Alumni unhappy about recent developments at the University of Virginia claim to have withdrawn $150 million or more in pledged financial support for the institution. Money talks in academia as elsewhere.
All in Bacon's Rebellion
What Do We Do “For the Children” Now?
Pretending normal learning happened will sentence an entire generation of students, especially the most disadvantaged, to lives permanently challenged by the education they missed but were credited for.
Richmond Schools Discover that the Shutdown Magnifies Mental Illness
Richmond schools are experiencing an “alarming surge” in mental health issues — depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation
Walter Williams RIP
Virginia conservatives lost one of their intellectual heroes earlier today when Walter Williams passed away at the age of 83.
Does a $9 Billion Carbon Tax Get Your Attention?
The 2021 General Assembly is now six weeks away, with the holidays in between. We know no more about the coming Northam Administration proposal to impose a carbon tax and rationing scheme on our motor fuels than we did months ago. Keeping you uninformed may be part of the plan.
The Pick-Your-Expert Game, Virginia Schools Division
A story by Dana Goldstein published in the New York Times on June 30, 2020, illustrates America’s new favorite parlor game: Pick your expert.
A Clear Victory for Civil Liberties
Last night, the Supreme Court court ruled 5-4 to bar New York Governor Andrew Cuomo from enforcing his “Cluster Initiative” against houses of worship. This ruling was on a suit brought by two of those, a Catholic Church and a synagogue.
Public School Accountability Compromised Again
Having scrapped the Standards of Learning (SOL) exams for Virginia public school students during the COVID-19 spike last spring, the Virginia Department of Education plans to relax its standardized testing requirements again this spring. In addition, school divisions will be given “greater flexibility” in awarding students credits towards graduation.
I Thought It Was All About the “Science”
Governor Ralph Northam likes to say he follows the “science” and the “data” when promulgating rules to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But he admitted yesterday that the latest round of lockdown measures — which included ordering children as young as five to wear masks — was inspired by images in the media.
Man, That’s the Last Time I Say Something Nice about the Guy!
Serves me right. Just yesterday, I praised Governor Ralph Northam for not panicking in the face of rising COVID-19 cases in Southwest Virginia and slapping arbitrary, economy-stifling restrictions on the entire state.
COVID-19 Peaks in SW Virginia, No Cause for Panic Elsewhere
Spread of the COVID-19 virus is gaining momentum as the weather cools, and news reports from around the country are raising the alarm that hospitals are at risk of being swamped by a fresh surge in patients.
Virginia’s New Political Landscape
We don’t know who won the presidential election, and we probably won’t know for days, if not weeks. Still, we can draw some meaningful conclusions.
Is Love More Powerful than Hate on UVa’s Lawn?
My prediction: The administration’s first instinct will be to ignore the incident in the hope that it will just go away. Its second instinct, if pressed, will be to find some pharisaical distinction why the one is different from the other, how the one warrants protection and the other doesn’t. We’ll see…
America’s New Ruling Class: Washington Post Edition
That didn’t take long. In the wake of Washington Post articles alleging systemic racism at the Virginia Military Institute, the Board of Visitors voted Thursday to remove the statue of Stonewall Jackson from its campus.
Envision This: a Lawn with No Signage
Criticism has focused on a student’s use of profanity in a sign on the door of her Lawn residence. Although the university has rules against the indiscriminate display of signage, it has not enforced them in recent years.
Wind and the Grid: a Precautionary Tale from the U.K.
So, you think the rolling blackouts experienced in California were a fluke and of no relevance to Virginia?
778 Virginia Hospital Patients Discharged to Nursing Homes
A large majority of the patients treated for COIVD-19 and released from a Virginia hospital between April and June this year went directly home. But a significant number — 778 — were transferred to a “skilled nursing facility,” according to data contained in a Virginia Hospital and Health Care Association webinar delivered yesterday.
Profanity Proliferates on the Lawn
After a resident of the Lawn at the University of Virginia posted signage saying, “Fuck UVa,” outraged alumni raised a stink in a series of letters to UVa President Jim Ryan.
Free Speech Guaranteed — Except When You Disagree with Us
If you are a public school employee who disagrees with the leftist social-justice agenda of the Loudoun County Public School system, shut up or face the consequences.