John Hodgson

I'm interested in multi-modal literacy, the many ways we understand the world. I'm a teacher, writer & film maker & edit the journal English in Education.

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

@BarbaraBleiman @alanmilburn1958 @PeterHyman21 They interviewed their parents and grandparents about their experience of work as well as their work experience employers. Not all employers were helpful, but that was part of the learning. Students’ class presentations of their experience were sometimes hilarious.

[Occupy Democrats @OccupyDemocrats]

BREAKING: HOLY SH*T! Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's son secretly received a top job inside the Trump administration while Alito was ruling on massive cases involving the White House.

This is corruption, nepotism, and in-kind bribery all wrapped up in one...

Philip Alito, the son of far-right Justice Samuel Alito, was given an appointment as a lawyer at the Treasury Department early on in Trump's second term. His father was aware of the appointment and did nothing to block it, unsurprising since Alito has zero interest in avoiding conflicts of interest or maintaining the legitimacy of the court.

This is the same Samuel Alito who was caught accepting bribes from billionaire Paul Singer in the form of luxury jet travel and an expensive fishing vacation. And that's just what we know about.

According to NOTUS, four government officials confirmed that Alito's son is working inside the office of the general counsel, which supports Treasury Secretary Bessent. Notus described the arrangement as a "closely guarded secret."

Philip Alito, in an apparent effort to maintain a low profile, does not have a public resume, LinkedIn profile, or a presence on the Treasury Department. Most of the images available of him online are older, from when his father was first appointed to the court. He's a ghost in the system, getting paid by our tax dollars, and presumably whispering in his father's ear to tilt rulings in Trump's favor.

“Everybody knew who he was. I think it’s fair to say he kept a pretty low profile. I kind of had the impression that he was kind of a little bit sheepish about his celebrity affiliation. You’d go into a meeting and if people were introducing themselves by first and last name, he’d just say ‘Phil,’ not Phil Alito. He’s a pretty soft-spoken guy,” one official stated.

The efforts to keep his identity shielded from not only the public, but his co-workers, proves that he knows what he's doing is deeply improper. If there was nothing to hide, he wouldn't need to keep his head down. But Alito, and presumably his father, know that this appointment further damages what little credibility the Supreme Court has left.

“There’s no doubt he got that position because of who he is,” another official told NOTUS. “[Advisers] are in all the meetings, so they knew all the issues across the board.”

Damningly, the younger Alito was working his Treasury job when the court ruled on Trump's tariffs. While the administration was ultimately defeated, Justice Alito joined with Brett Kavanaugh to rule in favor of Trump. At no point in the process did he disclose in court documents that his son was working for one side, nor did he recuse himself. The administration is insisting that the younger Alito had no role in the case, but this White House lies through its teeth at every turn.

And the problem hasn't diminished in the slightest. Trump's $1.776 billion slush fund for January 6th insurrectionists, MAGA loyalist, and Republican child molesters is getting hammered by lawsuits right now. When one of these cases inevitably ends up in front of the Supreme Court, Justice Alito will once again be ruling on a case in which his son has a vested interest in a particular outcome.

These crooks are laughing in our faces as they line their pockets, rig the system, and set their children up to do the same for the next generation.

Phillip Alito must be fired and Samuel Alito must be impeached!

Please ❤️ and share to demand that the proverbial heads start rolling!

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

@BarbaraBleiman @alanmilburn1958 @PeterHyman21 In the 80s and 90s, when I ran a large English department at a rural comprehensive school, we worked with the careers teacher and local employers to help the students make meaning of their work experience through interviews, reading, reporting back etc. it seemed common sense.

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

We need to hold the government to its promise: no new oil and gas in UK seas! 🛑 Big Oil is pushing for more drilling, but it causes toxic spills and harms marine life—all without lowering our bills. Let's protect our ocean. Please sign: https://t.co/A2ZLGjiFkd via @38degrees

[Barbara Bleiman 🎓 Education is Conversation @BarbaraBleiman]

@JohnBaldLangLit I’d agree with this. Language GCSE needs to be based on all elements of language, not just poetry and fiction. It must include contemporary language in use.

[Barbara Bleiman 🎓 Education is Conversation @BarbaraBleiman]

We continue to bemoan 1/3 students graded below 4 in Eng Lang when
a. grade boundaries are set for that approx proportion
b. Eng Lang GCSE is a poor exam that doesn't test competence in use of lang in a meaningful way
c. marking is erratic, so the results aren't even reliable.

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

John Dixon: the conversation of the classroom
English in Education's tribute to the pioneer English teacher can be read freely here: https://t.co/MVu6McAqO8 @NATEfeed @MichaelRosenYes @thecockerill

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

John Dixon: The Conversation of the Classroom
Our tribute to the pioneer English teacher is published in English in Education. It gives an informed account of his life and the development of his ideas of language in the classroom. Read it freely here: https://t.co/MVu6MczSYA

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

The May issue of English in Education is now online. Read the Editorial and list of contents: https://t.co/Pgl8yjYl1F

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

@JD_Vance_Q1 E

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

@femalebodybuil6 A wood plane. I’ve still got one

[Occupy Democrats @OccupyDemocrats]

BREAKING: Experts SOUND ALARM after Trump issues memo that could allow his staff to delete millions of White House emails in violation of record preservation laws.

The timing alone should set off alarm bells. The Trump administration is currently being challenged in court over its preservation of government documents. And this week, it issued new internal guidance that a leading archives expert says gives White House staff "license to do the exact opposite" of preserving records.

The memo, issued by White House Counsel David Alan Warrington to Executive Office of the President staffers, represents a "significant departure from historical practice" — Warrington's own words. It quietly rewrites the rules around which communications need to be saved and how.

University of Maryland professor Jason R. Baron, who specializes in archives and the law, read the memo and sounded the alarm immediately. The new guidance, he told the Washington Post, provides nothing that "prevents the White House from directing the transfer or destruction of White House records, including tens of millions of emails, either before or after the end of the president's second term in office."

The key sleight of hand is buried in the language. The memo says EOP components are "free to retain" previous record-preservation policies. As Baron points out, that also means they are free not to. Text messages now only need to be preserved "when they are the sole record of official decision-making" — and staffers are merely "encouraged" to memorialize those exchanges in another format rather than preserving the original exchange directly.

Translation: if someone decides a text isn't the "sole record" of something, they can delete it. And nobody has to take a screenshot.

Federal law is unambiguous. Presidents and their staff are required to preserve records related to government activity and turn them over to the National Archives at the end of each administration. Warrington’s memo, however, doesn't clarify whether these records will actually be turned over, and doesn't specify how Trump or Vance will personally preserve their own records.

This is the administration that used Signal to discuss active military strikes in a chat that included a journalist. The administration that has fired numerous inspectors general. The administration that is fighting records requests in court while issuing internal guidance that makes destruction discretionary.

"While paying lip service to the need to preserve White House records," Baron said, "the memo actually gives EOP staff license to do the exact opposite." Nixon erased 18 minutes of tape. Trump's team may be preparing to erase tens of millions of emails.

Please like and share this post if you believe the American people have a right to know what their government did — even after it leaves office.

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

@Jesse_Ci @piersmorgan What are you talking about? I live in Britain. Nearly everyone eats bacon. So what?

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

@gothburz This is so corrupt.

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

@ggreenwald @JohnCleese Excellent. His rationality shows he hasn’t been captured by the authoritarian charisma of Trump.

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

We’re trying to break the record for the UK's biggest ever thank you card - dedicated to everyone in our community who makes life a bit easier. Will you add your name and pass this on so we can break the record?! https://t.co/M2LwheUxIo via @38degrees

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

We want a public inquiry into violence at our border. Please sign and share. https://t.co/H94BTqo46N via @38degrees

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

🚨 The Government is retrospectively changing the rules on who can settle permanently in the UK, affecting thousands of people already living here lawfully. Sign now: https://t.co/nrC8iSTwjq

[John Hodgson @bristoljohn]

@vxylily In the early days of BBC TV there was a dead hour with no programmes between 5pm and 6pm to give families time to eat an evening meal without interruption.