Dominique Baker
LightNews LightNews
banner
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Dominique Baker
@bakerdphd.bsky.social
28K followers 650 following 26K posts
Went to some colleges, now studying them for a living
Talk equally about ed policy and reality tv
She/Her
Personal account

https://www.dominiquebaker.com/

(I generally don't follow students as they deserve space to blow off steam about people like me)
Posts Replies Media Videos
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Every time someone shares this essay, I take the time to read it and find a new favorite part. This time it's this:
Screenshot of article which reads: The meteoric rise of the show, the return of the novels to the bestseller list, and the intensity of fans, all are reminders that the regime’s attempt to use political power to enact cultural power was not equal to the task of keeping this from us. And so it is sweeter, even tinged with revenge, to devour basically all the content around this show, including the brand posts.
January 17, 2026 at 8:41 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Update to the update. We're all talking about UVA but don't sleep on the changes at George Mason and VMI.

www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Screenshot of article which reads: Jay Jones (D), the incoming attorney general, dismissed the general counsels at George Mason University and the Virginia Military Institute. Democratic legislators also vowed to make more changes in how the state’s public colleges are governed. Screenshot of the article which reads: George Mason University counsel K. Anne Gambrill Gentry and associate counsel Eli Schlam, along with VMI general counsel Patrick O’Leary, were notified this week by Jones’s office that Friday would be their last full days as their universities’ top attorneys, according to a VMI spokesperson and an email from Gentry reviewed by The Washington Post. Screenshot of article which reads: In another sign of change at George Mason, rector Charles “Cully” Stimson tendered his resignation Friday in a letter obtained by The Post. Youngkin appointed Stimson to serve on the board in 2023. Stimson, who has been George Mason’s rector since July 2024, has overseen the board as it sought to dismantle DEI and pare back other policies it saw as too liberal. Stimson recently quit the Heritage Foundation over concerns about the conservative think tank’s response to concerns over antisemitism. But earlier this week, he announced he was returning to the organization.
January 17, 2026 at 1:27 AM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Let's gooooooooo

With alt
Screenshot of a quote post from the nyt reporter (Michael S. Schmidt) who co-wrote the earlier piece on the VA governor asking board members at UVA to resign. He notes: NEW and BREAKING: The head of UVA's board, Rachel Sheridan, her deputy, Porter Wilkinson, and board member and major donor Paul Manning have all just resigned from the board. He is quoting a prior post of his introducing the earlier nyt story. This is from the past couple of minutes.
January 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
There's tons more in there. I'll end this thread noting that this is the first essay in a series. The rest will focus on how the machinery of political repression works.
Screenshot of article which reads: In No Ivory Tower, Schrecker demonstrates how elite members of higher education either actively worked to ensure that universities censored suspected political dissidents or neglected calls for help from targeted people. At the same time, a substantial share of rank-and-file members of academia allowed their colleagues to be harassed and ostracized, while helping to maintain a version of an academic blacklist—ensuring that people who had even the faintest taint of suspicion would not be hired at their institutions. These actions, whether driven by cowardice, complicity or some combination of the two, led to a world where professors and students targeted by the federal government began making plans for their eventual firing or, in some tragic instances, their own death. Screenshot of the end of the article which reads: The next two columns in this series will focus on the organizations and people that made McCarthyism as effective as it was: the academic elite who worked hand in glove with the rank and file to ensure that, what the government started, higher education would finish.
January 13, 2026 at 2:42 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Given the scotus decisions we're waiting on, I keep coming back to one of the sections where I highlight some of the reverberations I see from the Red Scares to today
Screenshot of article which reads: Most heartrending though, are the lives lost, sacrificed at the altar of authoritarian demagoguery. Middlebury College swimmer Lia Smith, who left the team due to attacks on trans athletes, died by suicide last fall. There is no direct evidence that this was caused by the ever-escalating vitriol hurled at trans people in the United States, but it strains credulity to believe that she was not impacted by this rise in hate, backed by the power of the government, and implemented by blue and red states alike.
January 13, 2026 at 2:40 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
I clearly have a lot of thoughts about political repression but, if you take nothing else away from this column, know that censors have always created fig leaves to hide their attacks, whether it's communism or DEI

(And yes I rewatched Clue for research purposes while writing this)
Screenshot of article which reads: In the 1950s, McCarthyism succeeded because of a two-part system of repression. In No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism and the Universities, Ellen W. Schrecker notes that the crackdown first required the federal government to identify “suspected Communists” and then higher education institutions to investigate and fire them. This targeting in tandem gives the game away. The attacks and firings were never about scholars’ fealty to Communism (which should have been protected under the U.S. Constitution, as later Supreme Courts ruled several times). Instead, they were about the expulsion of leftist ideals around worker rights, racial integration and more. Screenshot of the article which reads: As several characters in the classic 1990s movie Clue proclaim, when it came to the Red Scares, “Communism was simply a red herring.” Charisse Burden-Stelly, in her 2023 book Black Scare/Red Scare, skillfully outlines how Blackness, particularly Black radicalism and the fight for racial justice, became synonymous with Communism and the dreaded moniker of being “un-American.” This scapegoating strategy meant that faculty members could be fired for being a current or former member of the Communist Party or for such transgressions as advocating as a member of a labor union, fighting for racial integration, or being Black or homosexual.
January 13, 2026 at 2:36 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
The column itself will be about my messy travels through the archives as I try to better understand what higher education looks like when in service of a multiracial democracy
Screenshot of article which reads: The Red Scares were one of the most repressive periods of the 20th century, and yet we are seeing similar efforts to stifle free speech and punish political dissent in higher education today. As a professor who studies higher education policy, I want to better understand policymakers’ focus on resegregating the country, student protests, and why many key figures in higher education stay silent when political attacks target marginalized groups, especially trans scholars and scholars of color. Screenshot of article which reads: That journey motivates this column, “Echoes in the Quad.” Here, I’ll explore what tethers our current higher education policy realities to past moments in history, leading to potential lessons on crafting an American higher education system that thrives within a multiracial democracy.
January 13, 2026 at 2:31 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
This is a well-developed theory of power and the public policy process in action (which is why my students will be reading it)
Screenshot of the article which reads: Yet another lesson Moses learned from his first use of power was the latitude given him by its possession. In the Taylor-estate fight, Moses had broken the law. On this point there had been no judicial disagreement: every court that had ruled on his first appropriation of the estate had ruled that it was illegal. But what had happened to him as a result? He had been fined six cents—two cents, actually, if he wanted to insist that the two other Long Island State Park commissioners pay their share of the fine. The Heckscher gift, of course, was one factor in this outcome. But a more basic one was that power—specifically, the power that came with the money he could dispose of as a state official—insulated him from the law’s retribution. He had been able to employ lawyers numerous enough and clever enough to use the technicalities of the law to frustrate the intent of the law—lawyers who could throw enough sand into the machinery of justice to slow its gears until they could not mesh and produce the conclusion that the spirit of justice demanded. Screenshot of article which reads: Even an opponent as determined—and as well equipped with money—as W. Kingsland Macy had had to abandon his search for ultimate justice. Justice delayed, the Taylor-estate case proved, was truly justice denied. And Moses must have realized (he demonstrated the realization in subsequent actions) that as long as he had public power, as long as he was representing the state, he would have the means of employing as many lawyers as he needed to delay, and thereby deny, justice to his opponents, and to shield himself from its punishments. If there was one law for the poor, who had neither money nor influence, and another law for the rich, who had both, there was still a third law for the public official with real power, who had more of both. After the Taylor-estate fight, Moses knew that he could, with far more impunity than any private citizen, defy the law. He gloried in the knowledge; he boasted about it. For the rest of his life, whenever a friend, an enemy, or one of his own lawyers protested that something he was doing or was proposing to do was illegal, Moses would throw back his head and grin, and say, with more than a touch of pride, “Nothing I have ever done has been tinged with legality.”
January 12, 2026 at 4:33 AM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
I don't know anything about child rearing but I know a ton about ed policy and I don't fuck with that lady.

Me : Rod :: Oster : Musk
Screenshot of mastodon post from Rod Hilton, rodhiltonmastodon, which reads: He talked about electric cars. I don't know anything about cars, so when people said he was a genius I figured he must be a genius. Then he talked about rockets. I don't know anything about rockets, so when people said he was a genius I figured he must be a genius. Now he talks about software. I happen to know a lot about software Elon Musk is saying the stupidest shit I've ever heard anyone say, so when people say he's a genius I figure I should stay the hell away from his cars and rockets.
January 11, 2026 at 2:26 AM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Success! Turtle cheesecake went well. I'm always reminded that cheesecakes are fairly easy to make if you have the right tools and I should do this more often.
Picture of the cheesecake from the top. You can see ganache covering the top and a mix of whole pecans and chopped pecans sprinkled on top. Picture of the side of the cheesecake. You can see the pecan crust, then chocolate cheesecake layer mixed with some caramel and pecans, then a thick regular vanilla cheesecake layer. That's all topped by ganache and pecans. Picture of a slice of the turtle cheesecake from the side. You can see the crust, chocolate cheesecake, pecans covered in caramel, then hefty portion of vanilla cheesecake, with ganache on top.
January 11, 2026 at 1:26 AM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Up late, reading The New Yorker excerpts of The Power Broker, as you do, and buddy this is so many jobs!
Screenshot of article which reads: Robert Moses never held an elective public office. The one time he ran for one—against Herbert Lehman for governor, in 1934—he was defeated by more than eight hundred thousand votes. But he served in a multiplicity of appointive posts—as city park commissioner, city construction coördinator, chairman of the Mayor’s Slum Clearance Committee, chairman of the State Council of Parks, president of the Long Island State Park Commission, and chairman of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, the Jones Beach State Parkway Authority, the Bethpage State Park Authority, and the New York State Power Authority.
January 10, 2026 at 5:01 AM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
All the readings are set for Public Policy Theory, but I'm finalizing which chapters they'll read from the books. Here are the books/short stories I picked, with the help of bluesky. (Obviously, I'm also assigning Theories of the Public Policy Process and copious articles.)
List of books, including: Poggi (Development of the Modern State) Fraenkel (The Dual State) Ibsen's An Enemy of the People Le Guin (Omelas) Jemisin (The Ones Who Stay and Fight) Mandeville (Fable of the Bees) Scott (Seeing like a State) Caro (Power Broker) Sinclar (The Jungle) Foucault (Studies in Governmentality) Mills (The Racial Contract) Caro (Master of the Senate) Manaugh (A Burglar’s Guide to the City)
January 9, 2026 at 9:27 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Still hammering stuff out but I think the first week of my Teaching in Higher Ed class is just about there
Screenshot of word document which reads: Introduction to Class Heins, M. (2013). Priests of our democracy: The Supreme Court, academic freedom, and the anti-Communist purge. In Priests of Our Democracy. New York University Press. Ch 11 and Ch 12. Marketplace. (2025). What to consider when choosing a college. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49_TohEg0EQ [Watch this video to get a feel for the different types of colleges at which you could teach] Ruth, J., & Schrecker, E. (2025). Academic Freedom. In University Keywords, edited by A. Hines. Supplemental Reading: AAUP. Academic Freedom Reading List. https://www.aaup.org/about/programs/protecting-academic-freedom/center-defense-academic- freedom/academic-freedom-1
January 9, 2026 at 7:39 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Next episode I listen to, I'll get to laugh with a smug sense of righteousness

Sharing with alt
Screenshot of website from the CENTER for REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS. The primary text in the email reads: Thank You Thank you so much for your geneous donation to the Center for Reproductive Rights. For your records, a receipt for your gift has been sent to your email account. The email confirms a donation of $800.
January 8, 2026 at 11:23 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Plato is verboten. Got it.

Why is SACS quiet? Why is the AAU silent?

Sharing with alt
Screenshot of email which reads: Thank you for your email. The College leadership team and l have discussed your syllabus and the Provost office's requirements for compliance with the new system rule 08.01. You have two options going forward: 1.You may mitigate your course content to remove the modules on race ideology and gender ideology, and the Plato readings that may include these. 2.You may be reassigned to teach PIL482501-514. Lecture times for this course are T/Th 8:00-9:15. Please let us know by end of business tomorrow howy ou would like to proceed. Sincerely,
January 6, 2026 at 9:12 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
I can only speak to when she was in the 990 for having one of the highest salaries (from 2020). So I could certainly see it being higher through other fund structures but this is the only verified info I have.
Screenshot of Harvard 990 which reads: FRANCESCA GINO 483,937
January 4, 2026 at 7:11 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Oh shiiiiiiiiiiit

(Watch us somehow wind up with a live goat)
Screenshot of the gif in the quote post that shows my 2026 Word which is GOAT. Includes logo for Merriam-Webster since they created it.
January 1, 2026 at 5:53 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
So, uhhhh, the year was rough according to Lemony, the 2025 lemon pig.
Plump lemon pig that's very bright yellow with a fresh penny in its mouth Dessicated lemon pig that's mostly brown with a tarnished penny in the mouth
January 1, 2026 at 12:47 AM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
Never knew I needed this until I read it
Screenshot of link in quoted post. Pretend interview between Isaac Chotiner and the guy that runs the Lottery in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery which reads: Chotiner: So it was my understanding, and maybe this is incorrect. Maybe you can correct me. I thought that children also participated in the lottery. Lottery Guy: With the assistance of an adult. Small children will have an adult helping them. Chotiner: Helping them choose a slip of paper, sure, but when it comes to the actual stoning— Lottery Guy: I’ll tell you something. I’ve lived in Buell for a long, long time. I’ve seen many lotteries. Only a handful of times has a child ever been selected. Chotiner: Let’s be clear here, when you say “selected” you mean “stoned to death.” Lottery Guy: Just like an adult would be in that circumstance, yeah. Chotiner: I guess to me it seems like a pretty big difference that the children don’t have the ability to leave Buell. They’re in Buell because that’s where their parents are. So I’m a little confused by your argument that the residents of Buell are all choosing to live with the risk of dying by lottery. Lottery Guy: In this country we say, and thank God for it in my opinion, we say that parents can raise their children the way they see fit, without interference from the state. Maybe you think it’s right to whoop a child that’s misbehaved, maybe you think it’s wrong. Maybe you love public school, maybe you want to homeschool. In America we say hey, it’s all good. You parent your way and I’ll parent mine. Chotiner: Do you have children of your own? Lottery Guy: I don’t really see how that’s relevant. No, I do not. My wife and I were not blessed with children
December 28, 2025 at 7:47 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
The accuracy was so sharp in this exchange that I had to share with the alt
Screenshot of threads interaction. First account says: Calling all my black folk..come here right quick. What does "suki suki " mean? i.e: "Aaaaawww suki suki noooow" Second account replies: We're not telling because we're tired of our language ending up on Old Navy commercials. Third account replies: The Black Delegation has declined your request. Paragraph 28, subsection B explicitly prohibits the public disclosure of any colloquialisms associated with African American Vernacular English (AAVE) without prior authorization, as outlined in the "Black People Business" Protocols.
December 28, 2025 at 3:24 AM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
The care is just so evident
Screenshot of the article which reads: So you’re watching something happen between two men, and there is no fear of violence. There is no fear of things turning into stuff that women have to deal with too much in real life, and don’t want to deal with in their fantasies, and ultimately, this is a romantic fantasy. I think it’s also that maybe romance — which is a genre that women love and write and read and are the primary consumers of — just doesn’t get treated with a lot of respect. Nor do the people that make it, or those that adapt it either. So I think that they are responding to, at least I hope, the fact that we came to it pretty fullhearted, and as fans and as people who want to honor this material and want to honor the genre and make it as romantic as we can. That’s certainly what I wanted to do.
December 26, 2025 at 6:21 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
RE: Jinu's family
Screenshot of a tweet from December 7,2018 from sadiq (@sadiqoJN) which reads: Why do bash "dead-beat" dads for not being there for their kids but we never question if the child has bad vibes? Or if they're just unpleasant to be around?
December 26, 2025 at 2:49 AM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
LOOK AT THIS WOMAN
There's text on this page that I'll share later but it doesn't matter the way this look does. Michelle is GLOWING in a navy, cap-sleeved blouse tucked into a white skirt that is covered in blue flowers with stems and leaves. There's also a navy leather belt. Just a gorgeous photo. She's smiling, her skin is clear, eyebrows on point, hair laid. Ok, if you care about the text, it reads: TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES OF FASHION AND BEAUTY who use their expert hands and creative gifts to make us feel our best. You sit behind machines, hemming and beading; you stand on your feet for hours, braiding, locking, twisting, cutting, and coloring; you focus intently as you meticulously pluck and wax, as you contour and highlight. Your work is a gift that does not go unnoticed, one that takes many forms. A compliment we receive. A jolt of electricity we feel from a mirror looking back at us. A sturdier belief in ourselves and the things we might do. Thank you for your dedication, your artistry,and your patience. Thank you for you.
December 25, 2025 at 10:07 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
See, this is how I know I'm not built to have a proper "star" career, because if this had happened to me, I would've left. (Not a value statement.)
Screenshot of the article in the post I'm quoting which reads: I don’t go to very many faculty meetings at all — but I stopped going to Harvard Sociology meetings a long time ago. When I returned to Harvard in the 1980s, many in the Sociology Department made my life miserable, and the Government Department initially refused to accept me as a faculty member. I had no department, really. After years of that, I finally won the top award in political science for my book Protecting Soldiers and Mothers, and the Government Department voted to accept me on their faculty. I just said, okay, I’m going to be in a place where I’m not excluded and treated like a witch all the time, as I was then in Sociology.
December 24, 2025 at 5:24 PM
bakerdphd.bsky.social
This is what I see every time someone brings her into my feed
Screenshot of the top of a post showing Randi Weingarten's name and bluesky handle followed by a label which reads: Harper's Signatory
December 24, 2025 at 3:41 AM