Kelley Cusmano

#PoemADayJuly intro for today's poem: "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes

"Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes, lines 1-24

"Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes, lines 25-50

"Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes, lines 51-86

"Let it be that great strong land of love / Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme" (7-8)

I would guess that most of us have read this poem. Some of us (*raises hand*) have brought it into our classrooms.

"Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes

Let's read it again. #PoemADayJuly

The kickoff to building Roadmap 2030 was INCREDIBLE thanks to @kellcusmano.bsky.social Mishkat Al Moumin & @khmc.bsky.social ! View the recording at chttps://youtu.be/3kwed6Qthxk

Be sure to sign up for our next Town Hall July 14th at 7 pm et here: bit.ly/TownHall7-14 #EduSky @eduskyteam.com

Kelly Cusmano receives a Forward Fund grant from the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification! Kelley Cusmano gets #celebratED for receiving a Forward Fund grant from the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) at their annual conference in Charl...

@kellcusmano.bsky.social gets #celebratED for receiving a NASDTEC Forward Fund grant! We know she will make good use of this award in furthering her influence in public education, and we thank her for modeling leadership at every level! www.get-celebrated.com/post/kelly-c... #EduSky @eduskyteam.com

One week from tonight! Our first Town Hall beginning to build Roadmap 2030! Join @kellcusmano.bsky.social , Mishkat Al Moumin and @khmc.bsky.social and get in on the ground floor!

Sign up via Zoom to take part in this important work at bit.ly/TownHall6-30 #EduSky @eduskyteam.com

The most inspiring chapters in our nation's history came when Americans faced down some of our country's darkest demons.

Those moments, like our own, were difficult to live through but also brought the chance to bring out the best in us, with enduring consequences.

I am once again BEGGING school districts to hit pause on AI. Today, I uploaded my (redone for the 3rd?4th?) senior assignment to multiple sites and watched as it spit out an outline followed by, "Do you want me to create a draft you can use?"

We are allowing kids to outsource all thinking.

“Using AI to brainstorm” means students are sometimes writing about ideas they never had…

Salt Lake City and Boise Adopt Official Pride Flags in Response to State Laws

Salt Lake City, Utah, and Boise, Idaho, adopted official Pride flags on Tuesday in response to state laws barring the display of any nonofficial flags at schools and government buildings.

The American Library Association has filed a lawsuit against the Trump admin over "the gutting of the Institute of Museum and Library Services" and are asking for the agency to be reinstated.

So true. I spent time at Google HQ and they all said that the human skills will be much more emphasized.

It would be an amazing turn of events. I have truly been encouraged by your leadership and cannot wait to see your next steps!

ONE parent. And in Florida, ONE man is responsible for 40% of all book challenges in the state. The book banners are a tiny minority. Make that clear by speaking up in favor of the freedom to read. (Email your school board!)

Education Department to Fire 1,300 Workers, Gutting Its Staff The layoffs mean that the department will now have a work force of about half the size it did when President Trump took office.

Breaking News: The Education Department announced that it was firing more than 1,300 workers, effectively gutting the agency. The layoffs mean that the department will now have a work force of about half the size it did when President Trump took office.

USDA cancels $1B in local food purchasing for schools, food banks States have been notified that they will not receive 2025 funding for schools to buy food from nearby farms.

The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, halting more than $1 billion in federal spending.

www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

Excerpt from Brake's piece under the section "The False Promise": "The great lie of AI is the false promise of technique—that we can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps to fix ourselves and our world. That in searching for a more efficient way, we can find technological solutions to human problems. There is no salvation to be found in efficiency."

"There is no salvation to be found in efficiency."

Oh boy, I needed to read this sentence waking up this morning. Stop what you're doing and go read @joshbrake.com:

joshbrake.substack.com/p/techniques...

I couldn't afford private school anymore, so I enrolled my kids in a public high school. They're thriving. After attending private school for years, my kids are now in a public high school. They have access to great classes and are better set for college.

"Who would have thought these would be options at our suburban high school?"

There are many more of these stories out there. Many parents have been so steeped in anti-public ed propaganda that they are surprised by the reality of their local schools.

Arizona AG Kris Mayes, New Mexico AG Raul Torrez, and Oregon AG Dan Rayfield will begin holding Community Impact Hearings — a national series of townhalls "to hear from the public about the impact of federal firings and DOGE funding freezes across the country."

The first will be in Phoenix March 5.

Army veteran feels ‘absolutely betrayed’ after being terminated from USAID Phil Sussman, an Army veteran who worked for the United States Agency for International Development, said in an interview today that he felt “absolutely

Phil Sussman, an Army vet who worked for USAID, feels "absolutely betrayed" after receiving a termination letter.
 
"This isn't a meme. This isn't a tweet. This is myself and my wife and my three children who don't know how we're gonna pay the mortgage next month."
www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...

I have some time, so let’s take a look at the latest education op-ed in The Times. First, I want to make it clear I work at a magnet-like public school, so I know my experience is not universal; even I know writing about the problems of education from the viewpoint of a $60,000/yr day school is wild

(whispering)

“Live from the library, it’s Merriam-Webster!”

Pope rebukes Trump administration over migrant deportations, warns 'it will end badly' Pope Francis has issued a major rebuke to the Trump administration’s mass deportation of migrants. He warned that the program to forcefully deport people purely because of their illegal status deprive...

apnews.com/article/pope... Pope rebukes Trump administration over migrant deportations, warns 'it will end badly'

Meet the Compton Teacher Who Sparked Kendrick Lamar’s Love for Words - Because of Them We Can Black teachers matter! Kendrick Lamar just put on an outstanding performance at Super Bowl LIX, featuring appearances by Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, and tennis icon Serena Williams. But before Kendrick La...

"Inge saw his potential early on and encouraged him to refine his skills. He placed a thesaurus in Lamar’s hands, circling words that could expand his vocabulary and enhance his storytelling." ❤️🥹
#EduSky
#BlackEduSky

www.becauseofthemwecan.com/blogs/the-fe...

The Case For USAID It does us, and others, a world of good

For a quick sugar high to “own the libs,” the attempts to shutter USAID would do long term damage that couldn’t be reversed for a generation. My latest:

adamkinzinger.substack.com/p/the-case-f...

😂😂☠️☠️

My thought was—does he need funding? We do not have to fall this far! Lol

Trump's freeze stalls federal firefighter hiring Crews helped battle the deadly Los Angeles-area wildfires, and now some worry a shortfall will weaken response capabilities as fire season approaches.

Trump's federal hiring freeze has stopped the onboarding of thousands of seasonal federal firefighters — including those who work for agencies called on to help battle the Los Angeles-area fires, creating a potential shortfall ahead of the next fire season.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Hi, my name is [NAME], I'm a constituent in [ZIP CODE]. I'm calling because I saw that [TERRIBLE THING] is happening. I think this is appalling. [PERSONAL STORY, if you have one.] I want you to do everything you can to stop this. I will remember your actions when I cast my next vote. Thank you.

Here is a script you can use for any issue. Find your reps' # at reps.fyi or 5calls.org. Every time you see a news story that horrifies you: call, or something else about it. It matters to say what you believe. You are setting a norm.

Headed into the weekend, a gentle reminder that this whirlwind is specifically designed to make us feel exhausted, overwhelmed, resigned, & sapped of energy, and that it is more important now than ever to connect with your community. Hug your family, check on your friends, walk in your neighborhood.