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.

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...

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.

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.

Thank you for sharing!

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.

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...

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...

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...

Congratulations!

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.

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.

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.

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...

Thanks for sharing!

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...

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.

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...

New Single “We Believe in Local Control” Drops Today Listen now to Kevin Welner’s ed-policy satire earworm.

Breaking news: Education policy hypocrisy found to be 100% more tolerable with piano accompaniment. bit.ly/3PK25CL

We Believe in Local Control YouTube video by NEPCVideos

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

I successfully defended my PhD dissertation today at the University of Colorado Boulder. Sincerely, Dr. Jonathon E. Sawyer

Many thanks, to all, for your kind congratulations. For those who were asking, the title is “Negotiating Faith: Catholic Educators on LGBTQ+ Personhood.” I am a scholar of American education — w/ focus on religion, policy and law, & LGBTQ+ topics. Abstract attached.

I successfully defended my PhD dissertation today at the University of Colorado Boulder. Sincerely, Dr. Jonathon E. Sawyer

Hegseth Invokes Divine Purpose to Justify Military Might

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...

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...

Just released: The Cycle of Disinvestment in Public Schools: How Public-School Criticism Drives Policy and Disinvestment bit.ly/4rhKWO4

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...

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

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-...

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

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...

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.

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...

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.

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...

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…

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...

Resources on Screen-Time Reduction, Christian Nationalism Now Available Two NEPC talks, on screen-time reduction and Christian nationalism, are now available online.

Two NEPC talks, on screen-time reduction and Christian nationalism, are now available online. @jonsawyer.org @kevinkumashiro.com bit.ly/4ijOnkn

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.

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

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...

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

2025 NEPC Fellows Meeting: Christian Nationalism Presentation with Jon Sawyer YouTube video by NEPCVideos

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