ICYMI: Post-Independence Day Edition (7/5)
In our town, the annual fireworks display is set off pretty much across the river from my back yard. So every year we have a cookout, mt brother and some friends come over and after supper, we play some traditional jazz in the backyard where anyone in the neighborhood can hear. Then the fireworks happen. There's no doubt that some years feel different than others, but our country has so many terrible chapters that it's impossible not to live through some of them. At the same time, our most immediate sphere of control involves watching out for the friends and family and community that is in our immediate vicinity. So we try to do that.
Meanwhile, I've got a reading list for you from the week. Remember to share.
South Georgia librarian is fired over LGBTQ children’s book included in summer reading display
Another one of these damned stories. She's got a lawyer; we'll see if that helps.
‘I Don’t Want Any Light Shining on Our District:’ Schools Serving Undocumented Kids Go Underground
The 74 was launched as a bad faith exercise in reformsterism and political hackery, but they still manage to put out valuable stories like this. Jo Napolitano looks at school districts that are trying to evade the long arm of the anti-diversity regime.
Cyber school facing wrongful death suit says it’s ‘unreasonable’ for teachers to see students weekly
I've written about Commonwealth Charter Academy many times, because they are a profiteering real estate-grubbing company disguised as a cyber school. Katie Meyer at Spotlight PA has this story about how CCA is resisting the state's mandate to make even a minimal effort to take care of its students.
Public Money, Private Control: Inside New Orleans’ Charter School Overhaul
Big Easy magazine does another post-mortem of the New Orleans charter experiment (which has now been running for twenty years) and finds, once again, that it's not as great a model as reformsters want to believe.
The Chan-Zuckerbergs stopped funding social causes. 400 kids lost their school.
From the Washington Post, one more example of why depending on flakey fauxlanthropists is not a great plan for schools.
Billionaires Support Corrupted Science of Reading
Thomas Ultican looks at some of the forces trying to sell the Science of Reading
Making Sense of Trump's K-12 Budget Slashing
Jennifer Berkshire puts the regime budget slashing in the context of some broader, uglier ideologies at work.
Whatever Happened to Values Clarification
Oh, the misspent days of my youth, when Values Clarification was a thing. Larry Cuban takes us back to this little chapter of history.
Trump Administration Axes Funding for Key K-12 Education Programs on One Day’s Notice
Jan Resseger reports on the Trump initiative to just withhold funds from schools because, well, he feels like it.
Reading is the door to freedom
Jesse Turner on reading and his time spent teaching on the Tohono O'odham Reservation.
Fiscal Year Ends in Chaos for Florida Schools
Florida continues to set the standard for assaulting public education. Sue Kingery Woltanski reports on latest budgetary shenanigans.
Firms belonging to wife of Rep. Donalds grabbed millions in charter school contracts
Speaking of Florida shenanigans, here's a piece from Florida Bulldog that looks at the many ways that Erika Donalds has enriched herself with education funds. You Florida fans will recognize many of the names in this piece by Will Bredderman.
Unconstitutional Voucher Program Can't Be Fixed Easily
Policy expert Stephen Dyer has been all over the recent successful challenge to an Ohio voucher program. Where do they go next? No place easy.
The Trump Administration is Ending Special Education!
Nancy Bailey explains how the new Trumpian budget slashing may well end special ed as we know it.
California colleges spend millions to catch plagiarism and AI. Is the faulty tech worth it?
Turnitin is now in the AI detection biz, and it's just as scammy as their old business model. Tara Garcia Mathewson at Cal Matters has the story.
The AI Backlash Keeps Growing Stronger
If you're thinking that maybe AI isn't all that awesome, you have plenty of company. Reece Rogers reports for Wired.
Ed Zitron points out that our tech overlords are mostly dopes, and we should make fun of them for it.
This week at Forbes.com I took a look at what the Senate's version of federal vouchers looks like. At the Bucks County Beacon, I broke down the Mahmoud v. Taylor decision.
Tuba Skinny is the band I'd like to play in when I grow up.
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That Nancy Bailey piece on the end of IDEA had me in tears. My daughter was lucky enough to receive Early Intervention starting at 10 mos. and transitioned to the school district at 3 years. In that time she caught up on the vast majority of her milestones but she continued to have an IEP with possible accommodations if necessary and received SLP services. She was JUST released from SLP at the end of this school year. She starts high school in the fall. At every point in time she needed services they were available in ways that I've watched disappear for the kids a few years younger than her. Our state's Early Intervention program is a shambles of what it was, which meant it was more important than ever for the school district to be proactive in screening. She got two years of excellent pre-K for free through the school district immediately upon the transition. I don't even know if the Early Childhood Center has enough funding for next year. This is so unfair and so wrongheaded.