James O'Hagan – Medium

James O'Hagan

Decoupling School Funding Is a Soft Launch for Privatization

A new voucher funding model in Wisconsin could quietly reshape public education nationwide — without public oversight.

Jun 4

Illustration of two red and black Wisconsin badgers walking in opposite directions beneath a sign labeled “FORWARD” with arrows pointing left and right — symbolizing political or ideological division in the state’s path forward.

Jun 4

Published in

Chalkdust & Silicon

Innovation Without Critique Isn’t Reform. It’s Marketing.

Why Alpha School’s promises — and the media’s praise — deserve far more scrutiny

May 20

A digital illustration in blue hues showing a bald, silhouetted man sitting at a table with a microphone, gesturing with open hands. Multiple question marks float around him, symbolizing pointed or difficult questions. The style is minimalist, with high contrast and no facial details.

May 20

Published in

Chalkdust & Silicon

The Kids Online Safety Act Wants to Save Children From Everything Except the System

The Kids Online Safety Act has bipartisan support and zero grip on reality. It won’t fix Roblox. It won’t fix anything. But it might make…

May 15

Silhouetted figures of four U.S. senators stand behind a cracked podium with a broken checkmark symbol, depicted in purple hues to convey dysfunction.

May 15

Published in

Chalkdust & Silicon

Ten Years of Unchecked AI in Schools Unless You Speak Up Now

Congress wants to block states from regulating AI — just as federal policy starts pushing it in wholesale.

May 14

Silhouetted politician at a podium hides a document behind his back from a group of people, all set against a stark red background.

May 14

Published in

Chalkdust & Silicon

What We Talk About When We Talk to Our Kids About AI

A plainspoken guide to helping your child navigate AI — with power, privacy, and purpose in mind.

May 7

Silhouettes of a parent and child in conversation, seated closely together, with warm yellow tones suggesting trust, connection, and attentiveness in a digital learning context.

May 7

Make Plessy v. Ferguson Great Again, I Guess

Segregation never left. It just got better lawyers, friendlier judges, and a federal government that stopped pretending to care.

May 3

Grayscale illustration of two school buildings separated by a barbed-wire fence. One building is well-maintained and modern, while the other is crumbling and decayed, representing the false promise of “separate but equal” education.

May 3

Published in

Chalkdust & Silicon

We Let the Chatbots In — Now They’re Teaching “Care”

Social AI companions are not a glitch. They are the full realization of everything wrong with AI in education — and we helped lay the…

May 2

A silhouette of a robot walking beside a child with its arm over their shoulder, both framed in green hues against a bleak, digital horizon.

May 2

Published in

Chalkdust & Silicon

What Trump’s Draft Order Really Teaches: Obey, Submit, Don’t Ask

Trump’s draft executive order would force AI into every classroom. This is not innovation. This is indoctrination.

Apr 23

Silhouetted illustration of a child pointing at a humanoid figure labeled “AI,” while a political figure at a podium gestures forcefully. A woman stands nearby watching, and shadowy audience members sit in the foreground, evoking themes of power, surveillance, and authority shaping education.

Apr 23

Published in

Chalkdust & Silicon

What Boys Need, We Keep Automating Away

We are managing their absence instead of fixing what drove them away.

Apr 22

A purple-hued silhouette illustration of four elementary school boys seated at desks, each isolated and slouched, depicting emotional disengagement in a classroom without a teacher present.

Apr 22

Published in

Chalkdust & Silicon

What AI Lesson Plans Reveal About Who Matters

AI tools promise innovation — but the lesson plans they generate reveal who’s really in control, and who’s being left out.

Apr 20

Silhouetted digital illustration in orange tones depicting a classroom where four students raise their hands while a humanoid robot at the front covers its ears. The robot symbolizes AI’s refusal to engage with student voice or dialogue.

Apr 20

James O'Hagan

James O'Hagan

he/him

Education leader driving systemic change through policy, advocacy and equity. Championing teacher voice, innovation and student-centered transformation.

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