Tag: public schools

Whites underrepresented in prestigious high schools after courts uphold ‘proxy’ preferences: suit

What good is the Supreme Court’s two-year-old ban on racial preferences in educational admissions if the high court lets other high-demand schools flagrantly flout it?

That’s what justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas asked their colleagues last year when SCOTUS declined to review a ruling that upheld an admissions scheme explicitly designed to change racial demographics in Boston’s most prestigious public high schools, several months after the duo scolded the court for declining a similar Virginia case across the river from D.C.

The plaintiffs in the Boston challenge have come back with a new 14th Amendment lawsuit claiming the mid-litigation pivot to a different admissions scheme for the so-called exam schools, based on socioeconomic “tiers” instead of the original zip codes, has created the “disparate impact” result required by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: underrepresentation.

“Now, by clustering most white students together in one ‘tier’ where they compete only against each other for Exam School seats, the current Tier System ‘succeeded’ in reducing the proportion of white students admitted to the Exam Schools below the group’s share of the applicant pool three years in a row,” the suit says.

Filed by the Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence on behalf of dozens of parents of white and Asian-American students denied and seeking admission to Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy and John D. O’Bryant School of Science and Mathematics, the lawsuit includes data on the composition of the applicant pool from a public records request.

“Because these students were denied admission to their Exam School of choice due to their race, court-ordered admission to those schools is the only remedy for this race-based harm,” and a permanent injunction on the tier system is the only remedy for future applicants, the suit says.

“Boston Public Schools cannot launder racial quotas through socioeconomic labels” in the tier system, said the coalition’s lawyer, Chris Kieser of the Pacific Legal Foundation. “The Equal Protection Clause forbids government discrimination, whether done openly or by proxy.”

The defendants, Boston School Committee and Superintendent Mary Skipper, on Tuesday got an extension of time to file an answer until Sept. 11. The district’s lawyers didn’t answer queries by Just the News, and a district spokesperson referred the query to another office, which did not respond.

Northern Virginia’s prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, the subject of Justice Alito’s first fiery rebuke of his colleagues for tacitly allowing “intentional racial discrimination … so long as it is not too severe,” continues facing political and regulatory scrutiny for alleged discrimination against Asian Americans.

The U.S. Department of Education opened a civil rights probe of Fairfax County Public Schools this spring, from a referral by state Attorney General Jason Miyares, into its admissions policy adopted in 2020 that eliminated standardized testing and implemented a “holistic” evaluation process for TJ, as it’s known, that includes personal experiences.

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Entitled Virginia Superintendent Wants Security Guard To Protect Her From Criticism

T.S. Eliot claimed that “April is the cruelest month,” but in this homeschooling dad’s opinion, that dubious honor belongs to August. In one of the great ironies of modern American life, we choose to send our kids back to school amid the dog days of summer, a sweltering time that would be better spent at the community pool.

Back-to-school time is also an expensive proposition. The National Retail Federation claims that between new clothes and shoes, school supplies, and electronics, the average family will fork out over $850 this year to outfit their K-12 children. Teachers have it even worse; according to Adopt-A-Classroom, the average teacher spent almost $900 out of his own pocket to buy classroom supplies in the 2024-2025 school year.

But there’s at least one group that won’t need to make hard financial decisions this month: high-level educational bureaucrats. Take Dr. Michelle Reid, the superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Not only does her new contract give her a salary higher than that of the president of the United States, but she also gets a car allowance and is currently seeking a taxpayer-funded “executive protection agent” to shield her from the peasants she supposedly serves. “Queen Reid” embodies the entitled mindset of an educational establishment that refuses to learn from its mistakes.

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Several Texas school staff members, including superintendent, charged after video captures horrific abuse of special needs children

Earlier this year, Millsap Independent School District in Parker County, Texas, faced a federal lawsuit after allegations surfaced that two staff members — special education teacher Jennifer Dale and paraprofessional Paxton Bean — abused special needs students. The pair have been charged with official oppression; Bean was also hit with an additional felony charge of injury to a child. Millsap ISD Superintendent Mari “Edie” Martin was charged with failure to report and intent to conceal the abuse allegations.

The lawsuit alleges that Dale and Bean physically abused special needs students, particularly a 10-year-old nonverbal autistic boy named Alex Cornelius. Video evidence shows Dale striking at Alex and Bean throwing an object at him, with additional claims of verbal and psychological abuse.

Martin is accused of attempting to cover up the abuse by failing to report it to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services or local law enforcement, as required by law. Martin also reportedly instructed a witness to destroy evidence.

Dale, Bean, and Martin were arrested, indicted, and fired from Millsap ISD. Three other educators, Jami Riggs, Jeannie Bottorff, and Shannon Krause, were also indicted on misdemeanor charges for failure to report child abuse by a professional.

When Sara Gonzales, BlazeTV host of “Come and Take It,” heard the story, all she could think was, “If this had happened to my kid, I would be in jail right now.”

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Masking Our Schoolchildren Was Child Abuse – A Rare Chance To Stop It Returning

While more and more people are becoming aware that masking healthy people is both ineffective and harmful – as illustrated by the current rarity of face coverings in community settings – pockets of pro-mask zealotry remain smouldering in certain sections of our society, constituting an ongoing risk of re-ignition in the future.

Health and social care is one such example – a hazard addressed in Smile Free’s recent film, Masking Humanity.

Another is our education system, where, for prolonged periods during the Covid event, headmasters and teachers cruelly muzzled our kids in schools.

Now, as a result of the sterling endeavours of the ‘Declaration of Dumfries’ (DoD) team – a fellowship of people promoting common law principles of truth, rights and sovereignty – a rare opportunity has arisen to land a telling blow against those in authority and thereby deter any future imposition of masks on our schoolchildren.

In brief, what the ‘Declaration of Dumfries’ (DoD) people have accomplished is to force a local council to explicitly admit that they never had the authority to mask children, nor to punish pupils for non-compliance. 

By doing so, there is now an opening for parents of children who were victims of the unlawful mask impositions during the Covid event to sue their local councils and, by doing so, land a blow that will ensure that those in positions of power within our education system think twice before ever pulling such a stunt on our nation’s children again. 

To achieve this victory required 17 months of dogged determination and persistence.

The sequence of events is detailed in a DoD flowchart.

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The Alarming Problem in U.S. Schools That Isn’t Going Away

Chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools surged during the pandemic and remains alarmingly high, with millions of students continuing to miss weeks of class each year. Despite efforts to reverse the trend, the problem shows no sign of going away quickly.

Key Facts:

  • Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school in a year.
  • The rate peaked at 31% in 2021–22 and has only dropped to 19.3% by 2025.
  • Washington, D.C., Oregon, Hawaii, and New Mexico report the worst attendance rates, some nearing 50%.
  • Low-income students, English learners, and students with disabilities are disproportionately affected.
  • Some districts are paying students to attend school or adjusting schedules and tech use to address the issue.

The Rest of The Story:

Despite falling from pandemic highs, chronic absenteeism remains about 50% higher than it was before COVID-19.

A recent study from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) found that students continue to miss school more often and for longer stretches.

As of March 2025, the national average sits at 19.3%. Efforts to curb the trend vary. Districts like Detroit spend up to $1,000 per student annually to boost attendance.

Others tie attendance to grades or restrict online assignment flexibility. In some areas, schools delay start times or try disabling district devices at night to improve sleep and reduce distractions.

“We can pour all the money into schools and teachers, but if kids aren’t showing up, it’s not helping,” pediatrician Mary Beth Miotto told the Boston Globe, calling for school attendance to be treated like a “vital sign” by doctors.

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Here’s Why New Data Finds Continued Enrollment Slide For Public Schools

As the new school year begins next month, it has become ever clearer that American public schools are facing a noticeable decline in enrollment. Even several years after schools reopened in the wake of the Covid shutdowns, many parents have either continued homeschooling or gone on to enroll their children in private or charter schools, apparently fed up with their neighborhood public schools.

A recent report in Education Next from researchers Joshua Goodman and Abigail Francis offers some numbers that support what many of us teachers have observed firsthand. They mainly focus on enrollment in Massachusetts’ public schools, where the total enrollment in 2024 was “4.2 percent lower than it was in fall 2019,” and the numbers in future school years are only going to continue to worsen under these conditions. Moreover, the drop was steeper among white and Asian students and mainly occurred in the middle school grades (five through eight).

It’s significant that this is happening in Massachusetts, a state with a well-funded school system that routinely leads the country year after year and has set the standard for public education ever since Horace Mann invented the whole concept nearly two centuries ago. If enrollment is declining here, then it’s fair to conclude that this is happening nationwide. Indeed, Goodman and Francis say as much: “Fall 2023 public school enrollment nationwide was 2.8 percent below predicted levels compared to a 2.6 percent drop for Massachusetts by fall 2024.”

So what accounts for the decline? Why is it more pronounced among whites and Asians? And why is it during middle school?

It should go without saying that the leftist responses to this question, usually revolving around funding, equity, and accessibility, are utterly misguided. On the whole, public schools are amply endowed — particularly in Massachusetts, which spends more than $24,000 a student — and they are decked out with every instructional resource a teacher could ever want. Most campuses aren’t the squalid, impoverished, gang-infested dens depicted in movies like Dangerous Minds or shows like Abbot Elementary. Rather, they are generally clean, boring, and look more like corporate offices.

The real reasons for declining enrollment ironically have more to do with the inverse of these complaints: Public schools are now excessively funded and overly obsessed with equity and accessibility, which then prevents them from being reformed. Regardless of the state, most public schools are now failing in three critical areas that parents care about when deciding on their children’s K-12 education: academic rigor, student discipline, and the campus’ moral influence.

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Florida School Board Chair Under Fire for Disturbing Social Media Post Following Hulk Hogan’s Death: “Good. One less MAGA in the world.”

Alachua County School Board Chair Sarah Rockwell is under fire after a Facebook post following the news that Hulk Hogan died.

The cultural icon passed away on Thursday at the age of 71.

While people around the globe shared kindness and words of love, Rockwell, a leader in the educational future for school children,  took to Facebook to share a vile, politically motivated comment.

Responding to a post announce Hogan’s passing, she wrote “Good. One less MAGA in the world.”

After her disgusting comments went viral, Rockwell posted the following statement on Facebook, but limited who can comment on the post.

A few days ago, I made a cruel and flippant comment from my personal Facebook account on a friend’s post regarding the death of Hulk Hogan. I deeply regret making that comment and have since removed it. I want to make it very clear that I never have and never will wish harm on anyone regardless of whether we share political views. While I strongly disagree with some of the comments Hulk Hogan made, that is no excuse for my comment.

I also sincerely apologize for the way my comment has eroded confidence in my ability to represent all students, families, and staff in Alachua County. I want to assure all of you that the best interests of our children and our public schools are at the center of everything I do as a board member. I hope I have shown that by my record of advocacy for children, families, and staff members throughout Alachua county.

Again, I apologize for the hurt and distrust I have caused with my insensitive comment. I will continue to do the hard work of putting our children and schools first. I hope that I can earn back your trust.

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U. Pittsburgh teaches high school students, teachers to be ‘social justice’ activists

The University of Pittsburgh has partnered with local public high schools through the Justice Scholars Institute to “prepare young people to be advocates for change and social justice.”

The institute’s emphasis on creating “social justice” activists raises questions about whether the program is truly about education or if it’s about advancing a political agenda.

“The term ‘social justice’ is designed to make radical political views sound non-political and virtuous,” Paul Runko, director of strategic initiatives for K-12 programs for Defending Education, told The College Fix in a recent interview.

“You’re not opposed to justice, are you? Because that would make you a supporter of injustice. The phrase itself has no concrete meaning, which is part of why it is so useful,” Runko said. Defending Education is “a national grassroots organization working to restore schools at all levels from activists imposing harmful agendas.”

Through the university’s Justice Scholars Institute, high school students in Pittsburgh public schools can take college-level courses and earn credits.

The educational program is aimed at equipping students “to become change agents within their school, community, and broader world,” according to its website.

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State of Maryland is Quietly Modifying COMAR with Emergency Regulations to Usurp Local School Boards

Imagine being a pro basketball player that follows every rule of the game and makes a clean shot destined to go in with a swish. While the ball is midair, the referee immediately conspires to change the rules with the NBA and extends the court and the basket to be 3X further than where it was at the time of the shot. Impossible right? It’s not impossible in Maryland.

Did you know that the State of Maryland has a system to bypass the legislature in order to create and change COMAR regulations on the fly, and without the entire General Assembly or a legislative bill?

This is done through a committee of the General Assembly called the JOINT COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND LEGISLATIVE REVIEW (AELR).

Establishment

The Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review (AELR Committee) was originally created in 1964 as a joint standing committee known as the Committee on Legislative Review. It was reconstituted as a statutory committee and renamed in Chapters 400 and 699 of 1972.

Membership

The AELR Committee is composed of 20 members – 10 senators appointed by the President of the Senate and 10 delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House. Each political party is represented in approximately the same proportion as its membership in each house, and each major standing committee of the General Assembly is represented on the committee. There is a Senate chair and a House chair of the committee who alternate each calendar year as the presiding chair.

Principal Function – Generally

The AELR Committee functions as the watchdog of the General Assembly in overseeing the activities of State agencies as they relate to regulations. The committee’s primary function is to review any regulations that are proposed for adoption by a unit of the Executive Branch of State government to determine whether the regulations conform both with the statutory authority of the unit and the legislative intent of the statute under which the regulations are proposed.

You can read more about the AELR here:

Click to access 2016-AELR-Committee-booklet.pdf

Although a governor can execute regulation without the AELR, their existence is an illusion of formality. The abuse comes when a proposed regulation is declared as an EMERGENCY when there is no emergency.

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New York Teachers Fired for Refusing COVID Vaccines Take Case to U.S. Supreme Court

A group of 19 teachers who sued the city of New York after they were denied religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review lower court rulings, which they allege unconstitutionally favored some religious beliefs over others.

In a petition filed Monday, the teachers allege that New York City granted religious exemptions only to people who belonged to religions whose leaders had not publicly endorsed COVID-19 vaccination.

The city denied requests by teachers who applied for exemptions based on personal religious beliefs that contradicted their religious leaders’ official support of the vaccines, the appeal said.

Michael Kane, a plaintiff in the case and founder of Teachers for Choice, said:

“What New York City did was so egregious. To allow this to stand sets a horrendous precedent for my children and grandchildren. The discrimination was so intense and constitutionally shoddy it must not be permitted.”

According to Kane, most of the teachers are “still out of work or doing odd jobs, making half their previous income.”

Although New York City Mayor Eric Adams rescinded the mandate in February 2023, the city didn’t rehire the teachers.

The case stems from two lawsuits filed in 2021 challenging New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate and its denials of the religious exemption requests: Kane v. de Blasio and Keil v. City of New York. Children’s Health Defense is supporting the combined lawsuit.

Several lower courts, including the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in November 2024, ruled against the teachers.

The New York City Department of Education, its Chancellor, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, and New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan are among the defendants named in the combined lawsuit.

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