http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/publicschool/ en-us Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:16:33 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2139622/posts WATERBURY, Conn. -- Waterbury's school board has adopted a new policy to deal with school bullies quickly. No longer must a student be involved in intimidating a student over a series of incidents to be identified as a bully. A student can be labeled a bully for as few as two incidents and these need not be against the same victim. The new policy also comes with stronger reactions. Parents of both the victim and the bully must come and meet with school administrators, in a mediation session. A bully can be suspended for up to 10 days or can... WFSB.com, Hartford, CT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2139622/posts#comment Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:16:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138549/posts Less than two-thirds of Oakland schoolchildren tested in spring had a healthy body composition, according to state fitness measures, and less than half of the city's seventh- and ninth-grade students passed muster on tests of aerobic health, according to results released Tuesday by the California Department of Education. Each spring, public schools measure the strength, flexibility, aerobic capacity and body weight of students in the fifth, seventh and ninth grades. Children in Alameda schools did significantly better, on average, than children in Berkeley and Oakland. More than 76 percent of the Alameda district's fifth-graders were determined to be in good... Oakland Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138549/posts#comment Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:48:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138389/posts Protesters descended Tuesday on Condit Elementary School in Claremont, tersely arguing over the construction-paper pilgrim and Native American costumes worn by kindergartners at a decades-old Thanksgiving tradition. Police were called to the school when tensions rose. Officers also were monitoring Claremont Unified Supt. David Cash's home after he received hate mail and told police that he feared for his safety. "It's been wild," said one woman who worked at the school. She declined to give her name because she wasn't authorized to speak on behalf of the school. Cash and Condit Principal Tim Northrop did not return phone calls or... LA TImes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138389/posts#comment Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:06:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2137889/posts Political Correctness Claims Another Victim: 40-Year-Old Kindergarten Thanksgiving Celebration Killed by Political Correctness Gone Wild "Racist" children celebrate Thanksgiving by "dehumanizing" American Indians In yet another case of political correctness run amok, a forty year history of kindergarteners dressed as pilgrims and native Americans celebrating Thanksgiving at school has been quashed in Claremont, California, due to four people who complained the celebration used "racist stereotypes" which were "dehumanizing". According to the Los Angeles Times, parents of kindergarteners are "furious" over the Claremont School Board's decision to ban the kiddies wearing costumes after one mom, Michelle Raheja, an English professor at... DBKP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2137889/posts#comment Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:33:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2137752/posts CLAREMONT - Audience members at the school board meeting argued among themselves about whether elementary school students should dress in costume for a Thanksgiving feast. "The Thanksgiving story has been disproved as a myth," parent Diana Linden told the Claremont Unified school board on Thursday night. The board meeting - held for the first time in new district offices at 170 W. San Jose Ave. - was packed with opinionated people on both sides of the issue. The audience cheered loudest for speakers in favor of having the feast in costume. One parent told the school board not to be... The Inland Empire Daily Bulletin http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2137752/posts#comment Tue, 25 Nov 2008 01:20:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2137470/posts Kingstown, a group of kids insisted I see their “fairy-house village.” Together we trooped across the grassy field that doubles as the school’s auditorium and gym, to the edge of the woods. There, a darling neighborhood of small, fragile structures, made entirely of stems, bark and dried flowers, housed fairies. While one fairy nut chatted about the inhabitants, the other kids talked — over each other, of course — about the importance of using natural materials. They love making art out in the woods. “It’s the best art,” squealed one girl. All the kids I met that day are excited... The Providence Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2137470/posts#comment Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:30:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2137341/posts Can Barack Obama bring change to American education? The answer is: Yes he can. The question, however, is whether he actually will...Democrats are fervent supporters of public education, and the party genuinely wants to help disadvantaged kids stuck in bad schools. But it resists bold action....The explanation lies in its longstanding alliance with the teachers' unions...The Democrats benefit enormously from all this firepower, and they know what they need to do to keep it. They need to stay inside the box. And they have done just that. Democrats favor educational "change" -- as long as it doesn't affect anyone's job,... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2137341/posts#comment Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:47:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2137267/posts A 34-year-old teacher from Petaluma was arrested Saturday morning in San Mateo on several felony charges relating to trying to meet and seduce a minor, according to Burlingame police detectives, who made the arrest. At approximately 9:45 a.m., Burlingame police detectives arrested Scott Eugene Dietlin on charges of sending harmful matter (via electronic e-mail) with the intent to seduce a minor, attempting to contact a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense, and arranging to meet with a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense, according to a police press release. This arrest was the culmination of a... The Daily Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2137267/posts#comment Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:25:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2137258/posts Nov. 23 -- BURLINGAME -- California's largest teachers union will back a fight in court to overturn the state's new eighth-grade algebra requirement. The Burlingame-based California Teachers Association has joined the lawsuit by the California School Boards Association and the Association of California School Administrators against the state Board of Education's decision to require all middle school students to be tested in Algebra I by the end of eighth grade starting in 2011. The state board "acted abruptly, imprudently and without fully understanding the consequences of its actions on our schools, teachers and students," said David Sanchez, president of the... TMCNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2137258/posts#comment Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:11:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2135990/posts Students see instructors in explicit photos, drinking alcohol, discussing sex online As part of a disturbing new trend, America's public-school teachers are increasingly posting questionable and even sexually explicit information on video-sharing websites and social networks frequented by youth. According to several nationwide reports, students often search for their teachers on MySpace and Facebook, and some find more information about their instructors than they ever expected. Looking for an alternative to public education? Read "The Little Book of Big Reasons to Homeschool" The National Education Association listed a number of cases, while news outlets have been consistently reporting similar incidents,... World Net Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2135990/posts#comment Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:17:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2134304/posts CHICAGO - Planners of Pride Campus never shied away from touting their proposed high school as a haven for gay youth seeking refuge from sometimes hostile traditional classrooms. But under mounting pressure from ministers and gay activists alike, the name has changed and the focus broadened to create a school that would be one of the nation’s largest to serve any students victimized by bullying and harassment. If approved by the country’s third-largest school district Wednesday, the Social Justice Solidarity High School would join several smaller U.S. campuses aimed at serving students who have been tormented for everything from their... WHEC-TV / The Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2134304/posts#comment Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:18:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2133956/posts Link only - School-closure responsibility needs to be shifted http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2133956/posts#comment Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:40:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2133757/posts America’s Schools Need Upgrade by: Irene Warren, November 17, 2008 Veteran educator Tony Wagner presents a cogent argument in his new book entitled, The Global Achievement Gap, in which he argues that American schools, both public and private have missed the mark when it comes to teaching our children the survival skills needed in order to obtain gainful employment. Wagner, who is also the co-director of the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education makes no bones about it: change the way we teach our children, or the “net generation,” as he calls them, will be playing... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2133757/posts#comment Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:43:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132894/posts No one's sure when daily recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance fell by the wayside at Woodbury Elementary School. But efforts to restore them have erupted into a bitter dispute in this tiny (pop. 810) Vermont town, with school officials blocking the exercise from classrooms amid concerns that it holds nonparticipating children up to scorn. Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132894/posts#comment Sun, 16 Nov 2008 03:32:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130879/posts A girl found unconscious by a snack machine at a Florida high school died Wednesday after a possible shooting in what police are classifying as an "isolated" incident between her and another female student. The 15-year-old Dillard High School sophomore was taken to a Ft. Lauderdale hospital after the apparent altercation with another girl. She was initially listed in critical condition, but died later Wednesday afternoon, Fort Lauderdale city spokesman Ted Lawson confirmed. The other girl was arrested and remains in police custody, Ft. Lauderdale Sgt. Frank Sousa told reporters. An initial examination found no evidence of a major wound.... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130879/posts#comment Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:59:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127365/posts Teacher Dianthia Harris browbeats McCain supporting student,Kathy,in Ashville N.Carolina grade school. The poor girl is obviously distressed over the teacher's line of questiong and belittling her choice of candidate in front of her school mates. YouTube http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127365/posts#comment Thu, 6 Nov 2008 23:04:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127126/posts The Palm Beach County School District is moving to expand protections for gay students. The board is seeking to exceed the requirements of a new anti-bullying policy, mandated by state law, to specifically prohibit harassing students who believe they were born the wrong gender and those who may be perceived as being too masculine or too feminine for their gender. The policy had its first hearing at Wednesday's school board workshop and will be on a future agenda for a final vote. "If I'm a gay kid or somebody who's struggling and I'm expressing that by the way I talk... Palm Beach Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127126/posts#comment Thu, 6 Nov 2008 18:04:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2119449/posts The president of a pro-family organization in Massachusetts says public schools in the Bay State have been negatively influenced by homosexual marriage. Mass Resistance president Brian Camenker says that immediately after Massachusetts courts made homosexual marriage legal in his state, many schools had assemblies celebrating the decision. Those assemblies featured pro-homosexual speakers, teachers who announced that they would "marry" their same-sex partners, and homosexuals who announced they would pursue adoption. Camenker points out the homosexual agenda was even promoted in middle schools and elementary schools. "David Parker was the parent of a kindergartner in Lexington, where they were telling the... OneNewsNow http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2119449/posts#comment Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:46:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2114069/posts NORMANDY, Mo. — Students at a suburban St. Louis high school headed to the gymnasium for HIV testing this week after an infected person told health officials as many as 50 teenagers might have been exposed to the virus that causes AIDS. Officials refused to give details on who the person was or how the students at Normandy High School might have been exposed, but the district is consulting with national AIDS organizations as it tries to minimize the fallout and prevent the infection — and misinformation — from spreading. Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2114069/posts#comment Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:38:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2113432/posts LONDON (AP) — It's a controversial idea in a land known for prudishness about sex — teaching kids as young as 5 about the birds and bees. But with one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe, the British government is bringing sex education to all schools in England — including kindergartens. While countries like France, Holland and China already require sex education, few places demand that it be introduced at such a young age. "It's vital that this information doesn't come from playground rumor or the mixed messages from the media about sex," Schools Minister Jim Knight said... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2113432/posts#comment Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:09:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2113096/posts Barack Obama seized on Bob Schieffer’s final question of the Oct. 15 debate, asking how the candidates would remake our schools to be competitive globally. “This probably has more to do with our economic future than anything,” Mr. Obama said. “We’ve got to get our education system right.” The deal Mr. Obama promised, a bargain pressed on the nation’s teachers, was out of Bill Clinton’s education policy playbook: “higher pay” and “more support in exchange for higher standards and accountability.” He even borrowed Mr. Clinton’s pragmatic raison d’etre for the schools: delivering stronger skills to graduates who will then boost... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2113096/posts#comment Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:37:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2112906/posts Some parents are shocked to find their children are learning to be homosexual allies and will participate in "Coming Out Day" at a public elementary school tomorrow – and they claim the school failed to notify parents. One mother of a kindergartner who attends Faith Ringgold School of Art and Science, a K-8 charter school in Hayward, Calif., said she asked her 5-year-old daughter what she was learning at school. The little girl replied, "We're learning to be allies." The mother also said a Gay Straight Alliance club regularly meets in the kindergarten classroom during lunch WorldNetDaily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2112906/posts#comment Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:58:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2100599/posts Hundreds of educators have endorsed a letter opposing the "demonization" of Williams Ayers – the domestic terrorist who helped launch Barack Obama's poliltical career, and whose relationship with the Democratic presidential candidate continues to be major controversy – arguing that frequent reports of his involvement in domestic bombings are "designed to intimidate free thinking and stifle critical dialogue." "We write to support our colleague Professor William Ayers, Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who is currently under determined and sustained political attack," reads the letter, available for endorsement at www.supportbillayers.org. "The... World Net Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2100599/posts#comment Wed, 8 Oct 2008 17:23:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2096530/posts A new study reveals that if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wanted to criticize the nation of Israel before the United Nations, he could use American public school textbooks to do so. "It is shocking to find the kind of misinformation we discovered in American textbooks and supplemental materials being used by schools in every state in the country," said Dr. Gary Tobin, president of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research and a co-author of the study. "Elected officials at every level should investigate how these offensive passages are creeping into our textbooks. Presenting false information in the classroom undermines... World Net Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2096530/posts#comment Fri, 3 Oct 2008 12:09:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2095767/posts The teachers union has been handing out thousands of Barack Obama campaign buttons to its members, sparking a clampdown by education brass. The Department of Education - which has a long-standing policy barring teachers from wearing campaign buttons in schools - is set to send out an e-mail this week from Schools Chancellor Joel Klein laying down the law. "Schools are not a place for politics and not a place for staff to wear political buttons," said department spokeswoman Ann Forte. "We don't want a school or school staff advocating for any political position or candidate to students and we... NEW YORK POST http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2095767/posts#comment Thu, 2 Oct 2008 14:46:03 GMT