Archive for the ‘education’ Category

Damning OIG report leads to an obvious conclusion: Chicago Public Schools system has too much money

Posted: January 14, 2024 by John Ruberry in crime, education, News/opinion, opinion/news, politics
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By John Ruberry

When I was in sixth grade at Palos East Elementary School near Chicago, for two semesters the school principal withheld my report card–pretty good ones by the way–because the shrewish school librarian said I failed to return a book. I told her that I did, but that wasn’t good enough for her. 

Eventually, the missing book turned up. It was a school library employee, possibly “the Shrew” herself, who misplaced that book. 

Which brings me to a story out of Chicago that is not getting nearly enough coverage The disappearance from mid-2022 to mid-2023 of electronic devices–laptops, iPads, and more–over 77,000 devices, according to a report from the Chicago Public Schools’ Office of the Inspector General. 

Sure, the local media reported on the OIG report for a couple of days. But they of course lean left, and the sympathetic media has moved on to other stories, such as criticizing Texas governor Greg Abbott for sending buses with illegal migrants to the Chicago area. Of course, our “betters” in the media rarely condemn the politician who is at fault for the migrant crisis–Joe Biden.

Back to CPS: The OIG says there have been no repercussions for the students who failed to return them. Their parents weren’t sent a bill–and yes, the kids certainly received their report cards. The value of those lost and stolen devices is massive, over $23 million. In 2021-2022, CPS spend $123 million on technology devices. “You can’t pin this on COVID,” CPS Inspector General Will Fletcher told CBS Chicago. “You can pin this on students who are just taking devices and not returning them.”

CPS, with COVID-related funding drying up next year, faces a huge deficit. But when reading the OIG report, one can conclude Chicago Public Schools has too much money. It’s time for CPS to go on a diet, or be put into some kind receivership, possibly under federal control–but only with a Republican in the White House.

Too much money? Yeppo. If $23 million in equipment goes “missing” and it only becomes public knowledge because of an OIG report, then there is not a lack of money issue for Chicago schools.

Let’s not place all of the blame on the students for the thievery. The report also notes that at three dozen CPS schools, every tech device was marked lost or stolen. All of them. An inside job? That’s likely, in my opinion.

Here’s some more waste: Could these devices have been tracked. Yes. OIG Fletcher also told CBS Chicago, “The district spends about two and a half million dollars on software that’s meant to track and locate devices, but the district just wasn’t using that software.”

The Office of the Inspector General previously discovered over a dozen CPS employees, some in leadership roles and collecting six-figure annual sinecure salaries, allegedly fraudulently obtained PPP loans. And one elementary school assistant principal has allegedly stole over $270,000 from her school.

Even worse than theft and incompetence is sexual assault. During the same time period covering the thefts, the OIG discovered eight substantiated adult-against-child incidents of sexual abuse.

Last year Chicagoans made the horrible mistake of electing leftist Brandon Johnson mayor. He’s a former CPS teacher and Chicago Teachers Union instructor. Johnson apparently is too busy criticizing Greg Abbott–a Google News search retrieved no comments from Johnson, the CTU pick for mayor, about the OIG report.

Chicagoans voted for more failure.

Are the students learning anything at CPS schools? Not really, over three-quarters of them test below grade level. 

Now back to report cards: Here is my grade for Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Teachers Union, and Brandon Johnson.

It’s an F minus. 

And I will happily hand out those report cards.

John Ruberry, who attended a CPS school as a kindergartener, regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

Five Basic Questions Under the Fedora: Biden Admin, Schultz Disease, How Many Days Will Belichick Have Off?, Getting Drafty, Cue Yamamoto

Posted: January 11, 2024 by datechguy in Blame Biden Administration, culture, education, medicine, nfl, politics
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Can somebody answer this: 

For the sake this basic Question I’ll stipulate that Joe Biden won the last election cleanly and is not the figurehead of a foreign or domestic enemy whose was worried about the success of the US and set a goal to bring US down.

So my question: “If you were a foreign and/or domestic enemy of the United States whose goal was to bring down the country that was prospering under Trump and to that end stole election 2020 to put a puppet regime in place to enact that goal, how would your actions and agenda differ from the Biden Administrations over the last four years?”

Speaking of people trying to bring down the country apparently Dr. Anthony Fauci must not have taken his medication yesterday as he had quite a series of memory lapses.

Testifying under oath before congress he replied “I don’t recall” over 100 times. It’s a rather nasty case of Schultz disease:

So the question: How is it that being under oath tends to undermine the memory of people who are supposedly competent intelligent and in charge? 

Unexpectedly of courseTM

As I was tying this post a tweet from Rapoport & Pelissero tweeted and the NFL reported that Bill Belichick is out in New England. A news conference has been called for Noon.

I question the wisdom here as Mike Vrabel not withstanding it’s unlikely they will find a better coach but be that as it may.

While Bill might enjoy the first days off he had over the last quarter century the next question is obvious:

How many days off is he going to get before he is snatched up by a team?

If I owned a team I wouldn’t wait and let someone else get him. He’ll need time to evaluate prior to the April draft. 

Apparently the number of white recruits in the US army has practically been halved since 2018.

Think about it barely 25K recruits.

This is via gateway pundit and Military.com as is this tweet that says it all:

https://twitter.com/JesseKellyDC/status/1745251068903039388

The question is obvious:

How much longer can the US avoid bringing back the draft?

I’m thinking even with a Trump or DeSantis admin not very long because unless you completely purge the woke you aren’t getting men.

Finally we now have learned that the story concerning Bill Ackman’s wife was shopped to multiple press outlets who rejected it out of hand before Business Insider decided to run with it and then have it blow up in their faces to the point where the owner of the company is rather worried:

Ackman seems to be on the warpath and the folks who green lighted this must be feeling like Admiral Yamamoto at the end of the movie Tora Tora Tora

All of this is interesting and amusing but nobody seems to have the answer to the obvious question:

Who were the people shopping this story?

We need to know their names because if the DEI state falls ironically we will have them to thank for it

Question: How Do You Know People From MIT are Smarter than People From Harvard and Penn?

Posted: January 5, 2024 by datechguy in culture, education, Israel vs Hamas, middle east
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Answer: Because their president knew when to shut up.

It’s been a month or so since the presidents of Penn, Harvard and MIT made fools of themselves in their congressional testimony. The President of Penn resigned that week, the President of Harvard, being a woman of color, needed a month and massive evidence of plagiarism to get her out the door. 

Now as we near the end of the Christmas Season only Sally Kornbluth the President of MIT remains and although Bill Ackman has turned his attention to her and a lecturer has resigned this week over their response to antisemitism on campus Kornbluth still stands.

Why because after her disastrous performance before congress she did the one thing that neither Gay of Harvard nor Magill of Penn did, she managed to keep her mouth shut and her head down.

Both Gay and Magill put out videos declaring loudly once they were not under oath what they should have said under oath. Kornbluth remained silent. In fact if you do a google search for news stories with the word “Kornbluth” and sort by date you will note very few stories concerning her during the period from the time between Magill’s resignation and Gay’s. In fact the most significant story in play was this from the Times of Israel:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology president Sally Kornbluth, who came under fire after her testimony on the university’s response to antisemitism, attended a screening of a compilation film showing Hamas atrocities carried out on October 7, Prof. Retsef Levi says on X, formerly Twitter.

Levi, a critic of Kornbluth, says he also attended the screening, as did chairman of the MIT board Mark Gorenberg and other faculty.

The screening of the tightly controlled film, which was put together by the IDF, was hosted by the MIT Chabad house

This silence clearly paid dividends. A full month has passed since the base hearing, she can point to her attendance of the screening above while still staying married to the narrativeTM as demonstrated by this memo which came out yesterday:

We will soon announce a new Vice President for Equity and Inclusion (VPEI). With this new role, we have an important opportunity to reflect on and comprehensively assess the structures and programs intended to support our community and create a welcoming environment.

While we address the pressing challenge of how best to combat antisemitism, Islamophobia and hatred based on national origin or ethnicity in our community, we need to talk candidly about practical ways to make our community a place where we all feel that we belong.

While she doesn’t have the advantages of Gay’s racial bona fides she also doesn’t apparently have any of the plagiarism issues to worry about.  Combine that with her pushing of DEI along with repeating the canard that “Islamaphobia” as an issue that needs to be combated on campus and she has put the left on notice that she is on board and no amount of Hamas atrocities are going to derail her from the cause.

Given her history at Duke university this is no surprise.

So while the focus might turn to MIT and some may put some effort in bringing heat toward MIT in general and Kornbluth in particular I’m predicting that Kornbluth will still be president of MIT when this year’s class graduates and the next semester’s class enters.

After all there is nothing that draws those arab billions to a US college like a Jewish president willing to play ball and smart enough to dodge the consequences of same.

Unexpectedly of course.

Bonus Thought: Harvard and Penn are both known for their Law Schools, You would think people who run law schools would know the first rule of law, particularly if you know you’re guilty is to SHUT UP! MIT may not do law but as a school known for more practical skills and thus figured this out.

The Christmas season has four days left to it and our days of Christmas fundraiser still has $2345 to go help us make it over the line by donating here

Harvard and Claudette Gay Highlight the Reason for the Christmas Season

Posted: January 3, 2024 by datechguy in catholic, education
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Henry Gondorff (Posing as Mr. Shaw) : If any of you guys want to make a little book in Chicago I’m the guy to see

Mr. Clements: The game is straight poker $100 minimum, table stakes. [Gondorf/Shaw reaches for his wallet in his coat] Ah Mr. Shaw this is a gentleman’s game, we all assume you’re good for your debts.

The Sting 1973

As we are at the home stretch for the Christmas season (10th day of Christmas) I’d like to thank Harvard University in general ad Claudette Gay in particular of highlighting the reason for this season.

As you all know the now ex president of Harvard University got into hot water for her response to the horrible antisemitism on Campus since the Hamas Terror attacks of October seventh. It got so bad on campus that the Hanukkah Menorah on campus had to be hidden away each day after being lighted to prevent it from being vandalized which would cause further bad publicity for the school already rocked by open and proud Jew hatred on campus.

Things were so bad that Gay along with the presidents of MIT and Penn were called before congress to address the issue and in the most incredible public spectacle equivocated when asked if calling for the extermination of Jews was against the school codes both for the group in general

and for Gay in particular

The president of Penn resigned within days but Gay hung on and the Board at Harvard defended her. Even when revelations that Gay had a plagiarism problem and that Harvard had taken aggressive steps to keep said problem quiet she was defended. As recently as four days ago the Harvard Crimson ran an editorial saying that Gay should NOT be made to resign.

A sober-minded assessment of the plagiarism charges indicates that Gay’s behavior constitutes plagiarism, but since the errors do not appear intentional, they do not warrant her resignation.

Because we still have faith in our president as a scholar, because we regard her plagiarism as limited and unintentional, and because we recognize that a stopgap interim president would bring chaos instead of needed stability, we do not believe President Gay should resign.

Harvard Crimson: President Gay Plagiarized, but She Should Stay. For Now.

Note that there is not a word in that piece about her handling of campus antisemitism.

Well Gay has now tendered her resignation and the question remains will the board clean house or will it find an anti-Semite who hasn’t committed plagiarism to take her place? For that we will wait and see (I’m betting on the 2nd choice myself).

But the title of this post is : Harvard and Claudette Gay Highlight the Reason for the Christmas Season so the obvious question is: How do these antisemitism and plagiarism scandals highlight the reason for the Christmas Season?

That’s actually very easy.

James Madison nailed it when he wrote: If men were angels we would need no government, If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.

Harvard is one of the elite universities. It’s pedigree goes back to before the founding of the nation, many of the most powerful people in the history of the American Republic have tread it’s hallowed halls. Even now Senators, congressmen, governors and members of our Supreme Court have attended or been faculty of that fabled university.

Yet it has an honor code, a written honor code because it’s known and understood that mankind is by it’s nature fallen.

And because mankind is fallen and can’t get up on its own, it was necessary for a redeemer, a savior, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The one who would save mankind bringing salvation through the forgiveness of their sins

And thus Christ came into the world to die for the sins of the world. It’s was a tough task, so tough that Christ himself asked his father to excuse him from it, yet he did as this father willed.

Harvard’s antisemitism, Gay’s reaction to it along with her plagiarism, and the rush to defend what people knew was wrong highlights the nature of sin, of how ethics go out the window when self interest and agendas are at risk. And while this was a big issue on a grand scale with national implications it’s no different that the man who rationalizes what he knows is wrong at the dinner table or at work.

All of them need a savior and as Linus Van Pelt reminded us:

Linus Van Pelt: And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'” That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Many of us on the right are pleased that Justice has been at least started at Harvard, that this is a blow to DEI and the ills that have come of it. That the vile venom of antisemitism might be checked at the campus, but in this season let us be more grateful that we know a savior has been born to take away those sins and our own.

Merry 10th Day of Christmas to all.

The days of Christmas continue to pass and our fundraiser continues with us $2865 & 10 subscribers from our goal. If you’d like what you see please consider kicking in here.

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