CATO Conference Examines Post-Brown Education Trends
The CATO Institute will examine educational trends in the post-Brown v. Board era, nearly five decades after the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling desegregating America's public schools on Thursday, May 15, 2003, from 9am to 3:45pm. (The 50th anniversary of the 1954 decision is one year from May 17th.)
In the half century since desegregating public schools, public education remains unequal. The drop out rate among minority students remains high (45% of black and 47% of Hispanic high school students compared to 24% of white high school students) and the proficiency levels on the math portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress test show a continued gap among black, Hispanic and white students. What are the alternatives to a failing education system in which minority children disproportionately suffer?
The conference will address the following issues: What is the way forward for education in America's inner cities? What reform proposals would give more students access to good schools? How can inner-city students achieve educational freedom and equality?
Some of the leading scholars who will examine the current state of urban education, including the success stories and reform proposals include:
- Howard Fuller, Director, Institute for the Transformation of Learning, Marquette University;
- Rev. Floyd Flake, former congressman and Senior Pastor, Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church;
- Paul Peterson, Director of the Program on Education Policy and Governance, Harvard University;
- Andrew J. Coulson, Senior Research Associate, Social Philosophy and Policy Center.
For more information on the Educational Freedom and Urban America conference, contact the CATO Institute at www.cato.org.
New Study Documents Immigrant Welfare Use
A new report by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), Back Where We Started: An Examination of Trends in Immigrant Welfare Use Since Welfare Reform, scrutinizes the impact of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act and whether Congress, in trying to minimize heavy immigrant welfare use, opted for the right course by denying many legal immigrants access to welfare programs rather than reduce future immigration levels.
Steven A. Camarota, CIS Director of Research, examines the continued use of four major welfare programs: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF); food stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicaid.
The findings show that while immigrant use of TANF and food stamps are down significantly, the overall welfare gap with natives has actually widened if the four programs are considered together. The report points out that immigrant households comprise a growing share of households using the welfare system. Also, the largest increases were in California, New York, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, and Colorado.
Consider some of the report's post-welfare reform findings:
- In 1996, 22% of immigrant-headed households used at least one major welfare program, compared to 15% of native households. After a brief decline, welfare use rebounded in 2001 with 23% of immigrant households using welfare compared to 15% of native households.
- While immigrant use of TANF has fallen from just under 6% in 1996 to slightly more than 2% in 2001, heavy reliance on Medicaid has contributed to persistently high welfare levels among immigrant households.
- Despite declining TANF and food stamp use among immigrants, the cost savings have been almost entirely offset by Medicaid costs. The average value of benefits and payments received by immigrant households has changed little and remains about $2,000-50% above that of natives.
- Continuing high rates of immigrant welfare use, along with the exiting high levels of new immigration, show that the number of immigrant households using welfare has increased by 750,000 since 1996.
The report punctures a number of myths about welfare use among immigrants: welfare use remains high over time even after 20 years, immigrants use the welfare system at significantly higher rates than natives; poor educational backgrounds account for a vast number of these welfare cases; unwillingness to work isn't much of a factor since 80% of immigrant households using welfare had at least one person working.
For more information on the CIS report Back Where We Started, visit their website at: www.cis.org/articles/2003/back503.html or call (202) 466-8185.
Conservatives Serve Up Star Spangled Ice Cream
Ice cream lovers who enjoy the quality of Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream but despise the company's progressive political agenda now have an alternative.
The Star Spangled Ice Cream Co. offers "ice cream with a conservative flavor" by three veterans of the vast rightwing conspiracy. Star Spangled Ice Cream offers several flavors: I Hate the French Vanilla, Iraqi Road, Smaller Govern-mint, Nutty Environmentalist, Clinton Im-Peach, White House Fundraiser Coffee, and Peanut Malaise.
"We offer conservatives guilt-free ice cream," said Star Spangled Vice President Richard Lessner. "Our super premium ice cream is superior to Ben & Jerry's in flavor and value. Plus, a portion of every purchase of Star Spangled Ice Cream goes to charities that support the great men and women in America's armed forces," noted Lessner.
"At last, conservative Americans have an alternative to supporting Ben & Jerry's wacko liberal political causes from world peace utopianism to radical environmentalism. Conservatives can now enjoy a top-end, gourmet ice cream while supporting patriotic causes they truly believe in."
Other flavors that the company plans to market: Cowardly German Chocolate, Irrelevant Belgian Chocolate, Dutch (Reagan) Chocolate, Donald Rum Raisin, US Army Tank Crunch, US Navy Battle-Chip, US Air Force Over-The-Rainbow Sherbet, US Marine Tough Cookies & Cream, School Prayerleens & Cr??¨me, and Gun Nut.
The Baltimore-based ice cream company offers 2-day deliveries of frozen ice cream to your doorstep. Home delivery orders can be placed at (202) 756-4956 or by visiting the Star Spangled Ice Cream Co. website: www.StarSpangledIceCream.com.
Media Research Center DisHonors Awards Dinner
The Media Research Center presents the third annual DisHonors Awards reception and dinner on Thursday, March 27, 2003 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Individual tickets are $150. VIP reception begins at 5:30 p.m., general reception is at 6:00 p.m., and and dinner and awards ceremony at 7:00 p.m. Special entertainment will be provided by The Charlie Daniels Band.
For more information contact Heather Madden at (703) 683-9733 (ext. 145).
For more information visit the Media Research Center website: www.MediaResearch.org
