michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli
@michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
180 followers 290 following 91 posts
President of the Fordham Institute, executive editor of Education Next, proud father.
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 7h
The low numbers for Hispanic school board members are extremely disappointing. I wonder if political scientists find the same underrepresentation on city councils, county councils, state legislatures, etc., or is there something about school board elections driving this? @dmhouston.bsky.social
dmhouston.bsky.social
David Houston @dmhouston.bsky.social · 7h
But this pattern is, again, somewhat exaggerated by the large number of small, rural, and mostly white districts. The racial/ethnic disparity is less severe when accounting for the number of students that school board members serve.

7/12
Reposted by Michael Petrilli
dmhouston.bsky.social
David Houston @dmhouston.bsky.social · 7h
Supported by both the Fordham Institute and @wallacefoundation.bsky.social, Michael Hartney and I explored the extent to which U.S. school board members are politically and demographically representative of the communities they serve.

Here's a summary of our main findings:

1/12
michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 10h
New from Fordham, the Wallace Foundation, @dmhouston.bsky.social & Michael Hartney:

Who’s on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict fordhaminstitute.org/national/res...
Who’s on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict
School boards have become ground zero for America’s education culture wars, with fiery debates over race, gender, curriculum, and pandemic policies making national headlines. But beyond the noise, how...
fordhaminstitute.org
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 10h
New from Fordham, the Wallace Foundation, @dmhouston.bsky.social & Michael Hartney:

Who’s on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict fordhaminstitute.org/national/res...
Who’s on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict
School boards have become ground zero for America’s education culture wars, with fiery debates over race, gender, curriculum, and pandemic policies making national headlines. But beyond the noise, how...
fordhaminstitute.org
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 6d
WATCH NOW: The New Federal Education Tax Credit: Policy and Politics, featuring @progressivepolicy.org's Rachel Canter, @dfer.org's Jorge Elorza, @brookings.edu's Jon Valant, @futureedgu.bsky.social's @thomastoch.bsky.social, and yours truly.
future-ed.org/webinar-the-...
WEBINAR: The New Federal Education Tax Credit: Policy and Politics
The Trump administration’s newly passed federal tax credit scholarship program could dramatically reshape the education landscape, providing families with potentially billions of dollars in funding…
future-ed.org
michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 7d
Steven Pinker on the Harvard admissions department:

"It is terrible. I’ve argued that as much. They use holistic criteria, which is mumbo-jumbo. It’s mysticism."
Image for a recent Conversations with Tyler podcast, featuring Harvard professor Steven Pinker.
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Reposted by Michael Petrilli
debrawexler.bsky.social
De-BOO-ra Wexler @debrawexler.bsky.social · 19d
There have been plenty of takes since last week's #NAEP results showed 12th graders performing at the lowest reading level since the test launched in 1992. This analysis from @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social is esp. disconcerting: that cohort had achieved NAEP’s highest 4th-grade reading scores.
#edusky
The Covid generation: Best readers ever in fourth grade, worst readers ever by twelfth
There’s been a lot of smart analysis of the dismal NAEP results released last week. But here’s an alarming fact that you probably haven’t seen before: The cohort of students who scored at record-low l...
fordhaminstitute.org
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 20d
The cohort of students who scored at record-low levels in 12th grade reading were part of the same generation of kids who scored at record-high levels in 4th grade.

So what happened? fordhaminstitute.org/national/com...
The Covid generation: Best readers ever in fourth grade, worst readers ever by twelfth
There’s been a lot of smart analysis of the dismal NAEP results released last week. But here’s an alarming fact that you probably haven’t seen before: The cohort of students who scored at record-low l...
fordhaminstitute.org
1
michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 20d
An example of remedial education done right, courtesy of the U.S. military.

Once these recruits couldn't make the cut. Now they make up a quarter of Army troops.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Once these recruits couldn't make the cut. Now they make up a quarter of Army troops.
Three years ago, the Army faced a recruitment crisis. Behind its recovery is a program for would-be soldiers who don't make the cut.
www.usatoday.com
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Reposted by Michael Petrilli
cedr.bsky.social
Dan Goldhaber @cedr.bsky.social · 21d
It's solo @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social on the Gadfly, but if you want some good arguments for phone bans (the scant evidence is a bit mixed, but as parent, I'm 100% that we ought to have them) listen in!

fordhaminstitute.org/national/res...
On the negative NAEP news, and the real reason screen time is hurting student learning | Episode 986 of The Education Gadfly Show
This week, Mike Petrilli digs into the latest NAEP results—and explores whether the rise of smartphones and social media might help explain them. It’s another solo episode, just Mike and the mic.
fordhaminstitute.org
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 21d
ICYMI, most teachers HATE so-called "equitable grading," especially the "gifty fifty."

www.the74million.org/article/a-th...
A Thousand Teachers Were Asked About ‘Equitable’ Grading. Most Didn’t Like It
Teachers found the practices meant to remove grading bias were ‘harmful’ to engagement, according to a survey by Thomas B. Fordham Institute and RAND.
www.the74million.org
Reposted by Michael Petrilli
mpolikoff.bsky.social
Morgan Polikoff @mpolikoff.bsky.social · 28d
I, too, am very skeptical that through-year assessments are the right solution to concerns about accountability.
michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 28d
In yesterday's SCHOOLED, my take on through-year assessments in Texas, plus edu-opinions from @cedr.bsky.social @karenvaites.bsky.social @chadaldeman.bsky.social @marcportermagee.bsky.social & more: substack.com/home/post/p-...
SCHOOLED
Tuesday, 9/9/25
substack.com
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · 28d
In yesterday's SCHOOLED, my take on through-year assessments in Texas, plus edu-opinions from @cedr.bsky.social @karenvaites.bsky.social @chadaldeman.bsky.social @marcportermagee.bsky.social & more: substack.com/home/post/p-...
SCHOOLED
Tuesday, 9/9/25
substack.com
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Sep 8
Yet another reason for y'all on the left to hate standardized tests (especially difficult ones).
michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Sep 8
Citizenship Tests Could Be About To Get Much Harder. Here’s What You Need to Know time.com/7315217/citi...
Citizenship Tests Could Tougher. What You Need to Know
The head of the Citizenship and Immigration Services said the current test is "too easy" and promised to make it harder.
time.com
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Sep 8
Citizenship Tests Could Be About To Get Much Harder. Here’s What You Need to Know time.com/7315217/citi...
Citizenship Tests Could Tougher. What You Need to Know
The head of the Citizenship and Immigration Services said the current test is "too easy" and promised to make it harder.
time.com
1
michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Sep 4
We need to figure out how to de-weaponize OCR. Both parties have been pushing it past its limits.
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Sep 3
Yup, and also "rejecting disparate impact theory."
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Sep 3
FYI @laurameckler.bsky.social @mattbarnum.bsky.social @alexanderrusso.bsky.social @chadaldeman.bsky.social @marcportermagee.bsky.social @danagoldstein.bsky.social @cedr.bsky.social @paul-bruno.com @mpolikoff.bsky.social
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Sep 3
Today's must read: A sweeping and insightful overview from
@bostoncollege.bsky.social 's Shep Melnick.

Trump’s Civil Rights Agenda Comes for Public Schools www.educationnext.org/trumps-civil...
Trump's Civil Rights Agenda Comes for Public Schools
After intense scrutiny of higher education, federal government sets sights on K–12
www.educationnext.org
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Aug 29
The solution to the new teacher-affordable-housing crisis?

Roommates! www.pew.org/en/research-... @pewresearch.org @cedr.bsky.social @palan57.bsky.social @larryferlazzo.bsky.social
How States and Cities Decimated Americans’ Lowest-Cost Housing Option
Low-cost micro-units, often called single-room occupancies, or SROs, were once a reliable form of housing for the United States’ poorest residents of, and newcomers to, New York, Chicago, San Francisc...
www.pew.org
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Reposted by Michael Petrilli
bipartisanpolicy.org
Bipartisan Policy Center @bipartisanpolicy.org · Aug 28
LIVE #LearningTuesday sessions return on 9/2 w/ a vital discussion on the fed role in education w/ John King; Margaret Spellings; Adam Gamoran of @wtgrantfdn.bsky.social ; @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social of Fordham Institute; Ruth López Turley of Kinder Institute for Urban Research
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Reposted by Michael Petrilli
cedr.bsky.social
Dan Goldhaber @cedr.bsky.social · Aug 27
So much to say on this!

Let me begin with a rant based on an offhand remark that
@michaelpetrilli.bsky.social made about emails/texts from schools: "too much is better than too little." I do not believe this to be true!

fordhaminstitute.org/national/res...

1/n
Managing district budgets during uncertain times, with Jonathan Travers | Episode 983 of The Education Gadfly Show
ERS president and managing partner Jonathan Travers joins Mike Petrilli on The Education Gadfly Show to talk about school district budgeting during uncertain times.
fordhaminstitute.org
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Aug 27
Thanks Paul
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Reposted by Michael Petrilli
paul-bruno.com
Paul Bruno @paul-bruno.com · Aug 27
Some good discussion with @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social here, including on district finances and teacher compensation. fordhaminstitute.org/national/res...
Managing district budgets during uncertain times, with Jonathan Travers | Episode 983 of The Education Gadfly Show
ERS president and managing partner Jonathan Travers joins Mike Petrilli on The Education Gadfly Show to talk about school district budgeting during uncertain times.
fordhaminstitute.org
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Reposted by Michael Petrilli
chadaldeman.bsky.social
Chad Aldeman @chadaldeman.bsky.social · Aug 26
{new} Join us TOMORROW for a webinar on the education research we need for the future: eduprogress.org/building-a-n...
Building a new education research agenda | EduProgress
On Wednesday, August 27th, I’m going to be moderating a panel for The Collaborative for Student Success on, “Filling the Void: Setting the Academic Research Agenda for Education.”
eduprogress.org
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michaelpetrilli.bsky.social
Michael Petrilli @michaelpetrilli.bsky.social · Aug 20
Plenty of schools have no-zeroes policies. And most teachers hate it, a new survey finds www.chalkbeat.org/2025/08/20/m... @chalkbeat.org @kalynbelsha.bsky.social
Many teachers hate the ‘gifty fifty.’ Here’s what else they have to say about equitable grading
Half of teachers said that their school or district used at least one equitable grading practice. But policies like giving students partial credit for work they don’t do prompted concern.
www.chalkbeat.org