Tag: Education

Member Post

James Hageman
James Hageman
75
 

12 13 14 15 in 2022.  Last year, according to my Kindle, I read 117 books. According to Goodreads, 129. According to my own record, 105. The discrepancy is that Kindle included some pamphlets and pdfs that were too short to count, and Goodreads included some books I finished in 2020 but didn’t record until 2021. […]
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Quote of the Day: Teach Us To Question

Lilly B
Lilly B
2313
 

Well, I would say the governor’s race in Virginia was decided based on the success of a right-wing propaganda campaign that told white parents that they needed to fight against their children being indoctrinated as race — as being called racists. But that was a propaganda campaign. And there are a lot of Black parents in Virginia. There are a lot of Latino parents in Virginia. And they were not being featured in that coverage. And what they wanted for their kids’ education, which is more teaching about race, more teaching about the history of racism, seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. So I think we should frame that question properly. And I don’t really understand this idea that parents should decide what’s being taught. I’m not a professional educator. I don’t have a degree in social studies or science. We send our children to school because we want them to be taught by people who have an expertise in the subject area. And that is not my job. When the, when the governor or the candidate said that he didn’t think parents should be deciding what’s being taught in school, he was panned for that. But that’s just the fact. This is why we send our children to school and don’t homeschool, because these are the professional educators who have the expertise to teach social studies, to teach history, to teach science, to teach literature. And I think we should leave that to the educators. Yes, we should have some say. But school is not about simply confirming our world view. Schools should teach us to question. They should teach us how to think, not what to think.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, journalist and founder of The 1619 Project, on “Meet the Press,” Dec. 26, 2021

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Abigail Shrier’s ‘Irreversible Damage’

Henry Racette
Henry Racette
35161639
 

Others have already commented on this book on Ricochet. In particular, Susan Quinn wrote this very nice post that drew heavily from it. I commented on a Bari Weiss interview with Abigail Shrier here. I’m sure other members have mentioned it, and several Ricochet podcasters have interviewed Ms. Shrier.

I spent a couple of the past few days in planes and airports and had an opportunity to finish a book and read two others, one of which was Ms. Shrier’s “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.”

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Quote of the Day: Father Brown on Skepticism

HankRhody Freelance Philosopher
HankRhody Freelance Philosopher
513
 

‘It’s what I call common sense, properly understood,’ replied Father Brown. ’It really is more natural to believe a preternatural story, that deals with things we don’t understand, than a natural story that contradicts things we do understand. Tell me that the great Mr Gladstone, in his last hours, was haunted by the ghost of Parnell, and I will be agnostic about it. But tell me that Mr Gladstone, when first presented to Queen Victoria, wore his hat in her drawing-room and slapped her on the back and offered her a cigar, and I am not agnostic at all. That is not impossible; it’s only incredible. But I’m much more certain it didn’t happen than that Parnell’s ghost didn’t appear; because it violates the laws of the world I do understand.

Much as I enjoy reading G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries, perhaps they’re best taken one at a time. There’s a certain uniformity to them, and I don’t just mean that the murderer never turns out to be Catholic. There are always sound, practical, men of the world who are deceived by some sort of supernatural occurrence, and Father Brown solves the mystery by disbelieving in old curses or modern magicians. While allowing for the vagaries of fiction there are things well worth learning in those stories.

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You Got the Analogy Right, But You Came to the Wrong Conclusion

Brian Scarborough
Brian Scarborough
108
 

Some lefty media person decided to chime in on the Terry McAuliffe gaffe by using a simple analogy. You remember: McAuliffe said that parents should not tell teachers what to teach. The commentator smugly said that teachers were professionals like surgeons and, therefore, parents should not tell teachers what to teach. After all, you would not tell a surgeon how to do surgery. You would leave it up to him or her.

After thinking about this for almost two seconds, I realized that he was partly right. We should treat teachers like surgeons — in a different way. A surgeon may recommend a certain kind of surgery, and you may say “Yes” or “No” to that. But the surgeon does not operate without your permission or perform surgery different from what you want. Of course, that is not really telling him how to do the surgery. It is telling him what surgery he is allowed to perform on you.

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Young Americans #79

We Don’t Need No Critical Race Theory

01
Hosted by Jack Butler
With guest Daniel Buck

It’s a conversation about all things critical theory, with returning guest and teacher Daniel Buck. It’s full of wisdom about why critical race theory is bad and what to teach instead, and full of digressions about ISIS and random Twitter accounts. Perhaps you’ll enjoy some of it.

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Resurrection of Meritocracy

Susan Quinn
Susan Quinn
5215
 

Much ink has been spilled regarding the benefits and drawbacks of meritocracy. I’ll provide some perspective on the history of the failings that have been credited to meritocracy, but I’m mainly here to say that if we want people to want to work and to stay employed, we must restore a meritocracy that gives them more than a paycheck, encourages them to be part of the workforce, and sustains them there, in spite of the forces that will encourage them to submit to Marxism and socialism.

Rather than focus on the arguments against providing a meritocracy, I’d like to address those who have given power to destroying it. Behind all their justifications are the mantras of the left: diversity, inclusion, and equity.

In a society where DIE is paramount, you simply can’t allow for a meritocracy. It emerged as a movement to counteract elitism as pointed out on the Powerline blog:

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City Journal's 10 Blocks

In Cities, Common Sense Is Common Ground

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Michael Hendrix joins Brian Anderson to discuss the Manhattan Institute’s polling of U.S. metro areas, the public-policy issues that commanded majority support, and the political implications for both parties.

Find the transcript of this conversation and more at City Journal.

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Member Post

Kelly D Johnston
Kelly D Johnston
57293
 

I recently warned you to ignore public opinion polling this week in Virginia’s hotly contested gubernatorial election between first-time GOP candidate Glenn Youngkin and former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. I feared that Democrats and their media allies, likely the Washington Post/ABC polling outfit, would engineer a poll designed to suppress the GOP vote as they did in […]
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Member Post

Lilly B
Lilly B
147
 

“I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” – Terry McAuliffe, September 28, 2021 “He hated his own family and never tired of weaning his gifted students from their families. His students…had to be cured of the disastrous misconceptions, the “standardized unrealities” imposed on them by their mindless parents.” – Ravelstein, […]
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The Ayaan Hirsi Ali Podcast #33

Katharine Birbalsingh on Belonging

11
Hosted by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
With guest Katharine Birbalsingh

Ayaan speaks with Katharine Birbalsingh about the importance of schools providing both a classical education and a place of belonging for children. Katharine explains how and why she established Michaela Community School. They also discuss the American obsession with race and how that is affecting education.

Katharine Birbalsingh is Headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School in Wembley, London. Michaela is known for its tough-love behavior systems, knowledge curriculum and teaching of kindness and gratitude. In 2017, the British Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills graded the school as “Outstanding” in every category.

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Three Martini Lunch

McAuliffe’s Major Admission, Dems Fight Over Spending, Biden’s Pathetic Media Complaint

93
Hosted by Greg Corombos & Jim Geraghty

Join Jim and Greg as they are glad to see Virginia Democrat Terry McAuliffe admit that Democrats don’t think parents should be able to tell schools what to teach their kids. Eroding parental rights is a growing movement on the left and Republican Glenn Youngkin is making McAuliffe pay for it in this year’s governor’s race. They also enjoy watching Democrats fight over their obscene spending agenda and which bloated bill must be passed first. And they roll their eyes as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says President Biden ignores press questions because sometimes reporters ask about subjects he doesn’t want to talk about.

 

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Brave New World – Part II (Emphasis on Brave)

Front Seat Cat
Front Seat Cat
87
 

Writing this on the eve of 9/11, like all of you, I feel like I am in a brave new world. We just came from a so-so Mexican restaurant..  My first choice was a fresh grouper basket with slaw, but the tourists are still here in droves, and we couldn’t inch our way into any place serving seafood. Our naturally pretty Hispanic waitress had multi-colored hair wrapped in braids – pink, blue, purple, and yellow. Her arms were heavily tattooed, going up her neck. The tattoos were not new, yet she looked too young to have aging tats.  My new neighbor across the street has the same rainbow hair. I looked it up – a) rebellious b) fashion statement c) relating to the LGBTQ agenda d) signaling a multi-gender identity. Ok.  We now have a brave new world where gender is being questioned on birth certificates, taught to kindergarteners who know nothing except innocence.  Disney has even released a new Cinderella that features a fairy godmother that is essentially a gay man in high heels and a dress. Brave – cough – new world.

I wasn’t eavesdropping on the booth behind us, but it was a pile of kids and I couldn’t help hearing their woes about being stalked on social media by a loose character they all had to block.  A world lived online – people behind a wall – lots of opinions – harassment. Anonymous. They were laughing about it, but the conversation was disturbing.  Brave new world. 

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Member Post

Front Seat Cat
Front Seat Cat
65
 

They say COVID was and is an “opportunity” to “Build Back Better”. This is the mantra of the World Economic Forum, our current president and other world leaders.  It includes many goals that seem good, even virtuous and “inevitable”. I appreciate learning. I also don’t want to become an older person who is closed-minded to […]
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Member Post

Illiniguy
Illiniguy
134
 

Having just read @rushbabe‘s post on Ricochet as a family, I reflected on the fact that I get a lot more substantive feedback about my role as a legislator here than I’d ever get from my own family. With that in mind, some of you have shown interest in keeping up with what’s happening in […]
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Young Americans #74

Buck to School

01
Hosted by Jack Butler
With guest Daniel Buck

Wisconsin teacher and fellow Millennial/runner Daniel Buck joins Jack to discuss some of the challenges of being an educator in a time of coronavirus and wokeness.

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Federalist Radio Hour

This Mom Won’t Let Teachers Union Bullies Stop Her From Questioning CRT In Her Kid’s School

11
Hosted by Jordan Davidson
With guest Nicole Solas

On this episode of “The Federalist Radio Hour,” concerned mother Nicole Solas joins Staff Writer Jordan Davidson to discuss how she’s fighting back against her local school district and the nation’s largest teachers union, which are both determined to indoctrinate her kindergarten daughter with critical race theory and radical gender ideology.

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This is Not Normal, Not Even a New Normal

Front Seat Cat
Front Seat Cat
119
 

If you are feeling bat-[bleep] crazy, or just plain bats (I hate to use that term bats, due to the Wuhan crap and is now associated with COVID), I just want to say (shout)  – you are not alone! Not by a longshot. You, my friend, are not crazy, but normal in every sense of the word, so rest assured. The circumstances around you are not right. Your sense that this is the case, is normal, so check that box. What is not normal is what we are witnessing around us. Let’s examine:

Gender – I read on my Apple News, that comes through on my phone whether I want it or not, that the head of the American “Medical” Association wants to reject putting any sex or gender on a new birth certificate. It is now about feelings that are subject to change. Are you kidding? Please resign. Even Mother Nature knows this is ridiculous and not normal, not in the bird world, or the dog world, or even the bat world, will any of God’s creatures ever give birth to a fluid-gender, confused new life. This is orchestrated.

Sovereignty and Patriotism – Being proud to be an American has always been part of our heritage. Italians are proud of Italy, their heritage, and many pasta recipes; Greeks are proud of their very long lineage, olives and feta, and so forth. We all share a common love of country, family, and a delicious, multicultural soup, that I cannot imagine a homogenized sameness, where border safety and our history are looked at as bad. Yet we are being intimidated to do just that. America was and is a refuge – a place where you can speak freely, be safe, where law and order are part of the fabric of a society without a fear or intimidation of imprisonment, censorship, or job loss because of one’s beliefs. That only happens in communist and totalitarian regimes, right? Not anymore. This is not normal.

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Federalist Radio Hour

How Empowered Parents Are Holding Schools Accountable For Politicizing Education

01
Hosted by Emily Jashinsky
With guest Laura Zorc

On this episode of “The Federalist Radio Hour,” Laura Zorc, director of education reform at FreedomWorks and executive director at Building Education for Students Together, joins Culture Editor Emily Jashinsky to discuss how parents can mobilize to hold their school boards accountable for allowing racist curriculum, radical gender theory, and politically motivated mask mandates in classrooms.

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Californians: You Have a State to Save

Clifford A. Brown
Clifford A. Brown
3816845
 

Larry Elder long used the tag line “America, we’ve got a country to save” with his daily radio show. Now he is running to save his state. Born and raised in California, Larry Elder has spent a lifetime refining his position on a wide spectrum of issues. The depth of his thought, his command of relevant fact, and his ability to communicate clearly and confidently was on display in the nearly hour long reporter round table hosted by the Sacramento Bee. Contrast Larry Elder’s performance with the incumbent governor’s defensive, hostile response to tough questions by a media assumed to be in his corner.

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