🚩🚩🚩for schools now

Consider this the red flag for schools now: 

Girls in schools report being harassed in school, online, and elsewhere, part of a larger trend of misogyny exploding online since Tuesday. 

LGBTQ teen suicide hotlines have seen a spike since Tuesday.

Racist texts were sent to Black people nationally after Tuesday, including to children in Massachusetts.

For all of us in education, this is result of Tuesday. And it is now our problem. 

Two or three things Massachusetts (and other states) could do now on education

ID 204641933 © Iulian Dragomir | Dreamstime.com

Quick post as I see this being discussed:

•  The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education should affirm that the state WILL NOT accept federal dollars conditionalized on bigotry, denial of history, or other unacceptable things. They could, in fact, use the introduction to the state's educational vision, which Acting Commissioner Johnston cited in his message to superintendents on Wednesday:
  

  We will continue to work with districts, schools, and educators to promote teaching and learning that is antiracist, inclusive, multilingual, and multicultural; that values and affirms each and every student and their families; and that creates equitable opportunities and experiences for all students, particularly those who have been historically underserved.

• The state legislature and governor should commit to ensuring any federal dollars lost through commitment to all students are supplanted through state means. 
  Nationally, federal funding is about 10% of K-12 funding. This is a lift, but it is do-able

A third thing which would work in Massachusetts, but won't work everywhere, is a commitment jointly by the Attorney General and the Department to enforce state civil rights protections in schools. 

This is from me, as me, etc etc etc. Much more coming in this vein, but in the realm of "let's get moving," here's a start. 

A couple of election-related education stories you may have missed this week

 I'm planning on doing both a "because careful what you wish for/gosh, I wish people would actually read my Board of Ed coverage" post on Question 2 and a "we can't know but here are my guesses" on the coming presidential term, but in the meantime, let's start with some good things that maybe you missed:

• VOUCHERS LOST. Once again, when voters were directly asked "do you want to use public funds for private schools," they said NO. And they said it regardless of how their state was voting otherwise. Every single county in Kentucky voted against vouchers. Nebraska voted no. In Colorado, where the effort was to amend the state constitution to include what they were calling school choice, it was also voted down. Here's some analysis in Forbes and in USA Today. Note that this is in keeping with what we have seen before, though: when vouchers are brought right to voters, they are unpopular. 
  
  
• California passed a large bond bill for school construction. As noted by the ballot measure's spokesperson, “People are seeing the need in real time. When you have a leaky roof, it only gets leakier.”
  
  
• Florida rejected a constitutional amendment to make school board elections partisan.
  
  
• North Carolina voted for Mo Green over Michele Morrow for their state superintendent.
  
  
• Houston voted down their school bond bill--which to be clear is not great!--because their state appointed receiver is so unpopular...which I get.
  

COMMISSIONER'S SEARCH INPUT

 It is being REALLY poorly publicized, but there is movement in the Commissioner's search AND IT IS TIME TO WEIGH IN!

1. There is now a survey. If you scroll down here, it is in multiple languages. Take it. Share it.
   
   
   
2. There are three public input sessions AND THEY ARE SOON: 
   
   
1. Saturday, November 9 (aka: the day after tomorrow)
   9- 11 AM
   Worcester State University (Eager Auditorium in the Sullivan Academic Center)
   
   
2. Tuesday, November 12 (next Tuesday)
   3:30 - 5 PM
   Bunker Hill Community College (Room C-202)
   
   
3. Thursday, November 14 (next Thursday)
   7 - 9 PM
   online: register here

It is always possible that if people complain, they'll add (these are too quick, poorly publicized, not enough places, and mostly lousy times), 'though I'd never count on it. At least take the survey! 

Quickly, two "what about education" reads this morning

 I'm at the annual joint MASC/MASS Conference this week, so I have very little time, but I did want to link to two "what about education" election reads this morning:

• In terms of the presidency, EdWeek updated overnight on that. UPDATE: here's K-12 Dive, Chalkbeat, and ABC News.
• There were lots of education issues on the ballot across the country, and Chalkbeat updated overnight on many of those. UPDATE: As The Hill notes, Republicans largely lost on ballot measures.