Where’s The ACLU When We Need Them?

By fitsnews • on March 18, 2008
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GROUP SUES PALM BEACH COUNTY FOR “SHAMEFULLY LOW” GRADUATION RATE

FITSNews – March 18, 2008 – Some days we wonder whether or not the American Civil Liberties Union is paying any attention to little old South Carolina. Like today, for example, when we learned that the group is suing Palm Beach County for its “shamefully low” graduation rate. From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

Calling Palm Beach County’s high school graduation rate “shamefully low,” the American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday sued local educators to churn out more diplomas.

In a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of parents and students, the ACLU claimed the Palm Beach County School Board and Superintendent Art Johnson have failed to provide students with a high-quality education guaranteed under the state constitution.

In case you were wondering, Palm Beach County currently graduates 66% of its students on time – compared to South Carolina’s worst-in-the-nation graduation rate of just 53.8%.

“If Palm Beach County is not graduating a third or more of its students, it is by definition providing an inadequate education,” ACLU lawyer Chris Hansen told the Sun-Sentinel. “Unfortunately, this is just one example of a larger disturbing trend of poor graduation rates across the country.”

True that … but if 66% is a “shamefully low” graduation rate for one county in Florida, what does the ACLU call a 53.8% graduation rate for an entire state ? We’re gonna go out on a limb and say they’d call it “fab-foo-goo-tastically low,” people.

Comments

By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on March 18th, 2008 at 9:09 pm

The standard for public education in S.C. (according to our Supreme Court) is “minimally adequate.” Hold your head in pride will, because our Legislature is perfectly happy with “minimally adequate.”

That means “cheap.” And, it feeds you and voucher scam wackos.

Fix the “minimally adequate” standard and the other 3 faults facing S.C. Then we’ll listen to your paid political voucher scam rhetoric.

Remember them? Poverty, racism and funding.

By Tom Baxter on March 18th, 2008 at 9:32 pm

The suit was filed by one of the ~50 ACLUs in the US, the Florida ACLU.
The people of Florida have passed several constitutional amendments raising the priority of education. The legislature continues to ignore them.
As to wishing the ACLU would come to your rescue, are you a member of the South Carolina ACLU?
I’ve been a member for ~40 years, ever since they took my case. It went to the USSCT and we won.
The ACLU only has a few paid staff members, decisions are made by volunteer board members.
Become a card carrying member of the ACLU and you can learn how it works and how to punch their buttons.

By Reality Check on March 19th, 2008 at 7:09 am

We could dump twice as much money in to education and our graduation rate may nudge up a few percentage points. The problem is not the quality of our education, but the quality of our students. The quality of our students is a reflection of their upbringing, and perhaps also intelligence.

Thus, the only real option to increase the graduation rate is to lower the standards for graduation, which we have already done and the ACLU is openly advocating. I’m not really sure why that is a good idea, but I would love Tom Baxter to explain it to me.

By Monkeydarts on March 19th, 2008 at 8:54 am

There is no relevant statistical relation between money spent per pupil and measurable results. For example Iowans have high test scores and spend dramatically less per student than Washington DC.
In fact, it would be easier to make a case for less spending= hgher scores than greater spending=higher scores.

There simply is no correlation between per pupil spending and high scores or low dropout rates.

There are other things that relate directly, btw.

By Mickey Blue Eyes on March 19th, 2008 at 1:00 pm

I’d challenge the ACLU to demonstrate that those students that failed to graduate did so without spending a day in jail, did not do drugs, did no drink alcohol, did not regularly stay up late playing video games, did not join a gang, but did go to class every day and do their homework. I did all the above and managed to graduate. What’s their excuse.

But the ACLU doesn’t want to address personal responsibility. The reason the kids didn’t graduate was not because they skipped school, were in jail, were strung out on drugs, and/or didn’t put an iota of effort into their academics. They are the true “entitlement junkies”.

They needs to classify the alleged 47% who did not graduate into two classifications: “human waste” and “tried as hard as they could”. I will bet a dollar that the latter will be a very short list.

By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on March 19th, 2008 at 3:52 pm

South Carolina’s standard for Public Education = Minimally Adequate.

That says it all. The only thing so add is: Vouchers Are A Scam.

“Human Waste” Mickey is a “waste” to society. He’s probably related to sic(k) willie or perhaps he’s another political consultant wanna-be.

-BIN News Editorial Staff

P.S. Hey, sic(k) willie, we’re writing a new song called “Wasting Away in Voucherville.” We’ll get you a cut soon as we can. Maybe you can put together another band – it can be your only big hit! :)

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