Today, for the first time ever, the White House held a reception to commemorate the Stonewall riots, an event that is frequently cited as the beginning of the Gay rights movement in the United States.
Today's reception, in combination with other events, shows clear Presidential support for Gays and Lesbians. This support is coming not only in the form of rhetoric or pageantry, but through a very significant appointment in the area of education.
Kevin Jennings, the founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network has been appointed Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education.
Read more about these events and their implication in our latest TwoMinuteBriefing, available by clicking here, or by visiting www.TwoMinuteBriefing.com.
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Not Freedom, but Lack of Standards
The end of the year mosaic at the Black Pine Circle school included a communist hammer and sickle, the wording "capitalism will fail", and a marijuana leaf, all painted by students.
The school, which prides itself in providing an K - 8th grade environment "maximally free of all the'isms'" prevalent in the world around them, is in Berkeley California, and charges $17,000 for its 10 month term.
Some have stated concern that 13 year old's would express such sentiments. We see it differently.
We feel that it is hardly surprising that some children of this age would choose to express what others might consider to be shocking or rebellious wording or symbols. We do not think that this is the issue.
We would suggest that the issue is that in its effort to provide "freedom" for students to think what they will and express whatever they wish, what this school has developed is not freedom, but rather a lack of standards.
Although possible, it is rather unlikely that the child who painted the marijuana leaf had participated in a reasoned discussion regarding the pros and cons of recreational drug use or medical marijuana use. More likely than not it was just a childish statement of being "cool".
Similarly, the children who painted the hammer and sickle with its attached anti-capitalistic slogan probably have not studied either political philosophy or economic theory to a degree where a legitimate opinion could be formed.
Assuming that the school curriculum did not encourage the students toward communism or drug use, its administrative policy can still be said to have failed the children in allowing them, in this their parting comment to the community and younger children at the school, to paint these symbols into their class mural.
They have taught the children that there are no standards other than what they set for themselves.
This is a very dangerous precedent to establish in such a young mind. This is not how communities are built or sustained. This is not the way to foster future good citizens.
To read the Fox News story, click here.
- TMB thanks DF for alerting us to this story.
The school, which prides itself in providing an K - 8th grade environment "maximally free of all the'isms'" prevalent in the world around them, is in Berkeley California, and charges $17,000 for its 10 month term.
Some have stated concern that 13 year old's would express such sentiments. We see it differently.
We feel that it is hardly surprising that some children of this age would choose to express what others might consider to be shocking or rebellious wording or symbols. We do not think that this is the issue.
We would suggest that the issue is that in its effort to provide "freedom" for students to think what they will and express whatever they wish, what this school has developed is not freedom, but rather a lack of standards.
Although possible, it is rather unlikely that the child who painted the marijuana leaf had participated in a reasoned discussion regarding the pros and cons of recreational drug use or medical marijuana use. More likely than not it was just a childish statement of being "cool".
Similarly, the children who painted the hammer and sickle with its attached anti-capitalistic slogan probably have not studied either political philosophy or economic theory to a degree where a legitimate opinion could be formed.
Assuming that the school curriculum did not encourage the students toward communism or drug use, its administrative policy can still be said to have failed the children in allowing them, in this their parting comment to the community and younger children at the school, to paint these symbols into their class mural.
They have taught the children that there are no standards other than what they set for themselves.
This is a very dangerous precedent to establish in such a young mind. This is not how communities are built or sustained. This is not the way to foster future good citizens.
To read the Fox News story, click here.
- TMB thanks DF for alerting us to this story.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
High school dropout rate climbs to 34.9% in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that the high school dropout rate for the Los Angeles Unified School District was 34.9% last year, up 3 percentage points from the year before.
For the state overall, the dropout rate went down 1 percentage point from the previous year to 20.1%.
Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell is quoted as saying that the rates are "unacceptably high" and that they are "alarmingly high" among Hispanic and African American students.
With many now saying that even a high school education is insufficient to obtain an adequate paying job, the implications of over a third of the high school students in Los Angeles Unified not even graduating from high school are very concerning indeed.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-briefs13-2009may13,0,4472466.story
For the state overall, the dropout rate went down 1 percentage point from the previous year to 20.1%.
Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell is quoted as saying that the rates are "unacceptably high" and that they are "alarmingly high" among Hispanic and African American students.
With many now saying that even a high school education is insufficient to obtain an adequate paying job, the implications of over a third of the high school students in Los Angeles Unified not even graduating from high school are very concerning indeed.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-briefs13-2009may13,0,4472466.story
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