ICYMI: Tech Sunday Edition (6/25)

The Institute's Chief Marital Officer (CMO) is the wicked step-mother and I'm tooting in the pit orchestra, and today kicks off the final week of rehearsals before Cinderella opens here. We are going to have us some fun times. In the meantime, here's some reading from the last week.

Georgia teacher fired for reading children's book about acceptance

Georgia has one of those teacher gag laws, and now somebody want to try it out on a woman who read her class My Shadow Is Purple, a very non-porn book. Southern Poverty Law Center has the story\.

In Pennridge, teachers clash with the school board over the promise of an ‘ideology-free’ curriculum

Vermilion, the Hillsdale-linked consulting firm, has been hired to take a gander at curriculum in Pennridge School District, and it's pretty clear already that outside of loving God and Merica, this guy hasn't much of a clue. Maddie Hanna reports for the Philadelphia Inquirer,

The Public Cost of Charter Schools

Great interactive explainer from the Keystone Center for Charter Change, an organization exists because Pennsylvania charter laws are among the worst in the country. (Go, us!) 

Cradle to Grave Surveillance

Thomas Ultican looks into the folks at Global Silicon Valley and their work at digitizing everything there is to now about students. Prepare to be alarmed.

How Community Schools Can Transform Parent Involvement for the Better

Jeff Bryant at The Progressive talks about how parental involvement can be a positive for all involved. It's community schools.

A 'new breed' of charter schools is spreading Christian nationalism — at taxpayers’ expense

Jeff Bryant again, looking at the NPE report on the rightward lurch of the choice world.

Utah school district returns the Bible to shelves after appeals and outcry

Not a big story this week, but just in case you were wondering how that Bible ban turned out.

Teacher Was Fired From Private School After Questioning Her Salary — Her Boss Said That God Told Him She Was Not Passionate About Her Job

Yeah, that's pretty much the whole story in the headline. More details here if you want to be further angered.

A look at the trial — and ruling — that could change Pa.’s school funding system forever

Part of a PBS series about education, this takes a deep dive into the case that ended with courts declaring PA's school funding system unconstitutional. Lots to digest here, just in time for this year's battle over the state budget.

Inside Florida’s ‘underground lab’ for far-right education policies

Kathryn Joyce at Hechinger's with a great dive into Sarasota County, where a Moms For Liberty co-founder is board president and a parade of right wingers are always busy.

I Know It When I See It

Nancy Flanagan looks at the crusade against pornography in schools.

Orwellian Language and the Moral Perversion of American Politics

Jan Resseger looks at Chris Rufo and other educational "leaders" whose abuse of the language is part of the problem they present.

TFA Does Soul Searching, Changes The Least Significant Thing Possible About Itself

Gary Rubinstein started out with TFA, then decided to become a teacher for reals. From that vantage point, he has always kept a sharp and critical eye on TFA shenanigans, including their latest Big Deal.

Censors lose in the end

At Brutal South, Paul Bowers gets ready to fight back against one more book ban (this time it's Ta-Nehsis Coates).

Activist or Advocate – Defending Public Education in Florida

How does one advocate or do the activism in state so hell-bent of privatizing public education. Sue Kingery Woltanski examines the puzzle. 

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