Public Schools

Gary K. Clabaugh, Ed.D has written a powerful piece about American public schools that was published in edcationalHorizons. He says the following: “As the rich get richer, the rest of America gets left behind. And an unconscionably large portion of America’s children end up living in poverty in shattered neighborhoods. In the end the social [...]

Police Chief Says No Need For Police In Schools: By Kendea Jones - Nassau, Bahamas: Despite violent episodes at two public high schools last week, Acting Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson maintains there is no need for police to be stationed at schools. "People have to realize that this is not just the police’s problem," Mr. Ferguson said in an interview with the Bahama Journal on Sunday. "This is a problem that affects our entire society. Parents have to be accountable and look after their children better. Whether the police is there or not things are going to happen." The first incident occurred last Thursday at D.W. Davis Junior High School. According to school officials, the incident occurred just after some students were released from a study period for BJC examinations

Two separate students, in two separate states are suing their individual schools for hostility toward Christianity: In Santa Ana, California, a sixteen-year-old sophomore at Capistrano Valley High School is suing his teacher, James Corbett, for making overtly anti-religious statements during class. The student, Chad Farnan, claims in the lawsuit that his teacher demonstrates “a sense of hostility [...]

Demise of Public Schools?Affects Major School Districts, Black and Native Americans Three out of 10 US public school students do not graduate from high school, and major city school districts only graduate one out of two students, according to a study released Tuesday.In a report on graduation rates around the country, the EPE Research Center and the America Promise Alliance also showed that the high school graduation rate -- finishing 12 grades of school -- in big cities falls to as low as just 34.6 percent in Baltimore, Maryland, and barely over 40 percent for the troubled Ohio cities of Columbus and Cleveland.And it said that black and native American student's have effectively a one-in-two chance of getting a high school diploma.Read Article... Education Public Schools Drop Out

Service-learning in K-12 schools works for teacher because it integrates classroom instruction with service by students. That service can go across the curriculum, touching more than one subject area. Because service learning is working on issues in the community it provides opportunities for students to enhance utilize critical thinking skills. It must have clearly stated learning objectives, meet real community needs, and include time for students to reflection. In a study done by W. K. Kellogg Foundation, participating youths explained their benefits in service learning programs in personal and social responsibility, self-efficacy, motivation to learn, improved academic skills, leadership skills, avoidance of risk behavior, interpersonal skills, and connection with heritage. Read th

To the editor, Public schools have monopolized the education process for primary schools. The schools have forced people to pay into a system that educates students to “their” standard without asking the public how they want it done. The public schools of Minnesota have had a shrinking pupil rate, and yet they ask for more money [...]

Facilities being disinfected after employee, student showed signs of MRSAPublic schools in Mount Vernon are being disinfected after a worker and a student showed signs of an antibiotic-resistant staph infection, authorities said.Schools Superintendent W. L. Tony Sawyer said a high school employee and a third-grade student are being tested for MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The bacterial strain can be treated with other antibiotics, but without treatment it can be deadly.Sawyer said the two will stay home from the schools — Edward Williams Elementary and Nelson Mandela Community High — until the test results are known.Link to complete story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21516018/~Sandy G.

Sixteen schools in the DC/MD/VA area made the Top 100 list of the 2007 Washington Post Challenge Index, but none were from Loudoun County. The index measures a public high school's effort to challenge its students. The rating is not a measurement of the overall quality of the school, but illuminates one factor that many educators consider important. According the Washington Post, "the formula is simple":"Divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests a school gave by the number of seniors who graduated in June. Tests taken by all students, not just seniors, are counted. Magnet or charter schools with SAT combined verbal and math averages higher than 1300, or ACT average scores above 27, are not included, since they do not have enough average students who need a challenge."All of the schools on the list have an index of at least 1.000 and are in the top 5 percent of public schools measured this way. If you have 2006 data s

By: Patricia HawkeA Step in the Right Direction at Nashville SchoolsWere all familiar with the kinds of students who are projected to be potential leaders in high schools the debate team member, the math club geek, the student council president. These are the stereotypical American leaders of tomorrow; lucky enough to have their special abilities recognized while they are still in school. But what of the other less visible role models? The kid with a stammer who has a lot to say if he could only get the words out clearly enough, the teenage mom with unlimited potential, even the kid at the back row who spends more time in detention than in class?Youd cringe at the thought of these students being portrayed as leaders and nobody would blame you. In a groundbreaking new program, Nashville schools believe that this exact group of low on achievement but high on potential students has the capabilities to make an impact on society. So confident are Metro Nashville schools that these students,

By: Patricia HawkeControversy over Book Ban Rattles Miami SchoolsMiami Dade Public schools have been rocked by allegations of throwing aside civil liberties in favor of pleasing parts of the local populace. First came the unnecessary controversy over an innocuous childrens book that portrayed life in Cuba from a childs perspective. The book A Visit to Cuba was not a prescribed textbook for young children in Miami schools, rather it was part of the school library. A young Cuban American girl bought the book home and showed it to her father; a Cuban dissident and political prisoner who was upset at the soft picture the book portrayed of life under Castro. He immediately notified the Miami Dade public schools authorities who proceed to place the book under a ban. Miamis strong Cuban American population supported the ban on the book in Miami schools arguing that reading the book could create the wrong impression in young childrens minds about the reality of life in Cuba. The American Civil

The Carpetbagger Report, a left-leaning DC blog, outlined Peter Schrag’s piece in Harper's (subscription):Schoolhouse crock: Fifty years of blaming America’s educational system for our stupidity Schrag's article makes four important points:* Public education in America is trying to do something unprecedented. We strive to educate every child — regardless of race, creed, socio-economic level, family background or mental and physical challenges. Universal public education is a relatively recent idea. It is no longer just the children of the upper crust who are being educated. Public education serves the masses. This is a commendable concept, but it’s one that obviously presents a unique set of challenges.* There was no “Golden Age” of American public education. The “Golden Age” is a conservative myth. Even as recently as the 1950s, teens could drop out of school, take a factory job and make a decent living. The idea that there was a time when everyone was being well edu

Public high schools recently were knocked to the canvas in their ongoing sports dispute with private schools, but one leading advocate for public schools said not to count them out yet.Somerset Superintendent Wilson Sears sent an email last week to every superintendent in the state outlining five possible reactions – including a boycott of private schools.Sears, who has been on the frontline for the public schools in this nearly three-year debate, said it was "too early to talk about" the next step. He said that public schools still feel that private schools have an unfair athletic advantage and that his group doesn’t plan to walk away without a fight."We have heard from a whole lot of people," Sears said. "If anybody feels like this has gone away they are mistaken. It’s not going to go away."We’re not inclined to give it up for our kids.There will be some strategy sessions that will happen among public school leaders. It’s not over."The final — and most controversial — s

By Mimi Rothschild Randy Dotinga of The Christian Science Monitor reports that public schools around the nation are changing their schedules, policies, cafeteria food, and setting up prayer rooms, all to accommodate Muslim students. The intention of this blog posting is not to argue against the religion of Islam, but rather expose the apparent hypocrisy [...]

A San Diego school adjusts its schedule to accommodate Muslim worship.San Diego - When afternoon recess comes at an elementary school on the outskirts of San Diego, some students rush out for a quick game of hopscotch, while others gather in a room for Muslim worship. Like a growing number of school districts around the country, San Diego's is changing its ways to meet the needs of its Islamic students. Here, a controversy with constitutional overtones erupted: In accommodating Muslim students, is the school unfairly promoting religion?The school's policy "presumes that Christians are less religious and less inspired to worship and praise the Lord and come together," says Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute. He is asking the school district to set up special rooms where Christians can pray, too.This outcry, and others like it from conservative commentators and attorneys, suggest that the whole matter may land in court. Potentially at issue is to what extent action

By Mimi Rothschild Patricia Kokinos, a teacher and an assistant principal for more than 25 years paints a dark picture of the public school system in America. "Angel Park" is a fictional novel that was inspired by Kokinos career as an educator and her experiences in fighting for school reform. The novel describes the dismal state that public schools are in and the urgent need for public school reform. Kokinos was rejected from a number of publishing houses because they did not agree with her belief that a novel should be written on the downfall of public schools in America. She finally decided to print the novel herself through the independent publishing house iUniverse. I'm glad she did! "Angel Park" is now receiving national media attention and is a finalist for the Foreword's Magazine Book of the Year Award. Read more about Patricia Kokinos book. My children have benefited from a great alternative to the public school system: homeschooling. Christian homeschooling

This Op Ed from the Christian Science Monitor.Although the 110th Congress has brought to Capitol Hill 43 Jews, two Buddhists, and a Muslim, Washington remains a disproportionately Christian town. More than 90 percent of federal legislators call themselves Christians, making Congress more Christian than the United States itself. Biblical references permeate political speech, yet US citizens know almost nothing about the Bible. Although most regard it as the word of God, few read it anymore.In their answers to a religious literacy quiz I have given, undergraduates tell me that Moses was blinded on the road to Damascus and that Paul led the Israelites on their exodus out of Egypt. Surveys that are more scientific have found that only 1 out of 3 US citizens is able to name the four Gospels, and 1 out of 10 think that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.Biblical illiteracy is not just a religious problem. It is a civic problem with political consequences. How can citizens participate in biblically

The cover story of this week's Time Magazine touches an issue that has been dear to my heart. Should the Bible be taught in public schools? If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I am a liberal. I have been critical of fundamentalism and the emerging theocracy in our nation. So why would I argue for the Bible in public schools? Here are my answers, bullet by bullet:What you do not know can and will be used against you. How can we expect our students to deal with the nonsense of creationism, for instance, if they do not have a basic understanding of the argument? A sixth grader with average to above average intelligence could read the Genesis stories and see that they are mythological, unless of course they never read the Genesis stories. The Bible is used as a weapon against gays. "The Bible says" we are told. Read the darn thing. Hardly a word is mentioned about gays in the Bible.It is the classic of Western civilization. As the artic

Dan Brown writes about the impact of NCLB on his 4th grade classroom in the Bronx. His slice of life ran in the Huffington Post."P.S. 85, like most public schools in poor neighborhoods, is desperately short on quality teachers and classes beyond the bare bones; art and music are nonexistent for most classes and a rare period of physical education runs like a farce...""...Eddie is going through his fourth year in fourth grade because of rampant absences and standardized test failures. I need to get him engaged in school, somehow invested in his own achievement. He loves to draw and has a remarkable, natural talent for perspective sketching. I want to take down some of the mandated bulletin board material in order to put up an exhibit for his art. If he is recognized for his talent, maybe he'll be more inclined to participate in his education. But the last time I tried to finesse the bulletin board mandates, I got reamed by my compliance-obsessed assistant principal. How can I help Edd

The uniformed Police Department employees who patrol New York City's public schools are too quick to bully students over minor infractions, a civil rights group charged in a paper issued Sunday.The New York Civil Liberties Union said that in recent years it has received hundreds of complaints from both students and teachers about foul language, rough treatment and unwarranted arrests by the NYPD's 4,827 school safety agents.The safety agents are civilian employees of the police department and don't carry firearms. About 70 percent are women.The group said the agents, whose duties include breaking up fights and operating metal detectors, have also improperly taken on the role of enforcing school rules -- like the district's unpopular ban on iPods and cell phones.Donna Lieberman, the group's executive director, said too many safety agents go about their job with an authoritarian zeal more appropriate for guards screening prisoners.This from the C0ntraCostaTimes.

Religious Values That WouldFind Fault With Jesus Mainstream Iowan has blogged about the Iowa case previously, concerning the student who was suspended from athletics for his parents following Iowa law concerning the use of alcohol here, here and here. We ask the question, "Why must students abide by a different religious value system other than their own in a public school setting outside the classroom in America?"We understand that there are many different religions, and that North Scott High School and the Iowa Board of Education have a different set of values than many others. Their rules and codes of conduct concerning complete abstinence from alcohol follow the faith of Islam. The majority of Americans at this time are not Muslims. Yet even if they were, the United States still has freedom of religion in this country. Non-Muslim students should not be forced to adhere to Islamic teachings to participate in extra-curricular activities in school, any more than Muslims students shou

The following excerpt is from a paper written by Lionel S. Lewis. Reading through the entire piece, I find it amazing that a Professor of Sociology would make such broad assumptions. There are clearly numerous burdens or distractions in the lives of a great many students that keep them from their studies and learning, from learning basic facts and absorbing societal norms and values. In light of this, the achievements of the public schools and their teachers seem remarkable. . . . The schools have been doing quite well, and they probably couldn’t “do a much better job” no matter how many more resources were made available. I find that last statement particularly disturbing. Suggesting that the schools are doing the best job possible is ridiculous. There are many people unhappy with the present state of education, especially public education. Adopting Lewis’s conclusions amounts to defeat and acceptance. Some standardized test score averages have fallen, of course, becau

c.a.i.r. has their Incitement Alert, so I shall have my own version.. Provacation Alerts. Do you love it? :=) I feel provoked to demand this craziness cease. The a.c.l.u. loves defending the civil rights. Unless it is Christians vs. muslims. CAIR: Anti-Islam Talk at NC High School Prompts Action As part of an ongoing investigation, a Christian evangelist’s appearance at a Duke University-area high school has now sparked reaction from the American Civil Liberties Union. I am writing to ask that you provide us with a written assurance that such speakers engaging in unconstitutional conduct will never be invited again to Enloe High School,” Shahshahani wrote. But I’ll be damned! This is just hunky dory. Fine and dandy. As it should be. For allah told them so. Our constitution does not apply when it comes to Da’wa of American children. *&%$@ God forbid a Christian speaks his piece. Understanding the Muslim Student in Public School- Ibrahim Khaleel, Ph.

Mimi Rothschild Citing some of the prime failures of Mississippi schools, and public schools in general, Dr. Shortt compiles a biting critique published in World Net Daily. What seems to burn more is not so much the inadequacy of the public school, but the audacity of its administrators to divert attention to the homeschooling population. What hypocrisy! Hank Bounds, the man behind all the finger-pointing, had the following to say: “… [Y]ou must realize we all have this moral and ethical responsibility to deal with those situations where clearly it’s nothing more than a child abuse situation when parents pull their children out of school, say they’re being homeschooled just because parents … don’t want to be involved in the education of their children. …” What?! What does that even mean? Is he saying that abusive parents homeschool their children because they don’t want to be involved in the education of their children? I guess he&

The headline from today’s Buffalo News states: Tests show private schools pay dividends. The gap between public and private school students’ achievement grows wider as the students move up in grades.  From my point of view, it was evident, even without testing, that private schools do a better job educating students.  The town I grew in had a Catholic school that only went to grade 8.  The vast majority of those students transferred to the public high school rather than traveling a distance to the nearest Catholic high school.  There was always a disproportionate share of the former Catholic school students ranked at the top of my class. Across Erie and Niagara counties, about 25,000 children - 12 percent of all pupils - attend private schools. Eight out of 10 are in a Catholic school. Of the rest, Christian fundamentalist schools account for the largest number. Lutheran, Jewish, Islamic, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist and nonreligious schools account f

"U.S. public schools could have as much as $77 billion more a year to improve teaching if they reduced spending on seniority pay increases, teacher's aides, class size limits and other measures often found in teacher union contracts, a new study contends"*Jay Mathews I think Jay has a definite possibility for raising money or freeing up money in education. My question is, what is the benefit for students? Is that money going into purchasing real tools that students can use for learning and if so - what are they and when will they arrive? In other words, if the money is going to end up on a budget line and then tools never get purchased then everyone loses. This simple sounding scenario shows the complex equation of education. A feasible idea to raise money …. yet that money can get lost in the inefficient system management pervasive in the business of education. * Find this entire article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/07/AR2007

journal by Paul Darwynn, your friend When Donelle Gan and I went to Baguio City for a talk during the 2008 National Teachers Conference for Science Educators, we realized how thirsty the teachers are to learn the new concepts and latest trends in education. Since we arrived at 5am in the Teachers’ Camp, we saw teachers are already sitting in the assembly hall where the wo