Dear Commons Community,

The media yesterday could not stop analyzing the F.B.I.’s long awaited recommendation regarding Hillary Clinton’s use of her private email servers to conduct official State Department business.  For supporters of Hillary, this is a non-issue.  For those against her, it is fodder for “a rigged system”  as Donald Trump has said.  Below is a New York Times editorial on the matter that presents a critique of the F.B.I recommendation and report.

Tony

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Legal, but Not Political, Clarity on the Clinton Emails

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD – JULY 5, 2016

James Comey, the director of the F.B.I., may have relieved Hillary Clinton of a legal burden on Tuesday, but he left her with a substantial political one. While announcing that the bureau would not recommend criminal chargesagainst Mrs. Clinton for her handling of classified material on nonsecure personal email servers, Mr. Comey issued a strong rebuke of her practices, which he called “extremely careless” — and for which she has never given the public a full explanation. He was right on both points.

Mr. Comey explained that there was no clear evidence Mrs. Clinton or her colleagues had intentionally broken any federal laws on classified information, and he said that “no reasonable prosecutor” would pursue an indictment in the case.

This legal decision is undoubtedly correct. The F.B.I. investigation, which began a year ago, examined tens of thousands of emails sent to and from Mrs. Clinton during her leadership of the State Department. It found that eight email threads contained information that was classified “top secret” at the time, the highest classification level. Several dozen more contained information that was either “secret” or “confidential,” the lowest level.

For at least two reasons, Mr. Comey said, this did not amount to criminal wrongdoing. First was the lack of evidence that Mrs. Clinton or her colleagues had intended to break any laws. Second, prosecutions of similar cases in the past have relied on some combination of elements that were missing in this case: the intentional mishandling of classified information, indications of disloyalty to the United States, and efforts to obstruct justice.

But Mr. Comey was clear that while these email habits weren’t criminal, Mrs. Clinton and her staff were “extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.” He added that “any reasonable person” in Mrs. Clinton’s position should have known that she was playing with fire.

Mr. Comey’s remarks also contradicted Mrs. Clinton’s repeated assertion that she didn’t send or receive material that was “marked classified” at the time. She did.

He went on to say, “None of these emails should have been on any kind of unclassified system, but their presence is especially concerning because all of these emails were housed on unclassified personal servers not even supported by full-time security staff.”

Perhaps more troubling was the F.B.I.’s finding that Mrs. Clinton “also used her personal email extensively while abroad, including sending and receiving work-related emails in the territory of sophisticated adversaries,” adding that “it is possible that hostile actors gained access to Secretary Clinton’s personal email account.”

Mr. Comey’s conclusions — legal recommendation aside — can be seen as nothing less than a censure of Mrs. Clinton’s judgment. Of course, his recommendation was met with howls from the right, and particularly from Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, who wasted no time trying to delegitimize the F.B.I.’s work by claiming it was only more proof that “the system is rigged.” But to assume that the F.B.I. somehow worked on Mrs. Clinton’s behalf betrays a basic misunderstanding of the way the agency functions, and views its own mission. Led by Mr. Comey, who also served as deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush, the F.B.I. appears to have worked as comprehensively and expediently as it could to investigate a problem that is entirely of Mrs. Clinton’s making.

Mrs. Clinton’s desire to shield her private communications from public scrutiny may be understandable to supporters of her presidential campaign. But in leading one of the most sensitive departments in the federal government, she did little to improve what Mr. Comey called “the security culture of the State Department in general, and with respect to use of unclassified email systems in particular,” that “was generally lacking in the kind of care for classified information found elsewhere in the government.”

As Mrs. Clinton said in the past, and her campaign reiterated on Tuesday, her decision to use private email was a mistake. She remains, far and away, the most experienced and knowledgeable candidate for the presidency, particularly when compared with Mr. Trump. But she has done damage to her reputation by failing to conform to the established security policies of the department she ran and by giving evasive or misleading answers about her actions and motivations. If there was ever a time that Mrs. Clinton needed to demonstrate that she understands the forthrightness demanded of those who hold the nation’s highest office, this is that moment.

Dear Commons Community,

The FBI will recommend to the U.S. Justice Department that no charges be filed over Hillary Clinton’s use of private email servers while secretary of state, agency Director James Comey said earlier today, lifting a cloud of uncertainty over her presidential candidacy. As reported by Reuters:

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation found evidence of “extremely careless” handling of emails by Clinton and that at least 110 emails contained classified information when they were sent, said Comey, announcing the result of a yearlong investigation.

But, he said, the FBI concluded “no reasonable prosecutor” would bring charges against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

“Although the Department of Justice makes final decisions on matters like this, we are expressing to Justice our view that no charges are appropriate in this case,” Comey told reporters in Washington.

His recommendation will likely stand. The country’s top prosecutor, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, said on Friday that she would accept the recommendations of career prosecutors and the FBI director on whether to charge Clinton for mishandling emails.

The FBI probe has dogged Clinton for the past year, contributing to her low poll ratings on honesty and trustworthiness. Republicans pointed to the controversy as evidence that she considered herself above the law.

Donald Trump, Clinton’s Republican rival in the Nov. 8 election, has hammered her on the issue, saying the investigation should disqualify her from being president. On Tuesday, he said the FBI decision was unfair.

“The system is rigged,” he said on Twitter. “As usual, bad judgment.”

Comey’s announcement came hours before Clinton’s first campaign appearance with President Barack Obama, set for later Tuesday in North Carolina. It also came less than three weeks before the start of the Democratic National Convention at which Clinton is to be nominated.

The FBI has been investigating whether Clinton broke the law as result of personal email servers kept in her Chappaqua, New York, home while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. One of the questions is whether she mishandled classified information on the servers.

The Clinton campaign issued a statement saying it was “pleased” with the FBI decision.”

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

The Chronicle of Higher Education has an article this morning discussing the paradox of community college student performance in online courses.  The article points to:

“… a  growing body of research that shows community-college students are much more likely to fail a class taken online than one taken face to face, and grades in online courses are often lower…However, online courses are actually contributing to better completion rates in degree programs, arguably the more important metric when considering the impact of an education on a student’s future. A national study published in 2014 found that community-college students who take at least one online course are as much as 25 percent more likely to earn a degree than those who study only in physical classrooms. Many factors are at play, but for many students the convenience of online can mean the difference between staying in a degree program or dropping out.”

Some have called this the “online paradox,” and it highlights the complicated track record of the shift to digital classrooms.”

The article raises something that those of us involved with online learning have observed and discussed.  One of the national studies referenced above was conducted by Dr. Peter Shea at SUNY Albany, who is a colleague at the Online Learning Consortium. 

The article concludes with mention of initiatives in California to expand online learning at its community colleges.

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

Dr. Roscoe C. Brown Jr., best known as a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, has died at the age of 94.   Brown flew 68 combat missions for the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots in U.S. history.  Dr. Brown earned the Distinguished Flying Cross during World War II.  He was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.

Brown fell critically ill over the winter and had a pacemaker installed at Montefiore Medical Center. His physician, Dr. Daniel Sims, told NBC 4 New York in May, “If he wasn’t as healthy and in such great shape, he probably wouldn’t have made it through this…Most 94-year-olds are not this active, but Dr. Brown is just remarkable,” he said.

Here at CUNY, we knew Roscoe as a colleague.  He served as president of Bronx Community College for seventeen years during difficult times from 1977 to 1994.  After retiring from Bronx Community College, he helped establish the PhD Program in Urban Education at the Graduate Center and was a member of its faculty.  He also was the director of the Center for Urban Education Policy. 

I personally came to know Roscoe when we were developing the PhD Program in Urban Education in the 1990s.  He made significant contributions to its focus, especially the need for education policy and for a commitment to diversity.  When I became Executive Officer of the program in 2007, I had lunch with Roscoe. I will never forget him saying that as the program moved forward, he hoped that we would continue a commitment to diversity among our students and faculty.  I think as a program, we have moved on his wish.

We will miss Roscoe especially his glowing smile and the twinkle in his eyes.

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, philosopher, and Nobel Laureate, died yesterday.  In reminding the world of the horrors of the death camps of World War II, he became a “messenger to mankind” and a world spiritual leader.  As reported by Reuters:

“Activist and writer Elie Wiesel, the World War Two death camp survivor who won a Nobel Peace Prize for becoming the life-long voice of millions of Holocaust victims, has died.

Wiesel, a philosopher, speaker, playwright and professor who also campaigned for the tyrannized and forgotten around the world, was 87.

The Romanian-born Wiesel lived by the credo expressed in “Night,” his landmark story of the Holocaust – “to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”

In awarding the Peace Prize in 1986, the Nobel Committee praised Wiesel as a “messenger to mankind” and “one of the most important spiritual leaders and guides in an age when violence, repression and racism continue to characterize the world.”

Wiesel did not waver in his campaign never to let the world forget the Holocaust horror. While at the White House in 1985 to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, he even rebuked U.S. President Ronald Reagan for planning to lay a wreath at a German cemetery where some of Hitler’s notorious Waffen SS troops were buried.

“Don’t go to Bitburg,” Wiesel said. “That place is not your place. Your place is with the victims of the SS.”

Wiesel became close to U.S. President Barack Obama but the friendship did not deter him from criticizing U.S. policy on Israel. He spoke out in favor of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and pushed the United States and other world powers to take a harder stance against Iran over its nuclear program. Wiesel attended the joint session of the U.S. Congress in 2015 when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the dangers of Iran’s program.

“Elie Wiesel was one of the great moral voices of our time, and in many ways, the conscience of the world,” Obama said in a statement.”

May he rest in peace!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

As Hillary Clinton and the Democrats gear up for their convention at the end of this month, two things that observers will be watching for are who is her vice presidential running mate and what is the party’s platform.  Yesterday, the Democratic Party National Committee made available a draft of the platform.

It contains a lot of hopes and wishes.  For readers of this blog, the section on education may be most important (copy below).

Free community college tuition, easing student debt, minority serving institutions, and reigning in for-profit colleges dominate higher education.   Early childhood, Pre-K, charter schools, expanding teacher workforce, mentoring programs, and STEM dominate primary and secondary education.

Tony

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Higher Education

Democrats believe that if you are an American who wants to get an education, you should always be able to get one: money should never stand in the way. Cost should not be a barrier to getting a degree or credential, and debt should not hold you back after you graduate. Bold new investments by the federal government, coupled with states reinvesting in higher education and colleges holding the line on costs, will ensure that Americans of all backgrounds will be prepared for the jobs and economy of the future. We will make community college free, while ensuring the strength of our historically minority-serving institutions. Achieving these goals depends on state and federal investment in both students and their teachers. Whether full-time or adjunct,  faculty must be supported to make transformative educational experiences possible. As we make college affordable for future students, we will not forget about the millions of borrowers who need help with their debt right now.  

Student Debt  

Democrats will allow those who currently have student debt to refinance their loans at the lowest  rates possible. We will simplify and expand access to income-based repayment so that no student loan borrowers ever have to pay more than they can afford. And we will significantly cut interest  rates for future undergraduates, thereby preventing the federal government from making billions  of dollars in profit from student loans. Democrats will also fight for a Student Borrower Bill of Rights to ensure borrowers get adequate information about options to avoid or get out of   delinquency or default. We will hold lenders and loan servicers to high standards to help  borrowers in default rehabilitate and repay their debts. Finally, Democrats will restore the prior   standard in bankruptcy law to allow borrowers with student loans discharge their debts in  bankruptcy as a measure of last resort.

Minority-Serving Institutions  

We will strengthen our nation’s public and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities,   Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving  Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving   Institutions, and other minority-serving institutions by providing a dedicated fund of tens of   billions of dollars to keep costs down, provide a quality education, and provide dedicated support  to improve student outcomes and completion rates. These schools play an important role in   building opportunity and creating a diverse workforce.  

For-Profit Schools  

Donald Trump ran a fake university—the now bankrupt Trump “University”—that scammed  many out of their hard-earned savings and led to no degree and no obvious benefit to their   education or economic prosperity. Democrats will not tolerate this type of fraud. We will also   continue to crack down on for-profit schools that take millions in federal financial aid—often as   their principal source of revenue—and then exploit students and burden them with debt rather than educating them. That is why we will strengthen the gainful employment rule to ensure that   for-profit schools enable students to complete their degrees and prepare them for work. We will   go after for-profits that engage in deceptive marketing, fraud, and other illegal practices. It is not   right that for-profit schools with low graduation rates keep encouraging their students to take out   federal loans they will have trouble paying back.  

Early Childhood, Pre-K, and K-12  

Democrats believe we must have the best-educated population and workforce in the world. That   means making early childhood education a priority, especially in light of new research showing   how much early learning can impact life-long success. Democrats will invest in early childhood   programs like Early Head Start and provide every family in America with access to high-quality  childcare and high-quality pre-K programs.  

We will ensure there are great Pre-K-12 schools in every zip code. Democrats are committed to  the federal government continuing to play a critical role in working towards an America where a   world-class education is available to every child. Democrats believe that a strong public   education system is an anchor of our democracy, a propeller of the economy, and the vehicle   through which we help all children achieve their dreams. Public education must engage students   to be critical thinkers and civic participants while addressing the wellbeing of the whole child. 34

Democrats believe that all students should be taught to high academic standards. Schools should  receive adequate resources and support. We will hold schools, districts, communities, and states   accountable for raising achievement levels for all students—particularly low-income students,   students of color, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities. We are also deeply   committed to ensuring that we strike a better balance on testing so that it informs, but does not  drive, instruction.  

To close the opportunity gap, we also must find ways to encourage mentoring programs that   support students in reaching their full potential. Mentoring is a strategy to ensure that children   living in poverty have the encouragement and support to aim high and enter the middle class. We  will focus on group mentoring, which is a low-cost, high-yield investment that offers the benefit of building a supportive network of peers who push one another towards success.  

Democrats know that good teachers are essential to improving student learning and helping all   students meet high academic standards. Democrats will launch a national campaign to recruit and   retain high-quality teachers, and we will ensure that teachers receive the tools and ongoing   professional development they need to succeed in the classroom and provide our children with a   world-class education. We also must lift up and trust our educators, continually build their capacity, and ensure that our schools are safe, welcoming, collaborative, and well-resourced  places for our students, educators, and communities.   

We will invest in high-quality STEM classes, community schools, computer science education,   arts education, and expand linked learning models and career pathways. We will end the school- to-prison pipeline. And we will work to improve school culture and combat bullying of all kinds.  

Democrats are also committed to providing parents with high-quality public school options and   expanding these options for low-income youth. We support great neighborhood public schools   and high-quality public charter schools, and we will help them disseminate best practices to other   school leaders and educators. Democrats oppose for-profit charter schools focused on making a   profit off of public resources. We instead support increased transparency and accountability for  all charter schools.  

Dear Commons Community,

As we get ready for a holiday weekend with family and friends, we can be sure there will be conversation about what was Bill Clinton thinking when he boarded a plane in Phoenix to meet with Attorney General Loretta Lynch.  The fallout from his meeting has been fast and furious. Here is one account from, Washington bureau chief for The Huffington Post, Ryan Grim.

“Back in April, Slate’s Michelle Goldberg offered the Hillary Clinton campaign some sage advice: “Fire Bill Clinton.” 

The Clinton campaign declined to take her suggestion, but perhaps they should give it another look. 

Bill Clinton is one of the most talented politicians of the past century, but his supposedly infallible skills continue to fail him when put in the service of someone other than himself. 

On Monday, Clinton was on a tarmac in Phoenix when he learned that the attorney general, Loretta Lynch, would soon be on the same tarmac. He delayed his flight so he could try to meet with her. He asked for a meeting, boarded her plane and chatted for about 30 minutes. 

On Friday, MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart asked Lynch if there was one important thing she wished former Attorney General Eric Holder had told her. “Where the lock on the plane door was,” Lynch deadpanned.

She needed refuge from Clinton, of course, because the FBI is nearing the end of what has long seemed like an endless investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of an insecure private server for her official email as secretary of state. Now, it’s fine to believe that the investigation itself is over-the-top, but whatever your view on its merits, the investigation exists. For Bill Clinton to meet with the attorney general, who has final authority over whether to bring charges, toward the end of this investigation corrupts the process and casts doubt about the integrity of the outcome.”

Dumb, dumb, dumb and a surprise from such an intelligent and politically savvy individual.

Tony