90 Miles From Tyranny

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Why Would Anyone Give Up Freedom?

Sloth.

In the Name of Equity, California Will Discourage Students Who Are Gifted at Math

The new framework aims to keep everyone learning at the same level for as long as possible.

California's Department of Education is working on a new framework for K-12 mathematics that discourages gifted students from enrolling in accelerated classes that study advanced concepts like calculus.

The draft of the framework is hundreds of pages long and covers a wide range of topics. But its overriding concern is inequity. The department is worried that too many students are sorted into different math tracks based on their natural abilities, which leads some to take calculus by their senior year of high school while others don't make it past basic algebra. The department's solution is to prohibit any sorting until high school, keeping gifted kids in the same classrooms as their less mathematically inclined peers until at least grade nine.

"The inequity of mathematics tracking in California can be undone through a coordinated approach in grades 6–12," reads a January 2021 draft of the framework. "In summary, middle-school students are best served in heterogeneous classes."

In fact, the framework concludes that calculus is overvalued, even for gifted students.

"The push to calculus in grade twelve is itself misguided," says the framework.

As evidence for this claim, the framework cites the fact that many students who take calculus end up having to retake it in college anyway. Of course, de-prioritizing instruction in high school calculus would not really solve this problem—and in fact would likely make it worse—but the department does not seem overly worried. The framework's overriding perspective is that teaching the tough stuff is college's problem: The K-12 system should concern itself with making every kid fall in love with math.

Broadly speaking, this entails making math as easy and un-math-like as possible. Math is really about language and culture and social justice, and no one is naturally better at it than anyone else, according to the framework.

"All students deserve powerful mathematics; we reject ideas of natural gifts and talents," reads a bulletpoint in chapter one of the framework. "The belief that 'I treat everyone the same' is insufficient: Active efforts in mathematics teaching are required in order to counter the cultural forces that have led to and continue to perpetuate...

Crackdown: China Orders Citizens to 'Hunt Down' All Books with Religion, State 'Church' Sings Pro-Communist Song

Religious freedom is barely even a concept in communist China, and now it's under fresh assault from the anti-Christian regime.

Chinese American Pastor Bob Fu of the group China Aid, which provides legal aid to Christians in the People's Republic, recently tweeted, "New Cultural Revolution" starts in #CCPChina this notice to students in a 1st Grade class demanding all parents and teachers to hunt all "religious books, antagonistic books & overseas books including books & videos that are copied/duplicated &translated". Everyone is mandated!"

"CCP controlled 'three-self church' sings 'Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China'. The choir waves Communist Party flags on the pulpit. #Fakechurch watch the video clip here: https://youtu.be/AOVe7tddeqk via @YouTube The Lord is our Way, Truth and Life. john14:6," he tweeted.

CBN News Senior International Correspondent Gary Lane says this is not only just another effort by the Chinese Communist Party to indoctrinate students, but it's also trying to prevent disruptions for the 2022 Winter Olympics which will be held in Beijing next February.

"We've got an Olympics coming up and the Chinese communist government does not want any disruptions for the Olympics," Lane said during an interview during Monday's edition of CBN's Newswatch. "They really fear there could be...

Yesterday, Tucker announced that the National Security Agency had been collecting his communications in order to take him off the air. He has now provided a brief update:

Tucker Carlson @TuckerCarlson

Whistleblower to Tucker: You're being monitored

Tonight, the NSA responded to Tucker Carlson’s allegations. In particular, the NSA wrote:

Tucker Carlson alleged that the National Security Agency has been “monitoring our electronic communications and is planning to leak them in an attempt to take this show off the air.” This allegation is untrue.

This is a carefully drafted denial by the NSA (likely coordinated by NSA leadership), as there are three separate “allegations” within Tucker’s quote. To this we ask a key question: which “allegation” is untrue?

Is it that the NSA has been “monitoring [Tucker’s] electronic communications”?
Is it that the NSA “is planning to leak” Tucker’s communications?
Or is it that the NSA will try to take Tucker’s show “off the air”

Here the NSA is using vague language is used to mislead the public. The press will run this as a wholesale denial, and many in America will agree.

Those who look closely will see something else: