School Reformers’ Pledge of Good Conduct
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School reformers now (and in the past) are (and have been) divided among
themselves. So often, they seek similar goals–students who are literate,
can think...
Trump’s Shiny Object of the Day:
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This new diversion from the demand for release of the Trumpstein Files takes the
form of a dystopian fantasy so blatantly stupid it would have to put
toget...
Sacramento Anti Ice Protest
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*Hello all, big thank you to Dan Bacher for his article in the SB&R
featuring --Sacramento groups say ‘No’ to ICE’s reported profiling and
alleged ...
2025–26 FFVP Second Allocation Funding Results
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On October 1, 2025, the CDE NSD awarded and posted the FFVP second
allocation grant recipients and funding allocations for School Year 2025–26
on the CDE F...
The GOP’s Shameful Attack on Public Schools
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Thomas Ultican, retired teacher of advanced mathematics and physics in
California, has been keeping track of the privatization movement. In this
post, he c...
Moral Clarity in the Classroom
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We need to make sure our coverage is rooted in enduring principles and
values. We need to make sure we don’t “both sides” the issues when it comes
to objec...
Just Sent-Out Free Monthly Email Newsletter
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I’ve just mailed out the September issue of my very simple free monthly
email newsletter. It has over 3,000 subscribers, and you can subscribe
here. Of c...
Billionaire-Financed Education Propaganda
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By Thomas Ultican 9/29/2025 September 9th, propaganda rag, ‘The 74’,
published a classic example of anti-public education flummery, “COVID
Worsened Long De...
September’s Parent Engagement Resources
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Today’s teens struggle with big feelings — and their parents struggle to
have hard conversations with them. A psychologist explains how to help your
kids c...
It's official. I'm taking Crazy Pills.
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Ten years after Ohio had to return $63 million of a $71 million federal
charter school grant to the first Trump Administration, Ohio gets another
$105 mill...
Waiting for the Unraveling
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“It’s always a matter, isn’t it, of waiting for the world to come
unraveled? When things hold together, it’s always only temporary.”― Rebecca
Makkai, The G...
My Imaginary Friend Is a Soulless Machine
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Peter Greene, one of my favorite education writers, recently posted an
interesting story about how people relate to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
James Kirylo: America’s Peculiar Love Affair
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James D. Kirylo has been a friend of mine for many years and has been a
guest contributor to my blog in the past. Among other books, Kirylo is the
author ...
The Moral Famine: A Poem By Jesse Hagopian
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People are starving in Palestine. "The Moral Famine" confronts Israel’s
starvation siege on Gaza and the world’s complicity in denying it.
“A Third of Teachers Are Terrorists”
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The US has nearly 3.6 million K-12 teachers, and another 1.5 million
college teachers. One-third of 5.1 million is 1.7 million. Who knew that we
have 1,700...
Why Teaching Math for Test Results Is Not Enough
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Over the last year, New York City has had a fascinating discussion about
teaching math. In particular, NYC Department of Education has started to
impleme...
Why Teaching Math for Test Results Is Not Enough
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Over the last year, New York City has had a fascinating discussion about
teaching math. In particular, NYC Department of Education has started to
impleme...
Here I go again, making an ask
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We are a majority minority school where we emphasize positive aspects, but
also recognize that we need to address the whole child. Too many of our
young ...
Aguanta, todo va a estar bien
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Los próximos meses nos pondrán a prueba como nunca antes. Como personas que
creemos en la democracia, lo que significa que creemos unos en otros, nos
verem...
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...
Is there really a decline in pleasure reading?
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The mainstream media has been full of the bad news: new study shows that
reading for pleasure has declined! Fewer people are reading for fun: From
2003 to ...
Last call for ARC readers: Addicted to Glove
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"Major League" meets "Ted Lasso" with a hint of "Three Men and a Baby" in
this age gap, surprise pregnancy romcom set in the Pacific Northwest.
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...
Trump plays Putin’s Playbook
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Recently Aleksander Dugin was interviewed on CNN, last week, and he stated
that he believes Trump is closer ideologically to President Putin than to
Washin...
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...
How Do We Fight Trump?
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Dear Friends, I don’t know when and why it hit me. But I suddenly realized
how serious Trump is about changing the country into something that
horrifies. I...
Site Index - Updated December 31, 2024
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BLOGGER’S NOTE: If you are new to this blog, and interested in the topic of
immigration, I recommend you go right to the massive new post: “How
Immigrat...
Student "Growth" Measures Are STILL Biased
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This caught my attention:
New Jersey school districts may soon be evaluated differently, *with a
greater emphasis on student growth* as compared to stud...
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
-
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
...
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
-
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...
My First and Last Visit to Hudson Yards
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Figuring I did not need to invite any more darkness and vulgarity into my
head than that provided on a daily basis from Trump’s White House, and
after read...
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.
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
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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)
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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
-
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...
Inglewood Superintendent Headed to SF Unified - Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education) : State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson Announces Inglewood Superintendent Will Become San Francisco School Chief SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that Dr. Vincent Matthews, the State Administrator of the Inglewood Unified School District, is the
Maintaining the Achievement Gap by Threatening Opt Out. | BustED Pencils : Maintaining the Achievement Gap by Threatening Opt Out Let’s make this quick. At this point it is no mystery that high stakes testing does nothing to reduce the achievement gap (30 + plus years of trying). In fact, the reality is that the achievement gap is maintained by the constant insistence of using test based accounta
A Message for ALL Beginning Teachers – Cloaking Inequity : A Message for ALL Beginning Teachers Since you are a beginning teacher, I’d like to talk to you about classroom management and corporal punishment. You know what they say! Spare the rod and spoil the child! I’m only kidding. I’d really like to talk to you about justice and the new technological canvas. The world has sped up. It’s forever
Choosing Democracy: Teaching the Legacy of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta : Teaching the Legacy of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta When we are really honest with ourselves, we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of people we are. ..I am convinced that the truest act of courage..is to sacrifice ourselves for others in
DeVos: Picking a school should be like choosing among Uber, Lyft or a taxi - The Washington Post : DeVos: Picking a school should be like choosing among Uber, Lyft or a taxi In 2012, former Florida governor Jeb Bush gave a speech in which he likened shopping for a school to selecting milk in a grocery store: Everywhere in our lives, we get the chance to choose. Go down any supermarket aisle – you
Camelot Under Siege - ProPublica : Camelot Under Siege Camelot Education, a for-profit manager of alternative schools, is facing challenges nationwide after our report on alleged physical abuse of students by staffers. This story was co-published with Slate. Officials in three cities are rethinking their relationship with for-profit Camelot Education, which runs alternative programs for more than
Conservatives to DeVos: Be careful what you wish for on school choice : Conservatives to DeVos: Be careful what you wish for on school choice WASHINGTON — By her own admission, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos came here to push the USA’s public education system to support not just public schools, but also private and religious schools. A leading proponent of private-school choice, the GOP
DeVos: Outcomes at U.S. schools are so bad, they probably can’t get much worse - The Washington Post : DeVos: Outcomes at U.S. schools are so bad, they probably can’t get much worse Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said on Wednesday that U.S. public schools nationwide are in such bad shape that she isn’t “sure how they could get a lot worse.” She cited what she called “stagnant at best” scores on
Brookings Sullies Its Reputation By Aligning with DeVos Agenda for Privatization | Diane Ravitch's blog : Brookings Sullies Its Reputation By Aligning with DeVos Agenda for Privatization The Brookings Institution used to be referred to as a liberal think tank. In reality, it was a nonpartisan think tank that hired former high-level officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations and
Magnolia Avenue parents, teachers protest sharing campus with charter school : Magnolia Avenue parents, teachers protest sharing campus with charter school Student Yesenia Serrano, 9, is a fourth grader at the school. Parents and students from Magnolia Ave. Elementary in Westlake, Korea town area protested at the LAUSD headquarters on Tuesday, March 28, 2017. They don't want the co-location of a
Betsy DeVos' School Voucher Plan Hurts Poor Children. PERIOD. | YourTango : Betsy DeVos' School Voucher Plan Hurts Poor Kids. PERIOD. Even though Besty DeVos's confirmation as Education Secretary benefits my Christian middle-class family , it hurts children in poverty who attend public school. And that deeply disturbs me. My issue isn't directly against Betsy DeVos , specifically. I just have a p
Is Turkish religious scholar Fethullah Gulen funding his movement abroad through U.S. charter schools? - CBS News : Are some U.S. charter schools helping fund controversial Turkish cleric's movement? As Secretary of State Rex Tillerson travels to Turkey on Thursday, he’ll want to talk about the fight against ISIS. But the Turks want to talk about a controversial Turkish religious scholar: Fethull
The Every Student Succeeds Act: A keynote address by Senator Lamar Alexander - AEI The Every Student Succeeds Act: A keynote address by Senator Lamar Alexander Want to ask the second panel a question? Go to https://www.sli.do and enter code AEIEvent to submit a question for consideration by the moderator. Heralded as a Christmas miracle, the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in Dec
Fewer districts than expected say they’re facing financial distress | EdSource : Fewer districts than expected say they're facing financial distress Only 39 school districts have indicated they will have a hard time balancing their books within the next two years, according to the latest reports filed with their county offices of education. That low number may mask the difficulties many districts
With A Brooklyn Accent: The Link Between Broken Windows Policing and Deportation: : The Link Between Broken Windows Policing and Deportation: Of all the new information presented during last nights forum on Defending Bronx Communities at Fordham University, what I found most disturbing was the revelation of how the DeBlasio Administration's imposition of "Broken Windows" policing- arrests for min
DeVos Last in Approval Rating Among a Selection of Trump Officials, Poll Says - Politics K-12 - Education Week : DeVos Last in Approval Rating Among a Selection of Trump Officials, Poll Says U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos didn't enjoy the smoothest confirmation process, to put it mildly. How has that affected public perceptions of her? It doesn't seem to have helped. At least that's the
Betsy DeVos: A Dilettante with an Ideology but No Real Policy Plan | janresseger : Betsy DeVos: A Dilettante with an Ideology but No Real Policy Plan I was struck by Dana Milbank’s column in yesterday’s Washington Post , Trump is Looking More and More like a Man Without a Plan . Milbank enumerates what has happened around a lot of the President’s proposals—redoing the Affordable Care Act, defeati
CURMUDGUCATION: FL: Recess Is For Babies : FL: Recess Is For Babies The state of Florida (Motto: All You Kids Get Off My Lawns) continues in its quest to turn public schools into soul-crushing child-hostile teacher-stomping institutions. Florida has implemented more dumb ideas than MTV's program development department. Their testing history is filled with drama and disaster. They've decided that
Creating an ESSA Accountability Plan Without Re-Creating Another NCLB | Ed In The Apple : Creating an ESSA Accountability Plan Without Re-Creating Another NCLB New York State is making every attempt to include whomever wants to be involved in the creation of the Every State Succeeds Act (ESSA) accountability plan. A series of facilitated engagement sessions across the state, an online survey and
The Pahara Institute Proliferation of Corporate Ed Reformers | deutsch29 : The Pahara Institute Proliferation of Corporate Ed Reformers Pahara Institute is a nonprofit, market-based-education-reform mill designed to proliferate corporate reformers. It was formed in 2012 and is located in Walnut, California. The corporate reform message of Pahara Institute is the stale sale of *public schools fail
“Turning the Streets Into Our Classroom”: Vote for May Day Strike! | I AM AN EDUCATOR : “Turning the Streets Into Our Classroom”: Vote for May Day Strike! By Wednesday this week every school in Seattle will have held a union vote to decided if our Seattle Education Association (SEA) should go out on strike on May Day—International Worker’s Day—to demand full funding for education, to support our
The Corporate Coup Destroying Our Schools Has Finally Come For Our Government | gadflyonthewallblog : The Corporate Coup Destroying Our Schools Has Finally Come For Our Government First they came for people of color and I said nothing. Because I am not a person of color. Then they came for the poor and I said nothing. For I am not poor. Then they came for our public schools and I said nothing. Be
To Bubble, or Not to Bubble…. | The Merrow Report : To Bubble, or Not to Bubble…. That is the question this week and next, as schools administer rafts of mandated bubble tests and parents ponder whether to opt-out their children. As we know, American students are the most tested in the world…because our system uses tests primarily to punish and reward teachers, not to assess and improve student l
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 3/28/17 Featured Post United We Stand Divided We Fall: Opposing Trump’s Agenda –FULL LIST OF CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS - RANDI DAY: Brown honors Weingarten, longtime