Jamelle Bouie: I Mourn Charlie's Death But Not His Ideology https://dianeravitch.net/2025/09/15/jamelle-bouie/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Jamelle Bouie mourns Charlie Kirk’s death but critiques the glorification of his legacy, highlighting his divisive and controversial actions.
- Kirk’s creation of the "Professor Watchlist" targeted academics with opposing political views, leading to harassment and censorship.
- Kirk’s rhetoric supported authoritarianism, suppression of dissent, and violent intimidation of political opponents.
- Kirk promoted white nationalism and divisive ideologies, including the "great replacement theory" and racist rhetoric against Black Americans.
- His organization, Turning Point USA, played a role in the events leading to the January 6 Capitol attack.
- Critics argue that Kirk’s legacy is tied to hate, bigotry, and division rather than civil discourse.
The Campaign to Punish Those Who Did Not Mourn Charlie Kirk's Death https://dianeravitch.net/2025/09/15/the-campaign-to-punish-those-who-did-not-mourn-charlie-kirks-death/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Fallout from Charlie Kirk's assassination includes firings, harassment, and public shaming of those critical of him or indifferent to his death.
- A coordinated campaign, "Expose Charlie's Murderers," aims to publicly identify and punish Kirk's critics, creating a searchable database of submissions.
- The blog underscores the irony of Kirk's supporters, who claim to value free speech, suppressing dissenting views.
- Kirk was a polarizing figure, known for his promotion of Christian nationalism and controversial views, which drew both admiration and criticism.
- The blog defends the First Amendment, arguing that free speech protections are essential, especially for offensive or unpopular views.
Big Education Ape: TODAY'S GREAT AI NEWS SMACKDOWN: SEPTEMBER 15TH SHOWDOWN BY OUR DISEMBODIED CORRESPONDENT https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/todays-great-ai-news-smackdown.html
### Key Points
- The "AI News Smackdown" pits four AI models (Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT 5, and Copilot) against each other to evaluate their news coverage capabilities.
- Major news stories include the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, ongoing political violence, and debates around free speech.
- Gemini focuses on sensationalism, covering political intrigue, international conflicts, and even lighter stories like Paris Hilton mini-fridges catching fire.
- Grok delivers comprehensive reporting but lacks narrative engagement, covering topics like India’s Waqf Act controversy and Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar.
- ChatGPT 5 provides in-depth geopolitical analysis, focusing on themes like humanitarian crises in Gaza and NATO tensions, but is criticized for being overly heavy-handed.
- Copilot offers quick, engaging news with a mix of celebrity activism, economic updates, and environmental issues, including microplastics bans.
- The assassination of Charlie Kirk sparked public outrage, political reactions, and debates about free speech, with some individuals facing repercussions for their reactions.
- Other global stories include Ukraine targeting Russian oil refineries, Nepal appointing its first female prime minister, and NASA’s Mars rover discovering potential signs of ancient life.
- Economic updates include rising beef prices in the U.S., France’s credit rating downgrade, and a potential Federal Reserve rate cut.
- Lighter stories, such as Paris Hilton’s mini-fridge recall and Ford relocating its headquarters, add diversity to the news lineup.
Big Education Ape: A MODEST PROPOSAL FOR A TRIGGER-HAPPY NATION: AN UPDATE https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-modest-proposal-for-trigger-happy.html
The article is a satirical critique of America's gun violence problem and its cultural attachment to firearms. It proposes a capitalist-driven solution to reduce gun circulation, involving taxes, mandatory insurance, and a buyback program incentivizing gun owners to sell firearms back to the government. The approach aims to generate revenue for mental health and school safety programs while discouraging gun ownership through financial consequences. The satirical tone emphasizes the need for systemic change and mocks the ineffectiveness of "thoughts and prayers" in addressing gun violence.
### Key Points
- The article critiques America's gun violence and cultural attachment to firearms, proposing a satirical solution.
- A tiered tax system and mandatory insurance for gun ownership are suggested to generate revenue for safety programs.
- A voluntary buyback program offers financial incentives to reduce gun circulation, aiming to decrease accidental deaths and shootings.
- The proposal emphasizes making gun ownership a choice with financial consequences, rather than disarming citizens.
Big Education Ape: THE GREAT AI NEWS SMACKDOWN: WHO NAILED THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES? https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-great-ai-news-smackdown-who-nailed.html
### Summary
The article discusses various news stories and trends from September 5–12, 2025, covering topics in U.S. education, politics, and world affairs. It highlights the differing priorities and reporting styles of AI models (Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT, and Copilot) in summarizing key events, ranging from declining education scores to political violence, international tensions, and humanitarian crises.
### Key Points
- AI models agreed on major stories such as declining NAEP scores, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and Israel's airstrike in Qatar.
- Declining NAEP scores revealed ongoing issues in U.S. education, with drops in math, science, and reading proficiency among students.
- President Trump signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the "Department of War," sparking debates over symbolism and policy implications.
- The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk fueled discussions on rising political violence in the U.S.
- Health Secretary RFK Jr. faced backlash in Congress over vaccine policy changes, including reduced funding and CDC leadership shifts.
- Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years for a coup plot, a story uniquely reported by Gemini.
- Nepal's government was overthrown by youth-led protests, organized through social media platforms.
- South Africa reopened the investigation into anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko’s death.
- Prince Harry visited Ukraine to show solidarity with wounded service members.
- The Taliban barred women aid workers, severely impacting humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan.
- Epstein files were released, prompting bipartisan calls for transparency.
- ICE raids in Chicago raised concerns over federal overreach and immigration policies.
- Rising school supply costs created financial strain for teachers who often pay out-of-pocket for classroom materials.
- The Trump administration’s education policies emphasized decentralization and alternative schooling methods like homeschooling and vouchers.
- The UN condemned Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza and Qatar, escalating tensions in the Middle East.
- Russia violated Polish airspace with drones, raising fears of regional spillover from the Ukraine conflict.
- Sudan’s prolonged conflict worsened the humanitarian crisis for children.
Big Education Ape: LET'S CHECK THIS WEEK'S TOP NEWS AND OTHER STORIES Saturday, September 13, 2025 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/lets-check-this-weeks-top-news-and_01366678205.html
### Key Points
- AI's growing role and influence in education are explored through debates and insights, including teacher concerns about bots in classrooms.
- Public education faces challenges from privatization, charter school scandals, and billionaire-driven agendas.
- Advocacy efforts like Black Lives Matter at School and Sandy Hook Promise address social justice and school safety issues.
- Diane Ravitch and organizations like the Badass Teacher Association promote defending public education against systemic issues.
Big Education Ape: ESCALATORS, EULOGIES, AND ECHO CHAMBERS: THE RISE OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND THE RHETORIC THAT FUELS IT https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/escalators-eulogies-and-echo-chambers.html
Today Is The 62nd Anniversary Of The Birmingham Church Bombing – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources - Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/
- The blog shares educational resources and news since 2007 and provides guidance for new visitors.
- Highlights include teaching resources on historical events like the Birmingham Church Bombing anniversary and Voyager 1 leaving the solar system.
- Recommendations for tools like ZenMic for English learners and Blooket for online learning games.
- Emphasis on the importance of activating students' prior knowledge through "Funds of Knowledge" surveys.
- Weekly round-ups of posts on educational policy and ESL/EFL/ELL resources from around the web.
- Guidance for long-term substitutes teaching English Language Learners (ELL).
- A downloadable slideshow of focus questions used by mentors with mentees is shared.
- Announcement of a NY Times Learning Network contest about student and teacher experiences with AI.
- Various books authored by the writer provide research-based strategies for teaching multiple subjects, motivating students, and engaging parents.
- The writer shares additional work through blog posts, radio shows, British Council contributions, and videos.
glen brown: "Trump’s refusal to condemn political violence on the right underscores his inability to act as president for the entire country" https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2025/09/trumps-refusal-to-condemn-political.html
Teacher Tom: The Power to Give Life https://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-power-to-give-life.html
Impact of relaxing teacher licensing requirements Education Research Report https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/
This article discusses various educational studies, ranging from the impact of teacher licensing policies, excellence gaps among first-generation students, extracurricular activities fostering altruism, mental health challenges among university students, racial funding inequities in schools, early screening tools for kindergarteners, and the effects of teacher turnover on school discipline.
### Key Points
- Relaxing teacher licensing requirements in Texas increased the supply of certified teachers but resulted in higher turnover and lower value-added among for-profit-trained teachers, leaving a net zero impact on student achievement.
- Large excellence gaps among first-generation students emerge by 3rd grade and persist through high school, rooted in parental human capital rather than socioeconomic status or school quality.
- Participation in nonathletic clubs and volunteering in high school predicts higher levels of altruism later in life, while sports rank lowest in fostering altruistic behavior.
- Childhood trauma and transgender identity are strongly associated with suicidal thoughts among university students, with nearly half experiencing suicidal ideation. Emotional abuse, mental disorders, and gender identity are major risk factors.
- State school finance reforms closed income-based funding gaps but failed to reduce—and sometimes exacerbated—racial and ethnic funding inequities, requiring federal intervention to address disparities.
- A free screening tool for kindergarten teachers helps identify students needing academic or social-emotional support early, aiming to prevent long-term setbacks.
- Teacher turnover increases student suspensions and disciplinary referrals, especially for Black students, with the impact exacerbated by the departure of experienced teachers.
Weekend Quotables Trump calls on his base to "beat the hell" out of leftists. https://klonsky.substack.com/p/weekend-quotables-658
- Hannah Einbinder made a bold political statement at the Emmys, supporting Artists4Ceasefire and criticizing ICE and Israeli institutions, which drew mixed reactions online. Paramount later condemned the movement.
- Donald Trump, in response to Charlie Kirk's assassination, gave conflicting messages, praising nonviolence but also urging his base to "beat the hell" out of radical leftists.
- Democratic leaders are criticized for their inaction and lack of strong messaging in the aftermath of Kirk's assassination, with some figures like Bill Daley expressing support for Trump’s unifying potential.
- Fox News host Brian Kilmeade controversially suggested executing the unhoused, reflecting the harsh rhetoric of his late friend Charlie Kirk on homelessness.
- Media outlets like The New York Times face backlash for censoring terms like "genocide" in discussions about Gaza, sparking criticism over free speech and accountability.
The Uppity Minority: Caroline Turner and the Tik-Tok of Time – Cloaking Inequity https://cloakinginequity.com/2025/09/15/the-uppity-minority-caroline-turner-and-the-tik-tok-of-time/
### Key Points
- Leadership roles can be consuming, often at the expense of personal well-being and time.
- Time is a finite resource that impacts individuals, families, and communities when overextended.
- Dr. Caroline Turner exemplified bold leadership, advocating for diversity and justice in higher education.
- Caroline’s scholarship transformed hiring practices and institutional approaches to equity.
- Her untimely death highlights the personal cost of relentless dedication to institutional change.
- The author reflects on the importance of reclaiming time and living unapologetically for justice and impact.
Thoughts in Inside Higher Ed: Provosts Are a ‘Release Valve’ – Cloaking Inequity https://cloakinginequity.com/2025/09/15/thoughts-in-inside-higher-ed-provosts-are-a-release-valve/
### Key Points
- Provosts are often isolated, balancing big ideas and crisis management without adequate recognition.
- Julian Vasquez Heilig’s career trajectory highlights the challenges of the provost role, including structural isolation and limited authority.
- Faculty, trustees, and presidents perceive the provost role differently, leading to conflicting expectations.
- Provosts are held accountable for outcomes without control over funding, creating tensions in decision-making.
- The provost role is structurally exposed, requiring alignment of authority with responsibility to foster courage and innovation.
- Pushback on equity initiatives and resource reallocation often targets provosts, leading to burnout and turnover.
- Institutions frequently prioritize caretaking over transformation in the provost role, discouraging bold leadership.
- Effective partnerships between presidents and provosts require shared goals, accountability, and clear resource commitments.
- Many provosts feel their role is more about crisis management than strategic planning, exacerbating emotional labor.
Critical Studies of Education & Technology: Why AI Will Not Democratize Education (notes on Wieczorek 2025) | National Education Policy Center https://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/why-ai
- The claim that AI will democratize education often focuses narrowly on increasing access to education, but this perspective is speculative and insufficient for the broader concept of democratic education.
- Current educational AI technologies emphasize individualism, mastery-based learning, and automation, which conflict with democratic education principles like communication, collaboration, and shared problem-solving.
- These AI systems often limit students' control over their learning environments and fail to prepare them for collective civic responsibilities.
- Alternative forms of educational AI could promote democratic values by fostering experiential learning and connecting students from diverse backgrounds for collaborative interactions, but such developments lack market incentives.
- The blog references thinkers like John Dewey and Michał Wieczorek, who critique the current trajectory of educational AI and advocate for more democratic approaches.
- The views expressed in the blog are those of the author, Neil Selwyn, a professor at Monash University, and do not necessarily reflect the stance of NEPC.
Choosing Democracy: Trump's Phase II Assault on Democracy Has Begun. Fight back. https://choosingdemocracy.blogspot.com/2025/09/trumps-phase-ii-assault-on-democracy.html
- The article discusses the beginning of "Phase 2" of Donald Trump's political strategy, which seeks to discredit and attack his political opponents, including Democrats, liberals, and critics.
- Phase 1 involved silencing critics through retribution against perceived enemies, defunding critical media, and targeting universities promoting diversity or critical views on U.S. history.
- In Phase 2, Trump plans to deploy troops to Democrat-led cities, deny disaster relief to Democratic states, and pressure Republican governors to redistrict for more GOP seats.
- Trump has intensified his rhetoric, labeling Democrats as "evil" and associating them with violence, using events like Charlie Kirk's murder to fuel his narrative.
- Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, has escalated the rhetoric, portraying liberals as adherents of a destructive ideology and vowing to use government power against them.
- Trump's declining popularity, as reflected in polls, is driving his divisive tactics to consolidate loyalty and frame opposition as unpatriotic.
- Critics argue that Trump's authoritarian approach and misinformation will ultimately backfire, as Americans reject his anti-democratic actions.
Republicans Advance Federal Budget that Cuts Funds for Schools House GOP makes it clear they stand with Trump on cutting funds for public schools https://theeducationreport.substack.com/p/republicans-advance-federal-budget
- The House GOP advanced Trump's federal budget for 2026, cutting $12 billion from public school funding, including $4.7 billion from Title I programs that support low-income students.
- Democrats attempted to restore the $4.7 billion Title I cut, but their amendments were rejected by Republicans.
- Public schools are vital to communities across the U.S., with 90% of children attending them, making cuts to funding impactful and politically significant.
- Highlighting these cuts could be a strategic move for Democrats in swing districts to challenge Republicans who supported the budget.
Last chance to comment on the DOE’s class size “plan” for next year | Class Size Matters | A clearinghouse for information on class size & the proven benefits of smaller classes https://classsizematters.org/last-chance-to-comment-on-the-does-class-size-plan-for-next-year/
- Public comments on the NYC Department of Education's (DOE) draft Class Size Reduction Plan for next year are due by July 8, 2025.
- The DOE has failed to create a realistic plan to meet the class size law requirements by September 2028, relying heavily on exemptions for overcrowded schools.
- Advocacy efforts encourage signing petitions and submitting comments to push for a genuine multi-year strategy to reduce class sizes.
- The NY State Legislature passed a law in June 2022 mandating smaller classes in NYC schools, but implementation remains inadequate.
- Class Size Matters organizes events like the Annual Parent Action Conference and Skinny Award Dinner to raise awareness and funds for their initiatives.
- Resources such as newsletters, petitions, and FAQs are available to educate and involve the public in class size reduction efforts.
Only 1 Ohio Charter School student joined the military in 2024-2025 Meanwhile, in the so-called "socialist" or "anti-American" public schools, about 1 in 5 of all school districts had at least 1 student enroll for military service. https://10thperiod.substack.com/p/only-1-ohio-charter-school-student
- Ohio's Charter Schools have an extremely low rate of military enlistment among graduates, with only 2 out of 18,872 students enlisting over a four-year period.
- In contrast, public schools in Ohio see significantly higher military enlistment rates, with some districts having up to 7% of their graduating class enlist.
- The data challenges claims that charter schools are more "pro-American" than public schools, as public schools consistently outperform charter schools in military enlistment rates.
- The author critiques the narrative that public schools are "anti-American" and calls out the hypocrisy in the argument against public education.
The article provides a roundup of various blog posts and news stories from September 2025, covering topics such as education, political violence, AI integration, systemic inequalities, societal challenges, and controversies. It explores the intersection of technology, policy, and advocacy in shaping public education and broader societal trends.
### Key Points
- AI models reported on major events like declining NAEP scores, political violence, and international crises, showcasing their differing reporting styles.
- Declining NAEP scores revealed worsening student proficiency in math, science, and reading, reflecting systemic issues in U.S. education.
- President Trump renamed the Department of Defense to the "Department of War," sparking debates over symbolism and policy.
- The assassination of Charlie Kirk highlighted rising political violence, fueled by divisive rhetoric and stochastic terrorism.
- Health Secretary RFK Jr. faced backlash over vaccine policy changes, including reduced funding and leadership shifts in the CDC.
- Youth-led protests in Nepal overthrew the government, emphasizing the role of social media in organizing activism.
- Prince Harry visited Ukraine to support wounded service members, while the Taliban’s ban on women aid workers worsened Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis.
- ICE raids in Chicago raised concerns about federal overreach and immigration policies.
- Public education faces challenges from privatization, charter school scandals, and billionaire-driven agendas.
- Advocacy movements like Black Lives Matter at School and Sandy Hook Promise address social justice and school safety.
- AI Smackdown IV tested AI models in education, revealing their strengths in grading and answering questions, but no single model excelled universally.
- AI-generated parodies of Bob Dylan’s song critiqued Trump’s denial tactics humorously.
- Florida’s ESA program faced accusations of price gouging and lack of transparency.
- Right-wing extremism accounts for 76% of extremist-related killings in the U.S. since 2014, with media bias often minimizing its impact.
- Seattle Public Schools’ abrupt shift to split high school lunch periods sparked protests due to lack of transparency and community input.
- Teacher turnover correlates with increased student suspensions, disproportionately affecting underrepresented groups.
- State school finance reforms reduced income-based funding gaps but widened racial disparities, necessitating federal interventions.
- Participation in nonathletic clubs and volunteering during high school is linked to higher altruism later in life.
- Advocacy for public education emphasizes equity, transparency, and resistance to privatization efforts.
- The rise of political violence and divisive rhetoric calls for improved discourse, online platform regulation, and tighter gun laws.
- AI technologies in classrooms spark debates over biases, equity gaps, and academic dishonesty.
- Systemic issues like poverty, healthcare access, and underfunding are overlooked in education policy discussions.
