Picture a young Isaac Newton, Madame Curie, Henri Poincare, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Albert Einstein, Alan Turing, or, for that matter, Pythagoras, Euclid, or Archimedes as newly enrolled in a Portland, Oregon grade school. Exposed to this state’s edict regarding how math is to be taught, would any of them have achieved prominence? Would the world be the same?

Consider the ladies profiled in the movie Hidden Figures, including Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan. Without them, we probably still would have made it to the Moon, but maybe with more difficulty and more delay.

Racism! It’s Everywhere!

The Left relentlessly seeks ways to dumb down education so that anybody, at any time, can get a passing grade regardless of what they know. If black lives truly matter, as well as white lives, shouldn’t students be competitive in the workplace? Otherwise, how are they going to land decent jobs?

‘Social justice’ warriors detect racism, real or imagined, all day long, everywhere they look, particularly in education. Achievement tests, end-of-grade testing, report cards, and the mere act of assigning letter grades to a student’s performance are all absolute signs of racism according to the Left.

Nevertheless, if a student — any student — has been attentive and diligent and has applied himself or herself, not one single quiz, achievement test, final exam, or end-of-grade test precipitates undue concern. Such tests do not represent a stumbling block for students who have been appropriately taught, been attentive in class, done their homework regularly, and appropriately studied for tests.

Even in ‘poor’ schools, a decent teacher and a motivated student can yield academic success.

Measuring Tools Matter

Those on the Left prefer to cast aspersions on American education, stop all testing, apparently for all students, for all time. So, no more SATs for high school juniors and seniors. No more ACTs. After all, the tests are hopelessly biased against anything but the Caucasian majority. Although Asians seem to do well…

To the Left, testing, academics, and the English language, in and of itself, are merely tools of oppression and must be abandoned – now.

Isn’t it odd that the Left never pushes for more rigorous standards? “Why are tests needed at all?” they demand to know. “Learning takes place on many different levels. Why conform to the white man’s version of what represents academic achievement?”

Let’s assess the ramifications of such assertions.

The Very Long Way Home

How confident would you be driving across a high bridge, over a wide river, knowing that the bridge was designed by engineers who ‘learned’ math in Oregon, or didn’t take any final exams in college? Knowing the academic credentials of the bridge designers, or lack thereof, could change your driving habits.

What if you need brain surgery? Among a handful of brain surgeons in your area, you learn that some never took final exams in medical school, or any exams at all! These same surgeons turned in no college papers, took no quizzes, and perhaps spent little time in class.

Suppose they’re all good surgeons and have successfully operated on others? You’ve got this nagging suspicion, nonetheless, that your best choice would be among the brain surgeons who attended class, did well on quizzes and tests, passed final exams, and proved to be academically superior.

Would anyone find you to be discriminatory? Can we find fault with your decision to seek a formally trained and tested brain surgeon?

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Mechanical and structural engineers, and brain surgeons, do not represent the brunt of society; everyday people do. Whether it’s receiving change at the grocery store, having your car fixed, hiring a masseuse, or any of dozens of other product and service options, as Ghostbusters fans would say, “Who ya gonna call?”

The lifetime economic curse that Leftists advocates bestow upon those who follow their edicts is crippling. Suppose you attend a university, such as Rutgers, where proper English is not required, exams are not given, and graduation is all but guaranteed? Knowing the background of students who matriculated from such an institution, what future employer would choose such students over others who have bonafide academic credentials?

Haunted for Generations

The false bill of goods that far Left groups peddle will come back to haunt their advocates and apologists, not merely for years, but for decades to come.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Based on what the Left deems to be sufficient, anyone who thinks he or she will be able to compete for jobs is in for a lifetime of rude awakenings.

– – – – –

It recently came out that the former president of the Scottsdale Unified School District board appears to have compiled a creepy dossier full of personal information about parents who objected to CRT, COVID-19 restrictions and other parts of the progressive agenda being shoved down their kids’ throats without their approval. The Google Drive included over 160 pages about at least 50 parents containing background checks, a divorce paper, mortgage documents, hidden camera footage, Social Security numbers and screenshots of their social media posts. There were even some mental health status notes about a parent. There were offensive memes such as one comparing one of the mothers to a racist lynching of a black person. 

Jann-Michael Greenburg, 28, who doesn’t have any children, reportedly lives with his parents and who sources say only held the position as a stepping stone for higher office, denies compiling the dossier, which is in the name of his father. However, the dossier, which parents accidentally got access to, showed that he had access to it and the information all revolved around interactions he had with the parents. 

Some of the folders in the dossier include “SUSD Wackos,” “Press Conference Psychos” and “Anti-Mask Lunatics.” The last one is interesting considering Greenburg was spotted walking around in a bar without a mask. His father is heard on bodycam footage saying that he has a private investigator following parents around and collecting their license plate numbers. Some of the screenshots of parents’ social media were obviously taken to document their support for former President Donald Trump and the fact they were Christians. 

The Scottsdale Police Department conducted an investigation but said there was no crime committed. However, they merely cited the fact the information collected was in the public domain. They never addressed other aspects which could be considered stalking or illegal, such as Greenburg’s father showing up and secretly recording parents while disguising his license plate, collecting license plate numbers, collecting Social Security numbers and the cruel memes (hate crimes?) and photos of one parent’s young children.

Greenburg’s father has a history of this type of behavior. He ran a parody website and Twitter account attacking the board’s president, Barbara Perleberg, in 2018. Apparently his goal was to destroy her reputation to make room for his son to become school board president. Perleberg said the spoof accounts “went on to attribute comments to me debasing AIDS and the Holocaust.”

The dossier was originally discovered when Greenburg attacked a Scottsdale parent, accusing her of anti-Semitism. He sent a screenshot of an online conversation to her, and she noticed a Google Drive address in the photo. Despite all the evidence, Greenburg denied having anything to do with the dossier to YourValley.net and appeared to threaten legal action if the paper indicated so.

The Scottsdale school district won’t take any action, sending a letter to parents saying it was out of their jurisdiction. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is currently investigating accusations that Greenburg violated Open Meeting laws, in order to keep parents out of meetings. 

The other members of the school board removed Greenburg as president, but he is still on the board. There is a recall effort in place to remove him in addition to other school board members who had prior knowledge of the dossier but didn’t do anything about it. 

When this was brought to the attention of a prominent columnist who writes about parents and education, he declined to write about it saying this kind of thing happens constantly, it’s no longer even news. Unfortunately, because the left has hyped up attacks on parents concerned about what their children are learning lately, it’s proving difficult to get any justice here. 

While the harassed parents may receive no justice in a criminal court of law, perhaps they will with lawsuits and restraining orders. I obtained a restraining order against a stalker for far less worse behavior. Leading Trump-supported Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has held rallies supporting the parents, calling for Greenburg’s resignation. 

Parents say they were attacked by Greenburg merely because they became advocates for increased transparency in the school district. They were essentially attacked for free speech. Meanwhile, Greenburg continues on his rise in public office, filing paperwork to run for the Maricopa County Community College District board. He apparently has no shame and will not stop if something isn’t done about it.