General
U.S. Supreme Court Order in TJ High School Case
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order in the Thomas Jefferson High School case involving racial discrimination in the criteria for admission to the elite school. The order denied the plaintiffs’ motion to vacate a “stay” that had been entered by the Court of Appeals. It’s easy to be confused about what the order…
Read MoreFairfax County Hires New School Superintendent
The Fairfax County School Board selected a new Superintendent at a marathon session on April 14. Michelle Reid, who has been the superintendent of a school district in the State of Washington, was hired to replace Scott Braband, who has been Superintendent since 2017. The selection of Reid was not without controversy. Rationale for Selecting…
Read MoreCourt Nixes School Board’s “Social Justice” Admissions Policy
Introduction The Fairfax County School Board implemented a new admissions policy last year for the elite Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (“TJ”), designed to increase the percentage of African American and Hispanic students in the school at the expense of Asian Americans. Yesterday, the federal district court in Alexandria struck down…
Read MoreIf It Can Happen in San Fran ….
The citizens of San Francisco overwhelming voted this week to throw three members of the local school board out of office. Only three of the seven members were eligible for recall. All three were ousted by more than 70 percent of the voters. The San Francisco School Board incurred the wrath of parents and other…
Read MoreCan I Make a Difference?
The Problem Is the Fairfax County School Board is on the wrong track? If so, what can be done? The current Board seems unanimous in its commitment to race-centric education that focuses on “privilege,” “identity,” and so-called “equity,” so the task of turning things around seems daunting. The Board apparently assumes that since they were…
Read MoreWhat “Stakeholder Groups” Does the School Board Seek Input From?
In formulating policy, the Fairfax County School Board and administrators will sometimes seek input from “stakeholder groups,” i.e., community groups that have an interest in the policies under review. Who are those groups? In 2020-2021, the School Board undertook a massive review and revision of school curricula for the purpose of devoting more attention to…
Read MoreInput on New Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools
The Fairfax County school system is conducting a search for a replacement of the outgoing Superintendent of Schools. A search firm has been retained. Community members have been invited to respond to a survey about what’s important in selecting the next Superintendent. Responses are anonymous. The survey includes multiple-choice questions and also a box for…
Read MoreIs It Okay For Schools To Teach About Race?
Is it appropriate for our public schools to teach children about racial issues? It’s an interesting question, and, in my view, there is no simplistic answer. I’m interested in how readers of this post would answer the question. Here’s the bottom-line of my current thinking: Proposed Principles Public schools should not — indeed, they realistically…
Read MoreFirst Steps
I began my research into the curriculum of the Fairfax County public schools in September 2021. A good place to start, I decided, would be to examine the History and Civics textbooks being used in the middle- and high-schools. Do they fail to address the history of race and indigenous people adequately, as some on…
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