Gail Cornwall
@gailcornwall.com
Former teacher & lawyer who now works as a mother & writer. Bylines for the Atlantic, Nation, NYT, Good Housekeeping, Guardian, New York Mag, USA Today, & many more. Stories tackle education, psychology, parenting, etc.
Pinned
Gail Cornwall
@gailcornwall.com
· Nov 11
The hidden financial aid hurdle derailing college students
Little-known rules requiring that students make ‘satisfactory academic progress’ to receive federal grants have derailed countless college students. But legislators are finally taking notice.
hechingerreport.org
A little-known requirement meant to incentivize academic performance has been doing the opposite for decades, disqualifying capable students from financial aid for life & becoming “a de facto end” to their education. It’s not fair or smart. My latest for @hechingerreport.org & @washingtonpost.com.
Reposted by Gail Cornwall
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
February 8, 2026 at 10:23 PM
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
“Mr. Halverson, who is Black, Vietnamese and white, has few answers for her. In his car, he is carrying his U.S. passport, in case he himself gets pulled over.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/u...
A Minnesota School District Guards Against ICE, From Dawn to Dusk
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 9:53 PM
“Mr. Halverson, who is Black, Vietnamese and white, has few answers for her. In his car, he is carrying his U.S. passport, in case he himself gets pulled over.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/u...
“I developed a tolerance for what I did not understand, & then I gradually understood it…. We need to help students grow into the difficulty of reading. The best way to do that is not to ‘meet them where they are’ [but] to do as Whitman says … : Stop somewhere ahead & wait for them to catch up.”
“At some point over the past 15 years, kids stopped reading”—but that’s because not enough teachers are asking them to, Walt Hunter writes:
C’mon, Professors, Assign the Hard Reading
College kids aren’t reading novels—but that’s because not enough teachers are asking them to.
bit.ly
February 5, 2026 at 9:52 PM
“I developed a tolerance for what I did not understand, & then I gradually understood it…. We need to help students grow into the difficulty of reading. The best way to do that is not to ‘meet them where they are’ [but] to do as Whitman says … : Stop somewhere ahead & wait for them to catch up.”
Reposted by Gail Cornwall
Normal people are out there doing extraordinary things. My mom's health aide emailed me: ICE took 2 of her neighbors; when she told them they weren't welcome, she was met w/a rifle. Now she's driving a neighbor to work hidden in the back of her car & escorting the neighbor's kids to the bus stop.
“If I am killed doing this, throw my body at the White House, martyr the shit out of me & raise hell. Do not be sad. Do not think I would do anything differently. I would do it over & over again — this is too important to sit down & shut up and not do anything.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Pursued by federal agents, suburban ICE observers remain resolved
After a frightening pursuit by federal agents, suburban ICE observers say fear hasn’t stopped them from protecting their communities.
www.mprnews.org
February 4, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Normal people are out there doing extraordinary things. My mom's health aide emailed me: ICE took 2 of her neighbors; when she told them they weren't welcome, she was met w/a rifle. Now she's driving a neighbor to work hidden in the back of her car & escorting the neighbor's kids to the bus stop.
“What educators in Columbia Heights are keen to convey to the world outside is that—despite national revulsion toward Operation Metro Surge … the war is far from over. From some perspectives, it is intensifying.” www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
ICE’s Assault on a Minnesota School District
Liam Ramos, whose photo became a symbol of Operation Metro Surge, is one of several students in Columbia Heights who are now in federal custody.
www.newyorker.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:43 AM
“What educators in Columbia Heights are keen to convey to the world outside is that—despite national revulsion toward Operation Metro Surge … the war is far from over. From some perspectives, it is intensifying.” www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
Responding to falling enrollment by closing schools seems logical, but research suggests it often creates more problems than it solves, including abetting those who would dismantle public education entirely, argues Prof. Mara Casey Tieken for @hechingerreport.org. hechingerreport.org/opinion-shut...
OPINION: School closures rarely save much money and often lead to test score declines
Across the country, many districts are considering school closures, but closures rarely save much money. They can also lead to short-term declines in test scores and diminished college completion and ...
hechingerreport.org
February 4, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Responding to falling enrollment by closing schools seems logical, but research suggests it often creates more problems than it solves, including abetting those who would dismantle public education entirely, argues Prof. Mara Casey Tieken for @hechingerreport.org. hechingerreport.org/opinion-shut...
Contrast the city leaders complicit in California City (see the link up thread) with the school superintendent in Columbia Heights outside Minneapolis (see link here).
We are at a time of profiles in courage & morality. And lack thereof. sahanjournal.com/education/ic...
We are at a time of profiles in courage & morality. And lack thereof. sahanjournal.com/education/ic...
Columbia Heights school leaders speak out after ICE detains kids
ICE agents have detained students on their way to and from school and also tried to get onto school property, the Columbia Heights superintendent said in an emotional news conference Wednesday.
sahanjournal.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:02 AM
Contrast the city leaders complicit in California City (see the link up thread) with the school superintendent in Columbia Heights outside Minneapolis (see link here).
We are at a time of profiles in courage & morality. And lack thereof. sahanjournal.com/education/ic...
We are at a time of profiles in courage & morality. And lack thereof. sahanjournal.com/education/ic...
Excellent local journalism from @bzosiad.bsky.social. sahanjournal.com/education/ic...
Columbia Heights school leaders speak out after ICE detains kids
ICE agents have detained students on their way to and from school and also tried to get onto school property, the Columbia Heights superintendent said in an emotional news conference Wednesday.
sahanjournal.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Excellent local journalism from @bzosiad.bsky.social. sahanjournal.com/education/ic...
ICYMI: “Murdering someone definitely works as an intimidation tactic,” @adamserwer.bsky.social quotes a rabbi ICE watcher, & then he shows why it doesn’t: Every assumption “undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve.” @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong
The pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions.
www.theatlantic.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:48 AM
ICYMI: “Murdering someone definitely works as an intimidation tactic,” @adamserwer.bsky.social quotes a rabbi ICE watcher, & then he shows why it doesn’t: Every assumption “undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve.” @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
“If the supermom thought she could have it all & the Pinterest mom prided herself on doing it all & the performative trad wife believed that she could be it all, Niazi offers a depleted maternal alternative: fuck it all.” RebeccaMead on the evolution of the bad mom. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
What Makes a Good Mother?
We keep revising the maternal ideal—and keep falling short of it.
www.newyorker.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:34 AM
“If the supermom thought she could have it all & the Pinterest mom prided herself on doing it all & the performative trad wife believed that she could be it all, Niazi offers a depleted maternal alternative: fuck it all.” RebeccaMead on the evolution of the bad mom. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
“The Trump admin’s sweeping crackdown on immigrants has taken a particularly high toll on the child care industry…. [C]enters have lost staff … [some] immigrant parents …are afraid to drop their children off,” & more chilling effects, like drawn blinds. @calmatters.org calmatters.org/education/20...
Child care in California was already hard to find — the immigration crackdown has made it worse
Since Trump beefed up immigration enforcement, California child care providers and families are staying away.
calmatters.org
February 3, 2026 at 6:51 PM
“The Trump admin’s sweeping crackdown on immigrants has taken a particularly high toll on the child care industry…. [C]enters have lost staff … [some] immigrant parents …are afraid to drop their children off,” & more chilling effects, like drawn blinds. @calmatters.org calmatters.org/education/20...
How the scientific malfeasance and ego of a handful of men spawned pain, addiction, and/or child separation for millions of mothers.
Fantastic investigative reporting and feature writing from Ben Taub for @newyorker.com. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Fantastic investigative reporting and feature writing from Ben Taub for @newyorker.com. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Did a Celebrated Researcher Obscure a Baby’s Poisoning?
After a newborn died of opioid poisoning, a new branch of pediatrics came into being. But the evidence doesn’t add up.
www.newyorker.com
February 3, 2026 at 6:42 PM
How the scientific malfeasance and ego of a handful of men spawned pain, addiction, and/or child separation for millions of mothers.
Fantastic investigative reporting and feature writing from Ben Taub for @newyorker.com. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Fantastic investigative reporting and feature writing from Ben Taub for @newyorker.com. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
These inhumane conditions, developed with sheer lawlessness, are appalling, full stop. They appear even more disgraceful when you remember that the majority of these folks haven’t even been accused of a crime, let alone convicted of one. @newyorker.com www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
The Cruel Conditions of ICE’s Mojave Desert Detention Center
How immigration authorities have weaponized medical neglect to encourage self-deportations.
www.newyorker.com
February 3, 2026 at 6:34 PM
These inhumane conditions, developed with sheer lawlessness, are appalling, full stop. They appear even more disgraceful when you remember that the majority of these folks haven’t even been accused of a crime, let alone convicted of one. @newyorker.com www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
“The reality is that reconciling a relationship is not just difficult, but sometimes inadvisable … especially in cases involving harm or trauma…. [F]orgiveness does not have to mean a reconciliation. At its core, forgiveness is internal.” @theconversation.com theconversation.com/what-we-get-...
What we get wrong about forgiveness – a counseling professor unpacks the difference between letting go and making up
Forgiveness is key to relationships – but it’s not as simple as deciding you’d like to forget and move on. A counselor breaks down misconceptions.
theconversation.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:32 AM
“The reality is that reconciling a relationship is not just difficult, but sometimes inadvisable … especially in cases involving harm or trauma…. [F]orgiveness does not have to mean a reconciliation. At its core, forgiveness is internal.” @theconversation.com theconversation.com/what-we-get-...
More evidence that the wraparound support offered by community schools WORKS for individuals & society: “CIS led to higher test scores, lower truancy rates, & fewer suspensions in TX schools” plus more college going. @annielowrey.bsky.social for @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/education/20...
The Program That’s Turning Schools Around
The key to closing the achievement gap may lie outside the classroom.
www.theatlantic.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:49 PM
More evidence that the wraparound support offered by community schools WORKS for individuals & society: “CIS led to higher test scores, lower truancy rates, & fewer suspensions in TX schools” plus more college going. @annielowrey.bsky.social for @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/education/20...
In Minneapolis, completely rational fear recently meant that it took “several hours, five people and a citywide network of volunteers [to get] a 12-year-old girl her first menstrual pad.” @npr.org www.npr.org/2026/01/21/n...
How an errand for a 12-year-old immigrant in Minneapolis became an underground operation
Some immigrants in Minneapolis have said they're scared to go out because of ICE agents across the city. When one 12-year-old needed to run an errand, it triggered a network of underground volunteers.
www.npr.org
February 2, 2026 at 10:38 PM
In Minneapolis, completely rational fear recently meant that it took “several hours, five people and a citywide network of volunteers [to get] a 12-year-old girl her first menstrual pad.” @npr.org www.npr.org/2026/01/21/n...
“Our ability to participate in witnessing … to assure one another that, no, you are not crazy, they did just ‘fucking kill that guy,’ is a threat to the Administration’s assumption of total power, not only over events but over …history.” VCunningham 4 @newyorker.com www.newyorker.com/culture/on-t...
Witnessing Another Public Killing in Minneapolis
Videos of Alex Pretti’s fatal shooting, rapidly disseminated on social media, reveal a brazen display of brute power.
www.newyorker.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:54 PM
“Our ability to participate in witnessing … to assure one another that, no, you are not crazy, they did just ‘fucking kill that guy,’ is a threat to the Administration’s assumption of total power, not only over events but over …history.” VCunningham 4 @newyorker.com www.newyorker.com/culture/on-t...
Reposted by Gail Cornwall
The number of children in ICE detention on an average day has skyrocketed 6x since Trump took an office. Families complain of poor medical care and worm-infested food.
"It’s only a matter of time before we see a child die," one advocate said.
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/29/i...
"It’s only a matter of time before we see a child die," one advocate said.
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/29/i...
Children in ICE Detention Skyrocket in Trump’s Second Term
With a six-fold jump in children in detention, advocates allege harrowing conditions are putting kids’ lives at risk.
www.themarshallproject.org
January 29, 2026 at 9:20 PM
The number of children in ICE detention on an average day has skyrocketed 6x since Trump took an office. Families complain of poor medical care and worm-infested food.
"It’s only a matter of time before we see a child die," one advocate said.
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/29/i...
"It’s only a matter of time before we see a child die," one advocate said.
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/29/i...
We don’t have to prove social media is bad for youth mental health to limit & regulate it, writes Prof Nesi: “There are many situations where we have decided … that children or teens would be better off not doing something… [like] working a full-time job.” technosapiens.substack.com/p/the-mistak...
The mistake we're making on teens and social media
I've been studying this for 15 years. We're asking the wrong question.
technosapiens.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 3:05 PM
We don’t have to prove social media is bad for youth mental health to limit & regulate it, writes Prof Nesi: “There are many situations where we have decided … that children or teens would be better off not doing something… [like] working a full-time job.” technosapiens.substack.com/p/the-mistak...
“Until the purges of the past year, the U.S. govt housed an unmatched collection of experts, capable of some of the greatest feats in human existence…. What took generations to build is being dismantled … as a quiet catastrophe.” Franklin Foer for @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
The Purged
Donald Trump’s destruction of the civil service is a tragedy not just for the roughly 300,000 workers who have been discarded, but for an entire nation.
www.theatlantic.com
January 27, 2026 at 3:45 AM
“Until the purges of the past year, the U.S. govt housed an unmatched collection of experts, capable of some of the greatest feats in human existence…. What took generations to build is being dismantled … as a quiet catastrophe.” Franklin Foer for @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
A teacher “became sold on injecting empathy into student projects yrs ago. The University of Colorado approached him …. The shift in his high school student designers was immediate … ‘’cause they were like, oh, my time matters.’” @jennybrundincpr.bsky.social for @npr.org www.npr.org/2026/01/17/n...
How one high school teacher inspires his students to help others
A high school teacher gives his students projects that offer opportunities to help others. He finds these projects generate a lot of enthusiasm in the classroom.
www.npr.org
January 24, 2026 at 4:02 AM
A teacher “became sold on injecting empathy into student projects yrs ago. The University of Colorado approached him …. The shift in his high school student designers was immediate … ‘’cause they were like, oh, my time matters.’” @jennybrundincpr.bsky.social for @npr.org www.npr.org/2026/01/17/n...
Let's not allow all the other state-backed atrocities taking place in the U.S. right now to prevent us from pushing back against this absolutely appalling miscarriage of justice and perversion of culture. Article by @freerangekids.bsky.social for @reason.com. #LetGrowOrg reason.com/2026/01/16/s...
She let her 6-year-old ride to the park alone. Georgia called it neglect.
Despite a new state law protecting childhood independence, child welfare officials accused these Atlanta parents of neglect—and put their family under surveillance.
reason.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:14 AM
Let's not allow all the other state-backed atrocities taking place in the U.S. right now to prevent us from pushing back against this absolutely appalling miscarriage of justice and perversion of culture. Article by @freerangekids.bsky.social for @reason.com. #LetGrowOrg reason.com/2026/01/16/s...
Reposted by Gail Cornwall
The clergy who did the assigned reading have entered the chat
Have a larger story on this coming, but I’ve been embedded with this group, and this story from yesterday is part of what they’ve been doing in the city: religionnews.com/2026/01/22/h...
January 23, 2026 at 4:44 PM
The clergy who did the assigned reading have entered the chat
Reposted by Gail Cornwall
This is such a ridiculous response. And unacceptable. In no other career are people allowed to make these types of mistakes without consequences.
JD Vance says of ICE: "Of course there have been mistakes made. You're always gonna have mistakes made in law enforcement."
"Some people are gonna make mistakes. That's the nature of law enforcement."
"Some people are gonna make mistakes. That's the nature of law enforcement."
January 23, 2026 at 5:47 PM
This is such a ridiculous response. And unacceptable. In no other career are people allowed to make these types of mistakes without consequences.
Reposted by Gail Cornwall
Nuremberg them
Breaking WaPo:
The recent death of a detainee at an immigrant detention camp in Texas has been officially deemed a homicide, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday by the El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner.
The recent death of a detainee at an immigrant detention camp in Texas has been officially deemed a homicide, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday by the El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner.
Autopsy report classifies ICE detainee’s death as a homicide
The report deeming an ICE detainee’s death in Texas a homicide comes the same day that a federal judge temporarily barred the deportation of two witnesses.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 22, 2026 at 1:01 AM
Nuremberg them