Paul Burkander
@econburk.bsky.social
Senior education researcher at SRI by day. By night I hang with the fam, shake my fist at fascism, and try to pursue that path of personal growth
Reposted by Paul Burkander
The reason you do gifted education in kindergarten is social, not academic. It’s designed to create a stratification system that keeps well resourced families in the school system, but set apart from the majority of students. It’s resource hoarding, exclusionary, and hierarchy from day one of school
For KINDERGARTEN! Why in the world would you even have such a program for kindergarten?——Mamdani Says He Would Phase Out N.Y.C. Gifted Program for Early Grades www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/n...
Mamdani Says He Would Phase Out N.Y.C. Gifted Program for Early Grades
www.nytimes.com
October 3, 2025 at 8:13 PM
The reason you do gifted education in kindergarten is social, not academic. It’s designed to create a stratification system that keeps well resourced families in the school system, but set apart from the majority of students. It’s resource hoarding, exclusionary, and hierarchy from day one of school
Slightly diminish a book
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle Gym
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle Gym
Slightly diminish a book
Realistic Expectations
Realistic Expectations
Slightly diminish a book
Situationship of the three kingdoms
Situationship of the three kingdoms
September 8, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Slightly diminish a book
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle Gym
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle Gym
The thing I don't get about these posts is you have to subscribe to the post, financially supporting this drivel, to be able to criticize it. Like you're just telling me you like paying fascist cheerleaders. If all the critics just unsubscribe it might actually affect the post.
The Washpost’s new Opinions editor had an opportunity to take a meaningful stand on a huge local story this week — and instead, he and his editorial board gave us this warm bucket of slop
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
August 15, 2025 at 1:27 PM
The thing I don't get about these posts is you have to subscribe to the post, financially supporting this drivel, to be able to criticize it. Like you're just telling me you like paying fascist cheerleaders. If all the critics just unsubscribe it might actually affect the post.
Reposted by Paul Burkander
My reporting has come to the attention of Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney. Here’s the response I provided to the @thedailybeast.bsky.social
August 13, 2025 at 6:47 PM
My reporting has come to the attention of Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney. Here’s the response I provided to the @thedailybeast.bsky.social
l'm reading "thinking, fast and slow," which explains that we mentally replace hard questions ("how has crime changed over 3.5 decades?") with easy ones ("which is easier to recall, examples of recent crime or crime decades ago?") and so this result is not at all surprising.
New @today.yougov.com national poll out.
Absolutely wild how distorted the public’s view is.
(Murder rate in NYC is down 83% since 1990.)
Absolutely wild how distorted the public’s view is.
(Murder rate in NYC is down 83% since 1990.)
July 31, 2025 at 11:28 AM
l'm reading "thinking, fast and slow," which explains that we mentally replace hard questions ("how has crime changed over 3.5 decades?") with easy ones ("which is easier to recall, examples of recent crime or crime decades ago?") and so this result is not at all surprising.
trump is good at exploiting "anchoring biases." He throws out a number that everyone knows is ludicrous, but that number becomes a reference point that influences actual decisions because it's so ludicrous
Trump is calling for the Fed to cut interest rates to one percent. Under what circumstances might this make sense?
July 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
trump is good at exploiting "anchoring biases." He throws out a number that everyone knows is ludicrous, but that number becomes a reference point that influences actual decisions because it's so ludicrous
More commonly known as "rodents of unusual size"
July 11, 2025 at 1:56 PM
More commonly known as "rodents of unusual size"
Reposted by Paul Burkander
I encourage people protesting to be non destructive and non violent. And I remind: Proud Boys like infiltrating crowds, whipping up normies (this is what happened on 1.6) and creating chaos. Putting you, using your 1a, in peril. Distinguish yourself from these goons always. Heads on swivels, folks.
June 13, 2025 at 11:03 AM
I encourage people protesting to be non destructive and non violent. And I remind: Proud Boys like infiltrating crowds, whipping up normies (this is what happened on 1.6) and creating chaos. Putting you, using your 1a, in peril. Distinguish yourself from these goons always. Heads on swivels, folks.
Message repetition works. Instead of constantly repeating that there's a double standard (there is), I humbly suggest we keep repeating that they're incompetent (they are)
trying to imagine the reaction to two planes falling off an aircraft carrier with kamala harris as president
May 7, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Message repetition works. Instead of constantly repeating that there's a double standard (there is), I humbly suggest we keep repeating that they're incompetent (they are)
Reposted by Paul Burkander
I don't really care what the "political consequences" are of fighting for the proposition that *everyone* is entitled to due process before they are removed from the United States and sent to a Salvadoran prison.
It's not really a principle if you only adhere to it when it's politically expedient.
It's not really a principle if you only adhere to it when it's politically expedient.
April 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I don't really care what the "political consequences" are of fighting for the proposition that *everyone* is entitled to due process before they are removed from the United States and sent to a Salvadoran prison.
It's not really a principle if you only adhere to it when it's politically expedient.
It's not really a principle if you only adhere to it when it's politically expedient.
I used to feel proud knowing Easter was the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. But this year I learned it's actually the first Sunday after what the church says is the first full moon after what the church says is the vernal equinox and somehow that ruins all my fun
April 18, 2025 at 12:46 PM
I used to feel proud knowing Easter was the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. But this year I learned it's actually the first Sunday after what the church says is the first full moon after what the church says is the vernal equinox and somehow that ruins all my fun
My undergrad intro to macroeconomics textbook listed opportunities for grift as a cost of tariffs, because policymakers can solicit favors and bribes for exemptions. If Grassley is pleading in public for exemptions, what do we think is happening in private?
February 3, 2025 at 3:24 PM
My undergrad intro to macroeconomics textbook listed opportunities for grift as a cost of tariffs, because policymakers can solicit favors and bribes for exemptions. If Grassley is pleading in public for exemptions, what do we think is happening in private?
Reposted by Paul Burkander
DEI is the new CRT which was the new "woke" which is smoke and mirrors for anything and everything related to Black folks.
February 1, 2025 at 3:09 PM
DEI is the new CRT which was the new "woke" which is smoke and mirrors for anything and everything related to Black folks.
Reposted by Paul Burkander
So, the plan is: focus on what RFKJr has been doing for 20 years - spreading disinformation for his own gain at the expense of public health. No promises or back tracking when the health of millions is at stake. We hold to that standard, and so should the Senate.
@drsforamerica.bsky.social
@drsforamerica.bsky.social
January 28, 2025 at 8:48 PM
So, the plan is: focus on what RFKJr has been doing for 20 years - spreading disinformation for his own gain at the expense of public health. No promises or back tracking when the health of millions is at stake. We hold to that standard, and so should the Senate.
@drsforamerica.bsky.social
@drsforamerica.bsky.social
One of the things I love about my eagles is when they won their Superbowl they turned down Trump's WH invitation. No one is forced to comply with norms, so why comply with those that give him stature
consolation for the Super Bowl losing team: don't have to go to WH
January 27, 2025 at 3:56 AM
One of the things I love about my eagles is when they won their Superbowl they turned down Trump's WH invitation. No one is forced to comply with norms, so why comply with those that give him stature
The McConaughey ad is so bad. They have to invent problems for AI to solve to sell it, and I'm guessing AI doesn't even solve those fake problems well
Even the McConaughey ads.
Oh, without AI they booked you a table in the rain? Well, the restaurant will definitely force you to sit out there and you have no choice but to sit there and take it. If only AI could save you!
Oh, without AI they booked you a table in the rain? Well, the restaurant will definitely force you to sit out there and you have no choice but to sit there and take it. If only AI could save you!
January 26, 2025 at 9:49 PM
The McConaughey ad is so bad. They have to invent problems for AI to solve to sell it, and I'm guessing AI doesn't even solve those fake problems well
On the office zoom chat there was a spontaneous posting of pets with our company swag yesterday and that may be my favorite work experience ever
January 25, 2025 at 5:36 PM
On the office zoom chat there was a spontaneous posting of pets with our company swag yesterday and that may be my favorite work experience ever
Building on this great thread: the good fight has been going on for centuries, and we can learn from those who fought before us. Two great examples: Ida B. Wells and Alexei Navalny. Here’s what I learned from their autobiographies:
January 25, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Building on this great thread: the good fight has been going on for centuries, and we can learn from those who fought before us. Two great examples: Ida B. Wells and Alexei Navalny. Here’s what I learned from their autobiographies:
Yikes: "They submitted applications for 50 children, 43 of whom did not exist. They applied as parents under their own names as well as under the names of made-up 'ghost' parents."
In total, the defendants received about $110,000 from Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program and used the money for their own personal living expenses in Colorado.
Full press release here: www.azag.gov/press-releas...
Full press release here: www.azag.gov/press-releas...
December 3, 2024 at 1:30 PM
Yikes: "They submitted applications for 50 children, 43 of whom did not exist. They applied as parents under their own names as well as under the names of made-up 'ghost' parents."
See this is why everyday I drink one really big cup of coffee
Why is the second cup of coffee never as good?
November 21, 2024 at 9:02 PM
See this is why everyday I drink one really big cup of coffee