Rachel Fish
@rachelefish.bsky.social
Sociologist studying schools, disability, race, gender. Associate Prof at Smith College. Former elem teacher. Parent. Cycling enthusiast. She/her/hers.
Academics: I'm serving as an external letter writer for a tenure case for the first time. Any tips on serving in this role? Any thoughts on roughly how much time I should set aside?
November 3, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Academics: I'm serving as an external letter writer for a tenure case for the first time. Any tips on serving in this role? Any thoughts on roughly how much time I should set aside?
Reposted by Rachel Fish
🚨 1/ SCOOP We all know Pamela Paul is not a good journalist. But in her (poorly argued) WSJ screed on the alleged "growing divide" in LGBTQ circles abt trans rights, she reports ESPECIALLY badly—including abt Jose Arango & his boyfriend who dumped him.
Paul didn't talk to the boyfriend.
I did.
Paul didn't talk to the boyfriend.
I did.
November 2, 2025 at 7:06 PM
🚨 1/ SCOOP We all know Pamela Paul is not a good journalist. But in her (poorly argued) WSJ screed on the alleged "growing divide" in LGBTQ circles abt trans rights, she reports ESPECIALLY badly—including abt Jose Arango & his boyfriend who dumped him.
Paul didn't talk to the boyfriend.
I did.
Paul didn't talk to the boyfriend.
I did.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
the adl is no longer, by its own definition, america’s preeminent jewish civil rights organization — because it’s no longer a civil rights organization at all
Anyway if you still work at this genocidal hate group working on behalf of apartheid in Israel and fascism in the US—and if you still quote them as an authority in any news story—you're endangering all of us.
www.jta.org/2025/10/29/u...
www.jta.org/2025/10/29/u...
ADL removes ‘Protect Civil Rights’ from website as it narrows its mission amid right-wing attacks - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The removal took place after FBI Director Kash Patel said he would cut ties with the ADL, though it is unclear if that has happened.
www.jta.org
October 29, 2025 at 8:26 PM
the adl is no longer, by its own definition, america’s preeminent jewish civil rights organization — because it’s no longer a civil rights organization at all
Great work, @lauramauldin.bsky.social . So needed.
"Reporting the thoughts of a billionaire as news is as grotesque as the amount of wealth they’ve been allowed to accumulate." I had a lot of fun writing this for @thenewrepublic.bsky.social -- seeing Gates' thoughts on climate change reported yesterday made me cranky
October 29, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Great work, @lauramauldin.bsky.social . So needed.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
Here is the proposed agreement the Trump admin sent to UCLA, which administrators fought tooth and claw to keep secret ucop.edu/communicatio...
ucop.edu
October 25, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Here is the proposed agreement the Trump admin sent to UCLA, which administrators fought tooth and claw to keep secret ucop.edu/communicatio...
Reposted by Rachel Fish
Yet again, we can't afford to let LLMs become a source of epistemic grounding for society.
Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory
An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC
www.bbc.co.uk
October 24, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Yet again, we can't afford to let LLMs become a source of epistemic grounding for society.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
Every once in a while during the 2024 campaign, I'd meet parents of disabled kids who were part of Moms for Liberty or people who taught autistic kids. @slooterman.bsky.social writes how they are afraid right now as Trump targets special education staff.
19thnews.org/2025/10/spec...
19thnews.org/2025/10/spec...
Trump’s attempt to gut special education office has some conservative parents on edge
The president called the layoffs a part of cuts to “Democrat programs,” but children across the nation would be impacted.
19thnews.org
October 19, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Every once in a while during the 2024 campaign, I'd meet parents of disabled kids who were part of Moms for Liberty or people who taught autistic kids. @slooterman.bsky.social writes how they are afraid right now as Trump targets special education staff.
19thnews.org/2025/10/spec...
19thnews.org/2025/10/spec...
Reposted by Rachel Fish
It is not so long ago that disability policy was bipartisan. I taught at the Bush School, and George H.W. Bush would talk about his pride in signing the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Every once in a while during the 2024 campaign, I'd meet parents of disabled kids who were part of Moms for Liberty or people who taught autistic kids. @slooterman.bsky.social writes how they are afraid right now as Trump targets special education staff.
19thnews.org/2025/10/spec...
19thnews.org/2025/10/spec...
Trump’s attempt to gut special education office has some conservative parents on edge
The president called the layoffs a part of cuts to “Democrat programs,” but children across the nation would be impacted.
19thnews.org
October 19, 2025 at 4:13 PM
It is not so long ago that disability policy was bipartisan. I taught at the Bush School, and George H.W. Bush would talk about his pride in signing the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
October 17, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Reposted by Rachel Fish
The official White House account has been blocked by over 5,000 accounts since it was created less than two hours ago: clearsky.app/whitehouse-4...
October 17, 2025 at 10:09 PM
The official White House account has been blocked by over 5,000 accounts since it was created less than two hours ago: clearsky.app/whitehouse-4...
A Prelude to Violence
October 14, 2025 at 2:05 AM
A Prelude to Violence
Reposted by Rachel Fish
The end of federal enforcement of special ed laws. Some states - including MN - will likely be ok. But a lot of disabled kids in a lot of states are going to lose the education that federal law and decades of jurisprudence say they are owed.
Education Department wipes out special ed office in shutdown layoffs, union says
The Education Department laid off nearly everyone at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
www.usatoday.com
October 11, 2025 at 10:50 PM
The end of federal enforcement of special ed laws. Some states - including MN - will likely be ok. But a lot of disabled kids in a lot of states are going to lose the education that federal law and decades of jurisprudence say they are owed.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
I strongly urge everyone to not just read this warning from @marcwatkins.bsky.social, but heed it, and be vocal and forceful pushing back against using AI to grade student writing. This must be anathema if we're going to have a world where learning means something. substack.com/inbox/post/1...
The Dangers of using AI to Grade
Nobody Learns, Nobody Gains
substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:16 PM
I strongly urge everyone to not just read this warning from @marcwatkins.bsky.social, but heed it, and be vocal and forceful pushing back against using AI to grade student writing. This must be anathema if we're going to have a world where learning means something. substack.com/inbox/post/1...
Reposted by Rachel Fish
Most of this laundry list of "overwhelming evidence" is tendentious. Let's go through them.
1) A big driver of high costs at public universities has been a decrease in state appropriations. Many public schools have been forced to act on a public/private model as a result..../1
1) A big driver of high costs at public universities has been a decrease in state appropriations. Many public schools have been forced to act on a public/private model as a result..../1
October 10, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Most of this laundry list of "overwhelming evidence" is tendentious. Let's go through them.
1) A big driver of high costs at public universities has been a decrease in state appropriations. Many public schools have been forced to act on a public/private model as a result..../1
1) A big driver of high costs at public universities has been a decrease in state appropriations. Many public schools have been forced to act on a public/private model as a result..../1
Reposted by Rachel Fish
Friends @emanabdelhadi.bsky.social is doing well— she’s at home, released last night. I’ll let her speak on the ordeal when she’s ready but for now wanted to share this update.
October 5, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Friends @emanabdelhadi.bsky.social is doing well— she’s at home, released last night. I’ll let her speak on the ordeal when she’s ready but for now wanted to share this update.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
ICE just blatantly violated the law and arrested sitting Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes while seeking to illegally arrest a patient in a hospital. Fuck these fascists.
October 3, 2025 at 7:19 PM
ICE just blatantly violated the law and arrested sitting Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes while seeking to illegally arrest a patient in a hospital. Fuck these fascists.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
Over 2 million people across Italy have rallied in more than 100 cities for a one-day general strike.
2 million rally in Italy for Gaza as general strike halts key services
Over 2 million people across Italy have rallied in more than 100 cities for a one-day general strike.
bit.ly
October 4, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Over 2 million people across Italy have rallied in more than 100 cities for a one-day general strike.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
State police assisted ICE in the performative brutalization and arrest of protesters today. @govpritzker.illinois.gov must answer for this.
A protester tackled and arrested by state police for trying to block an ICE vehicle.
October 3, 2025 at 4:20 PM
State police assisted ICE in the performative brutalization and arrest of protesters today. @govpritzker.illinois.gov must answer for this.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
This is who @emanabdelhadi.bsky.social is. Brilliant. Fearless. I fucking hate typing this shit out: Free Eman.
Amplify amplify amplify please.
Amplify amplify amplify please.
@emanabdelhadi.bsky.social tells these cops about themselves.
October 3, 2025 at 3:40 PM
This is who @emanabdelhadi.bsky.social is. Brilliant. Fearless. I fucking hate typing this shit out: Free Eman.
Amplify amplify amplify please.
Amplify amplify amplify please.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
Reposted by Rachel Fish
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has issued an executive order to ensure COVID vaccines are accessible to everyone and insurers continue to cover them.
Press Release: Gov. Evers Signs Executive Order to Ensure Access to Vaccines in Wisconsin
content.govdelivery.com
September 16, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has issued an executive order to ensure COVID vaccines are accessible to everyone and insurers continue to cover them.
Reposted by Rachel Fish
“Failed to live up to the hype” is a lesson with tech that we will never learn
September 10, 2025 at 12:38 PM
“Failed to live up to the hype” is a lesson with tech that we will never learn