ICYMI: Wrapping Up The Year Edition (6/5)

This week our local school districts will wrap up the year, so it's all graduations and packing up rooms and the rest of those things I no longer do. I always feel extra retired this time of year, for better or worse. But one thing I know for sure--every teacher I know (including the CMO (Chief Marital Officer) here at the Institute is really very ready for a break from what has turned out to be a very hard year. So three cheers for that. Meanwhile, here's your reading list for the week.

It's okay not to have the words

Jose Luis Vilson reflects on the same ugly mess we've all been thinking about it, with his usual high level of thoughtfulness.

Reigniting passion for teaching after a difficult year

Trevor Muir is one of those edu-celebrities, but this is a pretty good piece about using the summer to recharge. 

Teachers need more resources--not revolvers

Some straight talk about Texas and their program for turning teachers into marshals (spoiler alert: it's not going all that well).

FCMAT-- California's Unaccountable Political Player

Thomas Ultican with a tale of how a body created to ease school district crises turned into a juggernaut, and not the good kind.

Neither truth nor consequences

TC Weber continues to track the shenanigans of edu-grifters in Tennessee. Next up-- a bureaucratic bus tour!

Moms for Liberty has created nightmares for schools across the country

The New Republic (paywall alert) takes a look at M4L and determines, among other things, that the group is more about winning elections than anything else.

Susan Ohanian: A passionate spokesperson for teachers

The Charlotte (VT) newspaper decided to write a profile about Susan Ohanian, who has been in the Ranting About Education business for years. 

Brevard teacher's banned book drive raises over $5,000, angers Moms for Liberty

Last time I looked, it was up around $15K. A Bayside High AP English teacher is going to put Naughty Books into the hands of students this summer. 

Signing letter of career intent

We make a lot of fuss over high school athletes signing letters of intent for college. What would it look like if we mad a similar fuss over a kid who decided to become a plumber? Like this.

Betsy DeVos and her school privatization agenda are no match for Michigan parents

Sarah Lahm, writing for Our Schools and published at Alternet, looks at how parents have been getting in the way of DeVos's latest attempt to bring vouchers to Michigan.

Ohio arms teachers

The indispensable Mercedes Schneider takes a look at Ohio's crazy-pants idea to let teachers carry guns in school with just 24 hours of training. What could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, over in Forbes, I wrote about Ohio legislators' desire to make teenaged female athletes get a genital inspection to prove their gender, and the money that one PA charter school is handing out to parents. Also, arming teachers is a bad idea.

Also, I think I missed this piece for The Progressive that looked at how school choice actually does the opposite of parent empowerment.