Sunday, August 31, 2025

ICYMI: Up and Hobbling Edition (8/31)

So this week, I had some arthroscopic surgery and took delivery of a new desktop computer to replace the eight-year-old dysfunctional one. This will be good news for those of you who are really bothered by my typos, which are exponentially worse on the mobile office laptop. 

I've had this kind of surgery twice before. The first time was back in 1980 and back then the protocol was to put the leg in a cast and spend six weeks letting the muscles turn into limp spaghetti. Nowadays the protocol is use crutches for the first day and then get yourself in gear. So I am hobbling mightily and will be back to normal sooner or later. 

Meanwhile, as much as I bitch and moan about the annoyances of modern tech, I have to acknowledge that moving toa new machine has gotten way easier since last time. Here I was painstakingly offloading everything onto an external drive and then the new computer and the old computer just copied all of my stuff on their own. It was both creepy and massively labor- and time-saving.

We've got plenty for you to read this week. Here we go.

Is Public Education Over?

If you read just one thing on the list, read this. Jennifer Berkshire puts standardized testing and Democrats who run against public schools in their proper context.


Audrey Watters read Berkshire's piece, and she expands on the understanding that public education didn't get damaged all at once.

Parents Sue Open AI for ChatGPT’s Role in Son’s Suicide

The indispensable Mercedes Schneider brings us the story of an inevitable and necessary lawsuit. The court documents detail the chilling ways ChatGPT facilitated and encouraged a teen's suicide through multiple attempts.

Two Va. school districts sue U.S. Education Dept. in fight over gender policies

A couple of Virginia districts are suing the ed department over withholding funds. Washington Post has the story.

Florida education officials urge school districts to work around unions

Florida's new ed chief is just as big of a tool as the last one. Jeffrey Solochek reports for the Tampa Bay Times.

DeSantis appoints another failed Florida school board candidate

Also from Solochek at the Tampa Bay Times, a look at DeSantis's favor election-denying trick-- when the voters don't pick his favored school board candidates, he just puts the failed candidate on the board anyway. Because Democracy is stupid.


Yes, WaPo did that. Lucking Fary Rubinstein is here to debunk that reality-impaired piece.

Dark money spending could overshadow local priorities for Denver schools

Mike DeGuire details how dark money is involved in Denver school board races.


Thomas Ultican pries apart some of the sources of funding one busy group in Oakland. You may not be in Oakland, but it's a good model for how these sorts of groups work.

Public Education Is in Trouble. Whose Job Is It to Fix It?

At EdWeek, a very practical piece about how district admins can help, and connections are important.

Kelly Nash Doubles Down on Call to Eliminate LGBTQ+ Alaskans as Daughter Runs for Public Office

How bad and ugly can it get for LGBTQ educators? Pretty bad and ugly. From Matthew Beck at The Blue Alaskan.

Is There Really a Decline in Pleasure Reading?

You've read the terrible news. Nancy Flanagan says maybe you don't need to get all depressed just yet.

Okay, this is one I hadn't thought of. A guest post at Larry Cuban on a project that challenged students by showing them that what they came up with wasn't any better than what ChatGPT extruded. So, ChatGPT as a way to charge students with lack of creativity.

Claremont's Finances are Dire

Claremont, NH is in trouble, with a massive financial challenge caused by, apparently, some serious mismanagement. It's a lesson in how a district can go off the rails and a state can say, "Tough noogies." I'll confess I'm especially interested because these were my schools back in my K-3 years. Andru Volinsky has the story.

The Ramaswamy Education Cons

Stephen Dyer and David Pepper had a video conversation about Ramaswamy's education baloney in his run for Ohio office.

I Was A High School Teacher For Decades. This Is What Your Kids Will Lose If The Far Right Gets Its Way.

Nancy Jorgenson is a retired music teacher, and she has some objections to the notion that schools should just dispense facts and content.

Texas Businesswoman Wants to Open AI-Driven, Teacherless Cyber Charter School in Pennsylvania

MacKenzie Price, Alpha schools, and the 2 Hour Learning idea have all been back in the news lately, so I'm re-upping this piece I wrote in January about this well-connected pile of baloney.


Rob Shapiro at McSweeney's, where they get that perfect blend of comedy and tragedy.

As WA government officials embrace AI, policies are still catching up

NPR takes a look at Washington state's attempt to get all up in the AI in government. Some parts aren't working so well.

Neurosymbolic AI—not with a bang, but a whither?

Ben Riley makes sense of one more debate going on in the AI world. Read this and get smarter.

AI is ummasking ICE officers. Can Washington do anything about it?

Politico has this fun new story. 

This week at Forbes.com, I looked at a new NPE report on the charter school biz. 

Here's brand new music from an unlikely combo.

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