Rick Hess’ Uber Driver Speaks Outvpthomas April 17, 2024 Our guest author is Leo Casey, Shanker Institute executive director emeritus.  I was out pounding the streets the other day, and a ride for Rick Hess at the American Enterprise Institute popped up on my driver’s app. Geez, I thought to myself, not him again. But I have to put food on the table and clothes on the back of my kids, so I headed over to AEI. Ten minutes late, Rick jumps into my car, and starts in. “I want to ask you about…” I interrupted him: “Rick, before we get into what you want to talk about, I want to ask you a ques ..read more

Loc-ing students out: Darryl George, the CROWN Act, and the Need to Combat Racial Discrimination in the Classroomvpthomas March 26, 2024 Our guest author is Jasmine Payne-Patterson, a Senior State Policy Coordinator for the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) at the Economic Policy Institute. For some students and workers, hair is a trivial wardrobe decision, while for many Black and Brown people, their hairstyle can be a consequential element of class participation and a job offer. School dress codes and “business appropriate” dress often put high stakes and severe restrictions on h ..read more

Loc-ing students out: Darryl George, the CROWN Act, and the Need to Combat Racial Discrimination in the Classroomvpthomas March 22, 2024 Our guest author is Jasmine Payne-Patterson, a Senior State Policy Coordinator for the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) at the Economic Policy Institute. For some students and workers, hair is a trivial wardrobe decision, while for many Black and Brown people, their hairstyle can be a consequential element of class participation and a job offer. School dress codes and “business appropriate” dress often put high stakes and severe restrictions on h ..read more

From the Classroom to the Capitol: Teachers Can Make A Differencevpthomas March 12, 2024 Our guest authors José Luis Vilson and Dan Kliber are accomplished National Board Certified Teachers and activists. The battle over the federal budget has dire consequences for schools across the country, particularly for those most in need of funding. Recently, some federal legislators have proposed extremely draconian cuts. The last education funding proposal from the U.S. House of Representatives would have slashed federal support for education by 30%, including an 80% reduction to Title I, which suppor ..read more

School District Fragmentation, Segregation, and Funding Equity in New Jerseymdicarlo February 22, 2024 District fragmentation is a very important but sometimes overlooked factor shaping school segregation, school funding equity, and the relationship between them. Put simply, fragmentation refers to the fact that, in some states, there are hundreds of small districts, while other states are divided into a smaller number of large districts. For example, at the extremes, there are 67 (countywide) districts serving Florida’s 3 million public school students, whereas New Jersey maintains around 600 ..read more

Bob Edwards: Beloved Radio Host and Labor Leader (1947-2024)vpthomas February 14, 2024 Our guest author is Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute, author of "Tough Liberal: Albert Shanker and the Battles Over Schools, Unions, Race and Democracy" and a member of the Albert Shanker Institute Board of Directors. I was saddened to read of the death of Bob Edwards, who for 24 years hosted NPR’s Morning Edition with a mix of gravitas and wit.  For people of a certain age, he was, said NPR’s Susan Stamberg, “the voice we woke up to.”  The obituaries noted ..read more

Democracy & Abortion Access: How Underrepresentation of Women in State Legislatures Threatens Freedomvpthomas February 1, 2024 Our guest author is Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. When the Supreme Court handed down the damaging decision of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, it did not just strip millions of people of their ability to control their own bodies and reproductive choices by ending the constitutional right to access an abortion. The Court also deepened the effects of long-standing, systemic efforts to silence the voices of ..read more

How the Fairness of State Tax Codes Affects Public Educationvpthomas January 18, 2024 Our guest author is Carl Davis, Research Director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. He was the project lead on the newest edition of ITEP’s Who Pays? report, which provides the only comprehensive measure of the progressivity, or regressivity, of state tax systems. The vast majority of state and local tax systems are regressive, or upside-down, with the wealthy paying a far lower share of their income in taxes than low-and middle-income families. That is the topline finding of the latest editio ..read more

Happy Holidays From the Shanker Institutevpthomas December 20, 2023 As we celebrate 25 years of the founding of the Shanker Institute, we have enjoyed working alongside you again this year, providing you with insightful commentary on critical topics to strengthen public education, the labor movement, and democracy. Before taking some time off in anticipation of all that 2024 has in store, here is a brief year-in-review.  Public education, the labor movement, and democracy all shared the spotlight again in 2023.  Public Education In March of 2023, ASI and AFT president Randi Wein ..read more

Celebrate Family Engagement All Year Roundvpthomas October 18, 2023 Our guest author is Sarah Johnson, a practicing public school educator in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She has taught in elementary classrooms, coached new teachers as a Peer Assistance and Review consulting teacher, served as an Academic Content Coach, led professional development on School, Family, and Community Partnerships and helped launch the Parent Teacher Home Visit project in Saint Paul Public Schools. It’s October. For some that means apple orchards, leaf viewing, and pumpkin spice. For educators, it also brings Parent Tea ..read more