alisha butler
@anbutler5.bsky.social
education policy phd | assistant professor of education studies | families, neighborhoods, and schools | runner | she/her
Looking forward to listening! Yesterday, my seminar discussed Plyer’s legacy alongside this 2015 piece from Gonzales et al. www.harvardeducationalreview.org/content/85/3...
November 20, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Looking forward to listening! Yesterday, my seminar discussed Plyer’s legacy alongside this 2015 piece from Gonzales et al. www.harvardeducationalreview.org/content/85/3...
Reposted by alisha butler
If you have absolutely nothing good to say about A.I. come and sit by me.
www.thewrap.com/emma-thompso...
www.thewrap.com/emma-thompso...
Emma Thompson Explodes in Rage Over the 'Intense Irritation' of AI: 'Will You F--k Off?!' | Video
Emma Thompson made it clear she was not a fan of artificial intelligence during her latest appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."
www.thewrap.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:46 PM
If you have absolutely nothing good to say about A.I. come and sit by me.
www.thewrap.com/emma-thompso...
www.thewrap.com/emma-thompso...
Reposted by alisha butler
"Academic freedom is not negotiable."
WAHOOWA!
And [deepest sigh ever because wow I disliked my PhD] Anchor Down.
(Sharing screenshots with alt)
WAHOOWA!
And [deepest sigh ever because wow I disliked my PhD] Anchor Down.
(Sharing screenshots with alt)
October 13, 2025 at 9:44 PM
"Academic freedom is not negotiable."
WAHOOWA!
And [deepest sigh ever because wow I disliked my PhD] Anchor Down.
(Sharing screenshots with alt)
WAHOOWA!
And [deepest sigh ever because wow I disliked my PhD] Anchor Down.
(Sharing screenshots with alt)
Reposted by alisha butler
Supported by both the Fordham Institute and @wallacefoundation.bsky.social, Michael Hartney and I explored the extent to which U.S. school board members are politically and demographically representative of the communities they serve.
Here's a summary of our main findings:
1/12
Here's a summary of our main findings:
1/12
New from Fordham, the Wallace Foundation, @dmhouston.bsky.social & Michael Hartney:
Who’s on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict fordhaminstitute.org/national/res...
Who’s on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict fordhaminstitute.org/national/res...
Who’s on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict
School boards have become ground zero for America’s education culture wars, with fiery debates over race, gender, curriculum, and pandemic policies making national headlines. But beyond the noise, how...
fordhaminstitute.org
October 8, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Supported by both the Fordham Institute and @wallacefoundation.bsky.social, Michael Hartney and I explored the extent to which U.S. school board members are politically and demographically representative of the communities they serve.
Here's a summary of our main findings:
1/12
Here's a summary of our main findings:
1/12
Reposted by alisha butler
📢 Job Posting! 📢 We are hiring TWO postdocs at Detroit PEER at Wayne State (detroitpeer.org)! We are looking for one quant/mixed methods expert and one qual/mixed expert to work with me & @jeremylsinger.bsky.social on attendance research. Apply by Oct. 10, but flexible on start date! Please share!
Detroit PEER Postdoc Job Description 2025.pdf
drive.google.com
September 9, 2025 at 8:19 PM
📢 Job Posting! 📢 We are hiring TWO postdocs at Detroit PEER at Wayne State (detroitpeer.org)! We are looking for one quant/mixed methods expert and one qual/mixed expert to work with me & @jeremylsinger.bsky.social on attendance research. Apply by Oct. 10, but flexible on start date! Please share!
Folks teaching ed policy/politics this semester: One of my usual first-day activities is to discuss Henig's Reading the Future of Education Policy. 12 years after that piece...::waves hands:: What are your favorite short readings about education policy/politics post-2020? #edusky #academicsky
September 3, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Folks teaching ed policy/politics this semester: One of my usual first-day activities is to discuss Henig's Reading the Future of Education Policy. 12 years after that piece...::waves hands:: What are your favorite short readings about education policy/politics post-2020? #edusky #academicsky
Reposted by alisha butler
Since tomorrow is Labor Day and school is in session, I'd like to argue (again) that teaching about GenAI should include discussion of the extractive, exploitative labor conditions that make the technology possible. 🧵
September 1, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Since tomorrow is Labor Day and school is in session, I'd like to argue (again) that teaching about GenAI should include discussion of the extractive, exploitative labor conditions that make the technology possible. 🧵
Reposted by alisha butler
Indistinguishable from the Trump agenda for schools.
I haven’t followed the so-called “abundance” movement very closely. But this DFER paper about how it applies to education reform is horrifying.
Resurrecting zombie policy ideas is…um…not the answer.
Resurrecting zombie policy ideas is…um…not the answer.
A New Path for Education Reform: DFER’s Vision for Abundance
A Democratic Framework for An Abundance Education Agenda
substack.com
August 29, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Indistinguishable from the Trump agenda for schools.
Reposted by alisha butler
Look at Gregg’s face for that half second before he hit the button and tell me he’s not both shocked but also making all the same jokes we are in that particular instant.
August 27, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Look at Gregg’s face for that half second before he hit the button and tell me he’s not both shocked but also making all the same jokes we are in that particular instant.
Reposted by alisha butler
A coalition of more than 30 privacy and civil rights groups called on U.S. universities to dismantle campus surveillance and data collection, to protect student protesters and others from government retaliation apnews.com/article/coll...
Privacy and civil rights groups urge US colleges to end campus surveillance to protect protesters
A coalition of more than 30 privacy and civil rights groups is calling on U.S. universities to dismantle campus surveillance and data collection in order to protect student protesters from government ...
apnews.com
August 23, 2025 at 2:05 AM
A coalition of more than 30 privacy and civil rights groups called on U.S. universities to dismantle campus surveillance and data collection, to protect student protesters and others from government retaliation apnews.com/article/coll...
And, yes, financial constraints at many IHEs mean that students often can't access these resources so they will rely on these tools. But, just like the tech set won't let their kids use the apps they develop, students at elite colleges (and their parents) will expect faculty support.
August 19, 2025 at 12:42 AM
And, yes, financial constraints at many IHEs mean that students often can't access these resources so they will rely on these tools. But, just like the tech set won't let their kids use the apps they develop, students at elite colleges (and their parents) will expect faculty support.
Lots of rambling thoughts, but this strikes me as another way that the push for AI in education is going to widen equity gaps. Students with the know-how to attend office hours/have access to writing centers and the like will get actual assistance. Everyone else gets whatever this is.
Grammarly says its AI agent can predict an A paper
AI student agents vs AI educator agents, fight!
www.theverge.com
August 19, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Lots of rambling thoughts, but this strikes me as another way that the push for AI in education is going to widen equity gaps. Students with the know-how to attend office hours/have access to writing centers and the like will get actual assistance. Everyone else gets whatever this is.
Reposted by alisha butler
Once again, there is for how to backfill 15-25% of the budget of every R1 university in the country, & 👇 is coming for every institution & voters/parents/students have no idea what this will mean in terms of courses/degrees/opportunities that will no longer exist.
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
A massive attack on several humanities units (Arabic Studies, Judaic Studies, Holocaust Studies, Classics, Religion, German & Scandinavian, Russian/East European/Eurasian Studies) *and* tenure now unfolding at the University of Oregon (a blue state!). Closure of units and faculty layoffs threatened.
August 18, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Once again, there is for how to backfill 15-25% of the budget of every R1 university in the country, & 👇 is coming for every institution & voters/parents/students have no idea what this will mean in terms of courses/degrees/opportunities that will no longer exist.
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
Reposted by alisha butler
"It’s not like I’m losing my job," @betsyjwolf.bsky.social said.
"It’s like I’m losing my field, my entire career pathway."
Excellent, though harrowing, article on how the field of education research has been hit:
"It’s like I’m losing my field, my entire career pathway."
Excellent, though harrowing, article on how the field of education research has been hit:
Trump’s Job Cuts Leave a Profession Looking for Its Next Act
Niche researchers in a government-dependent education field are trying to pivot. “There are no crops coming out of this ground anymore.”
www.wsj.com
August 18, 2025 at 2:43 PM
"It’s not like I’m losing my job," @betsyjwolf.bsky.social said.
"It’s like I’m losing my field, my entire career pathway."
Excellent, though harrowing, article on how the field of education research has been hit:
"It’s like I’m losing my field, my entire career pathway."
Excellent, though harrowing, article on how the field of education research has been hit:
I taught Politics of Ed last spring and got very comfortable with pivoting as news developed. Sometimes current events showed up as case examples for discussion/activities; it worked out that McMahon's confirmation hearing happened around the time we talked about the federal role in education. 🫠
August 16, 2025 at 5:04 PM
I taught Politics of Ed last spring and got very comfortable with pivoting as news developed. Sometimes current events showed up as case examples for discussion/activities; it worked out that McMahon's confirmation hearing happened around the time we talked about the federal role in education. 🫠
Reposted by alisha butler
Anyone teaching Ed Policy or Econ of Ed this fall? Looking for ideas to keep the class current when everything is in constant flux.
a cartoon dog is sitting at a table with a cup of coffee and says " this is fine " .
Alt: a cartoon dog is surrounded by flanes while sitting at a table with a cup of coffee and says "This is fine. I am okay with events as they are currently unfolding".
media.tenor.com
August 16, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Anyone teaching Ed Policy or Econ of Ed this fall? Looking for ideas to keep the class current when everything is in constant flux.
Reposted by alisha butler
Been thinking more about this: so many tech folks are not creating racist tech by accident. They believe Black kids-especially disabled Black kids-need more punishment. White supremacy relies on criminalizing Blackness. They are happily fueling the nexus between tech, schools & jails for Black kids
A Common Sense Media study found that prominent teacher assistants that use AI generated recommendations that appeared to be rooted in racial stereotypes based on students’ names. About a third of teachers report using AI weekly, according to a recent survey.
Annie and Lakeesha struggle in school. AI teacher assistants treated them very differently.
A Common Sense Media study found that prominent teacher assistants that use AI generated recommendations that appeared to be rooted in racial stereotypes based on students’ names. About a third of teachers report using AI weekly, according to a recent survey.
bit.ly
August 6, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Been thinking more about this: so many tech folks are not creating racist tech by accident. They believe Black kids-especially disabled Black kids-need more punishment. White supremacy relies on criminalizing Blackness. They are happily fueling the nexus between tech, schools & jails for Black kids
Reposted by alisha butler
How have you been impacted by the changes we've seen under the current administration? What would you want to say to those in charge?
I'm launching a new research initiative to collect and share anonymous stories of the human toll. And I'd be very grateful for your help.
tinyurl.com/thehumantoll
I'm launching a new research initiative to collect and share anonymous stories of the human toll. And I'd be very grateful for your help.
tinyurl.com/thehumantoll
![The Human Toll
The US is undergoing rapid social, economic, and policy change.
If you've been impacted, we want to hear your story!
To participate, visit: https://tinyurl.com/thehumantoll
Study sponsored under University of Wisconsin-Madison IRB Protocol #2025-1096. PI: Dr. Jessica Calarco
Participants must be at least 18 years of age and reside in the US
[image of a person with their face in their hands]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dtgy62tymnpbnzozbpgnov56/bafkreifo6kcwiigmkdqcb5ytak6jqwrgnbzka22gdqmcarh4b32saqzdhm@jpeg)
July 30, 2025 at 10:19 AM
How have you been impacted by the changes we've seen under the current administration? What would you want to say to those in charge?
I'm launching a new research initiative to collect and share anonymous stories of the human toll. And I'd be very grateful for your help.
tinyurl.com/thehumantoll
I'm launching a new research initiative to collect and share anonymous stories of the human toll. And I'd be very grateful for your help.
tinyurl.com/thehumantoll
Reposted by alisha butler
Just this morning, @ksinclair04.bsky.social and I discussed the equity implications of this “teach kids AI” business…
Opinion: Why AI literacy instruction needs to start before kindergarten
Why AI Literacy Instruction Needs to Start Before Kindergarten
Waiting until kindergarten to start teaching AI literacy misses a key window of opportunity.
www.the74million.org
July 25, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Just this morning, @ksinclair04.bsky.social and I discussed the equity implications of this “teach kids AI” business…
Reposted by alisha butler
THIS THIS THIS
I have said as much in innumerable meetings. Everyone looks at me like confused owls
I have said as much in innumerable meetings. Everyone looks at me like confused owls
The sheer quantity of bullshit here. The solution to instructor exhaustion and overwork is not outsourcing grading (if that’s not direct mentoring of students, I don’t know what is) but hiring more faculty and reducing class sizes. Give the money to teachers, not Sam Altman
July 23, 2025 at 9:35 PM
THIS THIS THIS
I have said as much in innumerable meetings. Everyone looks at me like confused owls
I have said as much in innumerable meetings. Everyone looks at me like confused owls
Has the algorithm suggested Derry Girls? Nicola Coughlan is in the main cast, and the show is high on my list of comfort watches.
July 22, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Has the algorithm suggested Derry Girls? Nicola Coughlan is in the main cast, and the show is high on my list of comfort watches.
Congratulations! I'm looking forward to reading this one!
July 15, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Congratulations! I'm looking forward to reading this one!
Reposted by alisha butler
it is so funny to imagine living in new england. are you guys like “whoops im in a different state!”? wakin’ up and driving over the border to get a muffin!
July 8, 2025 at 2:00 AM
it is so funny to imagine living in new england. are you guys like “whoops im in a different state!”? wakin’ up and driving over the border to get a muffin!
Reposted by alisha butler
New: Schools and education leaders are in a bind this summer after learning last week that several billion dollars of federal funding may not show up after all.
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
Trump’s $7 Billion Education Funding Freeze Blindsides Schools
Superintendents are scrambling to figure out what to do with programs funded by the money now under review.
www.wsj.com
July 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM
New: Schools and education leaders are in a bind this summer after learning last week that several billion dollars of federal funding may not show up after all.
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...