Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Jul 19

Crazy flooding in Takoma DC - this is Georgia Ave at Dahlia

Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Jun 15

Love this - thank you for organizing! I hope your heart is full tonight knowing that you are not alone in opposing this administration. 🥰

Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Jun 12

Thanks to @wmata.com for some quick handling of the power issue on the Red Line this morning! Thrilled that they turned around a Glenmont train at Takoma to get folks downtown. Drivers have been great with communication.

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Apr 23

Hearing a lot of concern for immigrant students and educators at #AERA #AERA2025. NEA @neatoday.bsky.social has guidance specific to higher ed, developed by our legal team: www.nea.org/sites/defaul... Please share widely!

Guidance on Immigration Issues | NEA

The second Trump Administration will have a large impact on immigration policies affecting students, schools, and communities. Here's what you need to know to prepare.

www.nea.org

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Mar 20

Excellent overview of what will be lost if Congress shuts down ED. (Yes, I said _Congress_ - today's EO won't close ED.)

What the Department of Education actually does

America’s least understood and most efficient agency, explained

www.slowboring.com

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Mar 18

If you've somehow missed the near-complete elimination of the federal education data and research infrastructure, this article provides an excellent overview: hechingerreport.org/proof-points... Thanks to @hechingerreport.org and @jillbarshay.bsky.social for the reporting.

Chaos and confusion as the statistics arm of the Education Department is reduced to a skeletal staff of 3

Acting stats chief booted after only 15 days in the job; fate of the Nation’s Report Card unclear

hechingerreport.org

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Mar 18

Wednesday! Looking for a way to show support for your local public schools? Find a 'walk-in' near you - or organize one yourself! Resources available here: www.nea.org/march19

March 19 Participant Toolkit | NEA

On Wednesday, March 19, our communities will walk into our schools together to show elected leaders that we are united in support for the programs and protections our communities need to thrive.

www.nea.org

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Mar 17

Tuesday! NEA, Red Wine & Blue, and MomsRising are hosting a webinar on immigration enforcement in schools. Please spread the word! secure.everyaction.com/j2_F465-q0af...

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Mar 11

Would you like to show your support for public schools? Join NEA for a walk-in at your local public school on March 19! Information on how to find or organize a walk-in is at the link.

March 19 Participant Toolkit | NEA

On Wednesday, March 19, our communities will walk into our schools together to show elected leaders that we are united in support for the programs and protections our communities need to thrive.

www.nea.org

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Mar 3

Tomorrow! Join NEA, AFT, AFL-CIO, Moms Rising and the Alliance to Reclaim our Schools for a national day of action to demonstrate the value of public schools and the harmful effects of funding cuts. Events will be held all over the country - find out more at nea.org/march4

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Feb 17

This is what happens when you suddenly cut nearly all funding for education research - kids are hurt, perhaps irreparably.

Leah Greenberg ❌👑 @leahgreenberg.bsky.social · Feb 16

the richest man in the world has decided that your kids don't deserve special education programs

A screenshot of an email notifying Spotsylvania parents that funding for a program for youth with disabilities has been canceled

Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Feb 14

This is one of the best explainers I've read about the implications terminating nearly every IES contract. It's clear that these decisions were made with no understanding of or concern about how IES operates, the data it collects, and the extent to which the education community relies on its work.

Canceling data collections could imperil efforts to improve U.S. education, a former Trump appointee warns

Ex-head of National Center for Education Statistics describes impact of massive halt to survey research

www.science.org

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Feb 14

This is a disgrace - the core purpose of the Office of Civil Rights is to provide impartial investigations of families' complaints, not to push a partisan political agenda.

“We’ve Been Essentially Muzzled”: Department of Education Halts Thousands of Civil Rights Investigations Under Trump

Since Inauguration Day, the Office for Civil Rights has only opened about 20 investigations focused on Trump’s priorities, placing more than 10,000 student complaints related to disability access and ...

www.propublica.org

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Jan 28

Wondering which federal programs will be affected by the OMB announcement? This article has links to the memos...

Jane Norman @janenorman.bsky.social · Jan 28

UPDATED The list of programs affected includes the USDA tribal food sovereignty program, Head Start, the VA suicide prevention and legal services grants, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, prevention programs within the Department of Justice. www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trum...

Trump administration memo announces abrupt freeze on broad swath of federal payments

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will temporarily stop payments on multiple federal programs Tuesday evening, cutting off Americans who rely on what could be trillions in funding and likely setti...

www.newsfromthestates.com

Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Jan 27

Sharing some resources that may be helpful in the wake of recent Executive Orders:

For those who work in education: www.nea.org/resource-lib...

For those who work in health care: www.poppiesandpropofol.com/p/be-a-stron...

For federal civil servants: www.civilservicestrong.org

Guidance on Immigration Issues | NEA

The second Trump Administration will have a large impact on immigration policies affecting students, schools, and communities. Here's what you need to know to prepare.

www.nea.org

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Jan 4

Telnaes' Substack: anntelnaes.substack.com/p/why-im-qui...

Why I'm quitting the Washington Post

Democracy can't function without a free press

anntelnaes.substack.com

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Jan 4

WaPo claims they cut it bc of repetition of topic. When the topic is "genuflecting to our future fascist overlord," maybe a little repetition (and some serious self-reflection) is warranted?

Washington Post Cartoonist Quits After Jeff Bezos Cartoon Is Killed (Gift Article)

The cartoon, by Ann Telnaes, depicted the owner of The Post, Jeff Bezos, and other billionaires genuflecting toward a statue of President-elect Donald Trump.

www.nytimes.com

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Dec 17

The WIT Community Fund shares the power of play and community throughout the DMV through free workshops, scholarships, and partnerships with nonprofits. Through 12/31, your donation to the WIT Community Fund will be TRIPLED as long as you donate through the link below. Any amount makes a difference!

secure.givelively.org

Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Dec 4

I'm no IR specialist, but between the US election, South Korea, and this, it's certainly starting to feel like we're barrelling toward international instability and a potential seismic shift in the world order.

French lawmakers oust the prime minister after just 91 days, toppling the government

France's government has been toppled by a no-confidence vote in parliament, for the first time sine 1962. Prime Minister Michel Barnier served the shortest time in the post in France's modern history.

www.npr.org

Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Nov 25

Another installment in @propublica.org's excellent series on who benefits from school vouchers. (Spoiler: often it's well-off kids whose parents were sending them to private school already and the segregation academies that they are attending.)

Segregation Academies in Mississippi Are Benefiting From Public Dollars, as They Did in the 1960s

ProPublica identified 20 schools in the state that likely opened as segregation academies and have received almost $10 million over the past six years from the state’s tax credit donation program.

www.propublica.org

Reposted by Stacey Pelika

National Education Policy Center @nepc.bsky.social · Nov 21

Here's a resource for the next time someone asks about how vouchers (and charter growth) can impact public schools:
nepc.colorado.edu/publication/...
@network4pubed.bsky.social
#edpolicy #edusky #education

The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems

The U.S. Department of Education has projected enrollment declines over the next decade, leading to budget cuts for school districts, which will be particularly impactful in urban and rural areas serv...

nepc.colorado.edu

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Nov 21

💜 Today I'm raising awareness of #pancreaticcancer, which took my mom in 2012. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please see a doctor! 💜

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Reposted by Stacey Pelika

James S. Murphy @jamessmurphy.bsky.social · Nov 20

What states get the biggest benefit from the US Department of Education (@usedgov)

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Nov 20

New from RAND: More data on the extent to which teachers, particularly Black teachers, are underpaid, which is a key factor in teacher recruitment and retention. #teacherpay

Larger Pay Increases and Better Benefits Could Improve Teacher Retention

U.S. teachers reported modest pay increases between the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 school years, only $2,000 on average and well below their desired raise of $16,000. Black teachers reported the smallest...

www.rand.org

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Stacey Pelika @spelika.bsky.social · Nov 20

Shocker. 🤦🏼‍♀️

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