Love your neighbor as yourself. ~Mark 12: 31, the second greatest commandment. Our strength comes from our own immigrant heritage and our capacity to welcome those from other lands. ~President Ronald Reagan Across the country, emboldened by the Trump administration and groups like the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025, attempts to push religion into public […]
McMahon’s Troubling School Patriotism Fails to Address The Needs of Children
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. ~Martin Luther King Jr. Traveling across the country, Education Secretary Linda McMahon is promoting patriotism and “History Rocks,” her religious civics […]
Forgotten Mercy: Those Who Want Christianity in Public Schools
God is love. ~1 John 4:8. Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me. ~Matthew 25:40 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. […]
Privatization Parallels for National Parks and Public Schools
Over the years, with the push for school privatization, Americans have increasingly given up ownership of their public schools. Likewise, we’re in jeopardy of losing access to national parks and land that should belong to us. These are two very public establishments for the benefit of Americans, and they have a lot in common. For […]
Separation of Church and State: Critical for Public Schools and America!
The Supreme Court may be poised to erode the Separation of Church and State further when it comes to public education, with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond. This involves Oklahoma’s St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School’s attempt to become the nation’s first publicly funded religious virtual charter school. St. Isidore is […]
RFK Jr., Autism, and Education: The Wrong Person for Progress
Never underestimate the abilities of those with disabilities. ~Eunice Kennedy Shriver Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent comments about autism, including describing it as a “disease,” created an uproar. Kennedy seems to be on a fishing expedition for a cure; one gets the feeling he still wants to blame vaccines, and his stigmatizing comments that autism […]
Dismantling Public Education: No Laughing Matter!
Don’t it always seem to go That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone… ~Joni Mitchell Many educators and parents found it painful watching Donald Trump sign off on dismantling the US Department of Education (USDOE). For those who taught and continue to teach and parent activists fighting for public education, observing billionaires and state […]
Republican Kids in Public Schools Also Lack Mittens
A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or food. If you say to that person, “God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat,” but you do not give what that person needs, your words are worth nothing. In the same way, faith by itself—that does nothing—is dead. […]
Education: The Democratic Party’s Working-Class Issue
If the Statue of Liberty opened the gateway to this country, public education opened the door to attainment here. Schools like my sister’s Buffalo State Teachers College and CCNY have served as the Harvards and Princetons of the poor. And they served us well. I am, consequently, a champion of public secondary and higher education. […]
Ending School Vouchers: Finding Hope for Public Schools
Searching for hope after this election, it seems many people see through the deceptive promise of school choice. There’s danger that the new administration may ignore this, but let’s hope not. Public schools were hardly discussed this election, and that’s a shame, because saving them is essential for our democracy. America needs a strong public […]