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It takes a village

We have been following the remarkable story of Samantha Garvey, Intel Talent Search semi-finalist from New York. Her family was evicted from their home on New Year's day, spent a week in a hotel before moving to a homeless shelter. This gifted young woman's talent and hard work inspired Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone to find a three-bedroom, rent subsidized home for Samantha and her family. This is American exceptionalism...recognizing a problem and doing the right thing. Hats off to all who have supported this young woman and her family and the best of luck to her in what we hope will be a wonderful career in the sciences.

STORY: Samantha Garvey, Homeless Intel Science Competition Semifinalist, Is Dedicated To Helping Her Family Overcome Hardship

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We have been following the remarkable story of Samantha Garvey, Intel Talent Search semi-finalist from New York. Her family was evicted from their home on New Year's day, spent a week in a hotel before moving to a homeless shelter. This gifted young woman's talent and hard work inspired Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone to find a three-bedroom, rent subsidized home for Samantha and her family. This is American exceptionalism...recognizing a problem and doing the right thing. Hats off to all who have supported this young woman and her family and the best of luck to her in what we hope will be a wonderful career in the sciences.<br />
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STORY: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/samantha-garvey-intel-science-immigrant_n_1215994.html">Samantha Garvey, Homeless Intel Science Competition Semifinalist, Is Dedicated To Helping Her Family Overcome Hardship</a>

WWJD...what would jessica do?

Smells Like: ACLU , christians , Rhode Island , texting

Teenage atheist Jessica Ahlquist questioned the display of a banner displaying a prayer in her public high school and was summarily blown off by school administration. Now that's such a surprise that a high school student wouldn't be taken seriously. As a plaintiff represented by the ACLU, Jessica won a slam dunk decision against the school...not a surprise. House representative Peter Palumbo has referred to Jessica as an "evil little thing" and a "pawn star" of the ACLU. Now that's the kind of elected state official I want to have representing me! The hell with the Constitution and all that separation of church and state nonsense! While we are at it...the hell with...no I go too far. A bit of christian kindness is in order...unlike the hostile outpourings that Jessica has endured over twitter and Facebook. Lesson learned? You can memorize the Constitution to spit back on multiple choice tests but don't have the courage to actually expect it to be applied at Cranston High School West.

STORY: Misguided faith unjust to nonbelievers

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Teenage atheist Jessica Ahlquist questioned the display of a banner displaying a prayer in her public high school and was summarily blown off by school administration. Now that's such a surprise that a high school student wouldn't be taken seriously. As a plaintiff represented by the ACLU, Jessica won a slam dunk decision against the school...not a surprise. House representative Peter Palumbo has referred to Jessica as an "evil little thing" and a "pawn star" of the ACLU. Now that's the kind of elected state official I want to have representing me! The hell with the Constitution and all that separation of church and state nonsense! While we are at it...the hell with...no I go too far. A bit of christian kindness is in order...unlike the hostile outpourings that Jessica has endured over twitter and Facebook. Lesson learned? You can memorize the Constitution to spit back on multiple choice tests but don't have the courage to actually expect it to be applied at Cranston High School West.<br />
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STORY:  <a href="http://www.dailygamecock.com/viewpoints/item/3206-misguided-faith-unjust-to-nonbelievers">Misguided faith unjust to nonbelievers</a>

Math is hard...knocks!

Smells Like: corporal punishment , math , Virginia

Landstown math teacher Mike Shanklin was arrested by Virginia Beach police for allegedly belting a math student who failed to finish an assignment. Talk about high stakes testing!! The female student apparently stayed after school for some extra tutoring help when Mr. S cut loose with the fury of No Child Left’s Behind. With all of the negative publicity about US schools falling so far behind foreign competition in math and science test performance (TIMMS for example), rather than actually invest a higher % of our GDP in public education ( we rank near the bottom in this), we leave it up to individual teachers to come up with creative ways to solve the problem. Mr. Shanklin’s efforts were failed patriotism but patriotism nevertheless!
USA, USA, USA!!!

STORY: Landstown High School teacher arrested for allegedly beating student with belt

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Landstown math teacher Mike Shanklin was arrested by Virginia Beach police for allegedly belting a math student who failed to finish an assignment. Talk about high stakes testing!! The female student apparently stayed after school for some extra tutoring help when Mr. S cut loose with the fury of  No Child <b>Left’s Behind</b>.  With all of the negative publicity about US schools falling so far behind foreign competition in math and science test performance (TIMMS for example), rather than actually invest a higher % of our GDP in public education ( we rank near the bottom in this), we leave it up to individual teachers to come up with creative ways to solve the problem. Mr. Shanklin’s efforts were failed patriotism but patriotism nevertheless!<br />
USA, USA, USA!!!<br />
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<b>STORY</b>: <a href="http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-landstown-high-school-teacher-arrested-for-allegedly-beating-student-with-belt-20120119,0,1141178.story">Landstown High School teacher arrested for allegedly beating student with belt</a><br />
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Tea Party gains momentum in Michigan

Smells Like: bully , Michigan , texting

Politics schmolitics…the Tea Party rules at Hastings High near Grand Rapids. A teacher reportedly poured hot tea on two boys to break up a fight. Tea for two as they say. The boys received minor burns from the Spanish teacher’s actions…mucho gusto! Tea Party supporters are touting this teacher for a congressional run in order to lure more latino voter support. In the meantime, the school may be looking into some behavior management models that do not require deadly force!!

STORY: Teacher pours HOT TEA on students to break up a fight following escalating texts over a girl

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Politics schmolitics…the Tea Party rules at Hastings High near Grand Rapids. A teacher reportedly poured hot tea on two boys to break up a fight. Tea for two as they say. The boys received minor burns from the Spanish teacher’s actions…mucho gusto!  Tea Party supporters are touting this teacher for a congressional run in order to lure more latino voter support. In the meantime, the school may be looking into some behavior management models that do not require deadly force!!<br />
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STORY: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089269/Teacher-pours-HOT-TEA-students-break-fight-following-escalating-texts-girl.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">Teacher pours HOT TEA on students to break up a fight following escalating texts over a girl</a><br />
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Taking the daily grind out of public schools

Smells Like: expression , Iowa , sex

No more pencils no more books, no more teacher’s dirty dancing looks!!! Valley High is stepping up to enforce a grinding policy that is long overdue. In response to parent concerns, students will have to sign a pledge to stop grinding at school dances. They even seem to have clearly defined grinding: “usually involves a boy facing a girl’s backside and their bodies rubbing together“. Whew…that leaves open the front to front rubbing of my generation and it seems that the GLBT students are off the hook as well. I love it when schools try to limit student expression. I recommend a strict dress code for the dance…perhaps jocks and cups for all students and an appropriate selection of songs that will not elicit erections…square dancing anyone?

STORY: No More Grinding at Valley: 1/19 Urbandale Morning Report

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No more pencils no more books, no more teacher’s dirty dancing looks!!! Valley High is stepping up to enforce a grinding policy that is long overdue. In response to parent concerns, students will have to sign a pledge to stop grinding at school dances. They even seem to have clearly defined grinding: “usually involves a boy facing a girl’s backside and their bodies rubbing together“. Whew…that leaves open the front to front rubbing of my generation and it seems that the GLBT students are off the hook as well. I love it when schools try to limit student expression. I recommend a strict dress code for the dance…perhaps jocks and cups for all students and an appropriate selection of songs that will not elicit erections…square dancing anyone?<br />
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<b>STORY</b>: <a href="http://urbandale.patch.com/articles/no-more-grinding-at-valley-1-19-urbandale-morning-report">No More Grinding at Valley: 1/19 Urbandale Morning Report</a></div>

Hold your water!

Smells Like: classroom management , elementary education , New York , punishment

Coney Island PS 90 has a zero tolerance pee policy to be envied. Of all of the serious problems facing public education, 5th grade teacher Stephanie Warner has crystallized the key issue to student success…self bladder control! If only we could hold off on the impulse to use the bathroom at age 10 we could then be prepared for success in virtually every other endeavor. And what a novel use of token reinforcement…Ms. Warner allows children who can control their bladder needs and don’t use any of their “toilet tickets” the opportunity to trade in these tickets for prizes…like a discount at the local urologist! BF Skinner would be so proud.

STORY: New York School's Strict Bathroom Policy Rewards Students For Holding It In, Outrages Parents

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Coney Island PS 90 has a zero tolerance pee policy to be envied. Of all of the serious problems facing public education, 5th grade teacher Stephanie Warner has crystallized the key issue to student success…self bladder control! If only we could hold off on the impulse to use the bathroom at age 10 we could then be prepared for success in virtually every other endeavor. And what a novel use of token reinforcement…Ms. Warner allows children who can control their bladder needs and don’t use any of their “toilet tickets” the opportunity to trade in these tickets for prizes…like a discount at the local urologist!  BF Skinner would be so proud.<br />
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STORY: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/new-york-schools-strict-b_n_1214363.html">New York School's Strict Bathroom Policy Rewards Students For Holding It In, Outrages Parents</a></div>

If four math teachers have a combined IQ of 300...

Smells Like: Georgia , math , slavery

Greetings again from the deep south! A suburban Atlanta teacher has regrettably resigned after assigning math homework to 3rd graders that included word problems about slavery and beatings. While I am not astonished about this coming from Georgia, I am shocked that the teachers can actually cipher word problems! Four teachers from Beaver Ridge Elementary School assigned said homework, only one has resigned. Imagine the teacher planning meetings that arrived at this lesson plan. Talk about collaborative brilliance. Apparently they spent several days pondering not only this gem of an assignment, but also how to arrive at the correct mathematical solution! Does this really require teacher certification?

STORY: Georgia teacher resigns over slavery math lesson
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/18/georgia-teacher-resigns-over-slavery-math-lesson/

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Greetings again from the deep south! A suburban Atlanta teacher has regrettably resigned after assigning math homework to 3rd graders that included word problems about slavery and beatings. While I am not astonished about this coming from Georgia, I am shocked that the teachers can actually cipher word problems! Four teachers from Beaver Ridge Elementary School assigned said homework, only one has resigned.  Imagine the teacher planning meetings that arrived at this lesson plan. Talk about collaborative brilliance. Apparently they spent several days pondering not only this gem of an assignment, but also how to arrive at the correct mathematical solution! Does this really require teacher certification?<br />
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STORY: Georgia teacher resigns over slavery math lesson<br />
 <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/18/georgia-teacher-resigns-over-slavery-math-lesson/">http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/18/georgia-teacher-resigns-over-slavery-math-lesson/</a><br />

We've got spirit how about ...U-tah

Smells Like: animals , school spirit , Utah

We’ve got spirit, how about…U-Tah?

The Canyons School District (Draper, Utah) decided to veto their student’s top choice for school mascot, the cougar, because it is disrespectful to women. Thank you for teaching these kids an important lesson…when it comes to decision making, majority vote doesn’t really count for much. The board of education will probably let these high schoolers decide what color crepe paper may be used for homecoming, or even go out on a limb and let them choose Coke or Pepsi. But when it comes to a school mascot, how could they possibly be trusted with such a life altering judgment? And, did anyone poll the cougar population ( I mean the four legged ones)? My bet is that they would be opposed to an affiliation with such tight-minded, anti-democratic folks. So much for the graduation address from Courtney Cox or Joan Collins.

STORY: Cougar Mascot Vetoed For Utah's Corner Canyon High School For Being Offensive Toward Women

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<b>We’ve got spirit, how about…U-Tah?</b><br />
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The Canyons School District (Draper, Utah) decided to veto their student’s top choice for school mascot, the cougar, because it is disrespectful to women. Thank you for teaching these kids an important lesson…when it comes to decision making, majority vote doesn’t really count for much. The board of education will probably let these high schoolers decide what color crepe paper may be used for homecoming, or even go out on a limb and let them choose Coke or Pepsi. But when it comes to a school mascot, how could they possibly be trusted with such a life altering judgment? And, did anyone poll the cougar population ( I mean the four legged ones)? My bet is that they would be opposed to an affiliation with such tight-minded, anti-democratic folks. So much for the graduation address from Courtney Cox or Joan Collins.<br />
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STORY: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/cougar-mascot-vetoed-for-_n_1218779.html">Cougar Mascot Vetoed For Utah's Corner Canyon High School For Being Offensive Toward Women</a><br />
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Elem. School Teacher Indicted on Child Porn Charges

Smells Like: porn , Virginia

Justin Coleman, 35, of Falls Church, Va., has been indited on two counts of child pornography. The 4th grade teacher allegedly forced students to engage in sex acts and video tapped them without them knowing.

STORY: Elem. School Teacher Indicted on Child Porn Charges

Word of the Week: Connoisseur

Smells Like: contest , video

The Vocab Film Festival Word of the Week is: Connoisseur.
Check out this recent student contest submission to the Vocab Videos Film Festival....

Vocab Videos currently is running a contest where you can submit your own vocab video and photo entries for a chance to win over $20,000 in scholarships and monthly and grand prizes from A-List Education, Zinch, Knewton, & Cerebellum.

Get your students involved for a fun class project opportunity! Support participating nonprofit organizations—Harlem Children’s Zone, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Urban Word, and Year Up—just by voting on your favorite entries. Special prizes and donations go to the nonprofit with the most votes at the close of the Festival.

BREAKING: New Mexico Outlaws Corporal Punishment in Schools!

Smells Like: corporal punishment , New Mexico

Heart Magazine magazine named New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez “Woman of the Year” for her dedication to children’s advocacy and her efforts to keep children safe – and today she lived up to her reputation as she signed into law HB 172 - a law prohibiting corporal punishment as a disciplinary sanction in public schools.

Earlier this month Martinez signed an Anti-Bullying Bill into law and HB172 will further increase protections for New Mexico school children.

We spoke with renown Author and Educator Rosalind Wiseman, who recently hosted a bullying discussion from the White House, who had this to say:

“Any school that condones or doesn't explicitly condemn corporal punishment as a disciplinary strategy will have no credibility to talk to its students about bullying. Simply, if the students know the adults in the school can hit, slap them or worse, it sends the message that physical domination is how you address conflict. I honestly, can't think of a worse policy to alienate our children. ”

New Mexico is now the 31st state to outlaw corporal punishment in public schools. The United States is one of the only developed countries in the world that allows Corporal Punishment in schools - with 107 countries having national bans in place.

<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><a href="http://echealthinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/welcome-to-new-mexico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://echealthinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/welcome-to-new-mexico.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><i>Heart Magazine</i> magazine named New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez  “<i>Woman of the Year</i>” for her dedication to children’s advocacy and her efforts to keep children safe – and today she lived up to her reputation as she signed into law HB 172  - a law prohibiting corporal punishment as a disciplinary sanction in public schools. </span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;">Earlier this month Martinez signed an Anti-Bullying Bill into law and HB172 will further increase protections for New Mexico school children. </span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;">We spoke with renown Author and Educator Rosalind Wiseman, who recently hosted a bullying discussion from the White House, who had this to say:</span></div><blockquote style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Any school that condones or doesn't explicitly condemn corporal punishment as a disciplinary strategy will have no credibility to talk to its students about bullying. Simply, if the students know the adults in the school can hit, slap them or worse, it sends the message that physical domination is how you address conflict. I honestly, can't think of a worse policy to alienate our children. ”</span></blockquote><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;">New Mexico is now the 31st state to outlaw corporal punishment in public schools. The United States is one of the only developed countries in the world that allows Corporal Punishment in schools - with 107 countries having national bans in place.</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><br />
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Police Pepper Spray 8 Year Old in Classroom

Smells Like: Colorado , police

An 8 year old boy throws a temper tantrum -- albeit a somewhat dangerous one, where he pulls wood off the walls, and the police come in and pepper spray him.

What do you think? To spray or not to spray?

Story: Police pepper spray 8-year old

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