Gerrit Kischner
@connect-edleader.bsky.social
Practitioner of the hopeful arts…principally K-12 education, PNW gardening, and sourdough bread baking. Student, teacher, principal…
So impressed by Mayor Michelle Wu’s first ever State of the Schools address last month: “our schools must take center stage in every major conversation about our city.” And she brings everyone together o prove it!
youtu.be/QPrlQD_V6bE
youtu.be/QPrlQD_V6bE
Mayor Michelle Wu’s 2025 State of the Schools Address - Full Speech
YouTube video by City of Boston
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 7:47 PM
So impressed by Mayor Michelle Wu’s first ever State of the Schools address last month: “our schools must take center stage in every major conversation about our city.” And she brings everyone together o prove it!
youtu.be/QPrlQD_V6bE
youtu.be/QPrlQD_V6bE
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Although the vote is not final, I think we can confidently say that Katie Wilson will be our next Mayor. Huge congrats to @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social, the campaign and all her supporters!
Wow. While we wait for the few remaining ballots to be counted, we feel like we have won this race. The recent drop put us nearly 1,400 votes ahead, just under the .5 percent threshold for a mandatory recount.
November 12, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Although the vote is not final, I think we can confidently say that Katie Wilson will be our next Mayor. Huge congrats to @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social, the campaign and all her supporters!
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Let’s go!
November 11, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Let’s go!
Yes! Let me add my strong endorsement of Carol Rava. On top of her strong experience working in and with school systems, she prepared for this race by earning a certificate in school finance. Carol is ready to do the work to get our new superintendent on stable ground!
Seattle: Don’t forget to vote for school board!
All urbanists should care about schools because
1⃣ Strong schools are fundamental to thriving cities
2⃣ Having schools within walking distance of students is a key part of building a #15MinuteCity, and the success of #SafeRoutesToSchools.
All urbanists should care about schools because
1⃣ Strong schools are fundamental to thriving cities
2⃣ Having schools within walking distance of students is a key part of building a #15MinuteCity, and the success of #SafeRoutesToSchools.
November 4, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Yes! Let me add my strong endorsement of Carol Rava. On top of her strong experience working in and with school systems, she prepared for this race by earning a certificate in school finance. Carol is ready to do the work to get our new superintendent on stable ground!
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
To the extent parents distrust public schools, it's not because of COVID, it's because there's been an orchestrated, decades-long, right-wing attack on public education to keep it chronically underfunded, to stoke cultural wars, and to seduce frustrated parents & lawmakers w/ privatization schemes.
I've never seen such a disconnect between Dem elected/staff/consultants and actual Dem voters.
The latter understand what's going on.
The former are awash in right-wing brainrot, hence @schatz.bsky.social blaming COVID mitigation and BLM marches for the GOP's wanton destruction of public health.
The latter understand what's going on.
The former are awash in right-wing brainrot, hence @schatz.bsky.social blaming COVID mitigation and BLM marches for the GOP's wanton destruction of public health.
![@EsotericCD
It was in this moment that many of us hanging on to a thin sliver of trust in our institutions irrevocably lost faith in them. One of the most poisonous blows to public trust in living memory - worse than the effect of the Iraq War in many ways. RFK Jr is a direct result of this.
Quote
Steve Guest
@SteveGuest
·
Aug 31
Politico 5 years ago:
[screenshot of article falsely claiming public health officials lied about COVID measures then abandoned them for BLM protests]
Views](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ddvus7otnqtlh7fdooxm6qat/bafkreihsypwydo5rcis7mc54cwct6h33l5co477nvh7g7hs7na2fz4jl3q@jpeg)
September 1, 2025 at 5:49 PM
To the extent parents distrust public schools, it's not because of COVID, it's because there's been an orchestrated, decades-long, right-wing attack on public education to keep it chronically underfunded, to stoke cultural wars, and to seduce frustrated parents & lawmakers w/ privatization schemes.
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Wonder if we can get someone famous to repost ⬇️? OR just take the idea as their own and run with it, I'm not looking for credit, just action!
Blue states should make democracy the prevailing theme of the upcoming school year. Not just civics/social studies classes, but democracy-reinforcing lessons & experiences integrated throughout the curriculum.
Boldly educate through the crisis, don't leave children in despair, teach a better way.
Boldly educate through the crisis, don't leave children in despair, teach a better way.
August 21, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Wonder if we can get someone famous to repost ⬇️? OR just take the idea as their own and run with it, I'm not looking for credit, just action!
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Still not over this: Should blue states accept Trump-prioritized, privatization-promoting subsidies that will inevitably exacerbate school segregation, stratification, and sectarianization?
Uh, no.
Uh, no.
July 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Still not over this: Should blue states accept Trump-prioritized, privatization-promoting subsidies that will inevitably exacerbate school segregation, stratification, and sectarianization?
Uh, no.
Uh, no.
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Reading Reseacher Lucy Calkins, Other Reading Researchets dianeravitch.net/2025/05/27/j... via @dianeravitch
May 28, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Reading Reseacher Lucy Calkins, Other Reading Researchets dianeravitch.net/2025/05/27/j... via @dianeravitch
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Knowing what we know now about how federal court desegregation doctrine devolved, had the Court recognized a liberty-grounded right to education, Bolling's legacy could have been far more consequential than even Brown's.
Chief Justice Earl Warren came close in #BollingvSharpe to recognizing education as “a fundamental liberty guaranteed under the Due Process Clause,” omitting that language only to preserve a unanimous decision.
(Just think how close we came to US constitutional right to education)
6/n
(Just think how close we came to US constitutional right to education)
6/n
May 19, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Knowing what we know now about how federal court desegregation doctrine devolved, had the Court recognized a liberty-grounded right to education, Bolling's legacy could have been far more consequential than even Brown's.
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
After resigning her seat last year following a move out of her district boundary, Vivian Song launched her campaign Tuesday to return to the Seattle School Board, seeking the District 5 (Capitol Hill) seat held by outgoing incumbent Michelle Sarju.
May 7, 2025 at 12:57 AM
After resigning her seat last year following a move out of her district boundary, Vivian Song launched her campaign Tuesday to return to the Seattle School Board, seeking the District 5 (Capitol Hill) seat held by outgoing incumbent Michelle Sarju.
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Much love for Filipinx comrades and community impacted by horrific violence during Lapu-Lapu Day celebrations.
For ppl seeking support such as meal train or counseling, you can access resources thru Filipinx-led mutual aid network coming together.
Share widely:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
For ppl seeking support such as meal train or counseling, you can access resources thru Filipinx-led mutual aid network coming together.
Share widely:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Filipino Emergency Response - Request Form
If you need support, please enter your contact information below. Please note, that this is not an immediate service and one of our members will try our best to reach out to you as soon as we can.
I...
docs.google.com
April 27, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Much love for Filipinx comrades and community impacted by horrific violence during Lapu-Lapu Day celebrations.
For ppl seeking support such as meal train or counseling, you can access resources thru Filipinx-led mutual aid network coming together.
Share widely:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
For ppl seeking support such as meal train or counseling, you can access resources thru Filipinx-led mutual aid network coming together.
Share widely:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Here’s disturbing data for Washington State: nationally, the principal turnover rate peaked at 13% in 22-23, the same year it reached 24% for Washington State. What’s worse is one large WA district surpassed 40% for the last two years, 5x the national avg! districtadministration.com/article/rese...
Research: Principal turnover has improved, but not enough
In the 2021-22 school year, the principal turnover rate skyrocketed to 16%, 13 percentage points from its pre-pandemic levels.
districtadministration.com
April 21, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Here’s disturbing data for Washington State: nationally, the principal turnover rate peaked at 13% in 22-23, the same year it reached 24% for Washington State. What’s worse is one large WA district surpassed 40% for the last two years, 5x the national avg! districtadministration.com/article/rese...
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Where is our humanity?
April 6, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Where is our humanity?
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
I'm continuing my SubStack ruminations on the happiness of pursuit...LMK what you think open.substack.com/pub/joshuaps...
Public Schools as a Public Good
Life, liberty, and the happiness of pursuit
open.substack.com
April 7, 2025 at 12:04 PM
I'm continuing my SubStack ruminations on the happiness of pursuit...LMK what you think open.substack.com/pub/joshuaps...
Seeing longitudinal NAEP disaggregated by quintile like this is pretty stunning. Would live to see this state by state. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/u...
The Pandemic Is Not the Only Reason U.S. Students Are Losing Ground (Gift Article)
For years, the country’s lowest-scoring students were steadily improving on national tests. Starting around 2013, something changed.
www.nytimes.com
April 7, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Seeing longitudinal NAEP disaggregated by quintile like this is pretty stunning. Would live to see this state by state. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/u...
These are strange times…here I am applauding this strong case for not abandoning state testing requirements! www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/o...
Opinion | Standardized Tests Let Us Know if Our Kids Are Learning (Gift Article)
Trump wants to give power back to the states. Some states are lowering standards.
www.nytimes.com
April 3, 2025 at 12:38 AM
These are strange times…here I am applauding this strong case for not abandoning state testing requirements! www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/o...
Here we are again with another superintedent turnover in Seattle. My thoughts from 2020 still apply, although the stakes seem even higher. www.seattletimes.com/opinion/seat...
Seattle schools can provide stable leadership despite superintendent change
Seattle Public Schools will lose its superintendent, but we know what we need to do. Our next superintendent needs to be a superb administrator who can hit the ground running to help our $1 billion en...
www.seattletimes.com
March 28, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Here we are again with another superintedent turnover in Seattle. My thoughts from 2020 still apply, although the stakes seem even higher. www.seattletimes.com/opinion/seat...
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Anyone else been following this one?
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ha...
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ha...
Hamptons School Principal Is Cleared in Case of the Missing $25 Gift Card
Arbitrator orders reinstatement of Maria Dorr, who had been on leave after she was accused of stealing the card from the mailroom
www.wsj.com
March 21, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Anyone else been following this one?
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ha...
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ha...
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
GoFundMe for the family of the child that was killed www.gofundme.com/f/erut33-com...
March 8, 2025 at 4:32 AM
GoFundMe for the family of the child that was killed www.gofundme.com/f/erut33-com...
Hey Cascadia! Can we get a Governing Group going from the left side of the divide?
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/u...
A Lonely Holdout Where Republicans Still Resist Trump: Utah (Gift Article)
Bolstered by Mormon voters’ distaste for MAGA politics, the center-right is trying to reassert itself in a ruby-red state.
www.nytimes.com
February 20, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Hey Cascadia! Can we get a Governing Group going from the left side of the divide?
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/u...
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
New org established to defend Department of Education
coalition of public education advocates, educators, beneficiaries of federal education funding, and former employees of the U.S. Department of Education
www.protectpubliced.org
coalition of public education advocates, educators, beneficiaries of federal education funding, and former employees of the U.S. Department of Education
www.protectpubliced.org
February 13, 2025 at 9:37 PM
New org established to defend Department of Education
coalition of public education advocates, educators, beneficiaries of federal education funding, and former employees of the U.S. Department of Education
www.protectpubliced.org
coalition of public education advocates, educators, beneficiaries of federal education funding, and former employees of the U.S. Department of Education
www.protectpubliced.org
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
Washington’s Paramount Duty was proud to co-sponsor today’s Billion Dollar Bake Sale at the State Capitol! Hundreds of people showed up to demand “no more crumbs: fund our schools!”
January 31, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Washington’s Paramount Duty was proud to co-sponsor today’s Billion Dollar Bake Sale at the State Capitol! Hundreds of people showed up to demand “no more crumbs: fund our schools!”
Reposted by Gerrit Kischner
clearest and best thing I have read on K-12 impact on federal freeze (THANK YOU @noellerson.bsky.social!) so far:
www.aasa.org/resources/bl...
www.aasa.org/resources/bl...
January 28, 2025 at 5:04 PM
clearest and best thing I have read on K-12 impact on federal freeze (THANK YOU @noellerson.bsky.social!) so far:
www.aasa.org/resources/bl...
www.aasa.org/resources/bl...