ICYMI: Out Of The Office Edition (8/4)

The Institute's home office staff has been vacationing in Maine, where my grandfather the general contractor and my grandmother the state legislator built a little place decades ago which my father later rehabilitated and expanded. It's still sits slightly apart from civilization, and we spend an awful lot of time reading and flopping about in the water. We even took some time for an extra outing to Acadia National Park, something I've always meant to do, but have been dissuaded by the four-ish hour dive. It was worth finally seeing it. Somewhere near you is a nation al park of some sort, and if you haven't visited, you should.

Incidentally, while I'm working (occasionally) from mobile office platform, expect double the usual mes of typos.

Despite all that, I've still got some reading for you to do this week. Here we go. 

Democrats for Education Reform Brings Dark Money Back to Massachusetts Politics

Maurice Cunningham, dark money expert, notes that DFER is back to its usual deep pocketed shenanigans again.

While book ban attempts increase nationally, one Oregon library has kept requests low

For a change, a story about a library that is having some success navigating the culture panic book banniness waters. By Olvia Wang-- a high school journalist.

The Heritage Foundation Wants to Train Your School Board.

The indispensable Mercedes Schneider looks at Heritage Foundation (the Project 2025 folks) and their thought about how to train school boards to be crusaders for wingnut ideas.

‘Disappointed’: Black students suing Shenandoah school board for restoring Confederate names

Good for them. A report by Nathaniel Cline at Virginia Mercury.

Huntsville approves ‘Teachers’ Bill of Rights’ for student discipline

Depending on how things are going in your region you will think either "About time" or "You mean to tell me they didn't have policies that covered this already?"

Superintendent Ryan Walters faces pushback over illegal immigration directive

In Oklahoma, Ryan Walters is getting used to issuing edicts for illegal policy. At the same time, superintendents are getting used to telling him to pound sand.

NC Parents Bill of Rights produces ‘concerning’ decline in CMS student health screenings

Caught this one a little late, but it's too important to let go-- North Carolina's parental rights law is having some troubling unintended consequences.

Gov. Reynolds offers support for other states passing laws like Iowa ESA program

Having trouble getting The People to support your voucher idea? Gov. Kim Reynolds, IOWA honcho and ALEC education co-chair, will happy to give pointers on how to ram that legislation through anyway.

Elon Musk’s Experimental School In Texas Is Now Looking For Students

Sarah Emerson reports for Forbes on Musk's fancy private school. No way this could end badly.

Public School Success in Jefferson County, FL

The state handed the public schools over to a charter company. Later, the charter company bailed. Then the state turned it back into a public school district and guess what happened? Sue Kingery Woltanski has the story.

Education is a Winning Issue for Democrats

Anne Lutz Fernandez does some analysis and shows that maybe the Dems could get somewhere as defenders of public education. Will they do it? Well....

Not one but two excellent responses to that Google Gemini ad that stunk up the p[lace so bad that they pulled it:

I hate the Gemini ‘Dear Sydney’ ad more every passing moment

Alexandra Petri at the Washington Post nails the awfulness of not just the ad, but the product.

That Google Gemini Ad Is an Abomination

John Warner wants to kill it with fire, then burn the ashes.

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