History always gives names to moments that once felt impossible to define. We talk about the Roaring Twenties, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Great Depression as if they wer…

I was watching a TED Talk by Kevin Rutherford recently when his story about LeBron James stopped me in my tracks. Rutherford reminded the audience that LeBron didn’t win championships in Miami unti…

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has forcibly taken over Fort Worth ISD. In October 2025, the Texas Education Agency officially booted Fort Worth’s democratically elected school board and replaced it wit…

Donald Trump wants to send troops to Oregon, California, and Illinois to quell an imaginary rebellion that he claims gives him legal justification to deploy the military on American soil. Speaking …

For seven months, in a private Telegram chat, Young Republican party officials and activists from New York to Arizona exchanged racist, homophobic, and antisemitic messages so vile they could have …

If you have ever worked with someone like Doc Brown from Back to the Future, you already know the thrill and exhaustion that comes with proximity to brilliance. The brilliant, unpredictable mi…

A university president I respect recently recommended that I revisit Derrick Bell’s book Confronting Authority: Reflections of an Ardent Protester. The timing could not have been more precise. The …

A viral social-media post recently struck a deep chord with me: “If you’re flabbergasted that we are ‘turning into Nazi Germany,’ perhaps it’s worth remembering that the Nazis based many of their p…

When White House Advisor Stephen Miller sat across from the CNN interviewer in October 2025, his delivery was measured, his words chosen with precision. As he spoke about presidential powers, he be…

Change in leadership sounds inspiring—until you live it. Behind every policy win, reform effort, or equity initiative lies a personal story of risk, resistance, and resilience. This week, I joined …

Every fall, new waves of university rankings hit the headlines. Media outlets trumpet which institutions rose, which fell, and which managed to hold on to coveted spots at the top. Parents share th…

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

When I read the Poets & Quants article “We Expected More: Stanford GSB Students Call for Higher Teaching Standards,” I felt a familiar mix of agreement and urgency. Students at one of the world…

The Super Bowl has always been more than football. It is a ritual, a spectacle, a national performance. It’s where America tells the world who it thinks it is, and who it wants to be. Which is why …

When the White House unveiled the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” the announcement came cloaked in patriotic rhetoric about restoring standards, promoting fairness, and prote…

History has a way of whispering warnings to us if we are willing to listen. Patterns repeat themselves across continents and decades, and those who pay attention can see when old power plays are be…

I was a history major as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, and history has taught me this: courage rarely gives advance notice. It does not arrive with a calendar appointment or a war…

When Charlie Kirk sparred with Cenk Uygur in front of a live audience in 2018, the clash went viral. Kirk called Uygur out in a way that electrified his supporters but immediately drew backlash fro…

Last week, I had the privilege of returning to Stockton, a city that has shaped my leadership journey and continues to shape the national conversation on equity and innovation. In the span of two d…

In Marvel’s Thunderbolts (2025), one line captured my attention immediately and echoed in my mind long after the credits roll: “Righteousness without power is just an opinion.” Spoken by …

Please take a few short minutes to fill out the form below. We can't wait to learn more about your organization, and the wonderful work you do. As NPE President Diane Ravitch says, "We are many. There is power in our numbers. Together we will save our schools." We truly look forward to joining you and helping you in your fight for public education!

Across the United States, from California to Michigan, lawmakers are debating budgets that could slash investments in public education. These debates are not confined to one state, they are nationa…

Every generation inherits a unique set of circumstances, expectations, and challenges that shape its leadership. The Silent Generation rebuilt nations and institutions after war. Baby Boomers rode …