NHEG-November-December2022 by New Heights Educational Group

ISSUE 11-12

2022

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER

EDITORIAL TEAM

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Pamela Clark NewHeightsEducation@yahoo.com

Contents

NHEG EDGUIDE

2 EDITORIAL TEAM 4 THOUGHT OF THE MONTH 10-11 LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR PAMELA CLARK

12-23

Marina Klimi PRODUCTION MANAGER

MarinaKlimi@NewHeightsEducation.org

PROOFREADERS/EDITORS

Laura Casanova Laura Casanova Laura Casanova

PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THIS ISSUE

Frani Wyner William Atkinson Pamela Clark

NHEG MEDIA PACK 24-25 MISSING CHILDREN 30-31 NHEG GROUP NAMED BEST CHILDREN & ADULTS LITERACY GROUP

66-69 NHEG BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES 70-71 NHEG VOLUNTEERS REVIEWS 72-73 EARN BOX TOPS 78-103

NHEG WRITERS ARTICLES 104-127 FEE ARTICLES 130 HSLDA ARTICLES

134-135 GREAT COMPANIES

BARBARA BULLEN

136-141 RECIPES

NEW COMIC STRIPS CREATED BY 46-47

VOLUNTEERS PAGES 48-55

NHEG INTERNET RADIO PROGRAM

58-59 NHEG FREE BOOK PROMOTIONS

142-143 NHEG PARTNERS & AFFILIATES

November November -- December December 2022 2022

NHEG EDGUIDE

Thought for the Month

Welcome to the official New Heights Educational Group store.

https://NHEG.memberhub.com/store I wish everyone a safe and warm holiday season. I hope you’re surrounded by loved ones and enjoy every moment, great and small.

NHEG Store | New Heights Educational Group, Inc.

Pamela Clark Founder/ Executive Director of The New Heights Educational Group, Inc. Resource and Literacy Center

MORE PRODUCTS SOON!

NewHeightsEducation@yahoo.com http://www.NewHeightsEducation.org

Learning Annex

https://School.NewHeightsEducation.org/

A Public Charity 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization New Heights Educational Group Inc. 14735 Power Dam Road, Defiance, Ohio 43512 +1.419.786.0247

November - December

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Letter from our Director Pamela Clark Dear Readers, Supporters, Families, and Wonderful Volunteers, This has been one of the most challenging years I’ve ever faced personally and professionally, and it’s been hard on our organization as well. We are still struggling but fighting to survive the year. I want to say thank you to all of you. We would not have survived this year without our incredible volunteers, and it reconfirms that this is the people’s organization and not just mine. NHEG is for anyone looking for a more successful life through education—real education, lifelong education—and a deep love for it. It’s for everyone, and I believe it is a human right. I have been through a lot in my life, but surviving a serious car accident along with my husband is up there with the top challenges. It’s a miracle that we both walked away from a semi-truck trailer accident, yet due to the injuries we sustained the incident has dragged on and on. We are thankful, but continually deal with the repercussions. This has brought us to a point in our history when we require immediate funding so I can hire local and remote staff to help continue our work and cement our legacy in history. Most importantly, though, I’m writing this to thank those of you who have been behind the scenes making a difference this year. I’m in awe and so appreciate you and your belief in my dream to make education affordable and accessible to everyone through our a la carte learning programs. THANK YOU. 10

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New Heights Educational Group Named Best Children & Adults Literacy Group New Heights Educational Group (NHEG) has been named a U.S. winner in Acquisition International’s 2022 Non-Profit Organisation Awards. NHEG was awarded Best Children & Adults Literacy Group – Ohio. This is the second win for NHEG from Acquisition International, a monthly digital business magazine with global circulation published by AI Global Media Ltd, a publishing house based in the United Kingdom. Pamela Clark, Founder/Executive Director of NHEG stated, “We extend a warm thank you to Acquisition International for recognizing the work of our organization and its many volunteers. We are thankful for and appreciate your continued support.” More information about the NHEG award and other award winners is available via the links below: • Directory listing - https://www.acquisition-international.com/winners-list/?award=98329-2022 • The official press release - https://www.acquisition-international.com/acquisition-international-is-proud-to-announce-thewinners-of-the-2022-non-profit-organisation-awards/ • New Heights Educational Group - New Heights Educational Group 2022 (acquisition-international.com)

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https://www.collegexpress.com/reg/signup?campaign=10k&utm_campaign=NHEG&utm_medium=link&utm_source=NHEG

https://newheightseducation.org/NHEG-news/heroes-of-liberty-partnership/ 32

https://nheg.memberhub.gives/nheg/Campaign/Details

https://careasy.org/nonprofit/NewHeightsEducationalGroup

https://nheg.memberhub.gives/nheg/Campaign/Details

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VOLUNTEER PAGES VOLUNT EERS OF T HE MONT H

NEW VOLUNT EERS MICHAEL FRANK

MICHAEL ANDERSON

SARIKA GAUBA

NINA LE

RAMYASREE ARVA

ERIKA HANSON

VICTOR RODRIGUEZ

JODY BOWDEN

JACKSON HOCHSTETTLER

KATIE BUCHHOP GERKEN M.

RHONE-ANN HUANG

LAURA CASANOVA

PADMAPRIYA KEDHARNATH

CAROLINE CHEN

PRIYA

KRISTEN CONGEDO

MARINA KLIMI

JAVIER CORTÉS

JULIA LANDY

THE INTERNET RADIO PROGRAM

FROM NEW HEIGHTS EDUCATIONAL GROUP

Internet Radio Show Spots now available The New Heights Educational Group is now offering the opportunity for the public or businesses that promote education to purchase sponsor advertisement on our internet radio show. All products, business and service advertisements will need to be reviewed by our research department and must be approved by NHEG home office. All advertisements must be family friendly. Those interested in purchasing packages can choose for our host to read the advertisement on their show or supply their own pre-recorded advertisement. If interested, please visit our website for more details. https://Radio.NewHeightsEducation.org/

The NHEG Radio Show is an internet radio program in which the hosts cover various topics of education for Home, Charter and Public School families in Ohio. These Communities include Paulding, Defiance, Van Wert, Delphos, Lima, Putnam County, Wauseon and Napoleon. For an invitation to the live show, visit us on Facebook or Twitter to sign up, or email us at info@NewHeightsEducation.org If you are looking to listen to past shows, please check out this document

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oW5gxFB7WNgtREowSsrJqWP9flz8bsulcgoR-QyvURE/edit#gid=529615429

Check out NHEG Free Book Promotions this Holiday season.

November - December

NHEG EDGUIDE

Unraveling Reading - Free Book Promotion

One Nonprofit’s Journey to Success

Friday, November 25, 2022, 12:00

- Free Book Promotion

AM PST Tuesday, November 29,

Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 12:00 AM PST

2022, 11:59 PM PST

Sunday, December 11, 2022, 11:59 PM PST

https://kdp.amazon.com/

Unpredictable: The walk in and out of darkness - Free Book Promotion with code eBook: WRZDG2 Get 10% off from from 12/23/2022 - 12/31/2022 at https://store.bookbaby.com/

November - December

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NHEG November Birthday NOV 03 NOV 05 NOV 13 NOV 21 NOV 26 NOV 26

Jon Aitken Laura Casanova Chase Osborne Margaret Spangler Piper Sharpe

Frani Wyner

NHEG December Birthday DEC 03

Heather Ruggiero

DEC 03

Padmapriya (Priya) Kedharnath

DEC 05

Chetan Muvvala

DEC 14

Sean Urke

DEC 19

Roberta Perkins

DEC 23

Jackson Hochstetler

DEC 25

Nina Le

NHEG EDGUIDE

November - December

NHEG November Anniversaries

NHEG December Anniversaries

NOV 04

Cheska Bagalso

DEC 10

Barbara Bullen

NOV 09

Sean Urke

DEC 10

Frani Wyner

NOV 20

Bruno Moses Patrick

DEC 20

Erika Hanson

NOV 24

Laura Casanova

NHEG Volunteers Reviews Vlowery Volunteer 09/24/2022 Rating: 5 I found New Heights to be a group of well-intentioned individuals doing great work.

Ninale Volunteer 08/04/2022 Rating: 5 I am a volunteer at NHEG and after a year of being part of this amazing group, I have had an awesome experience, not only able to practice my interest, but also help others along the way. NHEG is a place to help or to be helped.

November - December 2022

NHEG EDGUIDE

HOW TO EARN BOX TOPS MAKES IT EASY All you need is your phone! Download the Box Tops app,shop as you normally would,then use the app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase.The app will identify Box Tops products on your receipt and automatically credit your school’s earnings online. Twice a year,your school will receive a check and can use that cash to buy whatever it needs! DO YOU NEED TO ENROLL YOUR SCHOOL? FIND OUT HOW HERE.

https://www.boxtops4education.com/enroll 72

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PRESS RELEASE

NEW HEIGHTS EDUCATIONAL GROUP WINS SILVER AND BRONZE STEVIE® AWARDS IN 2022 STEVIE AWARDS FOR SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE

STEVIE WINNER PROVIDES LITERACY AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT TO ADULTS AND CHILDREN

Defiance, Ohio – March 2, 2022 – New Heights Educational Group (NHEG)was presented with a Silver Stevie® Award in the Best Use of Thought Leadership in Customer Service category and a Bronze Stevie® Award in the Best Use of Thought Leadership in Business Development category Their Mission: Stevie Award winner New Heights Educational Group, Inc. promotes literacy for children and adults by offering a range of educational support services. Such services include assisting families in the selection of schools, organization of educational activities, and acquisition of materials. They promote a healthy learning environment and enrichment programs for families of preschool and school-age children, including children with special needs.

in the 16th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development and sales professionals. The Stevie Awards organizes eight of the world’s leading business awards programs, also including the prestigious American Business Awards® and International Business Awards®. Winners will be recognized during a virtual awards ceremony on May 11.

Award-winning organization New Heights Educational Group (NHEG) was formed in 2006 by Mrs. Pamela Clark. Mrs. Clark discovered that families needed to cooperate, especially in educating children with learning difficulties such as ADHD, bipolar disorder, autism, and neurological disorders. NHEG has served over 350,000 students via online services and courses. Mrs. Clark leads a team of 92 volunteers who research advancements and provide training to teachers and tutors exploring different learning styles.

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 51 nations, were considered in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide on eight specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in more than 90 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; more than 60 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize new products and services, solution providers, and organizations’ and individuals’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. New categories this year honor excellence in thought leadership in customer service and sales. Judges’ Comments --Congratulations on an incredible and amazingly profound mission. Well done. --Awesome to see enablement through education, developing support around kids for a better future --Interesting method to meet the requirements and needs of the business --Congratulations on your successful thought leadership focus on family education and those with special needs! --Excellent initiative taken by the company. The company seems to have benefitted tremendously under Mrs. Pamela Clark’s leadership. Well done on promoting literacy through various educational programs.Worthy of acclaim! --Supporting your clients every step along the way is the key to building trust. And since people do business with people they know, like, and trust, you can see how essential this is. You can also see how it’s the opposite of trying to SELL. It’s about guiding them to find the best solution for their problem …based on where they are in their Decision Journey.

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November - December 2022

--True general leadership growth opportunities in an equitable social application. This will impact and assist in true across the board growth in thought leadership --Overall a good and innovative solution to a time tested problem. --Congratulations NHEG on your valuable contributions to children’s education during the Covid crisis! --New Heights Educational Group has a very fulfilling goal, which is to provide education to the children with learning difficulties. The increase in the number of course offerings is commendable. Their partnerships with various online course providers is a clear indication of their interest in the growth of the children. Pamela Clark, Executive Director of NHEG, stated, “we are proud of our team of volunteers that work so hard to bring opportunities to families in need. We are honored by these awards.” “The nominations we received for the 2022 competition illustrate that business development, customer service, and sales professionals worldwide, in all sorts of organizations, have continued to innovate, thrive, and meet customer expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Stevie Awards president Maggie Gallagher Miller. “The judges have recognized and rewarded their achievements, and we join them in applauding this year’s winners for their continued success. We look forward to recognizing them on May 11.” Details about the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service and the list of Stevie winners in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

About NHEG New Heights Educational Group, Inc., promotes literacy for children and adults by offering a range of educational support services. Such services include the following: assisting families in the selection of schools; organization of educational activities; and acquisition of materials. We promote a healthy learning environment and various enrichment programs for families of preschool and school-age children, including children with special needs. About The Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

Nelson Mandela Peace often brings with it joy and pain.

Mandela served 27 years in prison, split between Robben Island, Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. Amid growing domestic and international pressure and fears of racial civil war, President F. W. de Klerk released him in 1990. Mandela and de Klerk led efforts to negotiate an end to apartheid, which resulted in the 1994 multiracial general election in which Mandela led the ANC to victory and became president. Leading a broad coalition government which promulgated a new constitution,

Joy in the relief that there are no longer racist

Mandela emphasised reconciliation between the country’s racial groups and created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

governmental policies

to investigate past human rights abuses. Economically, his administration retained its predecessor’s liberal framework despite

and pain in the attempt to overcome historically

his own socialist beliefs, also introducing measures to encourage land reform, combat poverty and expand

racist and prejudicial acts towards those whose

healthcare services. Internationally, Mandela acted as mediator in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial and served as

skin color is different. Mandela, you helped overthrow Apartheid. For this, the world thanks you.

secretary-general of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999. He declined a second presidential term and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki. Mandela became an elder statesman and focused on combating poverty and HIV/AIDS through the charitable Nelson Mandela Foundation. Mandela was a controversial figure for much of his life. Although critics on the right denounced him as a communist terrorist

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela known throughout the world as a revolutionary and political leader who aided

and those on the far-left deemed him too eager to negotiate and reconcile with apartheid’s supporters, he gained international

in the dismantling of Apartheid; Black South Africans whose lives were filled with fear due to the historical

acclaim for his activism. Globally regarded as an icon of democracy and social justice, he received more than 250 honours,

racist and prejudicial governmental policies of South Africa found their hero in Mandela. The world craved

including the Nobel Peace Prize. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Thembu

such a leader, as Black South Africans lives were filled with violence, fear and the struggle to end racism, and

clan name, Madiba, and described as the “Father of the Nation”.

they were severely affected by policies enacted and intended to make them feel subservient and inferior to

https://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/assets/pdf/mandela100-booklet.pdf

White South Africans.

“Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way.” Those who are voteless cannot be expected

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

to continue paying taxes to a government which is not responsible to them. People who live in poverty and starvation cannot

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (/mænˈdɛlə/;[1] Xhosa: [xolíɬaɬa mandɛ̂ːla]; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013)

be expected to pay exorbitant house rents to the government and local authorities. We furnish the sinews of agriculture and

was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader who served as the first president of

industry. We produce the work of the gold mines, the diamonds and the coal, of the farms and industry, in return for miserable

South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country’s first black head of state and the first elected in a fully

wages.

representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by

Why should we continue enriching those who steal the products of our sweat and blood? Those who exploit us and refuse us

tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and

the right to organise trade unions? ...

socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.

I am informed that a warrant for my arrest has been issued, and that the police are looking for me. ... Any serious politician

A Xhosa, Mandela was born into the Thembu royal family in Mvezo, Union of South Africa.

will realise that under present-day conditions in this country, to seek for cheap martyrdom by handing myself to the police is

He studied law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand before working as a

naive and criminal. We have an important programme before us and it is important to carry it out very seriously and without

lawyer in Johannesburg. There he became involved in anti-colonial and African nationalist politics, joining

delay. I have chosen this latter course, which is more difficult and which entails more risk and hardship than sitting in gaol. I

the ANC in 1943 and co-founding its Youth League in 1944. After the National Party’s white-only government

have had to separate myself from my dear wife and children, from my mother and sisters, to live as an outlaw in my own land.

established apartheid, a system of racial segregation that privileged whites, Mandela and the ANC

I have had to close my business, to abandon my profession, and live in poverty and misery, as many of my people are doing.

committed themselves to its overthrow. He was appointed president of the ANC’s Transvaal branch, rising to

... I shall fight the government side by side with you, inch by inch, and mile by mile, until victory is won. What are you going to

prominence for his involvement in the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People. He was

do? Will you come along with us, or are you going to cooperate with the government in its efforts to suppress the claims and

repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the 1956 Treason Trial.

aspirations of your own people? Or are youv going to remain silent and neutral in a matter of life and death to my people, to

Influenced by Marxism, he secretly joined the banned South African Communist Party (SACP). Although

our people? For my own part I have made my choice. I will not leave South Africa, nor will I surrender. Only through hardship,

initially committed to nonviolent protest, in association with the SACP he co-founded the militant uMkhonto

sacrifice and militant action can freedom be won. The struggle is my life. I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of

we Sizwe in 1961 and led a sabotage campaign against the government. He was arrested and imprisoned in

my days.

1962, and, following the Rivonia Trial, was sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiring to overthrow the state.

“THE STRUGGLE IS MY LIFE,” PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED WHILE UNDERGROUND IN SOUTH AFRICA, 26 JUNE 1961”

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

Endangered: The Mexican Grey Wolf Written By: Erika Hanson

The word ‘wolf’ brings up images of a massive grey and white canid, prowling the forests and tundra of such states as Michigan, Wyoming, and Alaska, just to name a few. This subspecies of wolf is well-known. It’s the one heard about in fairytales, seen on documentaries and in books. But the grey wolf is only one of many subspecies of wolves which roam the United States.

One such subspecies is the mexican grey wolf, typically seen in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Known as ‘el lobo’, this wolf can be found primarily in the states of New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas, as well as in parts of Mexico. The mexican grey wolf is smaller than its cousins to the north, standing at only 25-32 inches tall. Its coat is a mixture of grey, buff, rust and black, and they can have very distinctive markings. They have long legs and can run up to 40 miles (65KM) an hour. As previously mentioned, these wolves reside in the mountainous regions of the southwestern United States, as well as Mexico. They live and hunt in a pack, with a complex social structure consisting of a mated pair of alpha wolves and their offspring. In captivity, mexican grey wolves can live up to fifteen years. It is estimated that they live roughly ten years in the wild. Biodiversity continues to be an issue, as today’s population is decended from only five wolves: four males and one pregnant female. In the years between 1977 and 1980, these wolves were bred as the basis for a new generation. Although this saved the species from extinction, it provided conservationists with a limited gene pool.

Currently, there are 196 mexican grey wolves in the wild. It is estimated that over a thousand mexican wolves roamed the southwest during the 1900’s, but the population has since been decimated by human predation. Due to increasingly low numbers of elk, mule deer, and other prey in the wild, wolves have been forced to find food elsewhere, typically on cattle ranches. From the early twentieth century until 1976 (when the mexican wolf was declared to be an endangered species), they were shot or poisoned either by private individuals protecting their cattle or by government agents, in accordance with legislation current at the time.

In the 1970’s, the mexican grey wolf was considered extinct in the wild, and a binational conservation effort began. By breeding the wolves in captivity, zoologists were able to release a small population of mexican grey wolves back into their natural habitat. This population continues to grow, but slowly. Conservation efforts continue, with new legislation being introduced as recently as 2022. With the right resources and patience, the number of mexican grey wolves will continue to grow.

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

Thurgood Marshall

In its proper meaning equality before the law means the right to participate in the making of the laws by which one is governed, a constitution which guarantees democratic rights to all sections of the population,

Written By: Barbara Bullen

the right to approach the court for protection or relief in the case of the violation of rights guaranteed in the constitution, and the right to take part in the administration of justice as judges, magistrates, attorneys-

Birthday wishes to a great man.

general, law advisers and similar positions. In the absence of these safeguards the phrase “equality before

Honored by many for the work he did to

the law,” in so far as it is intended to apply to us, is meaningless and misleading. All the rights and privileges

end segregation by taking an active role in his job as a

to which I have referred are monopolized by whites, and we enjoy none of them. (I)consider myself neither

Civil Rights Activist, Lawyer and Justice.

morally nor legally obliged to obey laws made by a parliament in which I am not represented. That the will of

Thank you, Thurgood, for the good you did and may your

the people is the basis of “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society.... It is an ideal which I

work and successbe forever in the thoughts

hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” The authority of

of everyone not only in the United States

government is a principle universally acknowledged as sacred throughout the civilised world, and constitutes

but the world.

the basic foundations of freedom and justice. It is understandable why citizens, who have the vote as well as the right to direct representation in the country’s governing bodies, should be morally and legally bound by the laws governing the country. It should be equally understandable why we, as Africans, should adopt the attitude that we are neither morally nor legally bound to obey laws which we have not made, nor can we be expected to have confidence in courts which enforce such laws. … I hate the practice of race discrimination, and in my hatred I am sustained by the fact that the overwhelming majority of mankind hate it equally. I hate the systematic inculcation of children with colour prejudice and I am sustained in that hatred by the fact that the overwhelming majority of mankind, here and abroad, are with me in that. I hate the racial arrogance which decrees that the good things of life shall be retained as the exclusive right of a minority of the population, and which reduces the majority of the population to a position of subservience and inferiority, and maintains them as voteless chattels to work where they are told and behave as they are told by the ruling minority. I am sustained in that hatred by the fact that the overwhelming majority of mankind both in this country and abroad are with me. Nothing that this court can do to me will change in any way that hatred in me, which can only be removed by the removal of the injustice and the inhumanity which I have sought to remove from the political and social life of this country. COURT STATEMENT, PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA, 15 OCTOBER–7 NOVEMBER 1962 ***** Mandela, we love you for what you stood for The right for equality The right to end racism The right to be human The right for governmental policies to be just, and The right to be free.

https://www.oyez.org/justices/thurgood_marshall Thurgood Marshall had a fresh, passionate voice and became a champion of civil rights, both on the bench and through almost 30 Supreme Court victories before his appointment, during times of severe racial strains. Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 2, 1908, to Norma Arica and William Canfield Marshall. Marshall’s mother was a kindergarten teacher and his father was an amateur writer who worked as a dining-car waiter on a railroad, later becoming a chief steward at a ritzy club. When Marshall’s father had a day off, he would occasionally take his sons to court so they could watch the legal procedure and arguments presented. Afterwards, the three would debate legal issues and current events together. Marshall’s father would challenge his sons on the points they made, constantly encouraging them to prove their case. Growing up in Baltimore, Marshall experienced the racial discrimination that shaped his passion for civil rights early on. The city had a death rate for African-Americans that was twice that of Caucasians, and due to school segregation, Marshall was forced to go to an all-black grade school. Once, he was unable to use the bathroom because all public restrooms were reserved for whites. Despite the times, Marshall’s parents tried to shelter him from the reality of racism. They earned enough money to live in a nice area, and he was able to attend a first-rate high school. He was often mischievous and sent out of class to read the Constitution for misbehavior. When Marshall graduated high school in 1925, he knew the Constitution backwards and forwards. Marshall was accepted to Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania, from where his brother had just graduated. It was known as the black counterpart to Princeton, and one of his classmates was the famous writer Langston Hughes. Marshall chose to focus more on the social life of college. Because of his intelligence, he was able to get through with little effort, but after getting suspended for hazing with his fraternity, he began to focus on academics. Marshall joined the debate club, which helped him realize his passion for becoming a lawyer. He also became more involved with civil rights and helped desegregate a movie theater, which he later described as one of the happiest moments in his life. Marshall met his wife, Vivian Burey, while taking a weekend trip with his friends to Philadelphia. They soon married on September 4, 1929, before Marshall started his last semester. He graduated college in 1930 as a top-notch student. After being denied by his first choice, the University of Maryland Law School, due to the color of his skin, Marshall decided to go to Howard University. He and his wife moved in with his parents, and his mother sold her wedding ring to help pay for his law school. There he learned about civil rights law and began to think of the Constitution as a living document. His mentors introduced him to the world of the NAACP, often bringing him to attend meetings and watch lawyers discuss key

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

issues. One of the mentors who made the biggest impression upon Marshall was Charles Houston, who

As the court made a shift towards conservatism, however, Marshall became frustrated and his

taught him to defeat racial discrimination through the use of existing laws. Marshall graduated as

influence weakened. Despite the change of currents, Marshall’s voice remained strong until

valedictorian of his class in 1933 and moved back to Baltimore.

his retirement, when he was succeeded by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. Marshall died

Marshall denied a postgraduate scholarship to Harvard in order to start his own practice and opened an

on January 24, 1993 of heart failure in Bethesda, Maryland.

office in east Baltimore. A few people did come to him for help, though unable to pay. Marshall turned none of them away. He began to develop his style as he took cases dealing with police brutality, evictions and harsh landlords. Marshall was respectful but forceful in presenting his case. As his name began to gain notice, he earned big clients such as labor organizations, building associations, and corporations. Marshall started to volunteer with the NAACP and eventually became one of their attorneys, joining his mentor Houston to argue cases together. He won his first case arguing that the University of Maryland Law School should allow an African-American admission. In 1935, Houston got Marshall appointed as Assistant Special Counsel for New York in the organization. From then on, the two began planning on how to have the Supreme Court overrule the separate but

“Thurgood Marshall.” Oyez, www.oyez.org/justices/thurgood_marshall. Accessed 2 Jun. 2022. ***** https://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/gov/marshall.pdf Justice for All: The Legacy of Thurgood Marshall ***** https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/brown-v-board-ofeducation#:~:text=On%20May%2017%2C%201954%2C%20 U.S.,amendment%20and%20 was%20therefore%20unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

equal doctrine. After Houston resigned and Marshall took over as Special Counsel in 1938, he traveled to

In this milestone decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was

dangerous areas in the South in order to investigate lynching, the denial of voting rights, jury service, and

unconstitutional. It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the United States, overruling the

fair trials to African-Americans. The face of the NAACP had soon become that of Marshall’s. In 1940, the NAACP set up a legal activist organization known as Fund, Inc., of which Marshall was hired to

“separate but equal” principle set forth in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case. On May 17, 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruling

be special counsel. He was able to work toward his goal of challenging segregation in education. He won his

in the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. Statesanctioned segregation of public schools

first Supreme Court case dealing with forced confession; and after President Truman rejected the separate

was a violation of the 14th amendment and was therefore unconstitutional. This historic decision marked the end of the

but equal doctrine in relation to the G.I. Bill, Marshall was ready to bring the education issue into full light.

“separate but equal” precedent set by the Supreme Court nearly 60 years earlier

Marshall finally got the case he had been hoping for, and in 1952 argued Brown v. Board of Education. The

in Plessy v. Ferguson and served as a catalyst for the expanding civil rights movement

case was reargued in 1953, and after five months of waiting, the Supreme Court delivered its opinion that

during the decade of the 1950s.

invalidated the separate but equal doctrine. In 1961, President Kennedy appointed Marshall as federal judge to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City. Marshall spent four years on the court, and none of

*****

his opinions were reversed on appeal to the Supreme Court. In 1965, President Johnson called upon Marshall

Thurgood Marshall

to be the country’s next Solicitor General. Marshall was sworn into office, but only spent two years in the position. In 1967, the President appointed him as the first African-American to be an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Marshall’s voice was a liberal one that held great influence early on in his term.

Thurgood is famous for the Brown v. Board of Education case where “separate but equal” was held to be unconstitutional in public schools. He is a hero for the Civil Rights Era and for the future

As a proponent of judicial activism, he believed that the United States had a moral imperative to move

where his determination, strength, and courage

progressively forward. He staunchly supported upholding individual rights, expanding civil rights, and

enabled him to stop racism and inequality

limiting the scope of criminal punishment. Justice William Brennan shared many of Marshall’s opinions

in schools by taking action.

and they usually voted in the same bloc. In Furman v. Georgia, these justices argued the death penalty

Thurgood Marshall, Happy Birthday.

was unconstitutional in all circumstances, and dissented from the subsequent overruling opinion, Gregg v. Georgia, a few years later. He also made separate contributions to labor law (Teamsters v. Terry), securities law (TSC Industries, Inc. v. Northway, Inc.), and tax law (Cottage Savings Ass’n v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue). He had strong views on affirmative action and contributed greatly to opinions on constitutional law. Marshall maintained a down-to-earth style and would oftenjoke with Chief Justice Burger as they passed in the hallways by asking “What’s shakin’, Chief baby?”

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

CLAUDETTE COLVIN Written By: Barbara Bullen When racism rears its ugly head against you should you take action to stop the pain you feel of being discriminated against the laws that aren’t right the laws to protect only whites!

Colvin lived in troubled times; times when segregation divided the nation so that Blacks took a back seat to the lives of Whites. Segregation was the norm and the daily lives of all who traveled the public transit until Colvin took a stand. In Montgomery, Alabama, Colvin is said to be a pioneer, one who led the way and helped end segregation on public transit. When she was forcibly removed from the bus and arrested on March 2, 1955, her attorney, Fred Gray, along with four other plaintiffs filed a federal case, in Federal District Court, February 1, 1956, Browder vs. Gayle, to challenge segregation on public transit. A three-judge panel found the law unconstitutional which was appealed to the Supreme Court where it upheld the state court ruling, finding the law unconstitutional. “Browder v. Gayle 142 F. Supp. 707 (M.D. Ala. 1956) Decided Jun 5, 1956 709 *709 RIVES, Circuit Judge. Statement of the Case. The

When one hears about the Civil Rights era, it immediately brings to mind activists; Martin Luther King, Jr.,

purpose of this action is to test the constitutionality of both the statutes of the State of Alabama and the ordinances of the

Rosa Parks and organizations like the NAACP and the Southern Christian

City of Montgomery which require the segregation of the white and colored races on the motor buses of the Montgomery City

Leadership Conference. There are also many other leaders and activists that are in history books throughout

Lines, Inc., *711 a common carrier of passengers in said City and its police jurisdiction.

the United States and the World. In 1955, a teenager stood up for her rights and was arrested even before the

1 2 711 1 Title 48, § 301(31a, b, c), Code of Alabama of 1940, as amended, which provide: “§301(31a).

infamous Rosa Parks stand. Rosa Parks, who worked for the

Separate accommodations for white and colored races. — All passenger stations in this state operated by any motor

NAACP as the secretary for the Montgomery Chapter, was arrested for not getting up from her seat for a

transportation company shall have separate waiting rooms or space and separate ticket windows for the white and colored

White man on a bus. Claudette Colvin, a Black teenager attended Booker T. Washington High School, only 15

races, but such accommodations for the races shall be equal. All motor transportation companies or operators of vehicles

at the time, didn’t want her constitutional rights violated even though segregation on public transit was the

carrying passengers for hire in this state, whether intrastate or interstate passengers, shall at all times provide equal but

law. Whites were to be seated in the front of the bus, and if there were no seats left for

separate accommodations on each vehicle for the white and colored races. The conductor or agent of the motor transportation

Whites than Blacks had to get up from their seats at the back for Whites to be seated.

company in charge of any vehicle is authorize and required to assign each passenger to the division of the vehicle designated

Colvin lived in troubled times; times when segregation divided the nation so that Blacks took a back seat to

for the race to which the passenger belongs; and, if the passenger refuses to occupy the division to which he is assigned,

the lives of Whites. Segregation was the norm and the daily lives of all who traveled the public transit until

the conductor or agent may refuse to carry the passenger on the vehicle; and, for such refusal, neither the conductor or

Colvin took a stand.

agent of the motor transportation company nor the motor transportation company shall be liable in damages. Any motor

In Montgomery, Alabama, Colvin is said to be a pioneer, one who led the way and helped end

transportation company or person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon

segregation on public transit. When she was forcibly removed from the bus and arrested on March 2,

conviction, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars for each offense; and each day’s violation of this section shall

1955, her attorney, Fred Gray, along with four other plaintiffs filed a federal case, in Federal District Court,

constitute a separate offense. The provisions of this section shall be administered and enforced by the Alabama public service

February 1, 1956, Browder vs. Gayle, to challenge segregation on public transit. A three-judge panel found

commission in the manner in which provisions of the Alabama Motor Carrier Act of 1939 are administered and enforced. (1945,

the law unconstitutional which was appealed to the Supreme Court where it upheld the state court ruling,

p. 731, appvd. July 6, 1945.)”

finding the law unconstitutional. When one hears about the Civil Rights era, it immediately brings to mind activists; Martin Luther King, Jr.,

For the complete case see below:

Rosa Parks and organizations like the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. There are

https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Browder-v.-Gayle.pdf

also many other leaders and activists that are in history books throughout the United States and the World. In 1955, a teenager stood up for her rights and was arrested even before the infamous Rosa Parks stand.

According to Jonathan Gold in his article, “The Browder in Browder v. Gayle. On April 29, 1955, Aurelia Browder, like so many

Rosa Parks, who worked for the NAACP as the secretary for the Montgomery Chapter, was arrested for not

other black residents of Montgomery, was mistreated on a city bus. According to her testimony in the civil case, she was

getting up from her seat for a White man on a bus. Claudette Colvin, a Black teenager attended Booker T.

forced by the bus driver “to get up and stand to let a white man and a white lady sit down.” Three other plaintiffs, Mary Louise

Washington High School, only 15 at the time, didn’t want her constitutional rights violated even though

Smith, Claudette Colvin and Susie McDonald, had reported similar mistreatment. The cumulative effect of these “demeaning,

segregation on public transit was the law. Whites were to be seated in the front of the bus, and if there were

wretched, intolerable impositions and conditions,” as boycott organizer Jo Ann Robinson referred to them, inspired

no seats left for Whites than Blacks had to get up from their seats at the back for Whites to be seated.

Montgomery’s black community to begin developing plans for a boycott that eventually began after the arrest of Rosa Park.

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

For further reading: https://www.learningforjustice.org/sites/default/files/general/TT53%20Browder%20v.%20Gayle.pdf “Nine months after Claudette Colvin’s arrest, local activist Rosa Parks took similar action. She refused to give up her bus seat to a white rider and got arrested. Colvin’s actions raised awareness, but Parks’s actions set off a boycott of the Montgomery bus lines. Thousands of Black residents rode the bus to work, often for white employers. After Parks’s arrest, though, they refused to ride for an entire year (National Youth Summit 2020).” https://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/file-uploader/NYS%20Case%20Study%E2%80%93S tudent%20Kit%20FINAL4.pdf Colvin’s case unlike Rosa Parks’s “was dropped by civil rights campaigners because Colvin was unmarried and pregnant during the proceedings.[6][7] It is now widely accepted that Colvin was not accredited by civil rights campaigners at the time due to her circumstances. Rosa Parks stated: “If the white press got ahold of that information, they would have [had] a field day. The record of her arrest and adjudication of delinquency was expunged by the district court in 2021, with the support of the district attorney for the county in which the charges were brought more than 66 years before.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudette_Colvin When people, no matter their race, color or creed cannot take any more discriminatory and racist acts towards them, their only recourse is to take action. Humanity needs people like Colvin and the others who took a stand for their rights despite the consequences.

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Written by: Barbara Bullen

join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Martin Luther King Jr., (Michael King Jr., 1929-1968) known internationally throughout the world as one of the greatest mediators of all time, is honored yearly. Brought up as a Christian, he followed in his father’s

1964 saw the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to King for dismantling racial inequality through nonviolence. In 1965, Martin

footsteps (Martin Luther King, Sr.) by becoming a Baptist Minister. A man who took it upon himself to

was instrumental in organizing two marches from Selma to Montgomery in the fight for the right to vote with activists of the

eradicate discrimination against blacks along with his wife, Coretta Scott King, his leaders and activists,

Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1968, Martin was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee when he planned a national

helped dismantle the barriers that for so long held blacks from having equal rights. The civil rights

occupation of Washington, D.C.

movement which began in 1955 led to the enactment of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is King’s birthday which is a federal holiday signed into bill on November 3, 1983 by President Ronald

which Martin Luther King Jr. was the President. Martin’s mission was to do what ever was necessary in a non-

Reagan for the third Monday of each January.

violent way to dismantle discrimination, violence and oppression against blacks which included the use of

Martin Luther King Day In Ohio

civil disobedience. For too long, the laws protected whites in order for blacks to be subservient. He was tired and so were blacks

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY COMMISSION

in the South, throughout the United States and around the world, so King participated in and led marches for their civil rights including the right to vote, desegregation and labor rights. King was also instrumental in the

“The Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission (Commission) was established in 1985 by Executive Order. Today, the

1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott which was a protest against the segregation policies of public transit.

DAS Administrative Support Division provides support to the commission.

December 5, 1955, the Monday after Rosa Parks sat in the white area of the bus and refused to give her

The Commission is a statewide advocate of Dr. King’s principles of nonviolence and annually honors Ohio’s citizens who work

seat to a white person, she was arrested due to the segregation laws on public transit, only permitting

to promote diversity and eliminate discrimination through nonviolent methods. Each year, the Commission presents awards to

her to sit in the back of the bus. King led many nonviolent protest marches and was the key figure helping

Ohioans to celebrate the life of Dr. King, whose teachings encourage nonviolent actions to secure equal rights for all Americans.

organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered a speech that electrified the nation with his “I

The commemorative celebration is held each January in downtown Columbus.

have a Dream speech” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Part of his speech is listed below because the

The Commission strives to carry out Dr. King’s dream of service to others throughout the entire year through various events

reinforcement of what King did for the world to change the discriminatory practices and laws need to be

(Ohio, Department of Administrative Services).”

remembered by all.

I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH Martin Luther King Jr

For further information on the 37th Annual MLK Awards please go their website: https://das.ohio.gov/Divisions/Equal-Opportunity/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Holiday-Commission

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these

“Awards are presented in the following categories.

truths to be self‐evident, that all men are created equal.”

•Governor’s Humanitarian Award

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former

•Individual Award

slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

•Organization Award

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice,

•Collaborative Effort Award

sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

•Youth: Capturing the Vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

King’s legacy continues throughout generations, never to be forgotten for what he did for mankind

I have a dream today! And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

Harriet Tubman Written by: Barbara Bullen

Harriet Tubman an abolitionist renown. We thank God for her spirit, her strength and her love for her fellow men. We’ll remember her birthday this March to tell her story of the love for mankind, despite the cruelty that she, the slaves and the fugitives received by the merciless slave masters bent on slavery.

“There is evidence to suggest that Tubman and her group stopped at the home of abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass.[63] In his third autobiography, Douglass wrote: “On one occasion I had eleven fugitives at the same time under my roof, and it was necessary for them to remain with me until I could collect sufficient money to get them on to Canada. It was the largest number I ever had at any one time, and I had some difficulty in providing so many with food and shelter. ... “[64] The number of travelers and the time of the visit make it likely that this was Tubman’s group.[63] Douglass and Tubman admired one another greatly as they both struggled against slavery. When an early biography of Tubman was being prepared in 1868, Douglass wrote a letter to honor her. He compared his own efforts with hers, writing: The difference between us is very marked. Most that I have done and suffered in the service of our cause has been in public, and I have received much encouragement at every step of the way. You, on the other hand, have labored in a private way. I

March 10 is the day on which it is said that Harriet Tubman (Araminta Ross) famously known as an

have wrought in the day – you in the night. ... The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witnesses of your devotion to

abolitionist was born. As most Blacks who were born into slavery in the 1800s, Harriet was like them but

freedom and of your heroism. Excepting John Brown – of sacred memory – I know of no one who has willingly encountered more

became a hero when she escaped from slavery and helped other enslaved people escape from their masters

perils and hardships to serve our enslaved people than you have.[65]” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman

or bondage.

In 11 years, Tubman helped rescue 70 slaves in what was said to have taken 13 trips that included family members. Tubman was

Harriet was born in Dorchester County, Maryland where she lived a horrific life like most slaves being beaten

called “Moses” because of her efforts to free and rescue the slaves from their slave masters and to help fugitives to escape to the

and whipped by her slave masters and even experiencing a life-threatening head injury that induced visions

north.

and dreams she attributed to the works of God. She became deeply religious because of her Methodist

She was devout and dedicated to God aided by visions, premonitions and the voice of God which is said to sometimes be

upbringing and these visions and dreams.

attributed to her head injury. Although a religious woman she would not hesitate to use a gun which she carried for her

“She often fought illness in her childhood, but as she grew older, the “sickly” young household girl grew

protection and the protection of the slaves, even to the point of using it on them if they ever turned back to their plantation.

stronger and even became a fieldhand. On a secluded plantation during her adolescence, Tubman attempted

“Despite the efforts of the slaveholders, Tubman and the fugitives she assisted were never captured. Years later, she told an

to warn an escaping slave that his master was nearby. She was caught between the slave and his master

audience: “I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say – I never

when the two confronted each other. The master slung a lead weight at the escapee, but hit Tubman in the

ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”[3]…

head. The force of the blow “broke her skull and drove a piece of her bandana” into her head. The head injury Scouting and the Combahee River Raid would cause her to have headaches, fainting spells, and visions for the rest of her life. In 1844, she married

“When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Tubman considered it an important step toward the goal of liberating

a free black man named John Tubman. Around this time, she hired a lawyer to investigate her family’s slave

all Black people from slavery.[107] She renewed her support for a defeat of the Confederacy, and in early 1863 she led a band of

contracts. The lawyer found her mother should have been freed at the age of 45, meaning that some of her

scouts through the land around Port Royal.[108] The marshes and rivers in South Carolina were similar to those of the Eastern

siblings should have been born free.”

Shore of Maryland; thus, her knowledge of covert travel and subterfuge among potential enemies was put to good use.[108]

https://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/gates/Harriet-Tubman-End-of-Slavey.pdf

Her group, working under the orders of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, mapped the unfamiliar terrain and reconnoitered its

In the mid-1800s she escaped to Philadelphia to return to help those she left behind; she helped her family to

inhabitants. She later worked alongside Colonel James Montgomery, and provided him with key intelligence that aided in the

escape and led many others to their freedom.

capture of Jacksonville, Florida.[109]

“The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was part of the Compromise of 1850. This law required the United States

Later that year, Tubman became the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Civil War.[110] When Montgomery and

government to actively assist slave holders in recapturing freedom seekers. Under the United States

his troops conducted an assault on a collection of plantations along the Combahee River, Tubman served as a key adviser and

Constitution, slave holders had the right to reclaim slaves who ran away to free states. With the Fugitive

accompanied the raid.

Slave Law of 1850, the federal government had to assist the slave holders. No such requirement had existed

On the morning of June 2, 1863, Tubman guided three steamboats around Confederate mines in the waters leading to the shore.

previously.” https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Fugitive_Slave_Law_of_1850

[111] Once ashore, the Union troops set fire to the plantations, destroying infrastructure and seizing thousands of dollars worth

Harriet tried to find and help slaves in captivity escape and this included John Tubman who she later found

of food and supplies.[112]

out had remarried to a woman named Caroline thereby ending her quest to find him.

When the steamboats sounded their whistles, slaves throughout the area understood that they were being liberated. Tubman

Frederick Douglass an abolitionist was also said to have worked with Tubman in helping fugitives.

watched as slaves stampeded toward the boats. “I never saw such a sight”, she said later,[113] describing a scene of chaos with women carrying still-steaming pots of rice, pigs squealing in bags slung over shoulders, and babies hanging around their parents’ necks.

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

Although their owners, armed with handguns and whips, tried to stop the mass escape, their efforts were nearly useless in the tumult.[112] As Confederate troops raced to the scene, steamboats packed full of slaves

The Ghost of the Mountains Written by: Erika S. Hanson

took off toward Beaufort.[114] More than 750 slaves were rescued in the Combahee River Raid.[115][113] Newspapers heralded Tubman’s

The snow leopard is one of nature’s most beautiful creatures. As of 2021, the snow leopard is no longer considered an

“patriotism, sagacity, energy, [and] ability”,[116] and she was praised for her recruiting efforts – most of the

endangered species. However, the population is still at risk due to illegal poaching and the encroachment of society into the

newly liberated men went on to join the Union army.[116] Tubman later worked with Colonel Robert Gould

cats’ habitat. So, although it has been moved from “endangered” to “vulnerable” on the Endangered Species list, the snow

Shaw at the assault on Fort Wagner, reportedly serving him his last meal.[117] She described the battle by

leopard is still at risk. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the snow leopard is still on track to lose

saying: “And then we saw the lightning, and that was the guns; and then we heard the thunder, and that was

over ten percent of its wild population over the next three generations.

the big guns; and then we heard the rain falling, and that was the drops of blood falling; and when we came

The natural habitat of the snow leopard

to get the crops, it was dead men that we reaped.”[118]

is primarily in the mountainous areas of

For two more years, Tubman worked for the Union forces, tending to newly liberated slaves, scouting into

Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan.

Confederate territory, and nursing wounded soldiers in Virginia.[119] She also made periodic trips back to

Their defining features include a white pelt,

Auburn to visit her family and care for her parents.[120] The Confederacy surrendered in April 1865; after

with a pattern of dark rosettes and spots.

donating several more months of service, Tubman headed home to Auburn.[121]

Additionally, the leopard has a tail that is

During a train ride to New York in 1869, the conductor told her to move from a half-price section into the

longer than most other cats, in order to

baggage car. She refused, showing the government-issued papers that entitled her to ride there. He cursed at

assist with balance on steep mounds of

her and grabbed her, but she resisted and he summoned two other passengers for help. While she clutched

snow. Unfortunately, the snow leopard’s

at the railing, they muscled her away, breaking her arm in the process. They threw her into the baggage car,

distinctive coat makes it a prize for

causing more injuries. As these events transpired, other white passengers cursed Tubman and shouted for

poachers. The bones and other body parts

the conductor to kick her off the train.[122] Her act of defiance became a historical symbol, later cited when

are also used in traditional Asian medicine.

Rosa Parks refused to move from a bus seat in 1955.[123][124]” Snow leopards are known to be extremely

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman

elusive. Their territory spans over twelve Harriet Tubman,

countries, and they live in snowy, mountainous terrain. This makes gathering data on the cat difficult. For this reason, the wild

your legacy and dream continues,

snow leopard population is believed to be between 4,000 and 6,500 in number, and researchers are unable to narrow down that

until the day when slavery, is abolished throughout the world.

number to a more specific figure. In addition to poachers, snow leopards face a variety of other threats, including human encroachment on territory and “retaliatory killings”--the leopards are killed by farmers in the area to protect their livestock. Due to humans pushing further into their territory, snow leopards find it increasingly difficult to find food, not only due to industrialization, but because a snow leopard’s prey is also hunted by the surrounding humans.

Snow leopards are capable of bringing down prey that is up to three times their own weight. A typical diet would include blue sheep, Argali wild sheep, ibex, marmots, deer and other, smaller, animals. Because these animals are also consumed by humans, the number of prey in these mountainous areas is dwindling, leading the snow leopards to attack local livestock instead and the aforementioned retaliatory killings by farmers. According to the Snow Leopard Trust, there has never been a verified instance of a snow leopard attacking a human. The Trust focuses its efforts on protecting the snow leopard by partnering with local communities and creating incentives for those communities to preserve snow leopards.

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

A snow leopard can live between ten and twelve years in the wild. In captivity, their level of survival sharply increases to twice that, at 22 years. Snow leopards mature quickly. Initially, they are totally reliant on their mother, and their eyes do not open until they are seven days old. At two months old, cubs are able to eat solid food. At three months, they are able to learn basic hunting skills. Between 18 and 22 months, the cubs are ready to leave their mother. It is estimated that male snow leopards reach maturity by age four. Females maturation is harder to pin down, due to scant information. However, it is estimated that a female snow leopard is ready to have her first litter by age three.

Mating season is the only time you will see more than one of these solitary cats. From January to midMarch, males and females travel together for a few days. Once that time is done, and the female leopard is pregnant, she retreats to a secluded den site.

Pregnancy typically lasts between 93 and 110 days. Her cubs are usually born that June or July, and she becomes their sole caretaker, providing food and warmth, and teaching them how to survive in the wild. Once the cubs are ready, they separate from their mother and strike out on their own.

We continue to gather details about this “Ghost of the Mountains,” but information remains scarce. Their spotted white coats are unique, and unlike other big cats, they cannot roar, but can make other sounds such as a mew, purr, growl or hiss. They also make a low puffing sound called a “pusten” or “chuff.” This is a nonaggressive sound, and can indicate contentment, or be used to communicate with other snow leopards in the area. It is often used as a greeting.

There is still much to learn about these beautiful animals. Researchers continue their work with the people of Central Asia and the Himalayas to preserve and protect the snow leopard. Yet, the snow leopard remains elusive, which only adds to its mystique. Although sometimes misunderstood, this great cat is harmless to humans and is a key part in the planet’s continuing ecology.

NHEGWRITERS ARTICLES

November - December 2022

Malcolm X

Many who today hear me somewhere in person, or on television, or those who read something I’ve said, will think I

“No, I’m not an American. I’m one of the 22 million Black people

It had really begun back in the Charlestown Prison, when Bimbi first made me feel envy of his stock of knowledge.

Written by: Barbara Bullen

who are the victims of Americanism. One of the 22 million Black people who are the victims of democracy, nothing but disguised hypocrisy. So, I’m not standing here speaking to you as an American, or a patriot or a flag saluter, or a flag-waver-no not I.

went to school far beyond the eighth grade. This impression is due entirely to my prison studies.

I’m speaking as a victim of this American System.

ended up with little idea of what the book said. So I had come to the Norfolk Prison Colony still going through only

And I see America through the eyes of the victim.

book-reading motions. Pretty soon, I would have quit even these motions, unless I had received the motivation that I

I don’t see any American dream; I see an American nightmare.” “And why was he our ‘Shining Black Prince’? Selected Quotes from Malcolm X: Nation Time: Spring 1997 https://freedomarchives.org/Documents/Finder/DOC513_scans/Malcolm_X/513.Malco lm.X.Selected.Quotes.pdf

did. I saw that the best thing I could do was get hold of a dictionary - to study, to learn some words. I was lucky enough to reason also that I should try to improve my penmanship. It was sad. I couldn’t even write in a straight line. It was both ideas together that moved me to request a dictionary along with some tablets and pencils from the Norfolk Prison Colony school.

One of the most influential figures of the Civil Rights Movement was Malcolm X. Unlike Dr. Martin

I spent two days just riffling uncertainly through the dictionary’s pages. I’d never realized so many words existed! I

Luther King Jr’s non-violent mission for equality and the end of discrimination not only for Blacks but

didn’t know which words I needed to learn. Finally, just to start some kind of action, I began copying.

for all races, Malcolm X commanded attention throughout the world.

In my slow, painstaking, ragged handwriting, I copied into my tablet everything printed on that first page, down to the

“Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an

punctuation marks.

African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the

I believe it took me a day. Then, aloud, I read back, to myself, everything I’d written on the tablet. Over and over, aloud,

civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of Islam until 1964, he was a vocal advocate for

to myself, I read my own handwriting I woke up the next morning, thinking about those words - immensely proud to

black empowerment and the promotion of Islam within the black community.

realize that not only had I written so much at one time, but I’d written words that I never knew were in the world.

Malcolm spent his adolescence living in a series of foster homes or with

Moreover, with a little effort, I also could remember what many of these words meant. I reviewed the words whose

relatives after his father’s death and his mother’s hospitalization. He engaged in several illicit activities,

meanings I didn’t remember. Funny thing, from the dictionary first page right now, that “aardvark” springs to my mind.

eventually being sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1946 for larceny and breaking and entering.

The dictionary had a picture of it, a longtailed, long-eared, burrowing African mammal, which lives off termites caught

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X

by sticking out its tongue as an anteater does for ants.

Malcolm’s childhood was fraught with misfortune yet he never stopped looking forward to another day

I was so fascinated that I went on - I copied the dictionary’s next page. And the same experience came when I studied

in which to excel even to the extent of educating himself while in prison.

that. With every succeeding page, I also learned of people and places and events from history. Actually the dictionary is

“…Malcolm X was one of the most articulate and powerful leaders of black America during the 1960s.

like a miniature encyclopedia. Finally the dictionary’s A section had filled a whole tablet-and I went on into the B’s. That

A street hustler convicted of robbery in 1946, he spent seven years in prison, where he educated himself and became a disciple of Elijah Muhammad, founder of the Nation of Islam. In the days of the civil rights movement,

was the way I started copying what eventually became the entire dictionary. It went a lot faster after so much practice

Malcolm X emerged as the leading spokesman for black separatism, a philosophy that urged black Americans to

helped me to pick up handwriting speed. Between what I wrote in my tablet, and writing letters, during the rest of my

cut political, social, and economic ties with the white

time in prison I would guess I wrote a million words.

community. After a pilgrimage to Mecca, the capital of the Muslim world, in 1964, he became an orthodox Muslim, adopted the Muslim name El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, and distanced himself from the teachings of the

I suppose it was inevitable that as my word-base broadened, I could for the first time pick up a book and read and now

black Muslims. He was assassinated in

begin to understand what the book was saying. Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world that

1965. In the following excerpt from his autobiography (1965), coauthored with Alex Haley and published the year

opened. Let me tell you something: from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in

of his death, Malcolm X describes his self-education…

the library, I was reading on my bunk. You couldn’t have gotten me

It was because of my letters that I happened to stumble upon starting to acquire some kind of a homemade education.

out of books with a wedge. Between Mr. Muhammad’s teachings, my correspondence,

I became increasingly frustrated. at not being able to express what I wanted to convey in letters that I wrote,

my visitors,... and my reading of books, months passed without my even thinking about

especially those to Mr. Elijah Muhammad. In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler out there - I had

being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life.”

commanded attention when I said something. But now, trying to write simple English, I not only wasn’t articulate, I wasn’t even functional. How would I sound writing in slang, the way I would say it, something such as, “Look,

http://www.lattc.edu/Lattc/media/lattc_media/PDFs/Learning-to-Read-by-MalcolmX-PDF.pdf

daddy, let me pull your coat about a cat, Elijah Muhammad-“

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The Autobiography of Malcolm X New York, June 1965

CHAPTER ONE NIGHTMARE

Bimbi had always taken charge of any conversations he was in, and I had tried to emulate him. But every book I picked up had few sentences which didn’t contain anywhere from one to nearly all of the words that might as well have been in Chinese. When I just skipped those words, of course, I really ended up with little idea of what the book said. So I had come to the Norfolk Prison Colony still going through only book-reading motions. Pretty soon, I would have

“When my mother was pregnant with me, she told me later, a party of hooded Ku Klux

quit even these motions, unless I had received the motivation that I did. I saw that the best thing I could do was get

Klan riders galloped up to our home in Omaha, Nebraska, one night. Surrounding the house,

hold of a dictionary - to study, to learn some words. I was lucky enough to reason also that I should try to improve my

brandishing their shotguns and rifles, they shouted for my father to come out. My mother went to

penmanship. It was sad. I couldn’t even write in a straight line. It was both ideas together that moved me to request a

the front door and opened it. Standing where they could see her pregnant condition, she told them

dictionary along with some tablets and pencils from the Norfolk Prison Colony school.

that she was alone with her three small children, and that my father was away, preaching, in

I spent two days just riffling uncertainly through the dictionary’s pages. I’d never realized so many words existed! I

Milwaukee. The Klansmen shouted threats and warnings at her that we had better get out of town

didn’t know which words I needed to learn. Finally, just to start some kind of action, I began copying.

because “the good Christian white people” were not going to stand for my father’s “spreading

In my slow, painstaking, ragged handwriting, I copied into my tablet everything printed on that first page, down to the

trouble” among the “good” Negroes of Omaha with the “back to Africa” preachings of Marcus

punctuation marks.

Garvey.

I believe it took me a day. Then, aloud, I read back, to myself, everything I’d written on the tablet. Over and over, aloud,

My father, the Reverend Earl Little, was a Baptist minister, a dedicated organizer for

to myself, I read my own handwriting I woke up the next morning, thinking about those words - immensely proud to

Marcus Aurelius Garvey’s U.N.I.A. (Universal Negro Improvement Association). With the help

realize that not only had I written so much at one time, but I’d written words that I never knew were in the world.

of such disciples as my father, Garvey, from his headquarters in New York City’s Harlem, was

Moreover, with a little effort, I also could remember what many of these words meant. I reviewed the words whose

raising the banner of black-race purity and exhorting the Negro masses to return to their ancestral

meanings I didn’t remember. Funny thing, from the dictionary first page right now, that “aardvark” springs to my mind.

African homeland-a cause which had made Garvey the most controversial black man on earth.

The dictionary had a picture of it, a longtailed, long-eared, burrowing African mammal, which lives off termites caught

Still shouting threats, the Klansmen finally spurred their horses and galloped around the

by sticking out its tongue as an anteater does for ants.

house, shattering every window pane with their gun butts. Then they rode off into the night, their

I was so fascinated that I went on - I copied the dictionary’s next page. And the same experience came when I studied

torches flaring, as suddenly as they had come.”

that. With every succeeding page, I also learned of people and places and events from history. Actually the dictionary is

https://antilogicalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/malcom-x.pd

like a miniature encyclopedia. Finally the dictionary’s A section had filled a whole tablet-and I went on into the B’s. That was the way I started copying what eventually became the entire dictionary. It went a lot faster after so much practice

Advocacy and teachings while with Nation

helped me to pick up handwriting speed. Between what I wrote in my tablet, and writing letters, during the rest of my

“From his adoption of the Nation of Islam in 1952 until he broke with it in 1964, Malcolm X promoted

time in prison I would guess I wrote a million words.

the Nation’s teachings. These included beliefs:

I suppose it was inevitable that as my word-base broadened, I could for the first time pick up a book and read and

• that black people are the original people of the world[99]

now begin to understand what the book was saying. Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world

• that white people are “devils”[2] and

that opened. Let me tell you something: from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not

• that the demise of the white race is imminent.[3]

reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk. You couldn’t have gotten me out of books with a wedge. Between Mr.

Louis E. Lomax said that “those who don’t understand biblical prophecy wrongly label him as a racist

Muhammad’s teachings, my correspondence, my visitors,... and my reading of books, months passed without my even

and as a hate teacher, or as being anti-white or as teaching Black Supremacy”.[100] He was accused[ of

thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life.”

being antisemitic.[101] In 1961, Malcolm X spoke at a NOI rally alongside George Lincoln Rockwell, the

http://www.lattc.edu/Lattc/media/lattc_media/PDFs/Learning-to-Read-by-MalcolmX-PDF.pdf

head of the American Nazi Party; Rockwell claimed that there was overlap between black nationalism

One of the goals of the civil rights movement was to end disenfranchisement of African Americans, but the Nation of

and white supremacy.[102]

Islam forbade its members from participating in voting and other aspects of the political process.[103] The NAACP and

Many who today hear me somewhere in person, or on television, or those who read something I’ve

other civil rights organizations denounced him and the Nation of Islam as irresponsible extremists whose views did not

said, will think I went to school far beyond the eighth grade. This impression is due entirely to my

represent the common interests of African Americans.[104][105]

prison studies.

Malcolm X was equally critical of the civil rights movement.[106] He called Martin Luther King Jr. a “chump”, and said

It had really begun back in the Charlestown Prison, when Bimbi first made me feel envy of his stock of

other civil rights leaders were “stooges” of the white establishment.[107][G] He called the 1963 March on Washington

knowledge.

“the farce on Washington”,[109] and said he did not know why so many black people were excited about a

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demonstration “run by whites in front of a statue of a president who has been dead for a hundred years and who didn’t like us when he was alive”.[110] While the civil rights movement fought against racial segregation, Malcolm X advocated the complete separation of African Americans from whites. He proposed that African Americans should return to Africa and that, in the interim, a separate country for black people in America should be created.[111][112] He rejected the civil rights movement’s strategy of nonviolence, arguing that black people should defend and advance themselves “by any means necessary”.[113] His speeches had a powerful effect on his audiences, who were generally African Americans in northern and western cities. Many of them—tired of being told to wait for freedom, justice, equality and respect[114]—felt that he articulated their complaints better than did the civil rights movement.[115][116]” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_X Malcolm X a great but controversial leader is remembered by memorials and tributes that include the first home he was brought up in which is now a historical monument. Malcolm X is also portrayed in the movies, TV and on stage. ***** Malcolm X was a great leader known for his beliefs that not everyone liked. But he proved to everyone that despite being incarcerated for seven years he put his time to good use through selfeducation turning out to be the most prolific, educated speaker that there was in the United States. We welcome the holiday that celebrates Malcolm X for we live in a democracy where both sides must be heard; the good, the bad and the ugly that rears its head because of the suffering, racial discrimination and fear and torture of Blacks. Let us look forward to another day for great leaders to appear to lead us to justice for the benefit of all races in the United States

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Tooley himself was surprised by this, given that his consulting work brought him first to the Indian city of Hyderabad to assess the status of elite private schools. Reflecting on his journey in a 2020 article republished by FEE, Tooley wrote: “So, on a day off from consultancy, I went into Hyderabad’s slums, down an alleyway and found a small school in a residential

building. It wasn’t a state school, but a low-cost private one, charging in those days about $1 a month. Then I found another, and another, and soon I was connected to a federation of 500 of these low-cost private schools, serving poor and low-income communities across the region.” The microschools, hybrid schools, and learning pods that are sprouting across the US represent a patchwork of low-cost, private education options similar to the schools discovered by Tooley. These microschool models are very often low-cost, unregistered, private education options that serve a local community eager to abandon governmentrun schooling. Scattered throughout urban, suburban, and rural areas, these pods and microschools are formed by parents or teachers, or both, who are showing that they can offer low-cost, private education options that parents want and where children thrive. A main barrier to the continued proliferation of these learning models is the fear of encroaching government oversight and regulation. Tooley expressed the same concern about the low-cost private schools that he discovered around the FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2022 KERRY MCDONALD

School choice policies aren’t the only ways to expand education options and access.

Why Government Is the Biggest Obstacle to Educational Freedom

Iaround $23,000. For secular private schools, the cost

funding of education to families to use toward approved

is typically much higher, with Boston-area private

education-related expenses, including tuition. These

school tuition often exceeding $40,000. This price tag is

efforts succeed in weakening government control of

way too high for most families to afford, but emerging

education and providing more learning options to

microschools are typically a fraction of the cost of other

more families, as the recent introduction of universal

private education options.

school choice in Arizona demonstrates. They should be commended and replicated. But school choice policies

For example, the Wilder School is a new Acton Academy-

aren’t the only ways to expand education options and

affiliated microschool that costs about $12,000 a year,

access.

while Life Rediscovered, a new homeschool resource center offering up to five days a week of full-day, drop-

Encouraging the proliferation of private, low-cost

off learning, costs about $10,000. Even established local

microschools, hybrid schools, and learning pods is an

microschools, such as Bay State Learning Center that was

important, and often overlooked, opportunity to offer

founded in 2014 and that I wrote about in Unschooled,

more low- and middle-income families more education

have similar tuition costs and frequently offer financial

options without taxpayer money.

aid or sliding scale tuition.

This is the key emphasis in James Tooley’s excellent book, The Beautiful Tree, where he describes a vast network

world. “Sometimes governments try to close these schools altogether,” he wrote. “More commonly they pass regulations that impose impossible conditions, such as the need for very large playgrounds in areas of urban overcrowding, or the insistence that all teachers must achieve the same level of certification and pay as their government counterparts, even though this would make it impossible for the schools to charge low fees.” Preventing government involvement in the free-market of education choices is crucial to the creation, expansion, and accessibility of these emerging learning models. Some states are trying to enact policies to protect learning pods and microschools. West Virginia, for example, recently passed legislation recognizing learning pods and microschools and loosening state compulsory school attendance laws for the students attending such programs. In addition to preventing regulation of these emerging, innovative private learning models, state and local policymakers can reduce the many barriers to entry and operation that education entrepreneurs encounter. For example, local zoning restrictions often limit where and how microschools, hybrid schools, and learning pods can operate, often pushing these programs into undesirable locations on busy streets or without access to outdoor space for children’s play. Deregulation, along with removing common barriers to education entrepreneurship, can help to unleash education innovation and encourage a vibrant, affordable marketplace of learning possibilities.

of small, low-cost, unregulated private schools that

These tuition costs are still too high for many families

he discovered in some of the poorest slums and most

to afford, but they are more accessible than many

remote rural villages in India, China, and throughout the

other existing private options. Supporting the creation

Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

African continent.

and growth of more microschool programs through deregulation and by removing entrepreneurial barriers

In these places, where parents were astonishingly poor

would reduce costs even further.

and government-run schools were often readily available and conveniently located, the parents instead chose these unregistered private schools for their children.

Today’s education reformers who are interested in expanding education options typically focus on school choice policies that redistribute existing taxpayer

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The researchers also suspect that the well-being gap between homeschoolers and public school students has widened over the past decade, with homeschoolers faring even better. “For instance, social media apps have come to smartphones over the past few years, leading to their widespread adoption by teenagers and even younger children,” Chen told me this week. “Some prior studies suggested that such increasing smartphone use may have contributed to the recent huge spikes in adolescent depression, anxiety, and school loneliness. Cyberbullying, sexting and ‘phubbing’ have also become more common in children’s daily lives,

especially in school settings. We might expect that these issues may be less common among homeschoolers than their public school peers.” As more families experimented with homeschooling last year, and many of them decided to continue this fall, the new Harvard data should help them to feel confident about their education choice. In terms of human flourishing, homeschoolers are doing well—perhaps even better than their schooled peers. “Many parents opted to try homeschooling during the COVID pandemic,” said Chen. “Hopefully, the public awareness about homeschooling and the related practices and support for homeschoolers will be improved in the long run.” Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

WEDN, NOVEMBER 17, 2021 BY KERRY MCDONALD

Homeschooled children fared better than children who attended public schools in many categories.

New Harvard Study: Homeschoolers Turn Out Happy, Well-Adjusted, and Engaged Researchers at Harvard University just released find-

from the data doesn’t resemble the socially awkward

ings from their new study showing positive outcomes

and ignorant stereotype to which Ms. Bartholet and

for homeschooled students. Writing in The Wall Street

others appeal. Rather, home-schooled children gener-

Journal last week, Brendan Case and Ying Chen of the

ally develop into well-adjusted, responsible and socially

Harvard Human Flourishing Program concluded that

engaged young adults,” they wrote.

public school students “were less forgiving and less apt

The Harvard researchers also discovered that homes-

to volunteer or attend religious services than their home-

chooled students were less likely to attend college than

schooled peers.”

their public school peers. Some media outlets latched onto this finding in their headlines, while ignoring the

The scholars analyzed data of over 12,000 children of

Harvard scholars’ speculation that this could be due to

nurses who participated in surveys between 1999 and

a variety of factors. Homeschoolers could be choosing

2010 and found that homeschooled children were about

alternatives to college as a pathway to adulthood, and

one-third more likely to engage in volunteerism and have

college admissions practices may create barriers for

higher levels of forgiveness in early adulthood than those

homeschooled students.

children who attended public schools. Homeschooled

I reached out to Case and Chen for additional comments

children were also more likely to attend religious services

on their study’s findings, including how they think the

in adulthood than children educated in public schools,

homeschooling data and outcomes might have changed

which the researchers noted is correlated with “lower

since 2010, when their data set ended.

risks of alcohol and drug abuse, depression and suicide.” The new findings offer a stark contrast to the portrayal

“We are also glad to see that some colleges, including

of homeschoolers by Harvard Law School professor

some top-tier colleges, have become more flexible in

Elizabeth Bartholet, who notoriously called for a “pre-

their admission policies for homeschoolers over the past

sumptive ban” on homeschooling last year—just before

years,” Chen responded.

the US homeschool population ballooned to more than

Indeed, more colleges and universities have imple-

11 percent of the overall school-age population, or more

mented clearer guidelines and policies for homeschooled

than five million students, in the wake of the coronavirus

students in recent years, and many are now eager to

response.

attract homeschooled applicants. In 2015, Business

In their Journal Op-Ed, Case and Chen challenged their

Insider noted that homeschooling is the “new path to

colleague.

Harvard,” and in 2018 the university profiled several of

“The picture of the home-schooled student that emerges

its homeschooled students.

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FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, has labeled the school a “red light” institution, indicating that its campus policies and practices substantially inhibit free speech. The organization has given the school the lowest ranking in its measurement system for failing to institute safeguards for openness and inclusivity. In response to FIRE’s negative rating — and to the experiences of outspoken students like Pillai — a small group of Davidson College alumni formed the Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse. Upon their creation, this alumni group began using their resources and sway to bring intellectual diversity back to campus. They are not alone in this cause.

A Grassroots Movement Across the country, alumni at some of the nation’s most prestigious universities have similarly come together to take a stand against the recent trend of blatant censorship and assaults on free speech in higher education. At Princeton University, alumni have formed the non-profit, Princetonians for Free Speech, which aims to rally behind students and faculty members who have been “isolated, outnumbered, and exposed” for their beliefs, while simultaneously promoting academic freedom on campus. The group publishes articles on free speech at Princeton, and they have organized and sponsored events and debates on campus to further their mission. The University of Virginia has taken a similar approach with their creation of The Jefferson Council, which hopes to preserve the type of intellectual freedom that one would expect from a university founded by Thomas Jefferson. Though organizations such as these have taken higher education administrations by surprise, this movement started THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021 BY BRETT COOPER

When university administrations refused to step in and support censored students, alarmed alumni began to take action.

Alumni Organizations Are Pushing Back on Woke Campuses in Battle for Free Speech

who are Black, Brown, disabled, fat, or low-income, are

When Davidson College senior Maya Pillai was asked

expendable for the sake of America’s oppressive capital-

about her greatest college memory, the first-generation

ist machine,” an ironic statement, considering that Pillai

immigrant answered, “I don’t have one.”

herself is a first-generation minority. Though the campus re-opened to in-person classes in fall

In an August 2020 interview with the Charlotte Observer,

of 2020, Pillai chose to finish her degree online because

Pillai, the president of Davidson’s chapter of College

the threats she received were so severe.

Republicans, described her alienating college experience. “The main reason I decided to attend virtually is not entirely “Because of my political affiliation, it led to not having friends,’’

because of the COVID-19 outbreak, but because I am afraid of

said Pillai, who received a full, merit scholarship to the high-

being targeted. … If students have written these articles about

ly-respected North Carolina institution. “And because it led

me in the few months of being off campus,” said Pillali, “imag-

to not having friends, it led to not having a fair reputation on

ine what they will do to me on campus, when they see my face

campus. So I’ve been essentially outcast due to my political

and see me walking around.”

views.” Pillai is not the only free-thinking student who has faced Pillai’s work with national Republican leaders earned

harsh discrimination at the nationally-ranked liberal arts

her a spot as an alternate delegate for the Republican

college, and when the Davidson administration refused

National Convention in 2020. In addition, during the

to step in and actively support the students, concerned

COVID-19 lockdowns, Pillai organized a significant and

members of Davidson’s alumni community began to take

well-attended rally in Charlotte, North Carolina to urge

note.

politicians to re-open the state. Though she was proud

Illiberal Track Record

of her work, Pillai’s efforts were met with hostility from students and professors on Davidson’s campus. Multiple hit pieces were written about Pillai, published in the school’s widely respected newspaper, The Davidsonian. One classmate wrote that “Pillai and other Reopen pro-

organically. As their alma maters became increasingly radical-leaning and drifted away from a focus on free inquiry, alarmed alums began to pull their financial donations, ending years of major giving. Slowly, communities were formed over these shared concerns and values, and the grassroots campaigns took flight. The Guiding Principles The mission of these alumni organizations is largely guided by the Chicago Principles, a declaration on free expression in academia originally developed by the University of Chicago. After a series of incidents that “tested institutional commitments to free and open discourse,” the University of Chicago established the Committee on Freedom of Expression in 2014 to write a statement articulating the school’s dedication to ideological diversity. To sum up the principles and push back against ideological censorship, the committee asserted that, “debate or deliberation may not be suppressed [on campus] because the ideas put forth are thought by some or even by most members of the University community to be offensive, unwise, immoral, or wrong-headed.” Supporting the free market of ideas, the Chicago Principles stated that, “It is for the individual members of the University community, not for the University as an institution, to make those judgments for themselves, and to act on those judgments not by seeking to suppress speech, but by openly and vigorously contesting the ideas that they oppose.” Following the creation of the Chicago Principles, a campaign arose to get them adopted on other college campuses. However, it wasn’t until a few years ago that their implementation became a trend. Prestigious institutions like Columbia University, Claremont McKenna College, Vanderbilt University, and most recently, the University of Virginia have all endorsed Chicago’s statement, and this was accomplished with significant help from concerned alumni. This commitment to fostering debate and deliberation is an essential part of any university’s educational mission, because it challenges students to become articulate, independent-minded, critical thinkers. Traditionally, this has been the goal of higher education. However, in today’s culture, that objective has been superseded by political agendas. In the case of Davidson College, the Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse have been pushing for the school’s adoption of the Chicago Principles since 2018. As recently as last week, the administration continued to strike down the request. However, the alumni group offers no indication of backing down. The Davidson alums, along with so many others, are watching as their alma maters become environments that are hostile toward free inquiry and antithetical to genuine intellectual exploration. The quality education they themselves received as students is being eroded in front of them, so it’s not surprising that they’re using their sway as donors,

Though the small, prestigious college has produced a

leaders, and trustees to counter this deterioration.

United States president (Woodrow Wilson), multiple sen-

“This whole effort is really about freedom of expression and discourse,” said John E. Craig, Jr, a founding member of

ators, a North Carolina governor, and 23 Rhodes Schol-

Davidson’s alumni group. “We regard the Chicago Principles as the definitive effort.”

ars, Davidson College has recently garnered a dismal

Engaged, independent students such as Davidson’s Maya Pillai deserve environments that help them explore and grow

rating for free speech.

as free thinkers, and this alumni movement might have the power to restore free inquiry and discourse in American higher education.

testers believe that individual lives, particularly those

Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

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A college degree does not make you serious, important, or special in any way. It only proves that you were willing to follow the crowd. A dangerous prospect, especially lately.

Now, universities are extending their absurdities to the bodily autonomy of their students. They are forcing students to cover their faces, swab their noses, present medical papers, or get injected with crony corporate concoctions they know little about. They are belittled and harassed in the process. The few social joys of campus life are reduced, while tuition is increased. Now is the time to pull the last leg out from under the zombie corpse of college. Now is the time to break the spell cast by its priests and reject the idea that degrees make you matter. Now is the time to courageously unleash human creativity and imagination and engage in alternative educational, social, and career experiences. There is a war for the mind. A war of information. A war for control of human societies and cultures. This war requires you to believe the priests and accept the idea that The Ivory Tower is more important than you, and those they slap a stamp of approval on more important than those who bypass the madness.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2022 BY ISAAC M. MOREHOUSE

When university administrations refused to step in and support censored students, alarmed alumni began to take action.

The Last Leg Universities Stand On Is Collapsing Universities are dying.

for their kids, many go through with it because they

They have long ceased being the best way to gain knowl-

panic. They don’t know how to face other parents who

edge.

ask what their kids are doing. They don’t know how to deal with the social expectation among the masses that

The tyrannical individuals, policies, and beliefs crippling the world today emanate from universities and the sphere of influence they enjoy. They continue to take your money and weaken young minds all while using their undue influence to make your life worse. Don’t accept it. Don’t allow it. You can overcome the pernicious influence of “experts” by simply ignoring them and refusing to give them your money, attention, and children.

college is somehow respectable.

Institutional paper doesn’t matter. The life, ideas, and actions of individuals humans do.

exception being jobs that legally require them. (Such jobs

I can think of few things less respectable than unthink-

you wish. Do you want to empower the system that wishes to enslave you, or do you want to blaze a trail of freedom

are increasingly stodgy, unattractive, bureaucratic, back-

ingly going into debt to spend half a decade drinking

wards, and subservient to tyrannical governments).

and begrudgingly completing meaningless assignments

The final leg universities stand on is the mythology of

for professors detached from the world all so you can

social status. That’s it. That’s what gives them what wan-

emerge with a piece of paper that does nothing to help

ing power they have.

you start a career and mindsets that make success

I can’t count the number of parents I’ve talked with who

harder.

recognize that college is one of the worst places to learn

This doesn’t mean it’s not possible for the college expe-

and degrees are one of the weakest ways to try to get

rience to be good or valuable or any of those things. The

hired, but who still needlessly bite the bullet and send

point is, almost no one seriously analyzes it. Almost no

their kid anyway.

one sets out specific goals, examines the various ways

More recently, the degrees they confer have ceased being the best way to signal employability; the only

You are free to pursue life, learning, and career any way you choose, investing your time, money, and energy anywhere and show the world a better way?

Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

to achieve them, and compares college to the relevant Often, they shackle themselves or their children to

alternatives. Because only college confers the social

tens of thousands in debt along the way. They despise

praise of the self-appointed “important people”.

the infantilizing policies on campus and bitter ideas in the classroom. They see the waste, corruption, stupid-

The priests of our cultural religion teach that you are not

ity, warped worldview, and bad habits cultivated and

important without a degree. It’s the equivalent of a blue

rewarded by the system.

checkmark on Twitter. A self-serious symbol that turns

But they still send their kids.

out to be a better indicator of who is a fool or apologist

Why?

for tyrants than who’s a serious person.

Because they value the decaying social status indicator of a degree. They want a shortcut to communicate to

As easy as it is to see the foolishness of university

the world that they are good parents and their kids are

degrees as a status symbol from a distance, the spell the

better than most.

priests have cast over the past half century remains powerful. Even for those who should know better.

Even when they know the college experience is not good

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While these young children were fortunate enough to not have been placed in handcuffs, this national crackdown on

child-run businesses is having a far worse impact on the communities where the self-sustaining entrepreneurial spirit is needed the most.

Breaking the Cycle In the District of Columbia, 26 percent of its black residents are below the national poverty line. Equally dismal, for those black residents living in Baltimore, Maryland, 27.6 percent are considered to be living below the poverty line. And yet, rather than encouraging these communities to become self-sufficient, the state is penalizing those who have the most to gain from entrepreneurial endeavors. Whether it’s selling lemonade on a neighborhood street corner or, like the young men detained in DC this weekend, selling cold bottles of water to overheated tourists, local law enforcement has cracked down and penalized minors who would dare start a business without first obtaining a government license. However, in other areas, specifically more affluent communities where the level of those living below the poverty line are not quite as high as Baltimore and Washington, DC, you will rarely find young entrepreneurs placed in handcuffs for making a few extra dollars. Perhaps, this is what makes the scene on the national mall this weekend so horrific. Officers on the scene claimed that this extreme measure taken against these teens was done in order to ensure police safety, exemplifying yet again how members of lower socioeconomic communities are constantly facing state obstacles. Not only are these licensing laws not doing anything substantial to actually protect consumers, they are disproportionWEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2017 BY BRITTANY HUNTER

Over-enforcement has become all too common when it comes to youthful attempts at entrepreneurship.

Without the State, Who Will Handcuff Teens for Selling Water Bottles? ourists taking a stroll around the national monuments

for those black residents living in Baltimore, Maryland,

this past weekend might have wondered what horrible

27.6 percent are considered to be living below the pov-

crime was committed by a group of black teenagers sit-

erty line. And yet, rather than encouraging these com-

ting handcuffed and detained on the sidewalk. But while

munities to become self-sufficient, the state is penalizing

imaginations may run wild, the truth of the matter is

those who have the most to gain from entrepreneurial

extremely tame; the only offense these teens were guilty

endeavors.

of was selling bottled water without first asking the gov-

Whether it’s selling lemonade on a neighborhood street

ernment for permission.

corner or, like the young men detained in DC this week-

If this seems like an overreaction on the part of law

end, selling cold bottles of water to overheated tourists,

enforcement, that is because it absolutely is. However,

local law enforcement has cracked down and penalized

this over-enforcement has become all too common when

minors who would dare start a business without first

it comes to youthful attempts at entrepreneurship. Dur-

obtaining a government license. However, in other areas,

ing the hot summer months when school-aged children

specifically more affluent communities where the level of

are liberated from their oppressive classrooms, many

those living below the poverty line are not quite as high

have discovered the wonders of capitalism only to be

as Baltimore and Washington, DC, you will rarely find

shut down by local authorities.

young entrepreneurs placed in handcuffs for making a few extra dollars.

Just a week prior to this appalling scene, a similar

ately impacting the most economically vulnerable communities in negative ways. And as a result, the vicious cycle of poverty becomes incredibly difficult to escape. For most of these young entrepreneurs, it never once occurred to them that they would even need such a thing before engaging in the economy. And who can blame them? In addition to these permit requirements being absolutely meaningless, the public school system has done nothing to foster an environment where young Americans are encouraged to go out and be active participants in the economy.

Imprisoned by Compulsory Education Compulsory education has mandated that adolescents must sit in a desk for six to eight hours a day, caged away from the rest of society and isolated from critical thought or practical life skills. Instead of teaching students precepts of the free market and allowing them to actually experience capitalism in action, they are kept in a state of dependency until the day they turn 18. Then, after this magical government-sanctioned rite of passage has occurred, we throw them out into the real world and expect them to know how to find a job and make money. Truthfully, it is amazing that these young people even want to get a job and make money after the system has crushed their spirits for 13 years. But in cities with higher levels of poverty, this becomes an even greater problem, especially when college is not a desirable or feasible option. The ability to create a business or learn a practical skill that can be used to cater to market demand is profitable for those of all socioeconomic backgrounds, but especially those eager to break the cycle of poverty. But for those in more economically vulnerable communities, the system disproportionately impacts their ability to succeed as independent adults. Instead of encouraging their entrepreneurial spirit, we teach them useless skills and prevent them from opting out of school in favor of apprenticeships or other specialized courses of learning. In fact, the system not only prohibits these students from looking for alternatives to K-12 education, it criminalizes those who stop attending just as it criminalizes those who do not ask the government for permission before starting a business.

instance occurred in the neighboring city of Baltimore,

Perhaps, this is what makes the scene on the national

Maryland. A group of young black children, still donning

mall this weekend so horrific. Officers on the scene

their school uniforms from earlier in the day, were selling

claimed that this extreme measure taken against these

snow cones in their community, until police shut them

teens was done in order to ensure police safety, exem-

down for not obtaining the proper permits. While these

plifying yet again how members of lower socioeconomic

young children were fortunate enough to not have been

communities are constantly facing state obstacles.

placed in handcuffs, this national crackdown on child-run

Just a week prior to this appalling scene, a similar

businesses is having a far worse impact on the commu-

instance occurred in the neighboring city of Baltimore,

The Market Provides

nities where the self-sustaining entrepreneurial spirit is

Maryland.

The market is a liberator of all people, regardless of their circumstances. It exists to help all those who are willing to

needed the most.

A group of young black children, still donning their school

utilize it well. When individuals of all ages are allowed to take full advantage of everything free market capitalism has

Breaking the Cycle

uniforms from earlier in the day, were selling snow cones

to offer, they are able to better their circumstances, innovate their lives, and rise out of their situations.

In the District of Columbia, 26 percent of its black resi-

in their community, until police shut them down for not

dents are below the national poverty line. Equally dismal,

112

obtaining the proper permits.

This was unfortunately exemplified this weekend in Washington DC. the boys were detained were merely trying to be entrepreneurial. Understanding that tourist season and the summer heat create an enormous demand for cold water, these teens spent their weekend creating value. They weren’t out getting into trouble or committing offenses, they were trying to be financially self-sufficient and instead found themselves handcuffed like common criminals.

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When the state is continually building and reinforcing barriers that are put in the way of those who are already facing poverty and other unfortunate circumstances, it keeps them from achieving their full potential and becoming successful individuals. If the state is serious about trying to help those from the most vulnerable communities, the simple solution would be to stay out of the way. Fortunately for the DC teens, the media they garnered as a result of being handcuffed caught the attention of Raymond Bell. Several years, Bell started the H.O.P.E (Helping Other People Excel) Project whose mission is “an information technology (“I.T.”) training program dedicated to providing technical training and development for young adults.” After reaching out to two of the four young men in the picture, Bell was able to get them involved in his organization and they will soon be starting their new summer jobs in the tech industry. “I’m an entrepreneur myself,” Bell said, “and I love seeing young people having an interest in working for themselves.” Bell says he plans on reaching out to the other boys as well, but already, his organization has done more to help than the government ever could. Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

https://fee.org/

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017 BY JON MILTIMORE

These kinds of regulations impede entrepreneurship and teach the wrong lessons to our kids.

5-Year-Old Fined $200 for Selling Lemonade On summer evenings when I drive home from work, I

in which four uniformed men arrive, shut you down, and

often see small children selling lemonade in my neigh-

fine you an amount of money larger than you can com-

borhood. Most of the time I honk my horn and wave, but

prehend.

occasionally I’ll pull up and purchase a cup, usually for 25

Before one becomes tempted to think such things only

cents.

happen in Europe, I’ll point out that this sort of thing also

I happen to like lemonade, but that’s usually not my

happens routinely in the U.S.

primary motivation for stopping to purchase a glass.

Mowing the lawn for a neighbor, watching a friend’s pet,

Rather, it’s to offer a bit of encouragement to the bud-

helping a deaf person communicate, and many other

ding entrepreneurs who’ve put in the work and taken the

simple tasks can result in sharp fines in many states if

time to set up shop in the hopes of making a small profit

one accepts monetary compensation without the appro-

for themselves (and to just have some fun).

priate permit (which is often quite expensive).

Industry, free exchange, and entrepreneurship seem like virtues an aspiring society would wish to foster in their young. Alas, this is often not the case.

Who Are These Laws For? These consumer protection laws usually help special interest groups and governments much more than con-

Shaking Down a 5-Year-Old

sumers. As Adam Smith wrote in The Wealth of Nations,

In a Thursday article for The Telegraph, a man named

The interest of the dealers, however, in any particular

Andre Spicer wrote about the experience of his five-year-

branch of trade or manufactures, is always in some

old daughter who tried to open a small lemonade stand

respects different from, and even opposite to, that of the

in the family’s East London neighborhood.

public. To widen the market and to narrow the competition, is always the interest of the dealers.”

After about 30 minutes, four local council enforcement officers

Worse yet, such regulations impede entrepreneurship

stormed up to her little table,” he wrote. “’Excuse me,’ one of-

and teach the wrong lessons to people seeking to make

ficer said as he switched on a portable camera attached to his

their way in life.

vest. He then read a lengthy legal statement – the gist of which was that because my daughter didn’t have a trading permit,

Ronald Reagan once observed that, “Entrepreneurs and

she would be fined [$195]. ‘But don’t worry, it is only [$117] if

their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the

it’s paid quickly,’ the officer added.”

economic growth in the United States.” Considering that the U.S. economy has not eclipsed 3

Spicer later wrote: “My daughter burst into tears, repeat-

percent annual growth since 2005, might it be time to

ing again and again ‘have I done a bad thing’?”

consider creating a climate that fosters entrepreneurship

I can’t imagine a worse introduction to entrepreneur-

and free exchange instead of stifling it?

ship than that experienced by Andre Spicer’s little girl,

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We also soon found out that schools were not a hotspot of Covid transmission. Yet, many K-12 schools started the 2020-2021 school year online — largely due to cynical activism by teachers’ unions. Prior to the school year, Weingarten threatened a strike, stating that “nothing is off the table” if school districts decided to reopen, and the Chicago Teachers Union tweeted later that the push to reopen school was “rooted in sexism, racism and misogyny.” It is reasonable to point out that this is just rhetoric — not necessarily representative of what actual power the unions have to shape policy — but studies demonstrated that the strength of a district’s union, not the prevalence of Covid-19 in the community, was the best predictor of prolonged school closures. More recently, the effects of these closures — caused by the exploitation of a crisis by public sector unions — have become clear. A study released by McKinsey & Company found that “by the end of the 2020-21 school year, students were on average five months behind in math and four months behind in reading.” The learning loss was even more severe among low-income students, as well as black and Hispanic students. Numerous studies — including the CDC’s own research — also show that the closures damaged students’ mental health, with rates of anxiety and depression rising. Second, following our nation’s racial reckoning beginning in the summer of 2020, some schools began to include radical — regressive, even — teachings on race in their curriculum. Activist Chris Rufo has done deep reporting on this issue for City Journal, exposing example after example of racial essentialist messages surrounding race making their way into K-12 classrooms. Moreover, looking to spread this kind of instruction further, the National Education Association, which is the largest teachers union in the country, passed a resolution that explicitly endorsed the teaching of

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 BY JACK ELBAUM

Union leaders claim that “extremists” politicized US schools. This is blatant revisionism.

Teachers Unions Politicized US Schools, Not Parents When voters were asked by Pew Research, prior to the

critical race theory in the classroom as a tool to understand America. And the American Federation of Teachers, which is the second largest teachers union in the country, announced a campaign to bring the writings of Ibram X. Kendi — a scholar who has written that “The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.” — into every single classroom. In response to perpetual school closures driven by union power, as well as racially divisive curricula making its way into K-12 schools, a coalition of conservatives, libertarians, and liberals mobilized against such policies.

2020 election, what issues were most important to them,

If that was not clear enough, she also linked to a news

education wasn’t even among the top dozen.

article where she gets a bit more specific about the kinds of people she is talking about: “the anti-public schools

Parents showed up to school board meetings, politicians passed legislation, and heterodox news outlets reported on what was happening. So many people have left the traditional public school system recently that it is being referred to by some as an ”exodus” of sorts. This is the response that Weingarten is blaming for the politicization of schools.

But things have changed dramatically since then. Outlets

crowd, the anti-union crowd, the privatizers, the haters.”

ranging from The Washington Post, to ABC News, have

In other words, she is referring to the conservatives, lib-

identified education as a potentially significant factor

ertarians, liberals who believe in school choice, and even

in the 2022 midterms. Additionally, after education

parents themselves.

emerged as a defining issue in Virginia’s gubernatorial

But are these groups really the ones politicizing educa-

election last year — ranking as a top two or three issue

tion? Or, alternatively, are they simply responding to the

The End of Government’s Monopoly?

— school choice became a litmus test issue for Republi-

overtly political forces that have controlled education for

Data show that more and more people are looking for alternatives to the traditional public school system. Earlier this

cans.

a long time?

year, PBS published a piece exploring the surge in homeschooling across the country.

Why Education Has Become so Politicized

63% in the 2020-2021 school year, then fell by only 17% in the 2021-2022 school year,” wrote the Associated Press’ Car-

This is quite the swing in just two years.

However, it should be noted that all of this came after both radical and unprecedented policies were implemented. So, while one may criticize aspects of the response — after all, I do not agree with every law passed or with every speech given by a parent at a school board meeting — it stretches credulity to claim that parents politicized schools when in fact it was the schools themselves, in tandem with the unions, who introduced these radical political elements.

“In 18 states that shared data through the current school year, the number of homeschooling students increased by olyn Thompson.

Theoretically, education should not really be a political

The 2020-2021 school year should be seen as critical

issue; but, as we have seen, it clearly has become one.

when considering the politicization of education. Two

The article tells the stories of multiple parents who started to homeschool their children over the past year, and they

Therefore, we must ask why exactly this has happened.

events occurred in the months preceding that school

find that a common reason is that they were simply unimpressed by the quality of the instruction during school clo-

There are many possible answers to this question. One

year that led to the extreme stances that eventually

sures. Apart from homeschooling, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools reported that enrollment went up

of them came from Randi Weingarten, president of the

launched schools into the political limelight: the Covid-

American Federation of Teachers — the second largest

19 pandemic and the police murder of George Floyd. The

teachers union in the country. In a recent tweet, she

former was taken advantage of by teachers’ unions with

blamed “extremists” who are “attacking teachers” and

backward incentives, while the latter led to a nationwide

focusing on a culture war that is “intended to undermine

racial reckoning that some took so far as to actually

system by strangers who work for the government. According to the American Federation of Teachers’ own poll, 60

teaching and learning.”

begin promoting regressive racial ideologies in the name

percent of likely voters in battleground states are dissatisfied with the way traditional public schools are teaching

“The culture wars are intended to undermine teaching

of progress.

about race and 58 percent are dissatisfied with how they are teaching about issues related to gender identity.

and learning,” Weingarten wrote. “Extremists are politi-

First, when the Covid-19 pandemic began, there was

When the state is continually building and reinforcing barriers that are put in the way of those who are already facing

cizing schools and attacking teachers. Attacking teachers

understandably a lot of uncertainty. But one of the first

poverty and other unfortunate circumstances, it keeps them from achieving their full potential and becoming success-

doesn’t help kids, it undermines everything.”

things that was known about the virus was that kids

ful individuals. If the state is serious about trying to help those from the most vulnerable communities, the simple

were the least vulnerable to severe infection.

116

by seven percent during the pandemic. The reason is clear: the traditional public school system has been riddled with failures for a long time, but events over the past few years made people more aware of them. And these failures do not just exist in the heads of parents, conservative ideologues or school choice activists, as Weingarten suggests. They are very real. Parents want their kids to attend school in person, and they generally don’t want their kids to be indoctrinated into a particular ideological

solution would be to stay out of the way.

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Fortunately for the DC teens, the media they garnered as a result of being handcuffed caught the attention of Raymond Bell. Several years, Bell started the H.O.P.E (Helping Other People Excel) Project whose mission is “an information technology (“I.T.”) training program dedicated to providing technical training and development for young adults.” After reaching out to two of the four young men in the picture, Bell was able to get them involved in his organization and they will soon be starting their new summer jobs in the tech industry. “I’m an entrepreneur myself,” Bell said, “and I love seeing young people having an interest in working for themselves.” Bell says he plans on reaching out to the other boys as well, but already, his organization has done more to help than the government ever could. People vote with their feet; so, as more and more people leave the traditional public school system, it will become more and more clear that something fundamental needs to change in the way the U.S. handles education policy. The reason something fundamental must change is that the failures we are seeing do not just happen by chance; rather, they are the natural byproduct of a government monopoly on education coupled with power in the hands of a public sector union. Therefore, any real reform to the education system must address these two things. First, it is generally understood that monopolies are bad for consumers. They lead to higher prices, along with lower quality and quantity. Figuring out why this happens isn’t difficult: firms have no incentive to innovate, nor provide a high-quality product, when consumers have no other options. The economist Thomas Sowell was correct when he observed that education is truly an outlier when it comes to how it is treated, as traditional public schools — as opposed to a grocery store or a summer camp — do not have to convince anyone that attending them is in their best interest. People are simply forced to attend. However, moving to a model that is characterized by choice will 1) empower families to choose a school that best fits the needs of their individual children and 2) incentivize every school, including traditional public schools, to prioritize the quality of the education they are providing and to continually improve. After all, if they do not, then people will simply decide to attend elsewhere. Second, the job of a union is to protect, and accrue benefits for, its members. This can clearly be a worthwhile goal;

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018 BY KERRY MCDONALD

Eliminating compulsory schooling laws would break the century-and-a-half stranglehold of schooling on education.

Compulsory Schooling Laws: What if We Didn’t Have Them? We should always be leery of laws passed “for our own

wave of massive immigration in the early to mid-1800s

but, when it comes to public sector teachers’ unions, the problems arise when advocating for the interests of teachers

good,” as if the state knows better. The history of com-

that made lawmakers fearful. Many of these immigrants

means advocating against the interests of students. The truth is that what is best for students is not always best for

pulsory schooling statutes is rife with paternalism,

were Irish Catholics escaping the deadly potato famine,

teachers, and vice versa.

triggered by anti-immigrant sentiments in the mid-nine-

and they threatened the predominantly Anglo-Saxon

teenth century and fueled by a desire to shape people

Protestant social order of the time. In 1851, the editor of

into a standard mold.

The Massachusetts Teacher, William Swan, wrote:

History books detailing the “common school movement”

“In too many instances the parents are unfit guardians of

and the push for universal, compulsory schooling per-

their own children. If left to their direction the young will be

par. In such a scenario, it is clearly in the interest of students for that teacher to be removed, while it is in the interest

petuate the myths that Americans were illiterate prior

brought up in idle, dissolute, vagrant habits, which will make

of the teacher and the union to retain the teacher’s job. This is why in New York City it takes an average of 830 days

to mass schooling, that there were limited education

them worse members of society than their parents are; instead

and $313,000 to fire a single incompetent teacher.

options available, and that mandating school attendance

of filling our public schools, they will find their way into our

under a legal threat of force was the surest way toward

prisons, houses of correction and almshouses. Nothing can

equality.

operate effectually here but stringent legislation, thoroughly

For example, when Covid-19 school closures were being considered, it was clearly in the interest of students to learn in an in-person environment; however, teachers’ unions advocated against opening schools because their job is to look out for the comfort and safety of members. Another example is when a teacher’s job performance is egregiously sub-

A successful educational system cannot include cornerstones that, due to their very nature, work to the detriment of children. The good news is that by enacting policies that advance school choice, the power of teachers’ unions to advocate backward policy will weaken for two reasons. First, if that policy is detrimental enough, it may encourage students

carried out by an efficient police; the children must be gathIn truth, literacy rates were quite high, particularly in

ered up and forced into school, and those who resist or impede

Massachusetts, where the first compulsory schooling

this plan, whether parents or priests, must be held accountable

in their advocacy. Second, most charter schools and private schools are not unionized, which means that more stu-

statute was passed in 1852. Historians Boles and Gintis

and punished.”

dents will be learning in schools that are not unionized after there is school choice if unionized schools fail to provide

report that approximately three-quarters of the total

the education consumers want.

U.S. population, including slaves, was literate¹. There was

to leave for a school that puts students’ needs first; this could certainly cause the unions to begin to tread a bit lighter

a panoply of education options prior to mass compul-

Steven Levitt, who co-authored the bestselling book, Freakonomics, explained the current problem with schools aptly. He wrote that “the problem (...) is not too many incentives but too few.” Right now, the schools and the teachers can really just “do whatever they want’’ in the classroom, regardless of what is best for students, because political forces

This is the true history of compulsory schooling that rarely emerges behind the veil of social magnanimity.

sory schooling, including an array of public and private

So what would happen if these inherently flawed compul-

schooling options, charity schools for the poor, robust

sory schooling laws were eliminated?

apprenticeship models, and homeschooling—this latter approach being the preferred method of Massachusetts

are protecting the government’s education monopoly and the power of the unions to influence policy. In other words,

education reformer Horace Mann, who homeschooled

A Power Shift

because there is no competition, there can be no accountability.

his own three children while mandating common school attendance for others.

First, power would tilt away from the state and toward

This is clearly correct. And so the only solution is greater educational freedom. More people recognize this than ever before, but the work is only just getting started. Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

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the family. Without legal force compelling school attendance, parents would have the freedom and flexibility to

The primary catalyst for compulsory schooling was a

assume full responsibility for their child’s education.

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They would not need government permission to homeschool, as is currently required in the majority of U.S. states. Private schools would not need to submit their attendance records to the state to show compliance. Public schools could still be available to those who wanted them, as they were prior to the 1852 law; but government schooling would no longer be the default education option.

More Choices Because the state would no longer need to bless the creation of various private schools and ratify their curriculum and attendance protocols, an assortment of education options would emerge. Entrepreneurial educators would seize the opportunity to create new and varied products and services, and parents would be the ones responsible for determining quality and effectiveness—not the state. With less government red tape, current trends in education would gain more momentum. Virtual schooling, part-time school options, hybrid homeschooling models, and an array of private schools with diverse education approaches would emerge. As more education choices sprouted, competition would lower prices, making access to these new choices more widespread.

A Broader Definition of Education In his biography of Horace Mann, historian Jonathan Messerli explains how compulsory schooling contracted a once expansive definition of education into the singular definition of schooling. Indeed, today education is almost universally associated with schooling. Messerli writes: “That in enlarging the European concept of schooling, [Mann] might narrow the real parameters of education by enclosing it within the four walls of the public school classroom.”² Eliminating compulsory schooling laws would break the century-and-a-half stranglehold of schooling on education. It would help to disentangle education from schooling and reveal many other ways to be educated, such as through non-coercive, self-directed education, or “unschooling.”

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017 BY BRITTANY HUNTER

“It is not difficult to deprive the great majority of independent thought.”

Education Is the State’s Greatest Tool for Propaganda In chapter 10 of The Road to Serfdom, Hayek describes

Even the most adamant education reformers often stop short of advocating for abolishing compulsory schooling statutes, arguing that it wouldn’t make much difference. But stripping the state of its power to define, control, and monitor something as beautifully broad as education would have a large and lasting impact on re-empowering families, encouraging educational entrepreneurs, and creating more choice and opportunity for all learners. Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

As Hayek says:

how some of the worst people always end up rising to The most effective way of making everybody serve the single

the top of the political heap. Continuing to touch on this

system of ends toward which the social plan is directed is to

theme in the eleventh chapter, Hayek digs even deeper

make everybody believe in those ends. To make a totalitarian

and discusses the control of information and the very https://fee.org/

system function efficiently, it is not enough that everybody

basis of truth in a planned society.

should be forced to work for the same ends. It is essential that

In a society where totalitarianism reigns, truth is found

the people should come to regard them as their own ends.”

not in objective principles, but in a government’s desired ends. Once these ends have been established, all other

In order to do this, all propaganda is orchestrated to

forms of information are tailored to reinforce that

reinforce these ends in order to push individuals in the

“truth.” Reason is henceforth thrown out the window and

desired direction. Common themes and slogans are

the state’s version of truth is beyond contestation. As

repeated over and over again in order to beat these goals

George Orwell wrote:

into the minds of the people. Anything contrary to the

Nazi theory indeed specifically denies that such a thing as “the truth” exists. ... The implied objective of this line of thought is

ing out against them must also be destroyed in the name of national security. As Hayek says, “But the minority

a nightmare world in which the Leader, or some ruling clique,

who will retain an inclination to criticize must also be

controls not only the future but the past. If the Leader says of such and such an event, “It never happened”—well, it never

silenced.”

happened. If he says that two and two are five—well, two

And while most people associate propaganda with polit-

and two are five. This prospect frightens me much more than

ical posters and multimedia, there is no greater tool for

bombs.

propaganda than a nation’s education system.

But this on its own is not enough to sway entire nations.

State-Controlled Education

Instead of the people merely accepting these “truths,”

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end goal must be squashed immediately. Anyone speak-

No matter how intelligent an individual may be, almost

it is important that the state convince them that these

every person is susceptible to propaganda. This is

truths are their own. When individuals begin to tie their

because, in many instances, most are unaware that

interests to the state’s interests, a terrifying unity occurs,

they are falling prey to it. It seeps into our lives through

the likes of which can be seen in almost every deceptive

all forms of entertainment but most especially through

dictatorship throughout history.

state-sponsored education.

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In Nazi Germany, indoctrinating the youth was one of the easiest ways to ensure the fervent support of future generations. Adolf Hitler himself said, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.” Children were forced into youth groups where their role in the Third Reich was reinforced continually. Germany even tailored toys, games, and books towards the desired ends of the Reich, ensuring that children would believe whatever they wanted them to believe. Hayek writes: If all the sources of current information are effectively under one single control, it is no longer a question of merely persuading the people of this or that. The skillful propagandist then has power to mold their minds in any direction he chooses, and even the most intelligent and independent people cannot entirely escape that influence if they are long isolated from all other sources of information.” And this was the aim of the Third Reich. If the German people were to not only accept but condone the acts of their government, there was no better way to do it than to teach them young, and lead them to believe that this has always been the case. Touching on this, Hayek says: The most effective way of making people accept the validity of the values they are to serve is to persuade them that they are really the same as those which they, or at least the best among them, have always held, but which were not properly understood or recognized before.” Or, to pull from Orwellian speak, the goal is to make these children believe that “we have always been at war with Eastasia.” But this deliberate molding of minds does not only occur in young students. In fact, once these children’s minds have been sufficiently indoctrinated, they are passed off to institutions of higher education where a belief in intellectual elitism is then instilled.

The Educated Elite Trained to learn by rote methods rather than critical thinking, young adults, eager to assert their independence, were thrown into colleges and universities and told that they are now part of the intellectual elite. But from this comes the dangerous tendency to stop questioning the information that is presented to you. After all, your professors are highly regarded for their intellect. Why would they steer you in the wrong direction? But when these professors begin to present state opinion as unquestioned truth, this is where the real problems arise. The field of eugenics, for example, was once taught as if it were doctrinal truth. If racial superiority could be “scientifically” proven, or, rather, if the state could assert that this was fact, then questioning this doctrine became heresy. As Hayek says:

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2022 BY KERRY MCDONALD

Even though Friedman home-unschooled his own children, he believes “unschooling schools” are preferable.

One Prominent Libertarian Explains Why Unschooling Is the Best Way to Educate Kids

It seems obvious to me from my own education that one

sitting in class being bored, it also gave them a better

learns things mostly when you’re interested in learning

education.”

them and not mostly when somebody sits you down and

Friedman continues:

makes you learn them,” said David D. Friedman in our “Unschooling worked for us, but two very bright children

conversation on unschooling in the latest episode of the

brought up by highly educated parents are not exactly a ran-

LiberatED Podcast.

dom sample of the relevant population. There is evidence that

Friedman, a physicist, economist, and law professor

it works for quite a lot of other people; interested readers may

who is the son of the Nobel Prize-winning economist,

want to look at the literature on Sudbury Valley School, the

Milton Friedman, is a staunch supporter of unschooling,

model that the school where our children started their un-

or the idea of self-directed, non-coercive learning that

schooling experience was built on. There may be some children

occurs either as an approach to homeschooling or in

who would learn more in a conventional school, even children

“unschooling schools,” such as those schools modeled

who would enjoy the process more. But, judging by our expe-

The need for such official doctrines as an instrument of directing and rallying the efforts of the people has been clearly foreseen

after the Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts that

by the various theoreticians of the totalitarian system. Plato’s “noble lies” and Sorel’s “myths” serve the same purpose as the racial

was founded in 1968.

rience, unschooling, home unschooling if no suitable school is available, is an option well worth considering.”

doctrine of the Nazis or the theory of the corporative state of Mussolini. They are all necessarily based on particular views about facts which are then elaborated into scientific theories in order to justify a preconceived opinion.”

The research on the Sudbury Valley School that Friedman

I wrote extensively about unschooling, the Sudbury

references includes several academic and informal stud-

model, and other “unschooling schools” in my 2019

ies of alumni. A 1986 study of Sudbury Valley alumni by

And, as has been seen throughout history, once a theory becomes part of the scientific narrative, it contributes to the

Unschooled book, and was delighted to discover that

direction of all societal ends. Hayek comments on this saying, “Thus a pseudoscientific theory becomes part of the offi-

the most recent edition of Friedman’s well-known book,

cial creed which to a greater or lesser degree directs everybody’s action.” While the eugenics example may seem rather

Machinery of Freedom: Guide to A Radical Capitalism,

extreme, it was very applicable to the time that Hayek was writing.

first published in 1973, includes a chapter on unschooling

And while it is not easy in hindsight to understand how an entire population could fall for theories this callous, Hayek

entitled: “Unschooling: A Libertarian Approach to Chil-

reminds us, “It is not difficult to deprive the great majority of independent thought.”

dren.”

Peter Gray and David Chanoff published in the American Journal of Education concludes: “Although these individu-

Friedman unschooled his own children, writing in

propaganda tools that has ever existed.

Machinery of Freedom and on his blog: “Judged by our

Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

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https://fee.org/

to the demands of traditional higher education and have been successful in a wide variety of careers.” Gray, a psychology professor at Boston College, elabo-

experience, unschooling not only saved our children from having to spend a substantial part of every week

ferent from what occurs at traditional schools, they have had no apparent difficulty being admitted to or adjusting

It may be easy to cast blame on the media and the entertainment industry for being natural propaganda machines, but history tells a different story. As we have now seen, state-controlled education is one of the worst and most effective

als educated themselves in ways that are enormously dif-

rates on this research in his 2013 book, Free To Learn.

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He and his colleagues Gina Riley and Kevin Currie-Knight published similar findings in a 2021 paper on the outcomes of alumni of the Hudson Valley Sudbury School that was modeled after Sudbury Valley. Even though Friedman home-unschooled his two children after briefly sending them to a small Sudbury-style school in California that closed shortly after they left, he believes that children learning in “unschooling schools” is preferable to them learning at home. He would like to see a robust free market of unschooling schools with different organizational structures from which families could choose. “My ideal system, which doesn’t exist, would be to have multiple, competing unschooling private schools in which the unschooling school is run by whoever owns it just like an ordinary school, but is constrained to treat the students properly by the fact that if not they’ll leave for another school, which is the way we handle most things in the free market,” said Friedman in this week’s podcast. The flurry of education entrepreneurship over the past two years, including the proliferation of microschools, learning pods, and homeschooling and unschooling collaboratives, may be edging us closer to Friedman’s vision and toward a robust free market of education options. Listen to the weekly LiberatED Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Stitcher, or watch on YouTube, and sign up for Kerry’s weekly LiberatED email newsletter to stay up-to-date on educational news and trends from a free-market perspective. Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

https://fee.org/

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017 BY JAMIN HÜBNER

When it comes to higher ed, this question inevitably surrounds the messy topic of “accreditation.”

The Ugly Truth about College Accreditation The appointment of Betsy DeVos to Secretary of Educa-

Note what’s missing from this list: improving quality

tion has spurred renewed interest in federal regulation

in the classroom. No institution seeks accreditation to

in education. Just how much is needed, if any?

improve the education it provides. If any improvement

When it comes to higher ed, this question inevitably

results, it’s a byproduct, not a goal. (Talk about an ele-

surrounds the messy topic of “accreditation”—which

phant in the lecture hall!)

has more negative impact on institutions than is often

Encouraging Education—or Crushing It?

perceived.

If we’re honest, we’d say that institutions seek accredita-

What’s Accreditation Again?

tion because they’ll be punished if they don’t.

Like many of the government’s tentacles, accreditation is simply a process of colonization and control. The Depart-

Avoiding prison is quite literally the most pressing reason

ment of Education (DOE) approves of certain accrediting

to be accredited. Each state in the U.S. has a different

agencies, which then approve of certain educational

policy regarding post-secondary institutions, and in many

institutions.

or most states, it is illegal to “offer degrees” as such without being accredited “by an accreditor recognized by the

Specifically, the DOE sets standards (educational, finan-

DOE.” All of this means starting new schools is particu-

cial, logistical, organizational, strategic, economic, etc.)

larly difficult.

for the accreditors, and the accreditors set standards for

Impossible, actually. For example, in my home state (SD),

its member institutions—which they must follow or lose

the laws on this matter (between 1965 and 2009) were written so strictly that it was effectively illegal for anyone

“accredited” status.

to start a degree-granting college at all (exempting only religious education).

Schools (public or private) desire and choose “accredited” status for its benefits. This includes access to Title

Why? Because the law required that new institutions

IV federal funding (e.g. student loans), certain state and

were accredited from the start—but legislators failed to

federal programs of academics/sports, research data

realize that this is prohibited by the DOE. (Accreditation

(e.g., IPEDS), and easier transferability of student credit

takes around 5-15 years start to finish; no new institution

between institutions. published similar findings in a 2021 paper on the outcomes of alumni of the Hudson Valley

Accrediting standards require that states approve of the new institution before accreditors grant accreditation.

Sudbury School that was modeled after Sudbury Valley.

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can be “accredited.”)

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It’s a catch-22: the accreditors don’t approve without state approval, but the state doesn’t approve without accreditors’

Largely because all state schools are regionally accredited, and they only recognize educational credits from regionally

approval. (Fortunately, SD’s law changed in 2009 to make things less absurd.)

accredited schools. But whatever the case, it is now common

And this is just one policy from one state. For universities to require potential faculty hires to have a doctorate from a “regionally accredited” institution.

Red Tape Around the Campus

For graduate schools to demand that incoming students have an undergraduate degree from a “regionally accredited”

Aside from just “getting permission,” accrediting standards are downright burdensome. Some rules do fine in at least

institution.

delineating what constitutes financial and academic fraud. But most are anything but easy.

Accreditors that work primarily with private institutions (national) are being pushed out. This means private education is treated more and more as inferior to public university education.

Generic standards across accreditors typically require full financial audits (annually, which cost $10-15,000 each), staff and systems for comprehensive self-assessment, full-time fixed-salaried professors for each major, “adequate” facili-

For academics, the result is devastating: faculty and potential grad students with fully-accredited DOE-recognized

ties and resources, on-site inspections, etc. Metrics (e.g., student-to-faculty ratios, graduation and retention rates, etc.)

degrees are nullified simply because their education was “nationally” instead of “regionally” accredited.

distract institutions from authentic classroom experience in hopes of achieving “empirical” goals that are often irrelevant. As I wrote elsewhere:

Reform or Exit?

By collecting data and committing epistemological hegemonicide (i.e., one privileges the numerically measurable and mathemat-

None of this mess existed before the 1950s. In fact, we should be reminded that Harvard, Yale, Duke, and Princeton

ical), has one thereby perceived the true state of affairs with regard to an institution’s health and mission, or merely capitulated to a modern world(view) that is virtually blind to those very things…? By obtaining “full compliance” and the coveted blessing of Caesar, has an organization truly proven itself sustainable and functional, or simply become masters of public projection, mechanical obedience, and academic magniloquence? Oh, and then there is the cost of being accredited. Yes, member institutions are required to pay accreditors for their accredited status in the form of annual fees (determined by enrollment size)—and for any other related expenses (on-site team visits, travels to commission meetings, etc.).

had been in operation for over a century before the DOE and its accreditation processes even came into existence. It cannot be argued that without accreditation or the DOE, America wouldn’t have reputable universities. In fact, the standards themselves were largely composed by imitating such institutions in the first place! This is how standards are changed: institutions evolve and accreditors modify their standards in response. Such changes are rare and take decades, but the process is entirely backwards. Private institutions, not accreditors, educate and develop effective methods of education. But because this process takes place only within defined boundaries, innovation is naturally suppressed. Only when the need for change comes

And then there’s the fact that accreditors compete with one another to attract member institutions (and thus increase revenues)—often by adopting more “rigorous standards.” Since accreditors know institutions are compelled to be accredited, regulations accumulate and schools simply have to “deal with it.” (Any accreditor that advertised “easy” standards to schools would be flagged by the DOE—and the DOE has killed accreditors.) In the end, bureaucracy gives birth to more bureaucracy. The economic environment of a school (e.g., costs, value,

so overwhelming “on the ground” do accreditors begin to think about acting. It is no wonder that entrepreneurs are trying to bypass this sluggish process entirely by inventing their own—whether through private “unrecognized” agencies, or competency-based tests, or “open badges.” It’s a situation similar to Bitcoin circumventing monopolized currency.

budgetary planning, etc.) is completely altered for reasons that have little to do with academic supply and demand.

How successful any of this will be is yet to be seen. And the accreditation mess is just one part of the larger education

Red Tape Around the Neck

cartel. But the cat is out of the bag. Modern education is deconstructing. Degree burning is now a thing. Employers are becoming less and less interested in employees with “traditional degrees.”

High tuition is one indicator of what this regulation costs. But there are more explicit signs of having reached critical mass. In March 2017, Richard Eckman aptly titled an essay published by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as “Burdensome Accreditation System Needs Overhaul.” He says: The cumulative effects of these changes are chipping away at the voluntary, nongovernmental character of the American approach. What’s more, the pressures from the federal government have led to a more uniform, nationwide set of standards and judgment

Course curricula are saturated with links to Khan Academy on YouTube instead of textbook readings. And this is not just because of cost and debt (which is a problem); it’s because of an underlying system that keeps otherwise great universities and professors tied to the ground. How long will the morass of federal educational regulation last in the face of market-based innovators? Hopefully not long.

criteria…If accreditors continue to require colleges to do more work as part of the accreditation process, the accreditors must take steps to streamline the process. Failure to do so could lead to a devastating collapse of the entire accreditation system. CHEA’s President said the following seven years earlier: Accreditation is being transformed from a valued private-sector process—over which the federal government historically has exercised limited control—to a process that is subject to more and more federal involvement. The implications of this shift…can include the erosion of academic freedom and the loss of appropriate authority and responsibility… Another important, but lesser-known trend, is regional (U.S. has six big ones) accreditation dominance. National and regional accreditation used to have relatively equal value and differed mainly in geographical scope. But now regional accreditors have dominated the accreditation “market.” Why?

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Dave Dentel

August 31, 2022

HOMESCHOOLING HELPS HISPANIC FAMILIES BRIDGE LANGUAGES AND CULTURES https://hslda.org/post/homeschooling-helps-hispanic-families-bridge-languages-and-cultures?utm_ source=hslda&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=8-31-2022&utm_id=WU

Thomas J. Schmidt, Esq.

August 31, 2022

DISTRICT DOES 180, SCHOOL ATTORNEYS APOLOGIZE TO FAMILY https://hslda.org/post/district-does-180-school-attorneys-apologize-to-family?utm_source=hslda&utm_ medium=email&utm_campaign=8-31-2022&utm_id=WU

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