FBI is said to be investigating fraudulent admissions practices at T.M. Landry college

It qualifies unprecedented numbers of blacks for  university, who mostly then get a "black" degree, no mattter how much they learn or don't learn

T.M. Landry College Preparatory School, a private school in Louisiana that garnered national attention for helping underprivileged and minority students attend elite colleges, is under federal investigation over its college admissions practices after disclosures that it cut corners and doctored applications, according to multiple people contacted by the FBI.

The FBI opened the inquiry after a Times investigation detailed instances of transcript fraud and physical and emotional abuse at the school.

In the fall, dozens of former students and teachers told the Times that T.M. Landry’s founders, Michael and Tracey Landry, doctored school transcripts with fake grades, nonexistent school clubs, and fictitious classes. They said the couple embroidered their college application recommendation letters with fabricated stories of hardship that played on negative racial stereotypes.

The report also prompted the Louisiana State Police to open a local law enforcement investigation into more than a dozen allegations of physical abuse at T.M. Landry. That investigation is continuing.

While the scope of the Justice Department investigation is not known, the FBI has discussed T.M. Landry’s college application practices as part of the inquiry, according to one person interviewed by federal investigators who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case is not public.

The inquiry comes against the backdrop of a wide-ranging admissions scandal this year, which exposed how ultrawealthy families bribed officials and faked elaborate athletic credentials to get their children into desirable colleges.

Despite the vast differences, the cases underscore just how important and competitive college admissions have become.

The FBI said it does not confirm or deny the existence of investigations and declined to comment. The Landrys did not respond to a request for comment.

The Landrys and T.M. Landry board chairman Greg Davis have told parents and donors that they have done nothing wrong, and they are working to expand the school’s enrollment and repair its reputation. The school has told investigators that it has lost scores of students after the Times article, and that its graduating class dwindled to four, from 16.

Davis has also played up the findings of a 23-page report that summarized an internal investigation into the allegations published in the Times. In letters to donors, Davis said the report, which was released in April, “validates the academic outcomes” of T.M. Landry students.

The New Orleans law firm that Davis hired to conduct the internal inquiry, Couhig Partners, worked with Paul Pastorek, a former state superintendent of schools, who described Davis as a personal friend in his glowing summary of the inquiry.

T.M. Landry “appears to have been a genuine incubator for success, particularly for self-reliant students willing to put faith in a nontraditional education model,” Pastorek wrote.

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2019 College Grads Can Thank Trump For The Good Times

As springtime draws to a close, the college graduates of the class of 2019 stand ready to begin another chapter in pursuit of the American dream.

Their hard work has paid off, and they’re ready to enter the workforce as bright, young individuals set to tackle any problem and change America for the better. They’ve earned it, and America is glad to have the class of 2019 on board.

Like any other class, 2019 enters the labor force as free thinkers prepared to confront the challenges of tomorrow. This is thanks to having received an education from the American collegial system, one that millions of people cross oceans and continents to attend.

But what really sets the class of 2019 apart is that they have the great fortune of entering the workforce amid a resurgent American economy. The U.S. unemployment rate recently fell to 3.6 percent in April, what many economists consider to be full employment. While it’s certainly time for the class of 2019 to celebrate, graduates from a decade ago would caution them not to take today’s job market for granted.

Ten years ago, the unemployment rate was 8.9 percent. By June 2009, unemployment had risen to 9.5 percent. The federal unemployment rate peaked the following October at 10 percent, nearly triple what it is today.

The recession of 2007-09 killed job prospects, crushed the housing market, and plummeted consumer confidence. The heavy-handed government intervention that followed caused years of sluggish economic growth and delayed market recovery.

In some towns and cities, the financial devastation that occurred broke parts of their community — physically and psychologically — that still haven’t been fixed.

Ten years later, the Trump economy is finally restoring economic hope to these communities with record growth. The ‘Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’ of 2017 (TCJA) gave the middle class a large tax cut by doubling the standard deduction and expanding the eligibility (and benefit) of the child tax credit.

For the first time in recorded history, there are more job openings than people actively seeking work. Wages are starting to rise, and the gig economy puts more power in the hands of the individual to create financial security, start a new business, and control their economic destiny.

Thanks to the TCJA, the Tax Foundation predicts that “long-run gross domestic product growth will increase by 3.9 percent above what it would have done otherwise, wages will rise by 3.1 percent higher wages, and we’ll create 975,000 more full-time equivalent jobs.” This will increase after-tax income for all those in the lowest and middle-income brackets.

The Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda has allowed the great companies of the United States, and the great businesses of our local Main Streets, to grow without the burden of excess regulations and increased operating costs.

Economic growth and free markets are the enduring tides that lift all boats, and allow Americans of all genders, races, and religions to achieve their own personal definitions of the American dream.

There are 74.9 million women in the workforce, the highest in recorded history. Of the 2.8 million new job openings since January 2018, almost 60 percent were filled by women. Forty percent of U.S. businesses are women-owned.

Minority unemployment rates are at historical lows across-the-board. Nearly 30 percent of classifiable U.S. businesses are owned by minorities, which are growing at twice the rate of non-minority businesses.

Recent data show minority-owned businesses employ over 6.3 million Americans and generate over $1 trillion in revenue. The workforce is more beautifully diverse than ever before. All Americans are benefiting from this booming economy.

In American today, if you want a job, you can get a job. This is great news, considering the average 2019 college graduate will have to pay off an average of $33,000 each in student loans.

You don’t have to enjoy the president’s Twitter account to agree the country needs more of this economic progress, not less.

The class of 2019, has spent the past four years learning how to operate as free thinkers and rational actors in today’s world. Looking at the data, which moment in history would you think they would have rather graduated into? The economy of 2009, or 2019?

Younger Americans will have some big decisions to make. Just as they currently face thousands of dollars in student loans, the U.S. is staring down a $22 trillion and growing national debt. We need to get the debt under control and protect the free-market policies that sparked America’s true economic comeback. Today’s college graduates are by and large open-minded, smart kids, and there’s good reason to be believe they’re cognizant as to what makes a healthy economy and human prosperity possible.

Adam Brandon is president of FreedomWorks, a nationwide grassroots organization dedicated to lower taxes, smaller government, individual liberty and the American rule of law.

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'Australia: Sydney to get a new selective school

Leftists hate selective schools.  It conflicts with their insane belief that all men are equal.  But selective schools do ensure that the kids in them get full access to the available educational materials and opportunities, something that is often less so in chaotic mainstream schools

A new selective school will be built in south-western Sydney to help meet "strong demand", with fewer than 30 per cent of applicants currently getting a place at NSW's academically selective high schools.

The new school is to cater to families in the "key growth area", Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

"We know many students are travelling long distances to attend selective schools," Ms Berejiklian said.

"There is strong demand for selective schools, with around 15,000 applications for only 4200 places. This new school will provide another convenient local option for these students and their families."

There will be 49 fully and partially selective schools in NSW once the new school is built, the highest number in any Australian state or territory.

The announcement of the new school comes as the government begins overhauling the selective school entry test to make it less coachable and more equitable for students from lower socioeducational backgrounds and other groups that are under-represented.

The latest entry test results show minimum entry scores are at their highest for most selective schools, meaning that it is harder than ever to get into these schools.

Jae Jung, a senior lecturer in the University of NSW's school of education and a lead researcher of gifted education, welcomed the announcement.

"It's great that the government is promoting selective schooling in a comparatively disadvantaged area,'' Dr Jung said. ''The message is that we're going to look after gifted students across all socioeconomic backgrounds, who may not have the opportunities that other students may have.''

However, president of the NSW Teachers' Federation Maurie Mulheron said opening a new selective school is "a disgraceful decision".

"Selective schools have had an adverse impact on secondary schools wherever they exist,'' he said. ''They impact enrolments, social integration and broader curriculum options in many schools.

"For the government to announce this with no evidence on the benefit of selective schools and in the face of how negative these old-fashioned institutions are is incredible."

Labor's education spokesman Jihad Dib also said a new selective school "is not the way to go".

"It reinforces a two-tiered education system and ultimately, it's an exclusive school, so kids living in that suburb might not be able to go to that school," Mr Dib said.

"I want parents to be confident that their children will receive the best education at their local school."

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell's predecessor Rob Stokes, was also critical of selective schools and told the The Sydney Morning Herald's Schools Summit in February that "segregating schools according to labels has created more of a problem that we have to deal with rather than resolving the fundamental problem".

The NSW government has also announced two new initiatives aimed at lifting academic performance across all public schools.

The high-potential and gifted program will promote personalised learning for students who show talent in particular areas and "give them a chance to learn above their age".

The ''bump it up'' program will be expanded to all government schools and will give each school tailored targets for improving literacy, numeracy, wellbeing, equity and attendance.

The program is in 137 schools and more than one-quarter of those have achieved their targets in the first year.

Ms Mitchell said the two state-wide programs will support all students in reaching their potential.

"NSW is the largest provider of public education in Australia, and we are committed to [ensuring] that every student, from Gunnedah to Gordon, has access to a top-quality education," she said.

Dr Jung said having a high number of selective schools as well as initiatives in comprehensive schools will mean all gifted students are able to perform to the best of their abilities.

"I applaud these initiatives,'' Dr Jung said. ''It's great that all these options are being provided for gifted students, so you've got them catered to in selective school settings and you've also got opportunities for gifted students to be catered to in comprehensive schools.''

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