Yesterday’s Gems, Today’s Insights
Big Education Ape: LET'S CHECK THIS WEEK'S TOP NEWS AND OTHER STORIES Saturday, September 6, 2025 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/lets-check-this-weeks-top-news-and.html
### Key Points
- Climate models have accurately predicted global warming effects, showcasing evidence in atmospheric and oceanic changes.
- Criticism of Stephen Miller's political actions and influence, including his portrayal as a "black-hearted bureaucrat."
- Parodies and critiques of political systems, including oligarchy and constitutional manipulation.
- Discussions on Donald Trump’s controversial legacy and impact on history and governance.
- Education-focused posts addressing public school privatization, funding cuts, and the fight for equitable education.
- Coverage of social justice movements, including Black Lives Matter and school safety concerns.
- Highlighting the importance of solar energy in combating climate change and reducing carbon footprints.
- A roundup of blog posts providing insights on various societal and political topics.
Big Education Ape: A WHIRLWIND WEEK IN EDUCATION: WHAT THE AI ORACLES SAY ABOUT AUGUST 31–SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-whirlwind-week-in-education-what-ai.html
### Key Points
- Early climate models accurately predicted global warming impacts, showcasing their complexity.
- AI tools (Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT 4, Copilot) delivered varied insights on education news between August 31–September 5, 2025, including funding disputes, vaccine mandate controversies, and international student enrollment trends.
- The Trump administration’s policies, such as budget cuts and ideological battles, dominated U.S. education discourse.
- International education systems, like India’s mental health portal and free math courses, demonstrated innovation amidst challenges like the digital divide.
- AI integration in classrooms is growing, with teacher training emphasizing reasoning and adaptation.
- Resilience in education is evident through initiatives supporting equity, access, and global collaboration.
“Experience Rich, Theory Poor:” What Some Academics Say about Practitioners https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2025/09/06/experience-rich-theory-poor-what-some-academics-say-about-practitioners/ via @CubanLarry
### Key Points
- Larry Cuban recalls his transition from being an experienced educator to understanding the importance of theoretical frameworks in graduate school.
- He emphasizes how theories helped him analyze classroom, school, and district operations and improve his practices as an administrator.
- Cuban discusses the concept of "tacit theories" embedded in educators' practices, which are often unarticulated but influential.
- Two contrasting teacher practices regarding test retakes are analyzed, revealing differing implicit theories about preparing students for real-life challenges.
- Cuban encourages practitioners to reflect on and articulate their theories of action to better understand their decisions and practices.
Education Research Report: Student stress and coercion in deadly animal experiments https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2025/09/student-stress-and-coercion-in-deadly.html
### Key Points
- Former Macalester College animal lab workers, alumni, mental health professionals, and animal welfare experts urged the college to end fatal animal experiments in psychology courses, citing psychological harm and coercion among students.
- A national survey revealed 83% of U.S. college students oppose using animals in classroom labs if they are killed afterward, yet 44% feel coerced into participating.
- Alumni and former lab workers expressed ethical concerns over animal treatment, reporting prolonged water deprivation, drug injections, and fatal experiments, and criticized the college's failure to adopt alternatives.
- Prestigious institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford have replaced animal experiments with nonanimal methods, which are readily available for psychology instruction.
- A lawsuit filed by alumnus Neal Barnard, MD, seeks to compel Macalester to cease animal labs, highlighting student fears of academic consequences and the college's retreat from its ethical commitments.
- Macalester defended its ethics statements as "puffery" in court, undermining its credibility and commitment to animal welfare.
FOUR AIS WALK INTO A CLASSROOM: A ROUNDUP OF EDUCATION NEWS AUGUST 31–SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 https://ru4people.substack.com/p/four-ais-walk-into-a-classroom-a
Saturday’s Action: Letter to Urge Passage of "Epstein Files Transparency Act" Tell Congress: Pass the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2025/09/saturdays-action-letter-to-urge-passage.html
- The article discusses the importance of peer influence in a child's learning, quoting James Coleman’s 1972 assertion that classmates have a greater impact than teachers.
- Advocacy for the bipartisan "Epstein Files Transparency Act" is highlighted, urging readers to take action and contact Congress.
- The blog explores various education-related topics, including poverty's impact on learning, teacher bullying, and corporate influence on education reform.
- Criticism is directed at standardized testing and the broader implications of education policies such as NCLB (No Child Left Behind).
- The archive contains a vast collection of posts spanning years, focusing on education reform, testing, and societal issues.
Schools Matter: Trump Ignores Cities with Highest Murder Rates http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2025/09/trump-ignores-cities-with-highest.html
### Key Points
- The article criticizes Donald Trump for ignoring cities with the highest murder rates, suggesting his focus is on racist intimidation and instilling fear in Democratic strongholds.
- It highlights that states with Republican leadership had the highest murder rates per capita in 2024.
- The blog addresses broader issues such as poverty being the root cause of educational challenges rather than teacher quality.
- It critiques corporate influence in education, including increased testing and compliance-driven reforms.
- The blog discusses various educational topics, including the impact of poverty, teacher struggles, and the flaws in standardized testing.
### Key Points
glen brown: GLOBAL WARMING: Five forecasts early climate models got right – the evidence is all around you https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2025/09/global-warming-five-forecasts-early.html
- The article discusses the historical accuracy of early climate models, emphasizing their success in predicting global warming patterns, including Arctic amplification, stratospheric cooling, and land-ocean contrast.
- Syukuro Manabe's pioneering work in climate modeling, including his Nobel Prize-winning contributions, laid the foundation for modern climate science.
- The Southern Ocean's delayed warming due to deep water upwelling is highlighted as a key insight from Manabe's models.
- Despite limitations, climate models have consistently captured large-scale patterns of warming, reinforcing their reliability.
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle School Board Race, District Four - Rivera v Mizrahi https://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2025/09/seattle-school-board-race-district-four.html?spref=tw
### Key Points
- Joe Mizrahi and Laura Marie Rivera are both passionate candidates for District Four, with Rivera having deeper institutional knowledge and Mizrahi facing potential conflicts due to his union connections.
- Rivera struggles to connect with voters despite her knowledge of issues, while both candidates commit to serving the full term. They are pragmatic about school closures but not in favor of them.
- Rivera critiques the district's governance model, emphasizing the need for individualized approaches, while Mizrahi is less supportive of the current governance focus on student outcomes.
- Both candidates discuss the superintendent search, with Rivera stressing city support and Mizrahi trusting the process but expressing hope for strong candidates.
- Public engagement needs improvement, with Mizrahi advocating for professional engagement oversight and Rivera highlighting transparency and trust issues.
- Rivera addresses the lack of diversity in Highly Capable (HC) programs, emphasizing the need for broader offerings and better identification of talented students.
- Rivera questions the effectiveness of School Resource Officers (SROs), suggesting safety is better achieved through student relationships rather than policing.
- Mizrahi focuses on district enrollment impacts and partnerships with city and county, while Rivera emphasizes deep community engagement and authenticity.
- Additional blog posts discuss nepotism in Seattle Schools and advanced learning policies, highlighting systemic issues and leadership challenges.
Yesterday’s Gems, Today’s Insights
A Roundup of the Web’s Finest Blog Posts!
9-6-25
https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/yesterdays-gems-todays-insights-roundup_0634573738.html
### Summary
The article is a collection of blog posts and discussions covering various societal, political, and educational issues. It highlights advocacy efforts, systemic challenges, and calls for change across multiple sectors, emphasizing the importance of transparency, accountability, and reform to address pressing concerns.
### Key Points
- Climate models have successfully forecasted global warming effects, with evidence visible in atmospheric and oceanic patterns.
- The rise of authoritarianism under Trump’s leadership has been normalized, with major media outlets failing to explicitly call out these developments.
- Musician Jack White criticized Trump’s administration for racism, authoritarianism, and misuse of taxpayer money, emphasizing his stance against fascism.
- The Oakland Public Education Fund has ties to "dark money" and billionaire-backed organizations, raising concerns about privatization in public schools.
- The Epstein scandal exposed systemic abuse enabled by privilege, with survivors demanding transparency and accountability.
- Teachers face increasing classroom violence, lack of administrative support, and ideological conflicts, calling for better training and smaller class sizes.
- Linda McMahon’s education tour is critiqued as performative, promoting state control while pushing specific agendas like school choice.
- Striking workers at Mauser Packaging Solutions demand livable wages, safe conditions, and protections against ICE raids, with support from public figures like Bernie Sanders.
- Public education faces threats from failed reforms, funding cuts, and political debates, but remains a cornerstone for societal upliftment.
- AI chatbots like ChatGPT have been criticized for harmful responses to users in mental health crises, highlighting safety gaps.
- Trump’s interference in NYC mayoral elections raises concerns about attacks on democratic processes and progressive candidates.
- Race relations in the U.S. are at a low point, with systemic racism and backlash against racial justice efforts intensifying.
- Censorship efforts in libraries reflect broader trends of intertwining conservative politics with public institutions.
- Advocacy against privatization and inequities in public education emphasizes resistance and reform to protect democratic values.
- Nashville education faces challenges like inadequate resources and symbolic gestures, raising concerns about teacher support and funding priorities.
