Bill Folman

Writer. Performer. Civics teacher. Parent. Engaged by politics, storytelling, and those darn kids.

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

Stupid kings start stupid wars for stupid reasons. #tariffs

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

Even if you voted for Trump for the economics, it should still matter to you whether we are—as a country—a good guy or bad guy. When we favor dictatorships over democracies, threaten & extort our allies, & cancel aid to partially lower rich folks’ taxes….we ain’t the good guys.

[Chris Murphy 🟧 @ChrisMurphyCT]

This is pure gaslighting. There is no working waiver process. Marco can pretend the the real Secretary of State, Elon Musk, didn't shut down USAID, but he did.

1/ My national security team looked into the functionally nonexistent "wavier process" and here's what they found:

[Kamala Harris @KamalaHarris]

Trump has an enemies list.

I have a to-do list.

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

I spent some time at dinner tonight explaining this week’s news from Congress to my sons, and they immediately filed a motion to vacate. By an overwhelming vote, I am no longer Speaker of the Table.

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

@cambridge_cpsd Cambridge is sitting on a lot of money, & is uniquely positioned to be a district that could actually pay their teachers somewhat closer to what they are worth. Instead, CPS leaders are walking away from the bargaining table so that they can force teachers to accept their terms.

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

@cambridge_cpsd Another misleading email from CPS! So much omitted here. The push for a longer school day is not coming from a majority of teachers. Teachers will tell you what we need for better academic outcomes. Top of that list is a fully staffed building with teachers who aren’t burned out.

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

@cambridge_cpsd Our school is short-staffed every single day. There are rarely substitutes available when needed. Why? Teachers are fleeing this profession (& district) because they’re underpaid & under-supported. When you adjust a CPS teacher salary for the COL in city, they aren’t impressive.

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

I wrote a song about self-care.
Very excited to finally be sharing it with you today. Thanks to my brother, Dave, for his horn playing and short shorts wearing. Hope you enjoy!
https://t.co/83rTsrTXJI

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

@singinganagram Sentient lasagna! Sentient lasagna! Sentient lasagna!

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

THIS BOOK IS BROKEN: It’s bad enough that Gladys refuses the advances of the king. When she & her friends also reject the narrator, the book breaks, and they must figure out how to write a better ending for themselves. An irreverent tale for young revolutionaries.
#PB #KidLitPit

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

THIS BOOK IS DANGEROUS - A girl impersonates a bear, 2 siblings invite ghosts into their house, and many other bad choices are made in this dark, funny, and surprising collection of stories with echoes of Shel Silverstein. #MG #HA
#KidLitPit

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

It’s that time again when I wish the news media would act less like shitty sportscasters and more like public servants who felt they actually had a responsibility to inform voters about candidates, policy, potential implications, and what the heck is actually being voted on.#2022

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

My 3-yr-old, not noticing that I put a plate of fruit on the table for him, asks me for food. I utter magic words & gesture dramatically toward the table. He has since repeatedly asked me to do the trick where I make food appear out of thin air.
I am a victim of my own success.

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

I was also lucky enough to know the kind, wise, and wonderful Jill Kneerim—and have her change my life. Brad writes a beautiful tribute here.

[Brad Meltzer @bradmeltzer]

THREAD FOR THE WOMAN WHO CHANGED MY LIFE

The most important person in my professional life, my friend and agent, the great Jill Kneerim, passed away today. This is her in hospice, just 12 days ago when I went to visit her in Boston.

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

Most teachers will say this has been hardest year of teaching ever—yes, even harder than last year. It’s time for School Comm to ask: How can we help? What do you need? Instead, they are—insanely—doing the opposite. CPS parents should be embarrassed and should demand better. 8/8

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

If @cambridge_cpsd parents could read the proposals going back and forth between @CambEducation and School Committee, they would understand why teachers are FURIOUS. At a time… 1/8

[Bill Folman @BillFolman]

My usable non-class-teaching time directly correlates to my students’ success. Many admins in the district get this—It would be nice if school committee did too. Personal part of rant over. Now to the greater point… 7/