Sunday, November 15, 2026

ICYMI: Special Birthday Edition (11/15)

Pour one out for my mother, who turned 93 last week. She was blissfully uninterested in either sending an email or trying to fly anywhere, and she could not care less about AI. So all in all, she had a much easier week than many others.

Plenty to read this week. Remember, your amplification helps the writers cut through the internet noise and slop. Lend a hand!

In Conversation: Sold A Story Season 2 (Ep. 6)

With the latest episode, Hanford took a real turn, using our old buddy Baker Mitchell as an exemplar. Mitchell is one of the early masters of charter school scammage, and the 19th century mind behind the girls in pants lawsuit. It's a real choice, and Trevor Aleo and Nick Covington break it down.

Nearly all new Charter School spending since 2023 has gone to administrators

Speaking of charter school profiteering, Stephen Dyer crunches some Ohio numbers and fins where the money is going (spoiler alert: not into classrooms).

Battle Royale: Five AI Teacher Tools Try to Make the Same Worksheet

Dan Meyer gives five genAI chatbots a shot at making a math worksheet. The results are nothing to write home about.


Thomas Ultican looked into some data from the pandemic years and lo and behold, it turns out California's public schools did pretty well (and charters did not).

Direct. Instruction.

Lots of people are seeing lots of things in the latest season of Sold a Story, but Nancy Flanagan mostly sees one more amateur who couldn't hack it in the classroom trying to tell teachers how to do the work.

What Works?: Not US Education Reform (And Here’s Why)

Paul Thomas recaps US education "reform" and its inevitable failure. Good for brushing up on how we got here.

“It is the Novocain of Your Mind:” New Haven Students Protest AI Use in the Classroom

From the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, one more story of students rebelling against AI.

Blue Skies for Education

Democrats could get education policy right for a change. Anne Lutz Fernandez explains how.

Revealing New Book Demonstrates the Injustice of District-Wide, Public High School Choice

Jan Resseger takes a look at Jen Jennings' great new book about choice and the rationing of education. If I didn't convince you to get a copy when I wrote about it, maybe this will move the needle for you.

EIGHTH REPORT: You Can’t See Everything at Alpha

In this episode of the continuing series, Ben Riley tries to work out the organizational chart for Alpha School.

What (if Anything) Do We Value About Teaching Writing?

John Warner keeps saying the right things about writing.

The Cardboard Box Test: Republicans Hire Disruptors. Will Democrats Play It Safe?

Julian Vasquez Heilig notes that a few states will be picking new ed chiefs soon. Should they play it safe, or knock over the table?

How angry parents helped flip Texas: ‘People don’t like for their kids to be messed with’

More political analysis, this time from Anna North at The Guardian. Texans can only take so much.

Love Tough

Like many teachers, Adrian Neibauer has just been through parent conferences, leading to some thoughtful reflections on caring and toughness.


If you are my age, chances are you have a copy of a certain CSN&Y album. This song was actually the theme of my high school senior yearbook, and it has stayed with me all these years. This is a lovely version.



Subscribe. It's free, and always will be. 

No comments:

Post a Comment