Conor P. Williams
@conorpwilliams.bsky.social
Writer and researcher in DC. Lotta PreK–12 and immigration policy. Dopily pro-America, stridently anti-fascist.
Also: Former stay-at-home dad. Primary caregiver. Just my views here.
Also: Former stay-at-home dad. Primary caregiver. Just my views here.
Reposted by Conor P. Williams
Bowdoin helmets going hard this week.
September 19, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Bowdoin helmets going hard this week.
I...can't help but feel the dread here. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/u...
F.A.A. to Roll Out New A.I. Tool for Washington Airports
The tool, called SMART, will crunch scheduling and weather data to predict and avoid delays. It will be deployed in the Washington region’s three major airports next week.
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2026 at 12:33 AM
I...can't help but feel the dread here. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/u...
Reposted by Conor P. Williams
(unless you are white and wealthy is what they were trying to say)
September 18, 2026 at 8:21 PM
(unless you are white and wealthy is what they were trying to say)
Reposted by Conor P. Williams
Count me in the wholly disagree camp, though no shade intended for you. I find the people who say it shouldn’t be easy are often folks who never experienced real hardship. Sure, they may have worked hard, but did they have to experience racism, or poverty, or a toxic environment, etc.?
September 18, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Count me in the wholly disagree camp, though no shade intended for you. I find the people who say it shouldn’t be easy are often folks who never experienced real hardship. Sure, they may have worked hard, but did they have to experience racism, or poverty, or a toxic environment, etc.?
Reposted by Conor P. Williams
Could we regulate the market, circumscribe it such that it does not infest areas of society where the magic of the market doesn't work and public provision is superior, and then maybe provide the sort of safety net that not only helps foks but makes the market part work better? No? Ok, beret time.
September 18, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Could we regulate the market, circumscribe it such that it does not infest areas of society where the magic of the market doesn't work and public provision is superior, and then maybe provide the sort of safety net that not only helps foks but makes the market part work better? No? Ok, beret time.
I went to an education policy event yesterday where the Trump administration's Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Kirsten Baesler said, "It shouldn't be an easy pathway to achieve the American Dream."
www.youtube.com/live/HZGXaER...
www.youtube.com/live/HZGXaER...
2026 Reagan Institute Summit on Education | Thursday, September 17
YouTube video by Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute
www.youtube.com
September 18, 2026 at 4:40 PM
I went to an education policy event yesterday where the Trump administration's Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Kirsten Baesler said, "It shouldn't be an easy pathway to achieve the American Dream."
www.youtube.com/live/HZGXaER...
www.youtube.com/live/HZGXaER...
If only legacy media outlets had some reporters interested in visiting Heartland America for "MAGA Safaris" about how they're feeling about this.
Gasoline and diesel prices in Michigan jumped 20 cents a gallon.
TODAY.
Yes. In one day.
TODAY.
Yes. In one day.
September 18, 2026 at 1:18 AM
If only legacy media outlets had some reporters interested in visiting Heartland America for "MAGA Safaris" about how they're feeling about this.
Got mine (also via bike commute, fwiw) on Monday. Real heads know.
Biked over and got my covid and flu shots this morning. Think of it as a salute to this guy. But really a salute to science, herd immunity, public health, and survival.
RFK Jr: "We are also looking at chemtrails"
September 17, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Got mine (also via bike commute, fwiw) on Monday. Real heads know.
I think we've officially gotten to the "unplug 2026 and plug it back in again" moment to see if it fixes the glitches.
A Texas ANG F-16 has crashed near Traverse City, Michigan. The pilot ejected and has been taken to hospital. www.9and10news.com/2026/09/17/e...
September 17, 2026 at 9:03 PM
I think we've officially gotten to the "unplug 2026 and plug it back in again" moment to see if it fixes the glitches.
Impressed by the overall picture, dismayed by the steadily flagging fire in the belly
Would 20 y/o you be impressed or disappointed by you today?
September 17, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Impressed by the overall picture, dismayed by the steadily flagging fire in the belly
Reposted by Conor P. Williams
What if this is possible in.... other places too?
Paris cycling numbers double in one year thanks to massive investment and it’s not stopping.
momentummag.com/paris-cyclin...
momentummag.com/paris-cyclin...
September 16, 2026 at 7:29 PM
What if this is possible in.... other places too?
As always, my dude is out here with more proof that the city government he leads cares about making the city better in tangible ways for the public that inhabits it.
That's not all of the job—but it's a huge part of the job!
That's not all of the job—but it's a huge part of the job!
17 new public bathrooms. Across all five boroughs.
Because you can’t wait — and you shouldn’t have to.
Because you can’t wait — and you shouldn’t have to.
September 16, 2026 at 7:34 PM
As always, my dude is out here with more proof that the city government he leads cares about making the city better in tangible ways for the public that inhabits it.
That's not all of the job—but it's a huge part of the job!
That's not all of the job—but it's a huge part of the job!
On the one hand, I hate that they might do it and cannot believe that they might do it.
But on the other hand....if they dare....folks (including beyond DC) are gonna hate it as much as they hate his ballroom chicanery.
But on the other hand....if they dare....folks (including beyond DC) are gonna hate it as much as they hate his ballroom chicanery.
They’re getting ready to bring in the wrecking ball.
Fencing has gone up around the main Kennedy Center building, a day after the Trump-aligned board voted to close most of the performing arts center for repairs.
Fencing has gone up around the main Kennedy Center building, a day after the Trump-aligned board voted to close most of the performing arts center for repairs.
Fencing goes up around the main Kennedy Center building after Trump-aligned board votes to close it
Fencing has gone up around the main Kennedy Center building, a day after the Trump-aligned board voted to close most of the performing arts center for repairs.
apnews.com
September 16, 2026 at 6:15 PM
On the one hand, I hate that they might do it and cannot believe that they might do it.
But on the other hand....if they dare....folks (including beyond DC) are gonna hate it as much as they hate his ballroom chicanery.
But on the other hand....if they dare....folks (including beyond DC) are gonna hate it as much as they hate his ballroom chicanery.
like we always do about this time...
My man looks like a mobster who's just been pantsed by Bugs Bunny
September 16, 2026 at 6:11 PM
like we always do about this time...
@jennbinis.bsky.social and I regularly disagree on things, but she's 100% right here.
I rarely, rarely say or believe that "you don't get it unless you've experienced it" but when it comes to NYS Regents, unless you've gone through NYS HSs or taught at the HS level, it's hard to understand what this shift means.
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/n...
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/n...
New York Moves Away from Regents Exams for High School Seniors (Gift Article)
A state board authorized phasing out the tests, long viewed as a rite of passage for high school seniors, as a diploma requirement. What replaces them is an open question.
www.nytimes.com
September 16, 2026 at 1:02 PM
@jennbinis.bsky.social and I regularly disagree on things, but she's 100% right here.
"The MAGA bumblers who tanked ticket sales, the rich insiders who saw the fine-arts venue as a glamorous real estate project, the vain president who wants naming rights in exchange for protecting a national shrine."
link.citycast.fm/view/6a5a4b7...
link.citycast.fm/view/6a5a4b7...
Good morning! The Kennedy Center closes its doors … Trayon White’s trial is shaping up to be juicy … Saudi Arabia is funding a new leopard habitat at the National Zoo.
link.citycast.fm
September 16, 2026 at 12:45 PM
"The MAGA bumblers who tanked ticket sales, the rich insiders who saw the fine-arts venue as a glamorous real estate project, the vain president who wants naming rights in exchange for protecting a national shrine."
link.citycast.fm/view/6a5a4b7...
link.citycast.fm/view/6a5a4b7...
"The Trump administration’s English-only proposal is not only misaligned with science, law, and the administration’s own stated goals, it will also cost taxpayers."
www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
Trump Administration’s English-Only Head Start Edict is Bad for Young Learners
About a third of Head Start’s 800,000 kids are dual language learners. Banning bilingual instruction would hurt their ability to master English.
www.the74million.org
September 16, 2026 at 12:34 PM
"The Trump administration’s English-only proposal is not only misaligned with science, law, and the administration’s own stated goals, it will also cost taxpayers."
www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
Here's a short column that Dr. Shantel Meek and I wrote about current multilingualism arguments around Head Start: www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
September 15, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Here's a short column that Dr. Shantel Meek and I wrote about current multilingualism arguments around Head Start: www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
Years ago, I got a really bad piece of writing advice from someone much worse at writing than I am...and damn if I still don't feel the friction whenever I construct a sentence/graf in the way they criticized.
September 15, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Years ago, I got a really bad piece of writing advice from someone much worse at writing than I am...and damn if I still don't feel the friction whenever I construct a sentence/graf in the way they criticized.
"This idea flies in the face of all available evidence and conflicts with the law’s requirements."
www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
Trump Administration’s English-Only Head Start Edict is Bad for Young Learners
About a third of Head Start’s 800,000 kids are dual language learners. Banning bilingual instruction would hurt their ability to master English.
www.the74million.org
September 15, 2026 at 2:06 PM
"This idea flies in the face of all available evidence and conflicts with the law’s requirements."
www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
www.the74million.org/zero2eight/t...
This is a good response to one of the Trump administration's persistent attacks on immigrant kids and families. Here's a piece I wrote about their first try back in 2018 (!!!)
tcf.org/content/comm...
tcf.org/content/comm...
September 14, 2026 at 7:10 PM
This is a good response to one of the Trump administration's persistent attacks on immigrant kids and families. Here's a piece I wrote about their first try back in 2018 (!!!)
tcf.org/content/comm...
tcf.org/content/comm...
Reposted by Conor P. Williams
The best thing about being a progressive is that we don’t have to delude ourselves about real dangers.
The worst thing is we don’t GET to.
The worst thing is we don’t GET to.
Breaking News: The E.P.A. is said to be planning to announce that the U.S. will no longer limit climate pollution from power plants.
E.P.A. Will Erase Limits on Climate Pollution From Power Plants
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
nyti.ms
September 14, 2026 at 11:42 AM
The best thing about being a progressive is that we don’t have to delude ourselves about real dangers.
The worst thing is we don’t GET to.
The worst thing is we don’t GET to.
"[P]olitical discourse becomes about things people say often and loudly" is the way.
Prove that progressives have agency—make the narrative by making your issues central.
(FWIW, don't make your whole agenda one limiting thing [i.e. affordability]).
Prove that progressives have agency—make the narrative by making your issues central.
(FWIW, don't make your whole agenda one limiting thing [i.e. affordability]).
the lesson from the right is not that their obsessions with trans volleyball, anti Haitian blood libel, or reversing the change in teen pregnancy rate are actually the well framed kitchen table issues of the volk but simply that political discourse becomes about things people say often and loudly
September 14, 2026 at 2:24 PM
"[P]olitical discourse becomes about things people say often and loudly" is the way.
Prove that progressives have agency—make the narrative by making your issues central.
(FWIW, don't make your whole agenda one limiting thing [i.e. affordability]).
Prove that progressives have agency—make the narrative by making your issues central.
(FWIW, don't make your whole agenda one limiting thing [i.e. affordability]).
Reposted by Conor P. Williams
This is a big one: Brown University is searching for the next director of the Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice.
Please help us identify excellent candidates to lead this signature program into the future.
Please write me with ideas; please share in your networks; please apply.
Please help us identify excellent candidates to lead this signature program into the future.
Please write me with ideas; please share in your networks; please apply.
Brown University - Professor and Director of the Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice | H-Net
1. Academic Accomplishment. We seek a scholar with a strong scholarly record, including excellence in both research and teaching, appropriate for appointment at the level of full professor in a social science, humanities, or arts department at Brown.
networks.h-net.org
September 14, 2026 at 12:13 PM
This is a big one: Brown University is searching for the next director of the Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice.
Please help us identify excellent candidates to lead this signature program into the future.
Please write me with ideas; please share in your networks; please apply.
Please help us identify excellent candidates to lead this signature program into the future.
Please write me with ideas; please share in your networks; please apply.
The best thing about being a progressive is that we don’t have to delude ourselves about real dangers.
The worst thing is we don’t GET to.
The worst thing is we don’t GET to.
Breaking News: The E.P.A. is said to be planning to announce that the U.S. will no longer limit climate pollution from power plants.
E.P.A. Will Erase Limits on Climate Pollution From Power Plants
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
nyti.ms
September 14, 2026 at 11:42 AM
The best thing about being a progressive is that we don’t have to delude ourselves about real dangers.
The worst thing is we don’t GET to.
The worst thing is we don’t GET to.