Linda K. Wertheimer
@lindakwert.bsky.social
Author of Faith Ed, Teaching about Religion in an Age of Intolerance. Independent Journalist, formerly of Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News. @medillschool alumna; @FellowsSpencer; @theopedproject #skatermom of ice dancer. I'm not the NPR Linda
Pinned
Supreme Court cases could pave way for larger role for religion in public schools
The Supreme Court over the next two weeks will hear two cases that have the potential to erode the separation of church and state and create a seismic shift in public education. Mahmoud v. Taylor, which goes before…
The Supreme Court over the next two weeks will hear two cases that have the potential to erode the separation of church and state and create a seismic shift in public education. Mahmoud v. Taylor, which goes before…
Supreme Court cases could pave way for larger role for religion in public schools
The Supreme Court over the next two weeks will hear two cases that have the potential to erode the separation of church and state and create a seismic shift in public education. Mahmoud v. Taylor, which goes before the court on April 22, pits Muslim, Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox families, as well as those of other faiths, against the Montgomery County school system in Maryland. The parents argue that the school system violated their First Amendment right of free exercise of religion by refusing to let them opt their children out of lessons using LGBTQ+ books.
hechingerreport.org
Could separation of church and state disappear as we know it? Read my and @casamuels.bsky.social's analysis in @hechingerreport.org. Two upcoming cases examine whether a Catholic school can become a public charter school and whether parents can opt out of books, curriculum b/c of religious beliefs.
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
‘We have set money on fire’: Pennsylvania budget impasse costs Philadelphia school district millions: www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
Philadelphia schools on the hook for millions in interest as state budget delay drags on
The Philadelphia school district has borrowed more than $500 million to make up for missing state funding as Pennsylvania’s budget impasse has hit four months. Even once lawmakers reach a deal, the di...
www.chalkbeat.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:11 PM
‘We have set money on fire’: Pennsylvania budget impasse costs Philadelphia school district millions: www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/06/m... Great story by @huffakingit.bsky.social
Massachusetts virtual schools keep growing, despite COVID — and longstanding — academic struggles - The Boston Globe
Statewide virtual schools have grown in enrollment by more than half since 2019.
www.bostonglobe.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:10 PM
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/06/m... Great story by @huffakingit.bsky.social
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
"Students’ scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, were essentially the same last year as in 2003. And schools are facing a crisis of chronic absenteeism, with 1 in 3 students missing at least 10% of school last year." www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
NYC mayor election pits Mamdani against Cuomo in a battle over the future of mayoral control
As the fate of mayoral control hangs in the balance, the next NYC mayor inherits a $40 billion school system grappling with low college readiness and high chronic absenteeism.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 4, 2025 at 7:46 PM
"Students’ scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, were essentially the same last year as in 2003. And schools are facing a crisis of chronic absenteeism, with 1 in 3 students missing at least 10% of school last year." www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
There's no better feeling for a writer than finishing a draft chapter your been working on for a while. Now the real fun begins! Revision, massaging words, cutting. I'm taking readers back to the 50s and 60s as America splits on a big issue. #amwriting #religionandschools #churchstate
November 4, 2025 at 7:24 PM
There's no better feeling for a writer than finishing a draft chapter your been working on for a while. Now the real fun begins! Revision, massaging words, cutting. I'm taking readers back to the 50s and 60s as America splits on a big issue. #amwriting #religionandschools #churchstate
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
“Today’s decision should make it abundantly clear to all Arkansas public schools that pushing bible edicts on a captive audience of students will not be tolerated,” said FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor.
Read more ➡️ ffrf.us/48Ybe2l
#ffrf ##ffrfs#arkansasm#tencommandments
Read more ➡️ ffrf.us/48Ybe2l
#ffrf ##ffrfs#arkansasm#tencommandments
October 29, 2025 at 4:15 PM
“Today’s decision should make it abundantly clear to all Arkansas public schools that pushing bible edicts on a captive audience of students will not be tolerated,” said FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor.
Read more ➡️ ffrf.us/48Ybe2l
#ffrf ##ffrfs#arkansasm#tencommandments
Read more ➡️ ffrf.us/48Ybe2l
#ffrf ##ffrfs#arkansasm#tencommandments
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
Out now: Religion in the Classroom
An indispensable resource for understanding religion's place in American schools and in matters concerning the separation of church and state in the United States.
Read a preview: https://bit.ly/3VNld2z
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4307RDX
An indispensable resource for understanding religion's place in American schools and in matters concerning the separation of church and state in the United States.
Read a preview: https://bit.ly/3VNld2z
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4307RDX
October 30, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Out now: Religion in the Classroom
An indispensable resource for understanding religion's place in American schools and in matters concerning the separation of church and state in the United States.
Read a preview: https://bit.ly/3VNld2z
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4307RDX
An indispensable resource for understanding religion's place in American schools and in matters concerning the separation of church and state in the United States.
Read a preview: https://bit.ly/3VNld2z
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4307RDX
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
Has the government response to Charlie Kirk's assassination put free speech in public schools under threat? Today's Starting Point takes a look.
Free speech in schools and the response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination - The Boston Globe
A growing number of educators, including in Massachusetts, have faced professional discipline for comments about the conservative activist’s death.
trib.al
October 16, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Has the government response to Charlie Kirk's assassination put free speech in public schools under threat? Today's Starting Point takes a look.
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
The remarkably swift passage of an Everett teen into the Trump administration’s deportation system underscores the reach and efficiency of the infrastructure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has managed to build even in deep-blue Massachusetts. trib.al/Q3zUiKU
‘This is different.’ What the case of the arrested 13-year-old in Everett tells us about ICE. - The Boston Globe
While officials say ICE has moved with similar speed in arresting adults, this case stands out for the very young age of the subject.
trib.al
October 16, 2025 at 10:18 PM
The remarkably swift passage of an Everett teen into the Trump administration’s deportation system underscores the reach and efficiency of the infrastructure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has managed to build even in deep-blue Massachusetts. trib.al/Q3zUiKU
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
Oklahoma's new public schools superintendent is rescinding a mandate from his predecessor that forced schools to incorporate the Bible into lesson plans for students.
New Oklahoma schools superintendent rescinds mandate for Bible instruction in schools
Oklahoma's new public schools superintendent is rescinding a mandate from his predecessor that forced schools to incorporate the Bible into lesson plans for students.
bit.ly
October 16, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Oklahoma's new public schools superintendent is rescinding a mandate from his predecessor that forced schools to incorporate the Bible into lesson plans for students.
This may close the loop on the Bible mandate controversy on Oklahoma. I wrote about it for @vanityfair.com and @hechingerreport.org .
Oklahoma's new education chief made a significant policy departure from his predecessor, Ryan Walters, with an announcement Wednesday he will not distribute copies of the Bible to public schools.
buff.ly/ReECi97
buff.ly/ReECi97
New state superintendent has ‘no plans to distribute Bibles’ in Oklahoma public schools • Oklahoma Voice
State Superintendent Lindel Fields indicated he will not fight in court to defend his predecessor's mandate on Bible instruction in schools.
oklahomavoice.com
October 15, 2025 at 11:19 PM
This may close the loop on the Bible mandate controversy on Oklahoma. I wrote about it for @vanityfair.com and @hechingerreport.org .
Inside a New Bible-Infused Texas English Curriculum www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/u...
Inside a New Bible-Infused Texas English Curriculum
www.nytimes.com
October 15, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Inside a New Bible-Infused Texas English Curriculum www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/u...
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
Already feeling under attack and facing increased government scrutiny, international college students balked at a new Trump administration proposal that could limit their stays in the US to four years.
‘We are not welcome or safe’: Trump administration moves to limit international students’ visa stays - The Boston Globe
If approved, the rule would implement a new fixed time limit on foreign students, who currently can stay for the length of their studies as long as they meet visa requirements.
trib.al
August 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Already feeling under attack and facing increased government scrutiny, international college students balked at a new Trump administration proposal that could limit their stays in the US to four years.
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
It's back-to-school time at Boston-area colleges and universities, but as political and economic challenges mount, life in the college bubble feels a little different this fall.
Students returning for the fall, but Boston-area campuses are not the same - The Boston Globe
It's back-to-school time at Boston-area colleges and universities, but as political and economic challenges mount, this fall feels a little different.
trib.al
August 30, 2025 at 2:23 PM
It's back-to-school time at Boston-area colleges and universities, but as political and economic challenges mount, life in the college bubble feels a little different this fall.
This beautiful harbor seal was just lounging on a rock during my recent trip to Maine. A few dozen were swimming nearby as I kayaked in Morgan Bay. Thankfully there were no sharks hunting.
July 14, 2025 at 11:53 PM
This beautiful harbor seal was just lounging on a rock during my recent trip to Maine. A few dozen were swimming nearby as I kayaked in Morgan Bay. Thankfully there were no sharks hunting.
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
Some groups argued that nonprofit newspapers and other publications have been allowed to endorse candidates without running afoul of the IRS, while IRS rules barred churches and other nonprofits from doing the same.
religionnews.com/2025/07/08/c...
religionnews.com/2025/07/08/c...
Churches can endorse politicians, IRS says in court filing
(RNS) — The IRS hopes to settle a lawsuit brought by a pair of Texas churches and a group of religious broadcasters over rules that bar houses of worship and other nonprofits from getting involved in…
religionnews.com
July 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Some groups argued that nonprofit newspapers and other publications have been allowed to endorse candidates without running afoul of the IRS, while IRS rules barred churches and other nonprofits from doing the same.
religionnews.com/2025/07/08/c...
religionnews.com/2025/07/08/c...
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
The IRS ending the Johnson amendment is a big change. It could turn churches into PACs, giving GOP donors a tax break for unlimited political spending.
The good news? It could drive even more people to leave conservative churches. Millions already have.
www.salon.com/2025/07/11/t...
The good news? It could drive even more people to leave conservative churches. Millions already have.
www.salon.com/2025/07/11/t...
Trump's IRS payola for churches will backfire on evangelicals
Millions have already left right-wing Christianity because of politics
www.salon.com
July 11, 2025 at 12:55 PM
The IRS ending the Johnson amendment is a big change. It could turn churches into PACs, giving GOP donors a tax break for unlimited political spending.
The good news? It could drive even more people to leave conservative churches. Millions already have.
www.salon.com/2025/07/11/t...
The good news? It could drive even more people to leave conservative churches. Millions already have.
www.salon.com/2025/07/11/t...
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
OPINION: One hundred years after the Scopes trial, the culture war over evolution and creationism remains intense.
religionnews.com/2025/07/01/1...
religionnews.com/2025/07/01/1...
1 in 4 Americans reject evolution, a century after the Scopes monkey trial spotlighted the clash between science and religion
(The Conversation) — One hundred years after the Scopes trial, the culture war over evolution and creationism remains intense.
religionnews.com
July 7, 2025 at 3:31 PM
OPINION: One hundred years after the Scopes trial, the culture war over evolution and creationism remains intense.
religionnews.com/2025/07/01/1...
religionnews.com/2025/07/01/1...
Excellent impact story by @casamuels.bsky.social of @hechingerreport.org on the SCOTUS ruling . How will giving parents the right to opt out of curriculum, books for religious reasons affect K-12 education? #MahmoudvTaylor #SCOTUS
Supreme Court ruling could have widespread impact on school curricula
Mahmoud v. Taylor decision could have widespread effects on school curricula
In Mahmoud v. Taylor, the Supreme Court sided June 27 with a group of Maryland parents who said they wanted to opt their children out reading storybooks featuring LGBTQ+ themes and characters.
hechingerreport.org
June 29, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Excellent impact story by @casamuels.bsky.social of @hechingerreport.org on the SCOTUS ruling . How will giving parents the right to opt out of curriculum, books for religious reasons affect K-12 education? #MahmoudvTaylor #SCOTUS
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
Sotomayor, in dissent, correctly says that today's decision in Mahmoud will lead public schools to simply censor books featuring LGBTQ characters and themes, creating "chaos" and stigmatizing children with LGBTQ families. This decision will lead to book bans.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
June 27, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Sotomayor, in dissent, correctly says that today's decision in Mahmoud will lead public schools to simply censor books featuring LGBTQ characters and themes, creating "chaos" and stigmatizing children with LGBTQ families. This decision will lead to book bans.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
The authors and illustrators involved in the Mahmoud v Taylor case released this statement in today's devastating ruling. Grateful to @penamerica.bsky.social for all their support and for sharing this on our behalf.
pen.org/press-releas...
pen.org/press-releas...
Authors and Illustrators of Books in Mahmoud v. Taylor Case Respond to Supreme Court Ruling - PEN America
As the authors and illustrators of the books named in Mahmoud v. Taylor, we believe the Supreme Court’s ruling today threatens students’ access to diverse books and undermines teachers’ efforts to cre...
pen.org
June 27, 2025 at 5:15 PM
The authors and illustrators involved in the Mahmoud v Taylor case released this statement in today's devastating ruling. Grateful to @penamerica.bsky.social for all their support and for sharing this on our behalf.
pen.org/press-releas...
pen.org/press-releas...
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
I am deeply disappointed in today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which limits access to LGBTQ+ inclusive books in public schools.
Read my full statement at www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapp....
Read my full statement at www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapp....
June 27, 2025 at 5:41 PM
I am deeply disappointed in today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which limits access to LGBTQ+ inclusive books in public schools.
Read my full statement at www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapp....
Read my full statement at www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapp....
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
🚨 The Supreme Court’s ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor undermines public education by allowing parents to exempt their children from lessons based on religious beliefs.
This paves the way for religious interference in the classroom and threatens secular education.
This paves the way for religious interference in the classroom and threatens secular education.
BREAKING: Supreme Court allows Maryland parents to opt their kids out of LGBTQ+ lessons in schoolsParents in Mahmoud v. Taylor won the right to opt-out of classes where LGBTQ-themed books were taught. bit.ly/4nov9fm
June 27, 2025 at 3:26 PM
🚨 The Supreme Court’s ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor undermines public education by allowing parents to exempt their children from lessons based on religious beliefs.
This paves the way for religious interference in the classroom and threatens secular education.
This paves the way for religious interference in the classroom and threatens secular education.
Reposted by Linda K. Wertheimer
Breaking news: The Supreme Court ruled that religious parents can opt their children out of public school lessons with LGBTQ+ books, a case that could have implications for schools nationwide.
Supreme Court sides with religious parents seeking to opt out of LGBTQ storybooks
The case asked whether Montgomery County, Maryland could require children to participate in lessons with books that clash with parents’ religious beliefs.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 27, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Breaking news: The Supreme Court ruled that religious parents can opt their children out of public school lessons with LGBTQ+ books, a case that could have implications for schools nationwide.
Fyi @edwriters.bsky.social this is huge news. How will this affect book, curriculum decisions in schools?
The Supreme Court said on Friday that public schools in Maryland must allow parents with religious objections to withdraw their children from classes in which storybooks with LGBTQ themes are discussed. Here's what to know. nyti.ms/4l30zXd
June 27, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Fyi @edwriters.bsky.social this is huge news. How will this affect book, curriculum decisions in schools?