Yesterday’s Gems, Today’s InsightsA Roundup of the Web’s Finest Blog Posts!
7-11-25
7-11-25
Stephen Miller: A Life and Career Driven by Hate and Ruthless Ambition https://dianeravitch.net/2025/07/10/stephen-miller-a-life-and-career-driven-by-hate-and-ruthless-ambition/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Stephen Miller is a central figure in Trump's administration, driving immigration policy and other domestic policies.
- Miller's actions, such as ICE raids and militarized responses, have sparked significant backlash and protests.
- Trump occasionally moderates his immigration stance but often returns to Miller’s hardline views under pressure.
- Miller’s influence extends to areas like higher education, transgender rights, discrimination law, and foreign policy.
- Critics argue that Miller’s ideology reflects broader societal issues and systemic decay.
- Trump has politicized civil service roles, replacing experts with loyalists who align with his policies.
The Texas Flood Deaths Could Have Been Prevented https://dianeravitch.net/2025/07/10/the-texas-flood-could-have-been-prevented/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Texas officials neglected to fund an early flood warning system despite warnings and a history of deadly floods.
- Emergency alerts were issued, but Kerr County failed to utilize its Integrated Public Alert Warning System, leaving residents unprepared.
- Local officials cited cost concerns for not installing sirens, despite the area's vulnerability to floods.
- Camp Mystic's cell phone restrictions and lack of evacuation contributed to fatalities.
- State lawmakers rejected a disaster preparedness bill due to its $500M cost, prioritizing other expenditures.
- Officials acknowledged the failure to act and suggested future reforms, but lives were lost due to inaction.
Michael Cohen: Texas Sat on a $30 Billion Surplus and Refused to Build a Flood Warning System https://dianeravitch.net/2025/07/10/michael-cohen-texas-sat-on-a-30-billion-surplus-and-refused-to-build-a-flood-warning-system/ via @dianeravitch
Michael Cohen's article on Diane Ravitch's blog critiques Texas leadership for prioritizing austerity and ideology over public safety, particularly in the context of a deadly flood in Flash Flood Alley. Despite warnings and a $30 billion surplus, Texas failed to implement adequate flood warning systems, leading to preventable deaths. Cohen also highlights the role of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created under Trump's second administration, in dismantling emergency response infrastructure nationwide. The piece condemns the philosophy of lean governance that sacrifices lives for fiscal conservatism.
### Key Points
- Texas leadership ignored warnings and failed to use a $30 billion surplus to implement flood warning systems, leading to preventable deaths.
- The state's response to the disaster reflects a broader pattern of austerity-driven governance prioritizing tax cuts over infrastructure and public safety.
- DOGE, a federal agency created under Trump's administration, undermined emergency response capabilities by slashing funding and personnel.
- Cohen argues that the government's failure to protect citizens reflects a broken ideology and calls for a reevaluation of the role of government in safeguarding lives.
Ted Cruz Slashed NOAA Funding for Weather Forecasting in Trump Budget https://dianeravitch.net/2025/07/10/ted-cruz-slashed-noaa-budget-for-weather-forecasting-in-trump-budget/ via @dianeravitch
- Senator Ted Cruz criticized politicizing Texas flood deaths but previously reduced NOAA's budget for weather forecasting by $150 million, affecting disaster preparedness.
- NOAA faced scrutiny for underestimating rainfall in Texas, contributing to flash floods and significant economic damage. Late-night alerts were issued but lacked effective coordination with local emergency services.
- Cruz’s actions in cutting NOAA funding were part of a larger Republican bill during Trump’s administration, undermining research and forecasting capabilities for extreme weather.
- Cruz has a history of leaving Texas during crises, such as vacationing in Greece during the flood and traveling to Cancun during a power grid failure. Critics question his commitment to serving Texans.
- Flash floods are challenging to predict due to their localized nature, but NOAA’s reduced funding exacerbates these challenges.
Big Education Ape: THE GREAT UNSCHOOLING OF AMERICA: BIG EDUCATION APE'S CRYSTAL BALL PREDICTS A PUBLIC EDUCATION APOCALYPSE https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-great-unschooling-of-america-big.html
Big Education Ape THE GREAT UNSCHOOLING OF AMERICA: BIG EDUCATION APE'S CRYSTAL BALL PREDICTS A PUBLIC EDUCATION APOCALYPSE
### Key Points
- The Trump administration's education agenda focuses on dismantling public education through privatization, deregulation, and budget cuts.
- Executive orders and legislation aim to dissolve the Department of Education, cut federal funding, and shift responsibilities to states, risking inequitable resource distribution.
- Budget freezes and cuts target key programs like Title I, IDEA, and teacher training, disproportionately affecting low-income, rural, and urban schools.
- The push for school choice, including vouchers and Education Savings Accounts, risks creating a two-tiered system favoring wealthier families while underfunding public schools.
- Higher education reforms propose limiting federal loans and grants, reducing access for low-income students, and prioritizing trade programs over traditional college pathways.
- Policies targeting DEI initiatives, Title IX protections, and data transparency threaten equity and accountability in education.
- Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP impact school-based services like nurses, counselors, and free meals, further straining the public education system.
- The overall shift redefines education as a market commodity, prioritizing profit and choice over equity and public good.
Courage Should Be in the Job Description – Cloaking Inequity https://cloakinginequity.com/2025/07/10/courage-should-be-in-the-job-description/
- The article emphasizes the need for courageous leadership in higher education, arguing that presidents and chancellors must go beyond mere management to become advocates, fighters, and defenders of truth and equity.
- It critiques the tendency of leaders to "play it safe" and calls for bold leadership to ensure the survival of higher education amidst challenges.
- The platform "Cloaking Inequity" publishes reflections, analysis, and commentary on education, democracy, culture, and politics, encouraging readers to subscribe for updates.
With Little Public Notice, the Omnibus Tax and Reconciliation Bill Established Federal Private School Tuition Vouchers https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2025/07/10/with-little-public-notice-the-omnibus-tax-and-reconciliation-bill-established-federal-private-school-tuition-vouchers/ via @janresseger
- The "one big, beautiful" omnibus tax and reconciliation bill passed by Congress includes the first federal private school tuition voucher program, which was inserted without public notice and transparency.
- The Senate version of the voucher program, which replaced the House proposal, allows students from families earning up to 300% of their area's median income to qualify, making both poor and wealthy students eligible.
- The voucher program lacks civil rights protections, enabling private schools to select students without oversight.
- Tuition-tax-credit vouchers rely on donations to "Scholarship Granting Organizations," with donors receiving tax credits, though the Senate version caps tax credits at $1,700 per donor.
- The Senate removed the House's lucrative tax shelter provisions for wealthy investors, such as avoiding capital gains tax, but did not cap the overall number of participants, leading to potentially high costs for the federal government.
- Unlike the House plan, the Senate version makes the voucher program permanent and allows states to opt in, potentially igniting state-level debates over private school choice.
- Concerns remain about states' ability to regulate and oversee the program effectively, given past neglect in managing large voucher and charter school schemes.
Teacher Tom: Really Crappy Vocational Training https://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/really-crappy-vocational-training.html
### Key Points
- The article critiques the prevailing idea of education as vocational training, noting that after tens of thousands of hours of schooling, students are only qualified for low-level jobs or management training programs, with actual work experience being more valuable.
- It highlights the societal perception that children today are lazy and unmotivated, suggesting that education fails to foster citizenship, responsibility, and curiosity effectively.
- The author proposes a shift in education to focus on nurturing children's individual passions and interests to help them discover what makes them come alive, rather than forcing them through standardized curricula.
- The author advocates for play-based learning as a transformative approach to education and shares resources for further exploration of this method.
The Zohran Endorsement, and ABC https://open.substack.com/pub/arthurgoldstein/p/the-zohran-endorsement-and-abc?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
### Key Points
- Zohran Mamdani's nomination is divisive, with polls showing mixed support and questions about the timing of the endorsement by union leadership.
- Unity leadership is criticized for pushing decisions without consulting membership, including failed surveys and a lack of follow-up actions.
- RA and ARISE are accused of prioritizing personal agendas over representing membership, leading to dissatisfaction among retirees and union members.
- The author argues that leadership should focus on protecting retiree health care and enacting policies democratically, rather than imposing views.
- The lack of transparency and communication in decision-making processes has caused frustration and disengagement among members.
The ADL is not what it appears. (Reposted from the Guardian), by @fklonsky https://open.substack.com/pub/fredklonsky/p/the-adl-is-not-what-it-appears-reposted?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
### Key Points
- The ADL has been accused of surveilling left-wing activists and tracking individuals it perceives as problematic.
- Activist Tatjana Rebelle was profiled by the ADL, leading to fear and a chilling effect on her activism.
- The ADL has faced criticism for targeting racial justice groups, Palestinian rights movements, and progressive Jewish organizations.
- Historical controversies include ADL's alleged collaboration with apartheid-era South Africa and its surveillance of various organizations.
- Critics argue the ADL prioritizes advancing Israeli policies over protecting civil rights.
Education Research Report: Does grading students at earlier ages increase the risk of mental disorders in adolescents? https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2025/07/does-grading-students-at-earlier-ages.html
- Introducing school grades at earlier ages may negatively impact children's mental health, particularly increasing risks of internalizing disorders like depression and anxiety in girls with low to moderate academic achievement.
- Earlier grading reforms in Sweden also correlate with a higher risk of alcohol-related disorders in both boys and girls.
- Researchers emphasize that while grades are not inherently harmful, their design should account for children's developmental readiness to process feedback constructively.
Education Research Report: Short teaching interventions on disinformation have no long-term effect https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2025/07/short-teaching-interventions-on.html
- A study from Uppsala University found that short teaching interventions on disinformation have no long-term effect on upper secondary school students' ability to distinguish credible news from misleading information.
- The study compared three types of interventions: the "Bad News" online game, the "News Evaluator" digital self-test, and subject-specific lesson segments integrating source criticism into different subjects.
- Despite initial improvements, students showed little progress in source criticism skills three months after the interventions, with low use of digital tools like reverse image search and difficulty identifying misleading information.
- Students who valued credible information and democratic ideals were better at distinguishing true and false information.
- Professor Thomas Nygren emphasized the need for long-term, integrated teaching strategies across multiple subjects to strengthen resilience against disinformation.
- Teachers expressed the need for tried and tested materials to teach complex issues like disinformation, leading to the development of the News Evaluator platform with ready-made lesson plans and guides.
- All teaching materials from the study are freely available to educators to support digital source criticism in classrooms.
Do Vouchers Help Make Private Schools More Diverse? Complete Publications List | National Education Policy Center https://nepc.colorado.edu/publications/all
### Key Points
- NEPC publishes policy briefs, legislative briefs, research memos, and reviews to address various education policy issues.
- It provides resources on topics like school choice, discipline policy, privatization, and school funding to support policymakers and educators.
- NEPC initiatives aim to close opportunity gaps, including projects like Schools of Opportunity and Price of Opportunity.
- The Research Hub for Youth Organizing and the International Partnership for the Study of Educational Privatization highlight NEPC’s collaborative efforts.
- NEPC’s mission is rooted in promoting evidence-based policies that support a multiracial, inclusive, and just society.
Critical Studies of Education & Technology: Teachers’ Perceptions of GenAI – Some Recurring Observations | National Education Policy Center https://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/teachers-perceptions
### Key Points
- Only a minority of teachers are frequent users of GenAI, often citing time constraints and marginal benefits.
- Frequent users mostly delegate unimportant tasks or ones they find unenjoyable, while a few are AI enthusiasts experimenting with the technology.
- Many teachers feel obligated to perform teaching-related tasks themselves, believing their pedagogical expertise is essential for quality outcomes.
- GenAI is primarily used to initiate or finalize tasks, such as generating ideas or polishing text, while teachers handle the core work.
- Teachers face challenges with GenAI outputs, including lack of contextual fit and alignment with curricula or pedagogical styles, requiring significant effort to adapt.
- Most teachers do not find GenAI particularly exciting or transformative, with its integration often deprioritized amid other professional demands.
glen brown: "Two of the world’s leading pathological narcissists" https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2025/07/two-of-worlds-leading-pathological.html
- The article critiques Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu as pathological narcissists, highlighting their inflated self-worth, lack of empathy, and destructive political actions.
- Trump’s compromises to U.S. democratic institutions and Netanyahu’s genocidal policies in Palestine are discussed, emphasizing their damaging global impacts.
- Netanyahu manipulates U.S. foreign policy, leveraging his relationship with Trump to achieve military goals while deepening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Trump’s grandiosity and inability to focus on long-term international strategies are evident in his failed initiatives, such as Ukraine-Russia ceasefire negotiations and trade deals.
- Both leaders share an insatiable quest for power, using their positions to further personal agendas rather than addressing global issues responsibly.
- The article condemns the United States' complicity in Israel's military actions and humanitarian blockades, noting the lack of credible media coverage.
- Melvin A. Goodman, the author, provides insights into these issues based on his experience as a former CIA analyst and national security expert.
Updates to School Nutrition Program Standards This MB provides Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs) Operators information and policy guidance regarding updates to federal CNP meal pattern requirements released on April 24, 2024. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/updatestosnpstandards.asp
- Updates to federal Child Nutrition Program (CNP) meal pattern requirements were released on April 24, 2024, aligning with the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- California Code of Regulations updates related to CNP standards will take effect on April 1, 2025.
- Contact information for inquiries on SNP meal patterns, SFSP, competitive foods, professional standards, procurement processes, and geographic preferences is provided.
- Related resources include guidelines on competitive foods, food allergy modifications, staff education, milk requirements, and meal patterns for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP).
- Recent updates include new Management Bulletins (MBs) for competitive foods, SUN Bucks resources, and recalls of turkey bacon due to possible Listeria contamination.
- The California Department of Education offers various resources on nutrition, education standards, and program areas such as child development, disaster management, and special education.
Schumer meets with war criminal, Netanyahu. Resistance grows among younger Dems. , by @mikeklonsky https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelklonsky/p/schumer-meets-with-war-criminal-netanyahu?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an indicted war criminal, highlights bipartisan support for U.S.-Israel policies despite growing grassroots opposition.
- Progressive Democrats, including figures like Zohran Mamdani, AOC, and Cori Bush, are challenging traditional foreign policy alliances, especially regarding U.S. military aid to Israel.
- Mamdani’s victory in the New York mayoral primary, supported by many Jewish voters, reflects a shift in attitudes among progressive Jews who prioritize Palestinian rights and affordable living over divisive politics.
- Schumer's favorability among Democrats has drastically declined, making him a liability for the party in upcoming elections.
Success, Failure, and "Mediocrity" in U.S. Schools (Part 1) https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2025/07/10/success-failure-and-mediocrity-in-u-s-schools-part-1-2/ via @CubanLarry
### Key Points
- School reform in the U.S. has followed cyclical patterns over the past 150 years, with changing definitions of "good" schools based on societal needs.
- Late-19th century Progressives addressed overcrowded classrooms and unprepared students by introducing new curricula, medical services, and varied instruction to educate the "whole child."
- Post-WWII reformers emphasized academic rigor during the Cold War, aiming to produce engineers and scientists to compete globally.
- The Civil Rights movement in the 1960s sought equality in education by increasing funding and standardizing curricula, though disparities persisted due to wealth differences across regions.
- Economic fears in the 1980s led to reforms focused on stricter standards, testing, and accountability, linking education to economic productivity.
- Reform cycles often involve exaggerated critiques of schools, ambitious proposals, and eventual disappointment when changes fail to meet expectations.
- Concepts of "success," "failure," and "mediocrity" in schools reflect societal values, with the "middle ground" often stigmatized despite being the reality for most students.
Schools Matter: Public Assistance for the Privileged http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2025/07/public-assistance-for-privileged.html
- The blog emphasizes that a child's learning is influenced more by peer characteristics than by teacher quality, referencing James Coleman's 1972 statement.
- The article critiques public assistance programs that benefit privileged groups, highlighting issues like school vouchers and systemic inequalities in education.
- Discussions about poverty being a greater factor in educational outcomes than teacher quality are featured prominently.
- The blog archives extensive content on education reform, testing, and critiques of corporate influence in public education.
- It includes reviews of books and essays on topics such as hope in urban education, testing policies, and the impact of legislative actions on literacy and public schools.
Yesterday’s Gems, Today’s InsightsA Roundup of the Web’s Finest Blog Posts!7-10-25
The article discusses various political, educational, and social issues, including controversies surrounding federal funding freezes, Trump administration policies, education reforms, and advocacy efforts for equity and justice. It highlights alarming developments in public health, immigration enforcement, education funding, and systemic inequities.
### Key Points
- Indiana's voucher program spends $500 million to subsidize private school discounts for wealthy families, raising concerns about equity in public education.
- Trump's administration quadrupled ICE's budget to $30 billion, funding detention camps and raising fears of martial law and labor camps.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services, implemented harmful health policies, including halting vaccine funding and endorsing ultraprocessed meals.
- The Trump administration froze $7 billion in federal education funding, disproportionately affecting high-poverty districts and vulnerable students.
- Researchers found a decline in children's health in the U.S., with increasing chronic conditions and systemic disparities.
- Protagonists in young adult literature are increasingly older, alienating younger readers and reducing age-appropriate representation.
- Father Daniel Berrigan, a Jesuit priest and activist, left a lasting legacy on Block Island through poetry and peace efforts.
- Billionaire-backed voucher schemes and education cuts prioritize wealthy interests over public school funding.
- The Detroit Tigers are praised for their ethical ownership and focus on resilience, contrasting with controversies surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Seattle's Memorial Stadium renovation faces scrutiny due to ethical concerns with Oak View Group's CEO.
- The DOE's draft Class Size Reduction Plan fails to address overcrowding and relies heavily on exemptions, sparking advocacy for genuine reforms.
- Louisiana proposed permanent teacher pay raises through reallocated education trust funds, pending a constitutional amendment vote.
One Million Rising: Strategic Non-Cooperation to Fight Authoritarianism · No Kings
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/803953/
Across the country, authoritarian forces are getting bolder and more dangerous. Trump and his allies are not hiding their agenda: mass deportations, rollbacks of civil rights, weaponized courts, and full-scale attacks on our democracy. We don’t have to wait until it’s too late. We can stop this. But it’ll take all of us—not just on single days of mass action, but through sustained organizing in our communities.
That’s why this summer, we’re launching One Million Rising—a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design. This is how we build people power that can’t be ignored. You’re invited to join us—and lead.
Let’s build a force bigger than fear and louder than hate. Let’s get ready. Let’s get organized. Let’s stop Trump. https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/803953/
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