Average NAEP 12th-Grade Reading scores nationally broken down by percentile: Top 10%, Top 20%, Average, Bottom 25%, and Bottom 10%.
Largely overlooked in the furor over stabbings and assassinations the past few days, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has reported more dismal data about educational achievement of today’s youth. The latest updates report on 12th-grade reading and math as well as 8th-grade science.
Average scores for top and bottom performers alike were lower in 2024 than the pre-COVID, pre-George Floyd year of 2019. Overall, only 35% of 12th-graders scored proficient in reading and 22% in math. In other words, young people are losing ground in acquiring the verbal and mathematical skills required to thrive in the burgeoning knowledge economy.
“I told you so” leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, but the tragic news yesterday about Charlie Kirk took my memory back immediately to the debate on Bacon’s Rebellion after another tragedy in Charlottesville. Far too many of the usual suspects rejected my argument then that the condemnation of political violence had to go both ways or it would be worthless. A failure to jointly condemn violence right or left, KKK or Antifa, would simply feed the fire.
One of the speakers in favor of Dominion’s proposed natural gas plant in Chesterfield at Monday night’s public hearing told me someone from Roanoke on the other side quite openly and forcefully said any person who supported building the plant should be condemned to Hell. Similar attitudes appear in every political quarter and forum. It should sicken us all, but sadly it does not.
Yes, one of the worst offenders now sits in the White House, and the reports this morning are he issued on social media a list of recent shameless political attacks, omitting the attacks on liberals from his concern. It was just June when a murderer motivated by ideology killed one Minnesota legislator and wounded another, and it wasn’t that long ago that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was wounded by someone seeking to kill her.
It will never leave us entirely. Political violence goes back to the beginning, and within the past couple of days I reread Shelby Foote’s account of Lincoln’s assassination. But if all agree that all such acts are equally reprehensible, and if all agree to openly condemn such actors from within their own supposed camp, it will be a start. There are people who responded to that earlier debate over Charlottesville who totally lost my respect, and eight years later I doubt they have learned a thing. Let’s see.
The new report even more clearly highlights the disparity at UVA between formal written policy and how the students actually perceive the reality. Thus, the report significantly summarizes UVA’s student experience as follows:
“Student perceptions are poor with UVA failing to rank in the top 100 for any area. UVA ranks in the bottom 50 for both “Comfort Expressing Ideas” and “Administrative Support,” signaling relative unease and skepticism toward leadership despite strong written policies.”
Other very important findings of the new FIRE report show that UVA has decreased in five of the six main criteria analyzed–including receiving an “F” grade in three of the six: “Self-Censorship”, “Administrative Support”, and “Political Tolerance.”
Hayden Ludwig at Restoration News analyzes the impact of rules for apportioning congressional districts in the United States. Assigning seats on the basis of the number of citizens in a district, rather than total population, would yield Virginia an additional congressional seat, he argues. California, Texas and Florida would be big losers under a citizens-only apportionment, but nearly a dozen other states (including Virginia) would be winners. — JAB
SCC reveals Dominion has low confidence in its wind plant on the coldest of days.
The staff of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) has concluded that Dominion Energy Virginia cannot meet the energy demands of our data- center based digital economy with renewable energy projects alone, and “does not oppose” adding natural gas.
“It is unlikely, in Staff’s opinion, that renewable energy development alone will suffice to serve the Company’s forthcoming energy and capacity needs caused by data center demand,” wrote Public Utility Division manager Andrew T. Boehnlein in testimony filed back on August 19. Boehnlein in part focuses on the unreliability of offshore wind.
The testimony is part of the utility’s pending application to build a new natural gas plant in Chesterfield County, subject to a full SCC hearing starting September 23. The staff analysis concluded “there is reasonable support for the claim that the Company is currently resource deficient, and that the Company will be significantly more resource deficient if the projected data center load growth materializes in whole or in part.”
That testimony came from Steven E. Smith, a Public Utilities Division analyst, but in both cases it is clear they were signing off on consensus opinions. Smith reported they were “not opposed” to the application but noted that the company’s application had not really proven that the proposed 944-megawatt peaker plant, only slated to run on high demand days, was the best choice to address the coming energy shortage.
In similar testimony in another case, this one dealing with Dominion’s application for a rate increase, the SCC staff chose to highlight the deficiency of utility-scale solar projects when reliable energy is in short supply. As previously reported, it noted all of Dominion’s big solar projects were failing to meet promised output. All of them.
It all comes down to leadership, we’re forever told. In that regard, two national newspapers recently took measure of Abigail Spanberger, the clear front-runner in the race to become Virginia’s next governor.
“Welcome to the year of the national security mom,” The New York Times announced.
Spanberger’s biography “helps convey a gut-level grasp of Virginians’ everyday anxieties about schools and crime and providing for their families and experience making tough calls in life-or-death situations involving national security,” wrote commentator Michelle Cottle.
This “hits the sweet spot of making her seem simultaneously exceptional and relatable,” Cottle wrote. “A butt-kicking résumé.”
“Message: Here is a leader both formidable and approachable, tough and caring, driven by her commitment to service.”
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression have graded Virginia universities D grade overall in its 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. That was actually better than the national average of F.
The University of Virginia was tops in the state with a 21st-place ranking out of 250 institutions, largely on the basis of its formally adopted policies — good enough to garner a grade of C-. However, that represents a significant decline from its No. 1 ranking last year. Virginia Tech and James Madison University garnered Fs for grades.
Virginia ranks 22nd in education freedom among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in the Heritage Foundation’s Education Freedom Report Card. The Old Dominion scores high in transparency (No. #2) and civic education (No. #3), but not so well for teacher freedom (No. #25), education choice (No. #33) or return on investment (No. #33).
Citing a divine source for American rights was “deeply troubling,” he said, the kind of kooky thinking associated with theocratic regimes, such as Iran.
Instead, these freedoms come from “our governments.”
Senator Kaine’s opinions are not unusual in today’s secular age. Claiming that rights come from God is archaic and anti-progressive.
But that’s exactly what the Founding Fathers believed. Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence states it best:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
The Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln also cited divine right in explaining the American Civil War:
Move over, Lizzie Borden. Former House Speaker Filler-Corn charges Delegate Sam Rasoul with “(f)ueling one of the oldest forms of hatred in the world, repackaged in the language of activism.”
She is referencing antisemitism. This is one of the harshest criticisms anybody of the Jewish faith can direct at anybody. Particularly someone with Rasoul’s bio. She is in effect calling him a Jew hater. By doing so, she likewise implicates the Roanoke Democratic Committee and others for their support of him.
Ms. Filler-Corn is entitled to her opinion. But she has neither the stature nor the record to make herself out as some moral authority on such matters. Being Jewish doesn’t automatically make you an authority on antisemitism, the Middle East, or a true advocate of equality for all. Credibility comes from the heart of your record, not your circumstance of birth.
In 2023, I was subjected to antisemitic attacks making headlines as far away as California. The fact I led the opposition to their casino infuriated Richmond Mayor Stoney, labor unions, RVA’s Black leadership, and Democratic Party officials. The only successful opposition in the Commonwealth. A lot of people were going to make a lot of money from that project. I was called the usual anti-Jewish names, the Judas Jew, whatever, over the public airwaves by a person working for the pro-casino forces. My anti-casino campaign won citywide 62% to 38%.
If anyone can find an image of the West Point Lee portrait, please post it in the comments. — JAB
America is coming to its senses.
After a tumultuous period of temporary insanity following George Floyd’s death in 2020, when hundreds of statues and memorials were removed—often by violent mobs—passion is giving way to reason. Things are (thankfully) getting back to normal.
The latest sign of America’s restoration is the return of the 20’ portrait of Robert E. Lee to the library at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The painting of Lee in his Confederate uniform had been removed as part of the Orwellian “Naming Commission” that purged the military of any memorials to former Confederates.
Announcing the return of Lee’s portrait, an Army spokesperson said, “At West Point, the United States Military Academy is prepared to restore historical names, artifacts, and assets to their original form and place. Under this administration, we honor our history and learn from it — we don’t erase it.”
The damage done by cancel culture in the post-George Floyd frenzy was unprecedented. Reminiscent of the French Jacobins, Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolutionaries, or the Afghani Taliban, woke radicals gave no quarter to Southerners who chose to defend their homeland in the Civil War. Historical figures like Lee were universally and unfairly demonized, then systematically eliminated.
In his September 2 contribution to Bacon’s Rebellion, John Butcher offers a tight analysis of the performance of students on the 2025 Standards of Learning tests. It was good to see the byline of my former Northside neighbor, who decades ago could always be counted on to purchase far more Boy Scout popcorn and peanuts than he could possibly consume.
John rightfully ignores Governor Glenn Youngkin’s fabulous statements that the statistical noise captured in the 2025 pass rates on the 2025 Reading and Math SOLs somehow represents improved performance despite more difficult assessments.
If public education were organized along the lines of Holy Mother Church, a swarm of bishops would be in Richmond investigating this apparent miracle.
Historically, pass rates always fell with the introduction of more rigorous tests. I used to tell reporters — I left VDOE in 2023 after 20+ years as communications director. I now amuse myself by delivering news and snark on WRVA — that if you raise standards and there is no impact on pass rates then you haven’t raised standards. Over time, pass rates recovered and increased as more and more students met and exceeded the higher benchmarks.
“Honey, I shrunk the property tax bill.” Image credit: Bing Image Creator
If you own property in the City of Richmond, you likely received your new assessment in the mail this week, and in almost every neighborhood, property values have once again gone up, with some areas seeing double digit increases. Many areas saw increases above the citywide average increase citywide of 5.74%.
That means the city’s budget will grow this year once again as it has over the last decade+, with property owners as the Sherpas carrying most of the weight. The city’s total general fund budget in FY2018 when Mayor Stoney took office was $542 million, with $238 million of that revenue (about 44%) coming from real estate tax payments. This year, the Fiscal Year 2026 general fund budget (which took effect July 1) was $1.056 billion with $607 million coming from real estate taxes (about 57% of the general fund budget).
In that time, few at City Hall have seen fit to try and help relieve the burden of property owners as the city becomes more and more costly and expensive on so many levels. Renters are paying more, too, because of the higher assessments (among other reasons). Councilwoman Trammell’s repeated efforts to lower the rate by even a couple of cents has earned a few votes but not enough to successfully reduce the rate or burden. It is driving people out of the city to the counties (or elsewhere) where tax rates are being reduced without a corresponding reduction in services (or an amplification of excuses).
In 2017, the median home price in the city was about $247,000 and the median annual tax bill was $2,964 ($247 per month). In 2024, the median price was about $370,000 according to Virginia REALTORS with a tax bill of about $4,440 (about $370 per month) while the real estate brokerage firm Redfin showed a 2024 median price around $423,000, with a tax bill of about $5,076 (about $423 per month). Any way you slice it, the city is spending more than ever before and taxes are correspondingly rising.
(Written in response to Kerry Dougherty’s column “Tim Kaine Needs a Copy of the Declaration of Independence.” — JAB)
by Paul Goldman
Kerry, you can’t trust AI. Let this be a good lesson. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence — later edited by Franklin and Adams to keep the Southern states all-in on the Revolution — what did he mean by “inalienable rights?”
No need to bore anyone with too many details. Especially when Kerry’s asking Senator Tim Kaine to resign for failing to read a founding document.
Since President Trump regularly claims the Constitution says what it doesn’t say, I guess Kerry’s asked him to resign too. I consider myself a good Kaine supporter. But if Kerry’s willing to throw Trump under the bus along with Kaine, I’m sorry, Timmy, but I gotta take that deal. Like the president says, all things are transactional. Even inalienable rights.
Kerry is right on one thing: Our public school system will now actually have to go back to teaching these historic documents once again. But what does Kerry think they’re gonna teach exactly?
Jefferson and his boys were really playing a word game back in the 18th century. We need to ask ourselves: When they wrote those stirring words in the Declaration of Independence, they also knew only a handful of Americans actually had actual access to those rights. So yes, technically, all the slaves, all the white women, all the indentured servants, all the White guys with little property, had those rights in theory. But they never had those rights in reality for centuries. Most importantly, however, they would have no chance of getting them at least here in America unless the Revolution succeeded and actually gave us a democracy.
The year: 2075. The American colonies on the Moon are getting restless under Washington’s tyrannical rule….
This second edition of “Dust Mites” has a snazzy new cover, includes helpful lunar maps, and is 5,000 words tighter than the original. The sequel, “Trogs,” is scheduled for publication this summer.
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