https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2009/08/14/when-good-people-turn-bad/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usThu, 11 Jun 2026 00:05:59 -0400<![CDATA[Two stories illustrate what happens when people who are expected to do &#8220;liberal&#8221; things suddenly turn around and succeed using politically incorrect means. The first concerns Ben Chavis,&#8221;the highly unorthodox principal of Oakland, California’s American Indian Public Charter School, which was hailed as an &#8216;education miracle&#8217; by governor Arnold Schwarzenegger after it was transformed from a failing &#8216;nuisance&#8217; into one of the best public middle schools in the nation.&#8221; The problem is that Dr. Chavis accomplished this by going back to the basics. &#8220;With his rigorous, no-nonsense approach, Dr. Ben Chavis debunks the myth that poor, minority, inner-city schools have little chance at academic excellence. Focusing on back-to-basics ideals, he has created a structured educational model that, combined with the enthusiasm of his students and teachers, delivers astounding results.&#8221;]]>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:42:16 -0400<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2009/08/14/when-good-people-turn-bad-n188967