Okay. Here We Go Again.

Good Day,
 

We hope you are all having a good start to your day. Here, where we are at, we have been breaking record highs for the past week, and the autumn season is nowhere in sight. We are on Fall Break, so can’t complain too much. And we are fortunate to only have to deal with hot temperatures versus the devasting destruction that took place in the Southeast part of the United States. If you are looking for ways to help, you can donate directly to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund or to the American Red Cross.

Cheers ☕

$6 million for Bibles

As you may be aware, Oklahoma School Superintendent Ryan Walters mandated that all public schools in Oklahoma teach from the Bible beginning in the 24-25 school year. There are many Bibles to choose from, and the one being pushed is, as kids nowadays would say, sus.

Very few can meet the requirements when it comes to the type of Bible that meets the criteria. What are the requirements that must be met, according to Superintendent Walters? They are:

• Bibles must be the King James Version

• They must contain the Old and New Testaments

• They must include copies of the Pledge of Allegiance

• The Declaration of Independence

• The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights

• Must be bound in leather or leather-like material

The requirements are so specific that only one Bible seems to meet all the criteria: the "God Bless the USA" Bible, which is endorsed by former President Donald Trump and Vice-Presidential nominee J.D. Vance.

Walters has allocated $3 million toward the purchase of Bibles and has asked the state legislation for an additional $3 million to be able to fully supply all public schools in Oklahoma.

Rachel Laser, who is the president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, stated that "Oklahoma taxpayers should not be forced to bankroll Superintendent Walter's Christian Nationalist agenda…His latest scheme — to mandate the use of the Bible in Oklahoma public school curriculum is a transparent, unlawful effort to indoctrinate and religiously coerce public school students. Not on our watch. Public schools are not Sunday schools."

There are many reactions to what is happening from both sides and everything in between. If you want to read some people's responses to Walters's directive, you can read them here courtesy of Buzzfeed.

This is going to continue to be a battle in the state of Oklahoma. It will only be a matter of time before this issue reaches the courts, and it will be no surprise if it reaches the highest court in the nation. If it does happen to reach the Supreme Court, it will be an interesting case on how this current Supreme Court will interpret the long-established understanding of the separation of church and state under the First Amendment.

Windows into gender-inclusive school bathrooms

At Emory H. Markle Middle School in Hanover, Pennsylvania, the district approved a window to be installed for the gender-inclusive bathroom. The window is positioned to only see the non-private parts of the bathroom. According to board president Matthew Gelazela, “In making the area outside of stalls more viewable, we are better able to monitor for a multitude of prohibited activities such as any possible vaping, drug use, bullying or absenteeism.”

Parents are questioning the installation because it is only occurring in the gender-inclusive bathrooms, with a parent of a student, Jennifer Holahan, stating that this is simply an act to deter students from using the gender-inclusive bathrooms but also to single out any students who might identify as LGBTQ. Holahan goes on to say, “I can understand the need for supervision over middle school and high school students, especially in bathrooms. I was a teenager once; I know it’s a tough spot…But I also think windows aren’t a solution. I think if it was a real issue, it wouldn’t just be gender-inclusive restrooms.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania has strongly condemned the window installation as discriminatory. They have emphasized that schools should be a “welcoming and safe environment” for all students, and the discriminatory nature of this situation will make students feel less safe. This underscores the urgency of the issue and the need for immediate action.

The debate over whether transgender students should be allowed to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity continues to be a complex and contentious issue. In fact, 13 states have laws that prohibit transgender students from using bathrooms that differ from the “gender they were born.” This ongoing debate highlights the complexity of the issue and the need for a nuanced understanding.

The Final Minute

1. The Kentucky Attorney General's office issued a cease and desist notice to Augusta Independent Schools for posting online opposition to Amendment 2, which would allow the state to fund nonpublic schools. The school district's social media posts, part of a planned "Be Informed Series," argued that the amendment would divert taxpayer dollars from public to private schools, urging voters to vote against it. The AG's office deemed these posts "partisan political messages" and demanded their removal, citing that public officials cannot use public resources to promote partisan positions. This incident follows a similar situation with Pulaski County Schools last month, highlighting the ongoing tension between public school officials and supporters of the amendment, with Democrats and public education advocates warning about potential funding reductions for public schools.

2. A Miami-Dade middle school biology teacher has been temporarily reassigned after a video surfaced on social media showing him repeatedly sniffing an item from a student's backpack, triggering an investigation. While some parents feel secure with the school's actions, others, including students, are calling for more severe consequences, with one student stating the teacher "should be detained" and "stay away from kids." The incident at Howard D. McMillan Middle School in Southwest Miami-Dade has sparked concerns about student safety and appropriate teacher conduct, highlighting the need for thorough investigations and decisive action in such cases.

3. The entire Chicago Board of Education is set to resign, paving the way for Mayor Brandon Johnson to appoint new members amid a dispute over the fate of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. This move comes as Chicago transitions to a hybrid elected-appointed school board model, with voters choosing 10 members and Johnson appointing 11 others in November. Critics view the board's resignation as a power grab by Johnson, potentially allowing him to install members who will support firing Martinez and approving a controversial $300 million loan for teacher raises. The sudden shake-up has left parents and activists concerned about instability in CPS leadership, with some accusing Johnson of prioritizing Chicago Teachers Union interests over students' needs.

4. Former Boston Public Schools principal Natasha Halfkenny and assistant principal Coreen Miranda have each paid a $4,000 civil penalty for violating the state's conflict of interest law by using donated "Hamilton" tickets intended for students to take their own children to the show. The tickets, valued at approximately $149 each, were meant for Tobin School students "who would otherwise be unable to attend such a show," but Halfkenny and Miranda used them for themselves and their sons, who were not students at the school. State Ethics Commission Executive Director David A. Wilson emphasized that this case serves as a reminder that public employees must not use their positions to obtain special privileges for themselves or others, and that there are legal consequences for such actions.

Closing Bell

On this day in 1948

Renown paleoanthropologist, Mary Leakey, discovered the first partial skull of the Proconsul africanus, the first known ancestor of apes and humans on Rusinga Island, Kenya. They lived during the Miocene period, 23 to 14 million years ago.

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