Great moments in the history of public education

The social justice mob does not confine their activities to income redistribution but have branched out into education redistribution as well.

An Ann Arbor elementary school principal used a letter home to parents tonight to defend a field trip for black students as part of his school’s efforts to close the achievement gap between white and black students.

Dicken Elementary School Principal Mike Madison wrote the letter to parents following several days of controversy at the school after a field trip last week in which black students got to hear a rocket scientist.

“In hindsight, this field trip could have been approached and arranged in a better way," Madison wrote. "But as I reflect upon the look of excitement, enthusiasm and energy that I saw in these children’s eyes as they stood in the presence of a renowned African American rocket scientist in a very successful position, it gave the kids an opportunity to see this type of achievement is possible for even them.

“It was not a wasted venture for I know one day they might want to aspire to be the first astronaut or scientist standing on the Planet Mars.

“I also think it’s important that you know that I have talked to the children who did not go on the field trip, and I think they have a better understanding of the purpose of the AA Lunch Bunch now, as I hope you do. I’m sorry if any kids were upset by the field trip or my discussion afterwards with them, and I have let them know that.

“The intent of our field trip was not to segregate or exclude students as has been reported, but rather to address the societal issues, roadblocks and challenges that our African American children will face as they pursue a successful academic education here in our community.”

(italics, ours)

Much like our tax code which is progressive in nature, it appears Madison approaches education at his school in much the same manner by punishing the "privileged classes".

First of all, this idiot Madison should be fired. Yesterday.

Secondly, he does not apologize for this blatant discrimination whatsoever and in reality defends the indefensible. His intent is a moot point because he did indeed succeed in segregating and excluding students.

A handful of parents have complained to district administrators about the trip, the group and Madison. More than a half-dozen parents contacted AnnArbor.com to raise the complaints, but none would agree to talk on the record, citing concerns of reprisals to their children by Madison.

District spokeswoman Liz Margolis said after the trip was over, those who went returned to their fifth-grade class and were greeted by boos by those who didn’t go on the trip. Margolis said Madison, who is black, heard the boos, and went to talk to the class. She said he and the class had a “discussion” about race issues.

(italics, ours)

Because nothing says promoting race relations in school like intimidation and creating a divisive atmosphere in the class room.

And home-schooling gets a bad rap because of what?

H/T: The Silent Majority

Homies Dissed

The California home-schooling set received a jolt on Feb. 28th when Justice H. Walter Croskey of the 2nd district court of appeals ruled with the two other members of the court that home-schooling was illegal, stating, “Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children”.

According to the article here, the consensus is that there may be no effective way of enforcing this. But this being America circa 2008 where we cannot enforce our own borders, we’re confident that some busy-body wing of the Board of Edumacation will take a jack-booted stab at it.

But that’s not the point…

That this statement that is so narrow in the context of freedoms and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution was agreed upon by 3 people one would think should know better is baffling.

We searched high and low in the Constitution and nowhere did we see anything regarding home schooling. What we did find, though, is a bunch of “shall nots” and “forbids”…. checks not against the citizens, mind you, but against the state. So, the judge has got it all backwards. Instead of there being no constitutional right to home schooling, there is nothing in the Constitution that prohibits home-schooling. In fact, we believe the 14th amendment re-enforces the legality of home-schooling (Several years back, two high school girls in the L.A. area sued their school district under the 14th amendment's “equal protection” clause for not providing them an equitable educational opportunity as other surrounding districts. Not sure how it turned out - we'll dig around for it).

In fact, the entire tone of the bill of rights suggests that our grand experiment in democracy is to be one big unholy mess bounded only by the common decency and good neighborliness of its participants. Equal parts drunken brothel brawl and tent revival meeting. And this speaks to the beauty of it all: that we are granted license to act like complete idiots but expected to exercise our God-given common sense to refrain from acts of idiocy. That is the only way this thing can work.

And because of this very expectation of rational self-interest, we indeed have home schooling as many of us have figured out that this whole public education thing ain’t working. KT, posted a Reason.TV spot hosted by Drew Carey on public education in L.A. The level of naked self-serving rhetoric on display by the teachers’ union is chilling. Its obvious the welfare of the children and the education that we are paying for and which is to be provided to the kids is the last thing on their mind.

And makes us question what the real motivation was behind the court's ruling.

Update #1: We totally forgot Ogre had a take on this matter here. He links to piece that pulls quotes from the court's ruling like this one: "keeping the children at home deprived them of situations where (1) they could interact with people outside the family, (2) there are people who could provide help if something is amiss in the children's lives, and (3) they could develop emotionally in a broader world than the parents' 'cloistered' setting."

The assumption of responsibility and moral high ground the state grants itself in lieu of the parents is staggering.