This article originally appeared on WND.com Guest by post by Bob Unruh  ‘Will liberals learn the lesson’ Leftists across America are ignoring the success stories for black students in conservative states‚ and a commentator for the Washington Examiner is wondering why. It is in an opinion piece by Corey Walker‚ who focuses on education among other topics in reporting‚ that the problem is raised: “Black students are thriving in red states and blue states fail them.” The article cites Mississippi and Texas successes. In “deep-red Mississippi‚ America’s poorest state‚” reading achievement scores have soared in recent years‚ the report says. That boost followed a decision to teach students using a phonics-based reading method‚ a “direct contrast to the ‘whole word’ method touted in liberal states. The state also dispatched coaches to work with teachers at schools with especially poor results‚” the report said. The plan requires third graders to pass a reading exist exam to move up‚ with additional exams and summer classes available to help. According to the report‚ the state’s “NAEP scores soared from near the bottom of the nation to around the middle of the pack. Moreover‚ Mississippi ranks 46th in public school spending‚ showing that shoveling more money into the school system is not necessary to yield positive results and that poverty is not necessarily a barrier to academic achievement.” There‚ they worked to shift advanced math courses from “opt-in” to “opt-out‚” meaning that students‚ with high enough scores‚ automatically are placed in advanced math courses. “Those who desire to drop down to a lower track in math must secure permission from a parent. The policy shift has led to higher rates of black students in sixth grade honors math‚ soaring from 17% in 2018-2019 to 43% in 2022-2023. Encouragingly‚ black students are also persisting in the course‚ with 91% passing the state standardized test and 65% scoring at grade level‚” the report said. Ben Mackey‚ a school board trustee in Dallas‚ pointed out in an interview‚ “Within two years of this policy‚ 94% of eligible students are taking these classes. It makes such a drastic difference in terms of whether the student will be college ready and career ready. We need to give every single person a chance to be successful in life‚ so when they leave us‚ they are not three steps behind.” The commentary asks‚ “Will liberals learn the lesson of Mississippi and Dallas? The answer‚ for now‚ seems to be ‘no.’ For instance‚ Evanston Township High School‚ located in deep-blue Illinois‚ has even brought back segregation in math classes‚ a bizarre attempt supposedly to help black students improve performance.” Other leftist efforts mainly focus on dumping more dollars in such districts‚ using “affirmative action policies‚” or even abolishing advanced coursework‚ tossing tests and claiming “racism” is at fault. Such schemes not only fail students‚ but destroy the public’s faith in public schools‚ the article pointed out. Copyright 2023 WND News Center

Warning: contains Tom Morello playing with a Michael Bolton lookalike

Avenged Sevenfold‚ Tesseract‚ Enslaved and more ensured that prog metal had another standout year in 2023

There was a LOT going on at Sleep Token's huge London show last night

On Friday‚ thirty-two members of Congress demanded answers from the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about a newly proposed rule that would allow buying and selling of undefined “rights” to certain private and public lands‚ including to foreign nations. According to this rule‚ if the investors support ESG and want to protect […] The post SEC Head’s New Rule Allows Foreigners US Land “Rights” appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Not everyone appreciates winter weather‚ but one cat can’t get enough of swimming in the snow! While other kitties might prefer to enjoy nature from the comfort of their homes‚ this feline loves to run around in the yard on the chilliest days. The cat’s owners captured an adorable video of the four-legged adventurer hopping into a blanket of fresh snow and appearing to swim. It didn’t matter that the snowbank was taller than the kitty’s entire body — they still had the best time! As if this wasn’t cute enough‚ the cat’s mom started packing snowballs and throwing them for the animal to catch. Every time‚ the kitty leaped right into the deep snow searching frantically for the ball! Commenters on this adorable YouTube video were inspired to share their own experiences introducing their cats to the phenomenon of snow. Some pet owners were proud to report that their feline friends had no trouble braving the cold‚ but others had to admit the opposite. Screengrab from Localish/YouTube “I had a cat that would burrow tunnels through the snow‚” wrote one user. “He would dive in‚ and pop up somewhere else.” “I let my boy in the snow for the first time this year and he completely freaked out‚” another recounted. “Pretty sure he’s an indoor kitty for life now as he won’t even go near the door now.” Watch the video below to see the cat whose favorite activity is playing in the snow! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Cat “Swims” Through Deep Snow — And Loves Every Second Of It! appeared first on InspireMore.

During the Women’s Entertainment Gala this year‚ Will Ferrell shared his thoughts on who should be running the world. Just like in Barbie‚ Will Ferrell thinks women should be steering! “Forget about the entertainment world. Isn’t it just time? Isn’t it just time for women to run the planet?” Will began. This image is from Instagram. His conclusion was delivered in a playful‚ joking way‚ but he brought up some solid points. “We‚ men‚ we’ve been running the show since what? 10‚000 B.C.?” he continued. “So please‚ can you just take over?” The crowd applauded and laughed‚ enjoying Will’s take on the matter. What do you think? Is it time for women to take over the world? The Women’s Entertainment Gala is a wonderful event‚ celebrating the impact of powerful women in the entertainment industry. It includes folks from all over the industry‚ praising women for their influence on the world. Adele also spoke‚ shedding light on the women who have affected her journey. She highlighted her mother and grandmother‚ as well as Kerry Washington and more. All the icons of Hollywood were there‚ from Dua Lipa to Helen Mirren! It was truly a celebration of the power of womanhood. Check out Will Ferrell’s take on women in power below. What’s your stance? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hollywood Reporter (@hollywoodreporter) The featured image for this post is from Instagram. The post Will Ferrell Proposes That Women Should Run The Planet — Do You Agree? appeared first on InspireMore.

'Isn't that the sweetest thing?'