of the federal government’s failure to act, as the threat of the coronavirus became clear at the start of 2020. It’s an absorbing story of bureaucratic delays, missed signals, a lack of urgency, a failure of planning and communication, and a failure to mobilize the nation in time to save thousands of lives. It’s a long read but w
The Washington Post published the following story on April 4. It is a story of an administration that ignored warnings and then misled the American people about the seriousness of the pandemic that was about to cause massive misery and loss of life to our nation. It was reported by Yasmeen Abutaleb, Josh Dawsey, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller. Journalism is often called “the first draft of histo
Civil rights attorney Wendy Lecker writes a regular column in the Stamford (CT) Advocate. In this post , she points out that the pandemic has demonstrated how important public schools are in their communities. As states closed public school systems, the nation at large saw the wide range of necessary services schools provide to students in addition to instruction. Public schools, serving 50 milli
Paul Waldman, an opinion writer for the Washington Post, writes here that the coronavirus pandemic has made reform of healthcare an urgent matter . Millions of people have been laid off, losing the health insurance provided by their employers. He predicts that access to health insurance will be a major issue in the November election because Trump’s war on Obamacare has stripped millions of their
At a meeting of the New York State Board of Regents, Chancellor Betty Rosa announces that the Regents exams required for high school graduation will be canceled this year. This is a wise decision. The exams cannot be given in person. If delivered online, there is no way to know who is taking the exam. The next year should be a time to rethink the current policy of requiring all students to take t
The New York Times reported that Trump again advocated for a treatment for COVID-19 and silenced his chief medical adviser, Dr.Anthony Fauci, who does not agree with him. Other physicians warn that the side effects of the drug recommended by Trump could be dangerous. The Washington Post reported that Rudy Guiliani has advised Trump about the drug that he touts. The Washington Post writes: In one-
This is a message from UnkochMyCampus, an organization dedicated to stopping the nefarious influence of the super-rich on campuses, starting with the Koch family. In this case, the contribution to a Missouri university came from billionaire Rex Sinquefield, a rightwing libertarian extremist. Mr. Sinquefield is a strong supporters of charter schools and vouchers. Please consider signing the letter
This insightful article in Esquire is m ostly about Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia, the guy who was in charge of the election (as Secretary of State) in which he beat Stacey Abrams and refused to step aside to let a nonpartisan person do it. His platform was pro-gun and anti-immigrant. Kemp belatedly figured out that people who exhibit no symptoms of COVID-19 can transmit the disease. Jack Holmes
Eighteen years ago, a far-sighted teacher in Los Angeles presciently warned that distance learning would never be an adequate substitute for human interaction between teachers and students. Alan Warhaftig retired as a teacher in 2017. Education Week gave him permission to repost this article ,and he in turn gave me permission to post it. Educators may be pillars of the community, but their discou
Maureen Downey of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution interviewed me about my thoughts about what might happen after the nightmare pandemic that has changed our lives. Would more parents decide to homeschool their children? Would distance learning replace the school as we have known it? Would policy makers take a new view of standardized testing? Here are my answers .
Max Boot writes in the Washington Post. In this article , he says that people always thought that James Buchanan was the worst president because of his failure to prevent the Civil War, the most deadly conflict in American history. But he now believes Trump has edged out Buchanan for the dubious title of The Worst President Ever. By the way, the Queen of England gave a lovely speech yesterday , t
Thanks to our reader Dienne for suggesting this list of musical and theatrical productions that are streaming for free. One of them “Jesus Christ Superstar” is already unavailable, so make a note to catch the ones that are still streaming.
Veteran journalist Andrea Gabor writes that students and schools are not ready for the sudden transition to online learning. Gabor writes: Online instruction has arrived overnight in U.S. schools. And nobody’s ready for it. The problem isn’t just that school systems shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic suddenly face the huge challenge of improvising home-schooling routines on an unimagined scale
Politico reports: G’MORNING. THE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS in the administration have taken their dire warnings about the coronavirus to a new level. They’ve started comparing the next two weeks to a widespread Sept. 11 or Pearl Harbor, and they’re warning against even going to the grocery store to get food and provisions. — DR. DEBORAH BIRX, in yesterday’s briefing: “So the next two weeks are extrao
Jeanette Deutermann is the parent on Long Island in New York who launched “Long Island Opt Out.” It is now part of NYSAPE, New York State Parents and Educators, which has led the successful opt out movement. She read some angry posts on Facebook, with blame as the common factor. And she wrote this plea on her Facebook page, which has been widely shared: All of our Facebook feeds are filled with p
I have seen many home-made videos about the COVID-19 shutdown of large parts of society, but this one is the absolute best so far! It’s a British family, Ben and Danielle Marsh and their four children, who live in Kent. They sing “One Day More” from “Les Miserables,” and they are hilarious! I loved it! Thanks to Bob Shepherd for supplying a link that works.
Joy Hakim wrote a successful American history book titled A History of Us , which was pUblished by Oxford University Press, not the big textbook corporations, because it was written as factual stories, not by a checklist. She also wrote The Story of Science , which was published by the Smithsonian, for the same reason. When you read her books and compare them to the lifeless textbooks that studen
Bill Gates went on Trevor Noah’s “The Faily Show” to announce that he would fund the building of several factories to produce vaccines for the coronavirus. He expects that only two will be successful, which means he will “waste” a few billion dollars. But since he is worth about $110 billion, this is no big loss. This is great news, given the incompetence of the Trump administration, which expect
Valerie Strauss writes here about a growing exodus from the Zoom platform , which benefits Microsoft’s Teams. She writes: Some school districts around the country have started to ban the use of Zoom for online learning from home during the coronavirus crisis because of growing concerns about security, and others are reassessing how and whether to use the teleconferencing platform. Days after the
Many teachers are using the ZOOM videoconferencing tool for their online classes, but there have been numerous complaints about ZOOM classes being hacked, and intruders interfering with the class or expressing inappropriate comments. Consequently, the New York City Department of Education is forbidding teachers from using ZOOM. New York City has banned the video conferencing platform Zoom in city
What began as “Grab and Go” locations to feed students has turned into free meal dispensaries for all who are in need of food. The city Department of Education’s 435 meal hubs for children will be expanded to serve adult New Yorkers with grab-and-go meals, meaning anyone in need of food can access it at one of the locations. Children and families can pick up meals 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Adults with
Paul Thomas of Furman University describes two examples of “epistemic trespassing”: Ruby Payne’s theories about poverty and the current advocacy for “the science of reading.” Epistemic trespassing occurs when a narrative is driven by people who are not experts in their field.
A teacher in South Dakota writes here about her love of teaching, her love of her students, and how she is handling the current crisis. She writes: Let me preface this by saying that I am passionate about education. I enjoy being a student, and I love being a teacher. Of all of the things that I joke about in life, my job as a teacher is taken very seriously. Also, I love my students. LOVE THEM.
Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education, expresses outrage because the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has asked for federal rescue money for charter schools, although they have suffered no losses. She writes: Shame on the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools! I have great sympathy for small businesses that are devastated by COVID-19. And I am gla
Medical experts and even some Trump advisors are questioning the validity of the estimates of likely coronavirus deaths released by Trump. The estimate of 100,000-240,000 was hurriedly selected, but there is little agreement about whether it is too low or too high. Leading disease forecasters, whose research the White House used to conclude 100,000 to 240,000 people will die nationwide from the c
Listening to educators and the state school board, Governor Gary Herbert vetoed a voucher program for students with special needs. Critics pointed out that the state has had a. Oh her program for students with special needs for 15 years and doesn’t need another one. They also noted that Utah had a state referendum in 2007, and the public voted overwhelmingly against vouchers. The voucher advocate
Leonie Haimson conducts a weekly program on public radio station WBAI in New York City. In this episode , she interviews Randi W. about the coronavirus crisis, the threat of budget cuts, and problems with distance learning.
Joel Westheimer has advice for parents who are at home organizing their children’s days. FORGET THE WORKSHEETS AND TRYING TO REPLICATE SCHOOL I am really struck by the variety of media inquiries I’ve been getting about the impacts of Covid-19 on education, what parents should be doing at home, and so on. The interest doesn’t surprise me (I am an education columnist on public radio), but the preoc
The Trump administration eliminated a $200 million program to help scientists around the world predict pandemics before they get started , according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. Is it too much to call this decision criminal negligence? What’s the old poem? “For want of a nail, a kingdom was lost?” To save $200 million, a global pandemic was unleashed that killed many thousands of people
John Merrow released this post on April 1 but my page was already full, and anyway the post is not a joke. However, if you read it—and you should—you will spot John’s humor. He begins: Although I left reporting more than four years