Random Nuclear Strikes

From ESPN:

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan pushed a proposal Wednesday to bar men’s college basketball teams from postseason play if they fail to graduate 40 percent of their players, an idea that didn’t go over well with the NCAA and coaches preparing for March Madness.

If put into practice this year, a dozen teams in the NCAA tournament would be ineligible, based on an annual study from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.

That includes a No. 1 seed, Kentucky, which graduated 31 percent of its players, according to the institute’s latest report.

I am not trying to defend universities with low graduation rates for athletes. But, I understand the game being played. Universities make a shit ton of money off of their football and basketball programs. Some even make money off of baseball. But, the rest of the sports all depend on the big two to deliver their budgets.

The bottom line is that college basketball, and football players for that matter, are more like employees of the universities. It is, however, unfair that if a player gets a better offer from another employer (i.e. the NBA or the NFL) and chooses to leave college early, the university is penalized because they didn’t graduate that player. Also, when a university tires of giving extra chances to a student-athlete who refuses to work hard in the classroom, they get penalized for not “rehabilitating” the student-athlete.

Most importantly, though, why does Secretary Duncan give a shit about what happens at our universities? They are either state run institutions, or are privately funded. And, most importantly, why do we even have a Federal Department of Education? Where is that required by the Constitution? Isn’t it a clear violation of the 10th Amendment? I know the answer already…”We have to look after the children.” Thanks a lot, Jimmy Carter!

Currently, the budget of the Department of Education is $68.6 billion. That is a very small part of the overall Federal budget. But, the power of the DOE is much larger! Just ask any teacher how No Child Left Behind affected them. As much as I admire G.W.’s concerns, the Federal Government has no business and no right to hold teachers accountable. That is “reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Enough of my ranting. Now, get back to filling out your brackets! And, GO DAWGS!!!

I’m sure that is what the teacher’s unions will call this.

Chicago’s Urban Prep Charter Academy has a mission — for its students to graduate and succeed in college. Now, for the first graduating class at the high school, it’s mission accomplished.

All 107 seniors were accepted to a four-year college, a significant accomplishment considering they are from one of the toughest neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago.

These are not so-called gifted kids at a private school. The public high school is open to all, choosing students by a lottery.

“It doesn’t just happen that public urban schools graduate all of their students and get them into college,” said Tim King, the school’s founder.

Just four years ago, when King started the school, only 4 percent of the class was reading at grade level.

The all male student body is made to wear *gasp* uniforms and are issued watches so they aren’t late.

Also, their school day is modeled around an eight hour work day so to get them used to, you know, working for a living.

Geez, you’d think the NEA would see examples such as this as “teachable moments”. Especially since they like to strut about calling themselves “education professionals”.

Nope, they need shotguns instead.