"The 89th legislative session came to a close this week, and while it was an exceedingly good session for Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, there were a number of surprise failures as well...Here are the biggest bills that made it across the finish line and those stragglers that ended up in the legislative graveyard:"
"Critical thinking, long considered an academic virtue, is now a societal necessity. In the past, it may have been seen as a metaskill for the curious or intellectually ambitious. Today, it's essential. Or rather, if intellectuals thought of it as essential in the past, it could now make or break societal cohesion.
Critical thinking is the disciplined practice of evaluating your own reasoning. It’s not about being cynical or contrarian. It’s about being rigorous: asking better questions, testing your assumptions, and seeking good evidence before jumping to conclusions. It’s about learning to make reasonable decisions about what to believe and how to act—a definition that becomes vital when AI-generated content can mimic truth without actually embodying it. Critical thinking is an attitude, a disposition, a metacognitive stance. It is about how we process information, not just what we know.
In the age of AI, critical thinking must become the heart of the curriculum, and the heart of all society. It’s the filter that allows us to navigate a world where information is abundant (much more than our brains can handle), but meaning is contested. And it’s not a skill we’re born with. In fact, quite the opposite, evolutionarily speaking. It must be taught, practiced, and internalized. Metacognition must be continually practiced."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-things-brain/202506/educating-ourselves-in-the-age-of-ai
Schools aren't just teaching ABCs anymore—they're teaching kids how to feel, heal, and handle life. From peace rooms to peer support squads, mental health is finally getting the spotlight it deserves.
Learn more below!
#mentalhealthmatters #schools #students #ittybitty4life #learning #wellness #healthyliving #schooling #teaching #support
http://ittybitty4life.com/2025/06/08/mind-matters/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social
‘Our suffering is indescribable’: Gaza displaced recount school attack
“They told us to evacuate and then bombed the school with a barrage of fire. I have no idea where to go,” said resident Um Louay Hussein. “This is a shelter school and there’s no one here wanted by the authorities. Most of the people here are children. Where can we go?”
Help Ukrainian children have a safe place to learn
1,922 #schools in #Ukraine have been completely or partially destroyed due to russia’s full-scale invasion. 330 schools urgently need shelters.
Thousands of children dream of having a safe place where they can study, dance, and just have a normal childhood. Immerse yourself into a child’s dream through this interactive experience, and help make it real.
https://u24.gov.ua/arina-story-immersive-donation-experience
A memorial service was held Sunday for the victims of a knife attack 24 years ago at an elementary school in Osaka Prefecture. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/08/japan/crime-legal/japan-police-security-schools/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #schools #children #osaka #ikedaelementaryschool #japanesepolice
So, ahead of the spending review announcement, Rachel Reeves tells the Observer that she's putting an extra £4.5bn into schools.
But, it looks like this will be likely ring fenced for expanding Special Needs & free school meals, possibly (although its not yet clear) leaving the Teachers' pay rise still under-funded, meaning there will still need to be cuts elsewhere in schools budgets.
However, the devil will be in the detail (next week).