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Reposted by Illinois Families for Public Schools

John Skiles Skinner @skiles.blue · 7h

Obviously in addition to attacks from nation states and corporations, we are drowning in insider threats from people like Elon Musk and his bros hauling off government data in laptops, selling it to Palantir.

We are profoundly unprepared and getting worse. We are going to feel it for a long time.

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Reposted by Illinois Families for Public Schools

John Skiles Skinner @skiles.blue · 9h

I don't know if there's such a thing as a "world cyberwar" but I think we are in one? and the US is determined to lose it. 🧵

Today the admin is mass-firing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the nation's cybersecurity protection across all levels of government.

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 18h

Thank you to the organizations that have united in this effort to protect the private personal data of students who participate in this CPS mental health program — Legal Action Chicago, @legalcouncil.bsky.social, NAMI Chicago, @naswil.bsky.social and the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 18h

Here's the form to send a comment to the Chicago Board of Ed: www.cpsboe.org/contact

How can we help? - Chicago Board of Education

We want to make it easier for you to communicate with us. Please send your comment or question and we will respond within 1-2 business days.

www.cpsboe.org

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 18h

The CPS Hazel Health contract is set to automatically renew if no action is taken before December 1, 2025.

Find Your CPS Board Member Representative here and ask them to overhaul or cancel this problematic contract.
www.cps.edu/about/chicag...

Find Your CPS Board Member Representative | Chicago Public Schools

www.cps.edu

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 18h

The urgent need for mental health services for CPS students should not require the youth receiving those services to waive their rights to privacy. Nor should they be compelled to allow a 3rd party, for-profit org to commercially exploit their sensitive personal data in order to receive services.

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 19h

We call on the Chi Board of Ed to overhaul or cancel the Hazel Health telehealth contract! There are significant issues w/the protection of the private personal data of CPS students in this telehealth mental health program, and whether access to their data is being exploited commercially.

Advocacy Orgs Call On Chicago Board Of Ed To Overhaul Or Cancel Telehealth Counseling Contract

Taking action for the public good

www.ilfps.org

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Reposted by Illinois Families for Public Schools

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 1d

It’s almost as if weakening the United States is the goal.

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 1d

SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

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Reposted by Illinois Families for Public Schools

Melissa Ryan @melissaryan.bsky.social · 1d

After Pritzker and Newsom threatened to leave the NGA, the Republican Chair breaks with Trump. Pressure works. Keep it up!

Alex Wayne @aawayne.bsky.social · 1d

“Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration.”

The Republican chair of the National Governors Association breaks with Trump.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...

Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Criticizes National Guard Deployment in Chicago

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Illinois Families for Public Schools

Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 1d

The refusal comes amid a continuing explosion in the number of ransomware attacks on organizations around the world.

Salesforce says it won’t pay extortion demand in 1 billion records breach

Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters gave Salesforce until Friday to pay or else.

arstechnica.com

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 1d

“These families are afraid to leave their homes, afraid to send their children to school and afraid to go to work…They’re listening to drones over their homes at night and watching for Texas license plates on cars during the day.” news.wttw.com/2025/10/08/c...

Chicago Public Schools Sets Up District Command Center in Response to ‘Fear and Anxiety’ From ICE Operations

Interim CPS CEO Macquline King on Wednesday said the district command center in order to provide “round-the-clock support” to school communities experiencing “heightened stress due to activity outside...

news.wttw.com

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 2d

"ICIRR is still trying to determine the identities of all the people detained in the raid. Castro said that the organization usually can do that by following up with family members or loved ones. 'In this instance, there was nobody left to work with'"

Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 2d

"Some kids have said they are 'scared of walking home and getting grabbed on the way,' they said, adding that since the CPS Safe Passage program lost funding, the school only has one crossing guard on 75th Street." southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...

Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children

Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.

southsideweekly.com

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 2d

"Some kids have said they are 'scared of walking home and getting grabbed on the way,' they said, adding that since the CPS Safe Passage program lost funding, the school only has one crossing guard on 75th Street." southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...

Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children

Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.

southsideweekly.com

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 3d

"In schools, AI surveillance has rapidly become a core part of this shift. Districts are adopting big-data policing tools and predictive analytics that extend the school-to-prison pipeline and normalize constant monitoring of young people." -- @tciamn.bsky.social medium.com/write-a-cata...

medium.com

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Reposted by Illinois Families for Public Schools

Twin Cities Innovation Alliance (TCIA) @tciamn.bsky.social · 14d

Dignityinschools.bsky.social organizes a National Week of Action Against School Pushout, hosting teach-ins, film screenings, panels, and workshops on liberated learning.

Learn more and find an event near you: dignityinschools.org/take-action/...

#DSCWoA2025 #EducationJustice #CommunityNotCops #Edu

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 3d

"A disturbing 'everyday banning' and normalization of censorship has worsened and spread over the last four years. The result is unprecedented."

Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 3d

“Since July 2021, PEN America has documented more than 22,800 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 public school districts.” www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Book censorship in US schools has become 'rampant and common', free speech advocates warn

Since July 2021, PEN America has documented more than 22,800 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 public school districts.

www.usatoday.com

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 3d

“According to the report, the systematic removal of books from schools and school libraries in many parts of the country has resulted in the "normalization and routinization of censorship" in public education” www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Book censorship in US schools has become 'rampant and common', free speech advocates warn

Since July 2021, PEN America has documented more than 22,800 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 public school districts.

www.usatoday.com

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 3d

“Since July 2021, PEN America has documented more than 22,800 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 public school districts.” www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Book censorship in US schools has become 'rampant and common', free speech advocates warn

Since July 2021, PEN America has documented more than 22,800 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 public school districts.

www.usatoday.com

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Reposted by Illinois Families for Public Schools

Mike Grady @mgrady69.bsky.social · 4d

Not only does the public have a right to know who is working for their government, names, job titles, and salary information are covered by the Freedom of Information Act. I haven’t worked for the govt since 2006, but my jobs and salary histories are all public information.

It’s not doxxing.

hannah gais @hannahgais.bsky.social · 4d

Identifying public officials isn't "doxing." People have the right to know who is working for their government. Nor, for that matter, is it "radical left-wing terrorism." So it's frustrating to see platforms caving to these bad faith characterizations. www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/06/1...

Another effort to track ICE raids was just taken offline

People over Papers was removed by Padlet, the platform it was built on, yesterday.

www.technologyreview.com

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 4d

“But even if schools can successfully rename social-emotional learning and put the political fights behind them, the larger issue—that of trust in institutions—that have led to this environment will remain” www.edweek.org/leadership/s...

SEL by Another Name? Political Pushback Prompts Rebranding

Some districts are still teaching social-emotional learning, but they are calling it something else.

www.edweek.org

Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 4d

ISBE weekly newsletter last week weighs in on Mahmoud v. Taylor (www.isbe.net/Pages/Weekly...): "Illinois remains steadfast in our commitment to fostering safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for all students — regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity."

LBGTQ+ CURRICULUM UPDATE
We have received numerous inquiries asking how the Mahmoud v. Taylor U.S. Supreme Court casePDF Document affects Illinois schools. Since Mahmoud v. Taylor is still being litigated in the federal courts, the preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in June affects only one school district in Maryland. The decision has no bearing on Illinois school districts at this time.

Illinois remains steadfast in our commitment to fostering safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for all students — regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. For more than 50 years, Illinois lawmakers have added instructional mandatesPDF Document that ensure our students are learning about the contributions of all races and cultures to our country. The role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are part of American history. Illinois School Code requires that “In public schools only, the teaching of history shall include a study of the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State.” ISBE believes every student deserves to see themselves reflected in the stories we tell and to learn about the rich diversity that shapes our communities.

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 4d

“Gov. JB Pritzker is directing the state’s Department of Child and Family Services and the Department of Human Services to evaluate how children were treated during an aggressive immigration raid on a South Shore apartment building this week” chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Pritzker calls on state agencies to investigate feds’ treatment of children at South Shore raid

The governor said Friday that two state agencies will contact families and children impacted by the raid to gather more information and hold federal agents accountable if allegations of abuse or negle...

chicago.suntimes.com

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 7d

"What defines a society is how much people love other people’s children. That is what decides if you build institutions or don’t. If you weave a safety net or don’t. If you fight for equality or don’t." -- @anandwrites.bsky.social the.ink/p/in-the-los...

In "The Lost Bus," a plea to show up for other people's children even when your own are in the fire

The climate/economic/masculinity/political polycrisis as art

the.ink

Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 7d

"In the wake of aggressive immigration enforcement in Chicago, some elected officials and union leaders are calling on the community to help protect immigrant students and their families." www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025...

Chicago teachers, community leaders say they mobilized to protect kids amid reported ICE activity

Teachers at Roosevelt High School and local officials said they gathered 50 people to help with school dismissal across Albany Park amid reports of ICE arrests in the neighborhood on Wednesday.

www.chalkbeat.org

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 7d

“The tasks that ‘AI’ says it can do are actually important work, not ‘bullshit jobs’…and these tasks—carefully crafting messages to send home, for example—shape how teachers develop a learning community in and beyond the classroom walls.” 2ndbreakfast.audreywatters.com/companion-an...

Companion Specious

If you've ridden the NYC subway lately, you've seen the ads for Friend. "Largest subway campaign ever," the founder proudly posted on Instagram. Friend is (of course) an "AI" startup, another one of ...

2ndbreakfast.audreywatters.com