THE PATRON SAINTS AND WARRIORS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION: BLOGGERS, WRITERS, PODCASTS, AND ORGANIZATIONS

 

THE PATRON SAINTS AND WARRIORS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION

BLOGGERS, WRITERS, PODCASTS, AND ORGANIZATIONS

Public education—the last bastion of democracy where kids learn to tie their shoes, question authority, and occasionally dodge active shooter drills. But lo and behold, it's under siege! Not from aliens or killer robots (though that would make for a better movie), but from a shadowy cabal of billionaire oligarchs who view schools like they're prime real estate for privatization flip-and-sell schemes. Think of it as Monopoly, but instead of Boardwalk, they're after your kid's backpack.
Enter the patron saints and warriors of public ed: a ragtag alliance of bloggers, writers, podcasters, and organizations armed not with slingshots, but with keyboards, microphones, and unyielding sarcasm. These digital Davids are slinging stones at the Goliath of greed, as immortalized in Diane Ravitch's Slaying Goliath. Ravitch, the high priestess of public school advocacy, paints a biblical epic where grassroots heroes—parents' PTA meetings turned protest rallies, teachers grading papers by candlelight during budget cuts—battle the behemoths of billionaire-backed "reform." It's David vs. Goliath, alright, but with Goliath funded by the oligarchy's pocket change and armed with lobbyists who could buy the whole arena.
Let's zoom to the modern battlefield: the ongoing saga of public schools mirrors Ukraine's gritty stand against Russia. Here, the billionaire oligarchy plays the role of Putin’s posse, bulldozing through with barrages of dark money, political puppets, and media missiles. Supported by the Trump administration's sequel (because apparently, one term wasn't enough chaos), they're annexing education territory faster than you can say "voucher program." Public schools? That's Ukraine—underfunded, outgunned, but unbowed, defending every chalkboard and cafeteria from the invading forces of charter chains and for-profit flimflam.
Teachers, parents, students, and even that one bewildered taxpayer who accidentally wandered into a school board meeting have enlisted in this guerrilla war. They're not charging with bayonets; oh no, these warriors wield blogs like sniper rifles, podcasts like encrypted comms, and protests like flash mobs that actually matter. Under relentless assault from billionaire bucks that could fund a small country's GDP, they've turned to the trenches of the internet. "Privatization? More like pirate-ization!" they cry, exposing how turning schools into profit mills harms kids faster than a standardized test erases creativity.
And the corporate media? Pfft. They're the neutral observers who "both-sides" the invasion, parroting oligarch talking points like "choice is freedom" while ignoring the craters left in community schools. Seldom do they mention the real war—too busy chasing clicks on celebrity scandals or whatever Elon Musk tweeted last. But our warriors? They're the underground resistance, smuggling truth bombs via Substack shares and X threads, courtesy of hubs like The Big Education Ape (https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/), which blasts daily dispatches on Substack (https://ru4people.substack.com/), Bluesky (coopmike48.bsky.social), and X

(https://x.com/coopmike48)

. It's like a one-stop propaganda counter-shop for the good guys.
This epic clash has evolved from mere advocacy skirmishes—countering the corporate "reform" foundations and nonprofit fronts that are basically oligarch astroturf—to full-on political Armageddon. Now, it's a multi-front guerrilla grind: lawsuits lobbed like legal grenades in the courts, street marches that make traffic jams look like victory parades, and electoral ambushes. The tide? It's turning, folks—midterms loom like a resupply drop (okay, 2026 is the next big one, but who's counting when democracy's on the clock?). Arm up by backing pro-public school candidates for school boards, councils, legislatures, and Congress. Elect folks who see education as a right, not a revenue stream. Your vote: the ultimate slingshot.
Of course, no satire of saints and warriors is complete without the roster. These are the bloggers, writers, podcasters, and orgs holding the line, often from basements or coffee-stained desks. Some have shuffled off this mortal coil (or platform), but their archives echo like eternal battle cries. Hat tip to Peter Greene for sparking this hall of fame. We've got patron saints like Diane Ravitch, dishing daily wisdom like a oracle with a PhD, and warriors like the Have You Heard (Podcast) , popping myths with the fizz of a contraband soda in study hall.
Sure, the list ain't exhaustive—I've probably missed gems like the latest TikTok teacher takedown or that one Reddit thread that went viral. Drop your suggestions in the comments; let's crowdsource the resistance! A few have platform-hopped (Ed Politics now vibes on Medium and OurSchools.app), and some are archival echoes (Hack Education's Audrey Watters, forever hacking at the system). Media columns sneak in because, hey, they're blog-adjacent in this fight. The Warriors' Roster: Blogs, Writers, Podcasts, and Orgs

• 10th Period (Stephen Dyer)  All things Education Funding and Policy  Substack https://10thperiod.substack.com/ 
• Accountabaloney — https://accountabaloney.com/ (Slicing through Florida's edu-baloney like a hot knife through... well, baloney.)
• Affective Living (Chase Mielke) — https://affectiveliving.com/ (Emotional intel for educators, because crying in the staff room shouldn't be the default.)
• Alfie Kohn — https://www.alfiekohn.org/ (The anti-homework heretic, proving rewards ruin everything since forever.)
• Bellowings (Akil Bello) — https://akilbello.com/blog/ (Roaring against testing tyranny with wit sharper than an SAT pencil.)
• Big Education Ape — https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/ (The aggregator ape, flinging links like poo at privatizers.)
• BustED Pencils (Podcast) — https://bustedpencils.com/ (Popping reform bubbles with podcast punchlines—listen or get schooled.)
• Blue Cereal Education — https://bluecerealeducation.com/ (Crunchy insights from Oklahoma, because plain cereal is for conformists.)
• Bright Lights, Small City (Sarah Lahm) — https://brightlightssmallcity.com/ (Midwest muckraking that spotlights the shadows in small-town schools.)
• Caffeinated Rage — https://caffeinatedrage.com/ (Fueled by coffee and fury, raging against the edu-machine.)
• Change The LAUSD (CARL PETERSON) LA UNIFIED DISTRICT BOARD POLITICS AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT  https://www.changethelausd.com/
• Citizen Teacher (Lisa Eddy) — https://citizenteacher.net/ (Civic lessons from the front lines, minus the oligarch spin.)
• Class Size Matters — https://www.classsizematters.org/ (Because cramming 40 kids in a room isn't "innovative," it's insane.)
• Classroom Q&A with Larry Ferlazzo — https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/classroom-q-a-with-larry-ferlazzo (Q&A that actually answers, not evades.)
• Cloaking Inequity (Julian Vasquez Heilig) — https://cloakinginequity.com/ (Unmasking the capes of inequality in edu-policy.)
• Dad Gone Wild (TC Weber) — https://dadgonewild.me/ (Tennessee dad dropping truth bombs like it's recess.)
• DCulberhouse — https://dculberhouse.com/ (Leadership lore for the edu-rebels.)
• Defending the Early Years — https://deyproject.org/ (Guarding kindergarten from corporate creep.)
• Deutsch29 (Mercedes Schneider) — https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/ (Louisiana's data detective, debunking one scandal at a time.)
• Diane Ravitch’s Blog — https://dianeravitch.net/ (The Goliath-slayer's daily dispatch—required reading for revolutionaries.)
• Eclectablog — https://www.eclectablog.com/ (Michigan mix of politics and pedagogy, eclectically excellent.)
• Ed in the Apple — https://mets2006.wordpress.com/ (NYC insights from a veteran, no apples for the teacher here.)
• Ed Politics (Jeff Bryant) — https://jeff-bryant.medium.com/ and https://ourschools.app/ (Politicking for public good, app included.)
• EduColor — https://educolor.org/ (Coloring education with equity, one hue at a time.)
• FairTest — https://fairtest.org/ (Testing the testers, fairly and fiercely.)
• Finding Common Ground (Peter DeWitt) — https://www.edweek.org/leadership/finding-common-ground (Bridging divides without selling out.)
• Fourth Generation Teacher — https://4thgenerationteacher.blogspot.com/ (Oklahoma legacy of learning advocacy.)
• Fred Klonsky — https://fredklonsky.substack.com/ (Chicago's retired rebel, still sketching satire.)
• Gadfly on the Wall (Steven Singer) — https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/ (Buzzing annoyingly at reform flies.)
• Gary Rubinstein’s Blog — https://garyrubinstein.wordpress.com/ (Math teacher multiplying myths busted.)
• G F Brandenburg’s Blog — https://gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com/ (DC data dives that drown deceivers.)
• Grumpy Old Teacher — https://grumpyoldteacher.com/ (Florida grumbles with gravitas.)
• Hack Education (Audrey Watters; archives) — https://hackeducation.com/ (Hacking the hackneyed narratives of ed-tech.)
• Have You Heard (Podcast) — https://haveyouheardblog.com/ (Eavesdropping on edu-issues with expert ears.)
• In the Public Interest — https://www.inthepublicinterest.org/ (Privatization watchdogs, barking loud.)
• Jan Resseger — https://janresseger.wordpress.com/ (Faith-based fight for fair schools.)
• jd2718 | JD Organizing in Retirement | Substack https://jd2718.substack.com/ 
• Jersey Jazzman (Mark Weber) — https://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/ (New Jersey's jazzy takedowns of junk policy.)
• Just Visiting (John Warner at Inside Higher Ed) — https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting (Higher ed heresy from a visitor who overstayed.)
• Keystone State Education Coalition — https://keystonestateeducationcoalition.org/ (Pennsylvania's key to unlocking advocacy.)
• Larry Cuban on School Reform — https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/ (Historical hits on reform hype.)
• Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/  
• Larry Ferlazzo's Engaging Parents In School... | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement" https://engagingparentsinschool.edublogs.org/ 
• Larry Lee on Education — https://larryeducation.com/ (Alabama anecdotes against apathy.)
• Living in Dialogue (Anthony Cody) — https://www.livingindialogue.com/ (Conversations that cut through the noise.)
• Mike Klonsky's Edu/Pol — https://klonsky.substack.com/ (Chicago's edu-pol punch-ups.)
• Momma Bears — https://www.mommabears.org/ (Bear hugs for public schools, claws for charters.)
• Mr. Fitz (Comic) — https://www.mrfitz.com/ (Cartoon capers skewering school silliness.)
• Nancy Bailey’s Education Website — https://nancyebailey.com/ (Bailey's basics on better education.)
• National Education Policy Center (NEPC) — https://nepc.colorado.edu/ (Policy pros puncturing propaganda.)
• Network for Public Education (NPE) — https://networkforpubliceducation.org/ (The net catching public ed's defenders.)
• Notes from the Chalkboard (Justin Parmenter) — https://notesfromthechalkboard.com/ (North Carolina notations on nonsense.)
• Notes from the Educational Trenches — https://www.notesfromtheeducationaltrenches.com/ (Frontline field notes from the fight.)
• NYC Educator — https://nyceducator.com/ (Big Apple bites back.)
• NYC Public School Parents Independent voices of New York City public school parents https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/
• Parent Coalition for Student Privacy   Advocate for stronger student privacy protections    https://studentprivacymatters.org/ 
• Plunderbund — https://plunderbund.com/ (Ohio's plunder-preventers.)
• Politics K-12 (Education Week) — https://www.edweek.org/politics-policy (Poli-sci for the school set.)
• Public School Shakedown (The Progressive) — https://progressive.org/education/ (Shaking down the shakedowns.)
• Public School PROUD (Stu Bloom) | Substack https://bloom2.substack.com/ 
• Radical Eyes for Equity (Paul Thomas) — https://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/ (Equity visionaries seeing red.)
• School Finance 101 (Bruce Baker) — https://schoolfinance101.wordpress.com/ (Math that matters against money myths.)
• Schools Matter — https://www.schoolsmatter.info/ (Matters that make schools matter more.)
• Teacher in a Strange Land (Nancy Flanagan) — https://teacherinastrangeland.blog/ (Navigating the weird world of teaching.) Nancy’s Substack | Substack https://flanagann.substack.com/ 
• Teach Truth & Sing the Blues: Jesse' Songbook for Survival (Jesse Hagopian) Dispatches from the frontlines of the struggle for antiracist education, social justice organizing, and creative expression Substack https://jessehagopian.substack.com/ 
• Teacher Tom — https://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/ (Play-based preaching for pre-K warriors.)
• Tennessee Education Report — https://tnedreport.com/ (Volunteer State volleys.)
• The 21st Century Principal (John Robinson) — https://the21stcenturyprincipal.blogspot.com/ (Principled principles for modern messes.)
• The Answer Sheet (Valerie Strauss, Washington Post) — https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/answer-sheet/ (Answers that ace the test of truth.)
• The Education Wars (Jennifer Berkshire)  My view from the frontlines writing, podcasting and opining on Substack https://educationwars.substack.com/ 
• The Jose Vilson — https://thejosevilson.com/ (Math and activism, multiplied.)
• The Merrow Report (John Merrow) — https://themerrowreport.com/ (Veteran views on vanishing values.)
• The Tempered Radical (Bill Ferriter) — https://thetemperedradical.org/ (Radical but reasonable rants.)
• Tultican (Thomas Ultican) — https://tultican.com/ (Ticking off the ticks on public ed's back.)
• When Schools Reopen — https://wensr.substack.com/ (Post-pandemic prophecies, archived for the ages.)
• Wrench in the Gears (Alison McDowell) — https://wrenchinthegears.com/ (Throwing spanners in the surveillance state machine.)
• VAMboozled (Audrey Amrein-Beardsley) — https://vamboozled.com/ (Debunking value-added voodoo.)

There you have it—the saints and soldiers in this satirical saga. Support them, share them, and for goodness' sake, vote like your kid's future depends on it (spoiler: it does). The oligarchs may have the gold, but we've got the grit. Onward to victory, or at least a well-funded recess!

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