High Court Declines To Hear Student Free-Speech Case

At the moment I am taking a Constitutional Law Class here at St. Peters, so I figured it was interesting to see an article regarding the always hot topic of the Freedom of Speech, and Education. The basis of the article is centered around a student who goes by the name of Andrew Smith, and who attends Novato High School in California, a predominantly liberal state. The source of controversy surrounding this whole case is an article Smith wrote for the high school newspaper the BUZZ, a sponsored extracurricular activity his senior year. In one of his articles which dates all the way back to the year 2001 (just to give a little timeline on how long this case took to be decided and now denied by the Supreme Court) he addresses the issues of illegal immigration, and expresses his dissatisfaction with the state of his community which happens to be located in a heavily populated area of "illegals." As a result many of the parents in the school district, who naturally are I'm sure ethnically similar to the people he is describing as "drug dealers, thieves, who milk the welfare system of the United States" were very upset that the article was made public, and available to the school community. Although the student is entitled to his own opinion, and the school can either choose to let the article go to press or not, there was a large backlash that resulted from the article. The negative reception was bad enough for the principle for send out a letter of apology to the whole Novato high school community, thus deteriorating the impact and intent that such an article could bring about. In repsonse to the action of the principle Smith and his father sued the school for its "student expression policy" that impinged on Smith's Freedom of Speech Luckily the school district knew their boundaries and didn't take the extra, and in my view, inapropriate approach and repremand the student for his honest, and newsworthy article exposing not only a Novato High School issue, but a national issue that politicians and American society for the most part choose to ignore. The article has made enough racket that it was brought up the California State trial court, which deemed the article wasn't in fact protected by freedom of speech because it contained "derogatory, insulting, and disrepectful speech." The case was then brought up to a three judge panel of the California- Appeals Court which ruled unanimously that the decision made in the state trial court had in fact violated Mr. Smiths Freedom of Speech. I find this article to be eye-catching because it deals with a seemingly hamrless extracurricular aspect of high school, and in this case was used to a students advantage only to be shot down because of political correctness. I commend the student for recognizing the potential of power he had, and addressed an issue that is high debated, and will surely make a big diffence in the upcoming Presidential race of 2008. I hope that everyone gets a chance to check it out and see what all the "hooplaa" is all about. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/27/25scotus.h27.html?tmp=138428594>

Do Students Know They're History?

It may come as a surprise that many students today are just not as schooled in liberal arts in high school as they should be, but according a recent survey done by a group called the Common Core, facts such as Christopher Columbus's founding of the "New World" which took place in the year 1492, are being confused by teens these days with some year in the late 1700's. Common Core is a group that describes itself as a research and advocacy foundation that is discovering and unearthing the truth that high school students are not as aware or informed about history as they should be. Interestingly enough the group is holding President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" which is extremely controversial act passed by Congress that reauthorized a number of federal programs aiming to improve the performance of U.S. pimary and secondary schools by increasing the standards of accountability for states, school districts, and schools, as well as providing parents more flexibility in choosing which schools their children will attend. The groups executive vice preseident Antonia Cortese has a very close tie to the Democratic party which comes as no surprise based on their accusations aimed at Pres. Bush's NCLB Act, but is also an acting member of one of the most important and influential teachers union in the United States.I dont believe that this groups telephone survey has found the answer as to why school children don't know the history of the United States, but improvements must be made to better acquaint them with the important dates and events that helped shaped this country. According to the Common Core, aprox. 1,200 seventeen year olds were called randomly throughout the month of January and given a series of thirty three multipe choice questions. This isn't exactly the best method of surveying students history knowledge, but ok. The group issued the statement regarding the poor test scores, “The nation’s education system has become obsessed with testing and basic skills because of the requirements of federal law, and that is not healthy." Although this jab at the current state of secondary education is somewhat relevant you must remember that the group relied on phone surveys, and we all know I'm sure how annoying phone surveys are.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/us/27history.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin>

N.C.A.A. Sports Programs Short On Cash?

"It's all just a game"..how many time have you heard that line used when something doesn't go your way? Well in the world of college sports, the game of giving less to student athletes who demand more money to pay for their $45,000 tuition bill might be in for a rude awakening. It has come to the attention of many that although the glamorous N.C.A.A. sports programs you see on your t.v. when watching a baskeball, football, or sometimes even baseball team, won't be the ones dealing out the green for your skills too generously. In the article Villonova baseball coach, Joe Godri tells and almost pleads through the article that parents as well as student athletes understand that the money they are looking for just is't available.
Godri says he sometimes is baffled by the requests he get from parents as well as prospective recruits, when they are for thousands of dollars, that the program just doesn't have in order to keep a roster of 25- 30 kids afloat. Godri says he often feels like a "used- car salesmen", because when it comes down to it, he jut can't offer the invisioned amount of money that both the parents and the athelete want or need. “Parents say to me all the time: ‘Can’t you just throw her something? Just make her feel good,’ ” said Gobri, the Villanova coach, and “I have to explain I don’t have money to throw around"
I find this article interesting because it sheds light on two aspects of college sports that is rarely seen. For one, student athletes think that no matter where they go the money is available, and for the most part scholarships like this are just waiting to be taken, which is not the case whatsoever. The second point that the article sheds light on, though unintentionally is that smaller lesser known named schools (ehhem... St. Peters) probably are the better option because they value your skills, and are able to give out good amounts of money because they must push for athletes who get turned down by bigger "brand name" schools.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/sports/11coaches.html?ref=education>

A Cure for the College Blues

When are too many activities, a little too much? This is a question that honestly I find myself, a junior in college contemplating, and for the most part besides my job on campus of lifeguarding, I am a full time member of the St. Peters College Swim Team, and yes, a student. Thinking back to highschool I feel like the demands of being in school all day, and then playing an instrument, and going to my swim club practice (and when in season, my highschool varsity swim team as well), and maintaining a life outside of my commitments sometimes began to clash, possibly a little more than even now.
The article I read for this week deals with students who are much more invovled than I was in high school, and they say they have too much on their plate, which makes me feel like my whining expressed above really doesn't amount to much more than excuses. In particular the article showcases a woman named Sabrina Skau, who now attends Portland State University, but throughout high school, better yet, until the last day of her senior year, she was super student/extra curricular woman. In the article she expresses her need for a break, and wished that when she graduated, that she had a break between the end of high school, and the rigorious upgrade to college life. The article also begs the question now being asked of both high school over-achievers, and college admission offices, and that is, " do students need the option of being accepted but allowed to take a year off?", before plunging into the college atmosphere. Some schools such as Princeton University have already developed programs that allow for students such as Sabrina Skau to study abroad, for a year of social service before actually starting. I dont believe this type of progam would be beneficial to the academics of any incoming freshman, due to the fact that getting immersed in the college life and academic scene is both beneficial and important for the students future. What do you think?

<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/fashion/09gap.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin>

Plagarism Isn't Just A One Way Street, Professors Do It Too!

Haha, it has been determined the phrase "plagarism is a crime", a phrase often told to students in order to deter cheating in highschool and college still actually applies to the teachers saying it. After an 18 month investigation into a professor at Columbia Unveristy named Madonna G. Constantine, a committee has found that she often plagarized not only officially published material, but students work as well, ALL WITHOUT CITATION, and has had the nerve to publish it as her own in academic journals over the past five years. The committee put in place to investigate Dr. Constantine after a noose was found hanging on her office door last year in October prompting a full scale police and college investigation, said that Columbia University is taking the necessary disciplinary actions with Dr. Constantine and that she was being penalized, but did not say what the penalty was.
Constantine has fired back against the allegations stating that, “[the investigation] (which initially was being done to benefit her) is a conspiracy and witch hunt by certain current and former members of the Teachers College community." She then proceeded to play the race card and say, “I am left to wonder whether a white faculty member would have been treated in such a publicly disrespectful and disparaging manner." It was said that in 2006 the chairman of Dr. Constantine's department was informed that she had used materials from journals, and students, and even a junior colleague, and passed it off as her own thus shifting the focus of the investigation.
It is unfortunate to see a professor at one of the most prestigous universities in the world be scrutinzed for such a stupid act of laziness, and also carlessness, but as my teachers always said, "plagarism is a crime."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/education/21prof.html?pagewanted=2&ref=education

Is Co-ed Education Beneficial Or Is It A Draw- Back?

In a recent article entitled, "Teaching Boys and Girls Seperately", the question of the whether public schools at all levels should start offering single sex education facilities. In particular the article focuses on a small school in Foley, Alabama, called Foley Intermediate School. By the authors descriptions of the seperate learning environments for boys and girls, the classrooms seem to be benefitting the girls who have a more comfortable settings of bright colored walls, warmer room temperatures, etc. The boys classrooms on the other hand are darker colored, their room temperature seems to be a little lower than the girls rooms, and it seems that the school is focusing on all the wrong aspects of education. The chief argument for the seperation of sexes comes from the schoools principle, Lee Mansell who said she was inspired to make such a drastic change to the school after reading the book, "Boys and Girls Learn Differently!" by Michael Gurian. After reading the book and a few assorted articles on the topic, Mansell developed the plan to help the "low scoring students" (who in this school were minority boys), and began seperating in 2004. Apparently after making her school faculty read the articles and studies, and book that she had, a full scall overhaul of the school took place to better suite the failing or sub-par population of students in it. Additionally, enough parents were impressed that when Foley Intermediate, a school of 322 fourth and fifth graders, reopened in 2004 after summer recess, the school had four single-sex classrooms.
After reading the article I find it interesting that a whole school make up was changed based on a few well-written articles, and studies that were done on Japanese children, not American, and one good book. Yes children learn differently, but there are things that can't be taught in a seperated atmosphere. Social skills and developing control for students male or female all take place and really come into their own during middle school and high school years. I believe that although handling students weaknesses is a good reason for the change, it is not a good enough reason to deprive developing children from experiencing how to communicate and interact with the opposite sex.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02sex3-t.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin>