Talk Out of School

Brookings Institution, A New Direction for Students in an AI World; https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/A-New-Direction-for-Students-in-an-AI-World-FULL-REPORT.pdf; A one-page summary of the Brookings report; https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/A-New-Direction-for-Students-in-an-AI-World-ONE-PAGER.pdf NPR, The risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits, report says; https://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1-5674741/ai-schools-education Brookings fact sheets on AI for parents; https://www.brookings.edu/articles/tips-for-parents-raising-resilient-learners-in-an-ai-world/ fact sheets for parents

Kaliris has a conversation with three leaders in education policy around integration and culturally responsive and sustaining education focused on the new Chancellor's priorities. They discuss whether they represent a new vision for public schools in NYC.

Daniel, Leonie and Kaliris discuss the best and worst education stories, nationally and locally, in 2025. Part II was aired a week later.

Daniel, Leonie and Kaliris discuss the best and worst education stories of 2025: Part II

National Center for Charter School Accountability, Charter School Reckoning, Part I: Decline at https://networkforpubliceducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Charter-School-Reckoning-FINAL-1.pdf Charter School Reckoning, Part II: Disillusionment https://networkforpubliceducation.org/part-ii-charter-school-reckoning-disillusionment/ Video, Charter School Reckoning Part II, https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1148156897

Network for Public Education, Charter School Reckoning: Disillusionment; https://networkforpubliceducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Charter-School-Reckoning-Disillusionment.pdf FTC takes action against Illuminate for failing to secure student data; https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/12/ftc-takes-action-against-education-technology-provider-failing-secure-students-personal-data AG Letitia James Secures $51 million fine from Illuminate; https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-and-multistate-coalition-secure-51-million-education Fairplay Advisory on AI Toys; https://fairplayforkids.org/pf/aitoyadvisory/ US PIRG, Trouble in Toyland 2025,; https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/TOYLAND-2025-11-14-7a.pdf has mentions KPTV, AI toys top list in annual ‘Trouble in Toyland’ report this holiday season; https://www.kptv.com/2025/11/14/ai-toys-top-list-annual-trouble-toyland-report-this-holiday-season/ Ballotpedia, State Policies on cellphone use in schools, https://ballotpedia.org/State_policies_on_cellphone_use_in_K-12_public_schools Fairplay, Survivor Parents ‘Deeply Disappointed’ in House Version of the Kids Online Safety Act, Urge Congress to Pass Senate Version; https://fairplayforkids.org/survivor-parents-deeply-disappointed-in-house-version-of-the-kids-online-safety-act-urge-congress-to-pass-senate-version/ The Hill, Deep divides plague kids online safety push in House' https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5630434-deep-divides-plague-kids-online-safety-push-in-house/

NY Daily News, Mamdani plan to scale back NYC gifted and talented program reignites simmering controversy, https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/10/04/mamdani-plan-to-scale-back-nyc-gifted-and-talented-program-reignites-simmering-controversy/ and James Borland, Gifted Education Without Gifted Childre. https://assets.cambridge.org/97805215/47307/excerpt/, 9780521547307_excerpt.pdf Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Developmenthttps://gifted.uconn.edu/schoolwide-enrichment-model/ https://gifted.uconn.edu/schoolwide-enrichment-model/ Jennifer Berkshire's books, The Education Wars and Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School , https://www.amazon.com/Education-Wars-Citizens-Defense-Manual/dp/1620978547/ and https://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Schoolhouse-Door-Dismantling-Education/dp/1620977958/ref=sr_1_1 Jennifer Berkshire, Education Helped Power the Blue Wave, https://educationwars.substack.com/p/education-helped-power-the-blue-wave Laura Pappano, School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education, https://www.amazon.com/School-Moms-Activism-Partisan-Education/dp/0807012661 Laura Pappano, At Moms for Liberty summit, parents urged to turn their grievances into lawsuits, https://hechingerreport.org/at-moms-for-liberty-summit-parents-urged-to-turn-their-grievances-into-lawsuits/ Jake Zuckerman, Culture warriors lost school board races all around Ohio, https://signalohio.org/culture-warriors-lost-school-board-races-all-around-ohio/ David Pepper, Lesson: People Don't Want Crazy on their School Boards, https://davidpepper.substack.com/p/lesson-people-dont-want-crazy-on?r=g8fo&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true Arne Duncan, America is in an ‘education depression.’ This solution is a no-brainer, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/03/democrats-education-tax-credit-duncan/ Jessica Seaman, Colorado teacher unions ride blue wave to victory in school board races, https://www.denverpost.com/2025/11/06/colorado-teacher-union-school-board-elections/ Jenny Brundin, Supporters of Propositions MM and LL declare victory, https://www.cpr.org/2025/11/04/proposition-ll-mm-funding-free-school-meals-results/ Scotus Blog, Mahmoud v. Taylor https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/case-files/mahmoud-v-taylor/ Maggie Scales, Lexington parent sues district over lessons that “normalize LGBTQ relationships” , https://lexobserver.org/2025/11/07/lexington-parent-sues-district-for-burdening-childs-religious-upbringing/

Class Size Matters presentation, How NYC parents can better protect their children's privacy https://classsizematters.org/how-nyc-can-better-protect-their-childrens-privacy/ Questions parents should be asking their schools about their use of ed tech and privacy practices, https://classsizematters.org/questions-nyc-public-school-parents-should-ask-schools-about-their-use-of-ed-tech-and-privacy-practices City Council hearings on the bus contracts, https://citymeetings.nyc/meetings/new-york-city-council/2024-09-30-1000-am-committee-on-education/chapter/long-standing-bus-contracts-and-the-need-for-rebidding/ Senate bill 1018 on Busing Employee Protection Provisions www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1018 Gothamist, School bus service is already rough in NYC. It could get worse, https://gothamist.com/news/school-bus-service-is-already-rough-in-nyc-it-could-get-worse Parents to Improve School Transportation website, https://www.pistnyc.org/ PIST virtual meetings this month are: Friday Oct 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday Oct 21 at 1:00 p.m. details at: https://www.pistnyc.org/events/2025-26-pist-meeting

Chancellor Ramos delivers 2025 State of our Schools remarks; https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/news/announcements/contentdetails/2025/09/29/chancellor-melissa-aviles-ramos-delivers-2025-state-of-our-schools-remarks Liat Olenick, NYC schools need a moratorium on AI; https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/08/03/nyc-schools-need-a-moratorium-on-ai/ An Open Letter to AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Potential and Pitfalls of the New National Academy for AI Instruction https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ey1BTwubPbhT7-Q1FIJzR0Tdr8aEgyXfEp46OLT94sU/edit?tab=t.0 If you are interested in organizing around AI in schools, add your email here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiHgNbOAMI1z_KJY-ioO3tYXUnUP4geIIxZMD-hGb22U2hjQ/viewform Karen Hao, Empire of AI; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743569/empire-of-ai-by-karen-hao/ Stateline, More than half the states have issued AI guidance for schools; https://stateline.org/2025/07/15/more-than-half-the-states-have-issued-ai-guidance-for-schools/ Microsoft press release, AFT to launch National Academy for AI Instruction with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and United Federation of Teachers; https://news.microsoft.com/source/2025/07/08/aft-to-launch-national-academy-for-ai-instruction-with-microsoft-openai-anthropic-and-united-federation-of-teachers/ National Academy for AI Instruction home page; https://aiinstruction.org/ UFT News, AI academy launches, https://www.uft.org/news/news-stories/news-stories/ai-academy-launches Gothamist, Big Tech, NYC teachers union join forces in new AI initiative that's drawing concerns; https://gothamist.com/news/big-tech-nyc-teachers-union-join-forces-in-new-ai-initiative-thats-drawing-concerns Korea Herald, South Korea pulls plug on AI textbooks, https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10546695 Edutopia, What Happened the Year I Banned AI; https://www.edutopia.org/article/banning-ai-tools-class

Gothamist, “From burner phones to decks of cards: NYC teens are adjusting to the smartphone ban” https://gothamist.com/news/from-burner-phones-to-decks-of-cards-nyc-teens-are-adjusting-to-the-smartphone-ban?ref=hellgatenyc.com Chalkbeat, “Cellphones out, Chromebooks in: NYC to give 350,000 students new laptops with free internet” https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/09/08/nyc-students-get-350000-chromebooks-to-bridge-digital-divide/ Andrew Cuomo: “My plan to deliver for NYC’s 1 million schoolkids,” NY Post https://nypost.com/2025/09/08/opinion/andrew-cuomo-my-plan-to-deliver-for-nycs-1-million-schoolkids/ Chalkbeat, “NYC’s next mayor could shake up the schools chancellor search. This group has ideas for doing that.” https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/09/10/mayoral-control-over-nyc-schools-chancellor-search-could-test-mamdani/ RJPS, “Beyond the Moment: Building the Future of NYC Public Education.” https://www.eventbrite.com/e/school-is-in-session-launching-the-rjps-education-roadmap-tickets-1591781654779 Ashana Bigard, “Beyond Resilience: Katrina 20” https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Resilience-Unbreakable-Defending-Community/dp/B0FLVJ3TJT Ashana Bigard, The Progressive Magazine, “The Billion-Dollar Experiment: How New Orleans’ Charter School Revolution Failed the Children It Promised to Save.” https://pv4ps.org/the-billion-dollar-experiment-how-new-orleans-charter-school-revolution-failed-the-children-it-promised-to-save/

Kaliris interviews Tom Sheppard, former CEC Bronx Representative on the Panel for Educational Policy, who reflects on his time on the Panel.

Alexandra Freidus, Unequal Lessons: School Diversity and Educational Inequality in New York City, https://nyupress.org/9781479827817/unequal-lessons/ Alexandra Freidus, CV, https://education.uconn.edu/person/alexandra-freidus/ WEB Dubois, Does the Negro Does the Negro Need Separate Schools? https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1917beyond/essays/does-the-negro-need-seperate-schools.pdf Politico, Brooklyn school rezoning proposal at heart of diversity debate is approved, https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2016/01/brooklyn-school-rezoning-proposal-at-heart-of-diversity-debate-is-approved-029673 DNA Info, Schools Boss Touts Pen Pal System as Substitute for Racial Integration, https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20151029/upper-west-side/schools-boss-touts-pen-pal-system-as-substitute-for-racial-integration/

 Ed Week, Senators—Including Republicans—Reject All of Trump’s Proposed Education Cuts, https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/senators-including-republicans-reject-all-of-trumps-proposed-education-cuts/2025/07 Text of College Transparency Act, https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/cta_textpdf.pdf 2022 Letter to Congress from privacy, consumer & education groups in opposition to the College Transparency Acthttps://studentprivacymatters.org/letter-to-congress-from-privacy-consumer-education-groups-in-opposition-to-the-college-transparency-act/ Chalkbeat, Fewer Black and Latino students win offers to attend specialized high schools,  https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/07/31/nyc-specailized-high-school-admissions-data-eric-adams-segregation/ NYC Parent Blog, New evidence of an extreme gender bias in selective high school admissions demands an independent evaluation of the exam https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2018/03/new-evidence-of-extreme-gender-bias-in.html  

Leah Lin Instagram  Gaspare Randazzo website

Union Matter - Arthur Goldstein blog NY Post - NYC teachers’ union boss Mike Mulgrew ousts rivals, critics from UFT payroll in 'purge' The Wire - 'We Are the Union': Time to Let UFT Staffers Unionize and End Patronage Rule Katie Helene Substack - The Purge: When Standing Up Gets You Removed Chalkbeat - NYC schools to get $29 million for cellphone ban. But when will funds arrive? NPR - Supreme Court says Trump's efforts to close the Education Department can continue

Politico, Zohran Mamdani leads general election poll for NYC mayor, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/09/zohran-mamdani-leads-general-election-poll-00443469 AI in the classroom, Presentation at Network for Public Education conference, April 6, 2025,  https://studentprivacymatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AI-for-NPE-final-.pdf AFT press release, AFT to Launch National Academy for AI Instruction with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and United Federation of Teachers, https://www.aft.org/press-release/aft-launch-national-academy-ai-instruction-microsoft-openai-anthropic-and-united AFT press conference, https://www.youtube.com/live/s1WWs_fZwAc?si=4nqqGR4UxfoPNjBC NYTimes, OpenAI and Microsoft Bankroll New A.I. Training for Teachers, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/technology/chatgpt-teachers-openai-microsoft.html   NY Times, A Classroom Experiment, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/briefing/artificial-intelligence-education-students.html Julian Vasquez Heilig, AI Code Red: Supercharging Racism, Rewriting History, and Hijacking Learning, https://cloakinginequity.com/2025/06/20/code-red-how-ai-is-set-to-supercharge-racism-rewrite-history-and-hijack-learning/   Diane Ravitch, An Education: How I Changed My Mind About Schools and Almost Everything Else, preorder at https://cup.columbia.edu/book/an-education/9780231220293/ Science, Senate spending panel would rescue science funding,  https://www.science.org/content/article/senate-spending-panel-would-rescue-nsf-and-nasa-science-funding

NYC Retirees - http://nycretirees.org Chalkbeat NY - Zohran Mamdani on education: The Democratic primary winner’s plans for NYC schools Chalkbeat NY - NYC budget deal includes free child care pilot program, boost for preschoolers with disabilities CNN - Supreme Court sides with parents who want to opt their children out of LGBTQ books in schools

NYC Parent Blog, The NYC Mayoral debate and what the candidates said on class size, https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-nyc-mayoral-debate-regarding-class.html NY1, Mayoral winner likely won’t be clear until July 1, https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2025/06/19/nyc-mayoral-primary-winner-likely-won-t-be-clear-until-july-1-thanks-to-ranked-choice-voting NYC Comptroller, Complaints Received Concerning the 2023 Elections of Community and Citywide Education Councils, https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/complaints-received-concerning-the-2023-elections-of-community-and-citywide-education-councils/ NY Times, A Culture-War Battle Convulses a School Panel in Liberal Manhattan, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/02/nyregion/maud-maron-transgender-nyc-school-council.html Gay City News, Community Education Council accused of obstructing votes on trans resolutions, https://gaycitynews.com/community-education-council-vote-trans-resolutions/ Chalkbeat, Backlash over culture wars brings new energy to NYC’s parent council elections, https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/05/09/backlash-culture-wars-brings-energy-parent-council-elections/ Gothamist, Elections to NYC parents council see persistently low turnout after culture war controversies, https://gothamist.com/news/elections-to-nyc-parents-council-see-persistently-low-turnout-after-culture-war-controversies Chalkbeat, Low turnout, a shakeup in District 2, and more: what to know about NYC parent council elections, https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/06/16/community-education-council-election-results-place-aqe/

Matt Gonzales is a longtime organizer, policy expert, and champion for education justice. He’s worked with IntegrateNYC, NY Appleseed, and the NYU Metro Center — and most recently, he’s been supporting the work of NY4RJPS, the New York Coalition for Racially Just Public Schools. Together, they’ve launched a bold education justice roadmap to demand real, community-driven solutions from the next mayor of NYC. He and Kaliris spoke about what’s broken, what’s possible, and who’s leading the fight to transform our public schools from the ground up.

Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, Parent, advocate letter opposing weakening of Chancellor's regulation A-820 https://studentprivacymatters.org/parent-leaders-elected-officials-advocates-members-of-chancellors-data-privacy-working-group-urge-chancellor-ramos-to-postpone-vote-on-student-privacy-regulation-and-allow-parents-the-rig/ WJFF Radio, New York’s Native American Mascot Ban Under Federal Probe, As Activists and Academics Highlight Harm https://wjffradio.org/new-yorks-native-american-mascot-ban-under-federal-probe-as-activists-and-academics-highlight-harm AP, NY school refuses to give up Native American mascot — and gets Trump’s support https://www.syracuse.com/state/2025/04/ny-school-refuses-to-give-up-native-american-mascot-and-gets-trumps-support.html NYSED, Background and Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Part 123 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Prohibiting the Use of Indigenous Names, Mascots, and Logos by Public Schools https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/indigenous-education/indigenous-mascot-regulation-background-and-faq.pdf Class Size Matters June 7 Parent Action Conference https://classsizematters.org/sign-up-for-our-annual-parent-action-confrence-does-posted-class-size-plan-for-next-year-and-more/ Chalkbeat, Lawyers for Bronx high school student detained by ICE file petition for immediate release https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/05/30/lawyers-petition-to-release-bronx-high-school-student-detained-by-ice/ Gothamist, 4-year-old migrant girl, other kids go to court in NYC with no lawyer: 'The cruelty is apparent' https://gothamist.com/news/4-year-old-migrant-girl-other-kids-go-to-court-in-nyc-with-no-lawyer-the-cruelty-is-apparent The 74, Trump’s Deportation Database Puts Students at Risk https://www.the74million.org/article/trumps-deportation-database-puts-students-at-risk/