Cary Waxler, NBCT
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waxler81.bsky.social
Cary Waxler, NBCT
@waxler81.bsky.social
1.2K followers 310 following 270 posts
US and CompGov Teacher, National Board and IEA Mentor, Scale Modeler. Not my employer at all.
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waxler81.bsky.social
Cary Waxler, NBCT @waxler81.bsky.social · Nov 10
Hello new followers - I teach AP US Gov and AP CompGov. If you’re an AP Gov teacher stuck on a topic or need help, please reach out, **especially** if you’re an early career teacher. I’m not saying what I do is perfect but I can help with what I do.
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
stevenmazie.bsky.social
Read this @stevevladeck.bsky.social post on how today’s order looks really bad when compared w the Court’s handling of Biden‘s student-loan relief
July 14, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
capitolhunters.bsky.social
The saga of the NYT's anti-Mamdani story taken from notorious white supremacist Jordan Lasker (they call him an "academic") gets even more amazing: Lasker's only impactful paper, which claimed white people are smarter, is infamous: it misused data so badly it got his tenured co-author fired. 2/
July 4, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
jacobbogage.bsky.social
Can confirm this email is authentic — and about nothing in it is true.

Social Security income is still taxed. This bill does nothing to change that.

It’s willful disinformation on the part of SSA. It’s a lie.
shepow.bsky.social shepow.bsky.social @shepow.bsky.social · Jul 4
Hi, I think a lot of us received e-mails from SSA saying that social security will no longer be taxed - and that somehow there is "enhanced deductions" (how much enhancement can you make to 0?) for those over 65. What part, if any, of this is true? Thank you!
July 4, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
herberthistory.bsky.social
This week we return to @craigbrucesmith.bsky.social and @robgreeneii.bsky.social to talk about the role of mythmaking in the construction of an American national identity.

THE PATRIOT drops NOW on Reckoning with Jason Herbert

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Episode 140: American Mythmaking on Film: The Patriot with Craig Bruce Smith and Robert Greene II
Podcast Episode · Reckoning with Jason Herbert · 07/03/2025 · 1h 31m
podcasts.apple.com
July 3, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
mjsdc.bsky.social
Justice Jackson taking on Gorsuch's "pure textualism" and arguing for a more holistic reading of Congress' handiwork—worth reading in full. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
The majority’s contention that I reject “ ‘pure textualism’ [a]s insufficiently pliable to secure the result [I] seek,” ante, at 10, stems from an unfortunate misunderstanding of the judicial role. Our interpretative task is not to seek our own desired results (whatever they may be). And, indeed, it is precisely because of this solemn duty that, in my view, it is imperative that we interpret statutes consistent with all relevant indicia of what Congress wanted, as best we can ascertain its intent. A methodology that includes consideration of Congress’s aims does exactly that— and no more. By contrast, pure textualism’s refusal to try to understand the text of a statute in the larger context of what Congress sought to achieve turns the interpretive task into a potent weapon for advancing judicial policy preferences. By “finding” answers in ambiguous text, and not bothering to consider whether those answers align with other sources of statutory meaning, pure textualists can easily disguise their own preferences as “textual” inevitabilities. So, really, far from being “insufficiently pliable,” I think pure textualism is incessantly malleable—that’s its primary problem—and, indeed, it is certainly somehow always flexible enough to secure the majority’s desired outcome.
June 20, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
bradheath.bsky.social
DOJ under Trump is dismantling guardrails designed to stop political interference in criminal investigations involving politicians, federal judges and other public figures.

www.reuters.com/investigatio...
June 9, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
bradheath.bsky.social
President Trump's new pardon attorney, Ed Martin, described the men convicted of plotting to kidnap Gov. Whitmer as "victims just like January 6" and said that "on the pardon front, we can't leave these guys behind."

www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...
May 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
Connection between internal efficacy and presidential approval ratings.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
One Thing Helping Trump’s Approval Rating: Some People Are Not Paying Attention
Voters were more likely to approve of President Trump’s job performance if they had not been following some of the major news stories of his first 100 days in office, a recent New York Times/Siena Col...
www.nytimes.com
May 18, 2025 at 11:18 AM
waxler81.bsky.social
Can you imagine what a district IT person would say if an employee accepted a maxed out and incredibly valuable laptop with preloaded software from a private community member, conducted district business on it, then it became personal property of the employee after a few years?
May 11, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
vermontgmg.bsky.social
The corruption here isn’t even my biggest concern. The security risk!?! The security risk is astronomical and totally unfixable. Listening devices? Tracking devices!? Software backdoors!? Intentional AND unintentional!? Unmeasurable risk.
May 11, 2025 at 2:31 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
“No big deal”
May 5, 2025 at 10:22 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
When you see someone in an institution and with agency actively missing the moment in real time.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · May 4
Mark Warner on Republicans: "I do think we're getting close to them stepping up, but the problem is going to be, how much structural damage is going to be done before my Republican friends find their voice and voice publicly what they're already saying privately?"
May 4, 2025 at 5:14 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
Remove a letter, ruin a movie

The Hunt for Ed October.
joaquindead.bsky.social Smedley Hunkerbunker @joaquindead.bsky.social · May 4
Remove a letter, ruin a movie

2 Fat 2 Furious
dakall.bsky.social Manny Phesto @dakall.bsky.social · May 3
Remove a letter, ruin a movie

Schindler's Lit
May 4, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
BREAKING: Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, issues a TRO blocking the Trump administration from "dissolv[ing]" the Institute of Museum and Library Services, placing any more employees on administrative leave, or terminating any grants in the coming days.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, et al., Plaintiffs, ^ KEITH SONDERLING, Acting Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services, et al., Defendants. Civil Case No. 25-1050 (RJL) MEMORANDUM ORDER May 1, 2025 [Dkt. #13] This matter initially came before the Court on plaintiff American Library Association's ("ALA") and plaintiff American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO's ("AFSCME") motion for a preliminary injunction ("PT"). See Pls.' PI Mot. [Dkt, #13]; Pls.' Mem. in Supp. of PI Mot. ("Pls.' PI Mem.") [Dkt. #13-11. Plaintiffs sought a decision on the PI by May 4, 2025, as defendants intend to execute a "mass termination of [Institute of Museum and Library Services] staff' on that day. Pls PI Mot. at 1. I. CONCLUSION For the reasons set forth above, the Court will GRANT IN PART plaintiffs' motion for a TRO. The Court will not, at this time, issue a TRO providing all of the relief sought by plaintiffs. Instead, the Court will issue a narrow TRO preserving the status quo as of this Order. Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that defendants Keith Sonderling, Institute of Museum and Library Services ("IMLS"), Amy Gleason, U.S. DOGE Service, U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, Russel Vought, and U.S. Office of Management and Budget (together, the 5 Case 1:25-cv-01050-RJL Document 36 Filed 05/01/25 Page 6 of 6 "agency defendants") shall not take any further actions to dissolve IMLS or its operations; it is further ORDERED that the agency defendants shall not place any additional IMLS staff on administrative leave; it is further ORDERED that the agency defendants shall not terminate the employment of any IMLS staff; it is further ORDERED that the agency defendants shall not further pause, cancel, or otherwise terminate IMLS grants or contracts or fail to fund such grants or contracts for reasons other than grantees' or contractors' non-compliance with applicable grant or contract terms; and it is further ORDERED that by May 6, 2025, the parties shall submit a joint status report (1) informing the Court whether the parties require any supplemental briefing on the preliminary injunction and, if so, proposing a briefing schedule; and (2) stating whether the parties consent to the Court extending this temporary restraining order until the Court issues a ruling on the preliminary injunction or the case is otherwise resolved. SO ORDERED. RICHARD J. LEON United States District Judge
May 2, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
herberthistory.bsky.social
This week Historians At The Movies talks about Pope Francis and the history of the papacy. Join us on Prime Video at 8pm Eastern this Sunday, April 27 for CONCLAVE.

Keep us growing by sharing and we’ll see you soon!
April 22, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
quigley.house.gov
I had a great time speaking with students at Barrington High School this week! These talented students demonstrated a great passion for civics and public service, and I know they all have bright futures ahead of them.
April 19, 2025 at 2:15 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
No one (except corporations) benefit from more Salmonella.

10 million food poisonings a year from it.

www.cbsnews.com/news/usda-wi...
USDA withdraws a Biden-era effort to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry
The United States Department of Agriculture is withdrawing a rule proposed to help prevent salmonella poisoning from contaminated poultry.
www.cbsnews.com
April 27, 2025 at 7:19 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
Glad to see @rwerenka.bsky.social doing the @cspanwj.bsky.social #Cram4TheExam on Saturday, 5/3 at 9 am EST (that’s 8 am for us IL folks!).

Hope all my #apgov students set those alarms!

Check out all the CSPAN Classroom resources for Gov here: sites.google.com/view/c-spanc...
AP U.S. Government and Politics
Below you will find C-SPAN Classroom resources relating to the topics and categories listed above. Click on each title to expand the section and view the featured resources.
sites.google.com
April 27, 2025 at 5:50 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
Movie you’ve watched more than six times using gifs.

(“Hard mode” no Star Wars, Star Trek, or LOTR)
April 26, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
rparloff.bsky.social
Here's Justice Alito's dissent to the order preventing the summary removals without due process of scores of Venezuelans to a terrorist prison from which there appears to be no mechanism for return. He cites procedural irregularities.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
April 20, 2025 at 12:03 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
Think of an AP US Gov class where instead of a big test, AP would set a big theme in May for the next school year and teachers would design a course that would allow students to complete a rigorous and differentiated portfolio that demonstrates learning on the theme.
stephen-morrison.bsky.social Stephen Morrison @stephen-morrison.bsky.social · Apr 6
Honestly, one of the best teaching responses to AI, I think, would be to turn classrooms back to extensive reading.
April 6, 2025 at 5:58 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
If you’re a school leader or teacher that mocks readers, hand in your letter today.
jaustinedu.bsky.social Jeffrey Austin @jaustinedu.bsky.social · Apr 6
There's more to write about this, but I knew we were cooked when teachers + school leaders started leaning into the anti-intellectualism of "reading is an elitist activity" + openly mocked readers.

Hopefully, adults catch that contagious enthusiasm as much as kids do.
April 6, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Reposted by Cary Waxler, NBCT
jaustinedu.bsky.social
Now, I have school leaders asking me why they should pay for books when AI does everything for students anyway + that the jobs they'll have will probably be all AI. Reading is so 20th Century, they say. This is what happens when you skillify + standards align + science of an entire discipline.
April 6, 2025 at 12:54 PM
waxler81.bsky.social
Thinking about all these college coaches winning one bracket game then jumping ship to another school.

What if teachers did that?

What if districts actively recruited other schools’ teachers?
April 6, 2025 at 1:01 PM