The AI Used By Privatizers
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Here at the institute, we often wonder what would happen if we could just
press a button and churn out more research, more postings across social
media, an...
America Under Siege
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America is under siege, but not by foreign armies or rogue terrorists.
Instead, the threat is coming from inside the house: unelected billionaires
who...
Missouri Rejects Voucher Expansion
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Voucher Expansion Rejected in Missouri by Andy Spears
Senate committee strips $50 million in voucher expansion funds from Gov's
budget
Read on Substack
Rubby Peréz and The Ties That Bind Us All
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Let me take it back to 1994. I was in the seventh grade and, at the time,
my mom took our family to her first ...
Read More
The post Rubby Peréz and The...
They are a Head Taller Than Themselves
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I was at Archie McPhee's in Seattle, the best store in the world, when I
suddenly found an impossibly tiny boy at my knees. He said, eyes wide,
"You're h...
Cold As Ice: Update #3, The Posse
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This series began with its first post February 4. Updates quickly followed:
#1 on February 6; #2 on February 9. Now we are ready for Update #3, the
deputiz...
Cold As Ice: Update #3, The Posse
-
This series began with its first post February 4. Updates quickly followed:
#1 on February 6; #2 on February 9. Now we are ready for Update #3, the
deputiz...
Which School is Better: Traditional or Progressive?
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For well over a century, there has been conflict among public officials,
researchers, practitioners, and parents over whether traditional or
progressive wa...
This and That, April 16, 2025
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*School Board Elections*
*Director Joe Mizrahi *has filed to run to keep his seat in region 4. He
has two challengers, one new. His challengers are Nadia...
The Seamy Side of CTE
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Vocational education, now called Career Technical Education (CTE),
emphasizing STEM, has always been important for students who are not
college-bound or ...
A Veteran Teacher’s Thoughts about ADHD
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I can remember the first time I heard about ADHD. It was in the early
1990s—and the person who was educating me was the mother of one of my
students. His t...
A Story of Three Graduations
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I am finishing my eighth year teaching high school seniors. My
then-principal (now retired) approached me nine years ago about switching
from sophomore Eng...
The South’s Long War on Black Literacy
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By Thomas Ultican 4/14/2025 Derek Black’s master piece of research,
Dangerous Learning, reveals the centuries of struggle for Black Americans
to become edu...
Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL
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Eight 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 ...
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...
Risks of using AI in the classroom
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April 8, 2025 The annual conference of Network for Public Education, on
whose board I sit, was held last weekend in Columbus, Ohio. It was
terrific as usu...
¿Qué hace falta para que gane la resistencia?
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Una ola de resistencia se levanta. ¿Qué hará falta para que ganemos?
Dondequiera que miremos, una ola de resistencia se levanta. Mi corazón se
llena de ale...
Should We Be Rooting FOR Catastrophe?
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More than 100 years ago H.G. Wells observed that “Human history becomes
more and more a race between education and catastrophe.” Wells was stacking
the dec...
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...
Trump actually already can serve a third term
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and even a fourth and a fifth ….
so could Clinton, Bush 43, and Obama.
There are no limits on how many terms a President can serve
Here are the relevan...
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...
March’s Parent Engagement Resources
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What does our research say about grades, attendance, test scores, & “on
track” metrics for @chipubschools.bsky.social students? How can parents use
this in...
Standing with Federal Workers? Or backing Trump?
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The ABC group shows a dangerous side. “Leaving politics at the door”
apparently means not taking on Trump when he denies rights to workers.
Focusing on “Br...
Are we all on the same team?
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Copied from Quora; I didn’t write any of this… As an American I ask my
fellow Americans, why can’t you realize at the end of the day we are all on
the same...
Who is the new CEO of Teach For America?
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From 1990 until 2013, the CEO of TFA was the founder, Wendy Kopp. Under her
leadership the program grew from a small organization that struggled to
make pa...
Site Index - Updated December 31, 2024
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When I was teaching,
I got tired of hearing how bad American educators were.
*My Promise *
WHEN I STARTED BLOGGING IN 2011, I said I planned to speak ...
Defining Productivity, Cost, and Efficiency
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Recycled material here… The central problem with US public schools is often
characterized as an efficiency problem. We spend a lot and don’t get much
for i...
Number 18 — A barely-hanging-on Blogoversary
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Blogoversary #18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 I started this blog while I was still
teaching, in 2006. I had just begun my 31st year as an educator. Just like
in pre...
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?
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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.
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
-
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?
-
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
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*“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...
Why I’m Saying Farewell to EduShyster – Have You Heard : Why I’m Saying Farewell to EduShyster It’s time for me to wave goodbye to the man with the outstretched hand… Since I started this blog back in 2012 I’ve gotten occasional complaints that the name, EduShyster is anti-semitic. When one of these arrived last week, I started to compose what has become my standard response: that whole books hav
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Setting the table for fascism, American-style : Setting the table for fascism, American-style After Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, nearly a half-century ago, there was an attempt by the dominant culture to turn him into a harmless icon. That often happens to revolutionaries when they die. But if you ever doubted the power of King's ideas, yesterday's Senate h
State urged to shift $1 billion from county education offices to school districts | EdSource : State urged to shift $1 billion from county education offices to school districts e independent, nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office is recommending that the state shift nearly all of $1 billion in unrestricted funding that currently goes to county offices of education to school districts instead.
Booker and Betsy DeVos worked together on school choice. He just voted against her. | NJ.com : Booker and Betsy DeVos worked together on school choice. He just voted against her WASHINGTON a As mayor of Newark, Cory Booker joined Betsy DeVos on the board of Alliance for School Choice, which advocated using taxpayer dollars for charter, private and religious schools. He's known her for years. But
CARL PETERSEN FOR LAUSD BOARD DISTRICT 2 - Perdaily.com : CARL PETERSEN FOR LAUSD BOARD DISTRICT 2 (Mensaje se repite en Español) It is with a great deal of all too rare enthusiasm that I whole-heartedly endorse the candidacy of Carl Petersen in the race for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board District 2 position presently held by Monica Garcia. In her long tenure as an LAUSD board memb
Explaining Betsy DeVos and her poor judgment on education : Explaining Betsy DeVos and her poor judgment on education Betsy Devos, an unqualified billionaire with a knack for destroying education in her own state, has been confirmed as the country’s new Secretary of Education. Many are wondering whether the strategic Republican marketing of “school choice” has any leg to stand on. “Public schools
After the DeVos Vote: the Fight for Public Education Continues | Schott Foundation for Public Education : After the DeVos Vote: the Fight for Public Education Continues Yesterday the Senate voted 50-50, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote, to confirm Michigan billionaire Betsy DeVos as the 11th U.S. Secretary of Education. The vote—which followed an overnight session of p
EduColor Statement on the DeVos Confirmation — EduColor : EDUCOLOR STATEMENT ON THE DEVOS CONFIRMATION WASHINGTON – Following the Senate’s recent confirmation of Donald Trump’s choice for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, EduColor Policy Chair Khalilah Harris made the following statement on behalf of the collective: We are incredibly heartened to see how many people have finally stepped up to
CURMUDGUCATION: DeVosian Threat Inventory : DeVosian Threat Inventory So now Betsy DeVos has her very first big girl job, and we live in a Trump-DeVos education era. Time to take an inventory of what education issues to watch for. Here's my set of best semi-educated guesses. Common Core Pshaw. Common Core continues to be a zombie policy, existing in various mangled forms both under its old name a
The Pedagogy of Antoine Roussel | Blue Cereal Education : The Pedagogy of Antoine Roussel Most of you are probably unfamiliar with the name “Antoine Roussel.” He’s not a traditional educator – or an educator at all. He’s a professional hockey player. A personal favorite of mine, actually. And I have the t-shirts to prove it. Pro hockey, like any other high-end form of athletic entertainment, is h
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos to Address all Department Staff | U.S. Department of Education : U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos to Address all Department Staff Contact: (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov Event Date 1 : February 8, 2017 - 2:00pm U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will address the Department staff on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. ET. Secretary DeVos’ speech will focu
Federal website for special education is down. But no, it hasn’t been scrubbed - The Washington Post : Federal website for special education is down. But no, it hasn’t been scrubbed A government website that explains a key federal law for students with disabilities was not working on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s first morning in office, leading to anxiety among special-education advocates wh
Worsening teacher shortage puts more underprepared teachers in classrooms, report says | EdSource : Worsening teacher shortage puts more underprepared teachers in classrooms, report says e number of underprepared teachers working in California’s public school classrooms has more than doubled in just three years, a key indicator that the teacher shortage continues to worsen, according to a new rep
Time to protect your children by opting them out of the unfair, inappropriate and discriminatory SBAC testing scheme - Wait What? : Time to protect your children by opting them out of the unfair, inappropriate and discriminatory SBAC testing scheme We are once again coming up on the time of year that Connecticut public school students will be told to stop learning and start testing. Students in g
Betsy DeVos Teaches the Value of Ignorance - The New York Times : Betsy DeVos Teaches the Value of Ignorance “Government really sucks.” This belief, expressed by the just-confirmed education secretary, Betsy DeVos, in a 2015 speech to educators, may be the only qualification she needed for President Trump. Ms. DeVos is the perfect cabinet member for a president determined to appoint officials eag
Oh No! Are We Heading Back Towards the Scopes Trial? | janresseger : Oh No! Are We Heading Back Towards the Scopes Trial? Science is about empirically proven realities in the natural world and religion is about belief. Stephen Jay Gould, the historian of science and evolutionary biology called religion and science separate categories of learning—“nonoverlapping magisteria.” We don’t question the
Newsletter #11 – Build Bridges, Not Walls Issue | CLASSROOM STRUGGLE : Build Bridges, Not Walls Issue We’ve just published our most recent newsletter, the Build Bridges, Not Walls Issue (Newsletter #11 published in Feb 2017). In this one, we address the need for sanctuary schools and some ideas on how to make our schools safer. We also break down our outgoing superintendent and discuss a few of t
Democrats Played a Key Role in DeVos Confirmation… in 2013 | deutsch29 : Democrats Played a Key Role in DeVos Confirmation… in 2013 Michigan billionaire and former Michigan Republican Party Chair, Betsy DeVos, was confirmed on February 07, 2017, as US secretary of education. While the Senate was casting its historic 51-50 vote/VP tiebreaker around noon, I was in a place that DeVos has yet to demo
NYC Public School Parents: So it happened; DeVos was confirmed. What next? : So it happened; DeVos was confirmed. What next? So it happened as predicted; Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote for Betsy Devos this afternoon. Though disappointing it was in its way historic: the only time in US history that a Cabinet secretary needed the vote of the Vice President to be approved. The last few weeks
CURMUDGUCATION: Uplift Checklist For a Dispiriting Day : Uplift Checklist For a Dispiriting Day Honestly, my expectations are always so low that it's hard to really disappoint me, and this day was no exception. Defeating DeVos depended on finding a GOP senator who was willing to separate himself from his senate pack and also piss off a President known for his unreasoning grudgeholding rage in the
Last Saturday Night Live’s VAM-Related Skit | VAMboozled! : Last Saturday Night Live’s VAM-Related Skit In one of the sections of the skit, though, “Spicer” introduces “Betsy DeVos” — portrayed by Kate McKinnon and also just today confirmed as President Trump’s Secretary of Education — to answer some very simple questions about today’s public schools which she, well, very simply could not answer.
Eli Broad, make amends! - Network For Public Education : Eli Broad, make amends! Below is a letter from United Teachers Los Angeles President Alex Caputo-Pearl to Eli Broad, in response to his letter to the United States Senate opposing the nomination of Betsy DeVos. Eli Broad, make amends! - Network For Public Education :
Summer Meal Programs - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education) : Summer Meal Programs Federal meal programs for children from low-income areas during vacation and off-track periods Summer Meal Locations Provides parents and referral agencies with a list of locations where children may receive free nutritious meals during school vacation and off-track periods. Summer Meal Service Sites California state m
Schools Matter: Help Wanted, or Will Work of Real Results : Help Wanted, or Will Work of Real Results I am looking to become aligned with a group, a band, or a cell, of individuals interested in acting to achieve the three goals below by any non-violent means necessary . A group of ten souls will constitute a quorum, and upon reaching this number, the group will meet to elect officers, develop by
Betsy DeVos, Democrats, and Good Theater : Betsy DeVos, Democrats, and Good Theater You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it. —Maya Angelou Betsy DeVos I think one thing Betsy DeVos has done is wake America up to what’s happening to our
Is Teaching a Team Sport? | The Merrow Report : Is Teaching a Team Sport? The bitter and contentious debate over Betsy DeVos means she is taking office as Secretary of Education with severely diminished influence. So, what might lie ahead? Surely there will be charter school wars, because the movement is badly split between supporters of wide-open chartering and those who favor restrictions on fo
Betsy DeVos and the Cowardice of Republicans | gadflyonthewallblog : Betsy DeVos and the Cowardice of Republicans “If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you, too?” If you’re a Senate Republican, the answer is apparently “YES!” Otherwise, why would all but two such lawmakers vote to confirm Betsy DeVos, the most unqualified candidate for Education Secretary in U.S. history? During a heari
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 2/7/17 Featured Post DeVos confirmed. NPE will fight her agenda. - Network For Public Education DIANE RAVITCH: Betsy DeVos Confirmed Despite Massive Protests - BillMoyers.com by mike simpson / 16min Betsy DeVos Confirmed Despite Massive Protests -