Our Out-Of-Control Schools: Is This The Worst Yet?

As this sad tale about one high school student killing another and two fifth-graders in the same public school system having sex in a classroom reveals, the stories of out-of-control student behavior just get worse: SPEARSVILLE, La. (AP) -- Two fifth-graders had sex on a classroom floor while two others fondled each other in the classroom, according to a teacher at Spearsville High School.Union

Sports Saturday: JOCKular Spelling Lessons Needed!

If the misspelling of their home state's name on those tank-tops is any indication, we suppose that West Virginia's public schools and colleges are in need of some serious EduHelp: CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia may have won the National Invitation Tournament, but the Mountaineers' commemorative T-shirts are less than championship material.They contain a misspelling.The "West Virginia"

Today's Non Sequitur: Hypocrite Alert!

John Travolta, the revolting hypocrite.Heh. Maybe that extra-large gas-guzzler jet aircraft parked in Tony Manero's Travolta's driveway is a symptom that he's compensating for something...

The Monsters Among Us: What's The Remedy?

Once again, we have female teachers (one of which is married) who have been charged with seducing their young male students. Only this time, there are allegations of deep-rooted racist overtones:CLINTON, S.C. — The arrest of two female teachers on charges of having sex with their male students has brought cries of lingering racism in one of South Carolina's most conservative counties and evoked

The Carnival Of Education: Week 112

Welcome to the midway of the 112th Carnival of Education!Here's this week's roundup of entries from around the EduSphere. All entries this week were submitted by the writers themselves.If you're interested in hosting an edition of The Carnival Of Education, please let us know via this email address: edwonk [at] educationwonks [dot] org.As always, we give a hearty "thank you" to everybody who

C.O.E. Entries Are Due!

Entries for the 112th midway of The Carnival Of Education (hosted this week by us here at The 'Wonks.) are due today. Please email them to: owlshome [at] earthlink [dot] net . (Or use this handy submission form.) Submissions should be received no later than 9:00 PM (Eastern), 6:00 PM (Pacific). Contributions should include your site's name, the title of the post, and the post's URL if

The Watcher's Council Has Spoken!

Each and every week, Watcher of Weasels sponsors a contest among posts from the Conservative side of the 'Sphere. The winning entries are determined by a jury of 12 writers (and The Watcher) known as "The Watchers Council."The Council has met and cast their ballots for last week's submitted posts. Council Member Entries: Big Lizards took first place with The Contranomics of Global

Today's Non Sequitur

The Mainstream Media has it all wrong.Anna Nicole Smith did not die due to an accidental drug overdose.She threw her life away died due to complications resulting from a case of self-induced terminal stupidity. -------------------------------See our latest posts.

More Hollywood Idiocy: "Wristcutters: A Love Story"

Considering the epidemic of self-injury that's already affecting many American students, life is difficult enough without this sort of nonsense being thrown at them by the Hollywood Crowd: NEW YORK -- Fifteen suicide prevention groups are dead set against After Dark Films' proposed campaign for the comedy "Wristcutters: A Love Story," which is set to bill itself with signs showing people killing

Our Failing Public Schools: When The State Steps In

St. Louis' public school system has gotten so bad that the State of Missouri is taking over: JEFFERSON CITY — With one St. Louis student in custody and scores of other students and parents choking on tears of frustration, the State Board of Education on Thursday revoked the accreditation of the 169-year-old St. Louis Public Schools and voted to turn its operation over to a businessman with

Another Example Of Teachers Being Left Behind

The annual cost for a student to attend Harvard University has now reached $45,620.Which is more than the annual salary of many of America's public school teachers.What does that say about Our EduTimes?Update: (03/23) In other Harvard-related News, can these people be for real? -----------------------------See our latest posts.

The Carnival Of Education: Week 111

Welcome to the midway of the 111th Carnival of Education!We proudly present this week's roundup of entries from around the EduSphere. All entries this week were submitted by the writers themselves.If you publish a website and are interested in hosting an edition of The Carnival Of Education, please let us know via this email address: edwonk [at] educationwonks [dot] org.Thanks to everyone who

Carnival Entries Are Due!

Entries for the 111th midway of The Carnival Of Education (hosted this week by us here at The 'Wonks.) are due today. Please email them to: owlshome [at] earthlink [dot] net . (Or use this handy submission form.) Submissions should be received no later than 9:00 PM (Eastern), 6:00 PM (Pacific). Contributions should include your site's name, the title of the post, and the post's URL if possible.If

The Watcher's Council Has Spoken!

Each and every week, Watcher of Weasels sponsors a contest among posts from the Conservative side of the 'Sphere. The winning entries are determined by a jury of 12 writers (and The Watcher) known as "The Watchers Council."The Council has met and cast their ballots for last week's submitted posts. Council Member Entries: Eternity Road took first place with Serving While Republican.Non-Council

The Bad Seed: 13-Year-Old Andrew Riley

This 13-year-old Ohio kid vicious little miscreant is charged with allegedly committing 128 felonies, including beating up the child who turned him in: The multitude of charges filed recently against a Nelsonville teen has astonished prosecutors, some of whom have practiced law since before he was born.Andrew Riley, 13, is charged with 128 felonies, in Athens County Juvenile Court. They include

Dress Codes For Teachers?

Some Florida schools are having to address the problem of teachers who are baring a little too much skin, piercings, or other body self-abuse "art." LAND O'LAKES - Remember all the hullaballoo last summer about whether Pasco County teachers wore appropriate clothes to school?Well, never mind.A committee of teachers and administrators convened by superintendent Heather Fiorentino, who identified

NCLB And The New EduReality

With the federal No Child Left Behind Act up for renewal this year, Democratic control of Congress has changed what was once a given into a somewhat likely: President Bush's signature No Child Left Behind education law is headed for fundamental changes as Congress rewrites it this year, including a likely softening of do-or-die deadlines.School administrators long have complained about the annual

Tips For Teachers

Whether you're new to teaching or have served in the classroom for years, the Rightwingprof has some good common-sense advice for teachers. Here's a sample: Stick to your topic. This shouldn't need to be said, but these days, it isn't said enough. The school isn't about you, or your ideology, or your idea of "social justice," or "diversity," or "conscienceness-raising." The school is about

EduWitchtrial?

Did you hear the one about the whackjob reading teacher who was canned and claimed in a lawsuit that it was because her employer thought that she was a witch? CENTRAL ISLIP, New York (AP) -- A teacher who alleged that she was fired from her job because administrators thought she was a witch lost her $2 million lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.The jury deliberated for an hour before

The Carnival Of Education: Week 110

Welcome to the 110th edition of The Carnival Of Education! We are delighted that the Midway has returned home.This collection of exhibits from around the EduSphere represents a wide variety of political and educational viewpoints. Unless clearly labeled otherwise, all entries were submitted by the writers themselves.If you have a website and are interested in hosting an edition of The Carnival Of

Carnival Entries Are Due!

Entries for the 110th midway of The Carnival Of Education (hosted this week by us here at The 'Wonks.) are due today. Please email them to: owlshome [at] earthlink [dot] net . (Or use this handy submission form.) Submissions should be received no later than 9:00 PM (Eastern), 6:00 PM (Pacific). Contributions should include your site's name, the title of the post, and the post's URL if possible.

The Watcher's Council Has Spoken!

Each and every week, Watcher of Weasels sponsors a contest among posts from the Conservative side of the 'Sphere. The winning entries are determined by a jury of 12 writers (and The Watcher) known as "The Watchers Council."The Council has met and cast their ballots for last week's submitted posts. Council Member Entries: Joshuapundit earned first place with Between Iraq and a Hard Place -- Why We

Teachers Serving On School Boards: A Good Idea?

Once upon a time, South Carolina permitted classroom teachers to serve on school boards in some cases.Then the law was changed in order to avoid an obvious conflict of interest and all teachers were forced to resign.Now they're thinking of bringing them back: Local lawmakers have proposed an amendment to state law that would allow employees of conversion charter schools that were chartered before

Students Doing Doobies In San Diego's "High" School

Some students at one Calfornia "high" school think that bringing a note from home allows them to fire-up a joint between classes: SAN DIEGO -- Officials at the Grossmont Union High School District have sent letters home to parents, notifying them that a number of students have been caught on campus with medical marijuana cards.District official Catherine Martin said they are concerned over the

San Francisco's Pre-School Class System

Look at what San Francisco's well-to-do (or those who merely want their children to brush shoulders with the scions of the wealthy) will go through in order to get their children into the right sort of pre-school: Never once did I have any clue that having a child in San Francisco would lead me down a road of such agony and disappointment. Please don't think for one instance that my son, who is

The NCLB Files: The Day Of Reckoning Approacheth

The Day of Reckoning is rapidly approaching for a number of Florida public schools: DADE CITY - It's the last day of FCAT testing, and folks at Cox Elementary are breathing a sigh of relief as they give the final makeups and pack up the materials.But worry tinges the air. The school has yet to make adequate yearly progress, or AYP, under the federal No Child Left Behind law. If this year's

The Young Sorority Mothers

Here's a college sistershood for those who've decided to skip getting their M.R.S. degree first get a head-start on building a family:ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AP) -- Magic Markers, bubble wands and jungle-animal stickers aren't often found in the average college student's backpack.For the women of Mu Tau Rho, a new sorority for student-mothers at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, those toys are

Merit Pay Chronicles: Kentucky Hoedown

Kentucky is the latest state to kill an effort to implement a pay-for-performance plan for teachers: After strong resistance from a group of Kentucky teachers opposed to preferential teacher rewards, legislators introduced changes to two bills Wednesday that would do away with the teacher pay incentives proposed in the bills.Senate Bills 1 and 2 would give bonuses to teachers whose students score

It's Carnival Time!

The midway of the 109th edition of The Carnival of Education (hosted this week by the Science Goddess over at What It's Like on the Inside) has opened-up this week's roundup of exhibits. Check out the nifty "staff development theme!"For extra EduCredit, see what the homies are up to over at this week's edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. --------------------------See our latest EduPosts.

Student Sex Scandal Rocks Indiana School District

School officials in an Indiana school district are confirming that two sixth grade students had sex in an open classroom while the teacher was distracted and other students looked on: Indianapolis - For months it's been a well-kept secret. But now Warren Township Schools confirm a disturbing case of sex in the classroom. The illicit activity has parents concerned and a district at a loss for

Carnival Entries Are Due!

Entries for the 109th midway of The Carnival Of Education (hosted this week by the Science Goddess over at What it's Like on the Inside.) are due today. Please email them to: the_science_goddess[at]yahoo[dot]com . (Or use this handy submission form.) Submissions should be received no later than 9:00 PM (Eastern), 6:00 PM (Pacific). Contributions should include your site's name, the title of the

The Watcher's Council Has Spoken!

Each and every week, Watcher of Weasels sponsors a contest among posts from the Conservative side of the 'Sphere. The winning entries are determined by a jury of 12 writers (and The Watcher) known as "The Watchers Council."The Council has met and cast their ballots for last week's submitted posts. Council Member Entries: Done With Mirrors took first place with Germany and Iraq, Part 4.Non-Council

Here Comes The Spring Bunny!

At one California elementary school, the Easter Bunny is out, while the Spring Bunny is in: It's been nearly five years since Walnut Creek, Calif., renamed its Easter Bunny the "Spring Bunny," but the name change became news this week after a resident wrote a letter to the editor protesting it.City spokesman Brad Rovanpera said he was surprised by the media buzz and TV news trucks outside City

The Conspiracy Of Pizzas?

Some folks seem to be convinced that Pizza Hut is orchestrating a top-secret scheme to make America's school children into Souless Automatons Pizza Addicts: NEW YORK (AP) -- You've read the book, now eat the pizza.Since 1985, that's been the gist of Pizza Hut's Book It, an incentive program used by 50,000 schools nationwide to reward young readers with free pizzas. The program is now under attack

Wonkitorial Comment: The Unkindest Cuts Of All

A good school custodian is a jewel that is beyond price: Maintaining a safe school takes many vigilant actions. Not only do teachers and principals have to be ever watchful, an important ingredient in school safety is school custodial and maintenance staff.These vital workers protect the schools in many ways.By ensuring a clean environment, they help stop the spread of disease and help maintain a

Pennsylvania's Pill-Pushing Principal

What on Earth could this guy have been thinking? BETHLEHEM, Pa. - A middle school principal accused of selling crystal methamphetamine from his office after school and on weekends was arrested after police found the drug on his desk, authorities said Wednesday.There was no indication that John Acerra sold the drug to students at Nitschmann Middle School, where he was arrested Tuesday, said