Republicans and right-leaning pundits are giddy over the effects of the November 2 Virginia gubernatorial election. Many see the come-from-behind victory as a template for Republican success in 2022 and 2024. Indeed, progressives generally—and especially liberal educationists—suffered a massive blow. An Election Based Upon the Culture War in Education The thrust of the victory came … Read more
In a recent debate, an East Coast politician accidentally let the truth seep out. “I’m not going to let parents come into schools and actually take books out and make their own decisions. I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” He subsequently reiterated the point. “Listen, we have a Board … Read more
Sometimes, I despair for the future of education. This occasional anguish was recently triggered by a videotaped lecture from a University of Michigan education professor. Her central premise was that elementary school math teachers must be constantly vigilant, lest they fall into verbal traps perpetuating racism. Free Book: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy … Read more
As any honest teacher will tell you, learning is difficult. However, teachers may only admit this truth when no one else is around. Such disclosures clash with the prevailing educational orthodoxy. In addition, learning difficulties are likely to be blamed on teachers, who thus make themselves targets. Therefore, making it easy to learn is a … Read more
Nate Bowling sees the current national controversy over Critical Race Theory (CRT) in simple terms. “It’s white backlash plus moral panic.” Mr. Bowling is not an uninformed observer. He is a social studies teacher and the 2016 “Teacher of the Year” for the State of Washington. He was quoted in the school administrators’ “trade paper,” … Read more
The battle over Critical Race Theory (CRT) is heating up in school board meetings, state legislatures, and in the Nation’s Capital. Several states are considering legislation banning CRT in classrooms. As of this writing, five states have passed them. However, that situation is fluid as schools prepare to open in the fall. Many readers might … Read more
“When all is said and done, a lot more will be said than done.” The above quote, attributed to many sources, is an all-too-accurate assessment of the state of academia, especially those engaged in Critical Race Theory (CRT). An Ongoing Controversy CRT is at the center of a raging debate over the teaching of history. … Read more
The conflict over teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in America’s schools – both public and parochial – is rising. At the heart of this clash are three versions of the history of racism in the United States. The Catholic View David G. Bonagura nicely expresses the Catholic vision in a recent article in The Catholic … Read more
“With lockdowns and distance learning, we have forced children into online addiction.” Neurologist Rosanna Chifari Negri raises the alarm in an article published by the Daily Compass: “The phenomenon of the online brain affects the frontal lobe, the seat of decision-making and strategy, which becomes atrophic and loses neurons irreversibly. The thinning of the cortex … Read more
No area of educational policy is as divisive as sex education. Those in favor cite statistics on teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Thus, they automatically enter into conflict with conservative Christians who primarily focus on moral arguments. They rightly affirm that sex education has a corrosive effect on children’s morality and reduces the beauty … Read more
