Miseducated or Stupid?

Written by Walter E. Williams

A recent Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation survey found that 51 percent of American millennials would rather live in a socialist or communist country than in a capitalist country. Only 42 percent prefer the latter. Twenty-five percent of millennials who know who Vladimir Lenin was view him favorably. Lenin was the first premier of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Half of millennials have never heard of Communist Mao Zedong, who ruled China from 1949 to 1959 and was responsible for the deaths of 45 million Chinese people.… Continue Reading

Colleges: A Force For Evil

Written by Walter E. Williams

Many of the nation’s colleges have become a force for evil and a focal point for the destruction of traditional American values. The threat to our future lies in the fact that today’s college students are tomorrow’s teachers, professors, judges, attorneys, legislators and policymakers. A recent Brookings Institution poll suggests that nearly half of college students believe that hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment. Of course, it is.… Continue Reading

Why People Keep Falling for Socialism, Despite the Evidence

Written by Walter E. Williams

Poverty is no mystery, and it’s easily avoidable.

The poverty line that the Census Bureau used in 2016 for a single person was an income of $12,486 that year. For a two-person household, it was $16,072, and for a four-person household, it was $24,755.

To beat those poverty thresholds is fairly simple. Here’s the road map: complete high school; get a job, any kind of a job; get married before having children; and be a law-abiding citizen.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Talking Education Issues with Dr. Duke Pesta

Public education issues, as well as an excellent alternative to public school, are the topics of discussion for this week’s Spotlight podcast. David Smith and Monte Larrick are joined by Dr. Duke Pesta, associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and academic director of Freedom Project Academy, a K-12, nationally accredited online school based on Judeo-Christian values.

If you thought Common Core had been sent to a permanent detention hall, think again.… Continue Reading

Weasel of the Week: Educrat Arne Duncan

Written by Michelle Malkin

Educrat (ED-yoo-krat) noun, usually pejorative. A government school official or administrator whose primary function is to spend tax dollars telling other parents what to do with their children.

Beltway education bureaucrats abhor families who choose to keep their kids out of public schools — unless it’s to grandstand over gun control.

Behold Arne Duncan, longtime pal of Barack Obama and former U.S. Department of Education secretary, who called last weekend for parents nationwide to withdraw students from classes “until gun laws [are] changed to keep them safe.”… Continue Reading

When Ideology Collides with Good School Governance

Written by R.B.A. DiMuccio

Should schools be focused on providing children with a good education in a safe environment or should they be laboratories of partisan political agitation? The answer, of course, should be obvious. The National School Boards Association states that “education is not a line item in your school board’s budget, it’s the only item.” The principles of “governance and leadership,” such as those articulated by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, make no allowance for focusing on anything other than educating children.… Continue Reading

Laurier University and the Transsexual Pronoun War

Written by Ben Cohen

Wilfrid Laurier University teaching assistant Lindsay Shepherd, never anticipated she would be at the center of a media firestorm. Earlier this year, Shepherd showed her class an excerpt of a panel discussion on gender neutral pronouns and Canadian anti-discrimination law. The panel featured five guests, including Canadian psychologist Jordan B. Peterson.

After one or more students complained, the university reprimanded Shepherd for creating a toxic environment. When Shepherd leaked secretly recorded audio of two professors and an administrator reprimanding her, the university faced widespread condemnation and apologized to Shepherd.… Continue Reading

School Funding Bill Compromise: ‘CPS Got Bailed Out and We Made Promises We Can’t Keep’

Written by John Biver

Earlier this month, the Illinois General Assembly approved a school funding bill compromise that Governor Bruce Rauner supports. The Illinois News Network reports:

“For far too long, too many low-income students in our state have been trapped in underfunded, failing schools,” Rauner said in a statement. “The system needed to change. We have changed it. We have put aside our differences and put our kids first. It’s a historic day for Illinois.”

SPOTLIGHT: Repeal and Replace Common Core

Written by Benjamin Smith

In the Spotlight this week, Monte Larrick and David Smith speak with Lennie Jarratt, the project manager for the Center for Transforming Education at The Heartland Institute.

Jarratt is well-versed on Common Core and education choice. He’s been on Fox News, Breitbart, ABC Chicago and multiple radio outlets and newspapers across the United States. He has been a presenter on panels to discuss education choice, common core, homeschooling, and Illinois Freedom of Information Laws with groups such as American Majority, Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Illinois Tea Party groups, homeschool conventions, and state legislative hearings.… Continue Reading

Back-To-School Shopping That’s #AnywhereButTARGET

As heat of summer reaches a peak, many families are already preparing for back-to-school shopping in the coming weeks. Many will also be taking advantage of “sales tax free” weekends right around the corner.

Over the past year, millions of conservatives have pledged to shop #AnywhereButTARGET and are using 2ndVote’s research to make shopping decisions that align more closely with their values. We’ve put together a some of the best alternatives from our database for all your back-to-school needs.… Continue Reading