Morgan Polikoff
@mpolikoff.bsky.social
🏳️🌈 Educational researcher. Professor at USC Rossier. Co-director of USC EdPolicy Hub. These are my views, not those of my employer. 🏳️🌈
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
Woof.
Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless
Independent research identifies few learning gains
www.economist.com
January 31, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Woof.
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
I will keep saying it: It turns out that inventing a tool that counterfeits the experience of being human can have, or rather is having, adverse consequences. Shirky concludes with the same point I’ve been making, that we cannot wait decades to get ahead of this. We are warping a generation.
January 31, 2026 at 12:23 PM
I will keep saying it: It turns out that inventing a tool that counterfeits the experience of being human can have, or rather is having, adverse consequences. Shirky concludes with the same point I’ve been making, that we cannot wait decades to get ahead of this. We are warping a generation.
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
Very interesting research paper that shows that using AI with programming can significantly reduce mastery over topics. Perhaps unsurprising, but the lack of significant speed gains in this exercise are remarkable
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
January 31, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Very interesting research paper that shows that using AI with programming can significantly reduce mastery over topics. Perhaps unsurprising, but the lack of significant speed gains in this exercise are remarkable
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
"Would you accept that deal? Public investment, lower math scores?" www.chadaldeman.com/p/the-state-...
The State of Private School Choice Programs in America
They're still small and largely unaccountable, but at least they're growing fast!
www.chadaldeman.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:03 PM
"Would you accept that deal? Public investment, lower math scores?" www.chadaldeman.com/p/the-state-...
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
You were more precious than a pot of gold
January 30, 2026 at 6:47 PM
You were more precious than a pot of gold
What's your favorite Catherine O'Hara role? I'll go first: all of them
January 30, 2026 at 6:29 PM
What's your favorite Catherine O'Hara role? I'll go first: all of them
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
We are all Seattle Seahawks fans now
January 30, 2026 at 4:53 PM
We are all Seattle Seahawks fans now
Everything is terrible except the Friday NYT crossword, which is a characteristic delight from Robyn Weintraub.
January 30, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Everything is terrible except the Friday NYT crossword, which is a characteristic delight from Robyn Weintraub.
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
Of course businesses are now trying to optimize how they look in AI searches, just like they did with Google or even in the old days of phone books (remember all the businesses that started with the letter A?). Some things never really change.
How Businesses Are Manipulating ChatGPT Results
You’ve long heard about search engine optimization. Companies are now spending big to feature prominently in the output of AI chatbots. It’s called GEO.
www.wsj.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Of course businesses are now trying to optimize how they look in AI searches, just like they did with Google or even in the old days of phone books (remember all the businesses that started with the letter A?). Some things never really change.
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
For National School Choice Week, supporters keep moving the goal posts
Their latest demand: Funding parity for private schools, even though they exclude all manner of kids and aren't held accountable for results. schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/p/for-nation...
Their latest demand: Funding parity for private schools, even though they exclude all manner of kids and aren't held accountable for results. schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/p/for-nation...
For National School Choice Week, supporters keep moving the goal posts
SCHOOLED | Friday, 1/30/26
schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:21 PM
For National School Choice Week, supporters keep moving the goal posts
Their latest demand: Funding parity for private schools, even though they exclude all manner of kids and aren't held accountable for results. schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/p/for-nation...
Their latest demand: Funding parity for private schools, even though they exclude all manner of kids and aren't held accountable for results. schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/p/for-nation...
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
The punchline here is about snow days, but this is just yet another manifestation of a consistent finding: virtual learning is typically inferior to in-person learning--whether the reason for switching to virtual is snow, the pandemic, or terrorizing law enforcement
One or two missed days for everyone might be better than virtual learning where attendance and engagement is low.
The case for snow days
One or two missed days for everyone might be better than virtual learning where attendance and engagement is low.
bit.ly
January 29, 2026 at 4:03 PM
The punchline here is about snow days, but this is just yet another manifestation of a consistent finding: virtual learning is typically inferior to in-person learning--whether the reason for switching to virtual is snow, the pandemic, or terrorizing law enforcement
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
Fuck is he talking about “in theater”
And if you were “in theater” why would you expect to be able to dine in a restaurant
And if you were “in theater” why would you expect to be able to dine in a restaurant
Q: Can you be specific about how many ICE and CBP agents are currently operating in the state?
HOMAN: 3,000. There's been some rotations. They've been in theater a long time. Day after day, can't eat in restaurants, people spin on you, blowing whistles at you. But my main focus now is draw down
HOMAN: 3,000. There's been some rotations. They've been in theater a long time. Day after day, can't eat in restaurants, people spin on you, blowing whistles at you. But my main focus now is draw down
January 29, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Fuck is he talking about “in theater”
And if you were “in theater” why would you expect to be able to dine in a restaurant
And if you were “in theater” why would you expect to be able to dine in a restaurant
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
This map shows where ICE is conducting the most "at large" arrests.
Notice a pattern?
Notice a pattern?
January 29, 2026 at 4:04 PM
This map shows where ICE is conducting the most "at large" arrests.
Notice a pattern?
Notice a pattern?
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
"Veteran teachers appear relatively more effective in virtual instruction than their less-experienced peers, with less-experienced teachers performing relatively worse regardless of in-person teaching ability."
I saw this presented at @aefpweb.bsky.social!
direct.mit.edu/edfp/article...
I saw this presented at @aefpweb.bsky.social!
direct.mit.edu/edfp/article...
January 29, 2026 at 2:27 PM
"Veteran teachers appear relatively more effective in virtual instruction than their less-experienced peers, with less-experienced teachers performing relatively worse regardless of in-person teaching ability."
I saw this presented at @aefpweb.bsky.social!
direct.mit.edu/edfp/article...
I saw this presented at @aefpweb.bsky.social!
direct.mit.edu/edfp/article...
Rents have dropped to four-year lows in LA. www.latimes.com/california/s...
'Finally, a renter's market': L.A. rent prices drop to four-year low
In December, L.A.-area rent prices hit a four-year low, while apartment vacancy rates hit a nearly five-year high, signaling a potential renter's market in some neighborhoods.
www.latimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Rents have dropped to four-year lows in LA. www.latimes.com/california/s...
Really nice and approachable piece from @mattbarnum.bsky.social about the challenges of evaluating new school choice programs (which I happen to especially like because I'm just finishing this chapter of my book!) www.chalkbeat.org/2026/01/27/a...
Are private school choice programs helping students?
Researchers say it may prove difficult to answer this question.
www.chalkbeat.org
January 27, 2026 at 10:46 PM
Really nice and approachable piece from @mattbarnum.bsky.social about the challenges of evaluating new school choice programs (which I happen to especially like because I'm just finishing this chapter of my book!) www.chalkbeat.org/2026/01/27/a...
It's tough sometimes to have hope, but this article will give you hope www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong
The pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions.
www.theatlantic.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:55 PM
It's tough sometimes to have hope, but this article will give you hope www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
"Every social theory undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve. The multiracial community in Minneapolis was supposed to shatter. It did not. It held until Bovino was forced out of the Twin Cities with his long coat between his legs" www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
January 27, 2026 at 4:54 PM
"Every social theory undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve. The multiracial community in Minneapolis was supposed to shatter. It did not. It held until Bovino was forced out of the Twin Cities with his long coat between his legs" www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
I spent four days in the cold and snow in NYC, barely escaping, and that was enough winter for me. Thank you, Los Angeles.
January 27, 2026 at 4:45 PM
I spent four days in the cold and snow in NYC, barely escaping, and that was enough winter for me. Thank you, Los Angeles.
Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
New teacher education research out in the wild... a short thread on this: journals.sagepub.com/eprint/TBNBB...
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Clinical Experiences and (Unexpected Findings on) Job Placements: Experimental Evidence From Student Teaching Interventions - Dan Goldhaber, Matt Ronfeldt, James Cowan, Emanuele Bardelli, Trevor Gratz...
We implemented two reforms to student teaching in randomized controlled trials designed to test improvements to preservice preparation. Although neither reform ...
journals.sagepub.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:29 PM
New teacher education research out in the wild... a short thread on this: journals.sagepub.com/eprint/TBNBB...
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Reposted by Morgan Polikoff
"Despite efforts to diversify the profession in recent years, there is little change in the proportion of teachers of color. ... [and] we find growing disparities between teacher qualifications and preparedness in rural and nonrural school contexts." journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
January 27, 2026 at 3:47 PM
"Despite efforts to diversify the profession in recent years, there is little change in the proportion of teachers of color. ... [and] we find growing disparities between teacher qualifications and preparedness in rural and nonrural school contexts." journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3...
I was somewhat surprised to learn that so few states offer teachers paid parental leave www.nctq.org/research-ins...
State of the States: Investing in Teachers and Families Through Paid Parental Leave - National Council on Teacher Quality
www.nctq.org
January 27, 2026 at 3:46 PM
I was somewhat surprised to learn that so few states offer teachers paid parental leave www.nctq.org/research-ins...
Does anyone know what's up with the California School Dashboard's growth measure? It doesn't *seem* to match the growth model that was approved by the state, though honest to god I'm not sure I know how it's even being calculated given the description. www.caschooldashboard.org/reports/0161...
California School Dashboard (CA Dept of Education)
The California School Dashboard provides parents and educators with meaningful information on school and district progress so they can participate in decisions to improve student learning.
www.caschooldashboard.org
January 26, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Does anyone know what's up with the California School Dashboard's growth measure? It doesn't *seem* to match the growth model that was approved by the state, though honest to god I'm not sure I know how it's even being calculated given the description. www.caschooldashboard.org/reports/0161...
Really important new work from my UAS research team using our probability-based national panel to look at parent AND teen support for cellphone policies in schools. High level: nearly everyone supports major restrictions. www.brookings.edu/articles/sur...
Survey: Parents and teens support school cellphone bans, and most don’t perceive major downsides | Brookings
Surveys show widespread cellphone bans have strong teen and parent support, reducing use in school but not eliminating it.
www.brookings.edu
January 26, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Really important new work from my UAS research team using our probability-based national panel to look at parent AND teen support for cellphone policies in schools. High level: nearly everyone supports major restrictions. www.brookings.edu/articles/sur...