Cronieism: Drunk Driving Principal Evades Arrest


A bad, mixed message for students


Text-Message Rumor Mill Used to Derail Exams

Student's Suicide Primes Text-Message Rumor Mill In Small Town

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VIDEO: Text Message Break-Up


Teen Suspended For Sex Offender Warning

Teen Suspended For Sex Offender Warning


Student Journalists Discover Secret Cameras In High School

Secret Cameras Discovered In High School


Parents Chase School Official On Foot


VIDEO: Parents Chase School Official On Foot


SC Education officials may debate Darwin


Education officials may debate Darwin


Sex-education reducing adolescent sex, says study




Sex-education reducing adolescent sex, says study


District Prohibits Christmas Colors


District Prohibits Christmas Colors


I wasn't sure how far this Christmas thing was going to be taken. You'll find plenty of schools that have already banned Christmas cards, Christmas songs, and Christmas plays. I'm not even sure there is a school district left that doesn't refer to Christmas Break as "Winter Break." But prohibiting Christmas colors?

Green and Red have somehow arbitrarily been chosen to represent the holidays. They have absolutely no religious meaning. They in no way promote Jesus or Christian beliefs. They are colors for crying out loud! This school district not only promoted 'white' napkins and plates, but reminded the students not to wear green or red to their parties. Did they go into their desks and pull out all the green and red Crayola's?

We can't possibly ask all of our schools to not even acknowledge one of the most celebrated holiday's of the year. We're dumbing these kids down so much they won't even realize why they can't say Merry Christmas to a classmate.


Student Caught Using Firefox gets Detention



Student Caught Using Firefox gets Detention

And why not? Teenagers know more about the internet now that probably 90% of school faculty. To a teacher this most likely just looked like the kid was up to something wrong, so he handed out the detention slip. What's more interesting is how the administration attempted to change the story into a more plausible excuse for the punishment. This probably doesn't sound too familiar: Teachers over-reacting then trying to cover their tracks by shifting the blame. The school should thank him for using Firefox. It probably freed up some bandwidth that day so some math teacher could look up kiddie porn.


McDonalds Advertises on School Report Cards


McDonalds Advertises on School Report Cards

And we thought Channel One was a money-making scam?

Basically, McDonald's is paying for the printing costs, and in exchange they put pictures of the Golden Arches all over the report cards. And the school went for the idea. They said they needed the money. Apparently there is a lack of healthy options for a business partner in the state of Florida. But no, it's a great incentive for getting good grades. Fast food!

Is Hershey's going to take over Houghton-Mifflin and start publishing school books? Maybe Cheeto's is thinking of running Rand McNally out of the map business. If school is going to become one big commercial, they need to start assessing what long-term message they are putting out there. Is McDonald's really the best answer for cutting into a budget problem? Was recycled paper not mentioned at this meeting? Or how about this, it's 2007, email the freakin report cards!


Dallas High School Bans "Hoodies"


Dallas High School Bans "Hoodies"

In a related story out of Dallas, student absentee rates have risen this winter due to large outbreaks of sore throats and pneumonia.

The justifying cause for this was to make students more identifiable when fights break out. Here's an idea: Let's re-evaluate our discipline policies rather than make irrational dress code decisions. If you want to figure out which kids are fighting, trying seeing who is coming to school with black eyes and scratched up knuckles.

There's a large majority of the student body suffering because they can't wear a hood anymore. This uses NO logic. Hoods are completely indirectly related to fights, but they've become the victim. What group of idiots decided this is the best way to resolve an issue with school fights? Why not just give every student an inmate number? That should make it easy to spot the bad eggs. It's a shame on a daily basis more and more innocent items have become forbidden at public schools.


Student suspended for prank done at home


Student suspended for prank done at home

Two girls and three boys were each given 3-day suspensions for looking at a picture on a cell phone. Does this mean I should have served punishment every time me and my friends would sneak one of our dad's porno mags to look at?

This is getting ridiculous. All of a sudden the jurisdiction of school's power can go wherever it wants to hand out sentences to kids. If we keep allowing administration to tighten the vice grip they have, we're only going to encourage negative reactions. Teens are already for the most part angry at adults and looking for a reason to rebel. Let's not make it so easy by giving them reasons such as this.


Assistant Principal Arrested in Marijuana Sting



Assistant Principal Arrested in Marijuana Sting


I guess this guy was absent the day D.A.R.E came to school.

How can someone consciously punish a student for throwing paper airplanes in class, while harvesting weed in his backyard at home? Hypocrisy is a funny thing. We set up these walls and guidelines that children must closely abide by for 12 years, but the one's enforcing the rules live in a dream world where drugs are legal.

What are we teaching students when we constantly see teachers in trouble with the law? I am gonna have a hard time following the dress code the day after I learn my Asst. Principal is a pothead. It's no wonder most people aren't prepared for life after high school because they are so confused when they get out and the real world hits them like a steam engine. They are literally blind-sided by the fact that all these so-called rules in the Student Handbook have absolutely no practical application beyond the hallways.

But seriously, if I found out my principal was growing weed I would question the integrity of every teacher I had. Then again, we were taught not to question things.


Substitute teacher accused of being drunk in class


Substitute teacher accused of being drunk in class

Now I'm not saying that appropriate actions weren't taken...but maybe this is the answer to why standardized test scores are so low across the country. School districts are giving these people jobs? I guess Responsibility isn't one of the characteristics screened for.


Autistic Student May Get Expelled from School



Autistic Student May Get Expelled from School

There's really only so much you can say about this one. The school has problems with him blurting out inappropriate comments he supposedly hears on TV. Case closed. Let's put this kid on the fast-track to a lifetime of parental dependence and inability to adapt in a society by depriving him of an education. I'm convinced it's the best option.


Students Suspended for Repeated Hugging

Students Suspended for Repeated Hugging


That sounds about right. If we are not going to tolerate violence, we are certainly not going to promote peace.

These students were deemed repeat offenders?! Try telling that to a 17-year old serving a life sentence at Pelican Bay State Prison for armed robbery and attempted homicide. Where are we coming up with these punishments?

Valentine's Day must be a nightmare at the school. Are sports teams allowed to celebrate after victories? Or does that fall under the 'No Contact' jurisdiction as well. God, how many high school girls cry after every time they break up with a boy and hug their friends all day?

We have always heard the threat "This will show up on your permanent record." If one actually existed there has got to be a room full of people having the time of their lives reading the reasons people are getting suspended. Is hugging such a nuisance or are we again just giving too much power to administration?


Game of 'Tag' banned from school playground

Game of 'TAG" Banned from School Playground


Pretty soon adults will have no way to relate to our youth. The schools have stripped just about all the classic games like Tag and Dodgeball to make the playground a safety zone. So a kid gets a scraped knee? It heels. But apparently the humiliation of being chased at recess never will.

We're in a time where everyone is pushed to become equal. We can't weed out the athletic from non-athletic. Little girls can't chase little boys. We don't play games that people can get 'out' and everyone gets a trophy just for trying. What's the incentive for excelling? Does this sound familiar at all? I wanna say Communism failed because the same basic principles proved to be flawed. Why are we trying to raise every child to be exactly the same? Isn't the idea of failing supposed to motivate you to try better next time or learn from your mistakes? What ever happened to, "If at first you don't succeed?"

But it's OK, because now if you don't succeed at first, someone will lobby to make policies so that no one else is allowed to succeed either. It must have not been fair to begin with, so it must be eliminated from schools.


The Peanut Butter Sandwich Under Threat

The Peanut Butter Sandwich Under Threat


But Jelly reigns supreme! (For now at least...)

If you haven't been around a school in a while you might think this is a joke. But apparently over the last decade or so we've begun to breed completely intolerable children with almost mythical allergies. That's right, since so many kids can't be around peanuts, school have started to ban the product. No peanuts, no peanut butter, no snickers bars, they won't even let them watch Peter Pan the movie.

Is this a scam? Did Smucker's start poisoning kids to have the monopoly on sandwich dressings?

It has become the base definition of segregation. Students who bring peanut products in their lunches are removed and placed at their own tables. This must make complete sense to a 9-year old. Try explaining to them that their lunch is the reason they can't sit with their friends. I can see them years down the road in high school sneaking jars of Jiffy in their locker cause it's just too hard to kick the habit.

What's going on here? Is anything left that can be taken away?


Students Suspended For Talking About Nooses


Students Suspended For Talking About Nooses


"In the wake of the recent events at..."

This is going to be every Principals cop-out for a long time. All it takes is a couple of degenerates from the backwoods of Louisiana to ruin it for everyone. We're not taking away from the meaning that might be attached to the hateful past of the noose, but now even conversations about it are being censored?

Let's start by adding a course in African-American history to the curriculum before we jump on every race-related issue. It wouldn't hurt to educate whites, blacks and everyone else to matters that might have an impact. (As much as algebra is actually used in a day-to-day basis.)

Here's what happens next in this story, you've just pit the white community versus the black community because parents are upset over suspensions. Congratulations. How's this for a punishment, have the white kids write a 3-5 page paper about the history of the noose.

Zero Tolerance has taken on a completely different meaning. Principals are so quick to pound the gavel and toss out suspensions like beads at Mardi Gras. Do us all a favor and teach kids what they're doing wrong instead of adding fuel to the fire.


Effort to Limit Junk Food in Schools Faces Hurdles


Effort to Limit Junk Food in Schools Faces Hurdles

This is the easiest equation to solve. Spend one week talking with elementary school students and you'll learn real quickly.

Junk food is not the issue. Junk food has been around forever. It was probably kids that came up with the phrase "junk food." They've been eating it for years. So why is the youth all of a sudden at risk for high blood pressure and diabetes?

Because they don't exercise. Recess has been cut from 70% of schools across the country. They have half the amount of physical education as ten years ago. Let's not blame school districts for signing multi-million dollar contracts with Pepsi and FritoLay, let's blame them for not exposing kids to enough cardiovascular activity. To but it simply: Let kids play. They're freaking kids. With their metabolism rate, they could run 100 yards and burn off all the calories from a Juicy Juice they had at lunch.

Get them excited about playing outside, and they will do it at home. Video games are flying under the radar here because they're too busy taking the fall for violence. But that's what the youth is more interested in.

Congress, here's your research. Let kids play, and they won't be fat.


Michigan student suspended for wearing 'I'm straight' sticker

Michigan student suspended for wearing "I'm Straight" sticker

Let's review the facts. A public school actually participates in an event that celebrates (or at least acknowledges) homosexuality as a choice. Students are asked to wear duck-tape over their mouths to signify "silence." One student decided to declare that he is straight by writing it on the duct-tape.

A couple things aren't adding up. 1.) Since when can schools force students actively participate in such a ceremony? 2.) When did schools determine what beliefs students must have? and 3.) At what point in the story did this boy tie a homosexual to the back of his truck and drag him across town?

To my knowledge this kid wasn't spewing Anti-Gay comments or rallying his friends to commit hate crimes. He simply objected to purpose of the event. Fair enough.

The school isn't gonna win the church argument, so let that one be. It seems almost anything is considered inappropriate now. Every time one person stands up for themselves, it is deemed a distraction. This school should just start campaigning to demand students buy into a flat-tax economy, and then convince them that the Native Americans peacefully forfeited their land to us. Maybe we need to start educating every Kindergartener that Santa Claus is not real.

Everyone has ideas and everyone has beliefs. If they're wrong, let's learn why and create discussion. It seems too many schools have the attitude that "We're doing it like this, and you're gonna like it. Bottom line."


Suspension Over Gun Doodle Raises Questions About School Security Policies

Suspension Over Gun Doodle Raises Questions About School Security Policies




I wonder if district budget allows for Art Class at this school? If so, watch out! Every project needs to go through a screening to determine if the artist is a threat to security.

This was a picture of a laser gun and the student was given five days of suspension. There has got to be a study that evaluates the negative side effects of disciplining students for ridiculous reasons. Sitting him out for five days can only give him enough time to draw pictures of tanks and armies right? Do pictures of guns on paper shoot paper bullets too? Then I can understand the actions taken.

I went to school with a kid that constantly drew pictures of Godzilla attacking villages of people. But for whatever reason, I don't recall the day he summoned a giant lizard to breathe fire on our entire student body.

There are generations and generations before that played backyard games named "War" and "Guns." In these games we used plastic life-like guns and ran around shooting each other. There were no bullets, just kids yelling "Bam!" Never once did anyone transfer this imaginary part of childhood into a mislead rage before the morning bell. The biggest problem it ever caused was two kids arguing over who shot who first. The solution? A re-do.

Pictures of guns don't kill people, kids who get bullied (while teachers don't help) who have access to their dad's gun cabinet and no sense of hope left, kill people. It's only a matter of time until we re-write the history books and take out all the acts of violence. Well, there goes the history of America.


 
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