Yesterday’s Gems, Today’s InsightsA Roundup of the Web’s Finest Blog Posts!
6-24-25
6-24-25
Taxing the Endowments of Colleges and Universities Is Grossly Unfair! https://dianeravitch.net/2025/06/23/taxing-the-endowments-of-colleges-and-universities-is-grossly-unfair/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- The Trump administration's 2017 budget introduced a 1.4% tax on large college endowments, which has now been proposed to increase to as high as 21%, severely impacting scholarships and financial aid for low-income students.
- Wellesley College President Paula A. Johnson highlights the potential devastating effects of this tax increase, particularly for need-blind admissions, academic freedom, and building diverse communities.
- Wellesley’s liability under the tax would rise from $3 million to $30 million, reducing its ability to provide financial aid and undermining the intent of alumnae donations.
- A coalition of small colleges argues that endowments are essential for maintaining access, opportunity, and educational excellence, and taxing them disproportionately affects institutions without other significant revenue streams.
- Critics argue that the tax unfairly targets higher education while sparing corporations, billionaires, and other entities like megachurches, suggesting alternative taxation measures.
Trump Tax Bill Harms Public Schools by Funding Private Choices https://dianeravitch.net/2025/06/23/trump-tax-bill-promotes-privatization-and-harms-public-schools/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Trump's tax bill reallocates federal tax credits to private-school scholarships, benefiting wealthier taxpayers and advancing school-choice initiatives.
- The bill allows donors to redirect tax dollars to scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs), creating significant financial advantages for investors and donors.
- Critics argue this undermines public schools, benefits private religious schools, and risks reviving segregation and discrimination.
- Public school advocates highlight the bill's inequities, with opponents pointing out voters have consistently rejected school-choice measures.
- The bill's provisions could bypass civil rights laws, enabling private schools to discriminate against students with disabilities, LGBT families, or those with low test scores.
- Diane Ravitch criticizes the bill as a tool for Christian nationalists to erode public education and civil rights protections.
The Battle Over the Ten Commandments in the Classroom https://dianeravitch.net/2025/06/23/the-battle-over-the-ten-commandments-in-the-classroom/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Louisiana's law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, citing First Amendment violations.
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a similar law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, sparking debates about religious freedom and government endorsement of religion.
- Supporters of these laws argue that the Ten Commandments are foundational to American legal and educational systems, while opponents highlight the lack of constitutional basis for such claims.
- Critics, including parents and educators, emphasize that these laws are part of a larger Christian nationalist agenda and undermine the principle of separation of church and state.
- The article also questions the relevance of the Ten Commandments to modern laws and points out the hypocrisy of some political leaders supporting these initiatives.
The American Bar Association Sues Trump for Intimidating Law Firms https://dianeravitch.net/2025/06/23/the-american-bar-association-sues-trump-for-intimidating-law-firms/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- The ABA filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging an unconstitutional intimidation policy targeting lawyers and law firms.
- The administration is accused of using executive orders and public statements to coerce legal professionals into avoiding cases or policies it opposes.
- The ABA emphasizes the critical role of lawyers in upholding the judiciary's independence and the rule of law.
- Many law firms have withdrawn from pro bono work or cases against the government due to fear of retaliation, creating a chilling effect on legal challenges.
- Federal courts have repeatedly ruled the administration's actions unconstitutional, but the strategy persists.
- The lawsuit highlights the need for lawyers to act without intimidation to ensure democracy and judicial independence.
Big Education Ape: TRUMP'S WORLD WIDE WAR ON KIDS WITH BRUCE LESLEY AND NICHOLAS KRISTOF https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/06/trumps-world-wide-war-on-kids-with.html
Children worldwide suffering due to preventable issues like malnutrition. The article critiques privatization schemes in U.S. schools and highlights global failures in addressing child welfare, especially in malnutrition and healthcare, despite available solutions.
### Key Points
- Policies under leaders like Trump are described as harmful to children, cutting essential programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and education funding.
- Global child malnutrition is highlighted, with Nicholas Kristof emphasizing the solvability of this crisis through affordable, available solutions like RUTF peanut paste and deworming pills.
- The U.S. has historically led efforts to combat global health issues, but recent cuts to humanitarian aid and programs like PEPFAR are reversing progress, leading to preventable child deaths.
- The article calls for political will and public action to prioritize children’s welfare and address these crises.
The Uppity Minority: Radioactive or Ready for this Moment? – Cloaking Inequity https://cloakinginequity.com/2025/06/23/the-uppity-minority-radioactive-or-ready/
### Key Points
- Minority leaders are often celebrated for their ideals but shunned for their demands, becoming "radioactive" due to their convictions and courage.
- Craig, a Black educator, faced institutional retaliation, including disputed leave, criminalization, and moving goalposts in his pursuit of leadership credentials.
- "Radioactive" leaders are labeled not for incompetence but for being visible, effective, and unflinching in their commitment to equity and systemic change.
- Institutions often prioritize decorum over disruption, valuing leaders who are pliant and polished over those who advocate for liberty and justice.
- The article calls for bold leadership that challenges the status quo, lifts marginalized communities, and refuses to dim its integrity despite opposition.
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Cyber Charters as District Killers https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2025/06/pa-cyber-charters-as-district-killers.html
### Key Points
- The Wyoming Area School District is facing financial trouble, exacerbated by $3 million in cyber charter school costs, which make up 6% of its budget.
- The district has raised taxes for three consecutive years, but the last hike was highly unpopular, barely passing with a 5-4 vote.
- Pennsylvania’s cyber charter funding system, based on outdated methods for brick-and-mortar schools, is inconsistent and profitable for cyber charters, making the state a hub for these schools.
- Legislative attempts to reform cyber charter funding have repeatedly failed, with powerful lobbying from cyber charter supporters influencing lawmakers.
- Wyoming’s potential merger with another district is seen as a broader issue of cyber charters draining public school resources, but political dynamics in Republican-leaning areas hinder meaningful change.
glen brown: The First Amendment https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-first-amendment.html
### Key Points
- Glen Brown reflects on the role of writers, quoting Ambrose Bierce and Albert Camus to emphasize the need for writers to resist oppression and remain independent of societal constraints.
- The blog discusses various political and social issues, including the influence of Donald Trump, the importance of free speech, and societal injustices.
- Specific events and topics such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, education reform, and economic inequality are mentioned.
- The blog includes commentary on historical and contemporary issues, with a focus on democracy, corporate greed, and social justice.
Teacher Tom: "June (& Debris)" https://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2025/06/june-debris.html
### Key Points
- Teacher Tom finds a mysterious box labeled "Junk (& Debris)" and explores its potential with his preschoolers.
- The box contains loose parts, sparking children's creativity and ideas, such as using wood for a treehouse and containers for planting seeds.
- Teacher Tom emphasizes the value of unstructured play, allowing children to follow their interests and learn independently.
- He rejects the need for adult-led testing or analysis of children's learning during play, focusing instead on their natural curiosity.
UFT Election Analysis from Three Years Ago https://open.substack.com/pub/jd2718/p/uft-election-analysis-from-three?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
### Key Points
- The UFT elections have shown a long-term trend of declining voter turnout, with only 27% of teachers voting in the latest election, indicating low engagement among members.
- Unity caucus, which has historically dominated the UFT elections, saw its lowest vote percentage (66%) in decades, reflecting dissatisfaction with its leadership.
- The opposition group, United for Change, gained significant ground, winning the high school division and increasing its overall vote share to 34%, though it did not achieve a major breakthrough.
- Medicare Advantage was a key issue in the election, particularly among retirees, leading to a significant shift in retiree votes from Unity to the opposition.
- Retirees have historically been a stronghold for Unity, but dissatisfaction with Medicare changes caused Unity's retiree vote share to drop from 85-90% to 70-71%.
- The disconnect between union leadership and members has grown, with Unity failing to energize its voter base and losing support across divisions, especially among elementary school teachers.
- United for Change's campaign efforts, including increased outreach and messaging, were effective but not enough to overcome Unity's overall dominance.
- The trends suggest that Unity and opposition groups are not directly competing for the same voters but are instead struggling to mobilize their respective bases.
- Retiree voting patterns are more stable and less elastic compared to in-service members, but the Medicare issue has introduced a rare shift in this stability.
- The UFT election results reveal a deep-rooted problem of member disengagement and dissatisfaction with union leadership, which both Unity and UfC need to address moving forward.
Privatization Parallels for National Parks and Public Schools - Nancy Bailey's Education Website https://nancyebailey.com/2025/06/23/privatization-parallels-for-national-parks-and-public-schools/
Schools Matter: ICE Notification for Posting http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2025/06/ice-notification-for-posting.html
### Key Points
- The influence of classmates on a child's learning is considered more significant than that of teachers, according to James Coleman.
- The article critiques corporate involvement in education, questioning if initiatives like SOS are being hijacked by insiders.
- It argues that poverty, rather than teacher quality, is a critical factor affecting educational outcomes.
- Recent educational policies and events include book banning legislation and protests against education reform.
- The article reviews various books and essays on educational reform, testing, and the impact of poverty on schools.
Schools Matter: Marine Corp Vet’s Breastfeeding Wife Now in ICE Detention http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2025/06/marine-corp-vets-breastfeeding-wife-now.html
### Key Points
- A Marine Corps veteran’s wife, a breastfeeding mother, was detained by ICE, leaving her family struggling emotionally and physically.
- The Trump administration's immigration policies aim for mass arrests, disproportionately affecting immigrant families and communities.
- Broader societal critiques include healthcare cuts, tax breaks for the wealthy, and systemic inequality impacting public services and education.
- The blog includes references to historical and ongoing issues in education reform, inequality, and policy failures.
Privatization Schemes Kill Local Public Schools, by @TheAndySpears https://open.substack.com/pub/theeducationreport/p/privatization-schemes-kill-local?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
### Key Points
- School privatization schemes, including vouchers, charter schools, and cyber charter schools, divert public funding to private operators, often with detrimental effects on local public schools.
- The Wyoming Area School District in Pennsylvania, a financially struggling district with a high poverty rate, faces significant challenges due to cyber charter school costs, amounting to nearly $3 million.
- Pennsylvania's outdated funding model for cyber charters, designed for brick-and-mortar schools decades ago, exacerbates the financial strain on districts, making the state a hub for profitable cyber charters.
Schools Need to Prepare for Those Masked ICE Agents | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2025/06/23/schools-need-to-prepare-for-those-masked-ice-agents/
### Key Points
- ICE agents have been reported to use masks, avoid identification, and conduct arrests without warrants, which raises concerns about accountability and due process.
- Schools are increasingly at risk of ICE raids, with cases of students being detained on their way to or from school-related activities.
- Administrators are urged to create plans to address ICE activity, such as protecting students' rights, ensuring safety, and preparing for scenarios like stranded students or detained parents.
- Resources are available for schools to understand their legal obligations and protect immigrant students, including guidance from organizations like Mass.gov and NYC Schools.
The Budget That Cried Wolf: A School District's Endless Fiscal Cliff https://www.changethelausd.com/the_budget_that_cried_wolf_a_school_district_s_endless_fiscal_cliff
### Key Points
- LAUSD operates with an $11 billion general fund budget, which covers essential educational services, but understanding its complexities is challenging for the public.
- The district frequently predicts future deficits, warning of layoffs and program cuts, but these predictions rarely come true, with surpluses often reappearing.
- LAUSD used these fiscal cliff warnings during the 2019 teachers' strike to resist union demands like smaller class sizes and more nurses, but ultimately faced public pressure to meet these demands without financial ruin.
- The recurring narrative of financial doom undermines trust, especially as external factors like declining birth rates, charter school regulations, and expiring COVID funding pose real challenges.
On the Hottest Day of the Year, We Stand for 1096 https://open.substack.com/pub/arthurgoldstein/p/on-the-hottest-day-of-the-year-we?r=kja7f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
### Key Points
- A demonstration was held to support Intro 1096, which seeks to restore retirees' health care and eliminate co-pays introduced by the "Mulgrew Tax."
- Retirees face significant costs for health care and pharmacy premiums, with the current plan being financially burdensome.
- Unity leadership has been criticized for ignoring retiree health care issues and failing to support Intro 1096 despite prior resolutions.
- Marianne Pizzitola and other advocates have been targeted with personal attacks by Unity members for their efforts to protect retirees.
- The article criticizes symbolic gestures like inviting politicians to classrooms, arguing they fail to reflect the complexities of teaching.
Yesterday’s Gems, Today’s InsightsA Roundup of the Web’s Finest Blog Posts!
6-21-25
