"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Monday, March 31, 2025

The Newest Old Politics of Reading

I subscribe to the Hall Pass Newsletter from Knox County Schools, where I worked as a high school librarian many years ago. 

The most recent issue offered evidence that the current administration has taken the repackaged bait of the phonics fanatics and are running with it.  I took a moment to write a response to this revolting development:



Dear Dr. Wilson:

Reading requires understanding, and none of the mandated exercises that you are bragging about require students to understand anything. The ability to pronounce words or even nonsense syllables is a measurement to the shortsightedness and stupidity of those in charge of this reading pedagogy that was popularized over 250 years ago. 

Like the rest of the Neo-fascist orthodoxy that is now running amok in the country, your “changing the game in literacy” represents several steps backward to an era when pedagogy focused on memorization, recitation, and chain gang rigidity. 
 
“Quick phonics" and "quick spelling" are just tired retreads of an approach most recently tried and failed during the Bush NCLB heyday that began over two decades ago.

More attention to more quality reading materials, validated reading programs, and better school libraries have to be first steps to successful reading outcomes—if you want students to become competent, self-directed, and thoughtful citizens who love reading and who understand what they read. But then, that is not the goal at all, is it, sir?

Instead, KCS has embarked upon campaigns to censor library and classroom collections and, thus, replace teacher enthusiasm with fear and trepidation that they might be fired for not following Christian nationalist dictates that have been approved by the convicted felon now living in the White House.

The people of Knox County deserve leaders who can distinguish leadership from craven kowtowing. 

Sincerely,
James Horn, PhD
Former West High School Librarian (1982-1996)

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Hands Off: Nashville (and the Nation) Fight Back

If you are in the Nashville area, sign up and help sign up family and friends. Could be huge. mobilize.us/s/zcYsBL

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— James Horn (@schools-matter24.bsky.social) March 30, 2025 at 7:46 PM


If you are not in the Nashville, find an event near you

Finally, A Truth

Trump finally says something that is NOT a lie: www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...

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— James Horn (@schools-matter24.bsky.social) March 30, 2025 at 8:27 AM

Friday, March 28, 2025

Elite Cowardly Law Firms Surrender to Trump’s Illegal Orders

 

The once-prestigious Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom joins other cowardly, traitorous law firms like Paul Weiss that have capitulated to mobster Felon’s illegal orders to crush lawful opposition: Skadden, a Top Law Firm, Is in Talks to Avert an Executive Order www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/b...

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— James Horn (@schools-matter24.bsky.social) March 28, 2025 at 8:00 AM

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Houthi-Gate Hearing Today: Lying to Congress Is a Felony

 

It’s not often you watch careers end live on TV. But Tulsi Gabbard has very likely perjured herself today and Radcliffe just finished his. Trump will insulate himself by throwing Cabinet chum to the sharks. Anyone from the VP downwards is expendable.

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— News Eye (@newseye.bsky.social) March 25, 2025 at 11:29 AM

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Missed Social Security checks no big deal to Trump’s billionaire commerce secretary


Did I mention that Lutnick’s mother-in-law, Geri Lambert, lives in a Manhattan Upper East Side townhouse once owned by Jeffrey Epstein?  

Unlike millions of Americans who paid into the System for decades, I guess she probably doesn’t use her Social Security check to buy groceries and pay the light bill.

It is time to be speak up, rise up, be counted.  If you are doing nothing but doom-scrolling on your antisocial media platform, you are part of the problem.  


Sunday, March 16, 2025

ALA Responds to Cut in Library Funding

 

The library is the fountain of knowledge. From a fountain of knowledge flows critical thinking. From critical thinking flows democracy. From democracy flows our livelihoods. We know what flows from defunding libraries. Let us defend our libraries like our liberation depends on it. Because it does.

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— Ibram X. Kendi (@ibramxk.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 9:26 AM

New Realities

 Then


Now



Friday, March 14, 2025

The Plan to Replace Education with Christian Nationalist Propaganda

 by Rachel Laser:

Americans United for Separation of Church and State’s President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement in response to credible reports that President Donald Trump will sign an executive order declaring an end to the U.S. Department of Education later today:

Ending Dept. of Education is part of Christian Nationalist agenda set out in Project 2025

“The Trump Administration’s attempt to end the Department of Education is part of the Christian Nationalist agenda set out in Project 2025 to destroy public education that benefits all communities in favor of private, religious education. Every public school district and most colleges and universities in the country rely on the Department of Education as do the students and communities served by those schools.

“Among its many important functions, the Department of Education ensures that millions of American students receive financial aid for higher education and that public schools respect students’ civil rights. The stroke of a magic marker cannot take away those important functions and rights from American students.

“Public education is one of the great promises of America – our pledge to our children that they have the power to brighten our collective future. This order signals that Trump wants to betray that promise and indoctrinate a new generation of Americans into Christian Nationalism. Americans United will continue to fight for public schools and against the Christian Nationalist assault on public education.”

The Women Get It

 

AOC expresses how most of us feel… I’m grateful for her voice, strength, determination, and fight. @aoc.bsky.social

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— 💙❤️💙Mia💙❤️💙 (@mommamia.bsky.social) March 14, 2025 at 11:56 AM

If You Are So Fortunate . . .

If you are so fortunate as to have a U.S. Senator who is not a Republican, please call and remind her of this before the budget vote later today.  

Reject House Republicans’ Power Grab Funding Bill

Thank you.  Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

This is exactly right but so commonly misunderstood.

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— Ezra Levin (@ezralevin.bsky.social) March 13, 2025 at 11:08 PM

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Andy Ogles Offers Another Example of GOP Town Hall to Avoid Constituents

Andy Ogles posted an announcemnt on Instagram, nonetheless, for a telephone town hall.  The announcement was posted the same day of the event, March 5.

Here is one response from a constituent, which was published as a Letter to the Editor of The Tennessean:

In a recent telephone town hall hosted by Congressman Andy Ogles, R-District 5 (Middle Tennessee), I found myself grappling with a profound sense of disappointment.

The format, hastily arranged and, perhaps, prompted by David Huebner's letter to the editor in The Tennessean, stifled genuine dialogue.

Constituents were unable to directly address questions, and my own submission was heavily redacted, stripping it of its meaning and allowing Ogles to deflect.

This experience raises a critical question: Are we witnessing the erosion of democratic engagement?

Ogles' unwavering allegiance to Trump and MAGA, coupled with his unresponsiveness to the needs of the 5th District, suggests a troubling trend. He appears more committed to party directives than to the voices of his constituents.

The parallels to Orwell's "1984" are striking. The elimination of facts, censorship of free thinking, and suppression of criticism of our elected officials are no longer confined to fiction.

In "1984," the Party exercises absolute control over every aspect of life, from history to thoughts, through constant surveillance, propaganda, and the suppression of dissent.

Similarly, the MAGA movement often employs slogans and rhetoric that simplify complex issues and create a polarized narrative. The redaction of my question and the deflection by Ogles can be seen as a form of propaganda, where the truth is manipulated to fit a particular narrative.

Is this the new normal? Are we content with a future where our voices are silenced and our concerns dismissed? I urge my fellow constituents to reflect on these questions and to hold our elected officials accountable. We deserve better.

Peter McDermott, Franklin 37067

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

My Phone Script Today for Don and Elon’s Enablers in Congress

To the Staff of Congressman Ogles, Senator Blackburn, and Senator Hagerty:

I have called many times to express my outrage at your inaction to, support for, and enabling of the takeover and demolition of our federal government and the valuable institutions that it supports.

Reliable news outlets are reporting that Trump’s criminal delinquents (DOGE) are inside Social Security and Medicaid doing god knows what.  Stealing data, setting time bombs, eliminating beneficiaries, or some other sociopathic crime? 

So here’s what I want you to know today and every day until  President Felon and his criminal gang are politically eliminated:

If Medicaid is cut so that its operations are hindered and/or services are cut, you are going to lose your job.

If Medicare is cut so that its operations are hindered and/or services are cut, you are going to lose much more than your job.  

Here is the number of the Capitol Hill switchboard, which will connect you with your Representative or Senator: 202-224-3121

Wednesday, March 05, 2025

Colbert Monologue Provides Hightlights of the Presidential Address to Congress

Top 12 Biggest Lies from March 4 Convicted Felon Address to Congress

Trump’s firehose of lies last evening was even atypical for a pathological liar whose thousands of lies have been documented since the Lout-in-Chief descended the gilded escalator of Trump Tower in 2015 to declare his intention of turning U. S. into a massive revenue stream. 

It is telling this morning that the vapid VP, J. D. Vance has been sent out from the White House to beat the bushes for support of the most unpopular Presidential agenda in modern times. Why is Trump not staging his famous rallies so that he can be lavished with praise from adoring fans?  

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that even the MAGAts are awakening and worried that they have been entirely screwed by a manipulative psychopath.  Can you imagine how unhappy these trigger-happy rubes will be when Grandma’s Medicaid is snatched and she’s left on the curb outside the nursing home?

Top 12 lies by Steve Benen:

Trump said, “We inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe.” This wasn’t true.

Trump said, “We’re going to have growth in the auto industry like nobody’s ever seen. Plants are opening up all over the place.” That wasn’t true.

Trump said, towns like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, were “destroyed” by immigrants. That wasn’t true.

Trump said, in reference to Europe and aid to Ukraine, “[W]e’ve spent perhaps $350 billion, and they’ve spent $100 billion.” That wasn’t true.

Trump said, “For the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction.” That wasn’t true.

Trump said, in reference to Biden-era inflation, rates were the worst “perhaps even in the history of our country, they’re not sure.” They are sure and that wasn’t true.

Trump said the Biden administration imposed an “electric vehicle mandate.” That wasn’t true.

Trump said, “I’ve stopped all government censorship.” That wasn’t true.

Trump said, “Believe it or not, government databases list 4.7 million Social Security members from people aged 100 to 109 years old. It lists 3.6 million people from ages 110 to 119.” Don’t believe it, because that wasn’t true.

Trump said the Biden administration “closed more than 100 power plants.” That wasn’t true.

Trump said, “The presidential election of Nov. 5 was a mandate like has not been seen in many decades.” That wasn’t true.

Trump said that his first term economic agenda produced “the most successful economy in the history of our country.” That wasn’t true.

These dozen whoppers are, of course, just a sampling of the most outrageous and obvious deceptions.

But stepping back, the problem is not just that Trump lied repeatedly throughout his remarks. The problem is made worse by the apparent fact that he felt like he had to lie — likely aware of the unavoidable fact that the truth about his record and his vision simply isn't good enough to stand on its own.

Indeed, for all of the president’s bravado and chest-thumping, his avalanche of lies gave away the game: If he’d earned the right to boast about his accomplishments, he wouldn’t have had to lie quite so much.

White House officials probably hope that the public won’t see the fact-check reports, and that many Americans will simply believe what they’re told to believe. In fact, one of Trump’s former press secretaries, Stephanie Grisham, spoke at the Democratic National Convention last summer and explained, “He used to tell me, ‘It doesn’t matter what you say, Stephanie — say it enough and people will believe you.’”

Saturday, March 01, 2025

 

This says it all.

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— George Takei (@georgetakei.bsky.social) March 1, 2025 at 4:05 PM

Saturday Chores


Saturday Chores:

____ Order “Support Ukraine” yard signs and bumper stickers.”

____ Call my Republican Senators and Representative (202-224-3121 Capitol Switchboard) to urge support of Ukraine, rather than Russia.

____ Spend an hour at BlueSky commenting, reposting, learning.

____ Contact local Indivisible groups today to find out when we may expect an organized reply. 

____ Firm up plans for the next TESLA TAKEDOWN protest in Brentwood.

____ Text my friends to let them know what I did today. 

____ Clear calendars to prioritize outreach/planning/actions against authoritarian takeovers here and abroad.

____ Listen to music.