Ed Week April 27

"School Shooter Web Video Game Raises Concerns" is another example of how our unconditional surrender to the First Amendment instead of holding people accountable when they produce something that is clearly harmful to society and has no redeeming value is destroying the fabric of our society. The First Amendment was clearly written to protect political discourse and expression not as a license to do and say what ever you want. The fact that we have allowed some of our Supreme Court justices to expand the intent of the First Amendment to include allowing people to produce a product that might incite some to commit violent acts is just plain stupid.

"College Help for Immigrants Passes" A bill in Maryland that allows undocumented (illegal) immigrant to get in-state tuition rates seems to be missing the point illegal immigrant shouldn't even be in this country let alone attending our schools. Instead of looking for ways to give them special breaks we should deport them. As long as long as we continue one segment of our population to ignore our laws we can't very well expect anyone to obey the law. I believe a version of this bill was passed by the Oregon Legistature just recently.

Ed Week April 20

"Special Schools for Homeless Students Bursting at the Seams" This article grabbed me because of course we need to educate our homeless students. I think we need to accommodate this population as well as the rest of the student population. It is ridiculous that our country with it's tremendous resources can't afford to educate all of our students. Of course we have plenty if money to throw away in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Monarch School Program in San Diego is doing a good job of meeting the needs of these kids. It looks this kind of model that includes a health clinic would be great if it were used to include all Tittle I schools. We as a society need to change our priorities to taking care of our own people instead spending our money on useless wars overseas.

"More Argument, Fewer Standards" I like this idea! Dialogue, discussion, argument, questioning, debate are all wonderful tools for stretching the mind. This is dynamic thinking at work, instead of the static thinking of remembering facts. We spend so much of our time trying to fill our students minds with facts--many of which they will forget anyway, instead of challenging them to think and acquire facts for a purpose--like supporting and argument. However as long as we continue to "teach to the test" because that's what we have to do to survive in the current "No Child Left Behind" climate we are not going to have the time to do this.