Trump is a Divider Who Won't Even Try to Unite Us https://dianeravitch.net/2025/09/12/trump-is-divider-who-cannot-unite-us/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Trump blamed the "radical left" for Charlie Kirk's assassination without evidence, further dividing the nation.
- Historical presidents have used tragic events to promote unity, while Trump leveraged them to attack political opponents.
- Trump's rhetoric selectively highlights left-wing violence, ignoring significant far-right incidents, including those incited by his own actions.
- The blog advocates reducing political violence and calls for responsible leadership to heal the nation's divisions.
Wyoming: The Fight Against Vouchers Continues https://dianeravitch.net/2025/09/12/wyoming-the-fight-against-vouchers-continues/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Wyoming's universal voucher program provides $7,000 per child annually for private education costs but is criticized for violating constitutional commitments to public education.
- Parents and educators filed a lawsuit, asserting the program harms children with disabilities and LGBTQ+ students while undermining public school funding.
- A judge has granted temporary injunctions and denied the state’s attempts to dismiss the lawsuit, keeping the program's implementation in limbo.
Texas: Some of the Worst-Performing Charters have Some of the Highest-Paid Superintendents https://dianeravitch.net/2025/09/12/texas-some-of-the-worst-performing-charters-have-some-of-the-highest-paid-superintendents/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Charter school superintendents in Texas receive high salaries despite poor school performance and high teacher turnover.
- Underperforming charter districts face closures under the state's "three strikes" law after three consecutive failing ratings.
- Nepotism and self-dealing are reported in certain charter districts, raising ethical concerns.
- Legislative attempts to cap superintendent pay based on school performance have not succeeded.
- Texas charter schools are held to stricter accountability standards than public schools, leading to quicker closures.
The Biggest Liar in Texas https://dianeravitch.net/2025/09/12/the-biggest-liar-in-texas/ via @dianeravitch
### Key Points
- Governor Abbott's State-of-the-State speech emphasized Texas' economic success but ignored poverty and inequality.
- Texas invests heavily in road infrastructure but neglects high-speed rail, which could address traffic and environmental concerns.
- Abbott's claims about the Texas electric grid's reliability since 2021 are refuted by recent power outages affecting millions.
- Public agencies in Texas suffer from understaffing and outdated systems, leading to service delays and inefficiencies.
- Abbott's assertion of fully funded public schools is contradicted by ongoing deficits and inadequate per-student funding.
- Wealth inequality in Texas is described as more extreme than pre-revolutionary France, with calls for organized political action.
Big Education Ape: ESCALATORS, EULOGIES, AND ECHO CHAMBERS: THE RISE OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND THE RHETORIC THAT FUELS IT https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/escalators-eulogies-and-echo-chambers.html
### Key Points
- Political violence in the U.S. is rising, with divisive rhetoric as a significant driver, as seen in the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
- Donald Trump's rhetoric has grown increasingly violent, fostering a climate of hostility and enabling acts of "stochastic terrorism."
- Hate crimes have doubled since 2015, with Trump's language amplifying online hate speech and radicalizing individuals.
- The Capitol insurrection and Proud Boys' violent actions illustrate the real-world consequences of Trump's rhetoric.
- Both political sides contribute to the problem, but Trump's selective condemnation deepens divisions.
- Solutions include regulating online platforms, addressing mental health, tightening gun laws, and fostering healthy political debate.
Big Education Ape: AI SMACKDOWN IV: THE GREAT ANSWER BASH—WHO’S THE SMARTEST BOT IN THE CLASSROOM? https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/ai-smackdown-iv-great-answer-bashwhos.html
### Summary
### Key Points
- AI Smackdown IV pits leading AI models against each other to test their knowledge, wit, and personality.
- Round 1 focused on riddles and logic puzzles, showcasing the AI models' ability to handle definitive answers.
- Round 2 explored philosophical and scientific questions, revealing differences in detail and personality among the models.
- The AI models demonstrated consistency and accuracy in answering objective questions, making them valuable tools for auto-grading in classrooms.
- Subjective questions revealed varying personalities, such as ChatGPT 4's personal touch versus Gemini's clinical neutrality.
- ChatGPT 5 and Copilot were deemed the most consistent performers overall, while Grok showed a human-like swagger.
- The article concludes that the "best" AI model depends on the specific task, with all contenders excelling in their own ways.
Big Education Ape: AI SMACKDOWN: DYLAN’S “IT AIN’T ME BABE” GETS A TRUMPIAN MAKEOVER https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/ai-smackdown-dylans-it-aint-me-babe.html
The article also covers various topics, including AI-generated parodies of Bob Dylan’s song “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which humorously critique Trump’s public denials.
### Key Points
- Governor Kevin Stitt appointed familiar figures to new roles amidst administration changes.
- AI-generated parodies of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” creatively mock Trump’s denial tactics.
- Education privatization parallels national parks privatization, raising concerns about public resources.
- Advocacy for public education and resistance to privatization continues through various organizations.
- Diane Ravitch and other education experts highlight issues in public schooling and privatization.
Big Education Ape: THE AI SMACKDOWN: I CHALLENGED THE AI OVERLORDS ON TEACHER GRIPES ABOUT BOTS IN THE CLASSROOM, AND BOY, DID THEY DELIVER https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-ai-smackdown-i-challenged-ai.html
The article provides a detailed exploration of K-12 educators' concerns and criticisms regarding the integration of AI technologies in classrooms. It evaluates five AI models—Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT-4, ChatGPT-5, and Copilot—based on their responses to teacher concerns, highlighting issues such as academic integrity, critical thinking erosion, biases, privacy concerns, and equity gaps. The article concludes with recommendations and strategies for addressing these challenges while emphasizing the importance of preserving authentic learning and teacher-student relationships.
What Do Corporate Earnings Reports and Standardized Test Scores Have in Common? https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/what-do-corporate-earnings-reports-and-school-test-scores-have-in-common-2/ via @CubanLarry
- Corporate earnings reports and standardized test scores share similarities in creating pressure on leaders to manipulate results, often leading to distorted practices or unethical behavior.
- CEOs and educators have, at times, engaged in deceptive practices to meet targets, with corporate fraud leading to criminal charges and educational gaming distorting student performance metrics.
- The focus on standardized test scores in education has narrowed school quality assessments, sidelining broader educational goals like civic engagement, critical thinking, and teamwork.
- Standardized test scores often mislead parents about student performance and lack evidence correlating high scores with future academic or workplace success.
- Both corporate and educational sectors suffer from relying on single performance measures, which result in short-term gains but long-term harm to institutional integrity and mission.
- Despite these issues, systemic pressures, such as government mandates for annual testing, make it challenging for educational leaders to advocate for change.
Missing the Pattern: What Trump and Kirk’s Shooters Tell Us – Cloaking Inequity https://cloakinginequity.com/2025/09/12/missing-the-pattern-what-trump-and-kirks-shooters-tell-us/
### Key Points
- Charlie Kirk dismissed empathy, viewing it as weakness, and built a political career normalizing harassment, division, and exclusion.
- Kirk’s Professor Watchlist targeted educators who challenged right-wing orthodoxy, leading to harassment and threats, particularly against marginalized groups.
- Kirk’s rhetoric perpetuated racism, misogyny, homophobia, antisemitism, and xenophobia, using inflammatory language to demean and vilify various communities.
- His use of conspiracy theories like the "Great Replacement" brought fringe ideologies into mainstream politics.
- Kirk equated abortion with genocide, trivializing historical atrocities and vilifying women’s personal choices.
- Despite his divisive legacy, the article critiques the selective empathy in mourning Kirk’s death, contrasting it with the lack of attention given to other political tragedies.
- The author argues that empathy is essential for resisting cruelty and fostering transformation in society.
glen brown: Sotomayor pulls back the curtain on MAGA Supreme Court hackery https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2025/09/sotomayor-pulls-back-curtain-on-maga.html
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor exposed the misuse of the Supreme Court’s emergency docket, criticizing decisions that undermine Fourth Amendment protections and enable racial profiling in mass arrests.
- Sotomayor highlighted the government’s lack of credible evidence for its actions, its disregard for judicial rulings, and its violent enforcement methods, including targeting U.S. citizens.
- She condemned the majority’s lack of reasoning and Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s unsupported assertions, emphasizing the erosion of intellectual and ethical integrity in Supreme Court rulings.
- Sotomayor’s dissent advocates for Supreme Court reform to restore impartiality and uphold democratic principles.
Teacher Tom: Knowing How to Play the Game https://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2025/09/knowing-how-to-play-game.html
### Key Points
- Teacher Tom finds discarded board games and repurposes the pieces for preschoolers, showcasing their ability to create imaginative play and learning experiences.
- Children construct their own understanding and stories from patterns and experiences, a natural process essential to human learning.
- Play-based learning is highlighted as a way to empower children to develop their own knowledge, contrasting with traditional adult-driven education.
- Teacher Tom provides free resources for educators and parents, and details on his speaking engagements and blog support.
Episode #137: After Katrina – What We Stand To Lose with Kristen Buras https://billayers.org/
- Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic damage in 2005, leading to widespread flooding, loss of life, injuries, and significant property damage. The aftermath included ongoing trauma, displacement, privatization, and cultural losses.
- Kristen Buras, an anti-racist activist, teacher, and researcher, directs the Urban South Grass-roots Research Collective, which works for racial equity through community collaboration and research.
- Kristen Buras authored "What We Stand to Lose," focusing on Black teachers, cultural contributions, and the closure of a New Orleans high school.
- The podcast episode reflects on the societal impact of Hurricane Katrina, corporate exploitation, and the transformation of public goods, particularly in education.
- Additional resources include articles and investigations into charter school networks in New Orleans and systemic issues in education.
The Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2025/09/the-charlie-kirk-murder-suspect.html
### Key Points
- George Conway compares the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk to Nazi propaganda surrounding Horst Wessel, emphasizing parallels in authoritarian strategies.
- Horst Wessel, a Nazi paramilitary member, was turned into a propaganda symbol after his assassination, with his death used to galvanize the Nazi movement.
- The article critiques MAGA's rhetoric and actions, noting similarities to Nazi targeting of marginalized groups, as detailed in historical records.
- The politicization of Kirk's death, including proposals for Congressional honors and public displays, raises concerns about its use for ideological mobilization.
CURMUDGUCATION: Narcissus and AI https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2025/09/narcissus-and-ai.html
### Key Points
- Ray Kurzweil’s plan to resurrect his father using AI and nanotechnology raises philosophical questions about identity and authenticity.
- AI resurrection practices, such as recreating voices of deceased individuals like Joaquin Oliver, are emotionally impactful but ethically troubling.
- AI avatars of historical figures, like Anne Frank, often lack accuracy and risk distorting historical narratives.
- The inherent limitations of AI in reconstructing nuanced and complete representations of individuals are highlighted, especially for ordinary people.
- AI-based interactions are essentially self-reflective exercises, where users project their own memories and perceptions onto incomplete simulations.
- The article critiques the narcissistic tendency to engage with AI reflections rather than focusing on real human connections.
Education Research Report: Keto diet linked to reduced depression symptoms in college students https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2025/09/keto-diet-linked-to-reduced-depression.html
### Key Points
- A pilot study found that following a ketogenic diet for 10 weeks reduced depression symptoms by 70% in college students receiving medication or counseling for major depressive disorder.
- Participants experienced a three-fold increase in global well-being and improvement in cognitive tasks, alongside an average weight loss of 11 pounds and 2.4% body fat reduction.
- The ketogenic diet was tailored to individual food preferences, supported by starter meals, advice, snacks, and app-based communication to improve adherence.
- Depression symptoms decreased significantly by week two and continued to improve by week 10-12, with no worsening of symptoms reported.
- Cognitive performance improved in areas such as episodic memory, processing speed, and executive function, with no negative changes in cholesterol or triglycerides.
- Researchers suggest the ketogenic diet could be a feasible adjunctive therapy for depression but acknowledge the study's limitations, including the absence of a control group.
- Biological data on inflammation and brain function collected during the study may inform future research into mechanisms behind the diet’s effects.
Education Research Report: Childhood traumatic events and transgender identity strongly associated with suicidal thoughts in university students https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2025/09/childhood-traumatic-events-and.html
Education Research Report: State school finance reforms increased racial and ethnic funding inequities https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2025/09/state-school-finance-reforms-increased.html
Education Research Report: New free screening tool helps kindergarten teachers spot student needs early https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2025/09/new-free-screening-tool-helps.html
Education Research Report: Study links teacher turnover to higher rates of student suspensions, disciplinary referrals https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2025/09/study-links-teacher-turnover-to-higher.html
Celebrating Violence Is a Type of Violence—But So Are Words https://radicalscholarship.com/2025/09/12/celebrating-violence-is-a-type-of-violence-but-so-are-words/ via @plthomasEdD
### Key Points
- The author recounts formative experiences in high school that shaped his belief in nonviolence, including debates about war and cultural perceptions of masculinity.
- Advocacy for nonviolence is presented as central to the author's teaching philosophy, incorporating figures like Thoreau, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. to challenge students' views on violence.
- The article condemns the killing of Charlie Kirk while criticizing the whitewashing of his rhetoric, particularly his harmful statements about marginalized communities.
- Kirk's citation of Leviticus 20:13 is highlighted as an example of rhetorical violence, posing threats to LGBTQ+ individuals and perpetuating historical oppression.
- The misuse of Kirk's death for ideological gain is denounced, with a call for honest representation of his beliefs and actions as the only valid way to honor him.
The article is a compilation of various blog posts and discussions on societal, political, and educational issues. Topics range from political violence, privatization, AI integration in classrooms, systemic inequalities, and advocacy for equity and transparency in education. It highlights controversies surrounding Trump's policies, the challenges of public school funding, and the importance of pluralism, solidarity, and self-directed learning in education.
### Key Points
- Trump's announcement to restore prayer in public schools raises constitutional concerns and debates over inclusivity in education.
- Glenn Kessler critiques Trump's misinformation tactics, documenting their societal impact through his Substack blog.
- Trump's foreign policy and tariffs have alienated key allies and strengthened adversaries like China and Russia.
- AI-generated parodies humorously critique Trump's denial tactics and raise concerns about education privatization.
- Educators express concerns about AI technologies in classrooms, including biases, equity gaps, and academic dishonesty.
- Declines in student performance in the Nation's Report Card are attributed to poverty, privatization, and systemic inequalities.
- Public school funding faces instability at federal and state levels, threatening equitable access to education.
- Divide-and-conquer tactics fragment coalitions, weakening collective power in political and educational sectors.
- Charlie Kirk's death highlights political violence and polarization, with critiques of his organization's controversial initiatives.
- Privatization parallels between public schools and national parks show shared challenges like underfunding and staffing shortages.
- Policymakers' reliance on standardized test data overlooks systemic issues like poverty and healthcare access.
- Parenting challenges in modern times include internet dangers, school violence, and AI chatbot risks.
- The U.S. auto industry's decline reflects broader economic and manufacturing challenges.
- Advocacy for public education emphasizes equity, transparency, and resistance to privatization efforts.
- Pluralism in classrooms is critical to teach coexistence and resist the suppression of dissenting voices.
- Self-directed and play-based learning foster creativity and curiosity, challenging traditional education methods.
