Defining Education Down in the Name of Equity

Which is the greatest threat to children’s education? Are you referring to COVID-19 or ignorance? I’m going for number two. Evidence is mounting to support my claim.

In August, Oregon Governor Kate Brown Privately signed The bill repeals the requirement that students in high schools prove proficiency in reading, math and writing before being allowed to graduate. It lasts three years. The pandemic was blamed for students falling behind, but the real motive was revealed by the governor’s spokesman, Charles Boyle, who said existing standards failed students who don’t test well and that new standards would aid the state’s “Black, Latino, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal and students of color.” I’m surprised he didn’t include, as President Biden often does, the LGBTQI-plus demographic.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was stepping down in May, ordered that the Elimination of the city’s gifted and talented program. It is easy to see why. The program is criticized by some as racist, as it predominantly includes Asian and white students. De Blasio is willing to allow children already enrolled in the program to finish it, but will not accept new students. Instead, reports The New York Times, “The system will be replaced by a program that offers the possibility of accelerated learning to students in the later years of elementary school.” Who will qualify for that? But who will have the final say? But what if the racial or ethnic disparity is still present?

De Blasio is absurd Claim, “I bet you a lot of parents are going to look at this plan and say this is a reason to stay in public schools.” Quite the opposite. Enrollment in city public schools has fallen below 890,000 students — down from more than a million kids a decade ago, according to internal Department of Education (DOE) records viewed by The New York PostThe following is a list. COVID-19 is just one reason. The exodus is likely to be exacerbated by people leaving New York City for home-schooling or moving abroad. Over the past five years – starting before COVID – New York City public schools shed at least 10% of their students, according to DOE figures.

Although the decline of American education isn’t a new phenomenon, it has been intensified by politicians who have allowed their ideology to override actual outcomes.

I’ve written about the Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) in the past because it has a record of success, which ought to be the primary goal, not pleasing politicians and teachers’ unions. According to CSF’s website, “In New York City, 99.4 percent of CSF alumni responding to our alumni survey graduated high school on time in 2018, compared to the most recent average NYC public school graduation rate of 77.3 percent. Of the CSF alumni who graduated, 87 percent indicated they planned to enroll in college.” The same gap between CSF students and public schools exists in other cities where they are active.

What is – or ought to be – especially pleasing is the testimonies given by the mostly minority students who have been rescued from their failing public schools and given a chance at a real education, not to mention a moral framework for how to live a good life. You can read some of these stories at the website.

CSF awarded $885 million to scholarships for 185,000 kids since their inception. CSF distributed $46.9 Million in scholarships awards during the last school year. It would help more kids if politicians were to adopt school choice as a trend.

Cutting a gifted and talented program and not requiring kids to read, write or do basic math flunks the test of what education is supposed to mean and limits a child’s job and career opportunities. It is an act of child abuse.

About Post Author

Follow Us