How is donor approval of ideas freedom in any sense of the word? How about taxpayer freedom, as the "freedom school" will be funded by taxpayers for 25 years after donor money is gone? How is funding a press (Sagent Press) run by the professor's wife as their personal address is on the LLC a "free press" when none of its contents is juried or scientific in any way? Freedom to deny science is actually fascism, Mr. Martin.
I was at the recent UA lecture about the Freedom School. I wish you had discussed the frightening terms of the donor agreements which UA signed. Some strings attached to these funds include donor approval of faculty and donor approval of dissertation topics. Some approved topics include "The Ethics of Price Gouging" and "Positive Outcomes of Eugenics."
As a teacher at a school which will receive the results-based funding, I can tell you with confidence you are wrong about one aspect. Teachers will not receive one penny. The funds can only be spent on technology and professional development. At least that's what we were told. Should our teachers be outraged?
While I'm sure it's unnecessary to iterate to such a highly-educated and circumspect readership, privacy laws prevent my revealing the names of award recipients. I know them well, as they sit in my classroom every day. Many of our students choose to reveal their awards at our honors ceremony, and members of the public are welcome to attend. Others will be recognized at Centennial Hall on May 25th for their achievements. My students are heading to MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and even U of A. Until AP and IB stop rewarding students who are doing college level work with lower tuition, I imagine that such high stakes tests will remain popular among students whose families will benefit most from their achievements.
Perhaps you're unaware that this is AP week. All of my students are at Santa Rita taking AP Statistics and AP World History exams, leaving me in the rare but welcome position to have time to defend my students and school on this forum. Enjoy your day.
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