hi bluesky, i am logging back in after a really special time on maternity leave. i'm back at Vox today. will be around here more now and please do help me cope with the transition by saying hi and sending me all your great tips/story ideas email: rcohen.booth@voxmedia.com, or Signal: 202-681-6194

Teacher "strikes more than double the probability that congressional candidates air education campaign ads. Strikes also shape broader support for education funding, resulting in more than $600 increases in district revenues and expenditures per pupil." jhr.uwpress.org/content/61/4...

Teacher Strikes as Public Signals

Teacher strikes are tactics that unions use to influence contract negotiations, and high-profile actions that have the potential to signal the need for policy change. We study the political economy of...

jhr.uwpress.org

COVID-19 vaccine "mandates covering all colleges in a county reduced COVID-19 deaths by 5.6 per 100,000 persons...& ICU admissions by 16.2 per 100,000...Impacts are larger in counties with larger college populations & low estimated ex ante student vaccination rates." jhr.uwpress.org/content/61/4...

The Effect of Vaccine Mandates on Disease Spread

Nearly 700 four-year US colleges mandated students receive COVID-19 vaccinations in fall 2021. Using data on college policies and county health, we estimate how mandates affect surrounding communities...

jhr.uwpress.org

At first glance, it seems like AES did very well in Grand Rapids, college towns, upscale vacation communities … Stevens seems to have done well in places worth lots of a Black folks, and rural mostly white (working class!) counties.

Brendan Cantwell@cantb.bsky.social · 6h ago

I think the national framing about the election in MI is bad AND I don’t think the results suggest some resounding affirmative - conversation over - indication about the electrical success of DSA-style politics in the state.

How Steven Hall became Champaign’s unlikely rock star www.smilepolitely.com/music/how-st...

How Steven Hall became Champaign’s unlikely rock star - Music

You may have noticed a shift in the atmosphere earlier this month. No, it wasn’t another severe weather event—knock on wood—but something much more welcome: a Champaign resident has captured the notor...

smilepolitely.com

I was going to suggest that "food deserts" are sociology's "teacher shortage", but at least the former emphasizes variation so maybe it's their "learning styles"?

Michael Hobbes@michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 4d ago

"There is little evidence to support the idea that bringing supermarkets to neighborhoods that lack them has a measurable effect on what residents eat."

Chicago’s school board rescinded many layoffs with uncertain money. What’s next? www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026... "the district should be able to secure a short-term loan, albeit with high interest"

Here’s what parents and staff need to know about this year’s Chicago Public Schools budget drama

The Chicago Board of Education passed a budget that aims to restore job cuts with money that isn’t guaranteed, drawing dire warnings from CPS leadership. Chalkbeat breaks down the critical questions a...

chalkbeat.org

We went to a WPBL game last night and while the vibes are very good, a fundamental challenge for the league is going to be that baseball is an inherently boring game.

During March Madness, we found out that Air Bud is in David Mirkovic’s top-5 movies. August 8th, they are going to show it for a community family movie night in Gies Memorial Stadium on the giant scoreboard.

Hoop Informatics@hoopinformatics.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Things I learned about Fighting Illini freshman David Mirkovic — Air Bud is in his top five — Gets nervous around girls — Likes making family friendly content

Uh...//Seeking to reverse layoffs, Chicago school board approves budget, assuming more state money will come www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026...

Chicago school board narrowly approves a budget that reverses layoffs by assuming more state money

CPS leaders warned the school board’s amended budget could still hurt their ability to borrow to meet payroll in September and could lead to midyear cuts.

chalkbeat.org

I don't have that many moves if we're honest, and one of them is just "compare this education thing to some other sector".

Paul Bruno@paul-bruno.com · 6d ago

Always interesting to compare teaching to the economy-wide rates (quit and total separation rates, in this case).

Always interesting to compare teaching to the economy-wide rates (quit and total separation rates, in this case).

Chalkbeat@chalkbeat.org · 6d ago

Veteran teachers left, principals cycled through too, and high-poverty schools likely faced the greatest strain. Here’s what years of churn did to classrooms.

Not a lot of remixes surpass the original, but Fatboy Slim did it here. youtu.be/0dyGK_hI90M?...

Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim Remix/Remastered 2009)

YouTube video by Beastie Boys - Topic

youtu.be

"the introduction of collective bargaining significantly increases the number of civilians killed by police, particularly non-White civilians, while having limited effects on officer safety...the idea that police unions exacerbate violence is empirically grounded." www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...

Collective Bargaining Rights, Policing, and Civilian Deaths

(August 2026) - Using an event-study design, we examine whether states' introduction of duty-to-bargain requirements for police unions led to meaningful changes in civilians killed by law enforcement....

aeaweb.org

"substantial performance-based compensation to highly effective teachers in the lowest-achieving schools...led to dramatic improvements in achievement, nearly closing the gap between the targeted schools and the district average." www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...

Attracting and Retaining Highly Effective Educators in Hard-to-Staff Schools

(August 2026) - Attracting and retaining effective teachers in high-poverty schools remains a persistent challenge. We evaluate the impact of an initiative that offered substantial performance-based c...

aeaweb.org

Opinion | When Bad Research Feels Good www.chronicle.com/article/when...

Opinion | When Bad Research Feels Good

My work advanced social-justice causes I believed in. There was just one problem.

chronicle.com

I'd be sort of surprised if they found much more money in the veto session but - again - the bigger underlying problem is that CPS is not the only "underfunded" district under the state's funding formula. www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/29/w...

Speaker Welch pledges to CTU he’ll push for more CPS funding amid scrutiny over handling of harassment claims

It’s the latest opportunity the Hillside Democrat has had to court progressive-minded interests as he navigates uncertain support among his own members, many of them progressives, as leader of the 78-...

chicagotribune.com

UI President search committee releases candidate profile www.news-gazette.com/news/ui-pres... "The University of Illinois is probably doing as well as it’s ever done right now"

UI President search committee releases candidate profile

“You want an experienced executive who has demonstrated ability to manage an incredibly large enterprise with a $9 billion operating budget and over 30,000 employees and 101,000 students."

news-gazette.com

Constructing organizational fit: how principals and HR administrators select first-time assistant principals www.emerald.com/jea/article-...

Constructing organizational fit: how principals and HR administrators select first-time assistant principals

Purpose. The assistant principalship represents a critical entry point into the school leadership pipeline, yet limited research examines how candidates are selected into this role. This study investi...

emerald.com

"The SEIU’s endorsements diverge from the Chicago Teachers Union, which is backing their own political director Hilario Dominguez for school board president. That means two unions are backing opposing candidates in 10 school board races and are aligned on five." www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026...

SEIU, CTU endorse opposing candidates in Chicago school board elections

The union that represents school support staff, such as special education assistants, janitors, and bus drivers, endorsed candidates in 15 of 21 races, diverging from the teachers union in 10 races.

chalkbeat.org

Update: this can be fixed by canceling the Ting service altogether.

Paul Bruno@paul-bruno.com · 12mo ago

I've been learning about "Ting monitors" since my home insurer sent me one. So if you're not familiar with these devices, after using it for about a month I can now tell you what they do: If you plug it in and leave it there, it will periodically alert you that it cannot access the internet.

Another concert I'll be able to walk to from home, after Elvis Costello, Gordon Lightfoot, Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, and Jeff Tweedy. Plus the comedy shows. Honestly, I'm going to better shows at a higher rate than when I lived anywhere in CA.

Paul Bruno@paul-bruno.com · 2w ago

OK, this time I am *not* going to miss the Mountain Goats when they come to downtown Champaign.

OK, this time I am *not* going to miss the Mountain Goats when they come to downtown Champaign.

People are calling it "The New York Miracle."

Paul Bruno@paul-bruno.com · 2w ago

"I'd like to see state and federal policymakers place a stronger emphasis on making student growth and improvement measures publicly available and giving them the kind of attention we've historically given measures like student 'proficiency'" www.newsweek.com/map-reveals-...

"I'd like to see state and federal policymakers place a stronger emphasis on making student growth and improvement measures publicly available and giving them the kind of attention we've historically given measures like student 'proficiency'" www.newsweek.com/map-reveals-...

Map reveals states with best and worst public schools

A new ranking lists New York as the state with the best public schools, while Arizona ranks at the bottom.

newsweek.com

What Drives Nonstructural School Mobility? An Analysis of School Push and Pull Factors in California www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...

"The union has made two key demands: The state should hold a special legislative session and raise revenue for schools, and CPS should sue Cook County Treasurer Pappas for late tax bills, which has meant late revenue that CPS and other school districts rely on." www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026...

Chicago teachers slam CPS plan to close budget gap with furloughs, spending freeze

District leaders say it is crucial for Chicago Public Schools to pass a budget very soon, and that furloughs are a last resort. But at a Monday hearing, teachers stressed that their schools are alread...

chalkbeat.org

Well we've reached 9.5 million student loan defaults (prior record was 8 million in Dec 2019) apnews.com/article/stud...

As defaults on student loans surge, millions are trying to get their lives back on track

According to an Associated Press analysis, more than 4.2 million people across the country defaulted on student loans between April 2025 and March 2026.

apnews.com

People can visit Illinois’ only International Dark Sky Park at Middle Fork Forest Preserve in Champaign County. Julia Levy reports for @medillschool.bsky.social. buff.ly/rEEwhGi

‘Surreal’: Illinois’ only International Dark Sky Place attracts tourists worldwide

Illinois’ only International Dark Sky Place is drawing visitors worldwide while lawmakers work to reduce light pollution.

capitolnewsillinois.com

I'm just getting bits and pieces when walking through the other room but it seems like The Mindy Project holds up pretty well.