Michael Petrilli

Thanks Morgan!

Debunking the debunkers on the Mississippi Miracle SCHOOLED | Friday, 12/5/25

@michaelpetrilli.bsky.social with a nice roundup of responses to that "debunking" of the Mississippi Miracle (which was pretty thin gruel, I agree). Really enjoying this newsletter - worth the (free) subscription. schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/p/debunking-...

Colorado governor plans to opt into Trump-endorsed initiative that some fear will lead to voucher program The federal program would dole out scholarships to both public and private school students through donations from taxpayers in exchange for federal tax credits

Wow, good for Governor Polis!

Colorado governor plans to opt into Trump-endorsed initiative that some fear will lead to voucher program

coloradosun.com/2025/12/05/c...

🔥🔥🔥

One of THE hardest conversations to have in progressive spaces is about supporting public ed and what that means.

Part of that is accepting it's a conservative (small c) project and that means that sometimes, Conservatives (big C) are worth listening to and make good allies.

Case in point.

What do knowledgeable GOP ed leaders think of Linda "A1" McMahon moving Ed programs to the Dept of Labor?

"absurd on its face."

A smart conservative points out the obvious

FYI @kevincarey1.bsky.social @mattbarnum.bsky.social @mpolikoff.bsky.social @joshua-goodman.com @jenjennings.bsky.social @danagoldstein.bsky.social

Moving K–12 programs to the Department of Labor is neither smart nor conservative The Trump administration recently proposed shifting Department of Education programs to other agencies, mostly the Labor Department. A few of the ideas makes sense. But overall, the proposal is nuts—a...

Longtime GOP staffer Vic Klatt comes out of retirement to write:

Moving K–12 programs to the Department of Labor is neither smart nor conservative

fordhaminstitute.org/national/com...

A pro-ed-reform president would cure the blue-state blues SCHOOLED | Tuesday, 12/2/25

AGREE OR DISAGREE?

A pro-ed-reform president would cure the blue-state blues schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/p/a-pro-ed-r... @conorpwilliams.bsky.social @cedr.bsky.social @mpolikoff.bsky.social @mattbarnum.bsky.social @kevincarey1.bsky.social @matthewakraft.com @chingos.bsky.social

Man, I’ve been saying it for some time now, but at some point the urban ed reform ppl have GOT to get talking to the YIMBY ppl and the urbanists ppl.

Yes. As I wrote to Mike, reformers shouldn't fetishize endless triangulations towards the perceived political center—not least because that center is nothing fixed. Serious progressive reform should be presented in strenuously progressive terms about fairness, justice, and access to opportunity.

Blue-state ed reform is different, not dead SCHOOLED | Tuesday, 11/25/25

Blue-state ed reform is different, not dead

So argues @mpolikoff.bsky.social @conorpwilliams.bsky.social Heather Peske, and Marguerite Roza.

Do you agree?

schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/p/blue-state...

Ahem @kevincarey1.bsky.social @mpolikoff.bsky.social @danagoldstein.bsky.social @cedr.bsky.social @joshua-goodman.com @mattbarnum.bsky.social @imbernomics.bsky.social @joshcowenmi.bsky.social @chingos.bsky.social @jenjennings.bsky.social @benjaminjriley.bsky.social @conorpwilliams.bsky.social

Wait, Betsy DeVos was...right?

Too bad the teacher wasn't armed.

(It sounds like everyone is going to be OK)

Grizzly bear attack in British Columbia seriously injures 3 schoolchildren Teachers used bear spray and a bear banger to drive the animal away, according to Canadian authorities. A parent said one teacher bore “the whole brunt of it.”

3 schoolchildren seriously injured in grizzly bear attack in British Columbia www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

Oh, I agree. This is stupid. I just don’t think it’ll have that much impact in the real world.

Yes, I agree with that!

It’s a big deal IF the Dems don’t win or there are more pressing matters for them address.

Yes nothing like that “swift” recreation of an entire federal department that has existed and worked together for half a century. 🙄

I mean, either you think it matters that the federal government run in a rational, effective, cost-effective manner, or you don't. If you do, this is a bad idea in the "real world." It all trickles down to students eventually.

I can't agree, it will be a big deal to student loan borrowers, children in need, higher ed orgs, and so on.

Just because it can be undone with another admin does not mean that many people won't be screwed over for long after AND the effects rolled back in a timely fashion, if ever.

OK, I agree there are more cons than pros, but to you both: Will any of this matter in the real world? In K12, I doubt it. Maybe higher ed? @kevincarey1.bsky.social

Not sure if I agree with that. The big questions for me are whether the quality of service changes and whether operations become more or less efficient. There seems to be more downside risk than upside benefit over the next few years.

It's a huge waste of time and taxpayer money.

www.newamerica.org/education-po...

It's a nothing burger 🍔.

FYI @kevincarey1.bsky.social @mattbarnum.bsky.social @danagoldstein.bsky.social @alexanderrusso.bsky.social @larryferlazzo.bsky.social @joshua-goodman.com @matthewakraft.com @chingos.bsky.social @mpolikoff.bsky.social @conorpwilliams.bsky.social

Trump administration to announce dismantling of some of Education Dept. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March seeking to close the department, but only Congress has the power to do that.

Everyone is treating this like a big deal. IMO it's not...they will move some boxes (and people) around, and, if a Democrat wins in 2028, it will be swiftly undone. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

What Texas teaches: Embed teacher compensation reform in the school finance formula SCHOOLED | Tuesday, 11/11/25

And, as promised, my post about Texas: schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/p/what-texas...

What Texas teaches: Embed teacher compensation reform in the school finance formula SCHOOLED | Tuesday, 11/11/25

And, as promised, my post about Texas: schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/p/what-texas...