Jose Vilson, PhD
@thejosevilson.com
The educator Gotham deserves.
@educolor.org ED. Sociologist (with policy!), studying teacher professionalism and work, former NYC math teacher, best-selling author of This Is Not A Test.
Join the movement 👇🏾
thejosevilson.com/newsletter
@educolor.org ED. Sociologist (with policy!), studying teacher professionalism and work, former NYC math teacher, best-selling author of This Is Not A Test.
Join the movement 👇🏾
thejosevilson.com/newsletter
Pinned
Jose Vilson, PhD
@thejosevilson.com
· Sep 23
The Jose Vilson Newsletter | The Jose Vilson
The Jose Vilson Newsletter with insights about education, helping thousands of people have engaging conversations about math and beyond!
thejosevilson.com
It feels good to get back into my writing, this time about math education and what we're missing when we discuss improving educational outcomes. To be among the first to get this well-researched essay, sign up at thejosevilson.com/newsletter.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Reposted by Jose Vilson, PhD
New Bank Street Occasional Paper Series Call for Papers!:
www.bankstreet.edu/research-pub...
“Education for Democratic Participation Across Places, Cultures, and Peoples”
Guest Editors: José Vilson @thejosevilson.com, Amy Stuart Wells, and Xinyu Pan
Submissions Due: June 1, 2026
cc #EduSky ✍🏻
www.bankstreet.edu/research-pub...
“Education for Democratic Participation Across Places, Cultures, and Peoples”
Guest Editors: José Vilson @thejosevilson.com, Amy Stuart Wells, and Xinyu Pan
Submissions Due: June 1, 2026
cc #EduSky ✍🏻
January 8, 2026 at 3:30 PM
New Bank Street Occasional Paper Series Call for Papers!:
www.bankstreet.edu/research-pub...
“Education for Democratic Participation Across Places, Cultures, and Peoples”
Guest Editors: José Vilson @thejosevilson.com, Amy Stuart Wells, and Xinyu Pan
Submissions Due: June 1, 2026
cc #EduSky ✍🏻
www.bankstreet.edu/research-pub...
“Education for Democratic Participation Across Places, Cultures, and Peoples”
Guest Editors: José Vilson @thejosevilson.com, Amy Stuart Wells, and Xinyu Pan
Submissions Due: June 1, 2026
cc #EduSky ✍🏻
One thing I learned as a professor:
We toss students too quickly into the material without creating a guide about the expectations we're setting forth. In other words, we're more focused on content than the practices.
Which is not too different from teaching in K-12.
We toss students too quickly into the material without creating a guide about the expectations we're setting forth. In other words, we're more focused on content than the practices.
Which is not too different from teaching in K-12.
January 6, 2026 at 2:44 PM
One thing I learned as a professor:
We toss students too quickly into the material without creating a guide about the expectations we're setting forth. In other words, we're more focused on content than the practices.
Which is not too different from teaching in K-12.
We toss students too quickly into the material without creating a guide about the expectations we're setting forth. In other words, we're more focused on content than the practices.
Which is not too different from teaching in K-12.
How did a bad encounter with two wayward teenagers after Trump's inauguration transformed my outlook for the rest of the year?
Read more here and let me know what you think!
Read more here and let me know what you think!
2025: Because We Had To Do Something About It
Editor's Note: Thanks again for being part of my community, particularly to those who are paid subscribers. Your sponsorship of this space has allowed me to keep doing my work. I have no plans to move to another platform, so any support, including forwarding this to your friends and family, is always helpful. For you, this one's a little more personal.
thejosevilson.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:30 PM
How did a bad encounter with two wayward teenagers after Trump's inauguration transformed my outlook for the rest of the year?
Read more here and let me know what you think!
Read more here and let me know what you think!
Writing a long piece on my blog about 2025 and how getting robbed two weeks after Trump's inauguration transformed my outlook for the rest of the year.
(For those asking, no it's not a Substack. Get it before anyone else at the link pinned below!)
thejosevilson.com/newsletter
(For those asking, no it's not a Substack. Get it before anyone else at the link pinned below!)
thejosevilson.com/newsletter
The Jose Vilson Newsletter | The Jose Vilson
The Jose Vilson Newsletter with insights about education, helping thousands of people have engaging conversations about math and beyond!
thejosevilson.com
January 4, 2026 at 8:52 PM
Writing a long piece on my blog about 2025 and how getting robbed two weeks after Trump's inauguration transformed my outlook for the rest of the year.
(For those asking, no it's not a Substack. Get it before anyone else at the link pinned below!)
thejosevilson.com/newsletter
(For those asking, no it's not a Substack. Get it before anyone else at the link pinned below!)
thejosevilson.com/newsletter
It’s amazing what can happen when we organize for people, not just a comfortable middle.
I’m proud to have supported the @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social campaign, but more importantly, to elevate the city I call home.
I believe that we will win.
I’m proud to have supported the @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social campaign, but more importantly, to elevate the city I call home.
I believe that we will win.
January 2, 2026 at 4:25 AM
It’s amazing what can happen when we organize for people, not just a comfortable middle.
I’m proud to have supported the @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social campaign, but more importantly, to elevate the city I call home.
I believe that we will win.
I’m proud to have supported the @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social campaign, but more importantly, to elevate the city I call home.
I believe that we will win.
I’ll be at Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration and I’m looking forward to starting the new year with the rest of my city.
If you’re still looking for a way to participate, try this. Livestream link all in here as well:
www.transition2025.com/inauguration
If you’re still looking for a way to participate, try this. Livestream link all in here as well:
www.transition2025.com/inauguration
You're invited to the 2026 Inauguration of a New Era
Everyone is invited to take part in this historic day.
www.transition2025.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:14 AM
I’ll be at Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration and I’m looking forward to starting the new year with the rest of my city.
If you’re still looking for a way to participate, try this. Livestream link all in here as well:
www.transition2025.com/inauguration
If you’re still looking for a way to participate, try this. Livestream link all in here as well:
www.transition2025.com/inauguration
Update:
I had way too much and not enough pernil, potato salad, and other assorted leftovers. I’m gonna need to write my 2026 resolutions twice.
I had way too much and not enough pernil, potato salad, and other assorted leftovers. I’m gonna need to write my 2026 resolutions twice.
December 30, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Update:
I had way too much and not enough pernil, potato salad, and other assorted leftovers. I’m gonna need to write my 2026 resolutions twice.
I had way too much and not enough pernil, potato salad, and other assorted leftovers. I’m gonna need to write my 2026 resolutions twice.
Y'all.
I'm in this video.
Don't even ask me how. 😂
The link for tickets to his inauguration is in his pinned post.
I'm in this video.
Don't even ask me how. 😂
The link for tickets to his inauguration is in his pinned post.
New York, this moment belongs to you. Please join us for the Inauguration of a New Era on January 1, 2026.
December 22, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Y'all.
I'm in this video.
Don't even ask me how. 😂
The link for tickets to his inauguration is in his pinned post.
I'm in this video.
Don't even ask me how. 😂
The link for tickets to his inauguration is in his pinned post.
You'd actually have to have shame for any of this to matter.
December 19, 2025 at 10:11 PM
You'd actually have to have shame for any of this to matter.
Writing a math book might seem easy for a person who taught math for 15 years, but don't let the fact that I'm posting and not writing be evidence to the contrary.
December 17, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Writing a math book might seem easy for a person who taught math for 15 years, but don't let the fact that I'm posting and not writing be evidence to the contrary.
The Knicks won the NBA Cup and the vibes across the city are (mostly) immaculate. Good things a-brewin', but there's no need for a parade.
December 17, 2025 at 4:31 PM
The Knicks won the NBA Cup and the vibes across the city are (mostly) immaculate. Good things a-brewin', but there's no need for a parade.
I got a story to tell, and it's about the wild trip that is high school admissions. Can we do better? I hope so. Read more here!
Pick A School, Every School (On the NYC High School Admissions Process)
How many synonyms for the word "confusing" are there? I might have used them all as we navigated the NYC high school admissions process over the last few months. Besides all the other hats I wear, I found myself neck-deep in trying to navigate a myriad of recommendations, online reviews, school visits, word-of-mouth, and insider info about prospective schools. To further complicate things, my wife and I both come from Catholic school backgrounds, which has its pros and cons for the type of values we wish to instill in our son.
thejosevilson.com
December 17, 2025 at 1:12 PM
I got a story to tell, and it's about the wild trip that is high school admissions. Can we do better? I hope so. Read more here!
My theory: Susie Wiles wants to have it both ways. She's both the not-so-secret secret of this Trump administration *and* wants a parachute for when this is all over and into public life.
There are words for that, but ... y'all can use them below. 👇🏾
There are words for that, but ... y'all can use them below. 👇🏾
December 16, 2025 at 7:23 PM
My theory: Susie Wiles wants to have it both ways. She's both the not-so-secret secret of this Trump administration *and* wants a parachute for when this is all over and into public life.
There are words for that, but ... y'all can use them below. 👇🏾
There are words for that, but ... y'all can use them below. 👇🏾
The BlueSky conversation is very much like when a student runs up to you screaming "Why won't they play with me?!" and you find it weird but when you ask the group, they tell you he's been cursing at them, bumping them too hard, and taking the ball whenever he loses.
That's why teachers are here 😏
That's why teachers are here 😏
December 16, 2025 at 3:26 PM
The BlueSky conversation is very much like when a student runs up to you screaming "Why won't they play with me?!" and you find it weird but when you ask the group, they tell you he's been cursing at them, bumping them too hard, and taking the ball whenever he loses.
That's why teachers are here 😏
That's why teachers are here 😏
We’ve been discussing this Trump post for almost the whole day and I’m reminded that this is who a sizable number of Americans wanted.
Even when he was lying, he told you who he was.
We might make it out and, when we do, who’ll be there to say this never happened?
Even when he was lying, he told you who he was.
We might make it out and, when we do, who’ll be there to say this never happened?
December 16, 2025 at 12:30 AM
We’ve been discussing this Trump post for almost the whole day and I’m reminded that this is who a sizable number of Americans wanted.
Even when he was lying, he told you who he was.
We might make it out and, when we do, who’ll be there to say this never happened?
Even when he was lying, he told you who he was.
We might make it out and, when we do, who’ll be there to say this never happened?
It's wild to see how long Elon Musk has been grifting the world, and how quickly he can layer lies on top of other debunked lies.
And how the lies have caused chaos and harm across the globe at this point.
Not posting on the other site seems like the *least* we can do.
And how the lies have caused chaos and harm across the globe at this point.
Not posting on the other site seems like the *least* we can do.
December 15, 2025 at 5:37 PM
It's wild to see how long Elon Musk has been grifting the world, and how quickly he can layer lies on top of other debunked lies.
And how the lies have caused chaos and harm across the globe at this point.
Not posting on the other site seems like the *least* we can do.
And how the lies have caused chaos and harm across the globe at this point.
Not posting on the other site seems like the *least* we can do.
If the numbers don't make America look great, you stop the numbers from showing otherwise.
This isn't just about a jobs or economy report. It's also about eradicating any research that shines a light on our deep inequities.
Especially for our children at the margins. We gotta do better.
This isn't just about a jobs or economy report. It's also about eradicating any research that shines a light on our deep inequities.
Especially for our children at the margins. We gotta do better.
How Trump 2.0 upended education research and statistics in one year
This audio is sponsored by SXSW EDU Inauguration Day was a time of hope for the MAGA faithful who watched President Donald Trump take his second oath of office in the Capitol rotunda. But less than a mile away, at the Department…
This audio is sponsored by SXSW EDU Inauguration Day was a time of hope for the MAGA faithful who watched President Donald Trump take his second oath of office in the Capitol rotunda. But less than a mile away, at the Department…
How Trump 2.0 upended education research and statistics in one year
This audio is sponsored by SXSW EDU Inauguration Day was a time of hope for the MAGA faithful who watched President Donald Trump take his second oath of office in the Capitol rotunda. But less than a mile away, at the Department of Education, fear and uncertainty reigned. Researchers, contractors and federal staff — the corner of the Education Department that I cover — braced for potentially devastating upheaval. Would the department itself be eliminated, as Trump had promised during the campaign? Would congressionally mandated research and statistical programs move to other agencies?
hechingerreport.org
December 2, 2025 at 3:51 PM
If the numbers don't make America look great, you stop the numbers from showing otherwise.
This isn't just about a jobs or economy report. It's also about eradicating any research that shines a light on our deep inequities.
Especially for our children at the margins. We gotta do better.
This isn't just about a jobs or economy report. It's also about eradicating any research that shines a light on our deep inequities.
Especially for our children at the margins. We gotta do better.
All I see is a sea of white in my window.
By window, I mean my computer monitor, and by white, I mean all the recommendation letters I've made myself responsible for.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
By window, I mean my computer monitor, and by white, I mean all the recommendation letters I've made myself responsible for.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
December 2, 2025 at 12:53 AM
All I see is a sea of white in my window.
By window, I mean my computer monitor, and by white, I mean all the recommendation letters I've made myself responsible for.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
By window, I mean my computer monitor, and by white, I mean all the recommendation letters I've made myself responsible for.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
This prime number can also be used to describe the average NBA player’s height.
What is …
What is …
More than a year into its online ubiquity, something about these two numbers seems to have the world in a chokehold.
Why Won't the '6, 7' Meme Go Away?
bit.ly
December 1, 2025 at 1:03 AM
This prime number can also be used to describe the average NBA player’s height.
What is …
What is …
I tell people all the time that, if it wasn’t for a union, I would have been fired over petty nonsense when I first started teaching.
Due process is an important mechanism against administrative malfeasance.
Due process is an important mechanism against administrative malfeasance.
Why do you appreciate unions?
I’ll start:
Weekends off
Paid vacations
Work breaks
Sick leave
Paid holidays
No child labor
Safer working conditions
Health care and retirement benefits
I’ll start:
Weekends off
Paid vacations
Work breaks
Sick leave
Paid holidays
No child labor
Safer working conditions
Health care and retirement benefits
November 30, 2025 at 1:57 AM
I tell people all the time that, if it wasn’t for a union, I would have been fired over petty nonsense when I first started teaching.
Due process is an important mechanism against administrative malfeasance.
Due process is an important mechanism against administrative malfeasance.
Reposted by Jose Vilson, PhD
The purpose of a system of is what it does.
OpenAI's Sora Is Letting Teens Generate Videos of School Shootings
OpenAI's Sora 2 easily allows teenagers to generate videos of school shootings and other harmful content, despite repeated claims of safety.
futurism.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:28 PM
The purpose of a system of is what it does.
Coming to you live from this two-hour nap I just woke up from after a nice Thanksgiving plate … or three.
November 28, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Coming to you live from this two-hour nap I just woke up from after a nice Thanksgiving plate … or three.
I'll say this:
We're all susceptible to arguing or uplifting randoms and bots because that's part of being on social media.
People have been getting paid to antagonize you for "engagement" for years. The money was too good to have integrity about it.
We're all susceptible to arguing or uplifting randoms and bots because that's part of being on social media.
People have been getting paid to antagonize you for "engagement" for years. The money was too good to have integrity about it.
November 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
I'll say this:
We're all susceptible to arguing or uplifting randoms and bots because that's part of being on social media.
People have been getting paid to antagonize you for "engagement" for years. The money was too good to have integrity about it.
We're all susceptible to arguing or uplifting randoms and bots because that's part of being on social media.
People have been getting paid to antagonize you for "engagement" for years. The money was too good to have integrity about it.
Next step: reclaim public education as a right.
In a massive backlash against MAGA fascism, Democrats have now swept school board elections in Pennsylvania, Texas and Ohio and defeating all terrorist Moms For Liberty candidates in the process. Much more of this please, we have a democracy to rescue. 💙👊
November 24, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Next step: reclaim public education as a right.
“When you decide to do the kind of things that really start to make a difference and get people listening to you, and you have an impact, it starts to make some people a little bit nervous. And you find yourself starting to become a target.”
- Kenny Riley
- Kenny Riley
November 23, 2025 at 1:52 PM
“When you decide to do the kind of things that really start to make a difference and get people listening to you, and you have an impact, it starts to make some people a little bit nervous. And you find yourself starting to become a target.”
- Kenny Riley
- Kenny Riley