I hear lots of folks talking about “our failing public education system” these days, and as a student of education there aren’t many conservative “talking points” that bother me more than this one. While much of this rhetoric lately has focused on the K-12 school reopening “debate”, the pandemic has also cast a bright light on the problems facing higher […]

In spite of most of the US public being supportive of public education, our schools, and our children’s teachers, a small but vocal minority has been growing increasingly rambunctious about reopening schools. Recently, Dr. Ben Linas, a physician in Brookline, MA, added his apparently cranky voice to this debate, penning a piece for Vox titled, “I’m an epidemiologist and a […]

I wish I could find more satisfaction in something I’ve hoped would happen for 4 years. But as usual, Ms. DeVos did the absolute least she could do (resign), well past the time when it could have made a difference (with 13 days left in her lamest of all duck terms), and is probably only doing it to avoid doing […]

In the aftermath of the most consequential election in our lifetimes, I thought I’d take this opportunity to offer some free advice for state Democratic parties interested in attracting even more new voters and turning more red state legislatures blue: Let’s put a lot more focus on two issues that are critically important to building a stronger, more informed voter […]

I got an email from our school’s business manager on Friday at 5:11pm with an “emergency request” to complete a new required training module. The deadline for completing this module? The following Monday morning. As usual, the “system” didn’t allow me to even start the training module–some sort of IT glitch I assume–so I called the business manager, who was […]

Dear Teachers, As we prepare for the uncertainty and confusion regarding the return of school, one  piece of advice: Please keep the receipts for *anything* you purchase in order to teach online this fall… new office chairs tables computer monitors laptop stands headphones mics speakers cameras lights routers wifi extenders upgraded laptops, tablets, and smart phones enhanced internet service professional […]

Vice President Mike Pence visited a school in North Carolina today, ostensibly to show how the power of school choice is the key to reopening schools this fall… In an email sent Monday, school officials said Pence will visit Thales Academy K-5 to see how school choice works and to advocate for its further implementation. Pence also tweeted about how […]

You know how I know that the corporate education reformers, and their leader, Betsy DeVos, were never serious about actually improving public education? Because now, in the midst of a global pandemic, and a complete lack of national education policy guidance beyond “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!“, none of these education policy “experts” have come up with any “out […]

If you’ve seen your teacher friends warning about the dangers of the Covid-19 pandemic providing an opportunity for unscrupulous education reformers, like US Secretary of Education and serial public school defunder, Betsy DeVos, to dismantle our system of public schools and wondered to yourself, “Now how would these people do that?”…here’s how. In the Utica (MI) Community Schools (UCS), the […]

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has pulled a lot of shady stuff in her time in President Trump’s Cabinet. But her latest action may take the cake for brazen, underhanded political malfeasance. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is using the $2 trillion coronavirus stabilization law to throw a lifeline to education sectors she has long championed, directing millions of federal dollars […]

Another billionaire-approved ‘movement’ is pushing for massive human sacrifice in order to save Trump’s presidency On April 15, Michigan reported 1,058 new cases of COVID-19 and 153 new deaths. That put the total number of Michiganders who had tested positive for the novel Coronaivirus 28,059 and the number confirmed dead from the virus at 1,921. And this is how some […]