Sunday, May 29, 2005

Government Schools Producing Legions of the Ignorant

Evidence continues mounting that government schools are failing in their most fundamental responsibilities.

One of the latest examples comes from New York City, where an incredible 81% of eighth-graders flunked the state's basic social studies exam last year.

Even worse, the scores have gone down every year since the testing began in 2001. In 2001-02 the failure rate was “only” 62%.

Across the state of New York the scores were also horrendous, though not as bad as NYC. 55% of the state’s eighth-graders flunked, up from 35% in 2001-02.

The test measures knowledge of basic history and government

A sample question:

“European Jews and other groups were killed in large numbers by Nazi Germany during World War II. Which term refers to this situation?”

1. appeasement
2. blitzkrieg
3. containment
4. Holocaust

Government education officials disagreed as to why the scores were so appalling. Some said it was due to widespread student ignorance of history and government.

But J.C. Brizard, New York City’s executive director for high schools, has a different theory. He said that the problem may be that many students, while knowledgeable about history, are simply not capable of reading and understanding the questions on the test.

"They have trouble comprehending what they are reading," Brizard said.

Well, that’s reassuring.

Two students suspended for donning 'vagina' T-shirts

WINONA, Minn. — Two Winona high school students were suspended yesterday after breaking a week-old rule against wearing T-shirts inspired by the Vagina Monologues play.

One was Carrie Rethlefsen, 18, who touched off a high-profile free-speech debate at the high school in February when she continued to wear a button that read “I (heart) my vagina” despite the threats of school officials who called it offensive.

Students rallied to her cause, and yesterday about 45 of them gathered in front of the school before class. Several women wore “I (heart) my vagina” shirts while male students wore a version that said, “I support your vagina.”

School administrators said last week that students could wear the shirts and similar buttons outside the school, but would be asked to turn their T-shirts inside-out or remove the buttons before going to class.

Those who didn’t would get a one-day suspension, according to a letter the principal sent to students’ homes last week. Some students carried signs yesterday that said, “We respect authority, but we question authority.”

Rethlefsen told reporters she knew she would be suspended but wore her shirt inside anyway to support the issues of female sexuality and sexual violence against women discussed in the play.

She said she planned to spend her day off from school appearing on talk-radio shows. “I think the shirts made their statement,” Rethlefsen said after walking out of the school with a pink disciplinary slip in her hand.

Another student, Katelyn Delvaux, also refused to conceal her T-shirt and was sent home. No further information about her was immediately available.

Late last week school officials said they would let students start a women’s issues group, bring in a speaker on issues of importance to women and set up a table at the school where a local woman’s advocacy group would provide information — but students who wore buttons or T-shirts with the word “vagina” into the school would be punished.

Charles Samuelson, executive director of the Minnesota Chapter of the ACLU, said that it wasn’t clear the girls would have won a legal fight, since officials have a right to maintain order in the school.

Court cases have established that students have free-expression rights, but other rulings have said those rights can be trumped if school officials have a “reasonable” fear the message will be disruptive, Samuelson said.

Yesterday morning, a line of teachers stood in front of the school and at other entrances. Some police officers were nearby. Minutes before classes were to begin at 9 a.m., Assistant Principal Ben Johnson stood near the doors with a bullhorn.

Johnson, set to retire in a couple of months after 37 years in the district, looked at Rethlefsen and the other students gathered nearby.

“They are good kids,” he said. “They just have a different view of what’s appropriate. We just feel differently about a particular word being used in school.”

Teen suspended for wearing 'freedom of expression' T-shirt

TIFTON, Ga. — A teenager was back in class on May 6 after receiving a one-day suspension for wearing a T-shirt with slogans including “freedom of expression” and “don’t drink and drive” that school administrators considered disruptive.

Hanna Smith, 18, a junior at Tift County High School, said Principal Mike Duck told her that if she wore the shirt again she would be suspended for the remainder of the year.

The principal was arrested six years ago for DUI and running a stop sign, The Tifton Gazette said May 6 in a story on Smith’s suspension. Duck made a public apology for the DUI and was himself suspended for five days.

Smith’s mother, Tracy Fletcher, said she would defend her daughter’s right to express herself, even if it meant hiring an attorney and taking the case to court.

“They want everyone to fit into a mold, and there’s no room for individuality. These kids are our future, I think they should be treated with a little more respect. Their opinions count. Their thoughts count,” Fletcher said.

The principal confirmed that Smith was back in class on May 6 without the banned T-shirt, which also had a peace symbol on the front and “Veritas,” which means truth, written on the back.

On May 6, Smith wore a different T-shirt, this one reading “Don’t Underestimate Individuality,” her mother said. The first letters of those words spell “DUI.” Her mother said the teen planned to wear the banned T-shirt again today.

Duck said he could not comment on the suspension.

“We can’t discuss children and their issue,” he said. “It’s a matter of privacy and protection of their rights.”

The school system’s dress code forbids disruptive clothing, grooming and symbols. Principals decide what’s disruptive.

“I have an obligation to maintain an orderly environment,” Duck said. “The courts give me the authority and the right to make those decisions and as long as I’m sitting in this chair that’s what I’m going to do.”

There have been other recent controversies in the school over students’ T-shirts, the Gazette reported. In one instance, a student was asked to change or be suspended for wearing a shirt bearing an anarchy symbol. In response, 40 students, including Smith, came to school the next day wearing shirts bearing various “freedom” slogans, the newspaper said.

Smith said she learned about constitutional rights, such as freedom of expression, in class and wishes school officials would honor them.

“I think it’s silly that we can’t practice the freedoms that they teach us here,” Smith said. “You would think that school officials would have respect for the law and people’s rights, or at least they should.”

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Bus driver, students arrested for fighting

PUNTA GORDA - A Charlotte County school bus driver and two students were arrested Wednesday by Charlotte County Sheriff's deputies stemming from an incident that occurred on a bus Tuesday afternoon.

According to a CCSO report, bus driver Albert M. Taylor told deputies he was having a problem with several students on his bus. Taylor, 66, stopped the vehicle to speak with the students who were causing the disturbance; he used a seat belt to restrain one of the students involved and contacted CCSO.

Several other students became upset with Taylor following his actions.

At one point Taylor asked a 13-year-old student to come speak with him at the front of the bus and he refused. Taylor then walked to the rear of the bus to get the juvenile. The student's 15-year-old brother jumped into the aisle and headed for Taylor, yelling vulgarities at the driver as he walked towards the 13-year-old.

Taylor then turned around and slapped the 15-year-old boy in the face and grabbed him by the throat. The 13-year-old then headed toward Taylor as the driver went back toward his seat at the front of the bus.

The 15-year-old followed and an altercation began when the juvenile pushed Taylor in the chest and hit him in the face. The 13-year-old also got involved and hit Taylor in his right side.

A video camera on the bus recorded the entire incident and is currently in the custody of CCSO as the investigation continues.

Wednesday afternoon CCSO deputies arrested Taylor on a charge of simple battery on a juvenile, a misdemeanor.

The 13 and 15-year-old brothers were also arrested and charged with felony assault or battery on a specified official or employee. The juveniles are both students at Punta Gorda Middle School.

Taylor posted bond and was released; the two juveniles were booked and released to their parents.

School guard arrested on sexual battery charges

Police have arrested a school security guard for what police say were sexual incidents that happened at Sarasota High School.

The girl who complained is a student.

40-year-old John Jones has been employed since 1992 as a campus security monitor at Sarasota High School. He is one of a half dozen men and women the school hires to patrol hallways, bathrooms and campus grounds to ensure student safety.

The student, who police say is younger than 18, told them she had sex with Jones twice while school was in session. Police say she told them one incident was in an empty school hallway, and a second incident was in a janitor's room. The incidents began as kissing and ended with intercourse.

Sarasota police say it was the girl who reported the incidents to them.

A background check shows Jones has no previous convictions. He is being held without bond on two charges of sexual battery.

The principal hires security monitors, and their job requires a high school diploma and a criminal background check.

The school board says that men and women hired as school security monitors in the future will be required to hold a license requiring specialized training. Also, instead of being hired by the schools' principal, they will be hired by a school security director. That's a transition that is already underway.

Friday, May 06, 2005

School Mistakes Huge Burrito for a Weapon

A call about a possible weapon at a middle school prompted police to put armed officers on rooftops, close nearby streets and lock down the school. All over a giant burrito.

Someone called authorities Thursday after seeing a boy carrying something long and wrapped into Marshall Junior High.

The drama ended two hours later when the suspicious item was identified as a 30-inch burrito filled with steak, guacamole, lettuce, salsa and jalapenos and wrapped inside tin foil and a white T-shirt.

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," school Principal Diana Russell said.

State police, Clovis police and the Curry County Sheriff's Department arrived at the school shortly after 8:30 a.m. They searched the premises and determined there was no immediate danger.

In the meantime, more than 30 parents, alerted by a radio report, descended on the school. Visibly shaken, they gathered around in a semi-circle, straining their necks, awaiting news.

"There needs to be security before the kids walk through the door," said Heather Black, whose son attends the school.

After the lockdown was lifted but before the burrito was identified as the culprit, parents pulled 75 students out of school, Russell said.

Russell said the mystery was solved after she brought everyone in the school together in the auditorium to explain what was going on.

"The kid was sitting there as I'm describing this (report of a student with a suspicious package) and he's thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, they're talking about my burrito.'"

Afterward, eighth-grader Michael Morrissey approached her.

"He said, 'I think I'm the person they saw,'" Russell said.

The burrito was part of Morrissey's extra-credit assignment to create commercial advertising for a product.

"We had to make up a product and it could have been anything. I made up a restaurant that specialized in oddly large burritos," Morrissey said.

After students heard the description of what police were looking for, he and his friends began to make the connection. He then took the burrito to the office.

"The police saw it and everyone just started laughing. It was a laughter of relief," Morrissey said.

"Oh, and I have a new nickname now. It's Burrito Boy."