The hottest Education Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Disaffected, Episode 164, March 23, 2024

Disaffected Newsletter • 679 implied HN points • 25 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Woke ideas are spreading in schools and other institutions, influencing future doctors and professionals. This is concerning because these ideas can be harmful.
  2. In Washington state, aspiring lawyers won't have to take the bar exam anymore, which raises questions about equity in the legal profession.
  3. The Mayo Clinic is reportedly prioritizing hiring convicts and refugees for certain medical positions, showing a shift in hiring practices.

Note to Readers: Any Public School Teachers Out There?

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 3463 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. The author is looking to talk with public school teachers about recent changes announced by Donald Trump regarding the Department of Education. They want to hear teachers' opinions on these ideas.
  2. They are inviting teachers and professors from federally funded schools to share their insights privately. This conversation aims to gather real experiences and thoughts about the education system.
  3. The author promises to keep the discussions brief and offers an email for teachers to reach out. It’s a chance for educators to contribute their voices on important educational issues.

Racial Preferences May End, but the Fight Will Continue

Glenn Loury • 3551 implied HN points • 18 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. The Supreme Court is expected to end racial preferences in college admissions, but the fight for racial equality will continue.
  2. Advocates suggest shifting preferences from race to socioeconomics to better address disparities in access to education.
  3. Maintaining racial preferences based on outdated assumptions about disadvantages faced by black students may actually hinder progress towards equality.

Suzy Weiss: Admit It, Being an Adult Is Hard

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1112 implied HN points • 28 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Many young adults feel unprepared for real life and common tasks, like cooking or handling finances. It's normal to struggle with adult responsibilities.
  2. Workshops and classes focusing on adult skills, like listening and managing relationships, are becoming popular. They help people learn what they missed out on in school.
  3. People today are facing unique challenges, like fewer kids and financial stress. Sharing experiences in community settings can provide support during tough transitions.
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Transcript - America This Week, July 17, 2025: "The Reverse Struggle Session, and NPR's Greatest Hits"

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 956 implied HN points • 19 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Colleges are using new methods to judge students based on traits like empathy and curiosity. This involves students rating each other during group discussions online.
  2. Public media funding is facing challenges, with a recent vote impacting the future of organizations like PBS and NPR.
  3. There seems to be a collapse in customer service in the hospitality industry, as staff focus more on following corporate scripts rather than solving actual problems for guests.

Feds Spent $27 Million on Minnesota Somali Community Since FY2021

OpenTheBooks Substack • 177 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
📰 News Education
  1. Federal grants totaling about $27 million since FY2021 have funded programs for Minnesota’s Somali community, covering culturally relevant services, education, health research, and food/gardening initiatives.
  2. The University of Minnesota got the largest share (around $14.3 million) for projects like after‑school arts, diversity training, and Autism Spectrum Disorder research that reports higher autism rates among Somali children.
  3. Separate federal investigations have uncovered large welfare and autism‑related Medicaid fraud involving some Somali community members, which raises program‑integrity concerns even though researchers say their surveillance data can’t determine the fraud’s effect on prevalence estimates.

'Oppenheimer' Composer Thanked Parents for Giving Him Guitars, Not Video Games

The Analog Family • 699 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Parents can help kids develop creativity by choosing activities like music instead of video games. This can lead to lifelong passions and career opportunities.
  2. Kids benefit from the boredom that comes from not having constant screen entertainment. It helps them think, create games, and practice new skills.
  3. Creating a focused environment allows children to discover their interests and talents. This can prevent wasted potential in a world full of distractions.

How To Get Started In Crypto (And A Reference For The Rest Of Us)

DeFi Education • 1258 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
🔮 Crypto Education
  1. DeFi is a growing field that could become much bigger than traditional banking by using efficient software instead of slow, costly processes. Now is a good time to get involved because the technology works and it has government support.
  2. It's important to understand security and best practices in DeFi since there are many scams. Learning the basics can help you manage your funds safely and avoid losing money.
  3. Getting into crypto can lead to new career opportunities. You can gain valuable skills and knowledge that are helpful for roles in this fast-growing industry.

MBAs and the death of credentialism

Hot Takes • 1041 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
💼 Business Education
  1. In the internet age, real-world experience like running a business is more valuable than just academic theory.
  2. In creative fields like marketing, MBAs are becoming less relevant due to a lack of real experience and understanding.
  3. With the democratization of knowledge online, the necessity of a fancy MBA degree is diminishing, and real-world contributions hold more weight.

America's Lost Boys and Me

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 6913 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🏥 Health Politics Education
  1. There is a concerning trend of young American men struggling with unemployment, education, and family stability, with statistics showing a significant decline in college attendance among males.
  2. Childhood instability and broken homes have a stronger impact on boys than girls, affecting factors like education, future earnings, and likelihood of incarceration. Stable and secure homes are crucial for children's success.
  3. Research findings emphasize the importance of a solid, two-parent home for a child's future, highlighting the need for positive male role models and guidance to help young men succeed academically and professionally.

What Is An Elite?

Castalia • 299 implied HN points • 27 May 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Being elite can come from different paths, like being born into wealth or status. It’s like having a hidden head start in life compared to others.
  2. Education plays a big role in elite status, especially through prestigious schools. Many people with elite backgrounds invest heavily in their children's education, making it harder for others to catch up.
  3. Money is a major factor for entering elite circles, but it doesn't always guarantee acceptance. Some people get influence and status through connections and public roles rather than just wealth.

The Path to Equality

Glenn Loury • 1646 implied HN points • 12 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Strong family structures and education are key factors in determining success
  2. Adhering to 'The Success Sequence' can be crucial for young people
  3. Households led by single parents may face disadvantages and need attention

What American Students Aren’t Taught About Slavery. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1043 implied HN points • 19 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Many American students do not learn that slavery was not just an American issue but a global one. This limited perspective means they miss out on important historical truths.
  2. There is a call for a better way to teach about slavery that recognizes its worldwide existence without downplaying the horrors of American slavery.
  3. Juneteenth serves as a reminder to reflect on the legacy of slavery and the importance of educating young people about history accurately.

Finding Lost Hills: An ‘Our Towns’ Report.

Breaking the News • 1051 implied HN points • 10 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Lost Hills is a small town in California's Central Valley that represents a mix of agriculture, immigration, and community challenges. It produces a significant amount of food but struggles with economic inequality.
  2. The town is seeing positive changes due to investments in community services, such as a pedestrian bridge and better housing options. Philanthropic efforts are helping to improve education and overall quality of life for residents.
  3. Local schools focus on building trust with families and adapting to their needs, providing a range of support services. This helps create a sense of community and fosters success for students from diverse backgrounds.

School’s out for summer

Austin Kleon • 2657 implied HN points • 26 May 23
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. School is out for summer, which often brings excitement and new opportunities for students to explore their interests.
  2. Writing and creativity can be daily practices that are done without the pressure of immediate success or failure.
  3. Understanding the complexities and risks of AI is important, as it can affect how we think and make decisions.

Economists and Dentists

In My Tribe • 789 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Experts can be grouped into three types: practitioners, analysts, and activists. Practitioners solve real-life problems, like dentists fixing teeth.
  2. Analysts, like economists, use models and data to understand complex issues but don't deal directly with physical reality. Their insights can vary depending on how they view the world.
  3. Activists often push personal beliefs under the guise of analysis. It's important to differentiate them from honest analysts to maintain trust in expert opinions.

3.4.1 Ohm's Law

Fields & Energy • 519 implied HN points • 03 Apr 24
🔬 Science Education
  1. Ohm's Law shows that voltage is equal to current times resistance, which is key to understanding how electrical circuits work.
  2. Georg Simon Ohm faced a lot of criticism during his time for his ideas, but later scientists recognized his important contributions to physics.
  3. Henry Cavendish had discovered concepts similar to Ohm's Law before Ohm, but much of Cavendish's work went unnoticed because he rarely published his findings.

Playlist Thread #2: Concentration Music

Culture Study • 769 implied HN points • 29 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Music can help improve focus and concentration. Many people find that certain types of music create a better environment for working or studying.
  2. Asking questions about screen time can open up deeper conversations. It's important to discuss how it affects family time and relationships, not just the duration.
  3. Creating a playlist for concentration could be useful. Sharing and discovering music designed for focus can enhance productivity.

Summer Reading

The Bell Ringer • 99 implied HN points • 26 Jul 24
📚 Literature Education
  1. Summer is a time when many people take breaks from work and enjoy vacations, especially in education. It's a chance to relax and step away from the usual busy schedule.
  2. Reading books during the summer can be a great way to unwind and enjoy downtime. It’s a good opportunity to explore different genres and authors.
  3. Having a stack of unread books can sometimes feel overwhelming but also exciting. It shows that there are many stories and ideas waiting to be discovered.

How to Do Soul-Craft with State Tools

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 1088 implied HN points • 29 May 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Writing started as a tool for controlling people and managing resources, not for storytelling. It helped governments keep track of what was going on in society.
  2. Getting everyone to be able to read took a long time and a lot of changes in how writing works. It went from a complex system to something much simpler and easier for people to learn.
  3. Reading isn't something we naturally do; it requires special training of our brains. If we don't keep investing in literacy, it could easily disappear and only be accessible to a few people.

Bari Weiss Overplayed Her Hand (60 Minutes Update)

JoeWrote • 134 implied HN points • 26 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Most Americans voted because of economic concerns, not to endorse a conservative cultural agenda. The right’s effort to force conservative cultural changes is unpopular and is annoying voters as the economy worsens, hurting Trump’s support.
  2. A powerful media figure reshaped a major news network to favor conservative and pro‑Israel voices, firing staff and promoting partisan programming. Pulling an investigative 60 Minutes segment to protect the administration was widely seen as censorship and damaged the network’s credibility.
  3. Conservative media tends to reassure its base instead of persuading undecided viewers, which comes off as elitist and out of touch. Billionaire consolidation of media could amplify that bias and provoke a broader public backlash against the right.

5 Quick Things #303 ☕️

The Commonplace • 1533 implied HN points • 20 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. The post shares 5 quick things related to date night, Owl, trucking, Parmesan, and the Traditional Latin Mass.
  2. Tsh Oxenreider discusses various topics like virtues, children's books, parenting surprises, Parmesan cheese history, and the Traditional Latin Mass.
  3. The post includes links for further reading, a reader poll on favorite meal, and quick links for creating a Rule of Life, podcasts, ordering books, and joining a Greece trip.

A Showdown in Massachusetts Schools over Antisemitism. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1831 implied HN points • 17 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. There is a growing concern about antisemitism being taught in schools in Massachusetts, leading to debates between lawmakers and teacher unions.
  2. Some New Yorkers are discussing the possibility of allowing noncitizens to vote, with opinions divided on how it affects citizenship value.
  3. The Biden administration is taking steps to protect migrant children from human traffickers, focusing on their safety over the anonymity of sponsors.

Weekend reads: Are diversity statements political litmus tests?

Lean Out with Tara Henley • 864 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Diversity statements in academia could be seen as political litmus tests that impact hiring practices.
  2. The assumptions behind diversity statements, such as addressing historical discrimination, should be open to debate.
  3. The discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in academia should involve constructive dialogue and understanding of both sides' perspectives.

Psychology’s Greatest Misses (Part 2/3)

Living Fossils • 28 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
🔬 Science Education
  1. Many popular psychology claims are wrong or overstated — examples include learning-style teaching, what reaction-time implicit-bias tests prove, body-based trauma cures, and facilitated communication; believing these myths wastes time and can cause real harm.
  2. Some findings are solid but limited — the Big Five reliably describes personality differences but it describes patterns rather than explains causes and only modestly predicts specific behavior.
  3. Bad ideas spread because incentives and human storytelling favor novel, simple, or emotionally satisfying claims; novelty and neat villains travel faster than careful, boring truth, though better information tools may help correct that.

An Update on "Commercial Upzoning"

The Discourse Lounge • 189 implied HN points • 20 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Commercial upzoning can impact local businesses and institutions, like museums, that give the community unique experiences.
  2. Habitot Children’s Museum is an important place for kids and has faced challenges due to changes in the area.
  3. Supporting local pop-up services and charities can help keep valuable community resources available for families.

The Global Food Institute, an update

Longer Tables with José Andrés • 825 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Education
  1. The Global Food Institute aims to inspire a new generation to solve big food problems through policy, innovation, and humanities.
  2. The Institute has made progress, including participation in events like the World Food Forum and the launch of the Alliance for a Sustainable Future.
  3. Key leaders like Bill Dietz and Tara Scully are driving research, policy work, and curriculum development at the Institute.

To spoil the child

Disaffected Newsletter • 1238 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Many young people today think they know more than older generations, but this may not be the case. They have been praised for low-quality work and may not realize their knowledge is limited.
  2. There is a belief that young people have better morals and understand society better than adults. This belief can lead to dismissing valuable experience from older generations.
  3. This shift in values, where youth is elevated over age, could pose significant challenges for society. It's important to recognize and address these issues rather than see them as progress.

READING: Is Writing → Dialoguing :: Grunt-Programming → Vibe-Coding?

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 146 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
📖 Philosophy Education
  1. Written texts and recordings can give the appearance of knowledge while encouraging people to rely on external reminders instead of building and defending understanding from within.
  2. Live dialogue and dialectic force active engagement and produce a living, self-defending understanding that can grow and be passed on, unlike static written words.
  3. Modern AI/code-generation tools risk turning skilled people into passive passengers if used as replacements; they work best as training partners and aids that augment—rather than substitute for—real practice and judgment.

McGill University: Where appealing for quiet is now a race crime.

Heterodox STEM • 683 implied HN points • 27 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. McGill University is facing criticism for its approach to maintaining quiet during events. A request for reduced noise was labeled as exclusionary rather than a simple courtesy.
  2. The response to this request reflects a deeper debate about respectful behavior on campuses and how it ties into larger issues of race and colonialism.
  3. Some argue that universities are overly politicized and that common norms, like asking for quiet, are wrongly interpreted as acts of oppression.

Making Tiny Classics for Public TV

Animation Obsessive • 1793 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Education
  1. Tissa David and the Hubleys played a vital role in producing animated content for children's educational shows like Sesame Street. Their work helped make learning fun for kids using creative animation.
  2. Sesame Street and similar shows brought innovative teaching methods to children by using entertaining formats similar to TV commercials. This approach helped sell educational concepts to young audiences.
  3. Creating limited animation can still result in high-quality work. Tissa David highlighted that limited animation is a different style and can be done effectively to convey engaging stories.

Preaching to the choir

Austin Kleon • 2837 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. It's important to share ideas and creativity with friends and community. Connecting with others can inspire new thoughts and strengthen relationships.
  2. Reading and listening to influential figures can spark new insights. Ursula Franklin's work on silence and technology is a great example of this.
  3. When you believe in your ideas, it shows. Loving what you create can lead to more meaningful and impactful work.

Can the philistine supremacy be stopped?

The Common Reader • 2232 implied HN points • 28 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Schools are changing curriculums in ways that some believe exclude important classics, like Shakespeare and ancient texts. This might limit students' exposure to foundational literature.
  2. There is a push to replace traditional cultural experiences, like theater and museums, with more relatable activities for students. Critics argue that this could reduce opportunities for learning and growth.
  3. Knowledge from literature and history plays a big role in helping students from all backgrounds move up in society. It's important to ensure all students have access to enriching educational experiences.

On Tyranny free resources

Thinking about... • 854 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. You can access free cards and posters that summarize lessons from 'On Tyranny'. You can print these resources and share them easily!
  2. The author encourages people to share the lessons freely, whether digitally or in person. It's important to spread knowledge about resistance and politics.
  3. There are also messages available for sharing on social media, promoting the lessons and their relevance for both individuals and educators.

The Hollowness of Holocaust Remembrance

Bastiat's Window • 727 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Education
  1. Holocaust Remembrance can be a failure if it diverts attention from current dangers.
  2. Respectable movements like eugenics and equitism have led to atrocities when groups are seen as more important than individuals.
  3. The corrosion leading to genocide starts small, and equitism today is compared to the eugenics of the past.