Sunday, January 4, 2026

ICYMI: Back To It Edition (1/4)

Vacation is over and it is time to get back to it, whether your "it" is work or school or extra-legal kidnappings of foreign heads of state. Feels like a long year already.

All of this [waves vaguely in direction of country] makes me oddly more committed to following education, because education remains hugely important even as it falls off the radar of folks who are worried about things like unaffordable health insurance and wars for oil and a decaying federal government. 

While on vacation, lots of folks' output slows down, and this list gets quieter because of it. But there's still stuff to not miss. So let's see what we've got here. 

U.S. Dept. of Education denies appeal to save $30M grant funds for Idaho rural schools

The department continues to withhold taxpayer dollars from public schools. KTVB reports on how Idaho students are getting squeezed by the feds, because somebody saw some scary DEI words.

When Billionaires Built a Teacher

Mike Simpson is mostly know as one of the big voice amplifiers on line; Big Education Ape shares a ton of writing with snappy illustrations to go with. But Simpson does do some writing of his own, like this big picture piece about the big billionaire plan to dismantle public education.


Thomas Ultican looks at the latest report from the Network for Public Education looking at the charter school industry.

In Their Own Words: The New Orleans Community Wants Their Direct-run, Leah Chase School.

The indispensable Mercedes Schneider is back at it with an in depth look at the single public school left in Orleans Parish and the continuing threats to its continued existence.

Why Conservatives Should Defend Socialized Education

Robert Pondiscio spotted my piece highlighting the Michigan lawmaker who wants to cut school taxes for property owners without kids in school. I didn't care for that idea, and Pondiscio doesn't, either. Here's the conservative argument for taxing everyone to pay for schools.

Days Gone By

Audrey Watters offers an end-of-year reflection on the dangers of throwing AI at humans in general and young humans in particular.

Wanted! Presidents/Leaders Who Protect ALL Children!

Nancy Bailey provides an excellent beginning-of-year reminder of the many areas in which children need leaders who care about them.

Where the Students Are Leaving—and Who Is Left to Absorb the Cost

Something strange-- and undoubtedly costly-- is happening to Nashville school enrollment. TC Weber had the time to sort at least some of it, and the resulting report unveils the story-- at least part of it.

Francis Wilkinson: MAGA's book bans are coming back with a vengeance

Frances Wilkinson doesn't so much provide a picture of the current state of censorship as she provides a history of the last couple of years, and in that respect, it's a nicely done piece of work. This is how we got here. Go ahead and get frustrated and angry all over again.

Trump administration makes good on many Project 2025 education goals

Christina Samuels at Hechinger provides a handy update on how far the Project 2025 assault on education got this year.

A Banner year for Censorship

Big Katherine Stewart fan here. This post from her newsletter looks at the nature of censorship this year under Dear Leader.


Cezary Jan Strusiewicz at McSweeney's with another darkly hilarious take on our current moment.

At Bucks County Beacon this week, I offered a look back at the year in education here in Pennsylvania {it could have been worse). 

At Forbes.com, I looked at some uncomfortable findings about young humans and their use of AI "companions."

In the other end of the state, New Years means a mummers band, and while the pageantry and costumes are nice, there is something about just getting out there and playing for the neighborhood. It's a sound unlike any other.



Sign up for my newsletter. It's free, and it lands in your email so you don't have to venture out into the social media world.

No comments:

Post a Comment