The leftist Tampa Bay Times religiously reported on the latest racial achievement gap-hunting adventures of the local School Board in the October 7 print edition [Racial disparities come into focus for Hillsborough School Board, by Marlene Sokol, October 6, 2014]. The Hillsborough County School Board again dealt with the mystery of racial disparities in achievement, hoping to find a political solution to an educational problem.

Their assumption of racial equality never questioned, they paraded through various “gaps”—even including school discipline. See also Answers remain elusive as Hillsborough school leaders discuss racial disparities, by Marlene Sokol, October 6, 2014.

The first target was Algebra I grades, which were up 18 points for black males. In advanced placement exams, honors classes, and third grade reading, blacks improved slightly. However, the Algebra I gap was still 12 points as blacks had 78 percent and whites 90 percent. Also, black third graders reached 36 percent passing while whites were at twice that rate. Hispanics were behind but not as much as blacks.

One School Board member is Doretha Edgecomb, a black community activist. She readily acknowledged that the Board is still completely befuddled by these gaps. I am unsure of whether this Board has even remotely thought about the facts related to race and IQ or the fundamentals of genetics. Did they read The Bell Curve? Perhaps a better question is: could they read The Bell Curve?

Could it be that no-one suggested that they are floundering out of pure ignorance and PC cowardice? Don’t expect a skeptical editorial from the lofty Times as they are masters of the game of suppressing forbidden knowledge.

The School Board of Hillsborough County also set up a “blue-ribbon” task force to investigate disparities in school discipline. After a full year of work they reported that they are unclear of their mission. They requested a “facilitator” to assist them. They are troubled by the fact that blacks, who are 44 percent of the discipline cases, constitute only 21 percent of the total enrollment. Again, the issue greatly exceeded the wisdom of this select group.

My suggestion is a “facilitator” like Steve Sailer, but more likely they will settle for a mealy-mouthed political factotum, of which there is no shortage.

See an earlier letter from the same reader.