Dec 6, 2021

Blunderbuss: CRT Denial Syndrome

Issue #111 — View online

Monday, December 6, 2021

Hot Shot

The last remaining section of a once towering statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee is being removed from Richmond’s Monument Avenue today. No word yet on what will replace the graffiti-covered pedestal in the grassy circle. The state is transferring that land back to the city of Richmond to decide its fate.

In September, Gov. Ralph Northam had declared the 40-foot base of the Confederate general’s statue would remain until efforts to reimagine Monument Avenue were complete. For whatever reason, the governor has changed his mind. Perhaps the memory of the city’s over-promised and under-delivered plans to improve Richmond’s 17th Street Farmers Market is still too vivid. Maybe he wants no part of the blame should the pedestal and the circle become untended eyesores while the city argues over what should be placed there — understandable for someone already leaving office with a tarnished legacy.

Whatever the reason, it’s for the best that the expletive-adorned base come down. Richmonders can at least enjoy an open space as they begin to put this sad saga behind them. And whatever one’s opinion of Robert E. Lee, I’m sure the old soldier is just happy it’s over.

— Robin Beres, editor

From Bacon’s Rebellion …

Schools Say They Teach CRT, but Journalists Deny It

by Hans Bader

Schools are teaching Critical Race Theory, even as liberal education reporters deny it is taught anywhere, and falsely claim it is not taught in in even a single school system. Detroit’s school superintendent, Nikolai Vitti, says critical race theory is deeply embedded in his school system: “Our curriculum is deeply using critical race theory, especially in social studies, but you’ll find it in English language arts and the other disciplines. We were very intentional about … embedding critical race theory within our curriculum.”

His school district is not alone. Twenty percent of urban school teachers have discussed or taught critical race theory withK-12 students, as have 8 % of teachers nationally, according to an Education Week survey. The Seattle public schools employed a critical race theorist as part of the district’s efforts to embed the theory in elementary schools.

“Unequivocally, critical race theory is taught in K-12 public schools,” said the Heritage Foundation’s Jonathan Butcher, noting he wrote a research paper detailing numerous instances of school districts openly using the phrase “critical race theory” in curriculum plans.

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Mystery: What’s Behind Virginia’s Dramatic Fall-off In Kindergarten and Pre-K Enrollment?

by James A. Bacon

There are many gaps and omissions in the Northam administration’s just-published “2021 Annual Report on the Conditions and Needs of Public Schools in Virginia” — most notably the lack of recognition that the acute problems described by the report stem in part from policies endorsed by the Northam administration itself — but the Board of Education (BOE) document does highlight several issues that any fair-minded person would acknowledge need highlighting.

One of those issues is the sharp decline in public school enrollment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most notably in Pre-K and Kindergarten. As seen in the graph above, pre-K enrollment is down 18.6% and Kindergarten is down 12.8%.

Do these declines portend comparable declines in public school enrollment as these age cohorts work their way through the educational pipeline? Has something fundamental changed about the way parents of young children think about their schooling? Or are these declines transitory blips that will disappear as America learns to live with the virus?

The questions are vitally important. If public school enrollment in Virginia falls by 10% or more over the long term, the fiscal impact could be momentous. As consequential as the issue is for public schools, the report devotes virtually no analysis to it.

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The Latest Euphemism: “Unfinished Learning”

By James A. Bacon

A remarkable euphemism has entered the lexicon of Virginia’s educational bureaucracy – “unfinished learning.” Unfinished learning is what you get when school children do not demonstrate grade-level proficiency in reading, math, and other subjects by the end of the year. Ever sensitive to tender psyches, Virginia educators don’t want to tell anyone they “failed.” Using the “F” word puts the onus on individual students to do better. Saying instead that students are unfinished learners places the onus on schools to remedy their deficiencies. That distinction goes to the heart of Virginia’s modern-day educational philosophy.

Be that as it may, we may be thankful that the Virginia Board of Education’s (VBOE’s) “2021 Annual Report on the Condition and Needs of Public Schools in Virginia,” does acknowledge that “unfinished learning” is a significant issue.

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Workplace Heat Rule Given Cold Shoulder

by Steve Haner

Virginia’s Safety and Health Codes Board on Friday voted down a proposed workplace heat protection standard, strongly opposed by the state’s business community but ardently sought by organized labor and farm worker advocates.

The Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) was seeking to push the proposed rules out for a final round of public comments. Abiding by the standard schedule for regulatory adoption would have meant final approval rested with incoming Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin. Perhaps the December 3 vote was an early sign that attitudes toward the regulatory state are expected to change.

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Also from Bacon’s Rebellion …