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Brookings Institution, A new direction for students in an AI world:, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-new-direction-for-students-in-an-ai-world-prosper-prepare-protect/ Brookings Institution one-pager on AI: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/A-New-Direction-for-Students-in-an-AI-World-ONE-PAGER.pdf Randi Weingarten, Devices down, eyes up, hands-on: 10 points to boost teaching and learning in the AI era; https://www.aft.org/press/speeches/vision-public-education American Federation of Teachers, Devices down, eyes up, hands-on, 10 points to boost student learning and success in the AI era; https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2026/10-point.pdf National Academy for AI Instruction, Ai Safety & Privacy Standard For Schools Memorandum Of Agreement, https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2026/NAfAI-School\_AI\_Privacy\_Standards.pdf Fairplay, Coalition of Organizations and Experts Letter calling for Pause on Generative AI in PreK-12 schools; https://fairplayforkids.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Fairplay-AI-Moratorium-April-2026.pdf Fairplay, Statement on AFT/UFT Deal with Microsoft; https://fairplayforkids.org/statement-on-aft-uft-deal-with-microsoft/ Info and sign up for Fairplay's Screen Time Action Network, https://fairplayforkids.org/screen-time-action-network/

NYC paraprofessionals’ $10,000 pay bump becomes law as City Hall vows a legal challenge; https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/08/19/nyc-paraprofessionals-10000-pay-bump-law-mamdani/ Why is Mamdani suing the City Council?; https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2026/08/why-mamdani-suing-city-council/415581 NYC student scores plunge with only half reading at grade level; https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/08/07/nyc-students-reading-scores-plunge-half-read-grade-level/?share=eedhinttstdnnercp0nn Rift widens between City Hall and teachers union as UFT threatens literacy curriculum pushback; https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/08/12/teachers-unionuft-nyc-reads-curriculum-support-mulgrew/ Chancellor will ‘double down’ on NYC Reads despite failing test scores; https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/08/13/chancellor-will-double-down-on-nyc-reads-despite-failing-test-scores/ Mayor Mamdani and Chancellor Samuels Announce Expansion of NYC Solves and NYC Reads; https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/05/mayor-mamdani-and-chancellor-samuelsannounce-expansion-of-nyc-so

Leonie Haimson, Letter to the members of the Panel on Educational Policy on how they should exercise more rigorous oversight on contracts, privacy and class size, https://leoniehaimson.substack.com/p/letter-to-the-members-of-the-panel Leonie Haimson, This year’s drop in NYC state test scores: sound and fury, signifying nothing, https://leoniehaimson.substack.com/p/this-years-drop-in-nyc-state-test NY Daily News, Mayor, Mamdani suing to block law giving NYC paraprofessionals $10,000 boost , https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/08/19/mayor-mamdani-lets-bill-giving-nyc-paraprofessionals-10000-boost-lapse-into-law/ NY Times, Teachers’ Union Boss Vows ‘All-Out-War’ if Mamdani Doesn’t Back Bonuses https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/nyregion/nyc-mamdani-teachers-union-bonuses.html VPN mentor, Personal Data of Thousands of Special Needs Children Exposed Online, https://www.vpnmentor.com/news/report-encore-breach/ Diane Ravitch, An Education: How I Changed My Mind About Schools and Almost Everything Else, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0231220294?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Diane Ravitch, How the Billionaire Boys Club paved the way for Betsy Devos, https://dianeravitch.net/2016/12/14/how-the-billionaire-boys-club-paved-the-way-for-betsy-devos/

SI Advance: https://www.silive.com/education/2026/08/pension-reversal-threatens-to-upend-retirement-for-dozens-of-nyc-paraprofessionals.html The City Reporter: https://www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/08/06/uft-school-paraprofessionals-disability-pension-cuts-mamdani/ The Chief Leader: https://www.thechiefleader.com/stories/very-unusual-and-very-cruel-trs-cuts-paraprofessional-pensions-in-half-demands-backpay,57311

Chalkbeat, Mayor Zohran Mamdani names 13 school board members, cementing control of NYC schools, https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/07/28/mamdani-appoints-new-york-city-school-board-pep-members Illinois Families for Public Schools, MEDIA RELEASE: Advocates Call on Chicago School Board Candidates to Pledge to Protect Human-Centered Education, https://www.ilfps.org/media_release_pledge_human_centered_ed_cps Email to send to your Senators to oppose the College Transparency Act , https://actionnetwork.org/letters/please-send-a-message-to-your-senators-reps-urging-them-to-oppose-the-college-transparency-act-that-would-authorize-federal-surveillance-of-all-college-students-throughout-their-lives Organizational sign-on letter, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q81ppj2rcprQybaQ9K3-aAL-PgKwpVla/edit](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q81ppj2rcprQybaQ9K3-aAL-PgKwpVla/edit  Guide to Chicago’s November school board elections, https://www.chicagoreporter.com/tcrs-guide-to-chicagos-november-school-board-elections/ Cassie Creswell: Illinois and Iowa private school voucher programs, https://qctimes.com/opinion/column/article\_597a1bb1-c249-4dce-8cde-805c392f3594.html  The 2013 mass public school closure and firearm violence in Chicago: A quasi-experimental difference-in-differences analysis, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953626005046 Public school closings in Chicago linked to more gun violence in nearby neighborhoods, https://news.uchicago.edu/story/public-school-closings-chicago-linked-more-gun-violence-nearby-neighborhoods

Chalkbeat: Council approves $10k perk for public school paraprofessionals Daily News: NYC Council approves $10K checks for teacher aides, Mamdani considers ‘next steps’ The Wire: The Respect Check Passes: A Temporary Victory Built By Pressure - And the Unfinished Fight. The Wire: The Good, Bad and Ugly - The NYC Para Bill Daily News: Council paraprofessionals bill breaks N.Y. law The Wire: The Newly Revised UFT Para Bill: The Promise That Kept Shrinking Union Matters: Real Respect for Paras

Chalkbeat, What’s Mamdani’s agenda for K-12 education in NYC? 6 months in, it’s hard to say, https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/07/07/mamdani-education-agenda-after-six-months-as-mayor/ NY TImes, Mamdani Reverses Call to End Mayoral Control of Public Schools, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/nyregion/mamdani-nyc-public-schools-mayoral-control.html Daily News, NYC public schools puts technology purchases on hold amid heated debate over AI policy, https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/07/08/nyc-public-schools-puts-technology-purchases-on-hold-amid-heated-debate-over-ai-policy/?share=cowc0wthmoidhobmelde Daily News, NYC specialized high schools continue to offer few seats to Black and Hispanic students, https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/07/10/nyc-specialized-high-schools-few-black-hispanic-students/?share=0csowdynosdsiisneonc Leonie Haimson, The Mayor’s cuts to class size funding; do they make sense? https://classsizematters.org/the-mayors-cuts-to-class-size-funding-do-they-make-sense/ Zohran Mamdani's responses to the NYC Kids PAC survey, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bjazxfsUKHrtuNnQpkxW3OGFNJdRwPVD/view David Bloomfield, Daily New oped: Troubles for Kamar Samuels & NYC schools, https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/07/12/troubles-for-kamar-samuels-nyc-schools/?share=mosoltmc0k0ouwds0mml

914 Inc News, How a Monroe University Assignment Became an Award-Winning Documentary; https://914inc.com/monroe-university-tyrone-documentary/ INDIE SHORT FEST winner, Tyrone; https://indieshortfest.com/2026/02/26/tyrone/ Tyrone film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2XWJBz-lbc Class Size Matters, Testimony on DOE’s shoddy privacy & AI policies; also lowlights & highlights from the hearing, https://classsizematters.org/testimony-on-does-shoddy-privacy-ai-policies-lowlights-highlights-from-the-hearing/

Randi Weingarten, Why Fascists Fear Teachers, Public Education, and the Future of Democracy, https://bookshop.org/p/books/why-fascists-fear-teachers-public-education-and-the-future-of-democracy-randi-weingarten/86407292f508ba9 19th News, Education Department changes are leaving millions of vulnerable students at risk , https://19thnews.org/2026/06/education-changes-trump-special-ed/ LDF Condemns the U.S. Department of Education’s Latest Efforts to Dismantle Agency and Abandon Students’ Civil Rights, https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/ldf-condemns-the-u-s-department-of-educations-latest-efforts-to-dismantle-agency-and-abandon-students-civil-rights/ Randi Weingarten, Devices down, eyes up, hands-on:10 points to boost student learning and success in the AI era, https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2026/weingarten_npc_speech-may-27-2026.pdf NBC News, Teachers union president calls for limits on AI and screen time in schools, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/randi-weingarten-teachers-union-limits-ai-screen-time-school-rcna346871

Class Size Matters/Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, Critique of the NYC AI Guidance; https://classsizematters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Detailed-critique-of-AI-guidance-final-4.25.26.pdf NBC News, Los Angeles becomes the first major school district to require screen time limits; https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/los-angeles-school-district-require-screen-time-limits-rcna332173  K12 Dive; LAUSD imposes screen time limits starting in 2026-27; https://www.k12dive.com/news/lausd-imposes-screen-time-limits-starting-in-2026-27/818224/ Schools Beyond Screens website, https://www.schoolsbeyondscreens.com/ Student Tech Bill of Rights,  https://www.schoolsbeyondscreens.com/student-tech-bill-of-rights

In this episode, we take a hard look at the financial strategies shaping New York City’s future—and what they could mean for workers and retirees. From pension re-amortization proposals and potential borrowing through pension obligation bonds, to the broader implications of pattern bargaining and the uncertain status of Intro 1096, this conversation cuts through the noise. ---------------------------- NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees - http://nycretirees.org Arthur Goldstein's Union Matters Substack - http://arthurgoldstein.substack.com New York Times - Mamdani Considers Delaying Pension-Fund Payments to Ease Budget Gap The Wire - Balancing the Budget on Borrowed Time: NYC’s Pension Shell Game

Politico: Mamdani allies urge him to issue moratorium on AI in schools, https://classsizematters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Politico.-Mamdani-allies-urge-him-to-issue-moratorium-on-AI-in-schools-4.17.26.pdf NY Daily News, NYC parents tell Mayor Mamdani: ‘Slow your horses’ on AI in the classroom, https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/04/16/nyc-parents-mayor-mamdani-ai-classroom/?share=w1oyinhns1tmmyaicamh Fortune, Exclusive: Doctors and education experts who studied AI’s impact on the young call for a 5-year moratorium in schoolshttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/exclusive-doctors-education-experts-studied-070100644.html Say Yes to Recess resolution, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OUzKvVhnicMVlqk1n5Nuh7NxTfi8cAHwuqlaFUJaeV0/edit?usp=drivesdk The Atlantic, How Finland Keeps Kids Focused Through Free Play, https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/06/how-finland-keeps-kids-focused/373544/ Say Yes to Recess Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/821093494186924/ Contact Say Yes to Recess: [email protected]

Class Size Matters' testimony on the DOE's preliminary budget for FY 2027, https://classsizematters.org/testimony-on-the-doe-preliminary-education-budget-for-fy-2027/ Class Size Working Group final report, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gSiFUcuLOjJ49PLCMptkroFjXBHow2b_/view AI Moratorium Coalition rejects DOE's inadequate AI guidance, https://studentprivacymatters.org/ai-moratorium-coalition-rejects-doe-inadequate-ai-guidance/ Daily News, NYC public schools to release guidelines for AI use in classroom, https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/03/23/nyc-public-schools-ai-guidelines-classroom/?share=chnlnm3clrwhc0scoy2y Gothamist, NYC schools get AI guidance using 'red light, green light' model. https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-schools-get-ai-guidance-using-red-light-green-light-model Petition calling for an AI moratorium, https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/please-enact-a-two-year-moratorium-on-the-use-of-ai-in-nyc-public-schools?clear_id=true EdWeek, The State of Teaching 2026, https://www.edweek.org/the-state-of-teaching/2026

Chalkbeat, Kamar Samuels’ cabinet: Your guide to the Education Department’s new leadership team https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/03/05/kamar-samuels-nyc-education-department-cabinet-leadership-team/ NY Times, U.S. Schools Are Betting Big on A.I. Will New York City Be Next?, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/nyregion/nyc-ai-schools-mamdani.html Petition calling for Moratorium on AI https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/please-enact-a-two-year-moratorium-on-the-use-of-ai-in-nyc-public-schools?clear_id=true Why bills restricting protests around schools are unwise and unfair by Rasheedah Brown-Harris, https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2026/03/why-bills-restricting-protests-around.html Columbia Spectator, Demonstrators outside of City Hall protest ‘buffer zone’ legislation to limit protests outside schools and religious spaces, [https://www.columbiaspectator.com/city-news/2026/03/02/demonstrators-outside-of-city-hall-protest-buffer-zone-legislation-to-limit-protests-outside-schools-and-religious-spaces At hearing, Menin gets mixed feedback on her protest barrier billhttps://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2026/02/hearing-menin-gets-mixed-feedback-her-protest-barrier-bill/411699/ Unions, NYCLU Slam Bills That Would Grant Police More Power Over Protestshttps://www.thecity.nyc/2026/02/25/faculty-unions-menin-protest-bill/ What to Know About the ‘Abortion Clinic’ Law Being Used to Charge Don Lemonhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/politics/face-act-lemon-explainer.html AQE letter, Tell City Council: NO NYPD buffer zones, protect free speech, protect students!https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-city-council-no-nypd-buffer-zones-protect-free-speech-protect-students

Kaliris speaks to District 3 parents from PS 191, Community Action and Center School about utilization proposals and more.