Atlas Mugged: ‘DEI’ trumping merit, people to DIE

American Thinker ^ | 24 Mar, 2023 | Eric Utter

[MtnClimber]

The state of New York has decided to permanently lower both its schools’ math and reading proficiency standards-- due to a dramatic fall in test scores since the COVID lockdowns played havoc with children’s educations.

A scoring committee that reports to the Board of Regents recently decided that such action must be taken in light of last year’s abysmal test results for students in grades three through eight. For example, in Schenectady, not a single eighth-grader who took the math test scored as proficient. And the cumulative scores for the third through eighth grade tests throughout the state were much lower in 2022 than in 2019, a result attributed to the absence of in-person learning during the year-and-a-half or so following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic… and the preposterously damaging reactions to it from those in power.

The committee further reported that it believes student performance has been permanently damaged, and that lower competence has become “the new normal.” Ergo the Empire State will make it easier for students to reach “proficiency” on state math and English language arts tes by dumbing down the tests. (And, by extension, the students.)

In related news, the New York Police City Department has -- again -- lowered its requirements for police recruits, this time scrapping a 1.5-mile timed run in the Police Academy, or so the department’s head of training told The New York Post.

Training Chief Juanita Holmes said the move will help more women applicants make the cut. (However, it was controversial—and sparked an internal debate within the NYPD itself.)

The NYPD had already dramatically relaxed overall police fitness test requirements less than a year ago amid a record wave of retirements -- and a dearth of new recruits -- brought on by various anti-cop “progressive” attitudes and policies.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "There IS positive benefit from a diverse group of colleagues."

To be precise, though we agree most generally, the "diverse group" should be a diverse group of those who 1) can disagree, and "show their work" as to why they disagree, and 2) can consider more than two views, "yes" and "no" not being conducive to business. More than one way to skin the proverbial cat, 'tis said.

My wife and I read a very broad and diverse set of sources, and double check each other when a question is to be considered. The duality of "right and wrong" are the proper province of religion, and not business.

Indeed the pastry chef need prove he can confect pastries. Oddly so many politicians, bureaucrats, academics and party apparatchiks are severely allergic to "showing their work" and demonstrating a policy or strategy by its outcomes. This is why our nation seems awash in slogans and jargon and "shut-up."

The "enemy of my enemy" is not always a friend. Sometimes one has more than one enemy, and both can be dangerous though they too rage against each other as well. What seems certain though is "stupid and forced" are not are attributes of good policy, clear thinking or basic human kindness.

Best regards.

[EVO X]

Knowing a few profs with stories to tell, I can say that new kids in college are not ready.

Walter Williams use to discuss this stuff when he subbed for Rush and in opinion articles he wrote. It wasn't called DEI back then, but is the same thing. It just hurt the student if the university accepted the student to meet a quota. Instead of failing at a top notch university, the student would likely have a better outcome at a second tier university.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

-— “The dregs will sink to the bottom.” Or run for elective office as Democrats and RINOs do.

[The Great RJ]

It’s more than just dropping standards. Look at the sadly common reports of weird teachers spending class time teaching sexual perversion and grooming students into gender bending.

[combat_boots]

I hope I won’t be around to see brain surgeons who need diagrams to comprehend things

[ro_dreaming]

All of them.

Including the universities (public and private).

[jpp113]

Government - ALL; Corporations - Most, if not all, of the huge national and international corps with HQ’s in the US

[EVO X]

Or for that matter any surgeon. Surgeons have better diagnostic tools these days, but still need to be capable of operating on the fly when a patient is opened up.

[DoodleBob]

The “unforced diversity” has a dark side.

Indeed it does, in Manhattan and other areas of the world. The fruit in the garden guaranteed that reality.

I'm not Pollyanna about NYC. There are really nasty neighborhoods, terrible people, and a municipality that gets things right twice a day if we're lucky. In fact, NYC's demonization of smokers and the attendant destruction of commercial property rights started a national trend that has sadly seeped into many heretofore normal American towns. And, as you note, it's real easy to get chewed up and spit out by Gotham.

Every location has a risk/return tradeoff. Everyone has a utility curve. The same Gotham that raped your female friend (that's an awful saga btw) left me alone in that regard (it helps that I'm a guy and far from GQ). That's why I don't condemn people for taking the covid shots, like JimRob. The point of optimality and self-actualization is a very personal matter.