Tag: public schools

Student Suspended For Saying ‘Illegal Aliens’ Will Receive Cash, Public Apology

The perceived overreach of administrators at one North Carolina high school sparked a nationwide conversation about whether students should be kicked out of school for using terms some others might find offensive.

At the heart of the case is Christian McGhee, who was 16 when he received a three-day suspension for uttering the words “illegal aliens” during a class lesson.

He insisted he was only trying to clarify the assignment, but the supposed violation was nevertheless deemed severe enough to warrant a suspension.

The ensuing backlash has resulted vindication for the student, as the New York Post reported:

McGhee’s mother, Leah, had filed a lawsuit in which she accused the school and the Davidson County Board of Education of violating her son’s First Amendment rights.

However, McGhee’s family and the school board settled on Wednesday after a year-long battle in the courts, according to court documents.

The board has agreed to remove all references to racial bias in McGhee’s school record and issue a public apology “for the mischaracterization of racial bias” in his record, documents show.

The board will also provide him with $20,000 in compensation to help his family with the costs of tuition at his new private school, to which he was forced to transfer after being suspended.

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Connecticut Lawmakers Silence House Republican Reading Graphic Excerpts from School Library Books

Lawmakers in the state of Connecticut silenced Republicans as they read graphic excerpts from books available in school libraries.

The stunning display occurred during a late-night debate on Tuesday when veteran Republican lawmaker, Rep. Anne Dauphinais of Danielson stood up to read graphic sexual references in a school library book. According to the Hartford Courant, Dauphinais expressed concern “that portions of the ‘library bill’ had been inserted into the 693-page state budget that lawmakers were debating at about 11 p.m. Monday.”

Dauphinais read the charged language, claiming that state students could read them in available school libraries. One excerpt came from the book Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, which was later adapted into a film.

“Are you going to eat her pussy?,” Dauphinais read from the book. “Yeah, Earl, I am going to eat her pussy.”

Dauphinais warned parents to remove their children from the debate before she read.

Rep. Juan Candelaria, a New Haven Democrat and deputy House Speaker, immediately banged his gavel to stop the lawmaker from speaking.

“Madam, I would ask that we not try to use that type of language in the chamber and try to keep some decorum,” said Candelaria. “I know you were talking of specific books, but if we could refrain from those type of words because there are also people and children watching this debate.”

“I would ask kindly if we could just use either a different word or something different just out of respect for others that might get offended. Thank you,” he added.

“Mr. Speaker, I stand here to share with the chamber the books that are available in our public school libraries to the very children you’re telling me that this language isn’t appropriate in this chamber,” responded Dauphinais. “This is in elementary school libraries, approved by the very individuals that are supposed to be the experts.”

Opponents to Dauphinais shot back, saying she misrepresented the material while charging that students are exposed to far worse content on their phones almost daily.

Lawmakers were debating a bill designed “to ensure that all libraries have written policies on how to purchase books and how to handle challenges to the content of the books, officials said.”

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World’s first drone combat textbook lands in Russian schools to train 1 million kids

Russia has formally introduced drone operations into its national school curriculum as part of a comprehensive initiative to train a new generation of unmanned systems operators. 

On Monday, Russian drone manufacturer Geoscan announced the release of the country’s first state-approved school textbook on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), designed for use in 8th and 9th-grade classrooms.

Titled “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: 8th and 9th Grades,” the publication is now included in the federal list of approved teaching materials, following formal certification by the Russian Ministry of Education. 

The course will be delivered under the “Robotics” module of the subject Labor (Technology), Russia’s equivalent of technical education.

World’s first drone ops textbook

Geoscan said this is “the only school publication on unmanned aircraft systems that has passed state expertise.” 

The textbook was co-developed with Russia’s largest schoolbook publisher, Prosveshcheniye, and reflects 14 years of the company’s drone R&D and eight years of experience in educational robotics.

Head of Geoscan’s educational projects, Mikhail Lutsky, said the material was not abstract theory, but “tested in practice,” forming a “ready-to-use course” to build applied piloting and engineering skills among Russian youth. 

The course spans 34 academic hours and includes chapters on UAV classifications, design, electronics, manual control, autonomous programming, and career trends in drone aviation.

The initiative is part of the Russian government’s “Personnel for Unmanned Aerial Systems” program, which aims to train 1 million drone operators by 2030 across over 500 schools and 30 universities. 

In 2023, approximately 30,000 university students in Moscow and St. Petersburg began similar coursework. In parallel, military training in schools has begun incorporating basic combat drone instruction.

The political backdrop to this education push is significant. In November 2023, a foundation linked to President Vladimir Putin’s youngest daughter, Katerina Tikhonova, acquired a 10% stake in Geoscan. 

The company is currently under US sanctions, reflecting broader Western concerns about the militarization of Russia’s youth education and its use of dual-use technologies.

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‘Cowardice’: Male student ‘frequently switches gender throughout day’ to ogle girls in shower despite competing in boys’ sports

The Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI) filed a federal civil rights complaint against the South Colonie Central School District (SCCSD) in New York over a male student who allegedly frequently “switches gender identity throughout the day” to watch girls change in bathrooms and locker rooms.

DFI’s complaint alleges the high school boy competes on the boys’ track and field team and wears the male uniform, but claims a transgender identity during the school day to access the girls’ facilities. Several girls have reported the boy to school officials for “staring at them” while they changed, but the Title IX complaint alleges the school showed “deliberate indifference to that student-on-student harassment.”

The district told the Daily Caller News Foundation it was “unable to comment on individual student matters due to privacy laws” but “can confirm that the district responded to this situation accordingly.” SCCSD also cited several state laws that require schools to accommodate “gender identity.”

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), for instance, prevent discrimination based on gender identity. Assembly Bill A5240A also requires all single-occupancy bathrooms to be designated gender neutral in schools and most other public establishments.

“The filing of a complaint or an investigation into a complaint does not change the district’s approach or procedures,” a spokesman for the district added. “All concerns raised were addressed through the proper channels, and students were offered reasonable accommodations as needed.”

“My daughter and her teammates have a right to feel safe in their own locker room,” Kevin Martin, the father of a student at SCCSD, said in a statement to DFI. “South Colonie refused to protect them and told them to accommodate the boy instead. That’s not fairness—it’s cowardice. I never thought I’d have to file a federal complaint just so my daughter could change clothes in a girls’ locker room without being stared at by a male student.”

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Anti-Christian agenda now costing Hawaiian taxpayers $100,000

An agenda to deprive after-school Bible clubs of the same access to schools that other clubs were granted routinely now is costing the taxpayers in the state of Hawaii.

A report from Liberty Counsel, which fought the state on behalf of Child Evangelism Fellowship and its Good News Clubs, revealed that the state appropriations bill, just signed by Gov. Josh Green, provides $100,000 to CEF following a court ruling.

It was last December that a federal judge granted Liberty Counsel a permanent injunction on behalf of CEF against the state that provided equal access to school facilities.

That access had been “unlawfully denied” by the state Department of Education and six different elementary schools, the report said.

The injunction granted CEF Hawaii “prevailing party” status in the dispute, a move that now protects the Good News Clubs from the previous viewpoint discrimination, but also calls for the state to cover litigation costs.

The result now is that the state will give CEF’s clubs access to schools equal to other similarly situated organizations across the state.

Liberty Counsel reported, “During the lawsuit, Hawaii’s Department of Education conceded that one school denied CEF Hawaii use of its facilities based on religion, while another school’s denial was due to a ‘misapplication’ of school policies. CEF Hawaii contended that after it appealed the ‘blatant religious discrimination’ of these denials to the Hawaii State Department of Education, it never received any response, nor did school officials take any corrective actions.”

Other organizations that had been granted access included the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girls on the Run, A+ After School Programs, and YMCA.

The state had allowed CEF’s Good News Clubs in more than a dozen schools on Oahu and other islands before COVID-19.

“Then, after restricting after-school programs due to COVID-19, schools fully restored after-school programs in 2022. However, the Hawaii State Department of Education, through four of its superintendents and other officials, had denied every request submitted by CEF to restart its programs and either expressly or effectively denied every appeal, while allowing access for other similar groups to meet after school on campus,” Liberty Counsel explained.

There are more than 3,000 Good News Clubs in elementary schools across the nation.

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Gun control activist fabricates story of surviving Dallas high school shooting that ‘never happened’

A former Texas student has been accused of fabricating a mass shooting during a speech advocating for stricter gun control measures at the Kentucky State Capitol earlier this year. Calvin Polacheck delivered a harrowing account of surviving a 2017 active shooter situation at Dallas High School that killed his brother, best friend, and nine others; however, authorities said it never happened and shamed Polacheck for his false claims.

“A week later, I had to go back to that school, and that was the worst part because you had to walk past that spot where I saw my best friend and pretend it was all normal. It was not normal,” Polacheck said in February at the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America rally. “Folks, that’s been eight years, and I’ve been talking about this every single day since then for eight years. Eight years of talking about this, and there’s been nothing that’s changed.”

Kentucky local news networks quoted Polacheck’s remarks in their articles regarding the rally. After the falsehoods surfaced on Wednesday, several of the outlets, such as WDKY and Kentucky Lantern, removed the story from their websites, Citizens Voice reported.

The Dallas school district issued a statement on Wednesday refuting Polacheck’s allegations, saying, “Thankfully, that never happened.”

“The discussion on the clip about Dallas and school violence is not factually accurate. Our district solicitor is supporting an investigation and communication regarding the circulating clip,” the statement continued.

Polacheck’s comments also garnered the attention of the Dallas Township police chief and the Luzerne County district attorney.

“The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless, it is harmful. It fuels unnecessary fear, disrespects the experiences of real victims of school violence, and misleads the public with a narrative that has no basis in truth,” said police chief Doug Higgins, who noted that there has never been a shooting at Dallas High School. “The false claims,” he continued, “are deeply troubling. They undermine the integrity of our school district, erode public trust, and cause real harm to a community that takes great pride in protecting its residents, especially its children.”

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There Is Nothing Democrats Will Not Ruin

Is there a place in the country better off because Democrats have control over the local or state government? I mean, I guess if your hobby is getting pregnant so you can have an abortion, living in Chicago or Boston is a plus, but not if you’re a fan of things like not being robbed or shot. Otherwise, only slumlords and progressive “organizers” thrive in a world controlled by the left. And if you want to get your kid an education, forget about it. There is nothing Democrats can’t ruin, and there is nothing even potentially good they will not ruin.

You’ve all heard about “equity,” Democrats present the word like it’s the cure for something, anything. They pretend it is about opportunity when it is about outcomes. Democrats want to dictate outcomes – pick winners and losers, rewarding their donors while ignoring their voters, whom they take for granted. OJ Simpson treated women better than Democrats treat their voters. 

But hey, they keep voting for Democrats, so why be effective when you don’t have to be? 

Back to equity. 

San Francisco, the progressive Petri dish from which so many bad ideas spring, is implementing “equitable grading” in their schools. Why? Because minority students are not doing as well as Asian students, who are also minorities. (As an aside, it always cracks me up when Democrats talk about how racist the country is; they whine about how well Asians and Indians are doing. Are we racist or not? Because if we were, why are two minorities out-earning evil whitey?)

What is “equitable grading”? It is a scheme to cover up just how badly Democrats have screwed up the education system in their cities by lowering standards for grades. As I always say, if you control the unit of measure, you control everything. If you can change what constitutes a passing grade, you will have a higher passing rate without improving the education of a single student. 

The Voice of San Francisco reports, “Without seeking approval of the San Francisco Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Maria Su plans to unveil a new Grading for Equity plan.” There is no input from anyone, just a top-down imposition. It’s how the party of “This is what democracy looks like” operates.

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Grading for Equity coming to San Francisco high schools this fall

Without seeking approval of the San Francisco Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Maria Su plans to unveil a new Grading for Equity plan on Tuesday that will go into effect this fall at 14 high schools and cover over 10,000 students. The school district is already negotiating with an outside consultant to train teachers in August in a system that awards a passing C grade to as low as a score of 41 on a 100-point exam. 

Were it not for an intrepid school board member, the drastic change in grading with implications for college admissions and career readiness would have gone unnoticed and unexplained. It is buried in a three-word phrase on the last page of a PowerPoint presentation embedded in the school board meeting’s 25-page agenda. The plan comes during the last week of the spring semester while parents are assessing the impact of over $100 million in budget reductions and deciding whether to remain in the public schools this fall. While the school district acknowledges that parent aversion to this grading approach is typically high and understands the need for “vigilant communication,” outreach to parents has been minimal and may be nonexistent. The school district’s Office of Equity homepage does not mention it and a page containing the SFUSD definition of equity has not been updated in almost three years.  

Grading for Equity eliminates homework or weekly tests from being counted in a student’s final semester grade. All that matters is how the student scores on a final examination, which can be taken multiple times. Students can be late turning in an assignment or showing up to class or not showing up at all without it affecting their academic grade. Currently, a student needs a 90 for an A and at least 61 for a D. Under the San Leandro Unified School District’s grading for equity system touted by the San Francisco Unified School District and its consultant, a student with a score as low as 80 can attain an A and as low as 21 can pass with a D.  

Joe Feldman, the consultant the school district plans to contract with to implement Grading for Equity, wrote in 2019 that in Placer County, another jurisdiction with the grading system, “students who did not qualify for free or reduced-price lunch had a sharper decrease in A’s, reflecting how traditional grading practices disproportionately benefit students with resources because of the inequitable inclusion of extra credit and other resource-dependent grading criteria.”   

Grading for Equity may reduce A and D/F grades and, according to Feldman, enable a school district to cut costs for remedial classes but what about student academic outcomes? The most recent data from both middle schools in San Leandro where grading reform started in 2016 document significant continued disparities among student populations when it comes to performance on statewide assessment tests. In both English and mathematics, the gaps ranged from twice to triple to even four times as many students meeting or exceeding the statewide standard in some subgroups compared to others. The children needing the most help and improvement are not getting it.

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Justices Alito, Thomas blast SCOTUS for passing on censorship of ‘only two genders’ student

When the Supreme Court put the onus on states to set their own abortion policies with 2022’s Dobbs ruling, it unexpectedly subjected pro-life activists and their legislative allies to an onslaught of abortion-expansion proposals that made it into even red states’ laws, with a pro-life research group concluding last week that abortions are rising.

By passing on a case that sought to protect student expression that questions gender ideology from censorship in public schools, SCOTUS may similarly send free speech, gender-critical, religious freedom, conservative and pro-life advocates scrambling at the state and school district levels to protect nondisruptive speech at odds with progressive shibboleths.

The high court Tuesday turned away pleas from those advocates and Republican state attorneys general to hear and reverse the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against Liam Morrison, upholding his Massachusetts middle school’s ban on wearing shirts that read “there are only two genders” and, after his first punishment, “there are only censored genders.” 

First Circuit Chief Judge David Barron – previously a Justice Department lawyer known for secretly advising the president who later nominated him that Barack Obama could legally kill Americans by drone strike – had portrayed the issue as a matter of judicial deference.

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Parents Demanding Justice Alliance Organization Issues Urgent Call to Congress for Action on DOJ Targeting of Parents

The Parents Demanding Justice Alliance has released a formal memo to members of Congress demanding swift accountability for the Department of Justice’s targeting of concerned school parents.

The memo calls for immediate investigation and full redress for parents who were unjustly surveilled, investigated, and maligned for expressing legitimate concerns at local school board meetings and schools. These actions, the Alliance asserts, constituted a severe abuse of federal power and a violation of First Amendment rights.

“The Parents Demanding Justice Alliance is composed of advocates around the nation, united in pressing for full accountability regarding the DOJ’s targeting of parents who expressed good-faith concerns at school board meetings and schools—a directive now under review by President Trump’s Weaponization Working Group,” explains Seak Smith, Founder of Mom Army & Dad Army.

The Alliance cites the February 5, 2025 memo from the Office of the Attorney General titled Restoring the Integrity and Credibility of the Department of Justice, which reaffirmed President Trump’s directive to reverse what he called the “unprecedented, third-world weaponization of prosecutorial power.”

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