Nevada students received extra credit for volunteering for the Obama campaign; Update: Students received class credit
Update (2/22/12): I called Loretta Harper to ask her about the program, and she said the students aren't getting extra credit, but class credit. More at the bottom of the post.
We've had public schools teaching kids to literally sing President Obama's praises, so why not take a more direct route and put those kids to work?
Loretta Harper of Las Vegas is a newly named national co-chair of President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. ...No word on if Harper, who makes $74,000 a year plus benefits, plans to expand outreach "efforts" like this nationwide now that she's a co-chair of Obama's re-election campaign, but if you've got "free labor" available, why not take advantage?
Harper, 58, is a counselor at Desert Pines High School. She's also a member of the Board of Directors of the Nevada State Educators Association.
During the 2008 Obama campaign, when he won Nevada on his way to the presidency, Harper said she got more than 100 students extra credit when they volunteered to help elect the Democrat. (Emphasis added.)
Never mind that Nevada's high school graduation rate currently sits under 45 percent, liberals have a president to elect. We all have to get our priorities straight now, people.
In case you were wondering how Nevada can nearly triple inflation-adjusted, per-pupil education spending in the last 50 years and get stagnant results, tidbits like this provide part of the answer.
Update (2/21/2012): Shortly after I published this post, I called Loretta Harper to ask her for more details about this. Her is what she had to say:
First, she said the kids weren't receiving extra credit as the RJ reported, they were receiving actual class credit. Students need 7.5 "extra curricular" credits to graduate and volunteering 60 hours gets them .5 credits. (There are other ways to get these credits too.)
Second, when I asked her if students approached her about volunteering for Obama or if she suggested it, her reply was "both ways." (Emphasis added.) So, yes, she did use her position as a school counselor to steer students into volunteering for Obama's campaign. If this was a private school, this wouldn't be an issue, but she works for a public school.
Third, I asked her if the same thing would hold for a student wanting to volunteer for a Republican presidential candidate, and she said it would, but no students have asked her about that.
And yes, she is planning on having students volunteer for Obama to receive class credit again this year.
Update: Thanks to Patterico for the link and the kind words!
Update: Thanks to Gateway Pundit for the link!
