Latest News and Comment from Education
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Steady Education Privatization Advancing in California
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By Thomas Ultican 9/9/2026 This post looks at the state of public education
in California. It is important to be clear that charter schools are not
public ...
2 days ago
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Trump’s Latest: The State of New Mexico or New America?
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First came the Gulf of America. Then Lake America. Trump can alter the map
today and AI can teach it tomorrow. Trump is now floating the idea of
changing N...
3 days ago
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Five Great Questions For "Evidence-Based" Programs
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At EdWeek, Larry Ferlazzo ran a guest post by Rene Grimes that focused on
the “science of math” and the programs that are supposed to be based on it.
3 days ago
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Five Great Questions For "Evidence-Based" Programs
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At EdWeek, Larry Ferlazzo ran a guest post by Rene Grimes that focused on
the "science of math" and the programs that are supposed to be based on it.
Bet...
3 days ago
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Federal Vouchers Mean Federal Control
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Peter Greene explores the impact of federal vouchers on public and private
schools
3 days ago
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U.S. Students Above OECD Average in Science, Reading, and Computational
Problem Solving
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The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) today released the U.S.
results from the 2025 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), ...
3 days ago
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Cognitive Resonance: Why is Claude for Teachers?
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Cognitive Resonance: Why is Claude for Teachers?
*Anthropic bumbles its way into education*
[image: Why?]
Everything about AI right now is weird.
I took...
3 days ago
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SCHOOL FUNDING IS NO FUN — BUT IS IT FAIR?
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*SCHOOL FUNDING IS NO FUN — BUT IS IT FAIR?**How "Reform" Became a Polite
Word for Pulling the Rug Out From Under Public Education*
Welcome to the gre...
3 days ago
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The REPULSICANS
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Admit it: The DUMBOCRATS is a fitting and appropriate moniker for one of
the two mainstream capitalist political parties in the US—one of the
greatest war-...
3 days ago
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Labor Day.
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Happy Birthday to Me
3 days ago
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Celebrating our power this Labor Day
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Every Labor Day, I stop to reflect on the history of our union and what
lessons we can apply to continue to build a movement that meets the
aspirations of ...
3 days ago
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Gary Rubinstein: Eva Moskowitz Sues NYSED for Inadvertently Exposing that
They Have Been Gaming the U.S. News Rankings for Years
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Eva Moskowitz, founder of Success Academy charter chain, has been
everywhere recently, promoting her brand. She has written op-Ed’s for major
newspapers, s...
3 days ago
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That Feeling of Understanding
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Years ago, a friend involved in the business of "up cycling" wound up with
a collection of junk with which even he couldn't figure out what to do, so
he...
3 days ago
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He Is Truly "Unhinged"
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Since yesterday, Donald J. Trump has been posting on social media at a
frantic pace, showing AI images of himself with President George Washington
on ...
3 days ago
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Buy Low, Rent High: The Charter School Real Estate Playbook
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Charter school facilities financing produces two distinct, well-documented,
and fixable problems: districts selling public buildings to charter
operators f...
3 days ago
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Charters As Well As Vouchers Continue to Threaten Public Education in Ohio
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School privatization poses enormous problems for Ohio’s system of
traditional public schools. In June of 2025, Ohio’s legislature failed
fully to fund a we...
3 days ago
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‘Literally a lifesaver’: SWODA driving health outcomes through rural
mobility program
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[image: rural mobility program]COMANCHE COUNTY — With critical access
hospitals at risk of closure and recent funding cuts to the federal Centers
for Med...
4 days ago
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Success Academy Sues NYSED For Inadvertently Exposing That They Have Been
Gaming The US News & World Report Rankings For Years
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No matter where you go in New York City, you are forced to ponder the
Success Academy charter network. On bus stops, in your mailbox, even as a
commercial ...
4 days ago
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Budgeting Propositions; t’ain’t no more – Prop 2, Prop 38 & Prop 44
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This last set of Propositions (follow these hyperlinks for the first four
posts on billionaires, kid-critical, housing and election reform…
The post Budg...
4 days ago
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Following Up on "The Decade of Decline in Seattle Public Schools"
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I posted a link to this article written by Sandeep Kaushik earlier but here
it is again. It is a lengthy piece but a worthy one for anyone wondering
how...
4 days ago
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Labor Day. Happy Birthday to Me.
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So—I just had a birthday. A big, round-number birthday. All my life, my
birthday has taken place in and around Labor Day weekend, and—fairly
often—happened...
4 days ago
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To the Holiday Workers on Standby
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I was fortunate enough to have Labor Day off. It was for me a relaxing day.
I spent most of it quietly at home, doing nothing particularly taxing,
which I ...
4 days ago
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Mulgrew's Para Pay Gambit in Conflict with Mamdani Who Gets Praise from the
Right: Is This War?
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*EONYC, The WIRE:*
*don’t confuse a temporary check with a raise.*
*don’t confuse a political campaign with collective bargaining.*
*Arthur Goldstein, ...
4 days ago
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Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL
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Ten years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and
resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general
that ...
4 days ago
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To Stop Cheating in School, Address the Root Cause (Adam Grant)
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Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the
University of Pennsylvania. This article appeared in The New York Times,
August 3...
5 days ago
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Educators Resist
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View this email in your browser
[image: Logo]
*TL;DR*
*What We’ve Done*
Understanding that voting in November in numbers that cannot be ignored is
...
5 days ago
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Day 1 for the New Congress
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If Dems don't do this, they will have failed us entirely.
[image or embed]
— unpersoned.bsky.social (@unpersoned.bsky.social) September 5, 2026 at
5:5...
6 days ago
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Recommended: Lesson Planning and Literacy Narratives
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“Today’s preservice teachers (PTs) enter a field in which content and
curriculum are increasingly standardized and controlled by voices outside
of their sc...
6 days ago
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The Disappearing Activist
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Unity wants us to be utterly dependent on them. That’s not how a union
stays strong.
6 days ago
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BREAKING: More than 1 in 10 Ohio Charter Schools suspected of “testing
anomalies”
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Add this to the fact that 1 in 5 Ohio Charter Schools have been on the
state’s lowedt-performing-schools-in-the-state list since 2018 and you can
see that ...
1 week ago
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Why Does Teacher Pay Matter?
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A recent story on America’s growing teacher shortage indicates a real
problem – nearly half a million teaching positions unfilled or filled with
temporary ...
1 week ago
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No One Was Blaming Parents
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Today I had a column published in The Orlando Sentinel. It was a response
to Nathan Hoffman’s August...
1 week ago
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Common Core and Science of Reading’s Troubling Disregard for Student
Writing and Voice
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Critics slam teachers and public schools for low reading scores. Much of
that criticism is wrong and misses the real problem. The Common Core State
Stand...
1 week ago
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SPI Celebrates 1 Million CalKIDS Accounts
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California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond
celebrates 1 million CalKIDS accounts, highlights financial literacy in
Monterey County.
1 week ago
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New Book: Manufactured Outrage: The Conservative Industrial Complex’s War
on Education and How to Fight Back
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A new book by four education professors uncovers a coordinated effort by
conservative groups to reshape Public Education.
The post New Book: Manufacture...
1 week ago
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A Child’s Citizenship Does Not Depend on a Parent’s Paperwork
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After losing its effort to restrict birthright citizenship at the Supreme
Court, the Trump Administration is seeking to restrict passports to
children and ...
1 week ago
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DOE presentation on their AI guidance
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The following slides were presented to the AI Moratorium Coalition steering
commitee on Sept. 1, 2026. The last slide has bullet points made up of
response...
1 week ago
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Hooray for the new ‘barbarians’.
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Mike Johnson’s latest red scare scam.
1 week ago
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Guest column: Republican education policies have left Indiana’s children
behind
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Guest column: Republican education policies have left Indiana’s children
behind
The post Guest column: Republican education policies have left Indiana’s ...
1 week ago
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At Substack: On Aging, Writing, and the Past: Baumgartner by Paul Auster
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On Aging, Writing, and the Past: Baumgartner by Paul Auster
1 week ago
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Weekend Quotables
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Trump’s “binky”
1 week ago
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The Light She Left Behind
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“Those we love don’t go away, they sit beside us every day.” — Liane
Moriarty, Big Little Lies Forgive us if we are a little sad here in
Tennessee. We lost...
2 weeks ago
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Bookstore Romance Day, Fat Liberation & an Unofficial Guide to the Oregon
Coast
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Nothing clears your head better than salty sea air... and like, four bowls
of clam chowder.
2 weeks ago
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The Great and Irreplaceable Dolly Parton
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If the state of the world has you down, here’s a reprieve, two interviews
with the great Dolly Parton. The first is my extended interview with her,
13 yea...
2 weeks ago
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Who Wants a Raise?
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And why do the people who need raises the most actually get the least?
2 weeks ago
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Who Wants a Raise?
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Everyone. And if you are a UFTer (and not a retiree), you are getting one.
But get this. A new paraprofessional is getting a raise of $803/year. Man,
do th...
2 weeks ago
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I Heart Mom Populism
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Support for public education turns out to be a surprisingly potent issue in
2026
2 weeks ago
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This year’s drop in NYC state test scores: sound and fury, signifying
nothing
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When the state test scores were released a couple of weeks ago, they showed
sharp drops in proficiency for NYC students, particularly in reading.
2 weeks ago
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This year's drop in NYC state test scores: sound and fury, signifying
nothing
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When the state test scores were released a couple of weeks ago, they showed
sharp drops in proficiency for NYC students, particularly in reading. This...
2 weeks ago
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SQ 844: How is this better?
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In plain terms, the new language gives the Legislature the authority to
establish both the amount and methodology for distributing ad valorem
reimbursement...
3 weeks ago
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A Wake-up Call for the Country
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As a nation we can do so much better for young children and families.
3 weeks ago
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Why Trump is Obsessed with the Kennedy Center
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He was shunned by NYC's cultural elite
3 weeks ago
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The end of a run.
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I have decided to end my substack column after more than 25 years of
blogging about schools, teaching, art and politics.
3 weeks ago
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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...
4 weeks ago
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And Suddenly, There’s a Math Book (You Already Know)
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Note: This is a reminder that, if you became a paid subscriber to this
blog, you’ll get a signed copy of You Already Know from ...
Read More
The post An...
4 weeks ago
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And Suddenly, There’s a Math Book (You Already Know)
-
Note: This is a reminder that, if you became a paid subscriber to this
blog, you’ll get a signed copy of You Already Know from ...
Read More
The post An...
4 weeks ago
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Semiquincentennial Blues
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For Gil Scott-Heron
2 months ago
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Regarding Trump’s Utter Defeat and Surrender in the Middle East: Iran gets
to charge fees, too!
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Many analysts have explained how the recent MOU between Trump and Iran is a
humiliating and deep failure for the current regimes of both the USA and
Israel...
2 months ago
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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...
3 months ago
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Donald Patton Resigns From Christina Board of Education
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The word on the street is Donald Patton resigned from the Christina School
District Board of Education less than two months before his term was set to
expi...
3 months ago
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500-Year-Old Slave Revolt of 1526 Redefines Freedom as US Turns 250
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In 1526 — long before the more renowned dates that anchor the nation’s
story of 1619 and 1776 — enslaved Africans rose up and freed themselves on
the land ...
3 months ago
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Statement on the NYS Comptroller’s audit of NYC’s Privacy and Security of
Student Data
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Statement on the NYS Comptroller’s audit of NYC’s Privacy and Security of
Student Data May 4, 2025 The audit from the State Comptroller’s office
released t...
4 months ago
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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...
5 months ago
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U. S. President called out by UN
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How does the rest of the world see us?
5 months ago
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Peace Treaty: Why Schools Don’t Change (Even When Everyone Knows They
Should)
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People love to say “schools resist change.” It sounds like a personality
flaw—lazy, stubborn, old-fashioned. But schools aren’t hard to change
because educ...
5 months ago
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The Problem with "the Science of Reading"
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The problem with “the science of reading” is that it’s not new.
7 months ago
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Dear NJ Teachers and Their Families: You MUST Not Vote For Jack Ciattarelli
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To all NJ public school staff and their families:
*You must not vote for Jack Ciattarelli. He will do serious, lasting damage
to you personally, and the ...
10 months ago
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"Didn't do *that*," part 1: new Schofield case developments reveal crucial
10th Circuit/Ledger lie
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The record is clear. Jeremy Scott confessed at least 40 times in a 2017
hearing. He never recanted. The Ledger must retract its lie to force Judge
Kevin Ab...
1 year ago
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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...
1 year ago
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Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
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It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
8 years ago
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March is nearly over and I didn't do anything for WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
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I was inspired when I saw this meme I guess it can be called of WOMEN IN
STEM and "IT'S OKAY TO BE SMART" And I began thinking about how the only
subjec...
9 years ago
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Prison Gerrymandering: Incarceration Weakens Vulnerable Voting Communities
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One person equals one vote: seems simple enough. Unfortunately, that hasn’t
worked out for many Americans throughout history, specifically women and
peop...
10 years ago
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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...
11 years ago
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How do you know if your City has a Strong Mayor? aka MAYOR 1%
How do you know if your City has a
Strong Mayor
aka MAYOR 1%?
YOUR Public Schools are being Privatized and
Your Dog is Pregnant !
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF AMERICA'S POOREST AND MOST AT RISK CHILDREN ARE BEING WHOLESALE PRIVATIZED BY THESE MAYORS OF THE 1%. ALL BEING BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY BILLIONAIRES
RANK
|
CITY
|
STRUCTURE
|
POPULATION
|
1
|
New York City, NY
|
Mayor - Council
|
8,104,079
|
2
|
Los Angeles, CA
|
Mayor - Council
|
3,845,541
|
3
|
Chicago, IL
|
Mayor - Council
|
2,862,244
|
4
|
Houston, TX
|
Mayor - Council
|
2,012,626
|
5
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
Mayor - Council
|
1,470,151
|
6
|
Phoenix, AZ
|
Council - Manager
|
1,418,041
|
7
|
San Diego, CA
|
Mayor - Council
|
1,263,756
|
8
|
San Antonio, TX
|
Council - Manager
|
1,236,249
|
9
|
Dallas, TX
|
Council - Manager
|
1,210,393
|
10
|
San Jose, CA
|
Council - Manager
|
904,522
|
11
|
Detroit, MI
|
Mayor - Council
|
900,198
|
12
|
Indianapolis, IN
|
Mayor - Council
|
784,242
|
13
|
Jacksonville, FL
|
Mayor - Council
|
777,704
|
14
|
San Francisco, CA
|
Mayor - Council
|
744,230
|
15
|
Columbus, OH
|
Mayor - Council
|
730,008
|
16
|
Austin, TX
|
Council - Manager
|
681,804
|
17
|
Memphis, TN
|
Mayor - Council
|
671,929
|
18
|
Baltimore, MD
|
Mayor - Council
|
636,251
|
19
|
Fort Worth, TX
|
Council - Manager
|
603,337
|
20
|
Charlotte, NC
|
Council - Manager
|
594,359
|
21
|
El Paso, TX
|
Council - Manager
|
592,099
|
22
|
Milwaukee, WI
|
Mayor - Council
|
583,624
|
23
|
Seattle, WA
|
Mayor - Council
|
571,480
|
24
|
Boston, MA
|
Mayor - Council
|
569,165
|
25
|
Denver, CO
|
Mayor - Council
|
556,432
|
RANK
|
CITY
|
STRUCTURE
|
POPULATION
|
26
|
Louisville, KY
|
Mayor - Council
|
556,332
|
27
|
Washington, DC
|
Mayor - Council
|
553,523
|
28
|
Nashville, TN
|
Mayor - Council
|
546,719
|
29
|
Las Vegas, NV
|
Council - Manager
|
534,847
|
30
|
Portland, OR
|
Commission *
|
533,492
|
31
|
Oklahoma City, OK
|
Council - Manager
|
528,042
|
32
|
Tuscon, AZ
|
Council - Manager
|
512,023
|
33
|
Albuquerque, NM
|
Mayor - Council
|
484,246
|
34
|
Long Beach, CA
|
Council - Manager
|
476,564
|
35
|
New Orleans, LA
|
Mayor - Council
|
462,269
|
36
|
Cleveland, OH
|
Mayor - Council
|
458,684
|
37
|
Fresno, CA
|
Mayor - Council
|
457,719
|
38
|
Sacramento, CA
|
Council - Manager
|
454,719
|
39
|
Kansas City, MO
|
Council - Manager
|
444,387
|
40
|
Virginia Beach, VA
|
Council - Manager
|
440,098
|
41
|
Mesa, AZ
|
Council - Manager
|
437,454
|
42
|
Atlanta, GA
|
Mayor - Council
|
419,122
|
43
|
Omaha, NE
|
Mayor - Council
|
409,114
|
44
|
Oakland, CA
|
Mayor - Council
|
397,976
|
45
|
Tulsa, OK
|
Mayor - Council
|
383,764
|
46
|
Miami, FL
|
Mayor - Council
|
379,724
|
47
|
Honolulu, HI
|
Mayor - Council
|
377,260
|
48
|
Minneapolis, MN
|
Mayor - Council
|
373,943
|
49
|
Colorado Springs, CO
|
Council - Manager
|
369,363
|
50
|
Arlington, TX
|
Council - Manager
|
359,467
|
MAYOR 1% WANTABE