More on teaching in an occupied DC: www.popville.com/2025/09/cool...

DC school email on Fri: Congratulations on the completion of the first week of school! I wanted to share a quick update before the weekend. A parent called to let us know that the NG is currently present on H Street between 4th and 8th. Just [keeping everyone] aware as you head home today.

Think Trump withholding $7 million in DOE funding for schools is bad for you locally? The House is still holding $1.1 billion of DC's budget hostage (DC tax $, not fed $). DC is now losing budget monies allocated for education plus 20% of the DOE money they were allocated.

Happy summer break to me! #EduSky

How do you measure, measure a year? In boxes (16), in costume bags (6), in Z-Racks (1), and extra items (4)... #EduSky #TheatreSky

Is anyone else attending? #EduSky #TheatreSky

All that blustering about how a new Chairman/Board was needed to make the Kennedy Center great again- that the Kennedy Center was failing and needed to stage shows that people actually wanted to see? The 2025-2026 theatre season was FINALLY announced today and, guess what? Drumroll, please.....

I'm playing ostrich right now- briefly sticking my head in the sand on politics/policy. My kinders are writing monologues "tricking" their audience into believing kitchen utensils are alive. Have some fun and take a minute, like they are, to think what these items might say about their day. #EduSky

Ugh. And I have seen what he has done to the Presidential Boxes in the main stage theatres. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

The House is STILL holding DC's budget hostage. The CR treats DC as a federal agency and, mid-spending year, reverted the District to 2024 budget levels. DC faces $1B in cuts across services. This is DC taxpayer $ (NO fed $). Please call your reps or the Speaker- he's the one holding up the vote.

This is a friend's school. The activity is commonplace enough now that principals are giving teachers scripts that detail how to interact with ICE when they come on campus. #EduSky wtop.com/dc/2025/03/d...

While we looked away, the House sidelined a vote to give DC its budget $. Imagine the powder keg DC will be with out-of-work federal employees being joined by those let go from DC schools, fire, and police when a 16% across the board cut goes into effect. Call your Reps! wamu.org/story/25/03/...

Wouldn't it be a shame if the response included thousands of forms praising teachers and vilifying what is going on at DoE under McMahon? It would be so very very sad.... #EduSky #AltGov

More censorship at the Kennedy Center: www.wusa9.com/article/news...

I saw this. I do not know if it is valid. Can anyone confirm or refute?

The latest in government hate: www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

The new Board of Trustees at the Kennedy Center/new President, under the leadership of FOTUS, has cancelled the TYA tour of Finn. #EduSky #TheatreSky Note that all KC programming is funded by the Kennedy Center. No federal money supports these efforts. This is what censorship looks like.

Wasn't the promise that we would be respected internationally again part of FOTUS's platform? From the Polity Project

If my school waits for DCPS to call a 2-hour delay (or snow day,) and DCPS waits on the federal government... and OPM is the one who makes the decision for the federal government, does that mean we will never get a snow day or 2-hour delay ever again? #EduSky

The major media is utterly failing to simply state that Trump is a vicious racist, who blames everything on presumed racial or ethnic minorities. How hard can it be to just say “In shockingly racist remarks Trump refuses to accept responsibility and blames deadly plane crash on minorities”

Food for thought:

ICYMI: On Day 1, Trump disbanded a critical school safety advisory board created in the wake of the horrific mass shooting in Parkland. Trump has made it clear once again that the gun lobby will always come before your kids’ safety. A failure to reinstate this board puts schools at greater risk.

If things seem overwhelming now, remember:

With a press release titled “U.S. Department of Education Ends Biden’s Book Ban Hoax,” the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (DOE OCR) has dismissed all complaints of book banning that it had been investigating.

4/5Gs don't care about Trump DEI EOs; they do care about auditions for small parts in the middle school musical (A BIG honor if selected). Of 20+ kiddos today, when asked to sing from our school songbook, 1/3 chose "Lift Every Voice and Sing." They were not all from one racial group. #EduSky

“‘Stay angry, little Meg,’ Mrs. Whatsit whispered. ‘You will need all your anger now.’” - Madeleine L’Engle

Teachers: Erring on the side of caution, now is the time to ask your admin if they have a plan in place for students whose parents may get picked up by ICE while at work. If Trump follows through on his rhetoric, our students still need a safe place to go at the end of the day. #EduSky

Best bathroom sign I've seen... #EduSky

He can’t ever just be decent. It’s all political, cruel and transactional.

It seems Musk, Trump, and Trump. Jr. are inferring that the fires are spreading because there isn't enough white supremacy.

McGillicutty is finished- aside from a hair trim. (Well, I'm pretty sure he's McGillicutty... He might be Murgatroid. I'm not sure yet. Votes accepted.) After 2 snow days in a row, he is ready to greet the kiddos tomorrow morning. It will be their first day back after break. #EduSky

First day back after break: #EduSky

Since when I get back to the classroom my 1Gs will finish their shadow puppets, I should update them on my muppet. He is now mostly stitched together and stuffed. Next comes internal construction (mouth plate, skull, and mid-section), final assembly, trimming, and features. #EduSky #TheatreSky

Brought to you by BIIROR (Bureau of Is It Rhetoric Or Reality?). Note that BIIROR will need to fill numerous positions beginning January 20. (Term of employment: 4 years.)

For decades I have hoped (and worked) to retire this meme. Again, I have to say, "Not today." #EduSky

Kindergarten Monologues. In homeroom: weather study. In drama: voicing characters. To integrate, actors complete a Mad Libs-style piece, each blank refers to a word list coded by picture. Choose a word that works and we script a blizzard or heat wave or tornado...Then we perform. #EduSKY #TheatreSky

Fabric cut- though not all shown- and the foam understructure is together. Now...sewing. Wish me luck. I'm not good at machine sewing fur, so I see much hand stitching in my future. Students are making jointed shadow puppets this week. We'll get to share construction techniques! #EduSky #TheatreSky

Sometimes two wizards just have to brainstorm about what to do with that dragon they found... (Young actors, costumes, and an open space; who needs anything else?) #TheatreSky #EduSky

A new project! I'm sharing this build step-by-step with students- some of whom still believe puppets magically appear fully sewn with voices and personalities developed. In class we create characters- but they are fleeting (games/scenes). This guy will hang with us for awhile. #EduSky #TheatreSky

Construction crews have been working outside our school. Our fenced in and 'cloaked' playground butts up against the street and, during recess, the kids are transfixed by the ongoing operations. I hope the construction crew knows that they are rock stars with their very own fan base! #EduSky

Teaching is an optimistic act. Every time we engage with students, we do so believing their futures include participation in the world to whatever degree they aspire. As a matter of course, we invest in the possibility and promise of what is to come. #EduSky

Today in discovery learning for a first grade drama class... Flashlights and shadow puppets to experiment with? Of course! Even better- everyone can set up a shadow puppet theatre now. #EduSky #DramaEDU

In anticipation of the next week of doing what we do: #EduSky

If anyone is doing any curriculum planning in the near future... #EduSky

"Everyone on earth has a right to be educated and, in return, the duty to contribute to the education of others"- José Martí #EduSky

Anyone willing to put in their guesses for Sec of Education nominees? Will it be Ryan "Teach from Trump Bibles" Walters? Cade "Ten Commandments on Classroom Walls" Brumley? Tiffany "Moms for Liberty" Justice? Who will be the one attempting to close the doors on the Department of Education? #EduSky

Because who doesn’t need to see a fluffy English Sheepdog puppet (my co-teacher) in the middle of their day? No matter the politics- we are still here in the schools with our kids. Always.