Should schools be allowed to use corporal punishment?

Are you surprised I would even be asking that question?

Approximately 20 states across the country still allow corporal punishment. 

Even Wisconsin doesn't "prohibit" the practice, but states it is "generally prohibited."

Is it prohibited or isn't it?

State	Code Section	Punishment Allowed
WISCONSIN	118.31	Corporal punishment generally prohibited; reasonable and necessary force allowed in self-defense, to protect others, etc., and as proscribed by school board policy.

The states most often still allowing corporal punishment?  Southern states.

You can view the list and clarification of codes via the following link:

That's sure what it sounds like for the deal made with public school teachers in Hawaii.  They signed off for a whopping 11% pay raise in exchange for random drug testing, and now it seems they are willing to take the money, but are okay with passing over on the testing.

"Hawaii public school teachers signed off on first-in-the-nation statewide random drug testing in exchange for pay raises, but now the state claims the educators are trying to take the money and run.

Since the teachers' union approved the pact nearly two years ago, they've accepted the 11 percent boost in pay while fighting the random tests as an illegal violation of their privacy rights. No teacher has been tested.

The showdown over teacher drug testing arose from the highly publicized arrests of six state Education Department employees in unrelated drug cases over a six-month period. One, special education teacher Lee Anzai at Leilehua High School, pleaded guilty to selling more than $40,000 worth of crystal methamphetamine to an undercover agent."

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That's all very interesting, and it sounds like Hawaii has some drug problems to deal with.  Also, they obviously have some union issues they need to get ironed out.  But my interest was peaked regarding the random drug testing for teachers, and more specifically drug testing in general.  Many employers require drug testing  at first hire in order to gain employment.  I've had to have it in past employment.  Are we that naive to believe that there are no educators who are taking drugs? 


This from the above mentioned article"

"Random testing isn't going to suddenly increase test scores," said Mike McCartney, executive director for the Hawaii State Teachers Association. "This is a huge distraction from how to make our schools better."

 

Really?  If you have one educator who is using drugs on a daily basis, and isn't doing their job for the students in that class, then yes, it can increase the test scores of the students in those classes that the teacher instructs.  Those students are losing out.  And it's more than just test scores and everyone knows it.  Would you want a drug user operating on your child?  Would you want one driving the bus your child is on?  Would you want one as your child care provider?  Then why would you want one as your child's educator?  The person who is molding your child's mind?

Well, this is a predicament.

Once again studies are finding that, yet again, school start times should be pushed back for high school students.  Now we're talking 8:30 a.m.  Why?  This could help prevent car crashes.  Well, who wouldn't be for preventing that?  Findings show teens tend to need nine hours of sleep, and they are staying up later using the phone and computer. 

Well, there is an option.  While there are districts that don't provide busing to all students, others, like Franklin Public Schools do.  You could require all students to ride the bus and not allow student parking at the high school.  Now that could lower teen crashes.  Of course, that would increase the number of busses the district would need, and increase transportation costs to the district, along with making some very unhappy students, especially those who want/need to drive to work after school.  And you have to remember, the later you start school, the later the teen is released.


This is a serious issue.  It's a school issue; a family issue; a social issue.  And, an issue that teens should be made aware of.  They need to know that they need sleep.  They need to know that it's not just a matter of academics; it's now a matter of life and death, too.

"Letting teens sleep a little more by starting the school day a bit later may lower their odds for car crash injury or death, a new study finds.

The researchers found a 16.5 percent drop in auto accident rates for teen drivers when local high schools moved the start of classes from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

The possible reason? More sleep, more alert driving, the researchers said.

After puberty, adolescents are biologically programmed to stay up about an hour later each night, explained Fred Danner, the University of Kentucky psychologist who co-authored the study. This shift in their biological clocks then conflicts with having to get up earlier to go to high school than they did when they were in middle school, he added."

In Wisconsin our teachers are protected by a very strong teacher's union.  Governor Doyle supports that union.

What might happen if things were different?  If our unions weren't supported?  Would our schools fall apart?  Or would they become stronger? 

It's a legitimate question.  One we most likely will never have to deal with in Wisconsin.  But one Washington D.C. is dealing with.  Interesting though...they have a union.

"Michelle Rhee has fired 270 "underperforming" teachers since she took over the D.C. public school system, but she's also suggested rewarding the good teachers with huge salaries, and her tough tactics have won the approval of local parents and national politicians alike."

Watch the Msnbc video segment

HERE

There's no denying that the state of the economy is going to have an impact on our school districts in Wisconsin.  I mentioned last week that the enrollment in Franklin has not increased.  That doesn't mean that class sizes won't have to increase if there are budget concerns.  What do you do?  Where do you trim?  Teachers?  Educational programs?  Extra-curriculars?  Classes?  None of this has been mentioned for our district - yet.

An article just came out in Christian Science monitor that brings the issue to everyone's attention.  So why not think about it sooner than later?  Hopefully our District is doing just that so there will be no last minute surprises.  Hopefully there is some planning going on.  I know the District is looking for land to purchase for the future; a smart move.  They have a long range plan in place for repairs to facilities; that's good thinking.  I know school districts plan ahead for growth, but that doesn't always work out, does it?

There is one thing we do know for sure.  We have been told for at least this past year that we will have less money. Some strategic planning as to where cuts will take place should be going on.

"School districts across the United States are tightening their belts in anticipation of a meager fiscal diet that could carry into 2011.

As state and local revenue declines, officials are looking for the trims least likely to harm the quality of education. Although some districts have rainy-day funds to tap, concern is growing that students, particularly those who are struggling to learn or who are homeless, are going to feel the pinch. "

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While Franklin may not be a "Cincinnati," we still have our own needs to deal with.

Siemans, Discovery Network and Educators believe they can.  How about you?

"A new environmental science competition for middle schoolers asks teams of 2-3 students, led by a teacher or mentor, to create sustainable, reproducible environmental improvements in their local communities.

Participants in the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge are encouraged to start right away.

Among the prizes for winning teams are $5,000 savings bonds, a "once-in-a-lifetime Discovery Adventure Trip" with a television personality, and an appearance on Discovery's Planet Green network.

Designed with low entry barriers, the Challenge provides the opportunity for students of all backgrounds and experiences to participate. Contest organizers recommend doing the projects over a 9-to-13-week period. Only 16 weeks, including the holiday season, remain before the March 15 deadline, so interested teams should start soon.

Competing teams will use a six-step scientific methodology: identification of issues, researching them, planning a solution, acting together to implement the plan, analyzing what was found, and sharing ways to replicate or expand the effort around the country.

The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge is sponsored by The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, and the National Science Teachers Association."

Who will take the challenge?

Ronett Jacobs, 4^th Grade Teacher from Ben Franklin School was presented a plaque by Franklin Alderman Tim Solomon, as Mayor Tom Taylor looked on during the Common Council meeting Tuesday night.  The plaque honors Ms. Jacobs for receiving the Sam’s Club Teacher of the Year Award.

School Board Member David Works was also on hand for the recognition. Mr. Works alerted Mayor Taylor of Ms. Jacobs' accomplishment and invited him to Ben Franklin to celebrate with students.


Congratulations, Ronett!

To hear the audio presentation of the award, click on the “Attachment” Teacher Of The Year Award.mp3 below the “Education tag” at the bottom of this page .

Boston already has the hippest school of music.  It’s the Boston Berklee College of Music. 

That's the in place to be.  But if you have a child who may be interested in a career in music arts...or you yourself are planning for a future in music, you've got to check out the future home of Berklee's ARTeria Valencia.

It's a state-of-the-art, 25-story building in Valencia Spain.  And if you want to study music abroad, this is where you will want to be.


 

"Valencia, Spain will soon be home to a $145 million school of rock (and pop and jazz) from the Boston-based Berklee College of Music, which hopes to extend its successful contemporary music training program to European shores.

"ARTeria Valencia" will be a state-of-the-art, 25-story building (see artist's renderings) featuring faculty and student housing, a high-speed data network, a 1,000-seat outdoor amphitheater and several smaller performance spaces. Construction will be largely bankrolled by the SGAE Spanish performing rights organization, which is apparently eager to bring Berklee's approach to contemporary music education to Valencia -- already a popular "semester abroad" destination.

You might think the music industry's heavily-publicized woes would scare kids into more financially stable lines of work -- say, brokering stocks or managing hedge funds. Those aren't the greatest examples these days, but still, given shrinking labels and dwindling sales, the music industry seems like a hard place to get a foothold.

Nonetheless, budding musicians continue to be drawn like moths to the flame of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where applications for Fall '09 matriculation are up 40 percent according, to Larry Monroe, the school's vice president of international programs, and popular subjects include music theory, composition, performance, music management, music education and even music therapy.  The Boston location turns out 800 graduates each year, while the Valencia location will produce smaller classes of 250."

Read the complete article HERE

 Berklee Valencia

Me?  I want a teacher to be just that.  A teacher.  Not a peer.  Not on a first name basis with a student.

Whether it be in middle school, high school, or college.

There are too many children who may be vulnerable to the teacher coming down to the student’s level.  It’s not necessary, it’s dangerous, and we’ve  seen enough in the news in the past decade of what can happen when a teacher who has befriended a student crosses the line.

A school publication, eSchool News came out with an article regarding the issue that schools are “grappling” with on the use of Facebook with students.  Facebook is what it is…a social networking site. 

 

"Proponents of using online social networks to reach students say it makes sense to go where students are already spending much of their time online. But others fear that educators' use of these sites encroaches on students' online "turf" and could cross the boundary of acceptable social behavior between teachers and their students."

Monroe High School in Monroe, Ohio, the traditional cheerleader
uniforms with short skirts don’t meet the school dress code
NBC photo

I’m sure we’ve all seen situations regarding school rules where we’ve said that the rule didn’t seem quite right.  Schools say rules are rules.  Well, when these rules are made, to cover year after year of changing students and trends, there’s no way they can cover every situation effectively.  They just need to be reexamined periodically.    One of these situations is dress codes.

Extremes.  Who is right?  Who is wrong?  You have the School Board, the School Administrators, The Students and the Parents.  Then, you now have to throw the courts into the picture.

Some issues are innocent...the cheerleading uniforms pictured above.  Tradition in most schools that on game day you wear your uniform to school.  But now, the skirts are too short.  But, they're the uniforms?  What's the difference?  Well, if the cheerleaders get to wear those uniforms to school, your going to let my daughter wear her skirt that short on the same day, too!

One of the biggest worries for school districts is gang related clothing.  Following that would be provocative clothing.  And you would think it would be easy to enforce these two clothing rules at school, but no, you end up having parents siding with the children on this issue.

"It took only an hour for parents in Omaha, Neb., to get in touch with the American Civil Liberties Union. Their children — 23 of them — had been suspended from school for wearing the wrong clothes.

The teenagers, all students at Millard South High School, were ordered to stay home from one to three days in late August for wearing T-shirts that memorialized Julius Robinson, 18, a Millard South football player who was shot to death in June. The shirts were being sold to help raise money so Robinson’s family could buy a headstone for his grave.

Robinson was “just a really good guy,” said Dan Kuhr, a friend who designed the shirts. “He didn’t cause a lot of trouble.”

But to officials of the Millard Public Schools, the words “Julius RIP” on the shirts were disruptive. After consulting with Omaha police, they also said the shirts could be considered gang-related. "

Well, a friend of mine says, "In light of the country’s financial situation, a little education goes a long way." 

And I agree!

Hopefully, you’ll find something of interest or usefulness on this site. 

"Money Smart Week Wisconsin^SM is a public awareness initiative made for you.  It began in 2006.  It aims to build your financial knowledge so you can deal with your own money more quickly, confidently and shrewdly.   Use this site to find classes and events near you.  Most activities are free.  They offer unbiased financial education. "




Click old Ben Franklin for a visit...

and discussion.


You can listen to the podcast on Righty Blog HERE

Safety in our schools should be of great importance.

There are many aspects of safety that need to be considered…Students, teachers, the school environment, procedures.

Since Columbine and 9-11, we have domestic and world terrorism to plan and think about.

We have the House of Correction on our doorstep.

Every School District has a Safety Committee.

Every School District has a plan.

On our District's website they have an “About Our District” page.

On that page is a link to the Safety Committee.

Also, there is a “New Addition to the Website” that has just been announced.

It is a “Business Services Portion.”

“Thanks to this addition, you will be able to find information about Finance, Transportation, Building and Grounds and Technology Support Services.”

I have been looking over the site since school began this year.  With the Board Goals we should expect some changes.

Last night I found this regarding the Safety Committee:



                  Click to Enlarge



I don’t know about you, but I have some questions.

Who is on the Safety Advisory Committee?

Who is on the School Crisis Teams?

Who is on the Student /Employee Health Committees and what are their functions?

How often do these Committees meet?

What are the Crisis Response Guidelines?

This chart was designed to “keep the community informed?”

Just how is this chart doing that?

The only thing we ever hear about our Safety Team doing, as far as I am aware, is having, in conjunction with the city, mock accident/disaster preparedness, as the city did at Forest Park Middle School this summer.  And we hear about that after the fact.  Now of course, that's a good thing; but we need to hear more.

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09/18/08

Dear Parents and Franklin Community Members:

Throughout the day today, all Junior and Senior students will be participating in a "Mock Crash" activity in coordination with the City of Franklin Police and Fire Departments, as well as emergency services personnel from Froedtert Hospital, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center Flight For Life.  This activity includes a dramatization of a serious car accident that includes serious injuries and a fatality.  Our goal is to make a strong impression on our students relative to the dangers of driving and the importance of being attentive and safe whenever they are behind the wheel.  This includes the importance of always wearing a seat belt, the necessity that they never travel in a vehicle with a driver who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and the dangers of inattentive behaviors like cell phone use while driving.  This activity was not disclosed in advance because we believe, and the professionals who have done this before have experienced, that the impact of this event is much greater if students did not have advance notice. 

I want to thank the members of the high school staff and the professionals associated with the organizations involved today for their wonderful work putting this event together for the benefit of our students. 

Sincerely,

Mike Cady


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Here are the cars from the "mock accident" on the FHS track.

I have in my notes and on tape from the Buildings and Grounds meeting last week that this event was supposed to take place next week on the 23rd.  The element of surprise I suppose...

Now that it has taken place, track repairs will begin.

Read about it in the Chicago Sun-Times