Yesterday’s Gems, Today’s InsightsA Roundup of the Web’s Finest Blog Posts!
7-24-25
7-24-25
Heather Cox Richardson: Trump Distractions from Epstein Files Are Not Working https://dianeravitch.net/2025/07/23/heather-cox-richardson-trump-distractions-from-epstein-files-are-not-working/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Heather Cox Richardson discusses Trump's declining approval ratings due to unpopular immigration and tariff policies.
- Polls reveal opposition to deporting non-criminal undocumented immigrants and building new detention facilities.
- ICE's access to Medicaid records raises privacy concerns and alarms lawmakers.
- Trump's distractions, including social media posts and demands to revert sports team names, fail to shift focus from controversies.
- Public demands transparency on Epstein files, further damaging Trump's image.
- Skepticism surrounds Trump's health disclosures amidst ongoing controversies.
- Trump's handling of economic policies and interactions with the Federal Reserve draw criticism.
- Social media reactions highlight the ineffectiveness of Trump's narrative control efforts.
Arnold and Carol Hillman: What We Learned in Our Nine Years in South Carolina https://dianeravitch.net/2025/07/23/arnold-and-carol-hillman-what-we-learned-in-our-nine-years-in-south-carolina/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Arnold and Carol Hillman moved to a retirement community in South Carolina in 2015 and decided to get involved in local education instead of pursuing typical retirement activities.
- They attended a school board meeting and found it disorganized and indifferent to student needs, prompting them to explore rural education issues in the state.
- They contacted Molly Spearman, then Superintendent of Education, and began working with Jasper County School District, one of the poorest districts in South Carolina.
- The Hillmans helped launch the "Roso" mentoring program at Ridgeland Hardeeville High School, pairing high school students with struggling fifth graders. The program ran until 2021.
- During their time in South Carolina, they visited 21 rural school districts and observed severe resource shortages, teacher vacancies, outdated facilities, and limited student services.
- Internet connectivity was a major issue in rural areas, limiting online learning opportunities during the pandemic.
- South Carolina ranks poorly in national education metrics, with rural districts facing the brunt of systemic neglect and funding disparities.
- The Hillmans co-founded SCORS to raise awareness about rural education challenges but found it difficult to influence legislative or administrative priorities.
- They mentored numerous students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom graduated high school, though few could afford college due to financial constraints.
- The "Corridor of Shame," referring to underfunded rural districts along Route 95, highlights the systemic racism and neglect in South Carolina's education system.
- The Hillmans shared stories of individual students they mentored, some of whom overcame significant barriers to achieve success in education and careers.
- Health issues and a desire to be closer to family led the Hillmans to move to Massachusetts in 2024, though they remain in contact with many of their mentees.
Parents Are the Most Important Element in Student Learning https://dianeravitch.net/2025/07/23/parents-are-the-most-important-element-in-student-learning/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Efforts like Race to the Top, which tied teacher evaluations to student test scores, were ineffective and demoralizing for teachers, showing no improvement in student outcomes.
- The largest influence on student learning comes from parents and home life, not schools or teachers.
- Socioeconomic gaps in skills are evident from kindergarten and persist throughout schooling, emphasizing the importance of parental engagement rather than solely improving economic status.
- Activities like storytelling, reading, and interactive play with children are more impactful on skill development than rote memorization of letters or numbers.
- U.S. policy tends to focus more on school funding than on supporting parents, unlike other wealthy nations that invest in early childhood development at home.
- Community programs and trained educators engaging directly with parents can effectively support early childhood learning and development.
Big Education Ape: A PARENT'S 30-YEAR ODYSSEY IN AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/07/a-parents-30-year-odyssey-in-american.html
### Key Points
- A parent's reflections on choosing public education for its diversity and authenticity over private and charter schools.
- The influence of No Child Left Behind and Common Core standards, leading to frustrations with modern teaching methods and systemic changes.
- Participation in site councils revealed deep issues like budget cuts, loss of electives, and the erosion of joyful educational programs.
- Privatization efforts, fueled by billionaire-backed policies, undermined public schools and exacerbated racial inequalities.
- Advocacy for public education as a vital democratic institution, despite its imperfections, and a call to action for parents and teachers to continue fighting for its future.
Big Education Ape: PUTTING YOUR BEST HOOF (OR FOOT) FORWARD: WHY DEMOCRATS NEED TO WIN THE MESSAGING WAR IN 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/07/putting-your-best-hoof-or-foot-forward.html
### Key Points
- Democrats need to refine their messaging strategy for the 2026 elections, focusing on universal values like health care, affordable housing, education, economic justice, and fairness under the law.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion remain important but should be framed as part of a broader narrative addressing bread-and-butter issues that resonate with voters.
- Democrats should reclaim the narrative on economic issues, emphasizing policies that support working families, such as raising the minimum wage, expanding workers’ rights, and creating renewable energy jobs.
- Simplified and emotionally resonant messaging is essential to compete with the GOP’s effective soundbite-driven strategy.
- The Democratic Party must unapologetically champion justice reforms, including expanding the Supreme Court to restore balance in the judicial system.
- Winning elections is not just about policy but about making voters feel that their lives can genuinely improve under Democratic leadership.
Big Education Ape: DIANE RAVITCH: FROM CONSERVATIVE CRUSADER TO PUBLIC EDUCATION'S FIERCEST DEFENDER https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/07/diane-ravitch-from-conservative.html
Diane Ravitch's transformation from a conservative education reform advocate to a fierce defender of public education is explored in this article. Initially supporting standardized testing, charter schools, and accountability measures, Ravitch eventually criticized these reforms for harming public education. Her advocacy now focuses on equitable funding, teacher professionalism, and opposing privatization. Ravitch co-founded the Network for Public Education (NPE) to champion public schools, and her upcoming memoir details her ideological shift and calls for greater investment in public education.
### Key Points
- Diane Ravitch transitioned from a proponent of conservative education reforms to a defender of public education.
- Her realization about the negative impacts of high-stakes testing and privatization led to her opposition to these policies.
- Ravitch co-founded the Network for Public Education to advocate for equitable funding and teacher professionalism.
- Critics argue she oversimplifies reformers' intentions and romanticizes public schools, but Ravitch defends them as democratic institutions.
- Her upcoming memoir, "An Education," recounts her ideological shift and advocates for systemic change in education.
A BLUEPRINT FOR BOLDNESS https://open.substack.com/pub/ru4people/p/a-blueprint-for-boldness?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Democrats Winning the Messaging War in 2026
### Key Points
- Democrats are shifting their communication strategy, moving away from dry policy explanations to bold, relatable storytelling and humor to connect with voters.
- Republicans dominate with simple, emotional slogans, while Democrats aim to reframe progressive values as everyday issues like healthcare, housing, and education.
- Universal healthcare should be framed as a moral and economic necessity, focusing on relatable stories rather than complex data.
- Affordable housing is highlighted as part of the American Dream and a fight against corporate landlords exploiting the system.
- Education reform messaging should emphasize freedom from debt and opportunities for all, including trade school and vocational training.
- Democrats need to position themselves as champions of justice, calling out corruption and framing judicial reforms as leveling the playing field.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) should be subtly integrated into broader narratives to resonate across demographics.
- Democrats can win by adopting plain language, humor, and focusing on unifying economic and justice issues. Bold storytelling is key to regaining trust and winning elections.
Judas in a Suit: How to Detect Betrayal Before the Kiss Lands – Cloaking Inequity https://cloakinginequity.com/2025/07/23/judas-in-a-suit-how-to-detect-betrayal-before-the-kiss-lands/
- Leadership is not just about vision, strategy, or metrics; it involves navigating people, personalities, and politics, where betrayal can arise unexpectedly from close allies.
- Betrayal often builds gradually through subtle signs such as excessive praise, emotional withdrawal, public challenges, and gossip.
- Twelve key signs of betrayal include overcompensating with praise, going cold when challenged, public challenges disguised as non-personal, leaking private words, meeting critics secretly, delaying support, triangulating feedback, gossiping, cozying up to power, avoiding documentation, neutrality in critical moments, and testing boundaries.
- Leaders should trust their instincts, recognize betrayal patterns early, and protect their team, mission, and mental health by addressing disloyalty.
Teacher Tom: What a Play-Based "Teacher" Does https://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/what-play-based-teacher-does.html
- Teacher Tom emphasizes that true learning is driven by curiosity and readiness, not direct teaching, as educators cannot predict what a child will learn.
- The philosophy of play-based learning focuses on creating an environment for exploration, experimentation, and discovery rather than traditional teaching methods.
- Teacher Tom highlights the importance of modeling values like perseverance, emotional understanding, mutual respect, and love, which children learn indirectly through interactions and play.
- The blog promotes Teacher Tom's Play-Based Learning Summer Camp, designed to help educators and caregivers implement this approach effectively.
- Teacher Tom invites readers to support his blog, join his mailing list, or book him for events, emphasizing his commitment to spreading high-quality play-based preschool education globally.
CURMUDGUCATION: Charters and Miracle Shrinkage https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2025/07/charters-and-miracle-shrinkage.html
glen brown: "The issue now threatens Trump’s survival as president—and, by extension, every Republican’s political career" https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2025/07/trump-maxwell-and-epstein.html
BROTHER RICK AYERS: Just sayin’ | Bill Ayers https://billayers.org/2025/07/23/brother-rick-ayers-just-sayin/
### Key Points
- The MAGA movement promotes anti-Black politics, white grievance, and has rolled back decades of progress, sidelining issues like racist police violence.
- Economic policies, such as tariffs, are manipulated for capitalist gain, with the US economy shifting to a parasitic model reliant on cheap labor and imported goods.
- Arguments against deportation raids should focus on improving working conditions and pay for agricultural workers, not defending exploitative labor practices.
- Anti-immigrant rhetoric is rooted in white supremacy, ignoring the indigenous heritage of many immigrants and the economic manipulation driving migration.
- The acknowledgment of genocide in Gaza by scholars and media is criticized for being delayed and complicit in prior support.
- Homelessness is tied to systemic income inequality and housing commodification, with addiction framed as a consequence of capitalism rather than personal choice.
- The decline of the US empire is inevitable and should lead to envisioning a more democratic and peaceful global structure rather than reverting to past oppressive systems.
💥 Just Like That, It Was Done: How MNPS Quietly Bought Silence for $6.5 Million https://norinrad10.com/2025/07/23/15767/ via @norinrad10
Just Like That, It Was Done: How MNPS Quietly Bought Silence for $6.5 Million
### Key Points
- Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) quietly approved a $6.5 million legal settlement for five veteran employees who sued for discrimination and retaliation, with credible evidence supporting their claims.
- The settlement avoided a public trial that could have further damaged MNPS's reputation, prioritizing public relations over addressing systemic issues.
- MNPS leveraged its communications team to control the narrative, avoiding accountability for Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle despite the court's damning findings.
- Politically influential figures like former Mayor Bill Purcell and ex-board chairs defended Dr. Battle, ensuring the settlement passed without scrutiny.
- Questions arise about the district's legal budget, its size, and why funds weren't allocated to directly benefit students and teachers.
- The settlement represents a silencing of opposition, with all five plaintiffs — representing over 100 years of experience — no longer working for MNPS.
- Broader concerns about leadership and power dynamics in MNPS remain, alongside other legal challenges, including a $700K lawsuit involving a student death.
- A new legislative committee aims to explore reducing testing and teacher evaluations, signaling possible shifts in education policy dominance.
- Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarships program faces administrative errors and credibility issues, raising doubts about its efficiency.
- Erin Clinton Walsh Daunic, a dedicated advocate for Nashville youth, passed away, leaving a legacy of service through STARS Nashville.
As USA Flirts with Fascism, UFT Unity Embraces It https://open.substack.com/pub/arthurgoldstein/p/as-usa-flirts-with-fascism-uft-unity?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
### Key Points
- The author criticizes the undemocratic practices within the Queens UFT, highlighting the dominance of Unity's loyalty oath and patronage system.
- Unity leadership, under Michael Mulgrew, is accused of suppressing dissent, firing employees like Amy Arundell, and prioritizing power retention over member rights.
- The article draws parallels between Unity's actions and national political issues, such as Trump's unilateral education funding cuts, emphasizing the need for checks and balances.
- Unity's response to electoral losses and criticism includes token gestures like sham committees and superficial legislative efforts, while continuing undemocratic practices such as firing elected representatives.
- The author highlights the growing dissatisfaction among union members, calling for a shift towards a more democratic and responsive union structure.
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is There a Slate Running for Seattle School Board? https://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2025/07/is-there-slate-running-for-seattle.html?spref=tw
### Key Points
- The article reflects on the 2002 Seattle School Board election where four women, initially not running as a slate, ultimately overturned the majority due to voter dissatisfaction with the previous board's handling of financial scandals and leadership issues.
- Current Seattle School Board candidates, including Sarah Clark, Joe Mizrahi, and Vivian Song, are perceived as aligned and working collaboratively to address challenges in Seattle Public Schools, such as preventing mass school closures and revising governance models.
- The district faces imminent school closures due to investments in mega-elementaries, with closures expected over the next 2-3 years.
- Debate surrounds the governance model (SOFG), with candidates suggesting modifications rather than a complete overhaul.
- Vivian Song, despite endorsements, raises concerns about her long-term commitment to the board, given perceptions of ambition.
- Special education advocate Janis White is highlighted as a notable opponent to Song, emphasizing the importance of her work in this area.
- The article also touches on nepotism within Seattle Public Schools, particularly among principals and senior staff, as well as past scandals involving personnel promotions based on connections.
School Finance 101: Preserving an Educated Future for America (Short Term Plan) | National Education Policy Center https://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/preserving
### Key Points
- The article discusses the erosion of public education funding in states like Mississippi and Florida, where income and property taxes, primary sources for education funding, are being eliminated while funds are diverted to voucher programs.
- Southern states historically resisted federal policies during Reconstruction and the civil rights era, and similar strategies might be used now by states committed to education equity to counter federal hostility toward public schooling.
- Short-term efforts should focus on states that maintain progressive funding, enforce education rights, and show willingness to fund schools, such as Kansas.
- The concept of federally tax-exempt education endowments is proposed to stabilize school funding in high-GDP states, inspired by models like the Texas Permanent School Fund.
- States should improve their data and research capacity to compensate for declining federal data collections, potentially forming interstate consortia for better education data and evaluation.
- The Supreme Court’s decisions on religious charter schools and voucher programs threaten public education systems, pushing states to tighten charter school laws or eliminate them altogether to preserve equitable access.
- States with “town academies” must address funding cracks that allow religious alternatives, either by eliminating funding or integrating these academies into public school systems.
Noncongregate Waivers for Unanticipated Closures - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education) https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/waiversforclosures.asp
### Key Points
- The USDA approved a statewide waiver allowing the California Department of Education (CDE) to authorize non-congregate meal services during unanticipated school closures caused by natural disasters, building repairs, court orders, or labor disputes, with a limit of ten consecutive operating days without USDA approval.
- Agencies must apply for these waivers through the CDE’s online survey for each instance of unanticipated closures. Schools operating under the NSLP and SBP must continue to count and claim meals by type unless participating in specific provisions like Community Eligibility Provision or Provision 2.
- Waivers for NSLP and SBP include non-congregate meal service, meal service times, and parent/guardian meal pickup, ensuring accountability and integrity while distributing meals. These waivers are effective until June 30, 2026.
- SFAs can provide up to 10 operating days of bulk meals but cannot distribute individual food items in bulk. Waivers also extend to senior high schools under the "offer versus serve" requirement.
- Waivers for SFSP and SSO apply during school closures when virtual classes are not offered, allowing non-congregate meal service, flexible meal service times, and parent/guardian pickup.
- The USDA authorized meal service operations at school sites during closures and limited bulk meal distribution for SFSP/SSO, effective through June 30, 2026.
- Specific programs (NSLP/SBP or SFSP/SSO) operate depending on whether virtual school is offered during closures.
EdChoice Fight Pure Politics, by @StephenODyer https://open.substack.com/pub/10thperiod/p/edchoice-fight-pure-politics?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
- The article criticizes Ohio's EdChoice private school tuition subsidy program, deemed unconstitutional by a court ruling, as it directs nearly $1 billion in taxpayer funds to private religious schools, violating the Ohio Constitution.
- The subsidy negatively impacts public school funding, with money diverted from public schools to private institutions, leaving public schools underfunded.
- The article highlights the lack of auditing for EdChoice funds since 1997, with $8.5 billion in unaudited expenditures projected by the end of the budget.
- Political motivations are emphasized, as state officials focus on swaying public opinion rather than addressing legal concerns raised in the court ruling.
- The author criticizes the politicization of the judicial system, where decisions are perceived as influenced by party affiliation rather than constitutional arguments.
- The author advocates for a political campaign to pressure the Ohio Supreme Court to uphold the constitutional ruling against EdChoice.
From Spin to Spike: The Mirage of Political Victory Over Gun Violence in Chicago, by @mikeklonsky https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelklonsky/p/from-spin-to-spike-the-mirage-of?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
### Key Points
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson claimed success in reducing gun violence during the July 4th weekend but faced criticism after a surge in shootings the following weekend.
- The July 4th speech credited "holistic policing strategies" and investments in communities of color, but these initiatives largely continued from previous administrations.
- Gun violence surged in neighborhoods historically neglected by policy and investment, highlighting systemic issues beyond temporary policing strategies.
- The disparity in violence between affluent suburbs and underserved areas challenges the narrative that external factors like heat alone drive crime.
- Johnson’s veto of curfew expansion was praised for resisting youth criminalization, but systemic issues like poverty and the gun economy remain unaddressed.
- Federal aid disparities were criticized, with Johnson referencing unequal support after mass shootings in Chicago versus Highland Park.
- The article argues gun violence should not be used as a political branding tool and calls for systemic change to address root causes like poverty and inequality.
Volunteer Opportunities, Events, and Petitions Near Me · AFT on Mobilize
Yesterday’s Gems, Today’s InsightsA Roundup of the Web’s Finest Blog Posts!
7-23-25
7-23-25
The article is a compilation of various topics related to education, politics, and societal issues, including public school funding, political messaging strategies, far-right extremism, and controversies surrounding figures like Donald Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell. It also discusses advocacy for public education, the rise of authoritarianism, and the misuse of AI in education.
### Key Points
- Noncongregate waivers for unanticipated school closures in SY 2025-26 were announced by the CA Department of Education.
- Todd Blanche, former Trump lawyer, now Deputy Attorney General, plans to meet Ghislaine Maxwell in prison to discuss Epstein-related activities, possibly offering a pardon in exchange for clearing Trump of involvement.
- Trump’s "Big Ugly Bill" is projected to increase the deficit by $3.3 trillion, cut critical programs, exacerbate global warming, and harm public education and vulnerable populations.
- New Hampshire Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte vetoed rightwing bills on book bans and transgender rights, reflecting a split within the Republican Party.
- The White House partnered with PragerU to produce AI-generated videos about U.S. history, which critics argue are politically biased and historically inaccurate.
- Diane Ravitch transitioned from supporting conservative education reforms to defending public education, advocating equitable funding and opposing privatization.
- Democrats are refining their messaging strategy for the 2026 elections, focusing on relatable storytelling and emphasizing universal values like healthcare, housing, and education.
- Ohio’s new budget increases funding for private school vouchers while underfunding public schools, exacerbating inequities and shifting financial burdens to local districts.
- Franklin County Judge Jaiza Page ruled Ohio’s voucher program unconstitutional, highlighting its discriminatory impact and diversion of resources from public schools.
- Far-right extremism is rising in the U.S., normalizing authoritarianism and targeting education as a means to suppress critical thinking and resistance.
- Trump’s actions, including corruption, election interference, and incitement of violence, are argued to undermine democratic institutions and promote authoritarianism.
- Advocacy groups are combating privatization, censorship, and authoritarianism in public education, emphasizing equity and inclusivity.
- AI integration in education raises concerns about academic dishonesty and undermining genuine learning.
