Tag: School

GREG GUTFELD: DEI is corrupting airlines, medical school and now landmines

Happy Tuesday everybody. So how do you know when you’ve reached peak idiocy? When we now need diversity guidelines for clearing landmines. It seems Canada has just donated $4 million bucks toward an effort to clear landmines in Ukraine. But in a gender-inclusive manner. Because if there’s one thing we can agree on concerning the war in Ukraine, there simply isn’t enough gender-inclusive mine action, right? But let’s be clear upfront. Anyone in charge of clearing landmines is way braver than I am. I can barely clear my driveway. And if it’s something you accept as your job, I don’t care if you’re white, black, gay, trans, or identify as a Cabbage Patch Kid. How did anybody like those dolls? Hideous. Anyway, but it’s not about the dolls. It’s about how DEI insanity has infected everything. 

It used to corrupt only the places where useless people were, like academia or media. But now it’s airlines, medical school and war, even landmines. I’m sorry. I’m thinking with landmines, maybe inclusivity shouldn’t be anywhere on the list of priorities. The list should be pretty simple. Competence, patience, steady hands and balls the size of the Las Vegas Sphere. Think of Brian Kilmeade, and then think of someone who’s the opposite. Got to make landmines funny. Speaking of, before we go any further, we wanted to get a comment from a guy who knows his stuff. Johnny Joey Jones, who lost both his legs as a bomb disposal technician. Not a great one. Take it away, Joey. 

JOHNNY JOEY JONES: Hey, Greg, just want to let you know you have my full support to make fun of this ridiculous story about gender inclusivity when it comes to taking bombs apart. And just so you know, any gender transformation that happens while taking bombs apart– completely by accident. We didn’t mean for that to happen. 

DISNEY AXES ‘BOYS AND GIRLS’ FROM ALL PARK GREETINGS TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVITY

Thank you, Joey. So on Saturday, Justin Trudeau released a list of Canada’s funding for support for Ukraine. Under a section called, “Gender Inclusive Demining for Sustainable Futures in Ukraine,” it explains the $4 million will go to manual clearance and targeted communities, but also, “establishing a gender and diversity working group to promote gender-transformative mine action in Ukraine.” This is insane. So that’s quite a goal: to add onto the burden of saving lives, including your own. You got to think about this. But it turns out DEI is part of their whole program for clearing landmines around the world. They even published a 75-page document on it.

According to the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, “While these weapons may be indiscriminate, the specific threats and impacts vary according to gender, age, and other aspects of diversity. It is essential that mine action actors are equipped to apply a gender lens as part of a comprehensive and inclusive approach to planning, implementing and monitoring programs to ensure protection for all and to ensure that no one is left behind.” Boom. All right, stop right there, La Croix. I’ve tasted your flavored waters, and I wasn’t impressed. Why is it everyone named Jean-Pierre is full of crap. It’s almost as if Jean Pierre is French for dips***. 

WHISTLEBLOWER AT TRANS CARE CENTER EXPOSES ‘APPALLING’ PRACTICES INSIDE GENDER-AFFIRMING HOSPITAL FOR KIDS

But look, it’s safe to say landmine clearing is dangerous. You have to be right 100% of the time. You can’t even be wrong once. It’s the opposite of people at the U.N. who can layer this bulls*** on the backs of brave people every day without any risk. They’re in an office safely churning out this turd sausage while cashing the checks that taxpayers send them. Still, the U.N. thinks an inclusive workforce will increase the effectiveness of mine action activities and improve satisfaction at work. I have no idea how they will test this. Work satisfaction? I would assume there’s one metric- not dying. And if you put diversity before competence, that metric is going to get worse. So DEI has finally reached the mountaintop of risk. And even more, we now include everyone in that risk. 

But DEI has the same consequences here as it does everywhere else, whether it’s Harvard or United Air. It has an opportunity cost. Meaning the effort placed in this identity-obsessed lens is an effort that should be placed elsewhere, and the risk for disaster will grow. It’s why it scares us so much that it’s wormed its way into med schools. You have students learning more about pronouns than the pancreas. More about trans than transplants. But especially in the arena of clearing landmines, every little bit of idiocy you introduce matters. Of course landmines blowing up all sorts of people. Yeah, that’s true, but does that mean they have to be cleared by all sorts of people? Not really. 

DEI efforts have a mathematical roadblock. If you choose to fish from a small pond of applicants, you end up running out of qualified fish faster. So you need to fish from the lake, not the pond. Look, does anybody really believe Wokeism will make for better landmine clearing? We’re talking about defusing deadly explosives here, not getting misgendered in an office breakroom. You think using the right pronouns at work is a minefield? This is an actual f*** minefield, people. Who benefits from this? Not the people who need landmines cleared. 

They just want the best people to save them. And the LGBT community? Tell them the bomb squad needs trans women. Hell, Lia Thomas would suddenly grow a mustache and douse himself in Old Spice. He’d be pretty attractive too. But clearing landmines is just the latest human endeavor to be infected with diversity, equity and inclusion. Landmines are serious business, but the people making the rules apparently are not serious people. That’s leftism for you. 

Human life is less important than their woke agenda. So what if a few people lose a limb or two to meet a quota? It’s worth it to tell yourself you’re being inclusive. In this case, DEI might mean you die.

Delaware police investigating possible abuse of special needs students at elementary school

Special needs children at a Delaware elementary school may have been abused inside the classroom by three teachers, according to police.

Families in Smyrna, Delaware, met with school administrators after learning their special needs children may have been the victims of abuse inside the classroom.

Smyrna Police are investigating the possibility that three teachers at Smyrna Elementary engaged in professional misconduct. Police are working with the state Attorney General’s Office Special Victims Unit, which is common for these kinds of investigations, according to Fox 29.

“Your child’s school is the last place you’d think something like this would ever happen,” parent Leslie Thomas told Fox 29. “It has to be a different school. My son is traumatized, even turning on the street leading to Smyrna Elementary, so I could never force him to go somewhere where he was traumatized.”

TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON SUES SCHOOL DISTRICT AFTER PRINCIPALS ACCUSED OF VIOLATING ELECTION LAWS

The Smyrna School District released a statement Wednesday saying a report was made on February 16 of possible professional misconduct.

“As part of our multi-faceted approach to keep our students safe, we have taken all precautions, including contacting law enforcement and providing alternative staff to instruct students,” the statement said. “The investigation is active and on-going.”

“While I cannot go into detail, due to the ongoing investigation, I can assure you that the professional misconduct being investigated is not sexual in nature,” the district said in a follow-up statement. “District staff were at the school to support students, employees, and affected parents.”

Some of the families spoke with police and were told the details of the allegations, including the children being locked in bathrooms and having objects thrown at them.

CHICAGO SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO REMOVE UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICERS FROM SCHOOLS

“They were being locked in the bathroom in the dark by themselves,” parent Tierre Thomas told Fox 29. “Their hair was being pulled. Objects were being thrown at them. They were being put in timeout physically and being held there.”

Leslie Thomas said she previously raised concerns to the district after observing changes in her son this school year. She and other parents are petitioning the district to move the students to another elementary school.

“We’re seeing aggression in him, hitting, something he has never done before. He flinches. He’s afraid of the dark. These are all behaviors he has never exhibited before but consistent with the allegations that have been made,” she said. “Most of the parents have agreed on North Smyrna, so for right now I would like to see them create that setting and of course we all would like to see the charges coming very soon.”

The police investigation could last several months.

George Washington University students project pro-Palestinian activism on school library

Students at George Washington University attended a pro-Palestinian vigil supporting Hamas’ surprise attack that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians, that prominently projected messages on the wall of the campus’ library.

“Glory to Our Martyrs,” one projected sign read.

The students projected the large signs on the University’s Gelman Library on the Washington D.C. campus on Tuesday evening. 

PLAYWRIGHT DAVID MAMET URGES JEWS TO STOP SUPPORTING DEMOCRATS, SENDING KIDS TO ‘ANTISEMITIC’ COLLEGES

Another sign read, “GW the Blood of Palestinians is on Your Hands.”

“Your Tuition is Funding Genocide in Gaza,” another projected sign read.

On X, the page @StopAntisemites, called for the George Washington University President Ellen Granberg to “immediately expel those who are involved.”

JEWISH COLLEGE STUDENTS SAY THEY’RE SCARED TO GO TO CLASS, BLAME UNIVERSITIES FOR SILENCE ON ANTISEMITISM

The president of the over 11,000 student body previously condemned Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel.

“The extent of this brutal violence and the staggering loss of innocent lives has continued to come to light, and I am horrified and grief-stricken,” Granberg wrote in an October 11 press release. “In no uncertain terms, I condemn these acts of terrorism.”

The president also highlighted the importance of “coming together and caring for one another” during the ongoing war.

“My message to our community stressed the importance of coming together and caring for one another, especially those who are Israeli, Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, or connected to the region and this war,” Granberg added. “I also reiterated our university’s expectations for acting and comporting ourselves when discussing or debating difficult topics. These messages of compassion and understanding remain the foremost priority for this university.”

George Washington University’s media department did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s request on if any student protesters were arrested.

Fauci, Weingarten try to rewrite history on disastrous COVID-19 lockdowns: 'Show me a school that I shut down'

Former White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci and teachers union boss Randi Weingarten are furiously trying to rewrite history on their role in promoting the disastrous school lockdowns that paralyzed the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic and left a generation of children behind.

“Show me a school that I shut down and show me a factory that I shut down. Never. I never did,” Fauci told New York Times Magazine last month. “I gave a public health recommendation that echoed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation, and people made a decision based on that. But I never criticized the people who had to make the decisions one way or the other.”

“We wanted to be in school. I’ve said that over and over again today,” Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), one of the nation’s most powerful teachers unions, said during her congressional testimony about the school lockdowns last week.

But history shows that both Fauci and Weingarten vehemently pushed for COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions that led to prolonged school closures across the country.

LOCKDOWNS, MANDATES AND SCANDALS: HOW GAVIN NEWSOM’S COVID-19 RESPONSE BROUGHT CALIFORNIA TO ITS KNEES

At the start of the pandemic, Fauci, then-director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), expressed outright support for a federal lockdown to contain the virus.

“Whatever it takes,” he told CNN on March 15, 2020.

Just one week earlier, Fauci said there was “no reason to be walking around with a mask,” and that wearing one could even make people sicker, because it causes them to touch their face more frequently. He and the CDC reversed course within weeks and started pushing universal mask mandates for everyone age 2 and older.

A study released this January found that that widespread masking may have done little to nothing to curb the transmission of COVID-19, and myriad questions still remain about the negative impact that prolonged masking has had on children’s speech and social development.

Still, Fauci was featured in a PBS documentary this March saying he regretted not supporting mask mandates and quarantines sooner.

“Maybe I should have done that,” he said. “Yeah, I was wrong.” 

DEMS, UNION LEADERS RESPONSIBLE FOR SCHOOL LOCKDOWNS FACE FEW REPURCUSSIONS, DESPITE EVIDENCE THAT KIDS HARMED

Masks weren’t the only reversal by the country’s public health experts. In March 2020, Fauci’s NIH published a study saying COVID-19 is “stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces.” 

“Wash hands, avoid close contact, use a face covering, clean inanimate objects,” Fauci said in August 2020.

The CDC later determined the risk of surface transmission of COVID-19 was “low,” and Fauci admitted that wiping down groceries was unnecessary.

While some schools started reopening as early as August 2020, like in Florida, many local playgrounds remained closed for over a year due to the inanimate object theory. It wasn’t until April 2021 that the CDC said sunlight and weather factors could destroy the virus on outdoor surfaces.

RANDI WEINGARTEN SAYS ‘BIDEN TRANSITION TEAM’ WAS FIRST TO SOLICIT UNION’S ADVICE ON SCHOOLS REOPENING

In the summer of 2020, Fauci and the CDC insisted children needed to remain six feet apart in order to prevent the virus’ spread, making in-person learning near impossible.

“The minimal thing that you should do is the kind of things that we’ve been talking about constantly: wearing a mask, maintaining six feet of distance, avoiding crowds,” Fauci said at the time.

The 6-feet standard became one of the largest hurdles schools faced as they struggled to reopen to in-person learning in accordance with the CDC’s guidelines in the spring of 2021. 

On March 10, 2021, a study in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that there was no significant difference in coronavirus spreading in schools where there were six feet of distancing versus three feet of distancing. 

Fauci said he supported the study, and days later, the CDC’s guidance was reduced to three feet.

In August 2021, Fauci endorsed vaccine mandates for school children, teachers and school staff, in addition to the mask mandates. During a White House press briefing, he stood alongside CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky as she slammed schools in states like Florida for reopening without implementing mask and vaccine mandates for staff and students.

Fauci told CNN’s Jake Tapper at the time: “I have been of this opinion, and I remain of that opinion, that I do believe at the local level, Jake, there should be more mandates.”

Despite Fauci’s support for mandates, there is still no definitive evidence that current COVID-19 vaccines prevent transmission of the virus. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) determined in March that healthy children between 6 months and 17 years old don’t need the vaccine at all.

While the science surrounding COVID-19 remains ever-changing, Fauci routinely demonized those who questioned his assumptions and created an environment where conflicting ideals were dismissed as conspiracies.

“It’s very dangerous,” Fauci told MSNBC in June 2021. “A lot of what you’re seeing as attacks on me quite frankly are attacks on science, because all of the things that I have spoken about consistently from the very beginning, have been fundamentally based on science.”

“Misinformation and disinformation is really hurting so many things, including people’s trust in science,” he complained in December.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat whose restrictive COVID-19 policies were routinely cheered by Fauci, went so far as to sign a law punishing doctors who espoused alleged “misinformation or disinformation” related to COVID-19 that was not in line with the mainstream. A federal judge blocked the law in January following a pair of lawsuits challenging it on free speech grounds.

Fauci worked closely with teachers unions in 2021 in an attempt to fulfill President Biden’s promise to reopen “most” schools in his first 100 days in office. 

Fauci and Weingarten argued at the time that billions in funding through the America Rescue Plan would give the teachers the resources they need to get school open safely.

$15M IN AMERICAN RESUCE PLAN FUNDS WENT TO ‘ANTI-RACISM,’ ‘SOCIAL ACTIVISM’ PROGRAMS FOR KIDS

Fauci said during a teachers union event in January 2021 that he had a “personal interest” in keeping teachers safe because his daughter was teaching 3rd-grade science at the time.

“We need the CDC guidance,” Weingarten said at the event. “We need these rapid tests, we need to make sure we have the accommodations and the vaccine. I hear that a lot.”

But even after the American Rescue Plan passed in March, without any Republican support, Weingarten demanded billions more in order in order for teachers to return to the classroom safely.

$825K IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS WENT TO ‘ORAL HISTORIANS’ RESEARCHING ANTI-RACISM, ‘LATINX’ HISTORIES

Weingarten’s pandemic response came to the forefront last week after she appeared before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic to address her union’s role in influencing public policy on school lockdowns.

“Republicans on the House Covid subcommittee want you to think I wanted to keep schools closed. Here’s what I actually said… over & over again,” Weingarten tweeted after the hearing.

Fox News Digital previously reported that the AFT and the National Education Association (NEA) were discovered to have corresponded with the CDC in 2021 to make last-minute changes to school reopening guidance, which included a phased reopening approach for K-12 schools based on coronavirus cases in the area.

The New York Post further reported last week that the AFT was even more deeply involved than previously understood, with Weingarten holding two phone calls with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in the week prior to the guidance’s release.

Communications previously obtained by the New York Post through a Freedom of Information Act request by conservative group Americans for Public Trust showed numerous emails between top CDC officials and the AFT just days before the Biden administration released the school reopening guidelines in February 2021. The lobbying efforts were a reported success, as the Post found at least two instances when “suggestions” were used nearly word-for-word within the CDC’s guidelines.

The CDC had been prepared to allow in-school instruction regardless of transmission rates, but at the suggestion of the union, the guidelines were adjusted to include a provision that said, “In the event of high community-transmission results from a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, a new update of these guidelines may be necessary.”

The union further requested that teachers be granted remote work access for those “who have documented high-risk conditions or who are at increased risk.” Similar provisions were included for “staff who have a household member” that is considered high risk to the virus.

Emails reviewed by Fox News Digital showed that the AFT and the NEA also received a copy of the guidance before the CDC released it to the public. 

Responding to the backlash over the correspondence, Weingarten suggested it was routine procedure.

“This is normal rulemaking, frankly,” she told C-SPAN in May 2021. “This is what every administration used to do. The problem with the last administration is that they didn’t do it.”

BIDEN ADMIN KEEPS GIVING TEACHERS UNIONS POLITICAL VICTORIES

In the video Weingarten tweeted last week in an attempt to prove she supported reopening schools, Weingarten repeatedly says in a number of news clips, “We want schools to reopen.” What she left out of the video is that her union was demanding a wide range of mitigation requirements at the time, like 6-foot physical distancing, contact tracing, retrofitted ventilation systems, and that schools only reopen in places where the government had the authority to “trigger” school closures in the event of an uptick in COVID-19 cases. 

“There’s no way that you’re going to have full-time schools for all the kids and all the teachers the way we used to have it,” Weingarten said in July 2020.

At the time, Weingarten slammed the Trump administration’s guidelines to reopen schools by fall 2020 as “reckless,” “callous” and “cruel.” She later called on Congress for more federal funding for schools and threatened a strike if they reopened without implementing her union’s demands.

While many school districts across the country, like in Florida, reopened for the Fall of 2020, Weingarten was advocating for improving remote learning. 

“We have an obligation to make remote better, because until we can really decrease community spread throughout the United States, distance learning and distance working is going to be a fact of life,” she said in August 2020.

In July 2021, Weingarten said “millions” would die from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic, but she later walked back her claim.

RANDI WEINGARTEN SCREAMS ABOUT STUDENT DEBT OUTSIDE SCOTUS: ‘THAT IS NOT FAIR!’

Weingarten signaled the potential for future school lockdowns as recently as January 2022, tweeting, “There are very real logistical decisions schools are making. We know kids do better in person, but the spike is real. We need adequate staff & the safety measures in place including testing, masking ventilation. There is a lot of stress.”

Weingarten’s tweet came on the heels of her announcement on CNN that she “personally” supported mandating the vaccine for school children five and older.

Weingarten testified last week that President Biden’s transition team was the first to contact her union for guidance on school closures during the pandemic, not the CDC.

“Did the AFT first engage the CDC or did the CDC reach out to you?” Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, asked the union leader.

“So what essentially happened, sir, was that we were talking to the Biden transition team before he was sworn into office,” Weingarten responded.

“Did they reach out to you or the CDC?” Wenstrup asked.

“The Biden transition team reached out to us,” Weingarten reiterated.

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS WENT TO LGBTQ CENTER THAT HOSTED ‘DRAG STORY HOUR’ FOR KIDS AT PUBLIC LIBRARY

School closures in the U.S. have had a devastating impact on children’s mental health, development and future earnings potential. According to data released last year by the National Center for Education Statistics, 70% of U.S. public schools have reported an increase in students seeking mental health services since the start of the pandemic. A study published by the conservative think tank Just Facts reported that the mental stressors brought about by school closures will destroy seven times more years of life than lockdowns saved. 

A study by the American Enterprise Institute also found that nearly 1.3 million students have left public schools since the pandemic began, and schools that stayed remote longer saw even more students leave. The World Bank reported that the school closures will cost this generation of students $21 trillion in earnings over their lifetimes, which is far more than the $17 trillion estimated in 2021.

A working paper first released in October 2020, which examined over 10,000 school districts across the country and their reopening plans, found that partisan politics and teachers union strength in a particular area had far more influence on schools reopening than science or local health guidance. 

Despite the numerous studies saying school closures had catastrophic effects on one of the nation’s most vulnerable populations, the leaders responsible for the lockdowns have not been recalled or fired in the more than three years since the pandemic struck.

Weingarten was reelected to serve an eighth term last year at AFT’s convention in Boston.

Fauci now does the media rounds defending his pandemic response after stepping down as Biden’s chief medical advisor in December.

Fauci told Fox News in August that he still doesn’t believe the lockdowns went too far.

“Well, I don’t think it’s forever irreparably damaged anyone,” he said, adding, “People selectively … pull things out about me.”

Arizona families file lawsuit challenging state law ban on transgender participation in school sports

Two families in Arizona have filed a lawsuit challenging a state law that bans transgender girls from participating in school sports, with one parent citing concern for their child’s “self-esteem” and “confidence.”

The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Tucson challenges Senate Bill 1165, which restricts participation in school sports based on a biological sex. 

The identities of the two plaintiffs in the case, an 11-year-old and 15-year-old, have been concealed out of fear for their safety. Their names are listed as Jane Doe and Megan Roe, respectively. 

ESPN PERSONALITIES SLAM BIDEN’S TITLE IX PROPOSAL AMID UPROAR OVER TRANSGENDER ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS

“Jane will be very upset if she is not allowed to play sports on a girls’ team. Jane knows this would be because she is transgender, and I worry about how that will affect her self-esteem and her confidence,” the mother Jane Doe said via a statement provided by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), which is representing the plaintiffs in the case.

“Jane will not receive all the positive benefits that school sports provide. This includes the obvious physical benefits, but also social and emotional benefits of playing with other kids, learning how to win and lose, and having coaches and other adults who support the team.”

“No parent ever wants their kid to lose out on opportunities and experiences that can help them grow as people,” the mother of Megan Roe added. “Sports provide all kinds of benefits to kids, and it is very upsetting that they may be completely cut off for my child.” 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Attorneys in the case have also argued the law violates the Equal Protection Clause under the U.S. Constitution and Title IX.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne was named a defendant in the case. He called the lawsuit’s logic “backwards.”

“Title IX was aimed at giving girls equal opportunities for playing sports. When a biological boy plays in a girls’ sport, it disadvantages the girls,” Horne told The Associated Press. “There have been lots of news stories about girls who worked hard to excel at their sports, found they could not when they had to compete against biological boys and were devastated by that.”

The lawsuit also names the Arizona Interscholastic Association, the Kyrene School District in Tempe and The Gregory School in Tucson as defendants in the case. 

The lawsuit follows the Biden administration’s plan to release new Title IX rules that would bar states from banning transgender students from competing against the gender they identify as.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

North Carolina GOP move on school choice with new supermajority after Dem's stunning party switch

Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are poised to push ahead with school choice legislation and other education reforms, a key policy area where the GOP has surging momentum following the high-profile defection of a Democratic legislator.

State Rep. Tricia Cotham announced last week that she’s joining the Republican Party after serving her deep blue Charlotte-area district as a Democrat. While North Carolina Republicans already held strong majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, Cotham’s decision gave Republicans a veto-proof supermajority in the House in what observers described as a “political earthquake.”

The threat of a veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had prevented Republicans from implementing much of their agenda, but now the GOP has a clearer path to push a wide range of legislation — including on school choice.

“The House Republican caucus has for several years pushed for more reform on school choice. We believe that giving parents power over their child’s education improves educational experiences for everyone,” Rep. Jason Saine, the North Carolina House GOP caucus leader, told Fox News Digital. “

NORTH CAROLINA GOP GOES ON OFFENSE, PUSHING AMBITIOUS AGENDA WITH NEW SUPERMAJORITY IN STATE HOUSE

“Representative Cotham, as a former teacher and principal, is in a unique position as an elected member of the House, to assist in badly needed reforms,” continued Saine. “She was already part of the reform team, and she’s now freer to openly work on those reforms in an environment that cares more for children than antiquated systems.”

Cotham referenced school choice at a press conference last week when announcing her change of party affiliation, suggesting the Democratic Party’s stance on the issue was one reason why she became a Republican.

“On issues like school choice, like charters, we have to evolve,” Cotham said in explaining her change of party. “One-size-fits-all in education is wrong for children … [Democrats] didn’t really want to talk about children. They had talking points from adults and adult organizations.”

As chair of the Education K-12 House Standing Committee, Cotham is in a prime position to influence education reform bills that come out of the House. And fellow Republicans, armed with a veto-proof majority, are looking to press their advantage.

“The GOP will push through significant bills on education choice and parental involvement in schools,” said Chris Sinclair, a political strategist in North Carolina. “I believe Cotham will be on board with a lot of these forthcoming bills.”

NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKER OFFICIALLY LEAVES DEMS FOR GOP, SAYS TURNING POINT WAS AMERICAN FLAG CRITICISM

One such measure, House Bill 219, is designed to provide equal funding for charter school students as well as those attending traditional public schools. It would change the current factors which determine per-pupil funding that public school districts must share with local charter schools, with proponents arguing money should follow the student if their family chooses to attend a charter school.

“If a student attends a charter school, the local school administrative unit in which the child resides shall transfer to the charter school an amount equal to the per pupil share of the local current expense fund of the local school administrative unit for the fiscal year,” the legislation states.

According to critics, however, the current education structure in place is sufficiently fair and House Bill 219 would be taking money away from public schools.

“We believe every student should have the same per-pupil amount of local tax dollars, no matter what school they go to, ” Bruce Mildwurf, director of governmental relations for the North Carolina School Boards Association, told WRAL News. “This bill significantly tilts the scales in favor of the charter schools.”

“That is money out of the classroom; it is fewer teachers; it is fewer resources. Charters are benefiting at the expense of district-wide students,” continued Mildwurf. “School boards want fair funding. We currently have fair funding. This bill is unfair funding and will take millions of dollars away from school districts each year.”

GOV. DESANTIS SIGNS UNIVERSAL SCHOOL CHOICE INTO LAW: ‘MONUMENTAL DAY IN FLORIDA HISTORY’

Saine dismissed such claims as “political double speak,” saying the money should go toward educating students, not supporting the current system.

“Going so far as to suggest that the bill seeks to take funding from traditional students when the fact is we believe money should follow the child, not an antiquated system that has bred disparity in outcomes across the state,” said Saine.” This bill, cosponsored by several House leaders, including Rep. Cotham and myself, seeks to end the practice.”

Charter school attendance in North Carolina has surged by more than 19% from 2019 to 2022, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Such growth seems to be an indication of increased unhappiness with traditional public schools.

Saine argued that while some public-school systems do well in educating students, many “fall way short and unfortunately do a great disservice to many families,” calling for new innovations to the status quo.

EMBOLDENED BY NEW SUPERMAJORITY, NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS GO TO WORK ON TRANSGENDER BILLS

“Unfortunately, many in education refuse to innovate or acknowledge shortcomings,” said Saine. “What probably alarms guys like Midruff is his message rings empty on representatives like me and others. The district I represent has never received the ‘fair funding’ he claims exists and actually receives the least under the current system he defends. What’s an even bigger counter to the educational left’s argument is our district does far more in performance measures with less money than all other systems.”

House Bill 219 may be just one of several education reform measures pushed by Republicans.

“Expansion of school choice, election law reforms, as well as many other issues are still being discussed and planned,” said Saine. “Having just completed the House budget proposal and receiving the vote of nine Democrats on our budget bill, which also included a number of policy reforms, we think we are in a good place to continue to move our agenda forward.”

The state House on Thursday approved a two-year budget plan that now goes to the Senate for a vote. The budget expands school choice by growing private-school choice programs and charter schools, in part through the Opportunity Scholarship Program, a means-tested scholarship designed to allow low- and moderate-income families to attend the private school of their choice.

Cooper had proposed a budget that would eventually phase out Opportunity Scholarships.

New York school, food vendor apologize for serving chicken and waffles on first day of Black History Month

A New York middle school is apologizing after serving students with a meal on the first day of Black History Month that was deemed to be culturally insensitive.

Administrators at Nyack Middle School say that the hot lunch menu was changed by the vendor without their knowledge on February 1st, the first day of Black History Month, to include chicken and waffles with a watermelon dessert which the school’s principal called an “unfortunate situation”, The Journal News reported.

“We are extremely disappointed by this regrettable situation and apologize to the entire Nyack community for the cultural insensitivity displayed by our food service provider,” Nyack Middle School Principal David Johnson said in a statement. 

“I am disappointed that Aramark would serve items that differed from the published monthly menu. Especially items that reinforce negative stereotypes concerning the African-American Community.”

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Multiple families expressed outrage over the menu selection including parent Lindsay Siegel who told the outlet that it was “really disappointing” the change wasn’t caught.

Aramark, the school district’s food vendor, issued a statement on the matter on Thursday.

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“While our menu was not intended as a cultural meal, we acknowledge that the timing was inappropriate, and our team should have been more thoughtful in its service,” the Aramark statement said. “This was a mistake and does not represent the values of our company, and we are committed to doing better in the future.”

Aramark also said that it will be partnering with the school to provide sensitivity training for employees who work at the school to make sure their actions align with the district’s “vision and commitment to equity-driven work.”

“We believe this will provide a good learning opportunity to deepen understanding on the impact of systemic biases and negative stereotypes concerning the African-American Community,” the statement said.

Aramark has found itself in similar situations in years past including an incident in 2011 where UC California-Irvine, an Aramark client, was criticized for serving a “MLH Holiday Special” that featured chicken and waffles.

Fox News Digital reached out to Nyack Middle School and Aramark but did not immediately receive a response.