#curriculum and instruction in education

[risgandhinagar1]

Understanding the CBSE School Admissions Process 2024: A Complete Guide

Introduction:

Embarking on the journey of securing admission to a CBSE school can be both exciting and daunting. This blog aims to demystify the admission process, providing insights and guidance for parents navigating the intricacies of admissions in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Understanding CBSE Schools:

CBSE schools, affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education, adhere to a standardized curriculum renowned for its academic rigor and holistic approach. In Gandhinagar, renowned institutions like Rangoli International School exemplify excellence in education.

The Admission Landscape:

Explore the admission landscape in Gandhinagar, encompassing a diverse array of CBSE schools, international schools, and other institutions catering to different educational philosophies. With options ranging from CBSE-affiliated schools to independent institutions, parents have ample choices.

Key Considerations:

Delve into the factors to consider when selecting a CBSE school for your child's admission. From academic reputation and faculty credentials to extracurricular offerings and facilities, each aspect plays a crucial role in determining the best fit.

Application Process:

Gain insights into the typical application process for CBSE schools in Gandhinagar. This includes filling out application forms, providing necessary documents, attending interviews or entrance exams, and understanding admission criteria.

Important Dates and Deadlines:

Stay informed about important dates and deadlines associated with the admission process. Timely submission of applications and completion of required formalities ensure a smooth journey towards securing admission.

Visiting Schools:

Schedule visits to shortlisted schools to gain firsthand experience of the campus, interact with faculty and staff, and assess the learning environment. This step is crucial in making an informed decision.

Making the Final Decision:

After thorough research and consideration, make the final decision regarding your child's admission. Ensure alignment with your child's educational goals, values, and aspirations.

Conclusion: Navigating the admission process for CBSE schools in Gandhinagar requires careful planning and consideration. By understanding the landscape, preparing effectively, and making informed choices, parents can embark on a rewarding educational journey for their children, setting them on the path to success and personal growth.

[miodiodavinci]

taking a moment to add my two cents i think

[mtncitymusicusa]

Website : https://www.mtncitymusic.com

Address : California, USA

Mountain City Music Company specializes in providing high-quality, affordable music lessons in the comfort of your home. They offer a range of lessons including guitar, piano, and voice, tailored to individual preferences and learning styles. Their curriculum is designed around music you love, taught by knowledgeable and virtuosic instructors. The company emphasizes convenience, quality, and affordability, aiming to make music accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089682703968

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mountain_city_music

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[nicholasandriani]

Reality is Dead, Long Live Reality!

On Art, Education, and the Current State of Everything MARCH 3, 2025 By Nicholas Andriani I woke up today with a question rattling in my head like a loose screw in the machinery of modern life: What does it mean to create in an era of collapsing reality? Everywhere I turn, the fractures are widening. The things we once called truth, fact, or even just a shared reality are dissolving under the…

[best-u-of-feenis-program]

Post Master’s Certificate in Educational Technology

(no propaganda submitted)

MA in Education/Curriculum and Instruction

(no propaganda submitted)

[gwmac]

The 'Leader in Me' Phenomenon: Leadership Elixir or Educational Mirage?

Introduction The “Leader in Me” program, inspired by Stephen Covey’s renowned book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” has been widely adopted by many American schools with the aim of nurturing leadership qualities and character development in students. However, its rapid adoption has sparked a spectrum of critiques, challenging its efficacy and potential implications on student growth.…

[memecucker]

“This latest bill is part of a continued effort by the [California] Legislative Jewish Caucus to impose ideological constraints upon ethnic studies as a field to disallow the critical teaching of Palestine within K-12 education in California,” Christine Hong, a professor of critical race and ethnic studies at the University of California (UC) Santa Cruz and co-chair of the UC Ethnic Studies Faculty Council (UCESFC) told Truthout.

While AB 1468’s authors are Democrats who have condemned the Trump administration’s attacks on public education, Lara Kiswani, executive director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), said the proposed bill would have similar effects as efforts in Republican-controlled states and on the federal level seeking to whitewash K-12 and college curricula and turn back the clock on civil rights progress.

“The Democrats and others who are championing these bills may not explicitly say themselves or even identify as part of the far right MAGA agenda, but it’s indisputable that what they are doing is in alignment with the broader attack on public education and the attack on anti-racist education, in particular,” Kiswani told Truthout.

AB 1468’s lead sponsor is the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), one pillar of whose policy framework is to “maintain a strong California-Israel relationship,” including through “combat[ing] campaigns to delegitimize and demonize Israel.” JPAC lists the Anti-Defamation League and other Zionist organizations among its members.

Last year, members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus proposed a raft of bills meant to stifle Palestine-related speech in public schools and on college campuses. Among those was AB 2918, a predecessor to AB 1468. When a diverse coalition of educators and advocates mounted a pressure campaign and succeeded in having it shelved, sponsors vowed to reintroduce it this year. “AB 1468 is AB 2918, but on steroids,” Guadalupe Cardona, a high school educator and member of the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium, told Truthout.

The new bill would require all ethnic studies curricula, instruction and instructional materials to undergo public hearings, be vetted by the state, and be posted on the Department of Education’s website. AB 1468 also outlines standards according to which ethnic studies materials should be reviewed, including mandating that instruction focus on “domestic experience and stories” and not cover “abstract ideological theories, causes, or pedagogies.”

In the proposed legislation, “there are so many layers of policing and surveillance that no other academic area has,” Tricia Gallagher-Geurtsen, co-chair of the San Diego Unified School District Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee and a lecturer in critical race and ethnic studies at UC Santa Cruz, told Truthout. “It’s absolutely unprecedented overreach, and it’s an arm of the state trying to censor what our children are learning [and] censor the truth of our students’ realities.”

Under AB 1468, the body responsible for vetting ethnic studies materials would be the California State Board of Education’s Instructional Quality Commission, whose current members include Sen. Ben Allen and Anita Friedman. Friedman is a board trustee of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and executive director of Jewish Family and Children’s Services, an organization known for its efforts to silence discussions of Palestine and anti-Zionism in schools.

[lowkeyerror]

Help With The Curriculum

Agatha Harkness x Reader x Rio Vidal

Part 1: Both you and Agatha are history professors at university. The students often compare your courses so Agatha attends one of your lectures. She asks you to go to dinner with her, to help her come up with a more engaging curriculum. Just meal between two educators... until it’s not

Part 2: You sit in on one of Agatha’s lectures and enjoy some time with her during passing period... however that time with Agatha might have attracted the attention of someone else.

Part 3: Agatha gets rewarded for the way she behaved for you earlier today. It's everything that both of you could want and maybe more.

Part 4: Rio gets herself a chance with you and Agatha. The only caveat is that she has to follow instructions and even then, she might not get a reward.

Part 5: There’s a new professor in the English department who has taken a special interest in Agatha. You and Rio have to remind Agatha that she's already spoken for.

[walkingnearfoxes]

The Space Between the Lines (Homelander x Reader) - Chapter 3

1.7k words. 18+. Warnings for stalking and the Homelander being horny. She/Her Teacher Reader. 

There are a dozen teachers who would kill for this job. You’re just not sure that you’re one of them.

The Homelander had been watching you for weeks.

He didn't have much of a choice. He clearly couldn't trust Ashley and her merry band of mediocrity to pick an educator for Ryan. These "teachers" brought to him were either idiots, ugly as goddamn sin, or too busy shitting their pants at the sight of him to educate his son. One bald and sweaty winner was all three; he took care of that one. That dumbass wouldn't be teaching anyone any time soon.

Clearly, to ensure the best possible future for his son, the Homelander needed to step in. He looked at the curriculum. He re-mapped the lessons with wide-eyed instructional designers. He looked at the resumes. He burned the resumes. He asked Ashley whether she was picking these fuckers out of the sewers or the prisons.

And then, to her luck, she found you.

At first, he wasn't very impressed. You were young, first of all. Educated, sure. Cute, even. But young. Weren’t the best teachers supposed to be ancient? Set in their ways?

"She won an award for education, sir," Ashley had offered at his evident ambivalence. Your file was displayed across the screens of the conference room. The Homelander sat back in his usual chair, gloved fingers drumming at the arms.

He rolled his eyes. "Did she win by having a fucking pulse? Honestly, Ashley, after the zombies you sent me-"

But then she clicked on the video that came with your award profile. It showed a clip of one of your lessons - an introduction to the War of 1812 with a rambunctious group of middle schoolers. He would have fried them immediately, but you were the image of calm. 

It was the way you held yourself that caught his attention. You had energy, but you were always in control. You answered each question the little shits had for you concisely and even joked with one or two of them. When a student reached for the cell phone bulging in their jean pocket, your glare across the room was enough to stop them and give you a mumbled apology.

You cared. You cared deeply.

He stared at the screen for another minute, his gaze following you across the screen. Finally, he nodded. "Bring her in."

Ashley looked like she might just come from relief. "Absolutely, sir," She breathed and turned to the computer for all of two seconds before her dirt brain got distracted. "I-I should mention, she doesn't have a background in math or science-"

"Oh, boo hoo." The Homelander drawled as he stood. "Now we won't know how a plant fucks itself. Half that shit isn't real, Ashley. Just bring her in."

He didn't take part in the interviews. He had actual work to do and lives to save. The notes that Ashley gave him were all things he already knew. You were quick, intelligent, and wanted to make a difference. No shit. He didn't need an hour-long conversation to know that. He knew that keeping an eye on you was much better than any performance task. He did the actual work.

It was comical to him how little people paid attention. He was invisible to all the ants if he didn't want to be spotted. He easily flew from building to building, neighborhood to neighborhood, all to learn more about cute, unsuspecting little you. You weren’t hard to find; Vought had all of your information before you even applied.

His findings were boring as fuck at first. You had a small group of friends, you read all the fucking time, but you kept yourself in shape. He appreciated the last part, at least. But you weren’t as refreshing as he thought you would be from the teaching video. The only thing that slightly caught his curiosity was the mysterious relationship to your family. Your mother called about twice a week - sometimes more. From his x-ray vision and superior hearing through the ancient walls of your apartment, he learned enough to know your family didn't live far away, but you made no effort to visit them. Every time your mother called, he saw your lips thin and your eyes narrow. You usually were doing something else while speaking to her - browsing the Internet, pacing the living room, even punching a pillow. Why, he wondered? Maybe mommy and daddy were neglectful of you. A favored sibling, maybe? Drugs? There are limitless possibilities, but you never spoke about it to anyone. Was it a minor issue then, or were you so selfless that you didn't want to bother anyone with your problems? His mind drifted to the matter more than once. He didn’t quite comprehend what would make someone distance themselves from their blood when it was so close at hand.

Then, there was the run.

You very stupidly liked to go for runs at night. Alone. With headphones on. It was like you were asking to be gutted. Sure enough, only about two weeks into his watch, a mindless oaf of a man found you at a stoplight. From his standing perch on a nearby rooftop, his body cloaked in shadow, the Homelander rolled his eyes. 

Was he going to have to save you already? Christ.

But then, he noticed your movements. The man was to your back, but you had already turned off your music and lowered your headphones. You already knew he was there. 

"You lost, baby girl?" The man murmured, stopping a mere five inches from your back. "I can bring ya home and warm ya up..."

You turned to look at him, and the smile on your face - a grin full of teeth - wasn't polite. It was a warning. "I'm just fine, buddy. Now walk away."

The man bristled - he had a good foot of height on you and about three times the fucking body mass - but then your smile disappeared. The Homelander saw the way your eyes changed. There was something darker. Something he was intimately familiar with.

The man swallowed, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and shuffled backward. "Right. Sorry. Ma'am."

You watched him for a long moment, ensuring he truthfully intended to leave you alone. Once you were sure, the Homelander watched as you put your headphones back in and carried on as if nothing had happened.

Oh.

Oh.

You weren't just a cute little teacher. There was something else.

His lips twitched upwards in approval. There was another twitch down south, but that wasn't too surprising. He’d always admired strong women. He could take care of that later; the few “accidental” peaks of you in your shower had given him plenty of material.

So, he told Ashley to hire you and continued to keep an eye on you. It wasn't out of surveillance now; it was out of curiosity. He didn't see another glimpse of that side of you again, but that would come with time. You weren't perfect. Your clothes were boring, you couldn't nail down a signature scent, and he loathed your roommate.

But that look. He could do something with that look.

And so he sat and watched as you taught his son. He had to admit that you were good. Ryan was paying attention, and he was smiling. He was smiling a little too much - he certainly never smiled that much with him - but what was important was that he was learning. What was also important was that you were slowly becoming more at ease. You had stopped your adorably nervous glances at him about 20 minutes ago, and adrenaline had stopped obnoxiously pumping through your body. He could barely detect the scent anymore. 

You were explaining how the colonists had grown independent from Britain when Ryan's brows began furrowing.

You, the diligent educator that you are, notice right away. "What's up?"

"I'm...a little confused," Ryan admits.

You smile encouragingly. "Well, share with the class. It's my job to help with that."

Ryan points to his textbook. The Homelander can see from across the table that he's touching an image of a plantation. "You said George Washington had slaves?"

You hesitate, and your eyes move to glance at the Homelander. He says nothing, the same polite smile on his face. You look back to Ryan. "That's right."

Ryan's frown deepens. "He wanted the colonies to be free but he had slaves?"

Uh oh.

The Homelander laughs, and it's the first sound he's made this entire lesson. Ryan meets his eyes immediately, and you barely mask a flinch. "Whoa there, buddy," He says, standing up from his place at the table. "It's a little more complicated than that."

There's barely a beat after his words before you reply. "Yeah, their whole idea of freedom is a bit...convoluted."

The Homelander blinks and raises a brow. "What do you mean, teach?"

Your smile is polite, but your eyes are a bit less so. "I mean that Ryan is making a good point. It's a bit hypocritical."

He scoffs and steps forward, his hands moving to his hips. "Are you calling our founding father a hypocrite?"

There it is. There's that look in your eye. Without missing a beat, you nod your head. "Yes."

He hadn’t expected to see it again so soon - certainly not directed at him. But there it is.

There is a long silence interrupted only by Ryan's fingers anxiously tapping against the table. It's death to the Homelander's eardrums, but he doesn't care. He's staring at you, waiting for you to flinch or murmur an apology like all those other mudpeople did. You don't.

"Well, on that exciting note, I think we can call it for today," He announces, turning to give his son a warm smile. "Ryan, you earned yourself some Tournament of Heroes time."

Ryan turns to look at you - a decision that makes the Homelander's fists clench on his hips - and you smile back at the boy. "Same time tomorrow?"

Ryan smiles shyly back. "Yeah. Definitely." He stands up slowly, closes his notebook, and looks at his father. "Do you wanna come play, Dad?"

The Homelander grins. "Sure thing. You set up the VS5 and I'll be there in a jiff," But he looks back at you with a wink. "I just gotta have a word with Miss Benedict Arnold here before she rushes out on me."

The way your pulse skyrockets makes his heart sing.

[royaltysimblr]

Princess Charlotte, Princess Peter Tarłowiecki

Princess Charlotte was born on June 11th, 1832, at San Myshuno Palace. She was the fourth daughter and fifth child of Queen Mary II and Prince Charles, 10th Earl of Statford. Charlotte's birth was warmly welcomed by the Queen and Prince Charles, who had given birth to a male heir four years prior. The Queen had previously been disappointed by the birth of her first three daughters, but with the birth of Charlotte, she was delighted. She was christened on July 1st, Charlotte Amelia Caroline, in the San Myshuno Palace Chapel. She was named Charlotte after her mother's beloved cousin, Princess Charlotte of Burgundy, Queen Consort of Norden. The name Amelia was chosen in honor of Mary's aunt, Queen Amelia of Trenton. And finally, Caroline, after the Queen's mother, the Dowager Duchess of Rochester. Her godmothers included her three namesakes alongside King Ludwig II of Norden, Louis Statford, 1st Earl of Blythe, and Prince Frederick of Holstein.

Charlotte’s upbringing was divided among the royal residences of San Myshuno Palace, Glencraig Castle, Windslar Palace, and Statford Castle. Prince Charles took an active role in the education of his children, designing a rigorous curriculum grounded in arithmetic and scientific studies. Charlotte proved intellectually gifted, with a special talent for painting and sculpture. She later pursued formal instruction at the Platz Institute in Windenburg, eventually establishing a private studio at San Myshuno Palace, where she continued to work throughout her life.

She shared a close bond with her brothers, Charles, Prince of the Isle, and Prince Edward. Meanwhile, her relationship with her older sisters, Odette, Ophelia, and Anne, was marked by tension and rivalry. Much of this stemmed from Charlotte’s favored status with their mother, who admired her daughter’s intellect and sensitivity. The death of Prince Charles in 1847 was a devastating blow to the royal family. Queen Mary, shattered by grief, withdrew from public life and retreated to Glencraig Castle for the next few years. Her sorrow cast a long shadow over the household, and Charlotte, then just fifteen, became her mother’s principal companion and private secretary.

This new role came at a personal cost. Charlotte’s own ambitions as an artist were put on hold, and her social freedom was heavily curtailed. A discreet romance with her father’s former secretary, Sir Alexander Grant, ended abruptly when Queen Mary discovered the affair and exiled him to Victoria. Isolated and yearning for independence, Charlotte sought her grandmother, Caroline, Dowager Duchess of Rochester (@simming-in-the-rain), who arranged a meeting with her great-nephew, Prince Peter Tarłowiecki. The pair met in 1851, and after several weeks of secret correspondence, Charlotte accepted Peter’s proposal.

When the engagement was announced, Queen Mary was enraged and refused to speak to her daughter for six months. Reconciliation, brokered by Ophelia, Odette, and the Dowager Duchess, came with strict conditions: Charlotte was permitted to marry only if she remained in Windenburg and continued to live with the Queen for most of the year. Peter, whose ambitions on the continent had diminished, accepted the terms. On September 28, 1851, Charlotte and Peter were wed in an intimate ceremony at St. Andrew’s Chapel in Glencraig Castle, attended by just fifty guests.

Following their marriage, Charlotte and Peter were granted apartments at San Myshuno Palace and an annual parliamentary allowance of 13,000 simoleons. Charlotte received a dowry of 100,000 simoleons and a personal trust of 140,000 simoleons, with an additional 5,000 simoleons per annum from the Queen’s personal estate. The couple adhered to Queen Mary’s seasonal itinerary: winters at Verdun Palace, spring at San Myshuno, summers at Windslar, and autumns at Glencraig. Charlotte resumed her role in the Queen’s household and also undertook royal duties, most notably as Patron of the Historical Society of Windenburg. Prince Peter pursued a military career, becoming a lieutenant in 1855 and rising to the rank of general by 1871. He held numerous ceremonial roles, including Ranger of Glencraig Park and Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal South Witham Infantry.

Peter and Charlotte had five children together: Princess Cecelia Tarłowiecki, Princess Theodora Tarłowiecki, Prince Paul Tarłowiecki, Prince Anthony Tarłowiecki, and Prince Dominik Tarłowiecki. Queen Mary elevated her grandchildren from the style of Serene Highness to Highness as part of her birthday honors in 1865. She also elevated Peter from Serene Highness to Royal Highness. Mary became extremely close to Charlotte's children, who viewed the Queen as a second mother.

Tragedy struck the family in 1874, when a typhoid outbreak claimed the lives of Cecelia, who was recently engaged to the Crown Prince of Brichester, and young Prince Dominik, aged eleven. The loss left Charlotte inconsolable. In her grief, she returned to art, reestablishing her studio and producing a series of watercolors. Her artistic revival coincided with public honors; in 1878, she was appointed Chancellor of the Platz Institute, becoming the first woman to hold such a title. Though the position was largely ceremonial, Charlotte took it seriously and used it to promote women's education and artistic achievement.

Upon Queen Mary’s death in 1885, the throne passed to Princess Alexandra, Charlotte’s niece and the eldest daughter of her late brother Charles. Though she retained her status and influence at court, Charlotte chose to retire from public life, relocating to Windslar Palace and Sulani House in Windenburg City. There, she dedicated herself to cultural preservation, founding the Windenburg Historical Preservation Society in 1903 and publishing a celebrated biography of her mother in 1908.

Charlotte maintained strong ties with her surviving children, particularly Theodora, who often brought her own children to visit every summer. Her grandchildren included Princess Elizabeth and Princess Elliana of Tirana, both of whom later married into the Beloshov Imperial Family, becoming Grand Duchesses. Charlotte’s son, Prince Anthony, married her niece and namesake, Princess Charlotte “Lottie” of the Isle. As the brother-in-law to the Queen, Prince Anthony became one of the most prominent members of the royal family during her reign.

Princess Charlotte died peacefully in her sleep at Windslar Palace in 1918. Her funeral at St. Michael’s Cathedral was attended by the entire Royal Family, and she was laid to rest beside her parents at the Royal Burial Ground of Statford Castle. Her husband, Prince Peter, died the following year. At the time of her death, Charlotte’s personal estate was valued at 370,000 simoleons (equivalent to 26.8 million today).

Charlotte and Peter had five children:

Princess Cecelia Mary Gisela Tarłowiecki (1852-1874), died from typhoid fever.

Princess Theodora Helena Karoline Tarłowiecki (1854-1948), married to Prince Tomislav of Tirana, had four daughters.

Prince Paul Alexander Karl Tarłowiecki (1856-1936), married to Princess Eloise of Zerbst, no issue.

Prince Anthony Frederick Peter (1859-1952), married to Princess Charlotte of the Isle, had one son and one daughter.

Prince Dominik Johann Augustus (1863-1874), died young from typhoid fever.

[kryannoy]

Hi!! can I request wind breaker boys (more specifically suo and sakura, idk if you write for endo and/or togame but if you do I would like them added too) with a reader who's been rlly stressed/overwhelmed recently because of school/life in general? thanks in advance!!

"CHILL" GUYS AND STRESS

genre: fluff, sfw

characters: suo, sakura

a/n: i have no idea what to title this. also, i need this, like irl. my week has been hectic and i need suo or sakura irl to wind down 😭🙏🏻

SUO HAYATO

Your second month in school has been chaotic—non-stop exams, ongoing curriculum in the middle of the week, assignments and homework to be handed in by the end of the week, not to mention extra study for the exams.

You have no idea how you're going to live through the entire month.

You partially blame the teachers for giving out late instructions for the assignments and still giving homework to finish when you need the time to study instead and the teachers will say "Doing your homework is also part of studying," you thought in a mocking teacher's voice.

But also, partially you were to blame for not doing the assignments as soon as you received them. But of course, at times like this, you don't want to blame yourself.

You look at your boyfriend, calmly sipping and enjoying his tea across the table.

"What's wrong, my dear? Gosh, you have veins threatening to pop out of your head. It looks way worse than when I tease you," he says in a tiny lilt of joking if you squint. He is concerned though. He just had to add in some playfulness whenever he gets the chance to.

At times like this, you envy how he doesn't have to do anything you have to do right now. When it's not times like these, you're worried about his education a bit.

He got up from his seat and stands next to you. He pulls your head to his stomach and strokes your head and rubs your head, temple, face, anywhere that you keep scrunching up to ease your muscles again. He pampers you while he listens to you whine about having so much to do.

After you've calmed down, he advises you to list down what you need to do for this week, and in a separate paper, the things you need to do for next week so you can breakdown what you need to prioritize first.

And you did while he sits down next to you and watch you write them all down in sticky notes. He smiles at this because you're so easy to listen to and obey him. After you're done, you actually feel a little lighter because you can see them clearly that there's not so much to do in one week. It's almost two to three tasks you need to do for each week.

He even offered to help you with simpler tasks such as picking a template for your slides and assignments, so you can focus on the heavy ones—gathering information and putting them together.

He may not like arts but he still borrows your tablet to find templates that you might like, ranging from following the theme to picking ones he thinks girls might like and to the ones he knows it's your aesthetics.

After you choose the templates, he stays by your side while holding you for emotional support but making sure you don't get distracted. You really don't know how he can project his calmness to you but he did.

SAKURA HARUKA

He's not good at it but somehow, he's still able to project the calmness despite his 'aggressive' behavior.

He might not be good at picking out templates because he never really cared about designs or fashion, but he's there for you and he makes sure you know it.

He wants to try and help with your work but he's scared he'll mess it up and add in more burden for you so he stays quiet instead and stays near you.

When he sees you a little stressed, expect to hear a knock on his door and the next thing you know he's handing you a nice and delicious drink—be it caffeinated or not. He ordered it just like how Nirei taught him.

When he sees you stretch in your seat, expect him to suddenly become a blushing mess because he had a thought of wanting to massage you. But he'll ask you instead if you're tired. Clearly, he knows that you are.

And when you say yes, he'll offer to rub your shoulders while hiding his red face away from you.

After a while and he starts to become comfortable with giving you the best shoulder massage and you say that you're fine now, his touch will still linger on you a little too long.

And you don't expect that he'll wrap his arms around your waist with his forehead rests on your back. You have no idea if he was blushing or not, if he was calm or not, but you do know you feel happy that he's there trying so hard to wait patiently for you.

His breathing behind your back is like a cat purring when they're stroked or petted.

Soon, you hear light snores and more warmth on your back—the side of his face is resting on you that he doesn't realize it.

A smile tugged on your lips to know that he seems to trust you enough to do this with you. And that feeling alone made you feel proud and calm that all your worries about schoolwork and such were washed away.

[technofeudalism]

In modern America, religious education is offered in private schools or in a homeschooling setting. Public education, by contrast, is secular, because the government is not in the business of sponsoring religious indoctrination. But in two cases the Supreme Court heard over roughly the last week, the justices appear ready to throw out public education as we know it and usher in a new era where tax dollars flow to religious schools and religion can dictate what is taught in public classrooms. When the decisions come down, public education may change forever. On Tuesday, the justices heard arguments in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond, a case over whether Oklahoma must fund a religious charter school that carries out religious instruction and hosts religious activities, including mass. Rather than consider this an affront to the separation of church and state, four Republican-appointed justices appeared outraged at the idea that a state would fund a charter school focused on language immersion or the arts but not one focused on religious instruction. Without ever acknowledging that the the First Amendment’s establishment clause (“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion”) prohibits government-sponsored religion, several expressed palpable anger that allowing only secular charter schools was a form of anti-religious discrimination. “All the religious school is saying is ‘Don’t exclude us on account of our religion,’” Justice Brett Kavanaugh said. “If you go and apply to be a charter school and you’re an environmental studies school, or you’re a science-based school, or you’re a Chinese immersion school, or you’re a English grammar-focused school, you can get in. And then you come in and you say, ‘Oh, we’re a religious school.’ It’s like, ‘Oh, no, can’t do that, that’s too much.’ That’s scary.” He continued: “You can’t treat religious people and religious institutions and religious speech as second-class in the United States… And when you have a program that’s open to all comers except religion… that seems like rank discrimination against religion.” [ ... ] This case alone will be a bombshell if the court mandates that states begin funding religious schools through their charter school programs. But this term, the Supreme Court is poised to deliver a one-two punch. Last week, the court heard arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which it considered whether religious parents could opt their kids out of lessons that did not conform with their beliefs. Again, the GOP-appointed majority appeared ready to side with the plaintiffs and allow religious parents to pull kids from the classroom when material they object to is taught—a policy that threatens to create a backdoor through which religious parents have veto power over elements of the curriculum and classroom discussion.  In any school that cannot accommodate children leaving the classroom and being provided alternate materials, the religious preferences of a minority seem destined to dictate the curriculum for all. The likely result is the wide elimination of LGBTQ content. Teachers may fear answering a question about a gay politician, for example, or even displaying a picture of their same-sex partner on their desk. If the justices decide in the next few months to allow religious opt-outs in public schools and the creation of religious charter schools, it’s hard to see how public education will not change profoundly. In many districts, together the decisions would likely mean the only publicly-funded school options would be either explicitly religious or circumscribed by the religious preferences of certain parents.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

American education has all the downsides of standardization, none of the upsides

Catch me in Miami! I'll be at Books and Books in Coral Gables on Jan 22 at 8PM.

We moved to America in 2015, in time for my kid to start third grade. Now she's a year away from graduating high school (!) and I've had a front-row seat for the US K-12 system in a district rated as one of the best in the country. There were ups and downs, but high school has been a monster.

We're a decade and a half into the "common core" experiment in educational standardization. The majority of the country has now signed up to a standardized and rigid curriculum that treats overworked teachers as untrustworthy slackers who need to be disciplined by measuring their output through standard lessons and evaluations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Core

This system is rigid enough, but it gets even worse at the secondary level, especially when combined with the Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which adds another layer of inflexible benchmarks to the highest-stakes, most anxiety-provoking classes in the system:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Placement

It is a system singularly lacking in grace. Ironically, this unforgiving system was sold as a way of correcting the injustice at the heart of the US public education system, which funds schools based on local taxation. That means that rich neighborhoods have better funded schools. Rather than equalizing public educational funding, the standardizers promised to ensure the quality of instruction at the worst-funded schools by measuring the educational outcomes with standard tools.

But the joke's on the middle-class families who backed standardized instruction over standardized funding. Their own kids need slack as much as anyone's, and a system that promises to put the nation's kids through the same benchmarks on the same timetable is bad for everyone:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/28/give-me-slack-2/

Undoing this is above my pay-grade. I've already got more causes to crusade on than I have time for. But there is a piece of tantalyzingly low-hanging fruit that is dangling right there, and even though I'm not gonna pick it, I can't get it out of my head, so I figured I'd write about it and hope I can lazyweb it into existence.

The thing is, there's a reason that standardization takes hold in so many domains. Agreeing on a common standard enables collaboration by many entities without any need for explicit agreements or coordination. The existence of the ANSI/SAE J563 standard automobile auxiliary power outlet (AKA "car cigarette lighter") didn't just allow many manufacturers to make replacement lighter plugs. The existence of a standardized receptacle delivering standardized voltage to standardized contacts let all kinds of gadgets be designed to fit in that socket.

Standards crystallize the space of all possible ways of solving a problem into a range of solutions. This inevitably has a downside, because the standardized range might not be optimal for all applications. Think of the EU's requirement for USB-C charger tips on all devices. There's a lot of reasons that manufacturers prefer different charger tips for different gadgets. Some of those reasons are bad (gouging you on replacement chargers), but some are good (unique form-factor, specific smart-charging needs). USB-C is a very flexible standard (indeed, it's so flexible that some people complain that it's not a standard at all!) but there are some applications where the optimal solution is outside its parameters.

And still, I think that the standardization on USB-C is a force for good. I have drawers full of gadgets that need proprietary charger tips, and other drawers full of chargers with proprietary tips, and damned if I can make half of them match up. We've continued our pandemic lockdown tradition of my wife cutting my hair in the back yard, and just tracking the three different charger tips for the three clippers she uses is an ongoing source of frustration. I'd happily trade slightly sub-optimal charging for just being able to plug any of those clippers into the same cable I charge my headphones, phone, tablet and laptop on.

The standardization of American education has produced all the downsides of standardization – a rigid, often suboptimal, one-size-fits-all system – without the benefits. With teachers across America teaching in lockstep, often from the same set texts (especially in the AP courses), there's a massive opportunity for a commons to go with the common core.

For example, the AP English and History classes my kid takes use standard texts that are often centuries old and hard to puzzle out. I watched my kid struggle with texts for learning about "persuasive rhetoric" like 17th century pamphlets that inspired anti-indigenous pogroms with fictional accounts of "Indian atrocities."

It's good for American schoolkids to learn about the use of these blood libels to excuse genocide, but these pamphlets are a slog. Even with glossaries in the textbooks, it's a slow, word-by-word matter to parse these out. I can't imagine anyone learning a single thing about how speech persuades people just by reading that text.

But there's nothing in the standardized curriculum that prevents teachers from adding more texts to the unit. We live in an unfortunate golden age for persuasive texts that inspire terrible deeds – for example, kids could also read core Pizzagate texts and connect the guy who shot up the pizza parlor to the racists who formed a 17th century lynchmob.

But teachers are incredibly time-constrained. For one thing, at least a third of the AP classroom time seems to be taken up with detailed instructions for writing stilted, stylized "essays" for the AP tests (these are terrible writing, but they're easy to grade in a standardized way).

That's where standardization could actually deliver some benefits. If just one teacher could produce some supplemental materials and accompanying curriculum, the existence of standards means that every other teacher could use it. What's more, any adaptations that teachers make to that unit to make them suited to their kids would also work for the other teachers in the USA. And because the instruction is so rigidly standardized, all of these materials could be keyed to metadata that precisely identified the units they belonged to.

The closest thing we have to this are "marketplaces" where teachers can sell each other their supplementary materials. As far as I can tell, the only people making real money from these marketplaces are the grifters who built them and convinced teachers to paywall the instructional materials that could otherwise form a commons.

Like I said, I've got a completely overfull plate, but if I found myself at loose ends, trying to find a project to devote the rest of my life to, I'd be pitching funders on building a national, open access portal to build an educational commons.

It may be a lot to expect teachers to master the intricacies of peer-based co-production tools like Git, but there's already a system like this that K-8 teachers across the country have mastered: Scratch. Scratch is a graphic programming environment for kids, and starting with 2019's Scratch 3.0, the primary way to access it is via an in-browser version that's hosted at scratch.mit.edu.

Scratch's online version is basically a kid- (and teacher-)friendly version of Github. Find a project you like, make a copy in your own workspace, and then mod it to suit your own needs. The system keeps track of the lineage of different projects and makes it easy for Scratch users to find, adapt, and share their own projects. The wild popularity of this system tells us that this model for a managed digital commons for an educational audience is eminently achievable.

So when students are being asked to study the rhythm of text by counting the numbers of words in the sentences of important speeches, they could supplement that very boring exercise by listening to and analyzing contemporary election speeches, or rap lyrics, or viral influencer videos. Different teachers could fork these units to swap in locally appropriate comparitors – and so could students!

Students could be given extra credit for identifying additional materials that slot into existing curricular projects – Tiktok videos, new chart-topping songs, passages from hot YA novels. These, too, could go into the commons.

This would enlist students in developing and thinking critically about their curriculum, whereas today, these activities are often off-limits to students. For example, my kid's math teachers don't hand back their quizzes after they're graded. The teachers only have one set of quizzes per unit, and letting the kids hold onto them would leak an answer-key for the next batch of test-takers.

I can't imagine learning math this way. "You got three questions wrong but I won't let you see them" is no way to help a student focus on the right areas to improve their understanding.

But there's no reason that math teachers in a commons built around the (unfortunately) rigid procession of concepts and testing couldn't generate procedural quizzes, specified with a simple programming language. These tests could even be automatically graded, and produce classroom stats on which concepts the whole class is struggling with. Each quiz would be different, but cover the same ground.

When I help my kid with her homework, we often find disorganized and scattered elements of this system – a teacher might post extensive notes on teaching a specific unit. A publisher might produce a classroom guide that connects a book to specific parts of the common core. But these are scattered across the web, and they aren't keyed to the specific, standard components of common core and AP.

This is a standardized system that is all costs, no benefits. It has no "architecture of participation" that lets teachers, students, parents, practitioners and even commercial publishers collaborate to produce a commons that all may share and improve upon.

In an ideal world, we'd get rid of standardization in education, pay teachers well, give them the additional time they needed to prepare exciting and relevant curriculum, and fund all our schools based on need, not parents' income.

But in the meanwhile, we could be making lemonade of out lemons. If we're going to have standardization, we should at least have the collaboration standards enable.

I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/16/flexibility-in-the-margins/#a-commons

[best-u-of-feenis-program]

MA in Education/Curriculum and Instruction

(no propaganda submitted)

Master of Public Health Concentration in Community Health Leadership

(no propaganda submitted)

[formerly-windblume]

I have a Deuce HC…

Deuce actually needs a 504 Plan/IEP (Individualized Education Plan) with specific accommodations to help him with his learning and overall education.

For background, I used to work in Special Education as a volunteer teacher so these accommodations are based on what I believe he would need to succeed. Some of you may be wondering what an IEP or 504 Plan is, I know, big words and big number. But it is actually a lot easier to understand than you may think!

An IEP provides specialized instruction, while a 504 Plan provides accommodations to your student. What is specialized instruction? Simple, it basically helps students access the curriculum and contains annual goals and progress tracking. The student will also be assigned a “case manager” for their IEP meetings. As for 504 Plans, it provides accommodations to help students access the general education curriculum. However, it does NOT require specialized instruction, of course it can be flexible and students CAN have both.

I think his accommodations would be the following as someone who knows the system:

Extra time on tests and quizzes, sometimes he needs extra time to complete his tests and this accommodation will help him with that. By allowing him extra time on tests/quizzes he can put more effort in and not feel rushed.

Turning assignments/homework in past the due date, this will help him work on his homework more in depth and even ask questions about it so he can be able to succeed in his tasks.

Copy of the teacher’s notes, this will give him the resources to do his assignments and even help him with his studying.

Being allowed to use a calculator for math related assignments, this should be self explanatory, if he struggles with basic algebra (which is canon) he may require this accommodation.

Access to a speech therapist, given his background with his behaviour this may be a great opportunity for him to improve and work on his overall communication skills so he can work on controlling outbursts and overall communication.

Let me know if you want to see me go through the other TWST boys and what their IEP/504 Plans might be! I’d happily do them!

- Windblume

Moving to @windblumewishes !!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Vesper Henry at MMFA:

In February 2024, transgender teenager Nex Benedict was pronounced dead one day after a fight with three other students in their high school bathroom. Though Benedict’s death was officially ruled a suicide weeks later, national TV news contextualized the story within an increasingly hostile culture for trans people.

Beyond the scope of Benedict’s death — which received 85 minutes of total coverage across broadcast and cable news outlets — fatal violence against transgender Americans was covered for only 3 minutes throughout 2024.

Key findings

Nex Benedict’s death received 85 minutes of total coverage spanning 30 segments and 17 teasers or mentions across the three major cable news channels (CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC) and broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS) in 2024.

MSNBC aired the most coverage of Benedict’s death among cable news networks, with 34 minutes across 8 full segments and 8 teasers or mentions. CNN trailed behind with 23 minutes across 6 segments and 5 teasers or mentions. Fox News, with consistently low coverage of anti-transgender violence, featured only 10 minutes of coverage spanning 3 segments and 1 teaser.

Broadcast coverage of Benedict was scarce: PBS and CBS led with 6 minutes of coverage each, while NBC and ABC produced only 3 minutes of coverage each.

Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr and Asher Aven from the Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma were the only trans or gender-nonconforming guests across all coverage of Benedict’s death on broadcast and cable news in 2024.

More than half of all studied segments (16 of 30) contextualized Benedict’s death amid ongoing rhetorical and legislative attacks on transgender people.

At least 13 segments specifically named right-wing figures such as Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters and “Libs of TikTok” creator Chaya Raichik for their part in fostering a culture of anti-LGBTQ animus.

Walters appeared in two segments — both on Fox News — where he denied right-wing bigotry was a cultural factor that contributed to Benedict’s death.

At least 43% of segments called out right-wing figures by name for the real world impacts of their anti-trans agenda

Right-wing media’s anti-trans culture war has fostered numerous threats of violence. Anti-LGBTQ extremist Chaya Raichik — known for running the “Libs of TikTok” account online — often sets up the targets for such threats. Following Libs of TikTok’s online harassment campaign against Planet Fitness in 2024, at least 53 locations across the country received violent threats, and 38 other confirmed institutions, events, and individuals faced threats and harassment after being targeted by her account from 2022-2024. Right-wing media have fueled a rash of harassment, with anti-LGBTQ campaigns against Bud Light and Target materializing into violent threats as well. [Media Matters, 4/5/24, 11/2/23; Forbes, 6/1/23]

Oklahoma has been a hotbed for anti-LGBTQ legislation. Oklahoma was billed “the worst state” for anti-LGBTQ legislation last year, introducing 59 such bills by the beginning of February 2024. The state has already introduced 32 anti-trans bills so far this year, adding to the 114 proposed since 2022. [Reckon, 2/1/24; Trans Legislation Tracker, accessed 4/22/25, 2024, 2023, 2022]

State Superintendent Ryan Walters has used his office to partner with right-wing media pundits. Walters, once considered a potential nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Education, has allowed right-wing media figures — including Dennis Prager and Project 2025 architect Kevin Roberts — to write curriculum for Oklahoma schools. Weeks before Benedict’s death, Walters appointed Raichik to Oklahoma’s library board. [The Hill, 11/12/24; Media Matters, 10/6/23, 7/10/24; Oklahoma.gov, 1/23/24]

At least 13 segments on Benedict’s death held specific right-wing figures in media and government accountable. Guests and reporters alike named Walters, Libs of TikTok, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, and Republican state Sen. Tom Woods as chief instigators of anti-trans rhetoric. The governor was named for his role in signing anti-transgender laws in the state, and a segment on MSNBC’s The ReidOut made a reference to his claim that “gender ideology … is eroding the very foundation of our society.” Woods received scrutiny for calling the LGBTQ community “filth” following Benedict’s death. [MSNBC, The ReidOut, 2/21/24; Fox News, 8/1/23; CNN, CNN News Central, 2/26/24, 2/23/24]

After the suicide death of trans teen Nex Benedict, mainstream cable and broadcast news coverage held accountable the anti-LGBTQ+ influencers (such as Ryan Walters and Chaya Raichik) that helped fan the flames for Benedict’s death.

See Also:

MMFA: Corporate broadcast and cable news ignored fatal anti-trans violence in 2024