The hottest Education Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Summer reading assignment

Austin Kleon • 7713 implied HN points • 30 May 23
📚 Literature Education
  1. Get a library card to access tons of free resources. Libraries offer books, movies, and more without any cost!
  2. Don’t hesitate to ask a librarian for help. They can give you a tour and show you how to use all the library services.
  3. Try to borrow something from the library. It's a great way to support local libraries and start reading!

Reading Homer After October 7

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2990 implied HN points • 19 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Teaching classic texts like the 'Iliad' can take on new meaning when the students are soldiers. They relate deeply to the themes of war and sacrifice in the stories.
  2. Personal connections to war can be profound, as seen when students like Amir transition from studying literature to facing real-life battles.
  3. The contrast between a warrior's public role and their private life is significant. Characters like Hector highlight the dual nature of being committed to duty while also longing for family and peace.

Thank God for Re-runs

Disaffected Newsletter • 2497 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Re-runs of old TV shows helped connect generations. They showed a version of life that parents and grandparents recognized but kids see as old-fashioned.
  2. Modern technology has changed quickly, and young people today don't have the same cultural links to the past that older generations had. This leaves them feeling disconnected.
  3. The absence of re-runs and gradual cultural change might contribute to a lack of understanding or appreciation for older ways of life, leading to discomfort with things from the past.

Cruising for Classical Music in LA

The Honest Broker • 7879 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Dana Gioia's passion for modern classical music started in his teenage years when he sought out composers like Stravinsky and Copland instead of popular music.
  2. Today, technology has made it much easier to access a wide variety of music, unlike the past when finding new pieces required significant effort and was often limited.
  3. Diving into music discussions and experiences with friends helped shape individual tastes, and exploring art personally is more meaningful than relying on others' opinions.

The Bones of a Dark Age Academy

Letters from Fiddler's Greene • 2437 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. The Dark Age Academy should focus on mutual aid, lobbying, security, and relief organizations to support the community's basic needs and economic security.
  2. The Academy should also include organizations that support education, family life, and community quality, like homeschooling and family support groups.
  3. In addition, the Dark Age Academy should incorporate fraternal organizations, business associations, and political parties to organize and direct power for the good of the community.
  4. Arts and intellectual publications, journals, and communities are essential for understanding the world, providing higher thinking, and capturing the truth, beauty, and good in society.
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No One Tells You What It Costs to Climb Upward

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 2272 implied HN points • 20 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Upward mobility can be tough and comes with hidden costs. People often don’t talk about the emotional and social challenges that come when you try to improve your circumstances.
  2. Childhood experiences, especially trauma, can have lasting effects on how people navigate adult life. Understanding this can help foster more empathy for those in difficult situations.
  3. Educational and social systems can sometimes create barriers rather than opportunities. Many talented individuals struggle due to circumstances beyond their control, and success often requires not just ability, but support and mentorship.

A letter to myself at 22

Kathy PM • 23 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Education
  1. Don’t stress about finding a single perfect passion — start by getting good at something practical, and passion often grows out of skill and momentum.
  2. Take risks early: try different roles, join startups, and be willing to fail because those experiments create big career leaps and help you figure out what you want.
  3. Trust your curiosity and grit; staying determined and adaptable will let you turn uncertainty or setbacks into defining opportunities.

We should measure effect sizes on substantively important scales

Wyclif's Dust • 2146 implied HN points • 12 Jul 25
🔬 Science Education
  1. Effect sizes matter when they're measured on scales that are important to real life. For example, a small change in the chance of going to university can have a huge impact on families and policies.
  2. Correlation coefficients aren't the only way to measure effect sizes. Sometimes, using different scales can make it clearer how significant an effect really is.
  3. Noisy outcomes can still be meaningful. Just because there's variation around a mean doesn't mean the underlying effect isn't strong; it's important to look at how much outcomes change in significant ways.

The Tiger Mother Roars Back

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 5907 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Amy Chua, known for her strict parenting style, faced a lot of backlash when her book came out. Even though she was criticized, she continued to stand by her methods.
  2. J.D. Vance, a former student of Chua, found inspiration in her teachings and later wrote his own successful book, _Hillbilly Elegy_. Their connection shows how mentoring can help shape people's futures.
  3. Chua's influence extends beyond just her students, as her ideas about tough love in parenting resonate with many, sparking discussions about parenting styles and cultural differences.

trying to replace the american dream

bad cattitude • 232 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Tolerance is a useful virtue in moderation. Taken too far it becomes self-destructive because it lets harmful behavior go unchecked and invites exploitation.
  2. Overeducated, entitlement-prone young elites can be drawn to collectivist promises of comfort and blame-shifting, trading individual liberty and responsibility for a cozy dependency.
  3. A way to weaken a high-trust society is to erode its will to resist—by teaching guilt about success, normalizing extreme tolerance, controlling public education, and importing voters—so protecting family, school choice, and individual rights is the defense.

Top Links 948 Data centers replace offices. AI replaces teachers. Poems on petroleum & the war on Bohemia.

Chartbook • 386 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Education
  1. Data centers are becoming more popular than offices as remote work increases. This shows a big change in how we think about workspaces.
  2. AI is starting to take over roles that used to be filled by teachers. This raises questions about the future of education.
  3. There are interesting discussions happening about poetry related to oil and cultural issues. It highlights how art reflects important social themes.

Thank You

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 7304 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. The author is grateful to teachers who shared their thoughts about the DOE's possible changes. It's important to acknowledge the valuable input from educators.
  2. The author has learned a lot from the teachers' responses about classroom challenges. This shows how complex education issues can be.
  3. The author is still replying to teachers and values their insights. Ongoing communication is key to understanding problems in education.

Super Mailbag

Slow Boring • 2024 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Historically, the US aimed to industrialize with high immigration, tariffs, subsidies, and public education.
  2. Individual efforts can hype up political candidates like Andy Beshear for the future.
  3. Ethiopian cuisine could become more mainstream in American dining.

New Is The New Black

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1612 implied HN points • 15 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Education
  1. Trying new things can be hard, but it's essential for learning. Embrace the unfamiliar instead of being afraid of it.
  2. When you feel lost while learning, take a break. Clearing your mind can help you reset and make connections later.
  3. When you start to understand something, slow down and think carefully. This moment is special and deserves focus.

Socrates and Montaigne On the Internet

Life Since the Baby Boom • 1844 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
📖 Philosophy Education
  1. Knowing facts is not the same as having wisdom. Just being able to recite information doesn't mean you truly understand or can use it in real life.
  2. Education should help us develop good judgment, not just fill our heads with knowledge. It's important to learn how to think and make decisions based on experiences.
  3. The journey of seeking answers is more valuable than simply finding the answers. Understanding the process helps deepen our comprehension and wisdom.

The Silence Ratio

Anima Mundi • 247 implied HN points • 31 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. There is a measurable proportion of experience—the "Silence Ratio"—that’s free from external signals and lets the mind generate its own patterns. When that proportion falls, attention gets consumed and the conditions for deep thought and inner life shrink.
  2. Constant external stimulation during development trains people to react rather than to produce endogenous thought, making boredom, solitude, and sustained attention harder. Over time this can yield a thinner, more reactive sense of self rather than a robust interior life.
  3. The Silence Ratio matters across architecture, conversation, education, and how we measure well‑being or wealth, yet modern environments have generally reduced it. Adding more curated signals or apps won’t solve the problem—protecting and valuing unfilled time and space is the real remedy.

What just happened in San Francisco politics?

Noahpinion • 14235 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. San Francisco politics saw 'moderate' victories, focusing on results-oriented progressivism over performative leftism.
  2. The election revealed that voters want progressivism with tangible outcomes, emphasizing public safety, education, and housing.
  3. Popular theories include billionaire influence, San Francisco's real progressive nature, and the city's demand for effective governance.

Are the Phones Really to Blame? Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 398 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
📰 News Education
  1. Many people blame smartphones for youth mental-health and attention problems, sparking school phone bans and a low-tech backlash. Some experts say those harms are overstated and warn broad bans could hurt free expression and bring unintended costs.
  2. A powerful sedative called medetomidine has appeared in Philadelphia and is knocking users into dangerous, sleep-like states that can send them to the ER or leave them unconscious. Dealers are mixing it into cheap stamps, worsening the city's overdose crisis.
  3. Rising geopolitical risks are piling up: Trump’s aggressive posture in Latin America could accidentally trigger conflict, Ukraine refuses territorial concessions, and incidents like AI-chip smuggling and worries about Iranian operatives add to global instability. Together these developments are making the international situation more volatile.

David Senra: Why Founders Rule The World

Danielle Newnham • 19 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
🎙 Podcasts Education
  1. David Senra hosts a podcast that focuses on the lives and lessons of famous founders. Each episode dives into a biography and teaches valuable lessons from their journeys.
  2. David's childhood was tough, but he found inspiration in books. Those stories helped shape his dreams and aspirations.
  3. He believes that successful founders share traits like self-delusion and obsession, which help them pursue ambitious goals despite challenges.

Diversity Is Going To Get Us Killed

Daily Dreher • 2260 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Excellence should be the main criteria for hiring and promotion, rather than diversity or other factors.
  2. Prioritizing excellence in hiring is crucial for critical industries like aircraft manufacturing and healthcare.
  3. Institutional leaders managing based on standards other than excellence can lead to negative consequences.

In Defense of the Great American Sleepover

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 5420 implied HN points • 29 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Sleepovers are an important part of childhood and can help build friendships and social skills. They create lasting memories and experiences together.
  2. Some people believe that fewer sleepovers could lead to better academic outcomes and more focus on studying. They suggest prioritizing education over social activities.
  3. Critics of eliminating sleepovers argue that balance is key. Both social experiences and academic pursuits are important for a well-rounded development.

What Valentin Bunea Learned Writing Every Day for the Last 10 Years

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 559 implied HN points • 05 Jun 24
📚 Literature Education
  1. Waking up early can boost creativity. Many people, like Valentin, find that they think better in the morning, so he wakes up at 5 AM to write.
  2. You can't please everyone with your writing. It's essential to stay true to your voice, even if some people disagree with your ideas.
  3. Daily practice in writing leads to improvement. Valentin learned that writing regularly helped him overcome his fears and build a strong love for writing.

Things Worth Remembering: How Warriors Prepare

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2216 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Good leaders often prepare by learning from history. They read about past battles and military strategies to equip themselves for future challenges.
  2. George Washington was unsure of his abilities but accepted leadership, showing that self-study can help build confidence and skills.
  3. The U.S. Army values learning from past experiences, emphasizing that preparation can save lives in real situations.

Chartbook 399: Columbia University, the Trump administration and "ad hoc governance": Iterations of the "Unstate".

Chartbook • 1688 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Columbia University's deal with the Trump administration shows a new way of governing through specific agreements, which raises concerns about fairness and legality.
  2. This kind of deal-making in governance is different from traditional regulation and could undermine the independence of universities and the law.
  3. The idea of governance being shaped by ad hoc deals reflects a bigger trend in how power operates today, impacting not just education but society as a whole.

Culture Links, 12/17/2025

In My Tribe • 273 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Elite college admissions are being adjusted in ways that effectively favor men, raising questions about fairness and the proper role of admissions policies.
  2. Becoming a grandparent often gives people renewed meaning and a sense of continuity, tying them emotionally to the future and the story of their lives.
  3. Cultural change is accelerating: smartphones and social media make identity formation harder for young people, while rapid urban prosperity reshapes local cultures and can squeeze out traditional bohemian and community life.

At least five interesting things to start your week (#28)

Noahpinion • 13588 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Pop culture has shown signs of stagnation with more recycled content, indicating a shift towards fewer big hits alongside a long tail of indie content.
  2. Contrary to common belief, heavier cars are not the main cause for the increase in pedestrian deaths in the U.S. Factors like smartphone distractions play a role.
  3. Education's value is debated, with a recent study suggesting minimal impact, but the methodology is criticized for not considering the value of logarithmic returns in the analysis.

Pakistan needs a plan

Noahpinion • 13588 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Education
  1. Pakistan needs stability, privatization, education, foreign investment, and peace to improve its economic situation.
  2. The country is facing a significant debt crisis due to borrowing from organizations like the International Monetary Fund, resulting in a continuous increase in foreign debt.
  3. To escape the debt trap, Pakistan should focus on investing more, especially through privatization, attracting foreign direct investment, enhancing education, and seeking peace and economic cooperation with India.

Does child abuse cause homosexuality?

Disaffected Newsletter • 759 implied HN points • 05 May 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. The discussion explores the link between child abuse and homosexuality. It suggests that there might be connections worth investigating.
  2. Joseph Sciambra, who speaks from personal experience, highlights existing research on this topic. He emphasizes that there's literature supporting his views.
  3. The talk also touches on the behaviors seen in protests and violence at American colleges, linking those to psychological dynamics.

Does the flame of genius burn past 30?

The Common Reader • 4181 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Genius can continue to shine bright after age 30, not just in youth. Many inventors and artists create amazing work later in life too.
  2. The age at which people achieve great things has changed over time, often due to the increasing complexity of knowledge in various fields.
  3. Not all talent comes from young people. Many famous poets and thinkers made their best contributions after they turned fifty.

Great Liberal Ideas This Week!

Unsafe • 1690 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Government scaring kids with active shooter drills is causing trauma and harm.
  2. Woke Kindergarten in one district led to lower test scores and controversy over curriculum.
  3. A liberal town faced backlash for stocking a book that questioned transgender issues, showing diverse opinions on what should be allowed in libraries.

Growing Up MAGA

OK Doomer • 1830 implied HN points • 07 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. The conversation about race can be challenging, especially when it involves family. It's important to stand up for what's right, even if it leads to awkward moments.
  2. Experiencing racism firsthand can shape one's perspective during their career. It's crucial to recognize and appreciate the diversity in students.
  3. Balancing personal feelings with professional responsibilities can be tough. Sometimes, significant events, like a funeral, might need to take a backseat due to work commitments.

🗺️ Start Here: Learn to AI

The Product Channel By Sid Saladi • 3 implied HN points • 19 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Education
  1. Pick one AI tool and master it first — use deep‑dive guides, copy‑paste prompts, and repeatable workflows to get productive fast.
  2. Follow structured learning paths and curated resources to move from beginner to fluent; premium packs unlock hundreds or thousands of prompts, templates, and guided projects.
  3. Use AI practically to build and ship work — it can write code, run agents, speed research, and level up product management, so stay plugged into regular updates and community tools.

At least five interesting things for your weekend (#26)

Noahpinion • 13059 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. The U.S. economy is thriving, with real growth, increased wages, high employment rates, and a booming stock market.
  2. The U.S. energy supply is abundant due to investments in shale oil production, keeping prices moderate and potentially boosting the economy even further.
  3. Millennials and Gen Z are doing well economically, with wealth accumulation surpassing previous generations at a similar age, especially in real estate.

Ibram Kendi's Crusade against the Enlightenment

Glenn Loury • 3591 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. The article discusses Ibram Kendi's rejection of the western intellectual tradition and his call for a new academic discipline.
  2. Kendi criticizes standardized tests in education as a racist policy that degrades black minds and bodies.
  3. Kendi proposes a radical solution to racism in the United States, advocating for a totalitarian government run by 'formally trained experts in racism.'

Dear Marc Rowan, Bill Ackman, Jon Huntsman, et al.

Erick Erickson's Confessions of a Political Junkie • 3377 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Some donors are pulling funding from Ivy League institutions due to concerns about anti-Semitism on campuses.
  2. There is a call to focus diversity training on addressing anti-Semitism in addition to other forms of discrimination.
  3. Suggesting a shift in hiring focus towards graduates from institutions where values align with American ideals.

5 Quick Things #317 🐌

The Commonplace • 1611 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Education
  1. Focus on doing things well from the start and mastering important tasks in proper sequence.
  2. Consider the deeper meaning behind adopting a good-enough approach to housekeeping.
  3. Engage in important conversations about sex education for adolescents and married adults.

MIT Study: Using ChatGPT Won't Make You Dumb (Unless You Do It Wrong)

The Algorithmic Bridge • 1942 implied HN points • 19 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Education
  1. Using AI tools like ChatGPT can make you less engaged mentally if used excessively. People can become reliant on these tools and stop thinking deeply.
  2. When people switch from using AI tools back to using their own knowledge, they can struggle at first but may learn and grow better in the long run.
  3. The best way to use AI is to first work on a task with your own skills and then use AI to enhance what you've done, rather than relying on it from the start.