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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats

@adamlaats.bsky.social
3K followers 1.6K following 1.6K posts

Education historian at Binghamton U (SUNY). Columbo fan. Books about schools, religion, conservatism. Now writing about the roots of US public schools, c. 1790-1860. Check out adamlaats.net

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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 6h
Omigosh he literally Forgot [what happened at] the Alamo...
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 7h
Reviewer #2 would be a great costume. But in 2026, I'm guessing that 98.6% of people will dress up as Kim Guilfoyle:
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 7h
Did everyone see this? Looks like a great position:
jobs.colorado.edu
Assistant Professor – Historian of Education (Tenure Track)
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 8h
Thank you, no I hadn't seen it yet. Checking it out now....
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Annie Abrams @annieabrams.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
we need our best metaphor people on this
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
It's the oldest dream of US school "reformers:" cramming as many children into school with the smallest possible teacher salary. Joseph Lancaster took the US by storm in 1818 with his empty promises to swap out teachers and swap in cheap hi-tech solutions.
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Jen Jennings @jenjennings.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Title I for Rich Kids - this is what I’ll be calling it rather than FSTC. Read Jon Valant’s incisive preregistered predictions here.
brookings.edu
'Title I for rich kids' and other predictions for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit | Brookings
Jon Valant predicts the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit will favor wealthy families and spur waste, scandal and backlash.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Amen. We need a metaphor to help spread the word. How bout this analogy for the common misconception about "best practices": "We all know turkey with provolone and mayo is the best sandwich. Why are so many mothers failing to provide it for their children's lunches?"
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Thank you for your email. I may be slower to respond than usual, because I have come down with a serious case of Brewers Fever.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Lol--it's getting a little close to the plot of "Kindergarten Cop."
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
🤣Right? It's no knock on college teachers--most of them have had very little time to study actual teaching. But there's no doubt: Teaching skill goes UP as the age of the students go DOWN. It's not just us: Bill Belichik would never make it as a middle-school football coach.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
I've taught third grade, middle school, high school, college, and graduate seminars. The teaching only gets EASIER as the students get older.
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Anne Lutz Fernandez @lutzfernandez.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
If you have or if you haven't been following @benjaminjriley.bsky.social's reporting on Alpha Schools, here's the latest:
buildcognitiveresonance.substack.com
THE ALPHA FILE
New landing page for my investigative reporting; multiple new interviews; plus — SEVENTH REPORT: Student motivation at Alpha School
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John Carter Brown Library @jcblibrary.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
We are now accepting applications for our long- and short-term fellowships (both in-person and remote)! Details at jcblibrary.org/fellowships/
The image contains graphic design elements, the JCB logo, and the text "Fellowship Opportunities / Apply now!"
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Finally! Here's one for Grandma's fridge:
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Right--and the message to students is even more incoherent: They might be forced to use it, or they might be punished for using it.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
These jokers will NOT take School Picture Day seriously...
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Ilhan Omar @ilhanmn.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
I’m ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
School people: We're about a month away from SCOTUS deliberations in St. Mary's v. Roy. It's a big deal: Private schools want to take public money but keep their "right" to discriminate against LGBTQ families. They built their case on a bogus history, so we filed a brief telling the real story:
supremecourt.gov
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NANCY COMICS BY ERNIE BUSHMILLER @nancycomics.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!
NANCY IS TWIRLING A BATON WHILE MARCHING DOWN THE STREET 
SLUGGO IS RIGHT BEHIND NANCY CARRYING AND BEATING A LARGE BASS DRUM, HE IS USING A PERISCOPE SO HE CAN SEE WHERE HE IS GOING
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Coming soon! 0-day workweeks and No-Income families!
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"I fucking hate this hat."
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
It was all due to Ann Marie Ryan! She recruited us and connected us all with the lawyers.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
If anyone wants the real relevant history, check out Robbie Gross's great book. He joined the amicus brief and his research shows how empty their historical arguments really are.
academic.oup.com
Public vs. Private: The Early History of School Choice in America
Abstract. Americans today choose from a dizzying array of schools, loosely lumped into categories of “public” and “private.” How did these distinctions eme
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
In short, they are claiming that Catholic schools have always been discriminated against, so now they...have the freedom to discriminate themselves? It's a messed-up argument. Plus they ignore the fact that Catholic schools have ALWAYS accepted public rules if they took public money. Until now.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
School people: We're about a month away from SCOTUS deliberations in St. Mary's v. Roy. It's a big deal: Private schools want to take public money but keep their "right" to discriminate against LGBTQ families. They built their case on a bogus history, so we filed a brief telling the real story:
supremecourt.gov
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Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
New-  We've all heard about the spiraling, skyrocketing, and soaring rates of college tuition. In reality, undergrad net tuition education has been stagnant or even declining for roughly two decades. So why do very few people know this? www.chalkbeat.org/2026/10/01/w...
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Let's not forget how recently Linda called AI "A 1", like the steak sauce. www.youtube.com/shorts/xsRUk...
youtube.com
Secretary of Education repeatedly calls AI “A1" #shorts
YouTube video by Cybernews
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Ew. Replaces the old, terrible model of taking credit for grad-student work with a new, terrible model of taking credit for AI work.
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Liz Covart @lizcovart.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The CFP is up! I've been helping to organize a conference called Constitutions, Everywhere! with others interested in constitutions and the many ways early Americans used them. Please check it out, #Skystorians, as we would love to have you join us and participate.
librarycompany.org
Constitutions, Everywhere! Practicing Constitutionalism in Unexpected Times and Places in early modern North America and the British Empire – The Library Company of Philadelphia
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Ew. Replaces the old, terrible model of taking credit for grad-student work with a new, terrible model of taking credit for AI work.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
actual footage:
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Lol--back then, it was just a guy with a mustache and suspenders, hanging out in the balcony and smoking a pack of Marlboros every game.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Very helpful--thank you! I was also wondering if it was just a simple mistake. The text of the 1820 census law does not mention a separate white-male 16-18 category, but the sample schedule for the law does include it. So I'm wondering if that schedule could have just included an error....?
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 15/09/2026
How fast does government run? That’s up to you. This November, there will be 5 questions on your ballot aimed at making government work more efficiently for New Yorkers. Make sure your voice is heard. Register to vote by October 24th. Learn more about the ballot props by heading to nyc.gov/fast.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Can anyone help? History of childhood nerds? @earlymodjustice.bsky.social ? The US census in 1820 added a one-time category for white males 16-18. In addition to the 16-26 category. Why? I looked at the 1820 law, there's no explanation, but it DOES appear on the law's suggested survey form.
Part of the US census form 1820. White males were counted twice sometimes, ages 16-18 AND ages 16 to 26.
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Dr Jenny Woodley @jennywoodley.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
#OnThisDay in 1963, a bomb planted by the KKK exploded under Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, killing Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, and Carole Robertson.
Photograph of hole ripped in wall of church by bomb. In foreground is police officer and fireman. Photo credit Tom Self, Birmingham News (photo copied from wikicommons)
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
wow:
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Jeremy Singer @jeremylsinger.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Job alert! @harbatkat.bsky.social and I are hiring a postdoc to help lead research on Michigan's Partnership Model of school and district turnaround. We're looking for qualitative or mixed-method researcher, and hoping to hire ASAP. Reach out with any questions! careers.umich.edu/job_detail/2...
careers.umich.edu
RESEARCH FELLOW (Hybrid) | U-M Careers
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I love this so much.
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Seth Rockman @sethrockman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This is a big one: Brown University is searching for the next director of the Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice. Please help us identify excellent candidates to lead this signature program into the future. Please write me with ideas; please share in your networks; please apply.
networks.h-net.org
Brown University - Professor and Director of the Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice | H-Net
1. Academic Accomplishment. We seek a scholar with a strong scholarly record, including excellence in both research and teaching, appropriate for appointment at the level of full professor in a social science, humanities, or arts department at Brown.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Exhibit 456,279,218: People who say that kids these days aren't creative or engaged just don't spend enough time with kids these days.
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International Standing Conference for the History of Education @ische-news.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
🏆 Nominations are now open for the ISCHE First Book Award. The award recognises outstanding first books in the history of education. 🗓️ Deadline: 1 December 2026 More information and nomination details: 👉https://ische.org/ecr/ische-first-book-award/ #ISCHE #HistoryOfEducation
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Michael Katz, 1972: “school attendance is the keystone of educational history." So glad @jeremylsinger.bsky.social is keeping the issue front and center, with a nuanced analysis: 👇
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Gross. This is literally the oldest story in US school. Dumb but slick tech guy wants to start schools--thinks he knows better than anyone with actual experience. Desperate rich adults buy in. Plan blows up. (1/2)
nytimes.com
Inside the $440 Million Collapse of Guidepost Montessori (Gift Article)
A man with a vision set out to revolutionize preschool. It became a $440 million fiasco.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Oh, and don't forget the Ayn Rand connection. These guys loooooove their Fountainheads.
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Right on. Seems bizarre that people use this term. Children's lives are not an "industry."
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
There's nothing new about this storyline. Back in the 1800s, US public schools got their start by fixing this same dumb blunder. Seriously, same tech-driven, con-financed, narcissistic story, just 200 years earlier:
adamlaats.net
Mr. Lancaster’s System: The Failed Reform that Created America’s Public Schools
[UPDATE: It is out in the world! Get your copy today.] There’s no doubt something big happened. Historians know it. People at the time knew it. When it came to the startling changes sweeping their …
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Adam "I Was Hoping We Could Keep It" Laats @adamlaats.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Gross. This is literally the oldest story in US school. Dumb but slick tech guy wants to start schools--thinks he knows better than anyone with actual experience. Desperate rich adults buy in. Plan blows up. (1/2)
nytimes.com
Inside the $440 Million Collapse of Guidepost Montessori (Gift Article)
A man with a vision set out to revolutionize preschool. It became a $440 million fiasco.
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