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CHICAGO, IL - The president of an American Federations of Teachers' affiliate in Chicago was berated by a Black mom for claiming on a radio station that standardized tests are "junk science rooted in White supremacy" as well as "eugenics."
Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union and executive vice president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, was asked by a Black radio station last week about public school students' declining reading and math scores. Specifically, criticism that Gates was advocating to boost teachers' contracts with money that would be better served addressing student achievement.
She responded that gauging student achievement through testing was the problem.
"The way in which, you know, we think about learning and think about achievement is really and truly based on testing, which at best is junk science rooted in White supremacy," she said. "Now, if you have another hour, I can get into why standardized tests are born out of the eugenics movement. And the eugenics movement is always thought to see Black people as inferior to those that are non-Black." Click here to read more.
LANSING, Mich - When Michigan’s lawmakers created the current state budget, they used a Greater Lansing area education service agency to distribute millions of dollars in hand-picked projects to areas far from the capital city.
The state budget routinely allocates grants to organizations selected by legislators who want to bring pork home to their district, with this year’s number close to $1 billion. There’s no competitive process or accountability for how the money is spent. The grants are usually directly disbursed to the intended recipient. This year’s budget, however, involves a middleman.
The Clinton County Regional Educational Service Agency, a unit of government that serves public school districts, will receive $75 million from the education budget. Of that money, it must send $18 million to predetermined organizations throughout the state. Click here to read more.
CHICAGO, IL - While Mayor Brandon Johnson has denied clearing Chicago’s homeless encampments had anything to do with the Democratic National Convention, his administration has said otherwise. Even his allies suspect a double standard.
With Chicago in the national spotlight for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Mayor Brandon Johnson has been working to tidy things up and hide the city’s homeless.
Johnson ordered eight Chicago homeless encampments closed ahead of the convention, including one of the city’s largest along the main thoroughfare Democratic delegates would travel between McCormick Place Convention Center and the United Center.
City leaders have denied claims the encampment closures were to hide the homeless from delegates.
Moving one of the city’s largest homeless encampments July 17 near the Dan Ryan Expressway was to avoid potential safety concerns for delegates, Maura McCauley, managing deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services told the Chicago Tribune. Click here to read more.
LOS ANGELES, CALIF - Hacienda Community Development Corp. is participating in a taxpayer-funded down payment assistance program that gives money to non-citizens to buy homes in Oregon while excluding American citizens from eligibility, according to records provided to the Daily Caller.
Hacienda CDC is reportedly offering $30,000 for down payment assistance for eligible new homebuyers through their Camino a Casa program, according to a screenshot first reported by X user Oregon Citizen. “Clients work closely with financial coaches and HUD-certified housing counselors throughout the entirety of the homebuying process. In addition to mortgage readiness and financial fitness workshops, we provide various opportunities for down-payment assistance,” the organization states. Click here to read more.
CHICAGO, IL - ATWATER, Calif. (Gray News) – Three people are facing charges following the death of a correctional officer at a high-security federal prison in California after he handled an envelope with illegal drugs in it.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of California, the three defendants were arrested Tuesday.
Those charged include Jamar Jones, 35, an inmate at U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater; Stephanie Ferreira, 35, of Evansville, Indiana; and Jermen Rudd III, 37, of Wentzville, Missouri.
Court documents show that between July 15 and Aug. 9, the three conspired to get narcotics into the prison for Jones to sell to other inmates.
Officials said Rudd mailed a letter to Jones that was laced with narcotics and fraudulently labeled as legal mail.
On Aug. 9, a correctional officer at the prison opened the letter, which had five pieces of “waxy” paper inside, and “minutes later began to feel ill,” officials said.
The officer was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
A second officer also became sick after handling the letter, but he recovered. Click here to read more.
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