Jon Sawyer
@jonsawyer.org
Writing on education and religion | University of Colorado Boulder | National Education Policy Center | https://www.jonsawyer.org
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
I recently did a podcast for the Natural Rural Education Association on a law review I co-authored on the creation of "education preserves," which would protect rural school districts from voucher and charter school expansion.
Here is the podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Here is the podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
S05E04 - School Choice in Rural America: What’s at Stake. An interview with Dr. Preston Green.
Podcast Episode · National Rural Education Association Official Podcast · 12/15/2025 · 35m
podcasts.apple.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:55 PM
I recently did a podcast for the Natural Rural Education Association on a law review I co-authored on the creation of "education preserves," which would protect rural school districts from voucher and charter school expansion.
Here is the podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Here is the podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
When voters repeatedly vote down voucher initiatives but their governor invites them in...
Welner & Gebhardt do the easy lifting of explaining why that's not a good thing.
coloradosun.com/2025/12/16/o...
Welner & Gebhardt do the easy lifting of explaining why that's not a good thing.
coloradosun.com/2025/12/16/o...
Opinion: Take note, Gov. Polis: Coloradans have repeatedly said no to school vouchers
New federal program is a devil’s bargain and must not override the will of our people.
coloradosun.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:26 PM
When voters repeatedly vote down voucher initiatives but their governor invites them in...
Welner & Gebhardt do the easy lifting of explaining why that's not a good thing.
coloradosun.com/2025/12/16/o...
Welner & Gebhardt do the easy lifting of explaining why that's not a good thing.
coloradosun.com/2025/12/16/o...
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
This @chalkbeat article says NC Gov Stein announced his intention to opt into the voucher program. In fact, he vetoed a bill to do so & said he intends to opt in only after Trump's Treasury "issues sound guidance." He's waiting to see if the regs give NC flexibility
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Polis all in on Trump’s tax-credit scholarship while other Dem governors wait and see
The program is expected to expand private school choice in states like Colorado that don’t have voucher programs. Polis said not participating would mean leaving millions on the table.
www.chalkbeat.org
December 6, 2025 at 2:09 PM
This @chalkbeat article says NC Gov Stein announced his intention to opt into the voucher program. In fact, he vetoed a bill to do so & said he intends to opt in only after Trump's Treasury "issues sound guidance." He's waiting to see if the regs give NC flexibility
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
My deep dive on the latest attempt to open a religious charter school…with its for-profit operator in the shadows. @dianeravitch.bsky.social @nepc.bsky.social @floridaea.bsky.social dianeravitch.net/2025/12/01/c...
Carol Burris: Another Religious Charter School Applies for Public Funding in Oklahoma, Backed by For-Profit Corporation
In this post, Carol Burris reviews the latest challenge to separation of church and state. A religious school has applied for public funding as an online charter school. But that’s not all: t…
dianeravitch.net
December 1, 2025 at 7:33 PM
My deep dive on the latest attempt to open a religious charter school…with its for-profit operator in the shadows. @dianeravitch.bsky.social @nepc.bsky.social @floridaea.bsky.social dianeravitch.net/2025/12/01/c...
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
Two NEPC talks, on screen-time reduction and Christian nationalism, are now available online. @jonsawyer.org @kevinkumashiro.com bit.ly/4ijOnkn
Resources on Screen-Time Reduction, Christian Nationalism Now Available
Two NEPC talks, on screen-time reduction and Christian nationalism, are now available online.
nepc.colorado.edu
November 25, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Two NEPC talks, on screen-time reduction and Christian nationalism, are now available online. @jonsawyer.org @kevinkumashiro.com bit.ly/4ijOnkn
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
So-called “education preserves” would protect rural communities at risk of losing their public schools to school choice sprawl. @drprestongreen.bsky.social @cmsaldana.bsky.social @schoolfinance101.bsky.social bit.ly/48oNmUy
Could “Education Preserves” Save Schools From Choice Sprawl?
So-called “education preserves” would protect rural communities at risk of losing their public schools to school choice sprawl.
nepc.colorado.edu
November 20, 2025 at 6:21 PM
So-called “education preserves” would protect rural communities at risk of losing their public schools to school choice sprawl. @drprestongreen.bsky.social @cmsaldana.bsky.social @schoolfinance101.bsky.social bit.ly/48oNmUy
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
In this month's NEPC Talks Education podcast, Julie Marsh and James Bridgeforth discuss the unprecedented challenges facing California school board members and how they navigate today's complex political landscape @juliemarsh.bsky.social @cmsaldana.bsky.social bit.ly/3X2Att2
NEPC Talks Education: An Interview With Julie Marsh and James Bridgeforth About School Boards Navigating Unprecedented Political Challenges
University of Wisconsin‑Madison Assistant Professor Christopher Saldaña interviews Julie Marsh and James Bridgeforth about the unprecedented challenges facing California school board members and how t...
nepc.colorado.edu
November 18, 2025 at 3:34 PM
In this month's NEPC Talks Education podcast, Julie Marsh and James Bridgeforth discuss the unprecedented challenges facing California school board members and how they navigate today's complex political landscape @juliemarsh.bsky.social @cmsaldana.bsky.social bit.ly/3X2Att2
I appreciated the opportunity to discuss the impact of Christian Nationalism on public education at this year’s NEPC Fellows Meeting. Especially grateful for Kevin Kumashiro’s work and insights on this topic. @kevinkumashiro.com
2025 NEPC Fellows Meeting: Christian Nationalism Presentation with Jon Sawyer
YouTube video by NEPCVideos
youtu.be
November 20, 2025 at 4:04 PM
I appreciated the opportunity to discuss the impact of Christian Nationalism on public education at this year’s NEPC Fellows Meeting. Especially grateful for Kevin Kumashiro’s work and insights on this topic. @kevinkumashiro.com
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
New policy memo from the Freedom to Learn Collective highlights research needs in the wake of fear-based politics and well-funded networks that threaten public schools. bit.ly/43UanMq
What We Need to Know Now to Respond to Right-Wing Attacks on Public Schools: A Research Agenda
Progress toward educational, social, political, and economic equality has always faced backlash—sometimes violent, other times embedded in institutions. Amid economic uncertainty, politicians are agai...
nepc.colorado.edu
November 6, 2025 at 4:20 PM
New policy memo from the Freedom to Learn Collective highlights research needs in the wake of fear-based politics and well-funded networks that threaten public schools. bit.ly/43UanMq
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
Hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Dr. Kevin Burke, co-author of the first-of-its-kind NEPC report Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the U.S., about how faith is reshaping public schools and what it means for church-state separation. youtu.be/3b0Nx2bazCQ
Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States with Dr. Kevin Burke
YouTube video by Faithful Politics Podcast
youtu.be
November 4, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Dr. Kevin Burke, co-author of the first-of-its-kind NEPC report Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the U.S., about how faith is reshaping public schools and what it means for church-state separation. youtu.be/3b0Nx2bazCQ
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
I do think that there are very few factors pushing on public education as much and as persistently as Christian nationalism, so I appreciated the opportunity to write with Kevin Burke about the issue. I do ALSO appreciate the really great support and editorial work from the NEPC team.
New policy brief warns of growing efforts to reshape schools around White Christian nationalist ideology. @heidihadley.bsky.social bit.ly/4qJ0CKT
Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States
American public education, though historically rooted in Christian ideals, has long navigated tensions among denominational differences and, in modern times, secularism. The growing influence of Chris...
nepc.colorado.edu
November 4, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I do think that there are very few factors pushing on public education as much and as persistently as Christian nationalism, so I appreciated the opportunity to write with Kevin Burke about the issue. I do ALSO appreciate the really great support and editorial work from the NEPC team.
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
And listen to brief co-author Kevin Burke, on the Faithful Politics (@faithfulpolitics.bsky.social) podcast, discussing Christian Nationalism in education & the brief.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
November 4, 2025 at 5:36 PM
And listen to brief co-author Kevin Burke, on the Faithful Politics (@faithfulpolitics.bsky.social) podcast, discussing Christian Nationalism in education & the brief.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
New policy brief warns of growing efforts to reshape schools around White Christian nationalist ideology. @heidihadley.bsky.social bit.ly/4qJ0CKT
Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States
American public education, though historically rooted in Christian ideals, has long navigated tensions among denominational differences and, in modern times, secularism. The growing influence of Chris...
nepc.colorado.edu
November 4, 2025 at 5:19 PM
New policy brief warns of growing efforts to reshape schools around White Christian nationalist ideology. @heidihadley.bsky.social bit.ly/4qJ0CKT
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
New NEPC Review: School Choice Wisconsin report’s conclusions about the cost effectiveness of private school vouchers rest on invalid methods and inaccurate data.
@schoolfinance101.bsky.social bit.ly/3LcGsZB
@schoolfinance101.bsky.social bit.ly/3LcGsZB
NEPC Review: Wisconsin’s Most Cost-Effective K-12 Program (School Choice Wisconsin, August 2025)
Wisconsin’s long-running private school voucher program has drawn decades of research interest, including a recent report from School Choice Wisconsin. The report claims voucher-receiving schools in R...
nepc.colorado.edu
October 28, 2025 at 4:09 PM
New NEPC Review: School Choice Wisconsin report’s conclusions about the cost effectiveness of private school vouchers rest on invalid methods and inaccurate data.
@schoolfinance101.bsky.social bit.ly/3LcGsZB
@schoolfinance101.bsky.social bit.ly/3LcGsZB
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
Members of the National Academy of Education drew upon a consensus study to question the Trump administration’s proposal to prioritize the funding of programs that emphasize so-called “patriotic education.” bit.ly/3LntMPs
Researchers Question Prioritizing “Patriotic Education”
Members of the National Academy of Education drew upon a consensus study to question the Trump administration’s proposal to prioritize the funding of programs that emphasize so-called “patriotic educa...
nepc.colorado.edu
October 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Members of the National Academy of Education drew upon a consensus study to question the Trump administration’s proposal to prioritize the funding of programs that emphasize so-called “patriotic education.” bit.ly/3LntMPs
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
It was an honor to interview @dlabaree.bsky.social for this month’s @nepc.bsky.social podcast. I’ve learned so much from Professor Labaree’s writing, and it was a real treat to learn from him through our conversation about recent shifts in education policy. If you have a few mins, give it a listen!
NEPC Talks Education: This month's podcast explores the challenges of navigating education's competing goals, with @cmsaldana.bsky.social and @dlabaree.bsky.social bit.ly/3KUg2vs
NEPC Talks Education: An Interview With David Labaree About Navigating Education's Competing Goals
University of Wisconsin‑Madison Assistant Professor Christopher Saldaña interviews David Labaree about the fundamental tensions shaping American education, and how recent developments in AI and school...
nepc.colorado.edu
October 16, 2025 at 5:01 PM
It was an honor to interview @dlabaree.bsky.social for this month’s @nepc.bsky.social podcast. I’ve learned so much from Professor Labaree’s writing, and it was a real treat to learn from him through our conversation about recent shifts in education policy. If you have a few mins, give it a listen!
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
NEPC Talks Education: This month's podcast explores the challenges of navigating education's competing goals, with @cmsaldana.bsky.social and @dlabaree.bsky.social bit.ly/3KUg2vs
NEPC Talks Education: An Interview With David Labaree About Navigating Education's Competing Goals
University of Wisconsin‑Madison Assistant Professor Christopher Saldaña interviews David Labaree about the fundamental tensions shaping American education, and how recent developments in AI and school...
nepc.colorado.edu
October 16, 2025 at 4:21 PM
NEPC Talks Education: This month's podcast explores the challenges of navigating education's competing goals, with @cmsaldana.bsky.social and @dlabaree.bsky.social bit.ly/3KUg2vs
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” invites Treasury Department regulations that will leave states vulnerable to federal overreach, diminished protections for students, and steep academic declines tied to voucher expansion. bit.ly/434xcN9
Federal Vouchers, Treasury Regulations, and State Flexibility
The 2025 Reconciliation Act, or “One Big Beautiful Bill,” creates a federal school choice program offering tax credits for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations that fund private-school tuit...
nepc.colorado.edu
October 7, 2025 at 4:55 PM
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” invites Treasury Department regulations that will leave states vulnerable to federal overreach, diminished protections for students, and steep academic declines tied to voucher expansion. bit.ly/434xcN9
Governors Beware: The Voucher Advocates in DC Are Not Serious About Returning Education to the States
@nepc.bsky.social
nepc.colorado.edu/publication/...
@nepc.bsky.social
nepc.colorado.edu/publication/...
Federal Vouchers, Treasury Regulations, and State Flexibility
The 2025 Reconciliation Act, or “One Big Beautiful Bill,” creates a federal school choice program offering tax credits for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations that fund private-school tuit...
nepc.colorado.edu
October 7, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Governors Beware: The Voucher Advocates in DC Are Not Serious About Returning Education to the States
@nepc.bsky.social
nepc.colorado.edu/publication/...
@nepc.bsky.social
nepc.colorado.edu/publication/...
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
“The growing influence of rightist movements, and especially Christian Nationalism, on educational policies and practices threatens all too many of the gains that have been made…”
Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
School Times for End Times — Kevin Kumashiro
SCHOOL TIMES FOR END TIMES: A Brief History of U.S. Christian Nationalist Activism and Public Education
www.kevinkumashiro.com
September 29, 2025 at 3:59 PM
“The growing influence of rightist movements, and especially Christian Nationalism, on educational policies and practices threatens all too many of the gains that have been made…”
Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
“The growing influence of rightist movements, and especially Christian Nationalism, on educational policies and practices threatens all too many of the gains that have been made…”
Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
School Times for End Times — Kevin Kumashiro
SCHOOL TIMES FOR END TIMES: A Brief History of U.S. Christian Nationalist Activism and Public Education
www.kevinkumashiro.com
September 29, 2025 at 3:59 PM
“The growing influence of rightist movements, and especially Christian Nationalism, on educational policies and practices threatens all too many of the gains that have been made…”
Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
New interactive report from @kevinkumashiro.com follows the threads of Christian Nationalism from the Colonial Era to the present day, explaining how we got to this point and helping us think through how we can move forward. Highly recommended!
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
School Times for End Times — Kevin Kumashiro
SCHOOL TIMES FOR END TIMES: A Brief History of U.S. Christian Nationalist Activism and Public Education
www.kevinkumashiro.com
September 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
New interactive report from @kevinkumashiro.com follows the threads of Christian Nationalism from the Colonial Era to the present day, explaining how we got to this point and helping us think through how we can move forward. Highly recommended!
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
Kind of surreal when your worlds collide. @jonsawyer.org congrats on the reference!
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
School Times for End Times — Kevin Kumashiro
SCHOOL TIMES FOR END TIMES: A Brief History of U.S. Christian Nationalist Activism and Public Education
www.kevinkumashiro.com
September 27, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Kind of surreal when your worlds collide. @jonsawyer.org congrats on the reference!
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
Without getting into the fray of justifying the unjustifiable, I want to note that we need serious, thoughtful grappling with how LGBTQ+ identifying young people (whether visible or not) are navigating today’s volatile religiopolitical climate. The scapegoating must stop: the learning must begin.
September 16, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Without getting into the fray of justifying the unjustifiable, I want to note that we need serious, thoughtful grappling with how LGBTQ+ identifying young people (whether visible or not) are navigating today’s volatile religiopolitical climate. The scapegoating must stop: the learning must begin.
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
For those interested in the growth of ESA vouchers and the new federal push for vouchers by Trump and Congressional Republicans, please read this thread about the important new voucher study & the NYT article about that study. reachcentered.org/publications...
The Effects of Universal School Vouchers on Private School Tuition and Enrollment: A National Analysis | REACH
The mission of REACH is to provide objective, rigorous, and applicable research that informs and improves school choice policy design and implementation to increase opportunities and outcomes for disa...
reachcentered.org
September 12, 2025 at 1:32 PM
For those interested in the growth of ESA vouchers and the new federal push for vouchers by Trump and Congressional Republicans, please read this thread about the important new voucher study & the NYT article about that study. reachcentered.org/publications...