Time to change our Nation’s Diaper
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It’s time to change our nation’s diaper. Our national identity now reeks
due to our inability to clean out the mess caused by the Orange Turd.
Corruption i...
Two Big SPS Stories
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There are two big stories locally.
*One is this discussion on Reddit:*
*The superintendent is certainly shaking things up.*
*I just received word that...
"In This Light and Shadow, Monsters Arise
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*The old world is dying. The new one is slow in appearing. In this light
and shadow, monsters arise.* ~Fiamma Montezemolo
May you live in interesting t...
When we went to Mexico City (Part 2)
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Let’s keep going with Mexico City. We arrived Wednesday, July 15, 2015.
Part 1 got us through Friday, July 17. What’s next? See below. This was my
longest ...
More Excuses for Screens in Schools
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At first glanece, the recent Matt Barnum interview with Richard Culatta,
the CEO of ISTE, might seem to feature the head of that tech-pushing giant
backp...
Trump Doesn’t TACO. He Rebrands the Same Bad Idea.
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There is a popular acronym for Donald Trump’s governing style: TACO—“Trump
Always Chickens Out.” The idea is straightforward. Trump makes an enormous
threa...
Gubernatorial candidates face real endurance test
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[image: endurance test]ike a bubbling fryer full of vegetable oil, things
are heating up in the Republican primary runoff for Oklahoma’s
gubernatorial ra...
MORNING NEWS UPDATE: AUGUST 9, 2026
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MORNING NEWS UPDATE: AUGUST 9, 2026
*REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER*
*U.S. NEWS*
- Washington state wildfires (including the Spokane-area complex of Old
T...
The Silly Season Comes to School
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“What is truth?” Sometimes people ask this question because they wish to do
nothing. Generic cynicism makes us feel hip and alternative even as we slip
alo...
Oppose Voter Manipulation _ Defend Democracy
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The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE America
Act, passed the House of Representatives on February 11, 2026, and is
currently ...
AI Creates Fake Humans to Advance Its Own Agenda
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You can’t make this shit up!
Wait, what? UK testers just saw OpenAI/Anthropic AIs create fake identities
and spear-phish devs to push malicious code. J...
PRETEND YOU’RE A DEMOCRAT
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No, scratch that. Imagine instead that you’re Chuck Schumer, the Minority
Leader of the United States Senate, a distinguished statesman who has
served in ...
GLP-1 Meds for Kids? Some Info.
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Like many consumers of television and social media, I have been bombarded
with ads for GLP-1s (short for glucagon-like peptide-1). The ads are
everywhere. ...
Ridiculous Headlines about Public Education
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I’ve been writing about education policy and practice for more than 25
years, in my local newspaper (gratis), for an education nonprofit (paid),
for Educat...
Gifted and Talented Education Issues
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By Thomas Ultican 7/22/2026 In California, we call them GATE (Gifted and
Talented Education) students, other states have their own designations.
Whatever l...
By One Dishonest Measure
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A loaded question that education reformers like to ponder is: Exactly how
many students in the boroughs of New York City are trapped in failing
schools? In...
1776
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__________
“The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and
conduct of this army…. We have, therefore, resolved to conquer...
May’s Parent Engagement Resources
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San Diego Unified Created a System to ‘Empower’ Parents. It Unraveled is
from The Voice of San Diego. Why Those Disengaged Parents in Your School
Deserve a...
Reflections on America, the world, and life
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I acknowledge that I rarely post here anymore. Folks should remember that I
am approaching my 80th birthday in less than 9 weeks, I am still teaching
ful...
Shutting Down The Site
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Ten years ago, I ran for a seat on the LAUSD School Board of Education with
the goal to *Change the LAUSD*.
I am proud of the campaign we ran. We achieve...
The Company You Keep
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Even though the filing period for the 2026 elections isn't until April,
let's all pay close attention. The candidates lining up to run will tell
you more a...
Blogoversary #19 — Time to Move on
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Times have changed. I had a nice long run here, but let’s face it, it ended
a while ago. So I’ve moved. I’m not writing much any more, but when I do it
wil...
Il Papa è Morto
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Francis brought a distinct pastoral outlook to his papacy. A simple man, he
lived in a small apartment in the guesthouse. He sought to make the church
acce...
Mike Shulman the ARISE UFT Judenrat
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I was surprised to learn that Mike Shulman has aligned himself with ARISE.
I previously supported him, advocating that the Castle Doctrine could have
bee...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
I’ve moved.
-
I’m on Substack now. You can continue to receive periodic posts for free.
Or you can read every post and comment for $5 a month, $60 a year.
fredklonsky.su...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
-
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.
-
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?
-
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
-
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)
-
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
-
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. . . .
-
I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
-
Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
-
*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
VETERAN SACRAMENTO CITY USD TEACHER CALLS FOUL ON THE LATEST ATTACK ON PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS IN SACRAMENTO AND CALIFORNIA
BELOW YOU WILL FIND COMMENTS FROM A LONG TERM SACRAMENTO TEACHER. SHE IS ASKING WHAT IS GOING ON IN SCUSD. THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT AGUILAR HAVE BEEN HOSTILE AND NEGATIVE IN IT'S DEALING WITH SCTA FOR MANY YEARS NOW. IT MIRRORS THE WAR ON PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS UNIONS THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING UNLEASHED ON OAKLAND UNIFIED, L A UNIFIED AND OTHER LARGE URBAN DISTRICT. IT IS PART OF THE BILLIONAIRES ONSLAUGHT OF THAT HAS RESULTED IN UNDERFUNDING CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS 30-40 % FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS. MANY ON THE CURRENT SCUSD BOARD HAVE RECIEVED SUPPORT FROM THE CALIFRONIA CHARTER SCHOOL ASSOCIATION AND OTHER BILLIONAIRE GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS . CCSA WANTS TO CONVERT PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO PRIVATE HANDS (ALSO SUPPORTED BY CALIFRONIA BILLIONAIRES).
Is America’s Educational System Becoming More Pluralistic?
The past year has produced a cross-class coalition for educational
choice that reaches deep into the suburbs.
President Joe Biden has made it clear that he wants to “reopen school doors
as quickly as possible,” and that he’s willing to spend generously to make
this happen. But he’s not going to get his wish. Even if Congress passes the
president’s pandemic-relief plan, which includes $130 billion for the
reopening of K–12 schools, in addition to the $67.2 billion Congress has
already authorized under the CARES Act and the pandemic-relief legislation
that passed in December, some teachers’ unions are setting out conditions
for reopening that will be exceedingly difficult to meet, and threatening
further “safety strikes” if they don’t get their way. In some districts
where the teachers’ unions are especially powerful, the return of in-person
learning might not happen until well into the 2021–22 school year. And the
longer the COVID-19 disruption lasts, the more likely it is to have a deep
and lasting impact on the politics of public education.
The heavy toll of school closures—on parents who are finding themselves
under intense economic and emotional strain, on students who are
experiencing profound learning loss that threatens to compound over time—might have been expected to put
teachers’ unions at a political disadvantage. That’s certainly the
impression you’d get from recent reports of fierce battles over school reopenings in cities and towns across the country. Judging by recent surveys,
however, parental opinion of teachers’ unions has barely budged since the start of the pandemic.
Why has the political response to school closures been so muted? For one,
at least 28 percent of students are receiving instruction that is fully in-person, and
many reside in Republican-leaning districts. As the political scientists
Michael T. Hartney and Leslie K. Fingers recently observed, the best predictor for whether a school district offered in-person
learning this fall was Donald Trump’s vote share in that district in 2016.
In California, for example, public schools in politically competitive and
right-leaning areas such as Fresno, San Diego, and Orange Counties are
mostly in-person while schools in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los
Angeles remain entirely remote. Reopening battles between unionized teachers and parents desperate for
in-person learning are mostly taking place in Democratic cities and
suburbs.