Lefty Grown Up [George Will on Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown's religious/military charter school]

The NY Post ^ | June 16, 2002 | George Will

[summer]

Very interesting column here. Excerpt:

[The school is what] Brown calls "a pre-Vatican II Jesuit school in the form of a military academy. I am applying the truth I was brought up on." The truth of the Jesuits' founder, Ignatius Loyola, whose principles, says Brown, have "worked for 400 years."

Meaning: The school day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. No social promotions. Everyone is in uniform. High expectations - everyone is aiming for college. AP - advanced placement - courses will begin in the ninth grade. It is, says Brown, a "cram school" that "unabashedly" teaches to the pertinent tests.

Part of the application process is a 10-day encampment at the National Guard facility in San Luis Obispo, from which, Brown says, "a bus will leave every day with those who can't make it." During the school year there is a National Guard sergeant as well as a teacher in every class.

BTW, FL Gov. Jeb Bush has eliminated social promotions, maintained high expections, offered more AP courses, and demands accountability by testing.

But, if Gov. Bush ever demanded every student be in uniform, and placed a National Guard sargeant in each classroom along with a teacher [and, some classrooms would improve immediately with the presence of such a sargeant], the Dems in FL would be calling Gov. Bush even worse names than they call him now. What are Dems saying about Dem Mayor Jerry Brown taking such actions?

[summer]

sargeant = sergeant

[summer]

FYI.

[summer]

Thought you might find this of interest.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Ronald Reagan once said that an economist is someone who sees something working in practice and wonders if it will work in theory. Brown, who entered California's governorship when Reagan left it, has shed a lot of theory en route to his current happy immersion in urban practicalities.

. . . Is it it time to ask him if he has changed his registration to Republican yet?

[Mr. Jeeves]

What are Dems saying about Dem Mayor Jerry Brown taking such actions?

They don't like it. The Barbara Lee ilk has fought Brown every step of the way on the military school and on his downtown development plans. But he has gotten the business community behind him, and a lot more Oakland residents like what he is doing than would ever admit it publicly - they showed their approval at the polls.

Now, we just need to find a similar "Lefty Grown Up" to take over in San Francisco...

[PJ-Comix]

What are Dems saying about Dem Mayor Jerry Brown taking such actions?

I don't know but I used the character of Jerry Brown in a satirical/political science fiction novel I wrote, Medfly. It was never published but everyone who read it loved it. I gave the copy to my mother for safekeeping. Recently I decided to publish it on the Web but not SHE CAN'T FIND THE DAMN MANUSCRIPT!!! The character of Jerry Brown (called "The Governor") played a big role in the book. Anyway, I have been trying to get over the loss of that manuscript but this mention of Jerry Brown is really making me frustrated over the loss of the manuscript. My mother keeps telling me it will turn up eventually. OK, MOM, WHERE IS THE MANUSCRIPT!!!!!!!

p.s. No Jeb Bushes were screamed at in the posting of this reply.

[SBeck]

OK, MOM, WHERE IS THE MANUSCRIPT!!!!!!!

To which Mom replied, sweetly and with a beatific look on her face, "back up, son, or wish you had." :-)

[PJ-Comix]

I asked my mother to put the manuscript in a safe, hidden place. It was so well hidden that now she can't find it.

[summer]

LOL...

[summer]

I had no idea Jerry Brown was doing anything like this, but it doesn't surprise me that he met with a lot of opposition on it. Thanks for your post here, Mr. Jeeves.

[summer]

I was wondering the same thing -- is he really still in the Dem Party? I must admit I was also surprised to read in the article that Gov Davis backed him on this school. There have been some recent articles written elsewhere about a more urgent need to get these kids in the inner city educated, before they too become potential recruits for a foreign terrorist organization...so, I am thinking perhaps a major change is in the air in terms of education...

[summer]

For example, see this article in the Christian Science Monitor:

...With the arrest of Jose Padilla, American dissaffection gets a closer look

[BibChr]

Ronald Reagan once said that an economist is someone who sees something working in practice and wonders if it will work in theory

Worth at least skimming if only for that wonderful line!

Dan

[summer]

The actual title of the article linked above is as follows:

Gangs, prison: Al Qaeda breeding grounds?

With the arrest of Jose Padilla, roots of American disaffection get a closer look.

[summer]

:)

[summer]

And, yes, I meant to type: disaffection with only one "s." :)

[dpwiener]

I had no idea Jerry Brown was doing anything like this

Jerry Brown has been a real surprise in his role as Mayor of Oakland. It just proves that people can truly change and mature, even people you might least expect it from.

[summer]

Thanks for your post, dpwiener. Any political leader who truly helps our nation's youth, especially in a city like Oakland, deserves some real credit.

[Cvengr]

Reads as though a new Black Panther boot camp is being launched at taxpayer's expense.

An interesting facet about liberalism is that for all their resistance to the use of force by their seniors, they're the first group to advocate loss of rights in order for a ruling class to implement order by force. The liberal tends to resort to force long before a patient conservative.

I also never hear much advocacy by conservatives for all children in secondary education to wear uniforms. When first proposed by Gore and Clinton it seemed like some Manchurian Candidacy semaphore must have been registered by democrats everywhere. It simply seems idiotic, but democrats seem to think that's what education in a disciplined environment entails. All the more proof that even when afforded to matriculate at institutions of higher merit, many never really seriously studied in a disciplined fashion.