Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · 2d

For context, 87% of school-aged kids are enrolled in public schools in the US.*

(* a statistic we only know because of work the US Dept of ED used to do to collect vital data on our nation's schools)

Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 2d

Those influencing Trump education policy aren't shy about wanting to eradicate public schools.

Asked what % of kids she imagines should be in public schools, Tiffany Justice -- Moms for Liberty cofounder, now with Heritage Foundation -- told @propublica.org

“I hope zero. I hope to get to zero.”

These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools. Now They Run the Education Department.

Under Trump, the Department of Education has been bringing in activists hostile to public schools. It could mean a new era of private and religious schools boosted by tax dollars — and the end of publ...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 2d

Those influencing Trump education policy aren't shy about wanting to eradicate public schools.

Asked what % of kids she imagines should be in public schools, Tiffany Justice -- Moms for Liberty cofounder, now with Heritage Foundation -- told @propublica.org

“I hope zero. I hope to get to zero.”

These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools. Now They Run the Education Department.

Under Trump, the Department of Education has been bringing in activists hostile to public schools. It could mean a new era of private and religious schools boosted by tax dollars — and the end of publ...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

ACLU @aclu.org · 11d

Becky Pepper-Jackson is the only transgender girl in school sports in the entire state of West Virginia.

Soon, she'll be at the Supreme Court defending the freedom of all trans kids to be themselves on and off the playing field.

What’s at Stake as the Supreme Court Takes Up Transgender Sports Bans | ACLU

How one West Virginia teenager could shape the future of Title IX and civil rights protections for transgender youth.

www.aclu.org

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Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · 16d

More evidence that the wealthiest communities accrue the most benefits from universal private school choice programs.

www.brookings.edu/articles/uni...

Universal school choice programs mostly benefit the wealthy unless policymakers act to prevent it | Brookings

Authors analyze six states’ universal school choice programs, showing how income rules shape who benefits most.

www.brookings.edu

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Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

Nicole Chung @nicolechung.bsky.social · 17d

the most important thing to remember when you see eugenicists who don’t believe that autistic people should exist rambling about “the autism epidemic” is not that they’re wrong about the “cause” (although they are absolutely wrong about it); it’s that they are eugenicists

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 21d

Are you a recent IRS civil servant? I would like to interview you!

Details below, including my contact info -- or reach out via Bsky!

Vanessa Williamson, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and at the Tax Policy Center, is leading a research project conducting confidential interviews with recent IRS civil servants. The purpose is to create a historical record of first-hand accounts of changes occurring at the Internal Revenue Service in 2025-2026, to gather insights into what impacts to expect from these changes in the next tax season and in years to come, and to preserve the institutional memory that will support federal tax administration in the future.

Recent IRS civil servants at all levels and in all areas of work are encouraged to participate.

If you are interested in participating in an interview or would like to learn more about the project, please contact Vanessa Williamson. (Email: vwilliamson@brookings.edu; Signal: VanessaWilliamson.50)

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Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 25d

i have said this before but when “getting rid of race in admissions” for the administration means “you can’t even try to reach out to underrepresented communities and encourage them to apply and if you do it is illegal discrimination against white people” then the actual goal here is segregation

Harvard Ends Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Program as Trump Targets Race in Admissions | News | The Harvard Crimson

By ending the minority recruitment program in May, Harvard shuttered a more than 50-year-old initiative to encourage minority high school students to apply.

www.thecrimson.com

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Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · 29d

thanks for sharing!

Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

Victor Cadilla @victorcadilla.bsky.social · 29d

This is a great resource! @rachelmarisa.bsky.social @brookings.edu

Bruce D. Baker @schoolfinance101.bsky.social · 29d

The status of litigation against the Trump administration’s K-12 education agenda: A guide for education leaders www.brookings.edu/articles/the...

The status of litigation against the Trump administration's K-12 education agenda: A guide for education leaders | Brookings

Rachel M. Perera and co-authors track litigation over President Trump’s K-12 orders, showing courts have blocked key actions.

www.brookings.edu

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Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

Peter @notalawyer.bsky.social · 29d

“awful people don’t deserve to be killed, but they don’t deserve to be praised, either” is apparently a thought too complex for the pundit mind

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Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · Sep 9

We're also holding a public webinar this Mon 9/15 @ 4 PM EST to discuss the status of the Trump admin's K-12 agenda with education scholars & civil rights attorneys.

Register using the link below. (A recording will be made available shortly after.)

www.brookings.edu/events/what-...

What the Trump administration legally can and can’t do to implement its agenda in public schools | Brookings

Join Brookings for an online discussion on litigation challenging the Trump administration’s executive actions related to K-12 education.

www.brookings.edu

Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · Sep 9

To accompany the lawsuit tracker, we summarize the status of legal challenges to the Trump admin's most consequential executive actions on K-12 ed in a new Brookings' policy brief co-authored w/ Thalia González & Aidan Thomas (UC Law SF).

www.brookings.edu/articles/the...

The status of litigation against the Trump administration's K-12 education agenda: A guide for education leaders | Brookings

Rachel M. Perera and co-authors track litigation over President Trump’s K-12 orders, showing courts have blocked key actions.

www.brookings.edu

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Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · Sep 9

🚨Our new @brookings.edu data tool tracking ongoing litigation against the Trump admin's K-12 education agenda is now live!

The tracker, to be updated monthly, provides up-to-date info on the status of lawsuits challenging Trump's K-12 related executive actions.

www.brookings.edu/articles/tra...

Tracking lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s K-12 education agenda | Brookings

Education scholars track ongoing litigation resulting from the Trump administration’s executive actions related to K-12 education.

www.brookings.edu

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Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

Cara Jackson @carajackson.bsky.social · Sep 9

This looks really interesting! Also check out the lawsuit tracker -

Lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s K-12 education agenda www.brookings.edu/articles/tra...

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Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

Nicole Chung @nicolechung.bsky.social · Sep 3

please help us spread the word about this mentorship opportunity for writers of color & share it with anyone you think might be interested!

Nicole Chung @nicolechung.bsky.social · Aug 21

Periplus, a mentorship collective serving US-based early-career writers of color, is now accepting applications for our 2026 class of fellows! Apply by 9/20: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

You can learn more about Periplus (including fellowship eligibility requirements) here: bit.ly/periplusfaq

PERIPLUS: An FAQ

PERIPLUS: AN FAQ Updated August 2025 Hi! Thanks for your interest in Periplus, a mentorship collective serving U.S. writers who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color. We're glad you’re here. Rea...

bit.ly

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Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · Sep 3

Join us for an online @brookings.edu event Mon 9/15 @ 4PM, ET to discuss the state of the Trump administration's K-12 education agenda with education & legal scholars & civil rights attorneys.

Submit questions in advance via email or the registration form!

www.brookings.edu/events/what-...

What the Trump administration legally can and can’t do to implement its agenda in public schools | Brookings

Join Brookings for an online discussion on litigation challenging the Trump administration’s executive actions related to K-12 education.

www.brookings.edu

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Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Aug 28

New, from me:
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...

The authoritarian checklist

It is time to admit that America is no longer a functioning democracy

donmoynihan.substack.com

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David Houston @dmhouston.bsky.social · Aug 21

Fascinating work by Deven Carlson, @t-h-a-d.bsky.social, James Carter, @rachelmarisa.bsky.social, Vitali Radsky, and Andrew McEachin on both the potential of school choice for the purpose of desegregation and the disappointing reality that most school choice systems tend to exacerbate segregation

AERA @aeraedresearch.bsky.social · Aug 21

A new article in AERJ observed the relationship between school choice policy and school segregation, finding that White and Asian families disproportionately used the choice system to avoid schools with large concentrations of Black students. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/...

Structuring Choice Policy, School Segregation and the Two-Staged School Choice Process - Deven Carlson, Thurston Domina, James Carter, Rachel M. Perera, Vitaly Radsky, Andrew McEachin, 2025

School choice is both an important tool for school desegregation policy and an enabler of racial segregation. In this paper, we used a two-stage model of comple...

journals.sagepub.com

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Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · Aug 20

I cannot stop shouting about how much I loved AUGUST LANE by Regina Black. One of my favorite romances I've read this year. (I've been reading a lot of romance novels this year...)

Olivia Waite @oliviawaite.com · Aug 20

So @reginablackwrites.bsky.social’s new one is a masterpiece: August Lane has an absent country legend mother and an ex who stole her song and abandoned her for superstardom. Now both mom and ex are in town for a concert, but only one of them wants to make amends. Top romance of this year so far.

August Lane

From the author of The Art of Scandal comes a small town romance about the visibility of Black women’s voices in country music, for readers of The Final Re...

www.grandcentralpublishing.com

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Maris Kreizman @maris.bsky.social · Aug 5

I bet that reading Andrea Long Chu on Thomas Chatteron Williams will brighten up my day. www.vulture.com/article/post...

Zero Tolerance

Five years after the George Floyd protests, many liberals blame “wokeness” for stifling open debate. So why can’t they handle being disagreed with?

www.vulture.com

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Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · Jul 31

Columbia and Brown, by settling, have encouraged this tactic. Authoritarians are emboldened by capitulation, and they won't stop until the cost outweighs the benefits.

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · Jul 31

Breaking: NSF is suspending roughly 300 grants with UCLA, following a DOJ finding on Tuesday that the university violated Title VI by "creating a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students."

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Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · Jul 25

so appreciated your perspective in this piece -- it's so important to keep the big "so what" at the front of the convo and it's easy to get lost in the weeds on the specific thing that's in front of you.

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Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · Jul 25

"Higher education policy in the United States is now being developed through ad hoc deals, a mode of regulation that is not only inimical to the ideal of the university as a site of critical thinking but also corrosive to the democratic order and to law itself."

balkin.blogspot.com/2025/07/regu...

Balkinization: Regulation by Deal Comes to Higher Ed

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

balkin.blogspot.com

Reposted by Rachel M. Perera

Maya Sen @mayasen.bsky.social · Jul 25

In this piece I specifically call out academics happy with the policy changes mandated by the administration

Government coercion can be used in a number of ways - be careful for what you wish for!

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Rachel M. Perera @rachelmarisa.bsky.social · Jul 25

I love this! For years I tried to make digital note-taking tools work because I know they're more "efficient" or whatever and this year I've come to appreciate just how well pen and paper works for me & I'm leaning into it to great effects.

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