State of the Day
Good morning, readers,
Today’s message is brief but packed with noteworthy insights.
(You might recall my earlier column discussing the creation of a credentialed class of misinformed radicals.)
University of California: A Mixed Report Card
In an intriguing juxtaposition, the leading authority on the University of California system has expressed two conflicting ideas almost side by side:
The University of California prides itself on its commitment to increasing access without compromising quality. Lately, California has bucked national trends, boasting that about 40 percent of its students are first-generation college attendees. Furthermore, over half qualify for free tuition, and the representation of underrepresented students has been inching up thanks to various initiatives. The California Dream Act allowed undocumented students to receive financial aid and benefit from in-state tuition. While students at UC may have trouble with basic math, their graduation rates are at all-time highs.
Who penned this piece that appeared in The New York Times opinion section? It was none other than Miriam Pawel.
Pawel’s credentials read like a checklist for a certain progressive agenda. She’s a “Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.” But fun fact—many who tout this title aren’t actually individual awardees, and those awards often go to entire teams. Miriam fits this mold, too.
She also previously held a “distinguished fellowship” at Harvard.
Her career seems to reflect an assortment of liberal causes. She advocates for unlimited illegal immigration, supports extensive welfare benefits for undocumented individuals, and even promoted police “reform,” which many interpreted as a push to defund. Additionally, she backed a type of prosecutorial reform that led to the rise of high-profile Soros-backed prosecutors—essentially, this often means choosing not to prosecute certain crimes.
As is frequently remarked about individuals on the left, you can often spot them by their choices in societal matters.
With 25 years of experience covering various topics for the LA Times, she’s established herself as a California expert and is currently writing a book about the UC system.
This brings us back to her op-ed.
It starts off by noting: “When the University of California eliminated the SAT requirement in 2021, U.C.L.A. experienced a noticeable increase in applications from high-achieving Black and Latino students, for whom standardized testing had been a barrier.”
But, she doesn’t clarify what “high-achieving” means. It can be inferred that it refers to students with strong grades, but we know those grades might not bear much weight given the quality of education in public schools.
How do corrupt school administrators and opportunistic politicians demonstrate educational progress? Simple: eliminate tests and give everyone A’s!
This ties back to Pawel’s argument. The crux of her op-ed seems to favor maintaining the current situation. The UC system is currently debating whether to reinstate SAT/ACT requirements, and science and math faculty are frustrated with having to teach basic math and algebra.
She writes, “The argument for reinstating standardized tests will fix the math crisis …”
However, it’s worth noting that around 30% of incoming UC freshmen struggle with reading and writing at a high school level, too.
She adds, “… however, obscures a larger debate about the mission of this elite public university and the long-standing tension between its dual goals of excellence and access.”
And there we have it. “Dual goals.” “Excellence and access.”
The objective of higher education, particularly elite institutions, is not to provide widespread “access.” Indeed, the most successful elite schools typically reduce access. This isn’t just some tension; it’s a fundamental conflict. You can’t have both excellence and broad access.
If everyone could be the star quarterback, who would want to watch the game?
Fortunately, even readers of the NYT seem discerning enough to recognize the vague arguments from individuals like Miriam, who would have us believe that “equity”—or “equal outcomes”—can coexist with top-tier excellence.
What I’m Reading
Starting New Family Traditions This Fall
A wholesome share from Mary.
NFL Head Coach Reveals They Learned Touchdown Play from 1930s Black-and-White Film, Honoring a Legendary Sportscaster
A captivating tribute to a legend.
EXCLUSIVE: University Removed Pentagon-Funded Professor’s Connections to Chinese Military Firm, Report Shows
These institutions must be held accountable.
