Liberal Virtue Signalling

Our Corrupt Media

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I Could Bend The Rules For This One

Usually I have a policy of not voting for squids.  The navy has a very different culture than what I'm used to, and in general I'd rather vote for someone who isn't navy over one who is.

This guy, though, would get my vote if I lived in his state:

The Best Political Ad of the Season Has Just Been Released

Whose Kids?

There's a definite leftward slant in this story, which isn't surprising since it comes from Oakland:

State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond was told to leave a school district meeting in Southern California after expressing his opposition to a policy that requires administrators to inform parents if their child identifies as transgender.

Thurmond was escorted out of the meeting held by the Chino Valley Unified School District when he exceeded his allotted one-minute speaking time by a second or two. 

He used his time to voice concerns about the policy, stating that it would violate the privacy rights of students. 

The policy requires schools to notify parents in writing within three days after their child identifies as transgender, is involved in violence or talks about suicide. Schools must also now notify parents if their child seeks to change their name or pronouns or asks for access to gender-based sports, bathrooms or changing rooms that do not match their assigned gender at birth.

Despite Thurmond's objections, the Chino School Board ultimately voted to approve the policy, which mandates schools to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender, seeks a name or pronoun change, or requests access to gender-based facilities that do not correspond with their assigned gender at birth.

Thurmond's dramatic exit and the controversial vote come at a time when liberals and conservatives are vying for power – and how to shape young minds – at school districts throughout the state of California. 

That's the rub right there.  Conservatives aren't trying to use schools "to shape young minds", we expect parents to do that.  Conservatives want to provide an education, not an indoctrination.

They're their parents' children, they're only our students.

Believing In "Science"

More on California's Recently Adopted Math Framework

Anyone who truly wants traditionally-underperforming students to succeed, and doesn't really want them to fail for their own political benefit, knows that the ideas contained in the new framework are a disaster, and it's not just those of us on the political right saying so:

Despite collapsing math scores, the California Board of Education voted to adopt a new "equity'" and "social justice" focused math education framework that education experts from across the political spectrum warn will increase achievement gaps and decrease learning among lower income and minority students.

Two out of three California students now fail to meet basic state math standards set in 2013. California spends over $20,000 per K-12 student, placing it among the top states for per-pupil spending even though its students rank 30th in math, according to national math SAT scores from the College Board.

Citing these differences, the framework focuses on three main changes to improve "equitable" math outcomes: "an assets-based approach to instruction; active student engagement through investigation and connection; and instruction that centers cultural and personal relevance, reflecting California's diverse students." 

As I've stated before on this blog about so-called personal relevance:

According to one Kieran Egan, “Bertrand Russell, after his first disastrous experiment in organizing a school, observed that the first task of education is to destroy the tyranny of the local and immediate over the child’s imagination."

Russell is correct. The purpose of education is to get a child to see what's beyond his own nose.  

But let's continue with the linked article:

Additionally, the framework concluded that "five important components of classroom instruction that can meet the needs of students who are diverse in so many ways: 1) plan teaching around big ideas; 2) use open, engaging tasks; 3) teach towards social justice; 4) invite student questions and conjectures; 5) prioritize reasoning and justification." 

I'll be happy to "teach towards social justice", but I doubt what I teach would be what the framework's authors and promoters would want. 

I'll be blunt.  As Instapundit has said many times:  If they can't give you good government, they'll give you "woke" government.  I'll add to that:  If they can't give you good education, they'll give you "woke" education.  And that's exactly what California is dishing up here.

What Side Would You Be On?

Kamala Harris to Lie About Florida's Social Studies Standards

I know this seems shocking and unbelievable, but Kamala Harris is going to lie about Florida's academic standards in an effort to score some political points.  No, she's not just operating under a different interpretation of those standards, she's going to lie, openly and brazenly:

NBC reports that Kamala Harris intends to visit Florida today to criticize its new school curriculum:

In remarks Thursday, Harris blasted efforts in some states to ban books and “push forward revisionist history.”

“Just yesterday in the state of Florida, they decided middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefited from slavery,” she said at a convention for the traditionally Black sorority Delta Sigma Theta Inc. “They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it.”

This is a brazen lie. It’s an astonishing lie. It’s an evil lie. It is so untrue — so deliberately and cynically misleading — that, in a sensible political culture, Harris would be obligated to issue an apology. Instead, NBC confirms that she will repeat the lie today during a speech in Jacksonville.

I have been trying to work out how best to illustrate the sheer scale of Harris’s falsehood, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to achieve it is to list in one place all the relevant parts of the course about which she is complaining. So, below, I have copied and pasted every single reference to slavery, slaves, abolitionism, civil rights, and African Americans that is in the document. For those interested, the full curriculum (along with the curriculum for the teaching of the Holocaust) is here.

That list of references to "slavery, slaves, abolitionism, civil rights, and African Americans that is in the document" is long and extensive, and I encourage you to read it at the end of the linked article.  The entire Florida document is linked in the above snippet.

As for the impetus for Harris' remarks, they seem to revolve around standard SS.68.AA.2.3:

Examine the various duties and trades performed by slaves (e.g., agricultural work, painting, carpentry, tailoring, domestic service, blacksmithing, transportation).
Benchmark Clarifications:
Clarification 1: Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.

Slaves were sometimes allowed to earn their own money and even buy their freedom.  It's true, so why is that controversial?  Answer:  it's not.  Harris' (and her compatriots') outrage is entirely ginned up, twisting the meaning of one sentence in the standards so as to score some political points. 

If you have to lie to score political points, you're not doing a very good job.

Update, 7/24/23:  It's not just me saying so:

Dr. William B. Allen , a longtime academic, former chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and a member of Florida’s African American History Standards Workgroup called claims made by Vice President Kamala Harris in highly-publicized remarks last week “categorically false"...

Asked how he would respond to critics of the new standards, Allen replied that “the only criticism I’ve encountered so far is a single one that was articulated by the vice president, and which was an error. As I stated in my response to the vice president, it was categorically false. It was never said that slavery was beneficial to Africans.”

Update #2, 8/1/23:  Shocking, I know:

MAKING AN OFFER SHE CAN’T ACCEPT: DeSantis invites Kamala to meet as early as Wednesday unless she has “a trip to the southern border planned that day.”

“I am prepared to meet as early as Wednesday of this week, but of course want to be deferential to your busy schedule should you already have a trip to the southern border planned for that day,” DeSantis wrote in the letter. “Please let me know as soon as possible. What an example we could set for the nation – a serious conversation on the substance of an important issue! I hope you’re feeling up to it.”

Spoiler alert: She’s not.

UPDATE: Called it.

Of course she won’t debate or discuss the substance. The whole point of her attack is a drive-by political smear, not pursuit of historical fact or truth. https://t.co/qfzX3sMcnb

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 1, 2023

Pictures of Places

click to embiggen the pictures

San Francisco:

The Farallons:

I'd heard that these islands existed, but I'd never seen them before July 10th--and probably never will again.

Juneau, AK:

Skagway, AK

Icy Strait Point:

Tracy Arm and the glacier:

Prince Rupert, BC:

And my final view of San Francisco and the ship as we crossed the SF Bay Bridge on the way home:

Eagles

On this trip I saw humpback whales, what I think was a sea lion (the video is clear, I just don't know sea animals very well), and eagles; I did not see any orcas or bears.  Bummer on that last part.

Here are some pictures of eagles:

These were taken outside Hoonah, Alaska, the 3rd one when I was on a kayaking tour.  Click on the pictures to embiggen them.

These two eagles were in Prince Rupert, British Columbia:

Also in Prince Rupert I saw a flight of 4 eagles, seemingly playing over the water.  It was a beauty to behold.

Which Way Is Cambodia's New Leader Going To Go?

Cambodia doesn't have a long history of peaceful democratic-style government, will their new leader offer a new start?

Hun Sen has been Cambodia’s autocratic prime minister for nearly four decades, during which the opposition has been stifled and the country has grown increasingly close to China.

With his Cambodian People’s Party virtually guaranteed another landslide victory in this Sunday’s election, it’s hard to imagine dramatic change on the horizon. But the 70-year-old former communist Khmer Rouge fighter and Asia's longest-serving leader says he is ready to hand the premiership to his oldest son, Hun Manet, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who heads the country's army...

Many in the crowd spoke of Hun Manet's education — his bachelor's at West Point being followed by a master's at New York University and a doctorate in economics from Britain's Bristol University.

His background has given rise to hope from some in the West that he might bring political change, but it will still take work to regain influence in the Southeast Asian country of 16.5 million, given China's strategic and economic importance, said John Bradford, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

“A Cambodia led by Hun Manet might very well be a stronger U.S. ally, but the U.S.-Cambodia relationship can only thrive if it is built on strong fundamentals of common benefit and mutual respect,” Bradford said. “U.S. diplomats should focus on these things.”

Let's hope for positive change.

The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations

The foolish idea that teaching kids less math will advance "equity" has spread from California, which has adopted watered-down guidelines that call for delaying algebra, writes Noah Smith. "Cambridge, Massachusetts recently removed algebra and all advanced math from its junior high schools," also citing "equity."

"Progressive" educators will never admit they believe some students just aren't smart enough to learn algebra, Smith writes. But it's "impossible to avoid the conclusion that the idea is to make all kids equal by making them equally unable to learn."

People in the average IQ band or higher can learn algebra.  Those who are well below average perhaps are unable to understand algebra's abstractions--but we in the schools shouldn't toss them aside as unteachable.  We should teach them something different, and not pretend we're preparing them to attend a university.

Bringing everyone down to the lowest level is the end result of "equity".  We should do better than that.

Update:  While I was gone, California approved its controversial math framework that helps ensure a race to the bottom:

The California State Board of Education voted to adopt a new—and much-debated—math framework on Wednesday, concluding a years-long process that involved three drafts, prompted hundreds of suggested revisions, and reignited decades-old arguments over the purpose of math education and the meaning of equity.

The 1,000-page framework aims to put meaning-making at the center of the math classroom, promoting a focus on problem-solving and applying math knowledge to real-world situations. It also encourages teachers to make math culturally relevant and accessible for all students, especially students of color who have been traditionally marginalized in the subject.

“The United States has not been teaching math effectively or equitably. We are one of the lower-achieving countries … and California is below the national average in its achievement in mathematics,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, the president of the California State Board of Education, during the board’s meeting on Wednesday. “This is an area of great need, and change is imperative. The same old, same old will not get us to a new place.”

Here are all my posts referencing Darling-Hammond, stretching back almost 15 years.

Should you ever wonder why I question if I'll make it 4 more years till retirement, this is why.

Update #2:  More:

One crucial section of the framework emphasizes teaching “for equity and engagement” and encourages math educators to adopt a perspective of “teaching toward social justice.” The CDE and SBE suggest that cultivating “culturally responsive” lessons, which highlight the contributions of historically marginalized individuals to mathematics, can help accomplish this goal. The guidance further advocates for avoiding a single-minded focus on one way of thinking or one correct answer.

Critics argue that the proposed framework does not prioritize academic achievement. Angela Morabito, a spokesperson for the Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI), stated, “Despite what the proponents of this plan might say, it’s not really designed to boost academic achievement. It’s designed to further a progressive goal that exists in the minds of adults… The math framework really does show misplaced priorities.”

The CDE and SBE acknowledge that math proficiency has been waning across the state, with less than one third of students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations during the 2021-22 academic year. Data provided by the departments reveals widening achievement gaps, with math proficiency among Black students more than 30 percentage points below that of their White counterparts.

It Would Be Nice, But...

Sure, I'd love 50% more pay in retirement, but the offer is not enough to convince me to work 3 more years than I'm currently planning to:

Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Chair of the Assembly Education Committee, introduced Assembly Bill 938, a measure that would establish state funding targets to raise teacher and school employee salaries by 50 percent by 2030. This measure seeks to close the existing wage gap between teachers and similarly educated college graduates in other fields. The bill is supported by the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), California Teachers Association (CTA), and the California School Employees Association (CSEA), among others. It is set for a hearing in the Assembly Education Committee today.

Specifically, AB 938 would create state Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funding targets over a seven-year period, with the specific intent of increasing school-site staff salaries by 50 percent by 2030. The bill would establish targets for the state LCFF base grant to be increased by 50 percent by fiscal year 2030-31, while requiring school districts to report their progress in meeting the 50 percent increase in salaries over a seven-year period.

“We need to pay our teachers and essential school staff what they deserve,” said Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi. “Schools across the state are facing a workforce shortage, with many teachers and school employees unable to afford to live in the communities they work in. Moreover, there is a growing wage gap between teachers and comparable college graduates in other fields. That is why I introduced AB 938, to set the goal of giving teachers and staff a 50 percent pay raise by 2030, to not only pay them what they deserve, but also to get more young people to aspire to become educators.”

My retirement pay will be based on my highest annual salary as a teacher.

Leaving San Francisco

After hearing, then watching the remainder of, a smash-and-grab in San Francisco, maybe leaving was a good idea even if I didn't have this view of the City and the bridge:

I took video going under the Golden Gate Bridge but it's over 300 MB so I can't post it yet....

Update:  Try this link for video :-)

Home!

It was a great 10-day Alaska cruise out of San Francisco, just about everything went off without a hitch.  I'll endeavor to post some pictures tonight, gotta start unpacking and sorting laundry now....

The Plan Is To Be Home Tonight

The hint I gave:  Carnival Miracle.

I first saw this ship on my cruise to Alaska in 2014:

I took this picture in Skagway.

Two years later, I sailed on Carnival Miracle on a Mexican Riviera cruise:

I took this picture in Cabo San Lucas.

Assuming all has gone to plan, I boarded Carnival Miracle and left the Port of San Francisco on July 10th and sailed up to Alaska; as of the time I've scheduled this to post, we should be docking back in SF.

I will endeavor to post some trip pictures soon.  (Remember, I'm typing this before the cruise) I hope to get some "postable" video sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Blogging Hiatus

I'm going to take a little break from blogging, will be back in less than 2 weeks.

Here's a riddle as to why:  immediately prior to Lent, a wheelchair-bound person could again walk.

Stuck In San Francisco For 3(?) Days

Have you heard about the cruise ship that was damaged when it slammed into the dock in San Francisco on Thursday?  It was supposed to depart that afternoon for a 10-day cruise to Alaska, but was not allowed by the Coast Guard to leave the port because of damage it sustained.  Here's the latest from KTVU in Oakland:

The Ruby Princess cruise ship docked at Pier 27 in San Francisco is ready to set sail with 579 fewer passengers.

The cruise line announced the ship will set sea at 2:30 p.m. Sunday for a 7-day Alaska voyage after getting the green light from the United States Coast Guard. The repairs were reported complete and it passed inspection and certification.

Originally there were 3,256 passengers going on the cruise, but the cruise line said there are now 2,677 guests on the ship. The crew number remained the same at 1,161.

Guests had the option to cancel their cruise with a 100% refund, and also receive a 50% credit for a future trip. Passengers who chose to continue their trip on the Ruby Princess will receive a 75% refund, and a 75% credit for a future voyage.

The ship had smacked into the pier Thursday morning causing a gash in its underside. Crews worked throughout the weekend to repair the hole ahead of Sunday's departure.

The ship will stop in Ketchikan on July 12 and Prince Rupert on July 13, returning to San Francisco on July 16.

It was originally scheduled for a 10-day voyage, but that was cut short due to the damage.

The cause of the initial crash remains under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard.

You don't often think that something like that would happen in the United States, but it did. The ship is scheduled to leave port in less than 20 minutes as I type this; if you're interested in keeping track of its location I found this web site.

BTW, I'd totally take the 75% refund and a 75% credit on a future cruise.  Why would you get off the ship and go home a week early?

Update:  It left later than 2:30, but it's on its way.

So-called Data Science Classes in High School

I couldn't even decide what to excerpt; Joanne did such an amazing job on this post, just read the whole thing.

BLUF:  high school "data science" classes will not prepare students to succeed in STEM courses at a university.

My commentary:  it's just another way to lower standards, no doubt in the name of racial "equity" or some crap.

Teacher Credentialing Requirements

Expecting people to work for 9-10 months, even part time, for no pay at all, is an injustice that should be corrected:

A California bill proposes that student teachers get paid for the mandatory hours they need to work to obtain a teaching credential.

Currently, California teachers need to complete 600 hours of unpaid student teaching to earn their credentials, according to California’s Commission on Teaching Credentials. The requirement has been considered a roadblock for teacher candidates who can’t afford to work for free while still being responsible for paying school and living expenses, such as tuition, books and housing. 

I couldn't have done it.  I went through an "alternative" credentialing program, where I was an paid "intern" for the 2 years of my program; I would teach during the day and attend classes at nights and on weekends.