Educational rot in DC

Instead of President Obama addressing school students across the nation, he might have accomplished more by focusing his attention on the educational rot in schools in the nation's capital. The American Legislative Exchange Council recently came out with their 15th edition of "Report Card on American Education: A State-by-State Analysis." Academic achievement in no state is much to write home about but in Washington, D.C., by any measure, it approaches criminal fraud. Let's look at the numbers.

Only 14 percent of Washington's fourth-graders score at or above proficiency in the reading and math portions of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test. Their national rank of 51 makes them the nation's worst. Eighth-graders are even further behind with only 12 percent scoring at or above proficiency in reading and 8 percent in math and again the worst performance in the nation. One shouldn't be surprised by Washington student performance on college admissions tests. They have an average composite SAT score of 925 and ACT score of 19.1, compared to the national average respectively of 1017 and 21.1. In terms of national ranking, their SAT and ACT rankings are identical to their fourth- and eighth-grade rankings -- dead last.

Washington's political and education establishment might excuse these outcomes by arguing that because most students are black, the schools are underfunded and overcrowded. Let's look at such a claim. During the 2006-07 academic year, expenditures per pupil averaged $13,848 compared to a national average of $9,389. That made Washington's per pupil expenditures the third highest in the nation coming in behind New Jersey ($14,998) and New York ($14,747). Washington's teacher-student ratio is 13.9 compared with the national average of 15.3 students per teacher, ranking 18th in the nation. What about teacher salaries? Washington's teachers are the highest paid in the nation, having an average annual salary of $61,195 compared with the nation's average $46,593. Despite the academic performance of Washington's students, they have a graduation rate of 61 percent compared to the national average of 70 percent. That suggests the issuance of fraudulent high school diplomas.

Currently, Washington, D.C. has an Opportunity Scholarship Program, which allows qualified low-income families to claim up to $7,500 per student toward a private education of their choice. Obama's Democratic Congress, acting on the behalf of the education establishment, has killed the program and there's the possibility that the 1,700 students currently enrolled will have to return to D.C. public schools.

The staunchest opponents of school choice are hypocrites. They want, demand and can afford school choice for themselves but for others not so affluent school choice it is a different matter. President and Mrs. Barack Obama enrolled their two daughters in Washington's most prestigious Sidwell Friends School, forking over $28,000 a year for each girl. Whilst senator from Illinois, the Obama's enrolled their girls in the University of Chicago's Laboratory School, a private school in Chicago charging almost $20,000 for each girl. A Heritage Foundation survey found that 37 percent of the members of the House of Representatives and 45 percent of senators in the 110th Congress sent their children to private schools. Public school teachers enroll their own children in nonpublic schools to a much greater extent than the general public, in some cases four and five times greater. In Cincinnati, about 41 percent of public school teachers send their children to nonpublic schools. In Chicago it is 38 percent, Los Angeles 24 percent, New York 32 percent, and Philadelphia 44 percent. The behavior of public school teachers is quite suggestive. It's like my offering to take you to a restaurant and you find out that neither the chef nor the waiters eat there. That suggests they have some inside information from which you might benefit.

For people in power to tolerate the Washington, D.C. school system is despicable. For a black president to do so might qualify as betrayal.

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Straight Pride

by Mike Adams

Dear UNC-Wilmington PRIDE:

I am writing to express my interest in joining you during your appearances at UNC-Wilmington Resident Assistant (RA) training next semester. At the beginning of every semester, members of your UNC-Wilmington student group speak to all of our RAs. You describe yourself as an organization dedicated to the eradication of bigotry and the promotion of inclusion. But then you contradict yourself by saying you seek to "Improve the quality of LGBTIQA lives and increase understanding and acceptance of LGBTIQA individuals in the general university community."

Unfortunately, you've excluded a very important group of students on our campus. I would like to come join you to speak on their behalf. That group is, of course, the straight student population that refuses to join your political alliance in support of the gay "civil rights" agenda.

If I understand correctly - and, forgive me, as I've never taken the Queer Theory course offered by my department - LGBTIQA stands for the following: Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-gendered, Inter-sexed, Queer, and Allies.

During the two and a half days of training concerning LGBTIQA issues I am told you made the following major points: 1) Heterosexist privilege is rampant in America; 2) Most people are guilty of heterosexism. You also passed out sheets defining certain terms such as "homophobia" and "inter-sexed." I'm glad you decided on one definition for those unable to decide upon one gender identity - those who seek to change genders, not to mention bathrooms, from one day to the next.

I am told that the president of your group spoke at RA training and that others shared their "coming out" stories. I would like to speak to you about my own coming out story, which was the day I decided I was opposed to endless gay indoctrination. People stopped talking to me (read: excluded me) after I came out. I'm sure that's happened to others on our campus. Therefore, I would like to pass out "Straight Pride" stickers at the end of my talk - that is, if you are in favor of intellectual diversity, tolerance, and inclusion.

You may or may not know that - shortly after RA training was over - there was a small fire in one of our dormitories. The RA in charge of evacuating the students was unsure of what to do but he managed and no one was hurt. His uncertainly was due to the fact that there was no training for fire evacuation. Although not taught about fire evacuation procedures the RAs are taught about hate crimes. I think we might want to consider protecting all students from fires, which actually happen on campus, instead of protecting a tiny fraction from hate crimes, which never happen on campus.

Although hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation never happen on our campus there is a problem with homosexual harassment. I'm not talking about harassment of homosexuals. I'm talking about harassment by homosexuals.

At the end of training, all RAs are asked to become "allies" who will put a little bookmark on their door and offer their rooms up as "safe spaces." Over the course of these last few years some RAs have told PRIDE members and university officials that they would prefer not to be "allies." The response has been to recommend more LGBTIQA training - as if two and a half days were not enough. One student was even told "You really need to talk to someone" as if he were suffering from an illness.

But disagreeing with the gay agenda is not a disease. It is a different point of view. And it should be respected.

PRIDE and UNC-Wilmington will be quick to point out that RAs are not forced into becoming allies or forced into making their dorm rooms "safe spaces." But there is no need for a mandate when people abandon their principles.

Unfortunately, after people abandon those principles they feel a sense of shame and remorse. I want to do something about that. I want them to feel proud of who they are and willing to stand up and articulate what they believe.

So, in conclusion, will you consider including me in your RA training sessions? I can do it in less than two and a half days. I can even show them how to put out fires that are real.

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Australia: Useless Victoria police do nothing while "refugees" destroy Australia's Indian education industry

You are not allowed to mention it these days but in the past there was more open acknowledgement that the street thugs are mostly African refugees. That means, of course, that the police are hamstrung by political correctness

India has urged Australia to quickly put in place promised measures to protect its citizens after new assaults last weekend in Melbourne. India's foreign ministry confirmed two Indian nationals and two other persons of Indian origin were assaulted in Australia on September 12. "It would help if various measures being contemplated by the Australian side, in addition to those already announced, are put in place at the earliest, to prevent reoccurrence of such incidents in the future," said a statement from the foreign ministry.

Victorian Premier John Brumby said incidents such as the weekend attack on four Indian men will make his mission to repair damaged relations between Australia and India all the more difficult. Mr Brumby leaves Australia for India next Monday for a trip designed to promote Melbourne as a safe destination for Indian students to study. [What a laugh!]

"I don't think there is any doubt at all that some of the events over the last few months have damaged our brand and the Australian brand in India," he told reporters on Wednesday. "It will make that task (promoting Melbourne as a good place to study) difficult. I think it makes the trip to India even more important."

A series of attacks on Indian students since May has strained diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Canberra and each new attack prompts wide media coverage here.

The Australian government has promised to increase police patrols and weed out suspect education and migration agents after revelations that foreign students were falling victim to sub-standard courses and visa scams. "We are concerned at the recurring attacks on Indians in Australia and we hope that the latest incident is investigated with care and the culprits are dealt with," the statement said.

The attacks have cast a shadow over the Australian education industry for foreign students which is worth $15.53 billion. About 95,000 Indians are studying in Australia after a university publicity blitz targeting the country's growing middle class. The ministry said it had taken note of assurances given by the Australian authorities but now expected some action.

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Some excerpts from another report about the pathetic police handling of the most recent attack:

Police have defended a four-day delay in releasing details about a racist attack on four men in Melbourne’s north-east that has sparked outrage in India. The Times of India today reported that up to 70 people were involved in the bashing of Sukhdip Singh, 26, his brother Gurdeep Singh, uncle Mukhtair Singh and nephew Indpal Singh, 20.

But Victoria Police acting Senior Sergeant Glenn Parker said the attack had been exaggerated in Indian press reports and denied there had been a cover-up by police. Acting Senior Sergeant Parker today denied Indian media reports that up to 70 people had been involved in the assault. He said 15 to 20 people were believed to have watched the assault and were yelling racial abuse when police arrived...

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said because four men were arrested following the assault there had been no "operational reason" for police to publicise the incident. The four arrested men, aged between 20 and 30, were later released without charge. Police are now seeking witnesses.