WAKE UP AMERICA
Posted on 07/04/2010 9:47:38 PM PDT by Titus-Maximus
One of the most compelling conservative books I have had the fortune to read is “Crazy Like A Fox” One Principal's Triumph in the Inner City, by Dr. Ben Chavis and Carey Blakely. Ironically it was not written as a “conservative” book but conservative principles naturally erupted throughout this memoir of a brave educator that spun trash into gold. I found myself cheering as this politically incorrect America Indian pioneer took over the American Indian Charter Public School in Oakland, California, that was failing in every measurable aspect, a cesspool of illiteracy, and single-handedly brought it to the fifth ranked public school in the state – based on standardized tests! In that process Ben Chavis slashed and burned every stupid liberal idea, from unions to multiculturalism and their decades long 'soft bigotry of low expectations' – all to the abject horror of the Oakland liberal educational establishment. He was attacked by many leftist-liberal educators but he would turn their criticism into an attack on how they have failed minority education for generations. I am astonished this book has not received more play from the conservative media elements, it is a spectacular read. (Laura Ingraham and John Stossel did cover it.)
For those of you with the belief that public school education has deteriorated to the point of disaster – and especially inner city schools, and the dominant political party has had a great role to play in its downfall then this book is for you.
If you thought it was a monumental case of hypocrisy for Barack Obama to send his children to the prestigious Sidwell Friends school while he destroyed the voucher program in DC, which then prevented poor black children from attending the same school – then this book is for you.
If you are tired of being lectured by Democrats on racism, while they and their union paymasters have for generations kept minority children in a world destined to fail, and never once admitted their grotesque mismanagement or complete negligence about the disastrous consequences – this story is for you – because Ben Chavis has a special message for these “pimps” as he calls them.
If you are tired of liberals telling the world that not enough is being spent on education and that taxes need to be raised to fix this problem – while they purposely thwart any attempt of accountability for teachers, and fight with tooth and claw the ability to fire incompetent teachers, standardize testing and No Child Left Behind - then this book is for you. Chavis bemoans the money being wasted by a system that is designed to spend and designed to fail. He is a proponent of No Child Left Behind and dedicated the book to it, because he is not afraid of standardized testing and wants to be held accountable – he is the anti-liberal education establishment. Are you listening NJ teachers? I would think Governor Christie would be dispensing this book at meetings.
Ben Chavis is an American Indian educator and self made wealthy businessman, has struck a rock in the desert with his teacher's ruler and unleashed an untapped river of pure water. He took over the American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland California, which had a 35% absentee rate, alcohol and marijuana problems, kids having sex on a mattress behind a tool shed, and moronic Oakland teachers spending hours making beads and banging drums to keep the students culturally attuned to their Indian heritage. Chavis, a veritable Hercules, cleaned the Augean Stables of this rot and fired almost everyone working at the school. He painted, scrubbed and revitalized the school building but more importantly he wire brushed the corroded minds around him. He brought absenteeism to 2%, he tracked down mothers in bars at ten in the morning demanding their children come to school, he made math and English a top priority devoting 90 minutes to each subject, he banished all multicultural nonsense from the curriculum, he ended the minority “victimization” mentality and he taught free market capitalism as a color blind road to prosperity. Test scores sky rocketed!
His growing up as a “darkie”, as he calls himself, on an Indian reservation in utter poverty has given him a special insight into the education of minority children. His upbringing had pain, poverty but an incredible wisdom which he has brought to the fore. He studied the Bible and the book is replete with religious symbolism and values. He put a cross on the building and cannily told inquisitors it was the “Four Directions” of the American Indian, while he told his minority students the school was the house of the Lord and to respect it. Chavis made this middle school more like the one class country school house. He gave the students one teacher for all their subjects, and stopped the wasteful and useless rotation of classrooms - bringing stability and lasting relationships to those who lacked it in their lives. He would reward student accomplishments with dollar bills for tasks that he assigned. He pulled up the pants, wiped off the make up and if he had to, shaved the heads of unruly students. He brought rule and order to a world that had been nothing more than a campaign prop for liberal politicians to enhance their own careers while generations of illiterate children were pushed through the system – to become immediate unproductive liabilities of the state.
Ben Chavis gets it – and in this book he indicts the Democratic Party, even though it is his political party. Education, he says was ceded to them and they have destroyed it with their unions, uncaring attitudes, unaccountability and the wasting of billions of dollars. Ben Chavis walks it likes he talks it because he made it rain in the desert, and Governor Schwarzenegger came twice to visit. His results are astounding for an inner city school – but the recognition doesn't seem enough and it makes one wonder that he has too many political enemies? (Recently, he called Charles Barron, black radical politician in NY, a pimp and offered to take the argument outside.)
In Ben Chavis' words: “My approach to race and culture at AIPCS is nothing like the victimization and babying of minorities preached in teacher credential programs and implemented in public schools. I prefer hiring smart, uncredentialed teachers because many credential programs brainwash educators to teach in a way that is soft, ineffectual, and focused on non-academic topics, such as self-esteem and multiculturalism.” p102
“President Barack Obama has indicated he will push for an additional $80 million to train public school teachers. In California, teachers must complete a five year higher education program to qualify for a teaching credential. Then, once they are employed by public schools, millions of dollars are spent on teacher training for these college graduates. If you've spent five years in higher education and you still can't teach, how is more money going to help you? Could it be we need to restructure the colleges of education instead of wasting more money?” P103
On a dispute over strict dress codes with a liberal teacher, he does not suffer fools gladly: “I don't care what you think, and I'm tired of you guys helping the students undermine the rules. Some of you are letting them wear their shirts out. Mr. Bates, these kids can be anarchists like you if they go to a stick-it-to-the-Man college like you did, but they're not going to be anarchists here. How are these kids ever going to get into your private college? You know, I've gone all over the state looking at secondary schools, and not a single one of them that uses a liberal philosophy with ghetto students is worth a damn. All this liberalism has screwed over minorities. You think they're poor and underprivileged and they can't cut it, so you give them an easy way out. It's people like you who have f_____ed over my people and I am sick of it.”......”You know, I'm a Democrat, too, and sometimes when I look in the mirror I can't stand what I see because we haven't done anything for minorities in public education. All this left wing liberalism has destroyed generations of minorities.” P164
The education establishment has attacked him, they despise him, because he has grabbed them by the scruff of the neck and wiped their faces in the excrement that they have spewed in the halls of inner city schools for decades – and they can't take the stench of their own filth. (Some of the attacks are purely racist – saying he is bringing in Chinese kids, and the assertions are not true.) Since when has a labor union been able to contribute to the intellectual development of another human being – the whole concept is ridiculous. It also assumes that teachers are fungible, one is as good as another – which why so few are fired in their cushioned, unrealistic world.
Maybe they should make this required reading at all teachers' colleges. Chavis is spreading his message but not quick enough. His accomplishments are all the more fantastic when one realizes that 74% of his student body uses English as a second language in the home. When political arguments go on and on and solve nothing – here is someone with damn answers, damn glorious answers, and he has proved it beyond a shadow of doubt. Stop spending money, get rid of unions, find the right teachers, good daily structure, family, accountability, high expectations, cleanliness, detention, no to racist affirmative action, emphasize the academic, teach capitalism, and if you act like a fool you will be treated like one.
Thanks. I help at the school in Oakland. I’ll pass along info about the book.
Thanks. I help at the school in Oakland. I’ll pass along info about the book to a few teachers.
Will do...
btt
“Dr. Ben Chavis” = “Benjamin Chavis Muhammad” of Million Man March and Mosque Number 7 of Harlem fame?
I am very surprised this book has not had more publicity also. Send to Glenn Beck.
No, completely different guy.
Ping for library
Ping for later.
“If democrats are the “champions of minorities”, as they claim to be, then why are minorities having any problems at all?”
Liberals do not support self-determination. Individualism and self-determination diminish the importance of government and elected officials. On the other hand, in a nanny state, the ‘nanny’ is all important. The ranks of liberals are filled with narcissists who need dependent people they can ‘save’ so that they can prop themselves up as saviors.
The other, darker consideration is that manipulation of minorities is an important strategic ploy of our enemies. One way to destabilize any country is by promoting group conflict within the populace. If you were a Soviet, or Chinese, or Islamic militant nation intelligence officer and were sitting in a room discussing how to destabilize the US, you would definitely consider ways to promote unrest and divisiveness in minority groups. You would attempt to undermine their belief in the American system and their ability to prosper under it. The democrat party has been used as a vehicle in pursuing this strategy, and it’s working.
I agree...it’s just a shame the minorities don’t have enough ethics to fight “being used” to subvert their very own country.
That is a completely different person.
ping
This ploy has been used since the dawn of civilization. The communists, IIRC, were the first to institutionalize it. The fascist (Nazi's included) tore a page out of the communist's book and put it in their book.
The gist is to "agitate" a populace by any divisive means, old/young, black/white, rich/poor, men/women, etc.. As the lines of division are stoked, the agitators simultaneously offer "solutions". I think you get the picture. The last thing these bahstids want is everyone coming together for any common solutions.
BTW, when I saw pictures of illegal immigrants demonstrating for amnesty, I knew instinctively that this was not spontaneous, but organized agitation, probably from outside our country.
Thanks for the ping.
I’m reading “Atlas Shrugged”. This book is my next.
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