Taking Down the Woke Agenda

 

No part of our culture has been immune from the disease of woke-ism. Whether one studies corporations, educational institutions, the media, federal and state governments, woke-ism has corrupted every part of our culture to one degree or another. When I contemplate how to even begin to break its hold on our country, that proposition appears overwhelming. Where to start? How to make legitimate inroads? How to get an informed audience to consider the issues and make changes?

Eventually, however, I discerned that tackling one bastion of woke-ism might be possible. It is one of the oldest institutions, as it began to show its power in the 20th century, and it continues to demonstrate its pervasive influence nearly everywhere.

I’m talking about the public university.

For those of you who are very skeptical about attacking the roots of woke-ism through the university, there are a number of arguments that I find convincing. First, it has been the mouthpiece for the woke agenda for nearly 100 years; although that fact can be daunting, that longevity also suggests that it has not only overstayed its welcome, but it has abused its power and mandate, distorted its original agenda for creating the environment that would encourage the discussion of ideas, no matter their origins. A person doesn’t have to go far to discover how the university’s totalitarian, discriminatory and restrictive aims have made it the illegitimate arbiter of free speech; that determination applies to the university administration, educators and students.

Thus, a legitimate argument can be made that the university is one of the early sources of attacking the American ethos, and as a result, miseducating students, spreading distortions, and misusing their roles and purposes.

Taking down the university as a fundamental purveyor of woke-ism would deliver severe damage to the goals of those who wish to destroy the very fabric of America.

To strike at the heart of woke-ism in the universities, four main areas should be targeted: (1) engaging citizens, particularly parents who are already fighting the dominance of woke-ism in their school systems; (2) empowering governors and legislators to hold public universities accountable; and (3) applying significant penalties for those at those universities, including the administration and teachers, who ignore or abuse state law regarding education and free speech.

Engaging Citizens

Parents and even teachers have continued to fight school boards that allow school administrations to indoctrinate their students in CRT and anti-American rhetoric. Although it reflects data from one year ago, one list suggests much animosity toward school boards:

Activists and parents have launched 50 recall efforts this year aimed at unseating 126 school board members, according to a new report from Ballotpedia, a website that tracks U.S. politics and elections. Most of those recalls — which already surpass the record for a single year — started as objections to Covid-19 restrictions, but five of the most recently launched campaigns, including a particularly contentious fight in Loudon Country, Virginia, include concerns about critical race theory.

And, in a new development this year, rather than targeting a single member, these efforts often target multiple members or entire school boards, according to Abbey Smith, a researcher at Ballotpedia.

You might ask, what can parents of younger children do to affect the universities’ teaching of a woke agenda? Those parents may one day want to send their children to the universities, and part of their research should include the universities’ commitment to traditional university values, including the curriculum. Parents can then make wiser decisions about where their children should attend university, or better yet, decide whether to send them to the university at all.

Engaging Governors and Legislatures

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken the lead in restricting the teaching of critical race theory and other subjects, such as the 1619 Project. Several other states have already taken action to enact bills that restrict teaching on racism. Texas Lt/ Governor Dan Patrick responded in February to the University of Texas pushback:

‘They don’t understand that we in the Legislature represent the people of Texas. We are those who distribute taxpayer dollars. We are the ones who pay their salaries. The parents are the ones who pay tuition. And of course, we’re going to have a say in what the curriculum is,’ said Patrick.

The Lt Governor promised Senate Higher Education Committee hearings during the next legislative session. Essentially the hearings will teach faculty members of public universities a lesson in Texas politics.

Many states, however, have limited their laws to restrict K-12 grades, and don’t address the university systems. Anticipating action by the legislatures, the universities are pushing back against the idea that governors and legislatures should be able to restrict their curriculum:

Joan Bertin, who heads the National Coalition Against Censorship, said that when state legislators use their financial clout to punish or deter universities, they undermine them as places where a wide range of ideas—including controversial and unpopular ones—can be explored and discussed.
‘When state legislatures meddle in purely academic affairs they not only undermine the quality of education but also tread on constitutionally shaky ground,’ said Bertin, whose coalition is comprised of 50 artistic, educational and other nonprofit groups. ‘Curricular decisions must be based on legitimate education grounds, not popularity, politics or personal preferences. The integrity of the education system depends on respect for First Amendment rights and academic freedom, and legislators who truly care about education understand that.’

Although some states have threatened to withdraw funding for the universities for following a woke agenda, they sometimes decide not to follow through. There are a few ways to put teeth in these threats: 1) determine in advance that action will be taken and that the universities will be held accountable (2) establish a legislative oversight committee that has the power to investigate the curriculum being taught and; and (3) commit to taking action.

I also think creating a body of governors from red states (and any blue states that have the gumption) to meet regularly to exchange ideas for restoring a traditional public university curriculum would provide political support for the states, too.

Cutting Funding

When state law is violated regarding curriculum, cut funds as promised. Funds won’t be restored until proof of corrective action is provided to the oversight committee of the legislature.

Re-Establishing Free Speech

Although half-hearted efforts have been made by some university administrators to protect free speech, the Left’s agenda to punish conservative speech made by teachers and students continues. We need to resurrect the understanding of the tenets of free speech in the public university:

During the 1980s, however, some scholars and activists on the left started to propose restrictions on racist hate speech as well as violent and degrading pornography, on the ground that these forms of expression undermine the equality of women and minorities.  In response, some conservatives began to develop a more libertarian position, which appealed to the First Amendment as a bulwark against what they regarded as the dangers of political correctness.  In recent years, this conservative-libertarian approach has become one of the most important currents in First Amendment law.  The federal courts have increasingly used this approach to strike down regulations that seek to promote liberal or progressive values.

It’s time to take even further decisive action.

*     *     *     *

Legislatures and governors in particular need to waste no time in moving against the public universities. Given that even blue state legislatures may turn red in the November mid-terms, there’s no excuse for letting the woke agenda continue to destroy the lives of our conservative university professors and their students, and in the process, extinguishing the freedoms that we believe in.

[Photo from Leon Wu at Unsplash.com]

Published in Culture
This post was promoted to the Main Feed by a Ricochet Editor at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 66 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. Gossamer Cat Coolidge
    Gossamer Cat
    @GossamerCat

    The faculty and administration, like the press, are so overwhelmingly liberal and leftist that they cannot see their own bias.  I don’t know how to change it without using the diversity cudgel against them.  I’m hoping that new efforts like University of Austin https://www.uaustin.org/ can make some inroads.  I also hope that Alumnae stop automatically writing checks and organize.  Every time a University fails to support free speech, all donations should cease for one year.  Even if only half of donors do that, it could help. 

    • #1
  2. David Foster Member
    David Foster
    @DavidFoster

    Gossamer Cat (View Comment):
    I also hope that Alumnae stop automatically writing checks and organize. 

    I don’t know how much of their funding public universities get from contributions…but it is enough that they have their begging bowls out constantly.

    No one who cares about the future of America should be giving money to their Alma Mater, or other university, without first doing some due diligence.  A good place to start would be the FIRE Spotlight Database.

     

     

    • #2
  3. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Gossamer Cat (View Comment):

    The faculty and administration, like the press, are so overwhelmingly liberal and leftist that they cannot see their own bias. I don’t know how to change it without using the diversity cudgel against them. I’m hoping that new efforts like University of Austin https://www.uaustin.org/ can make some inroads. I also hope that Alumnae stop automatically writing checks and organize. Every time a University fails to support free speech, all donations should cease for one year. Even if only half of donors do that, it could help.

    I like your suggestions! But U of Austin is going to take a long time to expand. But we can stop making donations to schools, too. Then again, all those millions that are bequeathed to them–that’s pretty overwhelming. Hey, one step at a time, right, GC?!

    • #3
  4. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    David Foster (View Comment):

    Gossamer Cat (View Comment):
    I also hope that Alumnae stop automatically writing checks and organize.

    I don’t know how much of their funding public universities get from contributions…but it is enough that they have their begging bowls out constantly.

    No one who cares about the future of America should be giving money to their Alma Mater, or other university, without first doing some due diligence. A good place to start would be the FIRE Spotlight Database.

     

     

    Excellent suggestion, David! FIRE is on top of what is going on; they must be making inroads since I now see them running ads on TV!

    • #4
  5. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Most of my suggestions refer to the public universities. But I suspect that the private universities are getting government funds, probably mostly federal; for that reason, trying to stop those funds won’t happen for a while. But at some point, we can require that the private universities comply with our rules. The reason Hillsdale College won’t accept govt. money is that they don’t want to comply with any of the govt’s ridiculous rules.

    • #5
  6. genferei Member
    genferei
    @genferei

    Zero public funds for universities. Reclaim the land grants. Expropriate the endowments. Stop indulging the middle class in their wish to ape their ‘betters’ while allowing the forces of darkness to brainwash their children – all at the expense of the (working class) taxpayer. 

    • #6
  7. Terri Mauro Inactive
    Terri Mauro
    @TerriMauro

    In addition to these very good points, I am putting some faith in the innate need for young humans to rebel against the things their elders hold most dear. The more established wokeism becomes, the more it becomes corporate and government and university orthodoxy, the more youngsters will want to show their chops by flouting it. Helps that wokeism takes the fun out of everything, and how long are kids going to put up with that?

    • #7
  8. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    genferei (View Comment):

    Zero public funds for universities. Reclaim the land grants. Expropriate the endowments. Stop indulging the middle class in their wish to ape their ‘betters’ while allowing the forces of darkness to brainwash their children – all at the expense of the (working class) taxpayer.

    genferei, I know it’s an understatement to say you don’t support the public universities, and even though I was a beneficiary when enrollment was much, much cheaper and sane, I’m not sure I fully agree. I do agree with your last sentence. But can we legally expropriate endowments? 

    • #8
  9. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Terri Mauro (View Comment):

    In addition to these very good points, I am putting some faith in the innate need for young humans to rebel against the things their elders hold most dear. The more established wokeism becomes, the more it becomes corporate and government and university orthodoxy, the more youngsters will want to show their chops by flouting it. Helps that wokeism takes the fun out of everything, and how long are kids going to put up with that?

    That is brilliant! I guess it depends on how badly they’ve been brainwashed. We can hope, though!

    • #9
  10. Gossamer Cat Coolidge
    Gossamer Cat
    @GossamerCat

    Terri Mauro (View Comment):

    In addition to these very good points, I am putting some faith in the innate need for young humans to rebel against the things their elders hold most dear. The more established wokeism becomes, the more it becomes corporate and government and university orthodoxy, the more youngsters will want to show their chops by flouting it. Helps that wokeism takes the fun out of everything, and how long are kids going to put up with that?

    Unlike in the past, though, the wokesters seem to buy it hook, line and sinker, probably because they value rebelling against their parents and the right more than they like rebelling against their professors and each other.  But we should be encouraging the revolt!

    • #10
  11. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Gossamer Cat (View Comment):
    Unlike in the past, though, the wokesters seem to buy it hook, line and sinker, probably because they value rebelling against their parents and the right more than they like rebelling against their professors and each other.  

    I don’t even know if they know what they are rebelling for or against anymore. Yelling a lot seems to work for them, unfortunately.

    • #11
  12. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    It is too slow in coming but I suspect employers will start looking for normals and devalue degrees from elite colleges. Who needs employees who will not only find reasons to be offended but who will insist on sharing their complaints with the entire social media universe? Who needs snowflakes who cannot endure everyday inconveniences and tiresome routine tasks? And who needs employees who will want to dump every customer or client who fails to meet on-campus standards of ideological purity?

    The colleges still have an archaic stranglehold on entrance to the upper middle class. Once employers realize that campus products are defective and that other screening, criteria and job preparation methods are needed, colleges will get the fate they deserve.

    It would also help if Congress imposed realistic underwriting standards for college loans. It is irrational to allow a kid to go $300,000 in debt for a BA in Intersectional Non-binary Puppet Theater Studies even if the degree is from an Ivy League school.

    At some point, the barriers to market realities and common sense have to come down.

    • #12
  13. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    This is a great project.  It is another area that Governor Ron DeSantis has led in.  As taxpayers, we have the right to restrict the use of public funds in the Universities.  This is a great post.

    Employers are getting wise to the outbreak of “wokesters.”  “Go woke, go broke.”  Smart employers refuse to hire from the Ivy Leagues or California Universities, instead hiring only from State Universities which are not on the coasts.  

    • #13
  14. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    It is too slow in coming but I suspect employers will start looking for normals and devalue degrees from elite colleges. Who needs employees who will not only find reasons to be offended but who will insist on sharing their complaints with the entire social media universe? Who needs snowflakes who cannot endure everyday inconveniences and tiresome routine tasks? And who needs employees who will want to dump every customer or client who fails to meet on-campus standards of ideological purity?

    The colleges still have an archaic stranglehold on entrance to the upper middle class. Once employers realize that campus products are defective and that other screening, criteria and job preparation methods are needed, colleges will get the fate they deserve.

    It would also help if Congress imposed realistic underwriting standards for college loans. It is irrational to allow a kid to go $300,000 in debt for a BA in Intersectional Non-binary Puppet Theater Studies even if the degree is from an Ivy League school.

    At some point, the barriers to market realities and common sense have to come down.

    All true! I remember hearing a couple of years ago about some new hires that advocated the company fire their supervisor. Instead, the company fired the new hires! That’s the kind of assertiveness we need to see again.

    I wonder what new criteria will emerge to replace the requirement for college degrees? Can’t wait to see what might happen! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a new work ethic emerge?

    • #14
  15. Fritz Coolidge
    Fritz
    @Fritz

    Condition federal student loans upon the university’s being on the hook for default, if the education does not permit the graduate to earn enough to repay the loan. Attach the liability to the institution’s endowment.

    This policy might help force the faculty and administration to focus on students’ successful outcomes, say, for the ten years  following graduation, and not so much on radical indoctrination.

    Tax each year’s income earned on their endowments, while we’re at it.

    • #15
  16. Terri Mauro Inactive
    Terri Mauro
    @TerriMauro

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):
    I guess it depends on how badly they’ve been brainwashed.

    Gossamer Cat (View Comment):
    Unlike in the past, though, the wokesters seem to buy it hook, line and sinker, probably because they value rebelling against their parents and the right more than they like rebelling against their professors and each other.

    I do wonder how deep these beliefs really go among college students. I suspect it’s like the rest of society: a small group of dangerous loudmouths, a larger group willing to go along to get along, and a much larger group just keeping their heads down and trying to get a degree before they’re ousted for mis-pronouning a stranger. Those passive groups are frustrating because they give the loudmouths power, but they’re also much easier to turn around than the true believers.

    I don’t know what it would take to break the spell. It’s already pretty clear that this emperor has no clothes. It’s also a lot of work to keep from falling afoul of the wokies, and that’s going to get old. Do coeds really want a guy to have to stop by with a contract and a notary public before making a pass? And isn’t it a little embarrassing to see your respected professor brought down by the loudest, most annoying kid in the class?

    Maybe it’s the generation in elementary school now—who are going to be pretty broken and, I’d think, pretty ticked by the time they get to college—that will be the ones to kick over the woke idols and have themselves some fun for a change. Maybe not, but something, sometime’s, gotta give.

    If anyone in Hollywood had the testicular fortitude to make a new version of Animal House with wokesters taking the place of the frat boys and cheerleaders of old, I … kind of think they’d make a bundle. Nature abhors a killjoy.

    • #16
  17. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    The kids are ruined in elementary school.  You have to start from the bottom.  The only place in public universities that should be reformed or eliminated is the Education departments.  Little kids are being taught to be radical environmentalists; they are taught that humans are destroying the planet, which is evil.  Radical “sex-education” is also rampant, and that stems from state standards (like in Washington State).  Public education needs to be eradicated, and parents should have the state funding for their kids, so they can send them to their school of choice.  Once kids are actually educated and not indoctrinated, they reach college being able to think for themselves, and they can stand up to the woke instructors.

    • #17
  18. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    David Foster (View Comment):

    Gossamer Cat (View Comment):
    I also hope that Alumnae stop automatically writing checks and organize.

    I don’t know how much of their funding public universities get from contributions…but it is enough that they have their begging bowls out constantly.

    No one who cares about the future of America should be giving money to their Alma Mater, or other university, without first doing some due diligence. A good place to start would be the FIRE Spotlight Database.

     

     

    I think alumni stopping giving has high potential. As I understand the process (since I stopped giving many years ago, it’s been a while since I’ve talked to a university donations official), general alumni giving is itself only a small part of the university’s budget. But, the high publicity high dollar donors look at alumni giving when deciding whether and where to donate. They apparently are highly influenced by the percentage of alumni who give, which is why universities plead for even small donations from alumni. The thinking of the high dollar donors apparently is that a university in which a higher percentage of alumni give each year is on more solid reputational footing than one in which a lower percentage of alumni give. So, if fewer alumni give, it may not directly impact the budget, but is likely to indirectly impact by discouraging big dollar donors. 

    • #18
  19. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
    So, if fewer alumni give, it may not directly impact the budget, but is likely to indirectly impact by discouraging big dollar donors. 

    Thanks, FST. I hadn’t thought of that.

    • #19
  20. Al Sparks Coolidge
    Al Sparks
    @AlSparks

    One thing where Red state legislatures are lagging is the funding and control of their state colleges.

    What if they were to write laws banning tenure at the institutions that are a part of the state government?  How about requiring that they include citizens, state residents, from outside the academy on their hiring committees?  Plenty of jurisdictions have citizen based oversight committees over their police that include the ability to hire and fire a chief of police and even involve them in disciplinary proceedings.  Why not state colleges?

    In Texas, there has been a movement to require more citizen oversight over the University of Texas system.  But it hasn’t taken off.  Why?  Why aren’t conservatives becoming more ruthless when it comes to these educational institutions?

    One poster mentioned that the private sector may start to require less in the way of credentials for employment.  That seems to be slow in coming.  It’s partly because they are having trouble finding qualified people for specialized jobs.  But Fortune 500 companies are addicted to credentials when it comes to hiring management.  There’s not much government can do to directly stop that, and I think their would be unintended consequences if it did.

    But state government can look at what they require for their hires.  And they can also take a look at what certifications are required to do certain work.  Does every person who appears before the bar (a courtroom) as a lawyer really require 3 years of post graduate work?  Abraham Lincoln was considered a very good lawyer before he became president.  He had no formal schooling in the law.

    Colleges have accreditation organizations that are supported by the federal Department of Education and have a woke agenda.  Technically, they don’t have to be accredited to stay in business.  If two or three of the bigger states were to ban their state universities from seeking accreditation, perhaps smaller states would follow.  Those woke accreditation organizations would then lose prestige.

    There are ways to declare political war on colleges.  We don’t have to go after a Harvard or Yale, which are private schools with private endowments.  Part of their power and prestige is that public universities follow their lead.  How about the various legislatures require the institutions they have control over to stop that?  That would have the affect of reducing the prestige of a Harvard or Yale.

    • #20
  21. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Al Sparks (View Comment):
    What if they were to write laws banning tenure at the institutions that are a part of the state government?  How about requiring that they include citizens, state residents, from outside the academy on their hiring committees?  Plenty of jurisdictions have citizen based oversight committees over their police that include the ability to hire and fire a chief of police and even involve them in disciplinary proceedings.  Why not state colleges?

    That’s positively fiendish.

    I like it.

    • #21
  22. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Al Sparks (View Comment):
    Colleges have accreditation organizations that are supported by the federal Department of Education and have a woke agenda.  Technically, they don’t have to be accredited to stay in business.  If two or three of the bigger states were to ban their state universities from seeking accreditation, perhaps smaller states would follow.  Those woke accreditation organizations would then lose prestige.

    Which brings me to my pet peeve. The Department of Education has been around over 42 years. Has education in this country gone up? Correlation is not causation, but shouldn’t it have gone up just a little? Or perhaps remained at the same level?

    • #22
  23. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    The kids are ruined in elementary school. You have to start from the bottom. The only place in public universities that should be reformed or eliminated is the Education departments. Little kids are being taught to be radical environmentalists; they are taught that humans are destroying the planet, which is evil. Radical “sex-education” is also rampant, and that stems from state standards (like in Washington State). Public education needs to be eradicated, and parents should have the state funding for their kids, so they can send them to their school of choice. Once kids are actually educated and not indoctrinated, they reach college being able to think for themselves, and they can stand up to the woke instructors.

    I’ve been thinking about this comment, RB. In one sense, I agree. But all those kids who have already been brainwashed will be in that condition when they arrive at college. Since we’re not in a position to mandate where to start, I vote for both of our approaches!

    • #23
  24. Ole Summers Member
    Ole Summers
    @OleSummers

    Good post and good ideas on something I have been making notes for a while and hopefully will put together as time allows. Tenure has to go. There has to be clearly stated objectives from the people of the state which is reflected in the courses and the personnel. 

    But as suggested already, this is just a part of the overall education effort of the state. Among the areas which affect the entire education of the state’s children is teacher certification and its role in this. That should be revamped almost completely with the schools of education playing a much smaller role. 

    I dont have time to add to this much now but will include that we have to begin to get the federal government almost completely out of the states’ education policies and decisions which of course means federal money and the regulation that comes with it. The states’ legitimate role will always be secondary as long as the Department of Education and federal money remain

    • #24
  25. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Al Sparks (View Comment):

    One thing where Red state legislatures are lagging is the funding and control of their state colleges.

    What if they were to write laws banning tenure at the institutions that are a part of the state government? How about requiring that they include citizens, state residents, from outside the academy on their hiring committees? Plenty of jurisdictions have citizen based oversight committees over their police that include the ability to hire and fire a chief of police and even involve them in disciplinary proceedings. Why not state colleges?

    In Texas, there has been a movement to require more citizen oversight over the University of Texas system. But it hasn’t taken off. Why? Why aren’t conservatives becoming more ruthless when it comes to these educational institutions?

    One poster mentioned that the private sector may start to require less in the way of credentials for employment. That seems to be slow in coming. It’s partly because they are having trouble finding qualified people for specialized jobs. But Fortune 500 companies are addicted to credentials when it comes to hiring management. There’s not much government can do to directly stop that, and I think their would be unintended consequences if it did.

    But state government can look at what they require for their hires. And they can also take a look at what certifications are required to do certain work. Does every person who appears before the bar (a courtroom) as a lawyer really require 3 years of post graduate work? Abraham Lincoln was considered a very good lawyer before he became president. He had no formal schooling in the law.

    Colleges have accreditation organizations that are supported by the federal Department of Education and have a woke agenda. Technically, they don’t have to be accredited to stay in business. If two or three of the bigger states were to ban their state universities from seeking accreditation, perhaps smaller states would follow. Those woke accreditation organizations would then lose prestige.

    There are ways to declare political war on colleges. We don’t have to go after a Harvard or Yale, which are private schools with private endowments. Part of their power and prestige is that public universities follow their lead. How about the various legislatures require the institutions they have control over to stop that? That would have the affect of reducing the prestige of a Harvard or Yale.

    Excellent points, Al! I like the multipronged approach; that weakens the overall structure in multiple ways. Thanks.

    • #25
  26. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Percival (View Comment):

    Al Sparks (View Comment):
    Colleges have accreditation organizations that are supported by the federal Department of Education and have a woke agenda. Technically, they don’t have to be accredited to stay in business. If two or three of the bigger states were to ban their state universities from seeking accreditation, perhaps smaller states would follow. Those woke accreditation organizations would then lose prestige.

    Which brings me to my pet peeve. The Department of Education has been around over 42 years. Has education in this country gone up? Correlation is not causation, but shouldn’t it have gone up just a little? Or perhaps remained at the same level?

    Let’s just get rid of it. That would work for me!

    • #26
  27. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Ole Summers (View Comment):

    Good post and good ideas on something I have been making notes for a while and hopefully will put together as time allows. Tenure has to go. There has to be clearly stated objectives from the people of the state which is reflected in the courses and the personnel.

    But as suggested already, this is just a part of the overall education effort of the state. Among the areas which affect the entire education of the state’s children is teacher certification and its role in this. That should be revamped almost completely with the schools of education playing a much smaller role.

    I dont have time to add to this much now but will include that we have to begin to get the federal government almost completely out of the states’ education policies and decisions which of course means federal money and the regulation that comes with it. The states’ legitimate role will always be secondary as long as the Department of Education and federal money remain

    I will look for a post from you to elaborate further, Ole! This is such a rich mine to excavate!

    • #27
  28. David Carroll Thatcher
    David Carroll
    @DavidCarroll

    We are living in a pandemic. Not COVID.  A pandemic of the mental illness that is wokeism.

    This mental illness, complete with its delusions, is so entrenched, I don’t see anything that legislature can do.  Remember, the academy is both insular and insane.  Facts cannot cure delusions.  Maybe the legislatures could be effective by firing everyone at the public universities and starting over.  But that is not practical.

    If I were hiring professors, I would want them to answer a couple of questions and let them know that their response will be posted on social media.  The first question?  “Can a man get pregnant?”  Only by answering, “No,” would they be eligible for hire.  

    The second question, “Is affirmative action a form of systemic racism?”  Only by answering , “Yes,” would they be eligible for hire. 

       

    • #28
  29. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    David Carroll (View Comment):

    We are living in a pandemic. Not COVID. A pandemic of the mental illness that is wokeism.

    This mental illness, complete with its delusions, is so entrenched, I don’t see anything that legislature can do. Remember, the academy is both insular and insane. Facts cannot cure delusions. Maybe the legislatures could be effective by firing everyone at the public universities and starting over. But that is not practical.

    If I were hiring professors, I would want them to answer a couple of questions and let them know that their response will be posted on social media. The first question? “Can a man get pregnant?” Only by answering, “No,” would they be eligible for hire.

    The second question, “Is affirmative action a form of systemic racism?” Only by answering , “Yes,” would they be eligible for hire.

     

    I like it! But let me also remind you, the legislatures hold the purse strings. The public universities are not going to find it so easy to blow them off. I read of an English dept. in FL that put up something on their website that violated a new FL law; they took it down without pressure from the gov’s office. They hate DeSantis, and that’s a good thing.

    • #29
  30. David Carroll Thatcher
    David Carroll
    @DavidCarroll

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    David Carroll (View Comment):

    We are living in a pandemic. Not COVID. A pandemic of the mental illness that is wokeism.

    This mental illness, complete with its delusions, is so entrenched, I don’t see anything that legislature can do. Remember, the academy is both insular and insane. Facts cannot cure delusions. Maybe the legislatures could be effective by firing everyone at the public universities and starting over. But that is not practical.

    If I were hiring professors, I would want them to answer a couple of questions and let them know that their response will be posted on social media. The first question? “Can a man get pregnant?” Only by answering, “No,” would they be eligible for hire.

    The second question, “Is affirmative action a form of systemic racism?” Only by answering , “Yes,” would they be eligible for hire.

     

    I like it! But let me also remind you, the legislatures hold the purse strings. The public universities are not going to find it so easy to blow them off. I read of an English dept. in FL that put up something on their website that violated a new FL law; they took it down without pressure from the gov’s office. They hate DeSantis, and that’s a good thing.

    Legislatures may have a limited reach in changing certain public behaviors, but changing the academy’s hearts and minds is quite another thing.  Delusions resist contrary facts.

    • #30
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.