Free Republic

The San Francisco Unified School District will not be moving forward with a controversial equity grading strategy that was proposed this week after significant backlash. The strategy, known as "Grading for Equity," was presented during a SFUSD Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, according to Superintendent Maria Su, with the goal of offering "professional development opportunity in standards-based grading." Under the proposed standards, how a student scores on the final exam, which could be taken multiple times, would be what counts toward their grade for the semester, according to the Voice of San Francisco.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which accredits medical schools, will no longer consider Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs during evaluations. Another medical education accreditor announced earlier this month that it would suspend diversity requirements. ... The Liaison Committee on Medical Education—which accredits medical schools around the country—has announced that it will no longer consider Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs during its evaluations. On May 19, the committee, which is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) decided to eliminate DEI considerations as part of its criteria for assessing medical schools’ performances, ... The Liaison Committee...

A mother shot and wounded a convicted child molester after she found him allegedly trying to rape her 12-year-old daughter inside an Indianapolis motel room Saturday, according to reports. The mother walked in on Bruce Pierce, of Indianapolis, allegedly on top of her child as the preteen repeatedly said no, leading up to the gunfire at the Baymont Inn, court documents state. The young victim’s grandmother told police that Pierce had been talking with the 12-year-old online and over the phone, trying to persuade her to leave town with him, according to the documents obtained by WTHR Wednesday.

District materials highlight a decrease in A grades for ‘more privileged’ students.. Without seeking approval of the San Francisco Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Maria Su plans to unveil a new Grading for Equity plan on Tuesday that will go into effect this fall at 14 high schools and cover over 10,000 students. The school district is already negotiating with an outside consultant to train teachers in August in a system that awards a passing C grade to as low as a score of 41 on a 100-point exam. Were it not for an intrepid school board member, the...

Under Attorney General Pam Bondi's watch, DOJ "not waste" funds on DEI ... DOJ is moving funds formerly granted to groups supporting transgender ideology and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to law enforcement.. DOJ, under Attorney General Pam Bondi's watch, will "not waste" funds on DEI. ... "The Department of Justice under Pam Bondi will not waste discretionary funds on DEI passion projects that do not make Americans safer ..We will use our money to get criminals off the streets, seize drugs, and in some cases, fund programs that deliver a tangible impact for victims of crime." ... Bondi,...

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—A principal-turned-consultant has built a movement—and a business—on overturning how teachers have graded for generations. His alternative: “grading for equity.” Joe Feldman preaches that students should be able to retake tests and redo assignments. There should be no penalties for late work and no grades for homework. No points for good behavior, classroom participation or perfect attendance, either. “When you include those in a grade, you’re bringing your implicit bias into the grade because not all students learn in that particular way,” Feldman told dozens of teachers gathered for a training session in Schenectady, N.Y., one Wednesday afternoon in...

Latest statistics reveal alarming increase in rapes, reaching 5,206 incidents in 2024, nearly triple the figure reported six years ago ... Spain has seen an alarming rise in sexual violence over recent years, culminating in a record-high number of rapes, which reached 5,206 incidents in 2024, ... With an average of 14 rapes per day across the country, the figure nearly triples the 1,878 cases reported in 2019 when five daily incidents were reported. The upward trend has remained consistent year-over-year since 2018 ... Regional breakdowns show that communities like Catalonia, Madrid, and Andalusia report the highest numbers, although increases...

Harvard University has renamed its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office following the Trump administration’s decision to freeze billions in federal funding to the school. The university made the announcement on Monday; the name adjustment was announced by Sherri A. Charleston, the school’s former chief diversity officer. ... Harvard University has renamed its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office following the Trump administration’s decision to freeze billions in federal funding to the school. The DEI center, which was previously called the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, has been renamed to the “Office of Community and Campus Life,” as...

President Trump unveiled his 2026 budget outline Friday, proposing cuts totaling $163 billion to education, housing, medical research, foreign aid funding, energy and environmental protection — while seeking to boost defense spending to more than $1 trillion. The $163 billion cut in non-defense discretionary spending is a 22.6% reduction from current levels, ... The proposed cuts to government funding are in line with Trump’s greater mission to cut bureaucracy via the Department of Government Efficiency — and DOGE ... The defense budget calls for the elimination of “woke” and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs; a down-payment on a “Golden...

DEI programs dilute medical education, expert says Over 70 medical schools maintain offices dedicated to “diversity, equity and inclusion” despite federal orders to end such programs, a medical advocacy group found. Do No Harm’s DEI tracker includes schools such as Albany Medical College, Duke University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ohio State University College of Medicine, and Stanford University School of Medicine, among several others. The advocacy group began tracking these offices in medical schools after the U.S. Department of Education instructed all institutions of higher education to end racially discriminatory policies in...

A bedrock principle of the United States is that all citizens are treated equally under the law. This principle guarantees equality of opportunity, not equal outcomes. It promises that people are treated as individuals, not components of a particular race or group. It encourages meritocracy and a colorblind society, not race- or sex-based favoritism. Adherence to this principle is essential to creating opportunity, encouraging achievement, and sustaining the American Dream.... It is the policy of the United States to eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability in all contexts...

New York lawmakers are considering a bill that would bar law enforcement officers from conducting traffic stops for minor violations. Part of the effort behind the proposal is to further “racial equity and public safety,” Fox News reported on Monday. “The measure aims to limit ‘the frequency of traffic stops for minor violations in furtherance of racial equity and public safety,’ according to the bill, as racial minorities in the state make up the majority of arrests and traffic stops,” the outlet said, noting violations mentioned included those such as a broken taillight, expired tags, window tinting that is too...

When wildfire smoke drifts into the Methow Valley, it tends to stay, settling in the folds of the Cascade foothills like a choking fog. Recent summers have brought weeks-long binges of unhealthy air to one of Washington state’s poorest counties, rivaling some of the most polluted cities in the world. Countering this intensifying threat are small nonprofit organizations such as the Methow Valley Citizens Council, which has been distributing air purifiers, maintaining a network of air quality monitors, and spreading the message about how to keep safe when the smoke rolls in. Much of that work was funded by a...

For the past two decades, leftist activists have captured billions of dollars in taxpayer funding – domestically and abroad – under the guise of “fighting climate change.” From Al Gore preaching about the Earth being in a "frying pan" while getting rich off of Qatari oil money to John Kerry demanding taxpayers send him to climate change conferences around the world on a private jet – and much more. The environment was never the concern; it was a front for corruption and communist-style control. Last week, we were given yet another example of this grift when a solar project fully...

while addressing Thursday’s plane crash near Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump blasted both the Obama and Biden administrations for prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives ... concerns about the FAA's DEI policies are not new. Critics have long argued that these policies have distracted from essential safety measures, particularly during a period marked by air traffic controller shortages, outdated equipment, and an increase in near misses. Reports indicate that the air traffic controller on duty during the incident was effectively managing the responsibilities of two people. Last year, 11 Republican attorneys general voiced their concerns in a letter to...

Donald Trump’s job is to make America great again. Improving your own life is up to you. There are lots of reasons to be excited about Trump’s return to power. He’s pledged to unleash America’s energy industry. Cheaper energy and a better regulatory environment should help contain inflation. The border will be locked down while officials deport illegal aliens. But even if he accomplishes his entire agenda, there’s one thing Trump can’t do—guarantee you a more successful life. That may sound like a contradiction. If Trump is going to help America, doesn’t that require that he make things better for...

Costco is apparently digging its heels in when it comes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies as other companies are backing away from such initiatives. The Associated Press (AP) reported on Thursday that the company is “pushing back on a shareholder proposal that urges the wholesale club operator to conduct an evaluation of any business risks posed by its diversity, equity and inclusion practices.” The report said investors were expected to vote Thursday on the recommendation. According to a proposal submitted by the think tank known as the National Center for Public Policy Research, the company’s DEI initiatives...

The FBI has closed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office ... The decision follows growing criticism from Republican lawmakers. Earlier this month, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, condemning what she described as “radical” DEI initiatives that she argued had “endangered” Americans, citing the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans as an example. "While the facts surrounding this unconscionable attack continue to emerge, what we know is deeply troubling: the suspect was in possession of weapons, improvised explosive devices, and an ISIS flag. This horrific incident constitutes a blatant act of...

Other universities also operate at or anticipate large deficits. Brown University is facing a $46 million deficit that could grow to $90 million.. The deficit could “deepen significantly” according to an announcement from the Providence, Rhode Island university. While the university has an endowment, it is already tapping it as much as reasonable. The school announced the reasons for the deficit problems: These include nearly flat net revenue from undergraduate tuition growth due to a steady size of the undergraduate student body, downward pressure on tuition increases, and increased financial aid; the macroeconomic factors of unexpected high inflation, growth in...

The Ohio State University (OSU) spends over $13 million on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) staff and hosts a multitude of “radical left-wing” courses and programs ... The school spent $13.3 million in 2023 on salaries for its 201 DEI employees, which is the equivalent of the cost of tuition for over 1,000 students at OSU, Open The Books found. OSU also highlights gender and sexuality topics in several courses, such as “Sexualities and Citizenship” and “Queer Ecologies.” OSU’s two highest-paid DEI officials both made nearly $300,000 in 2023, with 29 others making over 100,000, according to Open The Book’s...