#politics and education

[187days]

Day Forty-Seven

Aside from the morning PLC meeting, pretty much nothing went according to plan today.

The first thing that threw me off was that I'd planned to show a 25-minute video about the hajj to my Global Studies students, but I realized as I was setting up that it's actually 35 minutes. In a 40-minute class, that's a crunch, and I had other stuff to go over first. So I decided to show it over two days instead of one, and mentally adjusted tomorrow's lessons to accommodate for that.

Then I started doing my grading, but the fire alarm went off.

I'm not sure if it was a drill, or not- we didn't have any notice that it was going to happen, but sometimes the fire department does it that way- but kids were slow getting down the stairs today for some reason, so... That's not great.

It took a while to settle my first section of Global Studies down after that, so I'm glad I'd already adjusted my lessons. I never could've fit the whole video into the class time I had remaining once I got students ready to learn, discussed upcoming due dates, and recapped yesterday's lesson on The Five Pillars. Rather, I played about 2/3 of it, and that worked out fine.

In APGOV, we discussed Fed. 78 for the first half hour or so, and then got into how the power of judicial review- which Hamilton describes, but doesn't name- was established in Marbury v. Madison. But, as I was explaining the crisis the case presented to the Court, I got several questions about the notion that the executive branch could ignore the Court's rolling. That led to some interesting tangents, including a lengthy one about DACA, the Dream Act, and illegal immigration in general; we jumped from A to Q on that one, not just A to B, but it's still about how the government works, so it's good.

Anyways, we got back to the original topic eventually, and we'll do some more with SCOTUS cases over the next few classes. A modified form of Court Madness is coming back, which is going to be fun!

I was going to leave right after work, but a student asked to make up a test, so I ended up staying, which meant I left at the same time as Mr. C, so I got to chat with him about how his year is going so far. It isn't easy being a first-year, especially coming in as a late hire, but he's figuring it out.

I was able to relax at home for a bit, but then I headed back out for a local political event my APGOV students were invited to (Democratic party's fall social). They couldn't all make it since they have busy lives, but the ones who were there got to meet their local state reps, as well as one of the gubernatorial candidates, and I was very proud to hear how well they articulated their political views when asked.

It was a cool way to end an atypical day. Tomorrow's the last day of the quarter, so here's hoping it's a good one!

[politijohn]

Source

Phenomenal choice

As a former teacher, MN Governor Walz has:

Signed legislation protecting abortion rights

Signed an executive order protecting gender-affirming care

Banned conversion therapy

Restored voting rights to Minnesotans who are on parole, probation or community release due to a felony

Signed voting rights legislation

Signed legislation legalizing recreational cannabis

Signed legislation guaranteeing free school lunches to students

Expanded workers rights and is supported by unions

[funcoolchickie]

This isn't surprising, especially considering Trump has intentionally targeted and specifically said he loves the "low-educated." Sadly, it's because they're easier to fool and control. What does this say to you?

🔵=Democrat

🔴=Republican

🟣= Equal Mix, Democrat/Republican

[cptapathy]

We have all been saying this was coming for years now. The UK is now introducing a new section 28.

This is a direct attack on the queer Community, stop accepting it.

[ileftherbackhome]

non-voters and third party voters going around claiming "voting to save yourself is privilege" is actual literal emotional manipulation. it is the epitome of privilege to throw your vote away in hopes that the rapture, excuse me the "revolution," will come faster because you think you're going to survive it.

it takes an INSANE amount of privilege to think you would survive a second donald trump presidency.

if anyone tries to shame you away from voting because you're afraid of dying if trump gets re-elected, just know they are certain they would survive a second trump presidency.

[sunbeamedskies]

The left SUCKS at recruiting people. And so many of you are part of the problem.

The talk about centrists and moderates being the literal devil I see constantly in online leftist spaces is one great example of the left's failure. Yes, it sucks when the people don't see how horrible the right is. But centrists are some of the most open people to discussion- and some already lean left!!

You can't demonize moderates to such an extent that you close yourself off to them and then wonder why you're losing swing states.

Centrists aren't even always people with all the privileges- you will find plenty of people who are part of marginalized groups who are concerned about politicians on all sides.

You can be a smol radical leftist bean all you want who only talks to other smol socialist and communist beans, but you're never going to make the difference you want to in the world that way. It's the cold, hard truth. It doesn't mean you have to engage in discourse with everyone- some people have no real hope of changing and are emotionally draining- just more than your bubble.

I am tired of the left eating itself alive and deranged people like Trump winning.

[typhlonectes]

[empireofthestates]

What You Need to Know about Project 2025

The GOP's Radical Plans for America's Future

graphics from @/pinballwizardess on tiktok

[visenyaism]

cersei lannister had about 3-5 business days of peace at the end of a game of thrones where it’s like. plan she singlehandedly concocted to murder her abusive terrible husband THE KING goes off without a hitch literally flawless execution most successful kingslaying in westerosi history. rhaegar outfit at his funeral. anyone who suspects foul play is in the dungeon or on her side. coup d’état equally successful. her bastard son installed as ruling king. ned stark in prison about to swear fealty to the lannisters and get ransomed cutting hostilities off at the pass. one stark kid in custody and littlefinger promised to take care of the second one. annoying brothers-in-law scattered to opposite ends of the kingdom away from her away from each other not a problem. lysa arryn doing fuck all. tyrion in enemy custody and not the walls. father and brother going to war for her. also jon arryn who she never liked is dead as a freebie. and then she never came down from this high but can you blame her

[mostly-funnytwittertweets]

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) is permanently ceasing operations, Concordia University confirmed last Friday. In a notice published on its website, the university blamed “budgetary constraints” for the decision. “We extend our sincere gratitude to all faculty, staff, students and partners who dedicated themselves to advancing MIGS’ mission over the years,” the university wrote. The institute was long considered one of Canada’s leading think tanks, working to develop better policies to protect human rights.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[187days]

Day One Hundred Seventeen

Today was a bit of a rollercoaster day: lots of ups, but also some downs.

In World, I taught the first of a series of lessons on Hinduism and Buddhism: students shared what they already knew about both religions, read an article about their origins and teachings, and then focused in specifically on Hinduism by watching a video about the day in the life of a Hindu priest. In APGOV, my students worked on their SCOTUS case projects, and I gave feedback as needed. Meantime, my independent study student, who does his work during that same block, had a Google Meet with the state rep he’s been working with, and then he and I had a chat about the work he’s done on education policy (research related specific bills, observing a public hearing in Concord, etc...). We also talked about the next thing he wants to focus on: funding for Fish and Game, and more specifically for search and rescue efforts (the aforementioned state rep is drafting a bill pertaining to this).

So it’s all really cool to teach. Even better: my students were engaged, their work was well done, and they asked some terrific questions. That’s definitely an up.

I also made some progress with a ninth grader who just returned from a week of OSS. I told him I was glad to see him when he arrived, and got him squared away for class, which I think made a world of difference to him. Maybe he was worried that he wouldn’t be welcomed back, or something along those lines, I’m not sure. I just know his attitude was really positive from then on out. When I asked him to come see me during a flex or another time so I could help him get caught up, he said he would, but, more importantly, he was smiling and said thank you. That might seem like no big deal, but, trust me, it’s a big deal. So that’s also an up.

The down? Another of my students was just given on OSS. And it’s not that I think that it’s an unfair punishment, or have deep philosophical objections to out-of-school suspensions; I just know it’ll be a struggle for him to recover academically (yes, students can access their work on Classroom and keep up that way while they’re not in school, but can doesn’t always mean will).

But there was another up outside of the regular school day. Most of my GOV students, and my independent study student, came to observe the local deliberative session this evening. I was obviously there as a member of the voting public, but I was also teaching through it, explaining the debate procedures and answering questions. The closure of one of the elementary schools was being discussed, at one point, and it got a little heated, but people were generally polite and respectful. A lot folks told me they were happy to see my students there, which was great. 

The other down? It’s way past my bedtime now! Heh.

[politijohn]

Source

Source

[becomingvecna]

reblog if you think these are all valid reasons for a student or an employee to take a day off from their school or their job without their grades or paycheck being affected in any way:

- period cramps

- exhaustion, be it mental or physical

- depression, anxiety, and other mental health related issues

[your-average-teenage-mess]

I am so glad we mostly moved away from "you have no reason to be afraid of us calling out x (which is evil) if you aren't x yourself". It genuinely made it so fucking impossible to make people understand that they can be engaged in behaviors which are harmful without being malicious monsters or even know that they were doing that. It makes me so happy we're seeing less of that these days (although it is in part due to the fact that a lot of us got sick of engaging with normies at all and instead became actively hostile to them, which... The "don't engage with people who hold deeply harmful beliefs" thing applies to the opposition in specific contexts, but not to your fucking audience!)

[catchymemes]