More Balkanization

I've written here at TSM previously on the Tucson Unified School District's "Ethnic Studies" program, or "Raza Studies" as it's known hereabouts. It's been a crusade by the current and outgoing Superintendent of Public Instruction to eliminate this program from Tucson's schools. Said Superintendent is outgoing because he was recently elected to the position of Attorney General. And he's serious:

In his final hours as Arizona schools chief, Tom Horne is planning to make a declaration this morning that TUSD's ethnic studies program is in violation of state law.

For Horne, who has held the post for the last eight years and will be sworn in as the state's attorney general at noon, the only way the district can come into compliance will be complete elimination of the Mexican American Studies program.

"In view of the long history regarding that program, the violations are deeply rooted in the program itself, and partial adjustments will not constitute compliance," Horne wrote in a 10-page document of findings.

Failure to comply could result in the loss of up to 10 percent of the district's budget. The Tucson Unified School District's annual state-aid budget is more than $149 million. If a 10 percent reduction is imposed, that amounts to an annual loss of nearly $15 million, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Note that, for the benefit of TUSD graduates and dropouts, the paper kindly did the "10% of X = Y" math for them.

At least the ones who can read.

RTWT.