Author: James Druley, Ray M. Sanchez, and David Richardson

James Druley teaches philosophy at Madera Community College. Ray M. Sanchez is Faculty Coordinator of Academic Success Centers at Madera Community College in Madera, California and has a M.A. in History from CSU, Fresno. David Richardson also has a M.A. in History from CSU, Fresno and has taught history in community colleges for 30 years.

The Evolution and Implementation of Equity (Part II)

February 25, 2021
By James Druley, Ray M. Sanchez, and David Richardson

In Part I of this essay, we discussed the origins of the term “equity,” its original meaning of fairness, its degeneration into forced equality of outcome, and its eventual inversion into unfair repression of some groups as a necessary means to bring about successful outcomes for others. In this second part, we describe how equity—equality […]

The Evolution and Implementation of Equity (Part I)

February 18, 2021
By James Druley, Ray M. Sanchez, and David Richardson

I. A Good Term Gone Bad The modern term “equity” originally comes to us from the Old French term, equite, which in turn came from the original Latin, aequitatem, a word that could mean a number of different things, including equality, fairness, uniformity, or even symmetry. At the end of the 16th century, Western Europeans began […]

Suffer the Children: Critical Race Theory in the Classroom

“When we teach history, we’re teaching our children who they are and where they came from. When we teach them civics, we teach them who they can become. If we allow critical race theory to corrupt this, we will teach them the soul-crushing lesson that they’re nothing more than the color of their skin—and that’s all they’ll ever be.” - Texas Public Policy Foundation, 5/10/21

A Welcome Backlash against Critical Race Theory

“Contrary to what many of CRT’s advocates often claim, the theory is about more than just teaching kids to 'think critically' about the role that race has played in American history. It’s the conceptual apparatus of a self-avowedly activist political movement seeking to renovate the American social order from root to branch using state power.” - National Review, 5/10/21

Guilt by Association at Syracuse

“The words of the First Amendment are emblazoned on the side of Syracuse’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication. The university’s chancellor, Kent Syverud, said that he couldn’t imagine the 'genuine search for truth thriving here without free speech.' For students at Syracuse, however, their experience often falls short of the school’s lofty commitments.” - RealClearEducation, 5/10/21

UNC’s 1619 Project Hire: A Case Study of Failed University Governance

“Given Hannah-Jones’s questionable credentials, how did she get hired at North Carolina’s flagship research university? The most likely explanation is that unaccountable faculty and administrators made the executive decision to hire her without any involvement by the university’s Board of Trustees.” - The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, 5/10/21

The Thin Zoom Line

“The story behind an adjunct's suspension at Cypress College leads to threats to the adjunct, colleagues and the campus itself. A debate about cancel culture that went viral ultimately raises questions about who's getting canceled.” - Inside Higher Ed, 5/10/21

5 Ways Parents Are Responsible For Public Education’s Failures

“Bottom line: the education of your child or children is your job. Even if you feel intimidated by the system, there are ways to make it work for you, or to solve your family’s needs when the system won’t. You have to take the time and effort to become the education activist your child needs you to be.” - The Federalist, 5/10/21

Getting Ed Tech Wrong Would Be a Bitter Pandemic Legacy

“During this past year, there appeared to be some rough consensus that virtual learning—while mostly still mediocre—has clearly improved from last spring. But that’s all in the past. What I’m far more interested in, looking forward, is how bad ed-tech habits that formed during the shutdown risk compromising instruction and even slowing the return to school next fall.” - Education Week, 5/10/21

Western Colorado University President Resigns

“In February, the university's Faculty Senate passed a referendum calling for new leadership at the university. The Faculty Senate cited Salsbury’s response to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. In a January message to employees, Salsbury compared violence at the Capitol to other protests in 2020.” - Inside Higher Ed, 5/10/21

Illinois House passes bill radically expanding scope of affirmative action, renaming it 'positive action'

"A bill that has already passed the Illinois state House of Representatives and awaits a state Senate vote would grant preferences in hiring and promotion to people with 'any characteristic whatsoever that might disadvantage somebody, regardless of whether the characteristic is inherited or self-inflicted.' A lack of education, for instance." - American Thinker, 5/10/21

Biden's pre-K plan is a bipartisan opportunity to serve the nation's children

“Democrats and Republicans agree on the importance of high-quality early childhood education. It makes children’s lives better, supports low and moderate-income families and is a wise investment in the future. But too often, early childhood education is pushed to the bottom of the to-do list in favor of seemingly more urgent topics.” - The Hill, 5/9/21