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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer
@jonsawyer.org
5.8K followers 1.8K following 270 posts
Writing on education and religion | University of Colorado Boulder | National Education Policy Center | https://www.jonsawyer.org
www.jonsawyer.org
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · 2d
Important yet dire piece.
jsmithrichards.bsky.social
Jennifer Smith Richards @jsmithrichards.bsky.social · 2d
Education Secretary Linda McMahon says she's leading the department's "final mission" to shut down. But @megomatz.bsky.social and I found it's more than that: Political appointees from ultraconservative groups are in power at ED now, and they hope to dismantle public schools.
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 Jon Sawyer
nepc.bsky.social
National Education Policy Center @nepc.bsky.social · 3d
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” invites Treasury Department regulations that will leave states vulnerable to federal overreach, diminished protections for students, and steep academic declines tied to voucher expansion. bit.ly/434xcN9
Federal Vouchers, Treasury Regulations, and State Flexibility
The 2025 Reconciliation Act, or “One Big Beautiful Bill,” creates a federal school choice program offering tax credits for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations that fund private-school tuit...
nepc.colorado.edu
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · 3d
Governors Beware: The Voucher Advocates in DC Are Not Serious About Returning Education to the States

@nepc.bsky.social

nepc.colorado.edu/publication/...
Federal Vouchers, Treasury Regulations, and State Flexibility
The 2025 Reconciliation Act, or “One Big Beautiful Bill,” creates a federal school choice program offering tax credits for donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations that fund private-school tuit...
nepc.colorado.edu
2 1
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · 11d
“The growing influence of rightist movements, and especially Christian Nationalism, on educational policies and practices threatens all too many of the gains that have been made…”

Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com

www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
School Times for End Times — Kevin Kumashiro
SCHOOL TIMES FOR END TIMES: A Brief History of U.S. Christian Nationalist Activism and Public Education
www.kevinkumashiro.com
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · 11d
Glad it helped. Thanks @kevinkumashiro.com
jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · 11d
“The growing influence of rightist movements, and especially Christian Nationalism, on educational policies and practices threatens all too many of the gains that have been made…”

Read more, and please share this incredible report by @kevinkumashiro.com

www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
School Times for End Times — Kevin Kumashiro
SCHOOL TIMES FOR END TIMES: A Brief History of U.S. Christian Nationalist Activism and Public Education
www.kevinkumashiro.com
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
nepc.bsky.social
National Education Policy Center @nepc.bsky.social · 13d
New interactive report from @kevinkumashiro.com follows the threads of Christian Nationalism from the Colonial Era to the present day, explaining how we got to this point and helping us think through how we can move forward. Highly recommended!
www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
School Times for End Times — Kevin Kumashiro
SCHOOL TIMES FOR END TIMES: A Brief History of U.S. Christian Nationalist Activism and Public Education
www.kevinkumashiro.com
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · 13d
Thrilled about this report. Read through a good portion of it this morning. So needed.
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
amyshadow.bsky.social
Amy Ferrell @amyshadow.bsky.social · 13d
Kind of surreal when your worlds collide. @jonsawyer.org congrats on the reference!

www.kevinkumashiro.com/schooltimes
School Times for End Times — Kevin Kumashiro
SCHOOL TIMES FOR END TIMES: A Brief History of U.S. Christian Nationalist Activism and Public Education
www.kevinkumashiro.com
1 1 2
jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · 19d
And he’s doing it to the background music of Chris Tomlin worship songs.
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · 24d
So sorry for what your son is enduring.
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · 24d
Without getting into the fray of justifying the unjustifiable, I want to note that we need serious, thoughtful grappling with how LGBTQ+ identifying young people (whether visible or not) are navigating today’s volatile religiopolitical climate. The scapegoating must stop: the learning must begin.
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
nepc.bsky.social
National Education Policy Center @nepc.bsky.social · 28d
For those interested in the growth of ESA vouchers and the new federal push for vouchers by Trump and Congressional Republicans, please read this thread about the important new voucher study & the NYT article about that study. reachcentered.org/publications...
The Effects of Universal School Vouchers on Private School Tuition and Enrollment: A National Analysis | REACH
The mission of REACH is to provide objective, rigorous, and applicable research that informs and improves school choice policy design and implementation to increase opportunities and outcomes for disa...
reachcentered.org
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
nepc.bsky.social
National Education Policy Center @nepc.bsky.social · Sep 9
In this Q&A, Scott Skinner-Thompson, Bethy Leonardi, and Sara Staley explain the implications of Mahmoud v. Taylor, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision siding with parents who asserted faith-based reasons for opting their children out of reading books about LGBTQ-related topics. bit.ly/3JSzJmY
Learning About LGBTQ Topics in School
In this Q&A, Scott Skinner-Thompson, Bethy Leonardi, and Sara Staley explain the implications of Mahmoud v. Taylor, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision siding with parents who asserted faith-based re...
nepc.colorado.edu
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
drprestongreen.bsky.social
Preston Green @drprestongreen.bsky.social · Aug 15
Fears Grow That Trump Will Cut Special Education Support Funding

www.edweek.org/teaching-lea...
Fears Grow That Trump Will Cut Special Education Support Funding
Advocacy organizations are warning members to brace for "hundreds" of grant terminations.
www.edweek.org
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
drprestongreen.bsky.social
Preston Green @drprestongreen.bsky.social · Jul 19
Supreme Court May Soon Consider Overturning 45-Year Precedent

www.newsweek.com/supreme-cour...
Supreme Court may soon consider overturning 45-year precedent
"The 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court will decide what they want and then try to rationalize it," one First Amendment advocate told Newsweek.
www.newsweek.com
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
nepc.bsky.social
National Education Policy Center @nepc.bsky.social · Jul 10
As Congress passed federal voucher legislation last week, a new study offers insights into how such programs might—or might not—impact the racial demographics of private schools. @bryanmann.bsky.social‬ bit.ly/44CcPqC
Do Vouchers Help Make Private Schools More Diverse?
As Congress passed federal voucher legislation last week, a new study offers insights into how such programs might—or might not—impact the racial demographics of private schools.
nepc.colorado.edu
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · Jul 10
I shall henceforth think about everything we are witnessing around Christian nationalism, policy and the law as the “puritan mistake”
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · Jul 10
I shall henceforth think about everything we are witnessing around Christian nationalism, policy and the law as the “puritan mistake”
1 3 11
Reposted by Jon Sawyer
jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · Jul 8
James Madison is rolling in his grave.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/u...
I.R.S. Says Churches Can Endorse Candidates From the Pulpit
www.nytimes.com
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · Jul 8
James Madison is rolling in his grave.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/u...
I.R.S. Says Churches Can Endorse Candidates From the Pulpit
www.nytimes.com
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · Jul 2
School choice in the “big beautiful bill” creates “a tax shelter that provides wealthy individuals with an avenue for avoiding capital gains taxes. It’s not the donors who fund this program. It’s taxpayers—and they are likely subsidizing wealthy individuals...”

www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
The risks of universal private school choice programs | Brookings
Jon Valant warns that federal school voucher plans could deepen inequality, lack oversight, and divert funds from students who need them most.
www.brookings.edu
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
nepc.bsky.social
National Education Policy Center @nepc.bsky.social · Jun 26
Excellent points here from @joannalefebvre.bsky.social.
Addition: While federal civil rights laws broadly apply to schools receiving federal $$, the bill creates an apparent exception for this neovoucher funding for private schools.
So: taxpayer-funded discrimination.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
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Reposted by Jon Sawyer
nepc.bsky.social
National Education Policy Center @nepc.bsky.social · Jul 2
Kids and their public schools will be hurt by impounding Congressionally authorized funds for students and by federal vouchers. But don't forget that kids will also be hurt by Medicaid & SNAP cuts, and by traumatizing immigration raids.
So these lawsuits are impt -- even though SCOTUS lies in wait.
neatoday.bsky.social
National Education Association @neatoday.bsky.social · Jul 1
The Trump admin just withheld $6.8B in critical education funding—money that overwhelmingly supports students through their local school districts. But together with @studentdefense.bsky.social, @edlawcenter.bsky.social, @afscmemd.org, and NAACP, we’re taking legal action to stop it.
Coalition moves for injunction stopping Trump administration’s actions to dismantle the Department of Education | NEA
Today, in the case of NAACP v. US, the coalition of plaintiffs and supporters are moving for a preliminary injunction preventing Linda McMahon and the Trump administration from continuing their…
buff.ly
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jonsawyer.org
Jon Sawyer @jonsawyer.org · Jul 2
If you’re looking for a book on religion and public education in the US, I can’t recommend this one enough. I’m assigning it for an undergrad class I’m teaching in the fall on the history of American public education. It leaves no stone unturned, and it is super reader friendly for an academic book.
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