Consider this the early warning siren on FY27

 

A big thank you to Sam Drysdale of State House News Service for giving us a good look at the danger the potential federal funding cuts count have to how we calculate--and then what we get--in state education aid under Chapter 70. 

To figure that out, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) uses “direct certification,” matching students to benefit programs such as MassHealth (the state’s Medicaid program), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC). If a child shows up in one of those databases, the state counts them as low-income, meaning their household income is below 185% of the federal poverty line, the standard set under the Student Opportunity Act.

This system saves schools from the expensive and time-consuming work of verifying every family’s income. But it also creates a risk: if families lose eligibility for benefits because of federal policy changes, their children can disappear from the state’s low-income count — even if their actual household income hasn’t budged.

As Senator Lewis notes, the state can change this, but they'd have to actively DO that to avoid this for FY27. 

Let your legislators know now! 

Quick note on federal funding

First, while we should be attentive to the "House GOP eyes 27% cut to Title I" headline, what do we know about how the federal budget process works? There are many steps! And don't forget where the Senate (also with a GOP majority) went on this one: 

In July, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bipartisan bill that would fund the Education Department at $79 billion in FY 26, a slight increase to current spending. 

As I posted then:

 Money has impact on real people.  

Keep telling your stories to those who make decisions. It makes a difference.

You don't "dip your toe in the water" when a tsunami is coming

image from CNN

 I've had a bunch of "wow, AI is ongoingly awful" pieces to share, but I now must lead with this weekend "That Metaphor Is a Freudian Slip" example in a piece that is headlined "AI's tidal wave": 

For 165 public school teachers and staffers at the annual school district convocation this week, former state Education Commissioner Jeff Riley offered a strong message about the incoming tidal wave of artificial intelligence.

“I believe we have a choice: We can hold back this tide; we can bury our heads in the sand, or try to surf this wave,” he told the educators gathered Tuesday under a huge tent at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home.

“You don’t need to know how to surf right now,” he said, “but I’m asking you to dip your toe in the water and just begin.

 Here's the advice from actual experts of what to do when a tidal wave is coming:

Evacuate: DO NOT wait! Leave as soon as you see any natural signs of a tsunami or receive an official tsunami warning.

Let's listen to the experts on this tsunami, and not the person who, I was remembering over the weekend, was our erstwhile leadership on K-12 during the pandemic. You may remember how that went.

National School Walkout Friday, September 5

 Students Demand Action is calling a national school walkout over gun violence in schools for Friday, September 5 at noon local time. This is specifically in response to the Annunciation school shooting in Minneapolis.

There is a prep call for student planners tomorrow (see the second link).

And for any administrators or teachers considering how to respond, I will remind you for the words for then Acting Commissioner Jeff Wulfson regarding this in 2018: 

We have spoken of civic involvement:
"this is it: this is as real as it gets. If this is not a teachable moment, I don't know what is."

We don't encourage children to play with poison

 ...and we shouldn't be pretending generative AI is anything but.

Let me preface this by saying that this is a tough read, so please keep that in mind.

And in no other country

Minneapolis Mayor Frey at a press conference yesterday

Inevitable day after headline: 

from today's Minnesota Star Tribune

 Today's New York Times op-ed:

...it bears repeating: The prevalence of this problem is not normal, no other country has to deal with it to this extent, and we are not powerless to act.

How AI violates civil rights: Biden-era OCR guidance

Happy back to school!
WOW, we are seeing some terrible, no good, very bad AI professional development and recommendations for educators out there!