Dr. Jon Sawyer
@jonsawyer.org
📤 6023
📥 1838
📝 286
Ph.D. | Education and Religion |
https://www.jonsawyer.org
pinned post!
I successfully defended my PhD dissertation today at the University of Colorado Boulder. Sincerely, Dr. Jonathon E. Sawyer
3 months ago
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We tried this in the common schools of the 19th century. It didn’t turn out great.
www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/u...
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Texas Public School Students Will Be Required to Read the Bible
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/us/texas-schools-book-list.html?unlocked_article_code=1.tFA.gdno.T00-O2U1aVXI&smid=nytcore-ios-share
7 days ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
The Progressive Magazine
10 days ago
A case that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear has troubling implications for discrimination against LGBTQ+ students in publicly funded school systems.
progressive.org/public-schoo...
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The U.S. Supreme Court May Continue the Culture War Around Religion and LGBTQ+ Personhood
A case that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear has troubling implications for discrimination against LGBTQ+ students in publicly funded school systems.
https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate/the-us-supreme-court-may-continue-the-culture-war-around-religion-and-lgbtq-personhood-sawyer-20260623/
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Dr. Jon Sawyer
“St. Mary makes the very meaning of the term ‘discrimination’ central to the case. One person’s experience of discrimination based on LGBTQ+ identity is pitted against another’s defense of their religious identity…”
progressive.org/public-schoo...
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The U.S. Supreme Court May Continue the Culture War Around Religion and LGBTQ+ Personhood
A case that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear has troubling implications for discrimination against LGBTQ+ students in publicly funded school systems.
https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate/the-us-supreme-court-may-continue-the-culture-war-around-religion-and-lgbtq-personhood-sawyer-20260623/
10 days ago
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“St. Mary makes the very meaning of the term ‘discrimination’ central to the case. One person’s experience of discrimination based on LGBTQ+ identity is pitted against another’s defense of their religious identity…”
progressive.org/public-schoo...
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The U.S. Supreme Court May Continue the Culture War Around Religion and LGBTQ+ Personhood
A case that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear has troubling implications for discrimination against LGBTQ+ students in publicly funded school systems.
https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate/the-us-supreme-court-may-continue-the-culture-war-around-religion-and-lgbtq-personhood-sawyer-20260623/
10 days ago
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This nation’s founders were explicitly wary of faith-based harm. They tried to craft a Constitution that would help us avoid the mistakes of centuries of religious warfare. And their handiwork is being destroyed by the current Court.
progressive.org/public-schoo...
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The U.S. Supreme Court May Continue the Culture War Around Religion and LGBTQ+ Personhood
A case that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear has troubling implications for discrimination against LGBTQ+ students in publicly funded school systems.
https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate/the-us-supreme-court-may-continue-the-culture-war-around-religion-and-lgbtq-personhood-sawyer-20260623/
10 days ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
Will (Faithful Politics)
about 2 months ago
We have added two more names to this project! I’m pretty sure that will be it lol. Any guesses?
faithfulpolitics.substack.com/p/introducin...
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Introducing Church & State 250+: How Religion Shaped America
America’s story cannot be told honestly without religion. This July, Faithful Politics is spending the month with historians, scholars, journalists, and faith leaders to understand why.
https://faithfulpolitics.substack.com/p/introducing-church-and-state-250?r=1bt7sx
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Dr. Jon Sawyer
Matthew D. Taylor
about 2 months ago
The New Apostolic Reformation has been staging Christian nationalist events on the National Mall since 2000. Today they finally got one organized & sponsored by the White House – the culmination of 25 years of work. My new piece explains what it means to them:
open.substack.com/pub/matthewd...
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Rededicate 250 Is the NAR's Crowning Achievement
A guide to the movement behind today's White House-sponsored Christian nationalist festival on the National Mall
https://open.substack.com/pub/matthewdtaylor/p/rededicate-250-is-the-nars-crowning?r=pa0j2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
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Dr. Jon Sawyer
Adam Rose
about 2 months ago
Great thread on Moms Club, documentary by
@wintersrock.bsky.social
about local school board takeovers organized by national groups trying to bully LGBT kids. High praise from Jenny: "no one has created anything comparable." I moderate Q&As after screenings. Join the next virtual one Friday night!
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
Matthew D. Taylor
about 2 months ago
On Sunday the Trump admin is hosting a 9-hr Christian nationalist festival on the National Mall — w/ govt funding & govt speakers. I study these movements & wrote a field guide: the leaders, the agenda, the history, & what makes this event genuinely unprecedented.
open.substack.com/pub/matthewd...
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A Field Guide to Rededicate 250
Why we should be concerned about Sunday's White House-sponsored Christian nationalist event on the National Mall
https://open.substack.com/pub/matthewdtaylor/p/a-field-guide-to-rededicate-250?r=pa0j2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
Matthew D. Taylor
about 2 months ago
I was on
@msnowreports.bsky.social
(Chris Jansing) this afternoon talking about "Rededicate 250" — the White House-promoted, govt-funded Christian nationalist event happening on the National Mall this Sunday.
www.ms.now/chris-jansin...
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White House to host 9-hour prayer festival on the National Mall this Sunday
The Trump administration is planning to host an all-day prayer festival on the National Mall this weekend. The event is raising questions about the separation of church and state. Visiting scholar at ...
https://www.ms.now/chris-jansing-reports/watch/white-house-to-host-9-hour-prayer-festival-on-the-national-mall-this-sunday-2500234307612
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
ProPublica
about 2 months ago
This video on the rise of Russ Vought is based on scores of interviews, thousands of pages of emails and dozens of hours of videos and recordings of private briefings given by Vought, most of which have not been previously reported.
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Russell Vought: The Shadow President
YouTube video by ProPublica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1LuV82l0vs
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Dr. Jon Sawyer
Five years of PhD work summarized in about a minute — but a lifetime of preparation!
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2 months ago
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Five years of PhD work summarized in about a minute — but a lifetime of preparation!
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2 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
2 months ago
A recent Supreme Court case opened the door to providing LGBTQ+ youth with conversion therapy in public schools, even in states where it’s now statutorily banned.
@jonsawyer.org
@edweek.org
bit.ly/42CN8p6
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Conversion Therapy for LGBTQ+ Youth: Why It Matters for Schools
A recent Supreme Court case opened the door to providing LGBTQ+ youth with conversion therapy in public schools, even in states where it’s now statutorily banned.
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/newsletter-conversion-042826
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Website updated around my work on education and religion. More to come.
www.jonsawyer.org
2 months ago
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“More broadly, the executive branch now exerts unprecedented influence over institutional decision-making.”
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2 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
2 months ago
New policy brief: The Trump administration’s first year marks a sweeping shift in federal education policy.
@derekgottliebphd.com
bit.ly/41Lacls
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Studying the First Year of Trump’s Second Term: The Renewed Importance of Participatory Governance
The first year of Trump's second administration has marked a sharp departure from six decades of federal education policy. This policy brief examines how the administration has expanded executive auth...
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/policy-review
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
2 months ago
These Catholic preschools want public money with private rules. They're invoking the Free Exercise Clause to demand taxpayer dollars, while invoking the same clause to avoid the anti‑discrimination rules that public schools must comply with. And, yes, this SCOTUS will give them what they want.
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Grateful to
@edweek.org
for including my piece on conversion “therapy” in this morning’s newsletter. The implications are stark.
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
2 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
Nancy Lucía López
3 months ago
Conversion therapy is cruel. Everyone should have the right to be whomever they were born to be. I'm so pleased that my former student, Jon Sawyer, has been tackling the issue.
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Why the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools (Opinion)
A recent case puts religiously motivated speech ahead of the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-why-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-conversion-therapy-matters-for-schools/2026/04
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My hunch is that we’ll see more efforts to downplay the severity of these practices, and future litigation. I try to avoid the partisanship of today’s court discourse in this piece, while not compromising the passion I feel. What do you want to know about this topic?
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
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Why the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools (Opinion)
A recent case puts religiously motivated speech ahead of the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-why-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-conversion-therapy-matters-for-schools/2026/04
3 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
Honored that the largest news outlet tailored to education published my piece about the Supreme Court’s decision on conversion therapy. I try to avoid the partisanship of today’s court discourse, while not compromising the passion I feel. Let me know what you think.
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
3 months ago
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Honored that the largest news outlet tailored to education published my piece about the Supreme Court’s decision on conversion therapy. I try to avoid the partisanship of today’s court discourse, while not compromising the passion I feel. Let me know what you think.
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
3 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
Education Week
3 months ago
Why the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools (Opinion): A recent case puts religiously motivated speech ahead of the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
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Why the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools (Opinion)
A recent case puts religiously motivated speech ahead of the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-why-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-conversion-therapy-matters-for-schools/2026/04?utm_source=bs&utm_medium=soc&utm_campaign=edit
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Dr. Jon Sawyer
I am grateful to
@edweek.org
for publishing my analysis of why the Supreme Court’s decision on the conversion therapy case out of Colorado matters for schools and students. Please share widely.
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
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Why the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools (Opinion)
A recent case puts religiously motivated speech ahead of the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-why-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-conversion-therapy-matters-for-schools/2026/04
3 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
3 months ago
This excellent commentary by
@jonsawyer.org
calls attn to 2 things: (1) the inexcusable harms of conversion "therapy", and (2) SCOTUS's recent wrongheaded decision in Chiles v. Salazar.
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
add a skeleton here at some point
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I am grateful to
@edweek.org
for publishing my analysis of why the Supreme Court’s decision on the conversion therapy case out of Colorado matters for schools and students. Please share widely.
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
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Why the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools (Opinion)
A recent case puts religiously motivated speech ahead of the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-why-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-conversion-therapy-matters-for-schools/2026/04
3 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
3 months ago
Breaking news: Education policy hypocrisy found to be 100% more tolerable with piano accompaniment.
bit.ly/3PK25CL
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New Single “We Believe in Local Control” Drops Today
Listen now to Kevin Welner’s ed-policy satire earworm.
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/newsletter-song-040126
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Ok. This is brilliant by
@nepc.bsky.social
. Masterfully exposed the hypocrisy at the heart of the federal administration’s educational (and other) propaganda.
youtu.be/RU-fFtIsZns
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We Believe in Local Control
YouTube video by NEPCVideos
https://youtu.be/RU-fFtIsZns
3 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
I successfully defended my PhD dissertation today at the University of Colorado Boulder. Sincerely, Dr. Jonathon E. Sawyer
3 months ago
288
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I successfully defended my PhD dissertation today at the University of Colorado Boulder. Sincerely, Dr. Jonathon E. Sawyer
3 months ago
288
4422
132
I would actually feel relieved if our leaders displayed a sense of reverence for providence. A truly providential view of history and present circumstances would convey a posture of sobriety and circumspection. What we are witnessing is the antithesis.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/u...
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Hegseth Invokes Divine Purpose to Justify Military Might
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/us/politics/hegseth-christianity-military.html?unlocked_article_code=1.VFA.olNg.K7gq-3xyirv5&smid=nytcore-ios-share
3 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
4 months ago
Just released: The Cycle of Disinvestment in Public Schools: How Public-School Criticism Drives Policy and Disinvestment
bit.ly/4rhKWO4
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The Cycle of Disinvestment in Public Schools: How Public-School Criticism Drives Policy and Disinvestment
Critiques of public education have intensified, and while some reflect real needs for improvement, many are manufactured crises that portray schools as broadly failing. Centered on claims of underachi...
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/disinvestment
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
4 months ago
Just released: New report describes crucial changes that address funding, equity, accountability, and cross-system collaboration to better serve California’s high-needs students.
@michellevalladares.bsky.social
@jonsawyer.org
bit.ly/46cK4m1
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Advancing LCFF Equity and Accountability
When California lawmakers enacted the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in 2013, they took ambitious steps to advance educational equity. More than a decade later, and amid declining federal suppor...
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/LCFF
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
David Labaree
6 months ago
On January 8, NEPC published my essay Public Goods, Private Goods: The American Struggle over Educational Goals as its blog post of the day.
nepc.colorado.edu/blog/public-...
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David Labaree on Schooling, History, and Writing: Public Goods, Private Goods — The American Struggle over Educational Goals
This post is a paper I published in 1997 in American Journal of Educational Research. Here’s a link to a PDF of the original. It became the framing chapter in my 1997 book, How to Succeed In School Wi...
https://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/public-goods
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Dr. Jon Sawyer
Preston Green
6 months ago
I recently did a podcast for the Natural Rural Education Association on a law review I co-authored on the creation of "education preserves," which would protect rural school districts from voucher and charter school expansion. Here is the podcast:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
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S05E04 - School Choice in Rural America: What’s at Stake. An interview with Dr. Preston Green.
Podcast Episode · National Rural Education Association Official Podcast · 12/15/2025 · 35m
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s05e04-school-choice-in-rural-america-whats-at-stake/id1497719729?i=1000741439070
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
7 months ago
When voters repeatedly vote down voucher initiatives but their governor invites them in... Welner & Gebhardt do the easy lifting of explaining why that's not a good thing.
coloradosun.com/2025/12/16/o...
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Opinion: Take note, Gov. Polis: Coloradans have repeatedly said no to school vouchers
New federal program is a devil’s bargain and must not override the will of our people.
https://coloradosun.com/2025/12/16/opinion-colorado-school-voucher-polis-decision/
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
7 months ago
This @chalkbeat article says NC Gov Stein announced his intention to opt into the voucher program. In fact, he vetoed a bill to do so & said he intends to opt in only after Trump's Treasury "issues sound guidance." He's waiting to see if the regs give NC flexibility
www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/202...
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Polis all in on Trump’s tax-credit scholarship while other Dem governors wait and see
The program is expected to expand private school choice in states like Colorado that don’t have voucher programs. Polis said not participating would mean leaving millions on the table.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/12/06/coalition-calls-on-polis-to-reject-trump-voucher-tax-credit/
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Dr. Jon Sawyer
CarolCorbettBurris
7 months ago
My deep dive on the latest attempt to open a religious charter school…with its for-profit operator in the shadows.
@dianeravitch.bsky.social
@nepc.bsky.social
@floridaea.bsky.social
dianeravitch.net/2025/12/01/c...
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Carol Burris: Another Religious Charter School Applies for Public Funding in Oklahoma, Backed by For-Profit Corporation
In this post, Carol Burris reviews the latest challenge to separation of church and state. A religious school has applied for public funding as an online charter school. But that’s not all: t…
https://dianeravitch.net/2025/12/01/carol-burris-religious-charter-school-applies-for-public-funding-in-oklahoma-backed-by-for-profit-corporation/
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
7 months ago
Two NEPC talks, on screen-time reduction and Christian nationalism, are now available online.
@jonsawyer.org
@kevinkumashiro.com
bit.ly/4ijOnkn
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Resources on Screen-Time Reduction, Christian Nationalism Now Available
Two NEPC talks, on screen-time reduction and Christian nationalism, are now available online.
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/newsletter-videos-112525
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
8 months ago
So-called “education preserves” would protect rural communities at risk of losing their public schools to school choice sprawl.
@drprestongreen.bsky.social
@cmsaldana.bsky.social
@schoolfinance101.bsky.social
bit.ly/48oNmUy
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Could “Education Preserves” Save Schools From Choice Sprawl?
So-called “education preserves” would protect rural communities at risk of losing their public schools to school choice sprawl.
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/newsletter-rural-112025
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Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
8 months ago
In this month's NEPC Talks Education podcast, Julie Marsh and James Bridgeforth discuss the unprecedented challenges facing California school board members and how they navigate today's complex political landscape
@juliemarsh.bsky.social
@cmsaldana.bsky.social
bit.ly/3X2Att2
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NEPC Talks Education: An Interview With Julie Marsh and James Bridgeforth About School Boards Navigating Unprecedented Political Challenges
University of Wisconsin‑Madison Assistant Professor Christopher Saldaña interviews Julie Marsh and James Bridgeforth about the unprecedented challenges facing California school board members and how t...
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/podcast-saldana-marsh-bridgeforth
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I appreciated the opportunity to discuss the impact of Christian Nationalism on public education at this year’s NEPC Fellows Meeting. Especially grateful for Kevin Kumashiro’s work and insights on this topic.
@kevinkumashiro.com
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2025 NEPC Fellows Meeting: Christian Nationalism Presentation with Jon Sawyer
YouTube video by NEPCVideos
https://youtu.be/lrCyJDcpYRw?si=dHskmIHL4mQsLUek
8 months ago
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
8 months ago
New policy memo from the Freedom to Learn Collective highlights research needs in the wake of fear-based politics and well-funded networks that threaten public schools.
bit.ly/43UanMq
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What We Need to Know Now to Respond to Right-Wing Attacks on Public Schools: A Research Agenda
Progress toward educational, social, political, and economic equality has always faced backlash—sometimes violent, other times embedded in institutions. Amid economic uncertainty, politicians are agai...
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/right-wing
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
Will (Faithful Politics)
8 months ago
Hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram speak with Dr. Kevin Burke, co-author of the first-of-its-kind NEPC report Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the U.S., about how faith is reshaping public schools and what it means for church-state separation.
youtu.be/3b0Nx2bazCQ
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Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States with Dr. Kevin Burke
YouTube video by Faithful Politics Podcast
https://youtu.be/3b0Nx2bazCQ
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
Heidi Lyn Hadley
8 months ago
I do think that there are very few factors pushing on public education as much and as persistently as Christian nationalism, so I appreciated the opportunity to write with Kevin Burke about the issue. I do ALSO appreciate the really great support and editorial work from the NEPC team.
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
8 months ago
And listen to brief co-author Kevin Burke, on the Faithful Politics (
@faithfulpolitics.bsky.social
) podcast, discussing Christian Nationalism in education & the brief.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
add a skeleton here at some point
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
8 months ago
New policy brief warns of growing efforts to reshape schools around White Christian nationalist ideology.
@heidihadley.bsky.social
bit.ly/4qJ0CKT
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Christian Nationalism and Educational Policy in the United States
American public education, though historically rooted in Christian ideals, has long navigated tensions among denominational differences and, in modern times, secularism. The growing influence of Chris...
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/christian-nationalism
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
8 months ago
New NEPC Review: School Choice Wisconsin report’s conclusions about the cost effectiveness of private school vouchers rest on invalid methods and inaccurate data.
@schoolfinance101.bsky.social
bit.ly/3LcGsZB
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NEPC Review: Wisconsin’s Most Cost-Effective K-12 Program (School Choice Wisconsin, August 2025)
Wisconsin’s long-running private school voucher program has drawn decades of research interest, including a recent report from School Choice Wisconsin. The report claims voucher-receiving schools in R...
https://nepc.colorado.edu/review/cost-effective
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reposted by
Dr. Jon Sawyer
National Education Policy Center
8 months ago
Members of the National Academy of Education drew upon a consensus study to question the Trump administration’s proposal to prioritize the funding of programs that emphasize so-called “patriotic education.”
bit.ly/3LntMPs
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Researchers Question Prioritizing “Patriotic Education”
Members of the National Academy of Education drew upon a consensus study to question the Trump administration’s proposal to prioritize the funding of programs that emphasize so-called “patriotic educa...
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/newsletter-patriotic-education-102325
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