ICYMI: Applefest 25 Edition (10/5)

Every year, on the first full weekend of October, my small town turns itself over to Applefest, a small town festival hung on the hook that Johnny Appleseed lived around here for a few years before his big move into the West. There are vendors, food, a race, a car show, music, and just a lot of stuff. For a couple of days we close down the main street and just walk around. I can't honestly argue that we have something other big festivals in small towns lack, but the town makes a fine scenic backdrop and it is a good time. I run into former students who come back for it and just generally enjoy the hubbub before we turn sleepy again. So that's my weekend. Feel free to visit us next year.

Now for this week's reading list. But first, an image. Do with it what you will--

‘Absolutely devastating’: Rural schools say $100K visa fee could make it hard to hire teachers

Remember all those schools using immigrants to fill teaching positions. They might have a problem now. Erica Meltzer reports for Chalkbeat. 

Deep-Blue California Is a National Leader in De Facto Public-School Segregation. Here’s Why…

Surprise. Mark Kreidler at Capital and Main explains the why of this.

PEN America warns of rise in books 'systematically removed from school libraries'

The latest PEN America update isn't very encouraging, but at least we have some idea of what is actually going on.

Oklahoma AG requests investigation of education department, 1 day after Walters resigns

Ryan Walters may be done with Oklahoma, but the attorney general is not done with him. 

Standards-Based Grades Get a C-

Teacher Andrew Barron explains why he lost faith in standards-based grading. 

Federal court tosses Moms For Liberty associate’s case against Lowell Area Schools

It's always encouraging when the Moms lose one, and lose they did with the case of a Mom who wanted the freedom to harass the school endlessly.

Cory Doctorow: Reverse Centaurs

Cory Doctorow offers a useful framework for explaining when AI is hurting and not helping.

SEL by Another Name? Political Pushback Prompts Rebranding

Arianna Prothero at EdWeek looks at how schools are handling the demonization of Social and Emotional Learning, including rebranding it.

Vouchers would hurt rural Idaho students. That's why we're suing

Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen explains why Idaho's voucher program is a threat to rural students, and what she is trying to do about it.

Do ‘Good’ Schools Stay ‘Good’? And Do ‘Bad’ Schools Stay ‘Bad’?

At The74, Chad Aldeman looks at some data about whether or not schools stay in the top or bottom of the rankings over time.

From Wal-Mart Checkout to the Education Industrial Complex

TC Weber finds connections about connections everywhere he looks in the education world.

The Republican Effort To Remake Schools In God’s Image

Nathalle Baptiste at Huffington Post looks at the continued attempts to jam christianism into the classroom,

How about a Pause on the Race to Embed AI in Schools?

Nancy Flanagan has stayed away from AI commentary, but this time she's leaning into it. And maybe AI-in-school fans should just ease up a bit.

Companion Specious

Audrey Watters looks at some of the more objectionable uses of AI, including the push to use it to save teachers time.

Coalition of Billionaires Masquerades as Mass Reads Coalition

Maurice Cunningham tracks down the people actually behind the Massachusetts push for reading reform, and it's the same old cranky rich guys.

School Reformers’ Pledge of Good Conduct

Larry Cuban has unearthed an old pledge for school reformers, and it's not half bad. Course, I'm not sure many modern reformsters have seen it, let alone signed it.

Ohio’s State Investment in Public School Funding Continues to Decline: Erodes Adequacy and Equity 

Ohio has worked hard to become the Florida of the North when it comes to education. Jan Resseger has some of the receipts from the latest efforts.

Planning to Fail: How HB1’s Flawed Analysis Left Florida Taxpayers Holding the Bag

Sue Kingery Woltanski breaks down the damage being done by Florida's universal voucher expansion.

Hamlet Is the Gen Z Story We Need Right Now

I taught Hamlet for decades, and it was a different play every year. Ted Gioia offers some thoughts about what it has to say right now.

The Concert for George Harrison ended with this rendition of an old standard by Joe Brown. Always gets me right here. 

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