Families across California are advocating for schools to prioritize essential skills like reading, writing, and critical thinking for their children.

However, the San Francisco Unified School District has recently come under scrutiny for organizing workshops that portray educators as oppressors and label classroom authority as “adult supremacy.”

This scenario is not a joke. In April, the nonprofit group Teachers 4 Social Justice conducted a session at John O’Connell High School, claiming that the power dynamics in the teacher-student relationship are inherently oppressive.

Traditional academic standards were criticized as being Eurocentric and dehumanizing.

Parents are understandably frustrated by these developments.

More than half of California students still cannot read at grade level. Yet school districts are platforming ideological fads that treat adults as the problem and basic expectations as oppression.

This is not harmless sensitivity training. It is educational malpractice.

When schools allow students to be taught that authority, discipline and high standards are forms of supremacy, they send a dangerous message: Achievement matters less than politics.

The consequences are already showing up on college campuses.

Hundreds of University of California faculty members, including seven of the system’s nine math department chairs, recently signed an open letter calling for the return of standardized math testing for STEM admissions. Their reason was simple. After the UC system dropped the SAT and ACT, incoming students’ math skills fell off a cliff.

One campus reported a nearly 30-fold increase in students needing middle-school-level math remediation. Professors are now spending valuable class time teaching basic arithmetic in courses meant for future engineers, scientists and mathematicians.

This is what happens when K–12 education loses sight of its mission.

The current playbook? Undermine teachers. Lower standards. Water down academic benchmarks. Then act surprised when students arrive at college unprepared.

Strong schools are built on a simple formula: good teachers, high standards, learning first.

Teachers are not oppressors. They are the people who help children unlock their potential.

For generations, hardworking teachers have been the bridge between childhood and opportunity. They taught students to read, write, calculate and think. They opened doors to college, careers and a better future.

That’s what schools are supposed to do.

Instead, unions and activist administrators treat classrooms like laboratories to test radical social theories rather than places where children learn essential skills. Students are paying the price.

This is a warning for California and for the rest of the country.

When ideology replaces fundamentals, reading and math scores fall. Students graduate with fewer skills. Colleges lower expectations. Employers struggle to find qualified workers.

California families are not asking for power-dynamic seminars or political theories. They are asking for schools that stay focused on teaching reading, writing, math and the skills needed to succeed in life.

It is time to stop obsessing over who is supposedly oppressing whom and get back to the basics of education.

Our kids deserve better.

Sonja Shaw is the president of the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education and a candidate for California state superintendent of public instruction.

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The alleged murderer of the Chicago police officer found himself back in custody on Tuesday for a separate carjacking case. This came after the judge faced backlash for initially releasing the convicted felon on electronic monitoring before the officer’s alleged murder took place.

Appearing in court on Tuesday, Alphanso Talley, 27, faced a hearing concerning an alleged breach of his release conditions linked to a 2025 armed robbery and carjacking incident.

In court, Talley wore a green jail jumpsuit and shackles as Cook County Circuit Court Judge John Lyke Jr. agreed with prosecutors and officially revoked his pretrial release in the carjacking case.

This case has drawn national attention after Talley allegedly shot and killed a Chicago police officer while injuring another, all while being free on electronic monitoring—a decision made by Judge Lyke prior to his trial.

Alphanso Talley was charged with murder after allegedly shooting two police officers. (Cook County Sheriff’s Office)

Court transcripts obtained by Fox News reveal Lyke referenced Illinois’ SAFE-T Act – a 2021 law that eliminated cash bail – when making the determination to release Talley, a seven-time convicted felon. 

“Presumably he would have had a minimum, collectively, of $1 million bail, and he would have needed $100,000 to get out,” Lyke told the court. “Our esteem(ed) Legislature says, ‘No, we’re not going to do that anymore. We’re going to make judges take a critical look at it.’”

Authorities said Talley was unaccounted for in the electronic monitoring system when he allegedly gunned down Officer John Bartholomew, 28, and gravely injured another police officer at Swedish Hospital on Saturday, April 25.

John Bartholomew was shot and killed on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Chicago. (Chicago Police Department)

Talley was arrested just hours before the shooting in connection with an alleged armed robbery at a nearby Family Dollar, officials previously said. In that incident, he is accused of pistol-whipping a female employee before making off with her keys and wallet.

After being taken into custody, Talley allegedly informed officers he had swallowed narcotics and asked to be taken to the hospital. 

While receiving medical treatment, police say Talley retrieved a gun from underneath a blanket and shot both officers before attempting to escape custody.

Police officers stand in formation during a funeral service for Officer John Bartholomew. (WFLD)

“He was going to attempt an escape when he pretended to swallow drugs,” prosecutors previously told the court while arguing for Talley to remain behind bars in his murder trial. “He knew police would take him to the hospital for his own well-being. He knew he would be uncuffed at that time. He did that to officers who simply took him to the hospital for his own well-being.”

He was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping and armed robbery.

The judge handling his first-degree murder case previously ordered Talley to remain in custody ahead of his trial.

Chicago police officers stand outside a hospital in Chicago awaiting updates on two officers shot during a prisoner transport incident at Swedish Hospital on April 25, 2026. A suspect was taken into custody after a brief manhunt in the neighborhood. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“It is clear to this court that you pose a threat to any person you’re around,” Judge D’Anthony Thedford said. “If you’re out — you’re dangerous. I cannot trust that you will follow any orders that this court gives. No conditions that I can propose can keep the community safe from you.”

At the time of the alleged shooting, Talley already had several prior arrests and convictions spanning the past nine years, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.

His rap sheet includes a conviction for four counts of aggravated robbery with a firearm in 2017, unlawful use or possession of a firearm by a felon with a prior conviction in 2021, battery on a peace officer in 2023 and possession/aiding and abetting a stolen motor vehicle.

He is scheduled to return to court Wednesday for a hearing regarding the charges stemming from the alleged shooting, with his next court date in the alleged carjacking and armed robbery case set for July 15. 

News Media reached out to Talley’s defense attorney and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for comment. 

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An accomplished college student from the United States has mysteriously vanished while vacationing with his family in Japan.

James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham was last traced to Kyoto, a renowned tourist destination, as of May 29, according to his worried family members.

The 20-year-old, currently studying at Auburn State University in Alabama, embarked on a journey to Japan with his family that began on May 25, his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, shared via a Facebook post.

At the time he was last seen, James was dressed in a white t-shirt featuring a ‘Save the Bees’ graphic on the back, lavender corduroy pants, and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes. He also carried a shoulder bag displaying the state of Alabama, according to a dedicated website created to assist in the search for him.

Standing at 6 feet 1 inch, with long blonde hair and blue eyes, James may have been experiencing emotional distress, as noted on the page.

His mother and father, Keith Higginbotham, are currently searching for their missing son in Japan and have urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward.

‘Please be kind. We are in our own living hell. He is not detained from a night out partying. The police have confirmed this. Please, I beg you, be kind. I’m already in so much pain,’ Nancy wrote online. 

His last confirmed purchase was at a Kohnan hardware store in Kyoto. He then arrived at the Kyoto train station, but his phone lost connection around 8.29pm local time, according to the website. 

James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham went missing while on a trip with his family in Japan

His mother and father, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, are currently searching for their missing son in Japan and have urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward. (Pictured: James and Nancy)

Surveillance footage obtained by police showed James getting off at Yamashina Station, which is five minutes from the first train, Nancy said on Monday night (7am Tuesday in Japan).  

‘It is unknown whether he later got back on a train,’ the website detailed. 

His family and friends have requested that anyone in the area search hotels, cafes, hostels, train stations, stores, and even the ‘deep woods’ for their son. 

According to James’ description and his mother’s social media posts, he is an ‘experienced hiker with an excellent sense of direction.’ 

His heartbroken mother also noted for people not to publicly share her son’s location if they locate him, and to instead call local police ‘immediately’ before messaging her. 

His last confirmed location was in Kyoto, a popular tourist location, on May 29. (Pictured: Stock image)

The young man, who is 6ft 1in tall, also has long blonde hair, blue eyes, was wearing a shoulder bag ‘with the state of Alabama on it’, and ‘may have been emotionally distressed,’ a website read

She added: ‘I know there is a typhoon currently hitting, but I will be there today searching the woods today. 

‘My husband and I went last night with flashlights and headlamps and didn’t get too far because we weren’t prepared for the wildlife we encountered. If anyone wants to join us after the storm, I would be grateful.’ 

The website provides multiple contacts to reach out to, including Nancy’s personal email and phone number, the number for the Yamashina Police Station, and others. 

A prayer vigil is being held on Tuesday at 6.30pm at Asbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham for the Higginbotham family.  

Madison Square Garden is set to auction off a pair of celebrity courtside seats for Game 3 of the NBA Finals, featuring the New York Knicks versus the San Antonio Spurs. This event aims to raise funds for youth initiatives in the city.

The auction kicks off at noon on Thursday, offering what MSG CEO James Dolan describes as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for fans to witness the Knicks’ first NBA Finals home game in over 25 years.

The money raised from this exclusive auction will benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting underprivileged children in the area.

“At Madison Square Garden, the Garden of Dreams Foundation represents our most significant effort, and we take pride in its significant positive impact on hundreds of thousands of young lives throughout the tri-state area,” Dolan remarked.

“Providing Celebrity Row seats for the NBA Finals at The Garden not only delivers a unique experience for fans but also backs an organization that genuinely transforms lives,” he added.

The Knicks also announced last week the team would donate hundreds of free NBA Finals tickets to underprivileged youth in the Big Apple. The Garden of Dreams is receiving 250 tickets each for Game 3 and Game 4 and another 250 tickets if a Game 6 is played at the Midtown arena.

 The foundation has helped an estimated 480,000 youngsters since 2006.

 Details about the auction are expected to come at Knicks.com/celebrityrowauction.

In a heart-wrenching scene at a California courtroom on Monday, Joaquin Escoto, the man accused of brutally murdering a young mother, her infant son, and her mother, appeared to smirk as he faced the charges. The courtroom was filled with grief-stricken relatives of the victims, witnessing the proceedings with heavy hearts.

Escoto, 28, entered the courtroom in Stanislaus County Superior Court, shackled and clad in an orange-and-white jail uniform. He sat beside his attorney and a Spanish interpreter, a seemingly indifferent expression etched on his face. This demeanor starkly contrasted with the emotional turmoil experienced by the families, who are still grappling with the aftermath of what prosecutors describe as a horrific triple murder.

The charges against Escoto are grave: three counts of first-degree murder for the killings of 23-year-old Fabiola Gonzalez-Nunez, her newborn son Mateo Gonzalez, and 54-year-old Sylvia Nunez-Villalobos. Additionally, he faces special-circumstance allegations, including multiple victims, a knife enhancement, child abuse resulting in the death of a child under 8, and child endangerment concerning the couple’s surviving 3-year-old child.

Though the hearing itself was brief, the emotional weight for the victims’ family members in attendance was palpable, a testament to the enduring anguish of their loss.

The legal proceedings against Joaquin Escoto continue as he is charged with the first-degree murder of a young mother, her newborn, and the grandmother, leaving a community in mourning and searching for justice.