Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
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Despite warnings from more 100 university scholars and academics that the third draft of the state-mandated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC) contained numerous empirically false and politically-motivated claims about the educational benefits of ethnic studies, the CA Department of Education (CDE) refused to remove any of the claims from the final draft of the ESMC. That draft was released last Friday and is slated for approval by the State Board of Education next week. I...
In a document that could have come straight from a reverse version of Jim Crow, "The Whitest Law School Report" ranks 200 of the nation's law schools in terms of the percentage of white students attending and how "excessively White" each school is. A Professor Emerita of Law from the University of Dayton, Vernellia R. Randall measured diversity in law schools by comparing their demographic makeup to that of the state, the region, and the national Law School Admissions Council...
Long Beach Unified School District plans to resume in-person classes for grades K through 5 in March 2021. Schools have been closed since March 19, 2020 due to Covid-19. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia announced on Twitter that LBUSD will begin in-person elementary school instruction on Monday, March 29. Garcia said all elementary school teachers and school staff "will have had an opportunity to be vaccinated with both doses before reopening." Wednesday's announcement comes...
In a scholarly review sent last week to California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and President of the State Board of Education Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, thirty-five academics detailed the serious methodological flaws and significant lack of evidence found in the research hailed as the rationale for developing California's Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC). The letter was signed by seasoned university scholars and academics, many with decades...
Sylvan Santa Monica has reopened for virtual instruction amid the ongoing pandemic. We spoke with Managing Director, Ed Guirguis, and found they have a deep commitment to help local families. “Sylvan is a little like others, but different. We believe that learning should be personal and our kids need something unique to them. The assessment tests for reading, writing and math help you gather a more complete picture of your child’s educational standing, allowing you to see the...
For 47 consecutive years, Southern California's longest running production of The Nutcracker has delighted audiences of all ages. This year in the age of Covid – with renewed determination, grace, and grit – Westside Ballet of Santa Monica will bring to life selected pieces from Tchaikovsky's beloved score for all to enjoy, albeit in different ways––virtually and in masks. "Kingdom of the Sweets," Westside Ballet's abbreviated 2020 Nutcracker, will be showcased on Vimeo on Fri...
Courts & Rulings Judge rules that passage of SB 394 violated state Constitution Instead of having the opportunity to present his case before the parole board next summer, convicted murderer Nathen Ramazzini will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after a Sacramento County Superior Court judge ruled that the passage of Senate Bill 394 violated the California Constitution. The Appeal Democrat High Court tosses immunity for guards accused of keeping inmate in filthy...
SANTA MONICA, CA-The Santa Monica College (SMC) Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution at their meeting on Tuesday night, Oct. 6 that urges Congress to approve HR 763: Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This legislation, if passed, would impose a fee on carbon emissions at their source, with costs passed on to the consumer and fees collected distributed to American households in the form of a dividend. HR 763 is projected to reduce the nation's carbon...
Westside Ballet of Santa Monica announces a drive-in film event for arts advocacy at the Santa Monica College Bundy Campus' East Parking lot, to be held Friday & Saturday, October 9th & 10th, at 7:30 & 10pm as a Drive-In Movie venture in conjunction with Santa Monica College's Public Policy Institute Annual Arts Forum and the SMC Dance Department. A 50-minute compilation of Santa Monica's most celebrated dance companies, choreographers, and dancers includes the preeminent...
In shades of the famous Rachel Dolezal case, a white Jewish woman from Kansas has come forward and said that her career as an African American studies professor was a fraud. George Washington associate professor Jessica A. Krug admitted in a Medium post Thursday that, despite publicly identifying as a black woman, she is white. Twitter, of course, loved it. "The only reason Jessica Krug finally admitted to this lie is bec on Aug 26th one very brave very BLACK Latina junior...
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Ben Drati sent an email to parents and the public outlining the district's plans to combat racism, including a website of parent resources, social justice standards for different grade levels, a revised United States History curriculum, and the future participation of the district in a Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action in February. Although some elements of the plan appear to have been in the works for...
All over the United States, local and national leaders debate the possibility of opening school in the fall. In many areas, officials and teachers are reluctant to invite children to congregate and act as their usual petri dishes, distributing a variety of viruses to each other and their families. This year, the virus in contention is SARS-CoV-2, a germ that has already killed 138,000 in the U.S. to date. Though the risk from COVID-19 to the children themselves is low, it is...
Today staff at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District recommended learning occur solely from a distance when school reopens in August. The SMMUSD School Board will decide at their July 16 meeting if they want to take staff's recommendation, but it is unlikely they will disagree. Schools in Santa Monica closed in mid-March due to the growing epidemic of COVID-19 in the county. They did not reopen for in-person instruction but moved to an online-only format. In a...
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has announced its plans for Fall semester 2020. In light of ICE's plan to deport foreign college students who are only enrolled online, MIT will invite all foreign students. Also Seniors are allowed to live at MIT and take classes conventionally. US Immigration has announced that it would deport students who outstayed their Visa's, if they are only taking classes in the US online. The theory is that they could just as easily take...
America's oldest college, Harvard University has announced that it will teach all of next year's courses online. In addition, it will not decrease it's annual undergraduate tuition of $49,653 per year. 40% of students, mostly Freshmen, will live at Harvard and attend traditional lectures next year, living in single dormitory rooms and social distancing. These 3 decisions will no doubt influence the move of other prestigious college and universities. Covid-19 has forced online...
SMMUSD spokes woman Gail Pinsker sent an e mail on Tuesday afternoon, warning local families that they may receive phone calls from scanners urging them to purchase gift cards for local schools. Apparently, the scammers say they are working for School District Superintendent Ben Drati, and asking the recipient to purchase a gift card for the district. Some of our PTA groups, staff are collecting for needy families, so please continue to vet the requester, and support as you ca...
If you're planning to be a Freshman next year at SMC, you'll have to do it online. Santa Monica College has cancelled its fall semester due to Covid-19. "Can you believe this? It's not easy for many kids to learn online," said one local mom. "This probably means the middle school next door (John Adams Middle School) will also be closed. The moms are all going crazy now. It's not easy for parents to become teachers. I didn't use to think that this coronavirus lockdown had gone...
The Corsair, Santa Monica College's student-run news outlet, has won an award for "online general excellence" from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) and four student photojournalists won individual awards. These wins for the statewide competition were announced Friday, April 17. In addition, two student photojournalists have also won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association's California Journalism Awards, announced March 31. "Corsair st...
Editor's Note: What follows is a press release from Santa Monica College. It has not been edited or check for facts. SMC, East Los Angeles College (ELAC), and Orange Coast College were among 23 California Community Colleges across the state to donate ventilators, respirators, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals fighting COVID-19, the 2019 novel coronavirus. The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) picked up 19 ventilators, six...
Santa Monica College (SMC) has announced that two more students have tested positive for Coronavirus. The college had previously announced that one student had come down with Covid-19, so this brings the total to three SMC students with the illness. The press release from College President Kathryn E. Jeffery is below. We have received confirmed medical reports today that two more Santa Monica College (SMC) students have tested positive for COVID-19, the 2019 novel coronavirus....
3/19/20: Santa Monica College reported Thursday evening that one of its students has tested positive for Covid-19. All who had contact with him or her, are now advised to self quarantine. SMC draws about 20% of its 25,000 students, from China. The press release from SMC President Kathryn E. Jeffery's office is below. It identifies neither the student, nor his gender, nor where he or she came from. Dear SMC Colleagues & Students, Late this afternoon, we learned that a Santa...
UPDATE 8 PM: An email from the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District admits possible Coronavirus exposures at 3 Santa Monica schools. This update just in from the District, signed by Ben Drati, Superintendent: District leadership spent several hours today in our Emergency Operations Center, which closed for the evening at 6:30 pm. We continue to be in communication remotely, as needed. We will reconvene tomorrow. During our session today, we discussed the concerns of...
Santa Monica College has now joined the long list of schools shutting down to contain the spread of Covid-19, or Coronavirus. Early this evening, SMC announced that all classes are going to be cancelled starting on Friday. And next Wednesday, classes will switch to online. All extra curriculars, travel, and clubs have also been cancelled. All volunteer activities by students have been curtailed until further notice. SMC joins USC, UCLA, LMU, Pepperdine, and almost all local...
Just hours after Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District announced they were closing all schools Friday and Monday due to Coronavirus exposure, Beverly Hills Unified School District announced they were taking a pre-emptive strike. Starting Friday the 13th at 1PM, BHUSD will shut down until April 5th. The closure includes all schools and the district office. This will allow all school sites to be cleaned and sanitized. Students that are provided lunch by the district will...
Coronavirus has caused the closure of a Santa Monica school, St. Anne's Catholic Elementary School on Colorado Blvd. The one day closure, a spokesman said, "was out of an abundance of caution, and concern for the safety of our children." The school reopened Tuesday, "on the advice of the Archdiocese." One of the staff--not a teacher--believed she may have come in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 and she decided to self-quarantine. St. Anne's School...
