To the Point
Partisan Politics and Public Education
Public education is a hot political topic: on the Right, it’s the founding fathers and free enterprise; on the Left it’s civil rights and respect for gays and lesbians. We’ll hear about street protests in Colorado, textbooks in Texas and what’s at stake for America’s children.
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenHigh school kids in a suburb of Denver took to the streets last week, forcing their elected school board to reconsider rules advocated by the Republican Party. The target was Advanced Placement tests supposedly designed to challenge creative thinking, but denounced by the GOP as “negative” and “unpatriotic.” Public education is a hot political topic: on the Right, it’s the founding fathers and free enterprise; on the Left, it’s civil rights and respect for gays and lesbians. We’ll hear about street protests in Colorado, textbooks in Texas and what’s at stake for America’s children.
Also, the head of the Secret Service undergoes questioning following last month's White House break-in. Plus: Afghanistan’s political frenemies and America’s longest war.
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In this episode
3 storiesSecret Service Director Faces Questions About White House Security Breaches
After reports of White House intruders, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today demanded to know if the President and his family are safe. They grilled Julia Pierson, the head of the Secret Service. Zeke Miller is politics reporter for Time magazine.
Read the story6 minPartisan Politics and Public Education
More than 1,000 kids from a dozen high schools joined teachers and parents last week on the streets of Jefferson County, a large and politically important suburban area outside Denver. As a result, the County’s elected school board may be re-thinking plans for Advance Placement in American history.
Read the story35 minUS Combat Presence and Power Sharing in Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s former president, Hamid Karzai, frustrated President Obama by refusing to allow US troops to stay in that country. Today, a new government—hammered together after a hotly contested election—signed the deal. The diplomatic nightmare is over but America’s longest war is not.
Read the story8 min
