Debra Wexler
@debrawexler.bsky.social
Comms maven.
I live in Brooklyn and am passionate about improving education, NYC, and connecting with people working to make my city and our country more livable for all.
Obligatory: opinions mine.
I live in Brooklyn and am passionate about improving education, NYC, and connecting with people working to make my city and our country more livable for all.
Obligatory: opinions mine.
Pinned
Debra Wexler
@debrawexler.bsky.social
· Oct 16
I hear rumors that there are a bunch of new folks joining. If any of you are #education nerds, here's my starterpack of education reporters and wonks. #edusky
go.bsky.app/EUtjscv
go.bsky.app/EUtjscv
Four hours later there are still quite a few of them out there re-shoveling.
Whenever it snows, a group of dudes almost immediately shovels out a soccer field in the park across from my apartment and there are like 30 of them out there right now. They are dedicated! (I unfortunately cannot get a decent photo due to my window screen.)
January 25, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Four hours later there are still quite a few of them out there re-shoveling.
Whenever it snows, a group of dudes almost immediately shovels out a soccer field in the park across from my apartment and there are like 30 of them out there right now. They are dedicated! (I unfortunately cannot get a decent photo due to my window screen.)
January 25, 2026 at 7:26 PM
Whenever it snows, a group of dudes almost immediately shovels out a soccer field in the park across from my apartment and there are like 30 of them out there right now. They are dedicated! (I unfortunately cannot get a decent photo due to my window screen.)
I really struggle with the fact that my daughter’s friend from high school is now some big power player. And he wasn’t even in her class, he’s two years younger. #nyc
He Helped Make Mamdani. Can He Make Others?
www.nytimes.com
January 25, 2026 at 3:06 PM
I really struggle with the fact that my daughter’s friend from high school is now some big power player. And he wasn’t even in her class, he’s two years younger. #nyc
Reposted by Debra Wexler
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges. This leaves in place a federal judge's ruling that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment and federal procedural rules. (Via AP) apnews.com/article/dei-... #ncpol #nced
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges
The Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked a campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion threatening federal funding to the nation’s schools and colle...
apnews.com
January 21, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges. This leaves in place a federal judge's ruling that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment and federal procedural rules. (Via AP) apnews.com/article/dei-... #ncpol #nced
Monday is a PD day for high schools and students are not in session so 🤷♀️.
(And this is following Regents Week when they've barely attended as well.)
(And this is following Regents Week when they've barely attended as well.)
He also said that Monday will either be a remote learning day or an in-person school day for public school students. He told Jamie Stelter that the final determination will be made by Sunday at noon.
January 23, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Monday is a PD day for high schools and students are not in session so 🤷♀️.
(And this is following Regents Week when they've barely attended as well.)
(And this is following Regents Week when they've barely attended as well.)
Life hacks:
1. Check the weather before you leave the house.
2. Never wear Chucks in the snow.
1. Check the weather before you leave the house.
2. Never wear Chucks in the snow.
January 17, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Life hacks:
1. Check the weather before you leave the house.
2. Never wear Chucks in the snow.
1. Check the weather before you leave the house.
2. Never wear Chucks in the snow.
Reposted by Debra Wexler
New: A look at what we know and don't know about the last decade of test score declines.
–They've been remarkably pervasive and started before the pandemic.
–Other countries have been hit too.
–Experts (and everyone else) have theories, but not definitive answers.
www.chalkbeat.org/2026/01/08/w...
–They've been remarkably pervasive and started before the pandemic.
–Other countries have been hit too.
–Experts (and everyone else) have theories, but not definitive answers.
www.chalkbeat.org/2026/01/08/w...
Why have test scores been going down for a decade?
Experts don’t really know. Leading theories include screens, school expectations, and the pandemic.
www.chalkbeat.org
January 9, 2026 at 4:12 PM
New: A look at what we know and don't know about the last decade of test score declines.
–They've been remarkably pervasive and started before the pandemic.
–Other countries have been hit too.
–Experts (and everyone else) have theories, but not definitive answers.
www.chalkbeat.org/2026/01/08/w...
–They've been remarkably pervasive and started before the pandemic.
–Other countries have been hit too.
–Experts (and everyone else) have theories, but not definitive answers.
www.chalkbeat.org/2026/01/08/w...
Why is JFK airport so consistently awful
In every way.
In every way.
a group of men standing next to each other with the words the wooorst
Alt: a group of men standing next to each other with the words the wooorst
media.tenor.com
January 5, 2026 at 12:52 AM
Why is JFK airport so consistently awful
In every way.
In every way.
‼️‼️‼️
GOOD NEWS! Researchers have shown Alzheimer’s disease can be REVERSED- not just prevented. Using a potent neuroprotective compound called P7C3-A20, they found RESTORING balance to a central cellular energy molecule (NAD+) not only PREVENTED disease features but REVERSED them, EVEN at late stages.
December 28, 2025 at 5:43 PM
‼️‼️‼️
Reposted by Debra Wexler
For many years at the beginning of the internet era you couldn't get through the Xmas season without getting spammed (usually stripped of attribution) this 1991 SPY Magazine investigation into the physics of Santa Claus. I haven't seen it in a while which means you've maybe never seen it at all?
December 24, 2025 at 10:12 PM
For many years at the beginning of the internet era you couldn't get through the Xmas season without getting spammed (usually stripped of attribution) this 1991 SPY Magazine investigation into the physics of Santa Claus. I haven't seen it in a while which means you've maybe never seen it at all?
Reposted by Debra Wexler
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
December 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
My husband got Star Wars so obviously this is reminding us that a new season of “Shrinking” is coming in January.
The #1 movie when you were 10 years old is how your 2026 is going to go.
(Not so excited for the snakes or being chased by a boulder, but willing to deal with all of that to get to the Nazi face melting.)
(Not so excited for the snakes or being chased by a boulder, but willing to deal with all of that to get to the Nazi face melting.)
December 19, 2025 at 9:33 PM
My husband got Star Wars so obviously this is reminding us that a new season of “Shrinking” is coming in January.
The #1 movie when you were 10 years old is how your 2026 is going to go.
(Not so excited for the snakes or being chased by a boulder, but willing to deal with all of that to get to the Nazi face melting.)
(Not so excited for the snakes or being chased by a boulder, but willing to deal with all of that to get to the Nazi face melting.)
December 19, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The #1 movie when you were 10 years old is how your 2026 is going to go.
(Not so excited for the snakes or being chased by a boulder, but willing to deal with all of that to get to the Nazi face melting.)
(Not so excited for the snakes or being chased by a boulder, but willing to deal with all of that to get to the Nazi face melting.)
Reposted by Debra Wexler
This entire weekend
December 15, 2025 at 3:58 AM
This entire weekend
This UCSD story is driving the national conversation around math education right now. There is plenty of evidence that math outcomes are not nearly where we'd want them to be, but Matt has a predictably nuanced and research-backed take. #edusky
New —
What the internet backlash over rising remedial math at UC San Diego misses: Yes, it's a problem that math scores are going down, but selective, well-resourced universities are arguably best equipped to help students catch up.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/what-the-i...
What the internet backlash over rising remedial math at UC San Diego misses: Yes, it's a problem that math scores are going down, but selective, well-resourced universities are arguably best equipped to help students catch up.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/what-the-i...
More UC San Diego students need remedial math — but is that a problem?
A UCSD report said the school should reject students who struggle with math, but researchers have found that those students are likely to benefit from an elite education.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
December 9, 2025 at 3:42 PM
This UCSD story is driving the national conversation around math education right now. There is plenty of evidence that math outcomes are not nearly where we'd want them to be, but Matt has a predictably nuanced and research-backed take. #edusky
Reposted by Debra Wexler
"The study found that, from January through June 2025, average daily maximum PM2.5 concentrations in Manhattan’s CRZ declined by 3.05 micrograms per cubic meter – a reduction of 22% compared to a projected average of 13.8 micrograms per cubic meter had congestion pricing not been implemented."
Congestion pricing improved air quality in NYC and suburbs | Cornell Chronicle
Cornell researchers tallied the environmental benefits of New York City’s congestion pricing program and found air pollution dropped by 22% in Manhattan, with additional declines across the city’s fiv...
news.cornell.edu
December 9, 2025 at 2:13 AM
"The study found that, from January through June 2025, average daily maximum PM2.5 concentrations in Manhattan’s CRZ declined by 3.05 micrograms per cubic meter – a reduction of 22% compared to a projected average of 13.8 micrograms per cubic meter had congestion pricing not been implemented."
When I think of the hours my daughter spent writing and rewriting her essay, plus eleventy billion supplementals, and refusing AI even to proofread. SIGH
It will end up like the awful job market where candidates use AI to write CVs & cover letters and employers use AI to review them. WE HAVE BRAINS
It will end up like the awful job market where candidates use AI to write CVs & cover letters and employers use AI to review them. WE HAVE BRAINS
AI may be scoring your college essay. Welcome to the new era of admissions
Students applying to college know they're not supposed to use AI chatbots to write their essays. So it might come as a surprise that some schools are now using artificial intelligence to read those es...
apnews.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
When I think of the hours my daughter spent writing and rewriting her essay, plus eleventy billion supplementals, and refusing AI even to proofread. SIGH
It will end up like the awful job market where candidates use AI to write CVs & cover letters and employers use AI to review them. WE HAVE BRAINS
It will end up like the awful job market where candidates use AI to write CVs & cover letters and employers use AI to review them. WE HAVE BRAINS
Introduce yourself with five animals you've seen in the wild:
Tapir
Hippo
Zebra
Lion
Sloth
Bonus: Baby rhino noshing
Tapir
Hippo
Zebra
Lion
Sloth
Bonus: Baby rhino noshing
November 29, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Introduce yourself with five animals you've seen in the wild:
Tapir
Hippo
Zebra
Lion
Sloth
Bonus: Baby rhino noshing
Tapir
Hippo
Zebra
Lion
Sloth
Bonus: Baby rhino noshing
Reposted by Debra Wexler
An alarming account of how dynamic-pricing algorithms undermine #affordability in gasoline, groceries, and more. In housing, AI tools advised landlords to price apartments above market rate and leave them empty rather than reduce rents. An urgent call for AI policy! www.nytimes.com/video/opinio...
Video: Opinion | Goodbye, Price Tags. Hello, Dynamic Pricing.
Shopping has always been a game. And now it’s being rigged against you.
www.nytimes.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
An alarming account of how dynamic-pricing algorithms undermine #affordability in gasoline, groceries, and more. In housing, AI tools advised landlords to price apartments above market rate and leave them empty rather than reduce rents. An urgent call for AI policy! www.nytimes.com/video/opinio...
Tis the season for updating my holiday playlist. I am looking for songs that are holiday-adjacent (“There is a Light That Will Never Go Out” is a Chanukah song, “I Will Die 4 U” is a Christmas song.) HMU with your suggestions—be creative anything vaguely seasonal works.
November 26, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Tis the season for updating my holiday playlist. I am looking for songs that are holiday-adjacent (“There is a Light That Will Never Go Out” is a Chanukah song, “I Will Die 4 U” is a Christmas song.) HMU with your suggestions—be creative anything vaguely seasonal works.
Current status: Waiting on a long line at Four & Twenty Blackbirds because I forgot to preorder a pie before they sold out. Send be good vibes for securing one of the rare spares.
🤞🤞🤞
🤞🤞🤞
November 26, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Current status: Waiting on a long line at Four & Twenty Blackbirds because I forgot to preorder a pie before they sold out. Send be good vibes for securing one of the rare spares.
🤞🤞🤞
🤞🤞🤞
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social's education agenda is a bit of a mystery. Pedro Noguera has some (excellent!) recommendations for the incoming mayor.
#nyc #edusky
(Also, @vitalcitynyc.bsky.social is so great. If you're a New Yorker and you don't already subscribe, I definitely recommend it!)
#nyc #edusky
(Also, @vitalcitynyc.bsky.social is so great. If you're a New Yorker and you don't already subscribe, I definitely recommend it!)
Vital City | Filling in the Blanks on Mamdani’s Education Agenda
A dozen concrete steps the mayor-elect should take
www.vitalcitynyc.org
November 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social's education agenda is a bit of a mystery. Pedro Noguera has some (excellent!) recommendations for the incoming mayor.
#nyc #edusky
(Also, @vitalcitynyc.bsky.social is so great. If you're a New Yorker and you don't already subscribe, I definitely recommend it!)
#nyc #edusky
(Also, @vitalcitynyc.bsky.social is so great. If you're a New Yorker and you don't already subscribe, I definitely recommend it!)
Reposted by Debra Wexler
In the richest city on Earth, 40% of NYC families can’t afford weekly food costs, and food prices are up 33% over the past decade.
It’s time for a city government that puts affordability at the top of the agenda.
It’s time for a city government that puts affordability at the top of the agenda.
November 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM
In the richest city on Earth, 40% of NYC families can’t afford weekly food costs, and food prices are up 33% over the past decade.
It’s time for a city government that puts affordability at the top of the agenda.
It’s time for a city government that puts affordability at the top of the agenda.
Reposted by Debra Wexler
Loving today's news that the mysterious "fedora man" outside the Louvre heist was actually a 15-year-old museum visitor who dresses like a 1940s French detective all the time, just because. apnews.com/article/louv...
Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo
Fifteen-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux has become an internet sensation after an Associated Press photo captured him outside the Louvre on the day of a crown jewels heist.
apnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Loving today's news that the mysterious "fedora man" outside the Louvre heist was actually a 15-year-old museum visitor who dresses like a 1940s French detective all the time, just because. apnews.com/article/louv...