Cultural Wars Part 2: Race and Education

By the 1920s what we call the SAT was simply known as the College Boards; it is a test designed to measure ones ability to perform certain skill sets: Verbal communication and quantitative reasoning. Regardless of class and race, all students are measured by either the SAT or the ACT. For years the argument [...]

My Davidson College Experience by Lerin Rutherford

Lerin Rutherford, a student in my AP European History course, shares her academic experience after a summer of study at Davidson College. She is one of my elite students who will have a number of college options come April. You can also read Lerin’s last post on Political Correctness and Happy Feet here.

Davidson College is [...]

Cultural Wars (Part 1)

 

While reading the most recent issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, I came across an article addressing the tension colleges are facing from the right. I thought I would address the problems of the right as they again start another round of fights in the on going struggle to direct intellectual freedom. I posted [...]

“I Am A Man”

With day one of another year of teaching out of the way, I can sit back at my desk and enjoy the framed print “I Am A Man” hanging on the wall across from me. While in Little Rock this summer, I came across this photogragh that represents the struggles of so many. Ernest Withers captured the [...]

Writing and Research Goals

With classes set to start next week, I have drafted a schedule for the year that will allow me to balance my research and writing time with that of my primary duty, teaching. My Atlantic Market paper is all but done, with the exception of some editing and topical expansion. It has been reviewed and [...]

Politics, Religion, and the Left

I recall last summer while at the University of Nebraska, having dinner with Celia Applegate of the University of Rochester’s history department. We were joined by a German studies colleague (Brett) who was teaching at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock; I felt really bad because once I discovered he was in his final [...]

Summer Controversy and Debates: God, Books, and Atheism

A Little Rock, Arkansas colleague e-mailed me this article by Peter Berkowitz which was published in The Wall Street Journal back in July. This article emerged when I told Bryan that I was very curious about the debates surrounding Chris Hitchens’ book “God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.” I have been reading articles [...]

Carson on Facebook

A number of Houston Christian School students have sent me e-mail invitations to join their Facebook. I really have no clue as to what facebook is. While reading different Facebook profiles of students, I came across a Facebook page entitled War on Carson and Death to his Ambiguous Test of Doom. What you have here [...]

Cornel West: To Be A Leftist in the 21st Century

I have attended two conferences that presented Cornel West as its key note speaker. Most recently, the African American Studies department at the University of Houston invited him as a speaker and public intellectual. West promulgates the need for leftist ideology in the 21st century as a juxtaposed construct to: religion, corporate greed, youth, white [...]

Campus Construction

     Above: Houston Christian School Campus

                          Above: Court Yard
I spent a little time on campus today working on an AP program manual and trying to finish my fall syllabus for AP U.S. History; I have not started on AP European History or World History’s syllabus. The challenge I face each semester when drafting a syllabus is balance. [...]

Health Care and Rudy

As many of you know, I subscribe to and receive a number of academic and political e-news letters. Below Frank Llewellyn addresses the issue of health care and the inability of Republicans and Democrats to address this problem.  We all know that a third party will never take charge of the White House. That is not their agenda….There [...]