The Education Wars: Students Unite!
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The Education Wars: Students Unite!
*The high school student protests aren't getting enough attention*
If you need a bit of inspiration, might I suggest t...
Why Trump Wanted Immunity from Audits
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The New York Times explained why Trump wanted immunity from audits by the
IRS. Before his first presidency, Trump appears to have had a tax liability
of ne...
Memorial Day, 2026
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I’m not much of a flag waver, really. I always thought that author James
Baldwin captured my feelings precisely in Notes of a Native Son when he
wrote: I l...
18 Rules For Life (2026 Edition)
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After first posting this list years ago, I have made it a tradition to get
it out every year and re-examine it, edit it, and remind myself why I
thought su...
18 Rules For Life (2026 Edition)
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After first posting this list years ago, I have made it a tradition to get
it out every year and re-examine it, edit it, and remind myself why I
thought...
Classroom Teachers Are Policymakers
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Note that no question mark follows the title. Teachers do, indeed, make
policy. Historically, teachers have been objects of policies that have come
from th...
Are the Falling NAEP Scores a Crisis?
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By Thomas Ultican 5/19/2026 Recently both the New York Times and the
billionaire propaganda rag ‘The 74’ ran articles about the National
Assessment of Educ...
On having nice places to walk
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Lately I really have needed to walk. A lot. Every day. And I’m fortunate
that the New York Botanical Garden is right here. And I’m fortunate that
Van Cortl...
This and That, May 18, 2026
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I am aware of Danny Westneat's column - *Seattle Has the No.1 Big City
School District *- and that will be a separate post. It was an interesting
read.
...
Are You a Threat Because You’re Good at Your Job?
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Maybe you are not crazy. Maybe you are not “difficult.” Maybe you are not
“too intense,” “too ambitious,” “too direct,” or “not a team player.” Maybe
it’s ...
Chaos, Consequences, and Classrooms
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“If someone’s ninety percent awful and ten percent great, everyone says
that deep down they’re great. Like they’re an iceberg, but all that
greatness is un...
Recess: Still Denied!
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I recently had to double-check the report’s date. American schools have
been quietly killing recess to focus on test scores—and pediatricians are
warning...
“It Was Already Dead”
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In December 2023 New York Times filed suit against Artificial Intelligence
for allegedly using its stories without attribution. Last week The Times
upped t...
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...
April’s Parent Engagement Resources
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‘Easy, Positive, and Judgment Free.’ How Families Can Support Their
Children is one of my Ed Week posts. Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences
That Build Fami...
Stop the Charter School Cash Grab
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NPE celebrates Women's History month by highlighting the accomplishments of
10 inspiring women from Jane Addams to Ida B. Wells to Christa McAuliffe.
The...
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...
A colleague looks back at 2025
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Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I get knocked down But I get
up again BETSY WOLF DEC 31READ IN APP I’ve been quiet for most of 2025.
Much of ...
The Company You Keep
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Even though the filing period for the 2026 elections isn't until April,
let's all pay close attention. The candidates lining up to run will tell
you more a...
This Is What Democracy Looks Like
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The polls for Prop 50, CA’s ballot initiative that counters MAGA’s illegal
gerry-mandering in Texas, opened Tuesday, November 4, 2025,…
The post This Is ...
Blogoversary #19 — Time to Move on
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Times have changed. I had a nice long run here, but let’s face it, it ended
a while ago. So I’ve moved. I’m not writing much any more, but when I do it
wil...
Il Papa è Morto
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Francis brought a distinct pastoral outlook to his papacy. A simple man, he
lived in a small apartment in the guesthouse. He sought to make the church
acce...
Mike Shulman the ARISE UFT Judenrat
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I was surprised to learn that Mike Shulman has aligned himself with ARISE.
I previously supported him, advocating that the Castle Doctrine could have
bee...
How Do We Fight Trump?
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Dear Friends, I don’t know when and why it hit me. But I suddenly realized
how serious Trump is about changing the country into something that
horrifies. I...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
I’ve moved.
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I’m on Substack now. You can continue to receive periodic posts for free.
Or you can read every post and comment for $5 a month, $60 a year.
fredklonsky.su...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen GarcÃa
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
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Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
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Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Critique of Standards-Based Grading
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It first happened to me about ten years ago. I was beginning my third year
of teaching in a new school in Washington, DC. Social studies teachers were
si...
Reduced time for testing? Not so fast.
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NYSED and Commish Elia continue to say that the NYS Assessments are of
reasonable length, I completely disagree.
Here is what NYSED states are average expe...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
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It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
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Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
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I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
The Apotheosis of Betsy DeVos
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Betsy Devos has drawn few headlines in recent months, and that is a good
thing for the Secretary of Education. Her tenure began with Vice President
Mike P...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Should We Be Grateful?
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In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
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Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
REPORT: States With the Best and Worst Schools
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States With the Best (and Worst)Schools
By *Evan Comen, Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins and Thomas C. Frohlich*
January 20, 2017- http://247wallst.com
...
Test Refusal = People Power
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In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
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I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
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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...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
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Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
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*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
Ten Things I Used to Think I Used to Think was a writing and thinking prompt developed for students, part of the work done by Project Zero . Lately, we haven’t been all that interested in what students think , or how their thinking might change, given more information, dialogue and cogitation. Instead, we’ve been interested in raising their test scores by asking them to simply reproduce knowledg
Being White Is a Handout My 4.5 year journey as an undergraduate and the first five years teaching high school English were spent mostly in the Reagan era. While this was many decades before terminology such as “fake news” or “post-truth,” I literally lived during those years a painful and now embarrassing conversion from white denial and ignorance (believing in reverse discrimination, for examp
Schools bring mindfulness to the classroom to help kids in the Covid-19 crisis Mindfulness in schools is increasingly being used to help students with mental health and academic performance, but research on its effectiveness is not yet conclusive Doug Worthen guided his small class of ninth graders at Middlesex School through an exercise designed to focus their attention. On his screen, he saw t
Two School Districts Had Different Mask Policies. Only One Had a Teacher on a Ventilator. Eleven states let school districts decide whether students and staff must wear masks. One Georgia middle school where masks were optional became the center of an outbreak. On a balmy August morning in Emanuel County in eastern Georgia, hundreds of children bounded off freshly cleaned school buses and out of
What American teachers are telling their students about what Trump is doing Civics is a fundamental part of every American primary school curriculum. Yet there is no living American who has experienced a political moment as polarized as this one, where even teachers cannot speak of Trump or Biden without accusations of impartiality from either direction. Particularly now, as America’s democracy
A NEW NARRATIVE ABOUT THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, TOO [MEDIUM] For EduColor’s Medium blog, I wrote a bit more about the Secretary of Education using some inspiration from Vanessa Siddle Walker’s The Lost Education of Horace Tate , a must read: “I’ve witnessed how the narrative of public schooling and education writ large has forced parents to run towards alternatives, even when those alternative
Schools and the Economy–Not Yet a Faddish Idea Fashions in ideas, like clothes, change with the times. But when they are in fashion, they become the wisdom of the moment. Supply-side economics, embraced by the Republicans during the Reagan presidency, cut taxes and ran up unparalleled deficits. It was group-think wisdom. Sure there were critics but GOP champions called them nail-biting nay-sayer
What Is The Actual Purpose of Social and Emotional Learning I'm increasingly convinced that one of the reasons social and emotional learning (SEL) is such a matter of contention in education (and it has been, every time it has been it has been brought up under one guise or another) is that it requires us to look at the places where education bumps up against the really big questions-- what is th
Will President Joseph Biden Lead Us Toward Equity and Opportunity in the Public Schools? Betsy DeVos, the outgoing U.S. Secretary of Education, has been complaining about the public schools again. The public schools are, of course, the schools she is supposed to be supporting through the operation of her federal department. But as a lifelong promoter of vouchers for private and religious schools
The Skills That Will Make Tomorrow "Let's play Tiger Babies." "I want to be a polar bear baby." "You can't because tiger babies would eat polar bear babies." "That's not true! Polar bear babies eat tiger babies!" "That's not true!" I stepped closer because it was the sort of argument that could escalate, which is always the case when "truth" is at stake. And truth is always at stake when childre
A Lesson for Those Who'd Vilify Teachers It's always edifying to get the libertarian point of view, and it's not at all surprising to find it in the pages of the NY Post . Writer Matt Welch sheds copious crocodile tears over how schools are failing poor children. You know who they are. They're the kids UFT teachers wake up every single day to help and serve. Meanwhile libertarians fight to make
Close Connecticut’s Schools Now Stephen Singer, a teacher, calls on Connecticut to close its schools to save the lives of teachers and to keep students and their families safe. Hundreds of teachers have died from Covid-19. More than 1 million children have been diagnosed with the disease. Yet a bipartisan group of seven state Governors said in a joint statement Thursday that in-person schools ar
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/11/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_21.html This Week’s Resources To Support Teachers Coping With School Closures by
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES West Ada case dredges up debate over whether teacher strikes are legal in Idaho - https://idahoednews.org/IKXBm via @idahoednews Stuck on Mute: Kids in Juvenile Lockups Can’t Be Seen or