Thou Shalt Read This Newsletter as Commanded

Good Day and Happy Official Summer Is Here For Reals!

If you are one of the 106 million Americans under the heat dome, I feel you. Where I am at reached 113 degrees on Saturday! Stay cool, stay hydrated, and avoid being outdoors as much as possible during these hot summer days.

So, instead of that hot brew this Sunday morning, enjoy a cool brew.

Cheers ☕🧊

Ten Commandments

Louisiana has become the first state to require school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. It seems the governor of Louisiana, Jeffy Landry, and a majority Republican party have failed to understand the concept of separation of Church and State. This should not be a controversial thing to say - any religious scripture, whether it is Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Buddhist, should not belong in a public-school setting. Contrary to popular belief, those on the right side of the political spectrum tend to misremember that the Founding Fathers did not create America under the moralities of Christianity, and they were clear that they wanted a national government free from the influence of any religion. Thomas Paine, in his “Age of Reasoning,” made it clear he believed in “one God” and that “my own mind is my church.”

A Principal’s redemption

A couple of months ago, back in April, there was a story about a principal who received a lot of heat from teachers and parents because of an audio released on social media. The audio contained the principal spewing racial and antisemitic slurs that shocked the community. It was later found out that the audio was AI-generated. It was created by one of the teachers because the principal at that time was pursuing an investigation into the teacher's misuse of funds.

Despite the revelation, Principal Eric Eiswert ended up leaving Pikesville High School. He did not have to wait long before landing another job in the Baltimore area as principal of Sparrows Point Middle School. The Executive Director of Schools said of Mr. Eiswert:

Artificial Intelligence is getting better and better every day. Although the benefits will certainly outweigh the cons, it is unfortunate that there will be nefarious actors who would use it to tear a person’s reputation. Hopefully, there will be necessary guardrails to prevent an incident like this in the future, as this will certainly not be the last case.

What’s going on in Arizona

Tribal lands need more teachers

It’s challenging enough for schools in general to recruit teachers, especially in those critical fields in STEM and Special Education, but even more so for schools on the reservation. Schools like Theodore Roosevelt School on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Fort Apache and Hopi Junior/Senior High School on the Hopi Reservation in Keams Canyon struggle to fill these spots, mainly because of the lack of housing and the fact that the nearest towns are so far away. Fort Apache is about thirty miles from Pinetop-Lakeside, the closest town where housing is available. Keams Canyon is even further away from the nearest town, with Holbrook being the nearest big town that is not on the reservation, which is 70 miles away.

In addition to the distance, schools on the reservation do not participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), which can make it difficult to recruit teachers who already have years of service and money put into the ASRS. However, they do offer a 401k.

The Parity for Tribal Educators Act is a potential solution that could significantly improve the situation. This act aims to allow teachers who teach on reservations to access the federal Employees Retirement System. The bill is authored by Democrat Rep Gabe Vazquez of New Mexico, a state that also grapples with the challenges of hiring teachers on Tribal lands. While this is just one of the many issues that Tribal Lands face, it’s a promising start. For their housing issues, they could potentially learn from the Vail School District, located about 30 miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona.

Taxpayer money leaving public schools

Arizona, a pioneer in the implementation of universal education savings accounts, has sparked a heated debate. These accounts, essentially voucher programs, allow families to redirect tax dollars toward private schools. The controversial nature of these programs is evident in their growing popularity, particularly in red states like Iowa and Tennessee.

Because this money is being drained from public schools, enrollment in certain areas has declined. It has caused school boards to shut schools down, as was the case in the Paradise Valley Unified School District when, earlier this year, the school board decided to close three schools: two elementary and one middle school. The closure is estimated to save $600,000 for each school.

Not too far from the school district’s boundaries, Dream City Christian School is expanding. The school is affiliated with the megachurch Dream City Church, which Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump spoke at earlier this month.

Voucher programs will continue to have a detrimental effect on public schools as more funds are drained from their coffers, and those who benefit are those who are already well off.

Mesa Public School seeking to ban “divisive” flags

At a governing board meeting in May, a proposal was put forward to ban the display of certain flags in classrooms. These flags, which carry political, social, or ideological messages, would be prohibited. The ban would also extend to stickers, banners, posters, and clothing with divisive messages. The question then arises, what exactly constitutes a divisive message?

Think Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+, and any political message supporting any political matter is considered divisive messaging. Of course, the American, Arizona, and school flags will be permissible, along with flags and banners that demonstrate school achievement. When it comes to flags of different nations displayed in the classroom, any flag that is used must be part of a history curriculum is permissible, and the flag cannot be larger than the American flag.

This proposal in itself is divisive as it has raised concerns among the LGBQT+ community. A spokesperson for Phoenix Pride, Jeremy Helfgort, said that this would make many students who are part of the LGBQT+ community feel unsafe and unwelcome.

The decision on whether to move forward with this proposal will be debated over the summer, and a decision is likely to be made before the 2024-2025 school year.

Closing Bell

On this day in 1992…

John Gotti, the infamous boss of the Gambino Family, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was found guilty of all convictions brought up against him, including five murder convictions, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, illegal gambling, and several other charges. Due to his complications with throat cancer, Gotti died on June 10, 2002.