Racist Yale plays race card in favor or Blacks over Asians or whites in admissions

Racist Yale?   Yep.   “Yale rejects scores of Asian Americans and white applicants each year based on their particular race, when it otherwise would admit” the Justice Department said.

Yale discriminates based on race and national origin in violation of federal civil rights law.   Race was the “determinative factor” in hundreds of admission decisions each year.  For more,  CLICK HERE.

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How to educate during pandemic? CA parents use microschools & pandemic pods

Parents hit back  against CA Gavin Newsom’s  government school shutdowns and teacher unions muscle tactics against private schools and charter schools   by choosing new ways to educate their children.

Recently Gavin Newsom threatens parents with penalties for hiring tutors. The law, passed in January 2020, AB-5,  imposes stiff penalties for not hiring tutors as employees.

 

Remember the little red school house, a dozen or so kids and one teacher? Back it comes!.

The micro-school is a 21st century version of the one room school house in which a small number of students of varying ages learn together.   Parents pool their resources to hire an instructor.

Another new way to educate is for several parents to  take turns teaching their  children.  The “Pandemic Pods” Main  Facebook group already has roughly  38,000 members and has spawned dozens of official local chapters plus more independent groups.   There’s a Special Ed Pod that started July 2020 and has 545 members.

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So how’s ‘community’ experienced at Aptos churches & coffee houses?

The most important things in life, as you know,  cannot be bought and one of those is a sense of  ‘community’.   People experience   ‘community’ variously – one way is by participating in  a church.

Another way  is by   going to a coffee house with  or without  friends. So how is ‘community’ experienced variously in Aptos ?  How’s   it working or not working where you live and work?

Churches — which typically meet once a week — are one way people experience  ‘community’. Below are 3 examples of how ‘community’ is  currently celebrated variously by  three Aptos, CA churches. Some ways work better than others at creating   ‘community’.

1)    In some churches, people attending   services  look  like masked bandits,  everyone  stays  carefully 6′ apart and most   leave   the premises  as soon  as services are over. No singing and no touching or hugging others is encouraged.

2)  Church attendees connect only  via the Internet  with  Zoom type meetings offered.  All in-person church related meetings which existed prior to the pandemic have been cancelled.

3) Some thing  different from the above two.      Some  people wear masks   and most  do  not.  Plenty of chit chat and  ‘how are you?’ conversation afterwards  with flexible  social distancing.  Things sort of start on time with considerable attention to the needs of children.   People recognize and welcome each other by name.    Lots of families  are present  with lots of children interacting  informally.  Consideration is given about   issues related to  the pandemic with few hard and fixed rules.

Resurrection Catholic  fits into category #1.    In-person services continue at  Resurrection Catholic in Aptos, CA.  Resurrection Catholic now   goes out of doors to celebrate community,    It  celebrates services outdoors   during the week (Tues. -Fri at 10 am) and also   out of doors on weekends (Sat at 5  pm and Sun. 10:15 am).  You can also attend services from home via Zoom or YouTube.   Important:  For in-person services,  be sure to bring and use your mask at Resurrection;  you may have difficulty knowing who is standing 6 feet away from you. People leave services without much chit chat. You need to make a reservations ahead of time to attend Sat. 5 pm and Sun. 10:15 services.  Click the link in the paragraph above for reservations.

St. John’s Episcopal  fits into category #2.   There’s still no in-person services held  by the  Episcopalians in Aptos, CA.    Located across Highway #1 off State Beach Drive (next to the new skateboard park in Aptos) , the Episcopalians offer   Zoom services only   to create ‘community’.  For their most recent Zoom service, click HERE.    There’s no mention in  St. John’s most recent e-news   when in-person community services  will occur.  No in-person meetings of any kind are happening currently.  Mother Tracy puts out a weekly email concerning worship services for the coming week.

Trinity Covenant Church (TCC)   fits into category #3.     Trinity Covenant  offers several  ways to connect on Sundays either  in-person  or  via Zoom on the internet.  Trinity Covenant,  located just off highway #1 and Seascape Blvd,  holds  weekly  service on Sundays at 10 AM.

Services ‘sort of’ start on time. Cars and people float  into the church  parking lot and building with the service largely starting  close to  10 AM.     Well behaved children get up during the service to get paper, pencils and crayons.    People  sit  (some wear masks, many do not)  either  inside the   building,  outside at patio tables, in their cars in the parking lot or hear the service from home via Zoom.  There’s live music  with singing and  Troy Martin, the pastor,  preaches from a raised area  in the auditorium.   Families sit together (lots of children)  with substantial social distancing in between families.    People ‘say hi’ and chat informally   after services.  Newcomers are recognized and welcomed readily.   A number of  church families  recently  returned from time together at Big Sur, CA.

And what about  how ‘community’ as experience in  coffee houses in Aptos?  Pacific Coffee Roasting Co comes first to mind with Norma Jean’s Coffee a close second.  Yes there are plenty of other coffee houses.

The Pacific Coffee Roasting House keeps all things flexible.  There are a few tables inside.  You used to be able to bring your own mug and now you cannot.  You have to wear a mask inside but not outside on the patio.   Located near the Aptos library, next door to Frank’s Pharmacy  and within walking distance of a Best Western motel, you will hear various languages spoken on the patio outside Pacific Coffee Roasting Co.   Most people do not wear masks as they share conversation, food and company. With a Zamian’s restaurant a stone’s throw away the patio area attracts people throughout the day.  It’s a popular place in Aptos, CA  to experience ‘a sense of community’ without masks.

written by Cameron Jackson    DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

 

 

 

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open those schools? If they don’t … parents get choice where to send kids

 

 

 

Parents get  total choice where to send their children  — e.g.,  home school, charter school, religious schools, on-line –  if local  public schools do not re-open.  The  federal  money to assist schools  will follow the children with the parents making the decision.    So says Trump  on TV July 23.

Trump says:  American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that schools re-open.  Social isolation hurts children in multiple ways.    National Education Association says in-person learning is very important.  Due to school closures it’s estimated that children will be way behind in  both math and reading.  Children are largely not at risk from the virus i.e., they are less that 1 percent of those who get the corona  virus.

Strategy to re-open schools?  Shelter those at highest risk and those lowest to get back to school.  Says Trump.

on 7/23 Trump says that there’s $105 BILLION additional   dollars available for schools  for smaller school  classes, to re-purpose school  spaces, and so children  wear  masks and maintain social distancing.

Trump says:   If schools do not open, the $105 BILLION  new funding goes to parents  to send children to  schools of their choice.  The money will follow the students.  we cannot and must not  stop 50 million children from going to school says Trump.

Aptos Psychologist:   Charter schools in CA have been hard hit by recent legislation which  puts more control in the hands of local school board.  That the ‘money follows the children’ and parents make the decisions is great news. Local public schools have a monopoly and the best way to improve education is to create competition which puts kids first — not teachers and unions first.

written by cameronjackson@gmail.com

 

 

 

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Start a Charter school in your CA community?

Does your  community  in CA  need a  charter school  which can offer  what’s best for your particular  child?   How can  you effectively  say ‘no more stalling the opening of schools?   Start a school?

Look what’s coming per Gov. Newsom:    Distance learning  via Zoom with homework packets via e-mail looms for many CA public schools.

The unions for teachers put the needs of their members far, far ahead of the needs of the students.   The teacher unions don’t think enough has been done to ensure the safety of all.  Unions prefer to put off the start of school.    But, what about the emotional health of the students?

How to start a charter school?  You need a Concept, Mission, Governance, Budget, Location and Petition.  Know that school boards are likely to view ‘the new kid on the block’ as taking money away from them.  The teacher unions are powerful and have a lot of say in how school boards make decisions.

So what’s the best  education for your child?  This year? A charter school? 

Aptos Psychologist:    Kids need social contact  with peers as much as they need actual teachers to interact with and learn from as role models.

Cameron Jackson, Ph.D.   Licensed Psychologist  drcameronjackson@gmail.com    831 688-6002

 

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St. John’s church & Live Like Coco share an Adopt a Beach sign at Seacliff State Beach

Perhaps some future collaboration on beach cleanup?

Two  very different entities share the same sign.  They share a new Adopt-A-Beach sign at Seacliff State Beach.

St. John’s episcopal church is  located close to Seacliff State Beach.   The Live Like Coco Foundation has its roots in  a  Watsonville elementary school, Starlight,  which has  a large Hispanic population.

The Live Like Coco Foundation, through the efforts of 125-150 individuals,   raised $5+ K to memorialize the life of Coco, a  12 year old who died in a car accident in 2015.    Coco,  loved books, cats and numerous  out of doors activities. Her parents in conjunction with Starlight Elementary in Watsonville, CA    raised  money   to provide scholarships for extra-curricular activities.  The Live Like Coco  Foundation wants   Santa Cruz County children  to have opportunities to  experience various  out of doors  activities and  ‘realize their dreams’.

The Live Like Coco Foundation plans a Beach Cleanup on Sat. July 18 at 9 am.  Take a look on Facebook for up-to-date information on the Foundation.     For some general information click Here.

Both  St. John’s and Live Like Coco  share a strong interest in the  education of youth and stewardship of the world’s resources.

For a $200 donation, various  organizations can get their name and publicity on an   Adopt-A-Beach sign  — with the proviso that they do several cleanups a year.

St. John’s episcopal  held  their  second  beach cleanup  the day  after Independence Day.

The  St. John’s  Publicity/Communications team  thought   that Save Our Shores (SOS) personnel would bring equipment  and tally sheets for the July 6 event.      SOS did not show and the church’s  Senior Warden  wrote that, therefore,  the church was   not able to tally up kind and amount of beach trash gathered.  A third  St. John cleanup is planned for September.

Beach cleanups are popular at St. John’s.  St. John’s  has a long  history of  various  enviornmental concerns and interest in  protecting the earth’s resources.  For example, at  church functions they typically  use pottery mugs instead of paper cups and, pre-Covid 19, did not use plastic.

Save Our Shores  (SOS)  was not amiss for not showing up  July 6 at Seacliff State Beach  with tally sheets  and  equipment.    The SOS   website states that all public events and all beach cleanups have been  cancelled until future notice.

Save Our Shores suggests  on their website that individuals use their  SOS app to tally up and send back information on trash gathered from CA beaches.

The app is readily available, easy to download to smart phones,  and easy to use.   Whether or not  COVID-19 is still affecting SOS sponsored Beach Cleanups  in September the app can readily be used to tally up trash removal.

So — in planning the next St. John’s Beach Cleanup  for  September  why not do it jointly with Watsonville  youth  connected with the Live Like Coco Foundation ?  Both entities could do Beach Cleanup together, and then share  hot dogs, pizza and tamales?    Socialize a bit?  It would be easy, also, to  include  the youth that are part of St.John’s education  outreach to Aptos  Junior High.  Just takes a little planning and outreach to  the Live Like Coco Foundation.  Nice way to remember and memorialize 12 year old Coco who would be age 17 now had she lived.

All  lives matter.

written by licensed psychologist,  Cameron Jackson      DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

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Veterans Day gun salute at U of Virginia cancelled: gun violence concerns

 Oh spare me the violence of a 21 gun salute ….

The University of Virginia canceled the 21-gun salute portion of its annual Veterans Day ceremony – citing gun violence.

James Ryan, the university’s president, posted a statement on Facebook explaining that there were concerns about firing weapons on school property in light of recent school shootings.

He said there were two specific reasons.

“First, to minimize disruptions to classes, given that this event is located at the juncture of four primary academic buildings and is held at a time that classes are in session; and second, recognizing concerns related to firing weapons on the Grounds in light of gun violence that has happened across our nation, especially on school and university campuses,” the president wrote.

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Firenze Sage:   Oh snowflakes,  remember that the honored dead died for you.      jaj48@aol.com 

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Liz Warren schools us …. [she cracks down on school choice]

Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is pledging to crack down on school choice if elected, despite the fact that she sent her own son to an elite private school, publicly available records show.

The 2020 presidential candidate’s public education plan would ban for-profit charter schools — a proposal first backed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — and eliminate government incentives for opening new non-profit charter schools, even though Warren has praised charter schools in the past.

“To keep our traditional public school systems strong, we must resist efforts to divert public funds out of traditional public schools,” Warren stated in her plan.

Warren has pledged to reduce education options for families, but she chose to send her son Alexander to Kirby Hall, an elite private school near Austin. Tuition for Kirby Hall’s lower and middle schools — kindergarten through eighth grade — is $14,995 for the 2019-2020 school year. A year of high school costs $17,875.

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Firenze Sage  JAJ48@aol.com        If our “traditional schools”are strong why  are yours in a private wigwam?

Copyright ©2016 Deborah M. Zajac
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

[Presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren  sent her son to private school …]

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new family values [LGBT sex-ed curriculum in Austin]

New  family values imposed in Austin, Texas:   Parents Outraged at Austin’s New Sex-Ed Curriculum That Trains Children to Become LGBT Activists

The Austin Independent School District (ISD) school board approved a radical new sex-education curriculum for grades 3-8 that encourages all kinds of sex at young ages, urges kids to join LGBT “pride” parades, and aims to redefine biological sex and erase the words “mom” and “dad” from children’s vocabulary.

More than 100 people testified against the new curriculum on Monday night, and testimony lasted until after midnight. Yet the school board unanimously approved the new curriculum.

“This vote by the Austin ISD Board sends a clear message: people of faith and traditional moral values are not welcome in Austin ISD,” David Walls, vice president of Texas Values and a parent in Austin ISD, said in a statement. “By passing this curriculum, Austin ISD has broken the sacred trust that parents put in their children’s schools. Austin ISD parents have no reason to entrust their children to a school district that weaponizes education to indoctrinate children into the LGBT political movement.”

In a document revealing the radical nature of the curriculum, Texas Values drew attention to materials for the Grades 3-5 curriculum that encourage children to abandon the terms “mother” and “father” or “mom” and “dad.”

“Use Gender Inclusive Language,” the curriculum advises teachers. “It is important to avoid terms which refer only to ‘male’ and ‘female’ identities when speaking with young children as this can limit their understanding of gender into binaries and can exclude children who may not identify within these identities. For example, when discussing family members or adults they may have in their life, try not to only use terms like ‘mom’ or ‘dad’. Try integrating words like, ‘parents’ or, ‘guardians’ to include children whose parents might not fit into ‘traditional’ concepts of family structures.”

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Firenze Sage    how fast can you say Charter School?

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