Matt Barnum
@mattbarnum.bsky.social
Nice piece by @laurameckler.bsky.social wondering how moving Education Department functions to different federal agencies would "return education to the states." www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Trump wants to ‘return education to the states.’ Is that what he’s doing?
Education Secretary Linda McMahon says the Trump administration is “returning education to the states.” But closing the Education Department is not the same thing.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Nice piece by @laurameckler.bsky.social wondering how moving Education Department functions to different federal agencies would "return education to the states." www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Excited to share that I'm writing a book: a history of the debates over funding public schools from the 1960's to now.
(Yes the working title is tongue in cheek.)
Now I just need to finish writing—stay tuned!
And if you want to follow my work, you can do so here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
(Yes the working title is tongue in cheek.)
Now I just need to finish writing—stay tuned!
And if you want to follow my work, you can do so here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
November 21, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Excited to share that I'm writing a book: a history of the debates over funding public schools from the 1960's to now.
(Yes the working title is tongue in cheek.)
Now I just need to finish writing—stay tuned!
And if you want to follow my work, you can do so here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
(Yes the working title is tongue in cheek.)
Now I just need to finish writing—stay tuned!
And if you want to follow my work, you can do so here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
Reposted by Matt Barnum
"In surveys conducted this year by eight different organizations, all but one showed Democrats with an edge on education. Voters again now tend to trust Democrats on the issue of education," writes @mattbarnum.bsky.social. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/18/w...
Which party really has an edge on education?
Voters still tend to trust Democrats more than Republicans, according to most polls.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 21, 2025 at 4:01 PM
"In surveys conducted this year by eight different organizations, all but one showed Democrats with an edge on education. Voters again now tend to trust Democrats on the issue of education," writes @mattbarnum.bsky.social. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/18/w...
New–
I look at why outsourcing the Education Department is and is not a big deal.
It sets up major legal and political fights. But it won't matter for the typical school. Federal influence comes from funding, not the name of the administrative agency.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/why-trump-...
I look at why outsourcing the Education Department is and is not a big deal.
It sets up major legal and political fights. But it won't matter for the typical school. Federal influence comes from funding, not the name of the administrative agency.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/why-trump-...
Trump is dismantling the Education Department. Here’s what it means.
The impact on schools will probably be small, but it represents something big.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
November 20, 2025 at 2:28 PM
New–
I look at why outsourcing the Education Department is and is not a big deal.
It sets up major legal and political fights. But it won't matter for the typical school. Federal influence comes from funding, not the name of the administrative agency.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/why-trump-...
I look at why outsourcing the Education Department is and is not a big deal.
It sets up major legal and political fights. But it won't matter for the typical school. Federal influence comes from funding, not the name of the administrative agency.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/why-trump-...
Reposted by Matt Barnum
This is, as always, an excellent and comprehensive take from @mattbarnum.bsky.social www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/18/w...
Which party really has an edge on education?
Voters still tend to trust Democrats more than Republicans, according to most polls.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 18, 2025 at 8:34 PM
This is, as always, an excellent and comprehensive take from @mattbarnum.bsky.social www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/18/w...
New—
There's been a lot of discussion about Democrats losing their historic advantage with voters on education.
In fact, this oft-repeated narrative no longer seems to be true. Nearly every poll from this year shows Dems with a clear edge on education.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/voters-sti...
There's been a lot of discussion about Democrats losing their historic advantage with voters on education.
In fact, this oft-repeated narrative no longer seems to be true. Nearly every poll from this year shows Dems with a clear edge on education.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/voters-sti...
Voters still tend to trust Democrats more on education
Yet the party faces challenges on the issue, including greater learning loss in blue states.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:21 PM
New—
There's been a lot of discussion about Democrats losing their historic advantage with voters on education.
In fact, this oft-repeated narrative no longer seems to be true. Nearly every poll from this year shows Dems with a clear edge on education.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/voters-sti...
There's been a lot of discussion about Democrats losing their historic advantage with voters on education.
In fact, this oft-repeated narrative no longer seems to be true. Nearly every poll from this year shows Dems with a clear edge on education.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/voters-sti...
New: Pandemic-era school closures still occupy a significant part of the American political discourse, but do they still matter for student test scores?
Answer: yes, but only a bit.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/we-re-stil...
Answer: yes, but only a bit.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/we-re-stil...
November 14, 2025 at 2:53 PM
New: Pandemic-era school closures still occupy a significant part of the American political discourse, but do they still matter for student test scores?
Answer: yes, but only a bit.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/we-re-stil...
Answer: yes, but only a bit.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/we-re-stil...
Already getting some Discourse wins here. (I take full credit.) www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
It’s Too Early to Write Off College Degrees
Companies are favoring multitool graduates with broad skill sets.
www.wsj.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Already getting some Discourse wins here. (I take full credit.) www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
This is big news: Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, has helped to seed a test case in Colorado over whether public schools can provide Christian education
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Christian law firm sought Colorado test case for religious public schools, emails suggest
Alliance Defending Freedom approached a Colorado lawyer about starting a school in Colorado to spark a legal test of publicly funded religious education, according to an email authored by the lawyer.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:24 PM
This is big news: Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, has helped to seed a test case in Colorado over whether public schools can provide Christian education
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Reposted by Matt Barnum
There’s a big gap between the narrative about higher ed and the data, explains @mattbarnum.bsky.social for @chalkbeat.org. Tuition is actually more affordable, and both the value of a bachelor’s degree and four-year college enrollment remain “near historic highs.” www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/11/i...
Is college enrollment plummeting?
Reports of the death of the bachelor’s degree have been greatly exaggerated.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 10:50 AM
There’s a big gap between the narrative about higher ed and the data, explains @mattbarnum.bsky.social for @chalkbeat.org. Tuition is actually more affordable, and both the value of a bachelor’s degree and four-year college enrollment remain “near historic highs.” www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/11/i...
Reports of the death of the bachelor’s degree have been greatly exaggerated. Enrollment is near pre-pandemic levels, real tuition is flat or down, and the college wage premium remains high.
I explore how the narrative became disconnected from the data.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/is-college...
I explore how the narrative became disconnected from the data.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/is-college...
Is college enrollment really plummeting?
Reports of the death of the bachelor’s degree have been greatly exaggerated.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reports of the death of the bachelor’s degree have been greatly exaggerated. Enrollment is near pre-pandemic levels, real tuition is flat or down, and the college wage premium remains high.
I explore how the narrative became disconnected from the data.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/is-college...
I explore how the narrative became disconnected from the data.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/is-college...
Reposted by Matt Barnum
A study of a large Florida school district found that the effects of immigration enforcement on students’ academic performance was concentrated in high-poverty schools. The test score declines also occurred for U.S. citizen students.
ICE arrests could hurt student test scores, study says — and not just for immigrants
A study of a large Florida school district found that the effects of immigration enforcement on students’ academic performance was concentrated in high-poverty schools. The test score declines also occurred for U.S. citizen students.
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 6:25 AM
A study of a large Florida school district found that the effects of immigration enforcement on students’ academic performance was concentrated in high-poverty schools. The test score declines also occurred for U.S. citizen students.
New: I spoke with MagicSchool's Adeel Khan about the AI in schools.
–Khan says AI can draft IEPs.
-He says that schools should empower students with information to make their "own choices" about AI.
–He responds to math errors I ran into in the platform.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/magicschoo...
–Khan says AI can draft IEPs.
-He says that schools should empower students with information to make their "own choices" about AI.
–He responds to math errors I ran into in the platform.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/magicschoo...
MagicSchool’s founder on the potential and perils of AI
Adeel Khan says special education teachers can do their jobs better if they use AI to draft IEPs. And he responds to concerns that AI can’t be a math tutor and is used as a shortcut for students.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:29 PM
New: I spoke with MagicSchool's Adeel Khan about the AI in schools.
–Khan says AI can draft IEPs.
-He says that schools should empower students with information to make their "own choices" about AI.
–He responds to math errors I ran into in the platform.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/magicschoo...
–Khan says AI can draft IEPs.
-He says that schools should empower students with information to make their "own choices" about AI.
–He responds to math errors I ran into in the platform.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/magicschoo...
Technologists have long chased the dream that technology-powered tutoring can improve student learning by two standard deviations, a massive effect. OpenAI is the latest.
The problem: Effects of this size are virtually never seen even by human tutors.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/3-ways-ai-...
The problem: Effects of this size are virtually never seen even by human tutors.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/3-ways-ai-...
November 5, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Technologists have long chased the dream that technology-powered tutoring can improve student learning by two standard deviations, a massive effect. OpenAI is the latest.
The problem: Effects of this size are virtually never seen even by human tutors.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/3-ways-ai-...
The problem: Effects of this size are virtually never seen even by human tutors.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/3-ways-ai-...
Reposted by Matt Barnum
The Coming AI Teaching Assistant Boom (And Cheating) open.substack.com/pub/curmudgu... @mattbarnum.bsky.social
The Coming AI Teaching Assistant Boom (And Cheating)
Matt Barnum (who is, thank God, now at Chalkbeat) just made three predictions about AI in education, and one of them makes my head hurt.
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:50 PM
The Coming AI Teaching Assistant Boom (And Cheating) open.substack.com/pub/curmudgu... @mattbarnum.bsky.social
What will AI actually mean for schools over the next several years? Here are my theories:
–The student cheating problem won't go away.
–AI will increasingly become a ubiquitous teaching assistant.
–AI will *not* be a super-tutor.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/3-ways-ai-...
–The student cheating problem won't go away.
–AI will increasingly become a ubiquitous teaching assistant.
–AI will *not* be a super-tutor.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/3-ways-ai-...
3 ways AI will (and won’t) change schools
The cheating problem isn’t going away. More teachers will use AI as an assistant. But AI won't be a supertutor.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
November 4, 2025 at 4:41 PM
What will AI actually mean for schools over the next several years? Here are my theories:
–The student cheating problem won't go away.
–AI will increasingly become a ubiquitous teaching assistant.
–AI will *not* be a super-tutor.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/3-ways-ai-...
–The student cheating problem won't go away.
–AI will increasingly become a ubiquitous teaching assistant.
–AI will *not* be a super-tutor.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/3-ways-ai-...
New: Margaret Spellings, the former Education Secretary under George W. Bush, tells me that she does not think it would be a good idea to close the Department of Education. Actually, she says, it would be inefficient.
Check out our full interview:
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/the-former...
Check out our full interview:
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/the-former...
The former Republican education secretary who wants to save the Education Department
Margaret Spellings, who led the department under George W. Bush, says scrapping it would be "inefficient."
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
October 31, 2025 at 1:35 PM
New: Margaret Spellings, the former Education Secretary under George W. Bush, tells me that she does not think it would be a good idea to close the Department of Education. Actually, she says, it would be inefficient.
Check out our full interview:
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/the-former...
Check out our full interview:
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/the-former...
Reposted by Matt Barnum
The first installment of @chalkbeat.org’s new “ideas” column does not disappoint. @mattbarnum.bsky.social brings his characteristically open mind, thorough research, and even-handed assessment to education’s much-discussed “Southern surge.” www.chalkbeat.org/2025/10/28/l...
Has there been a ‘Southern surge’ in student learning?
Not exactly — but there have been some Southern success stories.
www.chalkbeat.org
October 28, 2025 at 9:35 PM
The first installment of @chalkbeat.org’s new “ideas” column does not disappoint. @mattbarnum.bsky.social brings his characteristically open mind, thorough research, and even-handed assessment to education’s much-discussed “Southern surge.” www.chalkbeat.org/2025/10/28/l...
Reposted by Matt Barnum
Great article by @mattbarnum.bsky.social cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/the-southe...
The "southern surge": What's really going on?
There have been some Southern success stories, though we're still figuring out what drove them.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
October 28, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Great article by @mattbarnum.bsky.social cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/the-southe...
New: I try to unpack what we do and don't know about the "Southern surge" in student learning cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/the-southe...
The "southern surge": What's really going on?
There have been some Southern success stories, though we're still figuring out what drove them.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
October 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
New: I try to unpack what we do and don't know about the "Southern surge" in student learning cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/the-southe...
Reposted by Matt Barnum
"There have been some notable Southern success stories, especially in fourth grade. ... Eighth grade results have been less impressive for these Southern exemplars, though." www.chalkbeat.org/2025/10/28/l... from @mattbarnum.bsky.social in his debut Ideas piece for @chalkbeat.org.
Has there been a ‘Southern surge’ in student learning?
Not exactly — but there have been some Southern success stories.
www.chalkbeat.org
October 28, 2025 at 2:08 PM
"There have been some notable Southern success stories, especially in fourth grade. ... Eighth grade results have been less impressive for these Southern exemplars, though." www.chalkbeat.org/2025/10/28/l... from @mattbarnum.bsky.social in his debut Ideas piece for @chalkbeat.org.
It's happening: The first Chalkbeat Ideas newsletter will go out tomorrow with a detailed look at data on the "Southern surge."
You can sign up to get the newsletter here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
Learn more about my we're launching this new project here: www.chalkbeat.org/2025/10/27/i...
You can sign up to get the newsletter here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
Learn more about my we're launching this new project here: www.chalkbeat.org/2025/10/27/i...
Chalkbeat
A free newsletter from Chalkbeat about the big ideas changing education across America
www.chalkbeat.org
October 27, 2025 at 8:00 PM
It's happening: The first Chalkbeat Ideas newsletter will go out tomorrow with a detailed look at data on the "Southern surge."
You can sign up to get the newsletter here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
Learn more about my we're launching this new project here: www.chalkbeat.org/2025/10/27/i...
You can sign up to get the newsletter here: www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
Learn more about my we're launching this new project here: www.chalkbeat.org/2025/10/27/i...
Colorado now has what appears to the be the first-ever self-identified "public Christian school." Expect litigation to follow.
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
This ‘Christian public school’ in Colorado could spur a fight over religion in education
Backers of a new Christian public school say if the state doesn’t agree to fund the school, it would amount to religious discrimination.
www.chalkbeat.org
October 24, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Colorado now has what appears to the be the first-ever self-identified "public Christian school." Expect litigation to follow.
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
Reposted by Matt Barnum
It seems very plausible that there is room to be smarter w/ contracting. But also notable that they didn't offer many examples. The only one Mamdani offered is DOE did not rigorously track the technology it bought for remote learning in the middle of a global health emergency
NYC’s Dept. of Education spends around $10 billion/year on contracts.
Many provide essential services to our schools, yet with over 3,000 active contracts, DOE faces major efficiency challenges.
DOE needs procurement reform.
Yesterday I announced my platform to deliver it.
Many provide essential services to our schools, yet with over 3,000 active contracts, DOE faces major efficiency challenges.
DOE needs procurement reform.
Yesterday I announced my platform to deliver it.
NYC Mayor’s Race: Mamdani unveils plan to root out ‘duplicative’ education spending at city’s public schools | amNewYork
Democratic mayoral nominee and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday rolled out a plan to overhaul how the city's Education Department inks contracts with
www.amny.com
October 22, 2025 at 4:01 PM
It seems very plausible that there is room to be smarter w/ contracting. But also notable that they didn't offer many examples. The only one Mamdani offered is DOE did not rigorously track the technology it bought for remote learning in the middle of a global health emergency
My last piece at WSJ looks at how traditional public schools are trying to win back students and the public in the face of intense political pressure, declining birth rates, and more competition.
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
At the Epicenter of School Choice, Arizona Public Schools Battle Existential Crisis
Educators fight back against falling enrollments and rising competition. One idea: mimic restaurant-industry focus on customer service.
www.wsj.com
September 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM
My last piece at WSJ looks at how traditional public schools are trying to win back students and the public in the face of intense political pressure, declining birth rates, and more competition.
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...