In this first-person essay, a (now former) attorney for the Department of Education, living in Sebastopol, talks about the agency he used to work for and why it's important
Thank you for speaking up and sharing this vital information, Matt. I do hope the next time you have an opportunity to educate those who have swallowed the falsehoods peddled by Musk, Trump (and their henchmen) you will not hesitate to set them straight. I think we’re past the need to be polite.
I practiced Special Ed law under IDEA and Disability Discrimination for years. This breaks my heart because the reality goes so far beyond the words. Thank you for speaking out. I will never give up this fight. And thank you, Sebastopol Times, for the interview.
This administration's consistent power-grabs, absolute malice towards the education of children, and destructive moves against our public servants is worse than awful.
The elected oligarchs want a generation of poorly educated serfs who will shine their children's shoes and work for servant wages and not know enough about the past to protest the state of things. All of this boils my blood and makes steam shoot from my ears. I say enough of this abysmal dogshit. Leave public school funding alone and leave our civil rights as they were in early January.
My voice will ring out tomorrow, 4/5/25, as will the voices of many others. Please consider joining a Hands Off! protest near you. Thanks in advance.
I'll quote JFK saying why humanity chooses to undertake such challenges, why we have to do the difficult thing and forgo convenience sometimes.
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too." -John F Kennedy
We're talking about electing an altruistic egalitarian, right?
It'll probably be sometime after Citizen's United v. FEC is repealed and money is no longer speech. Wealthy individuals cannot be allowed to have more votes just because they have more dollars. If none of us can imagine a time after we allow the wealthy rule us, then we're already a lost civilization and will revert to some kind of abhorrent neofeudalism or totalitarian surveillance fascism.
We spent two weeks in Singapore recently. We’ve traveled many places and by many metrics this is the most civilized society I’ve experienced. They are not fear-based and vastly more tolerant it seems. It seems they expect to get along, and do. Read about and visit. Take this interval as a time to learn, perhaps. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Kuan_Yew
As a former SpEd parent, I know the importance of IDEA and enforcement, and the need for Title 1 schools to receive that extra help. My kid is 34 now, but those pillars of civil rights were essential. Thanks for sharing your story, knowledge & perspective. I wish you all the best - unfortunately you are in good company with so many quality individuals who do the daily work of justice.
Well written piece. As a retired middle school teacher and current preschool teacher, I am shocked by the audacity of our so-called leaders. My heart goes out to you as you try to find a rewarding new profession.
Thank you for speaking up and sharing this vital information, Matt. I do hope the next time you have an opportunity to educate those who have swallowed the falsehoods peddled by Musk, Trump (and their henchmen) you will not hesitate to set them straight. I think we’re past the need to be polite.
I practiced Special Ed law under IDEA and Disability Discrimination for years. This breaks my heart because the reality goes so far beyond the words. Thank you for speaking out. I will never give up this fight. And thank you, Sebastopol Times, for the interview.
This administration's consistent power-grabs, absolute malice towards the education of children, and destructive moves against our public servants is worse than awful.
The elected oligarchs want a generation of poorly educated serfs who will shine their children's shoes and work for servant wages and not know enough about the past to protest the state of things. All of this boils my blood and makes steam shoot from my ears. I say enough of this abysmal dogshit. Leave public school funding alone and leave our civil rights as they were in early January.
My voice will ring out tomorrow, 4/5/25, as will the voices of many others. Please consider joining a Hands Off! protest near you. Thanks in advance.
Education and gullibility are a circular reality, as fascists and progressives know.
Unfortunately, gullibility is easier than thinking.
Thank you for sharing your observations. Altruism is challenging in our society.
Re: Altruism is challenging in our society.
I'll quote JFK saying why humanity chooses to undertake such challenges, why we have to do the difficult thing and forgo convenience sometimes.
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too." -John F Kennedy
I wonder when our society might again elect a person of similar values.
Thanks again
We're talking about electing an altruistic egalitarian, right?
It'll probably be sometime after Citizen's United v. FEC is repealed and money is no longer speech. Wealthy individuals cannot be allowed to have more votes just because they have more dollars. If none of us can imagine a time after we allow the wealthy rule us, then we're already a lost civilization and will revert to some kind of abhorrent neofeudalism or totalitarian surveillance fascism.
We spent two weeks in Singapore recently. We’ve traveled many places and by many metrics this is the most civilized society I’ve experienced. They are not fear-based and vastly more tolerant it seems. It seems they expect to get along, and do. Read about and visit. Take this interval as a time to learn, perhaps. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Kuan_Yew
As a former SpEd parent, I know the importance of IDEA and enforcement, and the need for Title 1 schools to receive that extra help. My kid is 34 now, but those pillars of civil rights were essential. Thanks for sharing your story, knowledge & perspective. I wish you all the best - unfortunately you are in good company with so many quality individuals who do the daily work of justice.
Well written piece. As a retired middle school teacher and current preschool teacher, I am shocked by the audacity of our so-called leaders. My heart goes out to you as you try to find a rewarding new profession.