Erica Meltzer
@ericameltzer.bsky.social
National Editor at Chalkbeat. I write about education and politics. Reach me at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org
That charter schools are actually private is not just the argument of charter opponents. It's the argument of those who want to see religious charter schools or think they should be able to require girls to wear skirts.
This is a matter currently being litigated and could vary by state depending on the enabling legislation. Also, framing them as anything other than public allows them to discriminate and violate some civil rights.
Getting annoyed listening to charter school activists lie again and again that charter schools are public schools.
They are not.
They are publicly funded private schools that siphon money away from public schools and produce no better results.
They are not.
They are publicly funded private schools that siphon money away from public schools and produce no better results.
November 13, 2025 at 4:48 PM
That charter schools are actually private is not just the argument of charter opponents. It's the argument of those who want to see religious charter schools or think they should be able to require girls to wear skirts.
It's a club no one wants to be part of, but these teachers didn't have a choice. Now they want to provide support to other educators who have been through school shootings. www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
These teachers survived school shootings. Now they’re offering help to their peers.
“They don't have to be alone with those thoughts or those fears in the aftermath,” said Kiki Leyba, who was teaching at Columbine High School during the 1999 mass shooting.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 13, 2025 at 2:58 PM
It's a club no one wants to be part of, but these teachers didn't have a choice. Now they want to provide support to other educators who have been through school shootings. www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Gonna try to be better about posting on here, at least to share the good work being done at Chalkbeat and other outlets. As I slowly backed away from Twitter and Facebook, I lost the habit of posting at all.
November 13, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Gonna try to be better about posting on here, at least to share the good work being done at Chalkbeat and other outlets. As I slowly backed away from Twitter and Facebook, I lost the habit of posting at all.
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
Reports of the death of the bachelor’s degree have been greatly exaggerated. Enrollment is near pre-pandemic levels, real tuition is flat or down, and the college wage premium remains high.
I explore how the narrative became disconnected from the data.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/is-college...
I explore how the narrative became disconnected from the data.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/is-college...
Is college enrollment really plummeting?
Reports of the death of the bachelor’s degree have been greatly exaggerated.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reports of the death of the bachelor’s degree have been greatly exaggerated. Enrollment is near pre-pandemic levels, real tuition is flat or down, and the college wage premium remains high.
I explore how the narrative became disconnected from the data.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/is-college...
I explore how the narrative became disconnected from the data.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/is-college...
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
This is big news: Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, has helped to seed a test case in Colorado over whether public schools can provide Christian education
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Christian law firm sought Colorado test case for religious public schools, emails suggest
Alliance Defending Freedom approached a Colorado lawyer about starting a school in Colorado to spark a legal test of publicly funded religious education, according to an email authored by the lawyer.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:24 PM
This is big news: Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, has helped to seed a test case in Colorado over whether public schools can provide Christian education
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
BREAKING: House passes a bill to end the nation's longest government shutdown on Day 43, sending the measure to Trump for his signature.
House passes bill to end historic government shutdown, sending measure to Trump
The House has passed a bill to end the nation’s longest government shutdown. The vote Wednesday sends the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature after a historic 43-day funding lapse.
bit.ly
November 13, 2025 at 1:28 AM
BREAKING: House passes a bill to end the nation's longest government shutdown on Day 43, sending the measure to Trump for his signature.
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
As advocates seed new cases testing the boundaries of the First Amendment in public schools, I'm going to bring back this thread I wrote when SCOTUS let the lower court ruling stand in the St. Isidore case. bsky.app/profile/zaha...
After the Supreme Court tied on religious charters, Alliance Defending Freedom asked a Colorado school district lawyer to initiate a "parallel case," according to emails obtained by Chalkbeat. A self-described Christian public school opened a few months later. www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Christian law firm sought Colorado test case for religious public schools, emails suggest
Alliance Defending Freedom approached a Colorado lawyer about starting a school in Colorado to spark a legal test of publicly funded religious education, according to an email authored by the lawyer.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:19 PM
As advocates seed new cases testing the boundaries of the First Amendment in public schools, I'm going to bring back this thread I wrote when SCOTUS let the lower court ruling stand in the St. Isidore case. bsky.app/profile/zaha...
After the Supreme Court tied on religious charters, Alliance Defending Freedom asked a Colorado school district lawyer to initiate a "parallel case," according to emails obtained by Chalkbeat. A self-described Christian public school opened a few months later. www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Christian law firm sought Colorado test case for religious public schools, emails suggest
Alliance Defending Freedom approached a Colorado lawyer about starting a school in Colorado to spark a legal test of publicly funded religious education, according to an email authored by the lawyer.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:05 PM
After the Supreme Court tied on religious charters, Alliance Defending Freedom asked a Colorado school district lawyer to initiate a "parallel case," according to emails obtained by Chalkbeat. A self-described Christian public school opened a few months later. www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Had my 15-year-old vote with us last night so that she could watch two adults work through what to do when you don't love any of your choices.
November 4, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Had my 15-year-old vote with us last night so that she could watch two adults work through what to do when you don't love any of your choices.
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
“Ultimately a parent has to make a decision — and you should choose food over pencils.” www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2025...
‘Food over pencils’: SNAP uncertainty increases demands on Indianapolis food pantries
With families still waiting for SNAP benefits amid the government shutdown, Indianapolis-area schools like in Perry Township have geared up to provide food assistance. About 260,000 children in India...
www.chalkbeat.org
November 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
“Ultimately a parent has to make a decision — and you should choose food over pencils.” www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2025...
Happy Election Eve to all the journalists watching the readership metrics on their voter guides.
November 4, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Happy Election Eve to all the journalists watching the readership metrics on their voter guides.
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
BOSTON (AP) — Judges order the federal government to use contingency funds for SNAP food aid payments during the shutdown.
October 31, 2025 at 6:07 PM
BOSTON (AP) — Judges order the federal government to use contingency funds for SNAP food aid payments during the shutdown.
A grim accounting of the underappreciated dangers faced by school crossing guards. apnews.com/article/scho...
School crossing guards face life-threatening dangers on the job
An investigation by The Associated Press and Cox Media Group Television Stations found that school crossing guards face dangerous conditions, with many injured or killed on the job.
apnews.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:00 PM
A grim accounting of the underappreciated dangers faced by school crossing guards. apnews.com/article/scho...
If you care about a publication, if it makes your life better in any way, pay for it.
I have overseen editorial for two beloved indie publications that folded: Bitch Media and YES! Media. I learned a lot from those experiences, including the fact that passion is not enough to sustain a media operation. Indie publications need consistent revenue to survive.
October 31, 2025 at 2:55 AM
If you care about a publication, if it makes your life better in any way, pay for it.
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
I have overseen editorial for two beloved indie publications that folded: Bitch Media and YES! Media. I learned a lot from those experiences, including the fact that passion is not enough to sustain a media operation. Indie publications need consistent revenue to survive.
October 30, 2025 at 2:40 AM
I have overseen editorial for two beloved indie publications that folded: Bitch Media and YES! Media. I learned a lot from those experiences, including the fact that passion is not enough to sustain a media operation. Indie publications need consistent revenue to survive.
This might be my most capital-P Patriotic Opinion.
October 30, 2025 at 8:28 PM
This might be my most capital-P Patriotic Opinion.
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
These teams consistently did some of the best reporting at the network. 💔
NBC News has reportedly eliminated its NBC BLK, NBC Asian America, NBC Latino and NBC OUT teams
NBC News’ 150 Layoffs Gut Black, Latino, Asian American and LGBTQ+ Diversity Teams
The cuts affected teams across the NBC News operation and came as the network no longer needed to support two different news operations. MSNBC has begun growing its own newsroom, hiring swaths of tale...
www.thewrap.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:39 AM
These teams consistently did some of the best reporting at the network. 💔
Democratic governors aren't leaping to opt into the new federal tax credit scholarship program, but only two have said no outright. One is "excited" at the possibilities. But will federal rules give them the flexibility to shape this program?
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/08/13/f...
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/08/13/f...
Guess which Democratic governor is ‘excited’ about the federal tax-credit scholarship
Most Democratic governors have yet to say whether they will opt their states into the new voucher-like scheme backed by federal tax credits. One advocate likened the situation to making lemonade out o...
www.chalkbeat.org
August 14, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Democratic governors aren't leaping to opt into the new federal tax credit scholarship program, but only two have said no outright. One is "excited" at the possibilities. But will federal rules give them the flexibility to shape this program?
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/08/13/f...
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/08/13/f...
The Trump administration is also scrutinizing admissions at Brown and Columbia, looking at grades, standardized test scores and race of admitted students and rejected applicants for evidence of secret affirmative action.
This is the first legal action seeking to force NSF to undo the 300 grants they suspended at UCLA last week.
Also, read my story to see how the NSF accused UCLA of doing affirmative action because it uses holistic admissions. That was a justification in suspending the grants.
Also, read my story to see how the NSF accused UCLA of doing affirmative action because it uses holistic admissions. That was a justification in suspending the grants.
NEW: A federal judge today ordered lawyers for the Trump administration to explain why last week’s suspension of about 300 UCLA grants by the National Science Foundation does not run afoul of that judge’s June order barring the agency from terminating additional grants.
August 6, 2025 at 1:23 AM
The Trump administration is also scrutinizing admissions at Brown and Columbia, looking at grades, standardized test scores and race of admitted students and rejected applicants for evidence of secret affirmative action.
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
This is the first legal action seeking to force NSF to undo the 300 grants they suspended at UCLA last week.
Also, read my story to see how the NSF accused UCLA of doing affirmative action because it uses holistic admissions. That was a justification in suspending the grants.
Also, read my story to see how the NSF accused UCLA of doing affirmative action because it uses holistic admissions. That was a justification in suspending the grants.
NEW: A federal judge today ordered lawyers for the Trump administration to explain why last week’s suspension of about 300 UCLA grants by the National Science Foundation does not run afoul of that judge’s June order barring the agency from terminating additional grants.
‘Immediately rescind’: UC researchers ask judge to undo Trump’s UCLA grant suspensions
After the National Science Foundation suspended UCLA research grants, the UC claims that decision violated a court order.
calmatters.org
August 6, 2025 at 12:43 AM
This is the first legal action seeking to force NSF to undo the 300 grants they suspended at UCLA last week.
Also, read my story to see how the NSF accused UCLA of doing affirmative action because it uses holistic admissions. That was a justification in suspending the grants.
Also, read my story to see how the NSF accused UCLA of doing affirmative action because it uses holistic admissions. That was a justification in suspending the grants.
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
We could have had cancer vaccines, and instead the United States will contribute nothing whatsoever to mRNA research, condemning millions of people worldwide to unnecessary illness and death
WASHINGTON (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces he will cancel $500 million in vaccine development projects.
August 5, 2025 at 11:04 PM
We could have had cancer vaccines, and instead the United States will contribute nothing whatsoever to mRNA research, condemning millions of people worldwide to unnecessary illness and death
Reposted by Erica Meltzer
Did you feel the North Jersey/Manhattan earthquake? Fill out the USGS “Did you feel it?” form and participate directly in SCIENCE - help them learn more about earthquakes! 🧪
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
August 3, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Did you feel the North Jersey/Manhattan earthquake? Fill out the USGS “Did you feel it?” form and participate directly in SCIENCE - help them learn more about earthquakes! 🧪
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
Possibly my single greatest pet peeve on this and all related platforms. POST THE LINK!
People, I'm begging you: If you post a screenshot of a paragraph from an article, AT LEAST include a link to the article.
July 31, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Possibly my single greatest pet peeve on this and all related platforms. POST THE LINK!
Penny Schwinn was supposed to bring expertise and education bonafides to Trump's Education Department. Cultural conservatives back in Tennessee had other ideas. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/31/p...
Penny Schwinn is no longer Trump’s nominee to be No. 2 at the Education Department
Some hoped Schwinn, a former state schools chief, would lend expertise to Trump’s efforts to give states more power over education. But cultural conservatives in Tennessee opposed her nomination.
www.chalkbeat.org
July 31, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Penny Schwinn was supposed to bring expertise and education bonafides to Trump's Education Department. Cultural conservatives back in Tennessee had other ideas. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/31/p...