Alexander Russo
@alexanderrusso
Founder @thegrade_: http://ow.ly/65CV30r3gmo. Prev: TWIE, LA_SR, D299, Stray Dogs, Saints, & Saviors (book). Seen any great (or awful) schools coverage lately?
Happy July! @TheGrade is on a break. Read our latest pieces here: kappanonline.org/category/the-g…. Watch our latest videos here: youtube.com/@thegrade7706/
Yes, #foster care has harmed thousands of kids. Those I interviewed for this book say the solution isn't ending foster care, but radically changing it.
Yes, the foster care system endangers children. And yes, schools play a role. Does the foster care system endanger children? New book 'Wards of the State' asks that question | Here & Now wbur.org/hereandnow/202…
Strong evidence suggesting enrollment losses in public schools are due to more than private choice programs. Massachusetts doesn't have such a program, but since COVID private enrollment has risen more than pre-COVID trends while public enrollment has dropped.
An interesting new paper examines course syllabi related to three contentious topics (Israel-Palestine, racial bias in criminal justice, and abortion) and found "a strong asymmetry." Profs, the paper argues, generally shield their students from complexity. chronicle.com/article/these-…
Tonight!?
"They claimed that three large fathers had stormed the school, tried to arrest the principal. They made us out to be the worst kind of terrorists. …I got sentenced to 100 days in jail & $10,000 in fines. I was told I had to scrub my social media and be quiet." @RealFreedomTalk
EXCLUSIVE: The White House plans to introduce another rescissions package soon that will include cuts to education funding, @DailySignal has learned. dailysignal.com/2025/07/22/exc…
Yes, the foster care system endangers children. And yes, schools play a role. Does the foster care system endanger children? New book 'Wards of the State' asks that question | Here & Now wbur.org/hereandnow/202…
The NYT's emerging/nontraditional media reporter Jessica Testa is my favorite journalist right now, not just bc she has a cool Twitter handle (@jtes) nytimes.com/by/jessica-tes…
"A video welcoming students to Leah Barlow’s African American studies course inspired Hillmantok, a virtual university of free TikTok lectures from Black academics and experts." (FEB) nytimes.com/2025/02/05/sty…
How about this (I do mention schools!): kveller.com/why-i-didnt-ma…?
Hard to take Corey seriously? Of course! Hard to take education journalism seriously on this topic? Also true. The beat makes teachers unions and the rest of the groups nearly invisible to their readers.
I just found the National Education Association's 2025 handbook.
Please tell me there's a schools angle to Shteyngart's new book so I have an excuse to interview him for THE EDUCATION SHOW.
📅 Thurs. 7/24 @ 6PM: Gary Shteyngart joins us at the Brattle for a discussion of his new novel "Vera, or Faith", the tale of a family struggling to stay together in a country rapidly coming apart. He will be joined by author Tom Perrotta. Get tickets: buff.ly/ZzkmvyO
It's always helpful when coverage says the quiet part out loud. Education reporters should do this more often. "In the past 48 hours, Trump has unspooled comments on a litany of controversies, all of which seem designed to distract attention..." washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/…
“… a less-relevant product” is how @jstewartIndy describes the journalism of the WFYI newsroom, incl my education reporting team, in his @indystar column today. Not sure where to start w/ Jacob’s click-hungry take. Or if it’s worth it. But it’s clear the new columnist is…
87% of NPR listeners are Democrats. Ending government subsidies to public media was a good move, and will restore competition/innovation to the industry. Now, the government ought to incentivize public engagement. Read my latest column for @indystar below.
Has the @EdefyUS approach been tried (and covered) before? Seems like it must have been. Anyone else reminded of @AltSchool?
A new app connects families with teachers and helps them create miniature schools. The Uber of education.
NPR to cut its budget by $8 million to provide relief to vulnerable member stations tpr.org/news/2025-07-2…
"The sustained decline in public school enrollment observed here is consistent with evidence that Americans, including K–12 parents, remain less satisfied with public schools even years after school closures ended. Between 2019 and 2025, the fraction of Americans reporting…
School Enrollment Shifts Five Years After the Pandemic: Public education sees shrinking middle schools and an exodus of wealthy, white, and Asian students. bit.ly/4509yS4
'Five years after the pandemic’s onset, there has been a substantial shift away from public schools and toward non-public options.' And this in Massa chusetts, where one wd expect greater loyalty to public schools. educationnext.org/school-enrollm…