ICYMI: Arctic Blast Edition (2/5)

Best wishes to friends and family living in the land of Holy Scheikies That's Cold this weekend. We have the normal kind of cold here, but Mount Washington has got -109 wind chill (and negative fifty-something air temp without the wind) and that's just not okay. Stay warm. Stay safe.

While you're cuddled up today, here's the reading list from last week. As always, I encourage you to share the ones that strike you as important. It would be great if we had billionaires to amplify our signal, but only one group has that advantage.

Inside a US Neo-Nazi Homeschool Network With Thousands of Members

The not-to-be-missed story of the week is the discovery of a large network of homeschoolers aimed at producing beautiful young nazis. Really. As you read this, don't forget that in some states, legislators are trying to set up a system that would result in these folks being subsidized by tax dollars.

Voucher Proponents Across the Country are Winning. What Are the Stakes?

Steve Nuzum lays out some of the stakes (including funding nazis) as voucher movements sweep through several states.

The Far Right Has Used Culture War Politics to Open the Gate to a Vast Expansion of School Vouchers

Jan Resseger looks at how the culture wars have been used to energize the voucher push.

I’m a teacher in Florida. Here’s what the DeSantis book bans look like in my classroom

From Andrea Phillips, a heartwrenching piece about what the Florida crack down on books looks like on the ground, and it's not pretty.

UPDATE: Florida Commissioner of Education attacks Popular Information

Judd Legum of Popular Information continues to be all over Florida's book banning. This post includes complaints from Florida's leaders about being quoted accurately. Also: meet the Wokebusters.

Hide your books to avoid felony charges, Fla. schools tell teachers

Hannah Natanson at the Washington Post digs into some details about how the book ban is going, including an explanation of how felony charges ended up on the table. 

Teachers Are Not Meant to Be Martyrs

My Ed Week subscription lapsed when I wasn't looking, so I missed this piece when it ran a few weeks ago. Amanda Slaten Frasier writes this unapologetic defense of teachers' rightful role in education. Come for this closing line: "In short, teachers don’t need a seat at the table. Teachers need everyone, themselves included, to realize that they own the table."

Records show powerful, wealthy funders outside Idaho back school choice campaign

The voucher push across the nation is coming, state by state, from the same set of fake grass roots millionaire funded operators. DeVos, Koch, and Walton are on the march. Here's what that looks like in Idaho.

Behind the 'grassroots' movement for Oklahoma school vouchers championed by Ryan Walters

In Oklahoma, the same batch of carpetbagging astroturfers are at work. Well-researched piece for The Oklahoman, by Ben Felder.

School choice nightmare: Vouchers are endangering the rights of families

Jeff Bryant tells the story of a Maine family that thought school choice would be a huge benefit; instead, it turned out to be a nightmare.

It Takes A Village: Expelling Right-Wing Extremism From Bucks County School Districts

From Cyril Mychalejko at the Bucks County Beacon, a look at the ongoing struggle there between right wing leaders and, well, an awful lot of other people.

Inside the audacious new scheme to erase LGBTQ people from Michigan schools

Judd Legum again. This time with a new group that has a plan for emptying out public schools. Make sure you get to the part where their website's "concerned parents" turn out to be stock photos.

Running a Charter School for Profit Should Be Illegal

Carol Burris at the Progressive with a broad rundown of the latest Network for Public Education report on charter school profiteering.

Once-subversive plot to dismantle traditional public schools in Florida now central policy

 

Frank Cerabino at the Palm Beach Post with a not-very-encouraging look at how privatizers are winning in Florida.

PA principals and superintendents are much less diverse than the students they serve, according to a Penn State study

Pennsylvania has long had some issues with diversity in education. Ed Fuller from Penn State adds some new data to the discussion.

Texas’ private and rural schools again brace for a showdown on school choice

The Texas tribune explains the showdown coming between privatizers and rural school districts.

'Stand up for kids like me,' trans student tells Iowa senators, but LGBTQ school bills advance

In Iowa, trans kids are speaking out. Iowa legislators don't much care. From the Des Moines Register.

Paul Vallas as Chicago’s Next Mayor?? Talk About a Terrible Mistake.

Paul Vallas has made a career out of failing upward, and now he wants to be the mayor of Chicago. The indispensable Mercedes Schneider offers a career retrospective to help us remember why Vallas shouldn't be put in charge of a one car parade.

Introducing the Slickest Con Artist of All Time

From Ted Gioia, another entry for your ChatGPT file

MAGA parents demand school choice and I can’t wait to say goodbye 

In the Wichita Eagle, Dion Lefler offers a decidedly different take on the loud parental rights movement

Scientists Discover Dangerous Link Between Book Learnin’, Back Talk

The Onion, from a few years back. Seems appropriate at the moment.

Over at Forbes.com this week, I looked at the NPE report on dark money behind parent rights groups, and bad news for teachers regarding new Netflix sharing policies.

I also wrote about how most of the new crop of voucher bills specifically protect private schools and vendors who wish to push a particular faith, teach anti-science baloney, and discriminate against students and faculty. I think it's one of the more important things I've written, so please take a look.

And as always, you're invited to sign up for my substack, a efficient and free way to have my writing delivered to your inbox.