david i. backer

french laundry exterior

I just found a 2024 charge for $1,348.03 to French Laundry - the 3 Michelin star restaurant in California - in Arizona ESA reimbursements.

America’s teachers are working two jobs and barely getting by | CNN Business Ashley loves her day job teaching math, reading and science to fifth-graders in Washington. But like many other teachers, Ashley relies on a side hustle or two to get by.

The overwhelming majority of American public school teachers (71%) hold at least one side job, according to a new survey released today.

www.cnn.com/2026/03/02/b...

My department is hiring! Specialized teaching faculty to support our EdD programs! illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Let me know if you have questions. It's great here!

Excited to release this policy brief exploring the college enrollment impacts of Massachusetts' recent dramatic expansions of free community college.

TLDR: The clear messaging and simple design of MassReconnect & MassEducate sparked substantial increases in community college enrollment.

As Public as Possible | WHMP 101.5 / 1400 AM 2.27 As Public as Possible Your State U w/ Max Page & Prof & Author David Backer “As Public as Possible: Radical Finance for America’s Schools” Buz - The Massachusetts Government’s Respon...

My interview with MTA president Max Page on WHMP’s *Talk the Talk*. Real fun convo. whmp.com/podcasts/as-...

WHMP 101.5 / 1400 AM | News | Information | The Arts News | Information | The Arts

I'm going on Talk the Talk on WHMP in Western MA with Max Page in the next few minutes! whmp.com

Hard to know what to make of this. Closing Riker's = good. Building new jails, bad? Debt service doubling in the middle of Zohran's term while he's dealing with a budget problem= bad? Does it make the Tax the Rich campaign easier to pitch to moderates if they know it'll pay for new prisons?

So I put this piece on the NYC Public Servants subreddit and someone responded that the jump in debt service in FY28 that Mamdani will face is due to construction costs associated with Borough-Based Jails construction replacing Rikers!! www.constructiondive.com/news/nyc-que...

ICE was in my neighborhood of Brooklyn last night, 15 of them surrounded a family and some in cars apparently ran over protestors using bikes and whistles to stop them. Fucking hell.

112th: Bruce Robbins with Keith Gessen | Book Culture 536 West 112th StNew York, NY

Def will be attending this event, I read an early draft of the book and it’s really an excellent critique of this notion of “elites” www.bookculture.com/event/112th-...

Democratic Finance for New York City’s Budget Dance By David I. BackerI’m a professor of education policy and teach classes on public finance. I make it my business to know the government’s business, and I live in Brooklyn, so I’ve been paying close…

This piece ends with 25ish fun brainstormy revenue ideas. moneyontheleft.org/2026/02/23/d...

@schooldaves.bsky.social offers a slew of fantastic actionable ideas for this year's NYC budget dance. Highly recommend!

So during the period of the $11m deficit in Round Lake, IL public schools, which was called an error by a previous CFO--an underestimation of costs like special education--the district also made $5.4 ... TikTok video by school_finance_socialist

This vid is blowing up—these ppl in IL are pissed about their schools districts. www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8xYXo68/

Seems like an ideological underpinning of today’s rightwing is that ruling class hierarchies are naturally true and good.

That’s why they have to take out wokeness, bc at its heart is the idea that hierarchies aren’t natural, they’re constructed and used to oppress.

People better get to know what OPEB liabilities are because woof is it gonna be hard for all kinds of local and state governments.

6 TOWNS

Interesting regionalization effort in north-central MA 6towns.org

As Public As Possible: Radical Finance for America's Public Schools

Great to talk with Erik at the Critical Teaching and Learning Forum. open.spotify.com/episode/6rK9...

Posting to read after class.

Very cool master's thesis out of U Chicago social sciences: stonecenter.uchicago.edu/news-insight...

Don’t realize the Paris Commune called for participatory budgeting:

If you're going to AERA this year in Los Angeles, check out the MASSES-SIG (Marxian Analysis of Society, Education, and School).

We'll be hosting a lecture by Robin D. G. Kelley along with the Teachers Work/Teachers Union-SIG on April 9th. Sign up at the QR code or link below. tinyurl.com/3vssathe

Forget theory. Broken windows practice!

A student in my managing fiscal affairs class has a great idea: why not repurpose the old slogan “broken windows theory” to fight for school infrastructure? Play tricks on the old repressive adage to call for fixes to actual broken windows.

The thing that’s so cool about this podcast project is that Derek is addressing his neighbors across the ideological spectrum to untangle the specific budget crisis in their district and figure out what to do about it. There’s basically nothing else out there engaging with school finance like that.

Is this in Lake Zurich???

The thing I’ve been thinking about since we recorded this last month is something @schooldaves.bsky.social says toward the end:

“I think school finance is the weak link in the chain of American racial capitalism.”

Epstein Family Values • EQUATOR The billionaire patriarchs of the American far-right want to rule an economy of masters and servants

“Epstein’s victims experienced the rule of master and servant not just as economic but sexual violence. They were the first to name and resist our emergent political order.” www.equator.org/articles/eps...

46. Public Budgeting for Public Education Podcast Episode · The Referenda · 02/12/2026 · 1h 6m

@derekgottliebphd.com podcast education philosopher king, has a pod called The Referenda (great name) and he had me and Celina Su on to talk public education and budgeting. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/4...

Expelling Public Schools Exploring the role of identitarian politics in the privatization of Newark’s public school system  In Expelling Public Schools, John Arena explores the mo...

This looks great, and super relevant to where I work in NJ www.upress.umn.edu/978151791368...

Tfw when you’re a guest after @davidharvey.org