News & Views
After pledging to improve his falling grades, Shane Halligan ate breakfast with his family, went off to school, and took his own life. The 11th-grader was an Eagle scout and volunteer firefighter who planned a career in the military. But the poor grades he brought home on his report card Monday led his parents to warn him to focus on school."The picture that's emerging is he was despondent over (the fact) his grades are down, his parents are taking appropriate steps to limit extracurricular activities to get the grades up, and he saw the things that he felt were important in his life being taken from him," Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor said.
My heart goes out to his parents.
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VA Teacher Suspended Over His Art (?) Career
Murmer, a popular high school art teacher, was suspended after objections were raised about his private abstract artwork, much of which includes smearing his posterior and genitals with paint and pressing them against canvas. Murmer contacted the American Civil Liberties Union on Friday, saying school administrators had suspended him with pay for five days because of his work as a painter and that he could face further punishment, ACLU legal director Rebecca Glenberg said. At Monacan High, where the mere mention of Murmer's name was enough to elicit grins from students Tuesday. Most supported their teacher, describing his suspension as "stupid" and "ignorant." Owning a piece of Murmer's art doesn't come cheap. On his Web site, his creations run upward of $900. His most popular piece, "Tulip Butts," goes for $600.
It amazes me what people consider "art" and what they are willing to pay for it.
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Parents Scared To Send Kids To Public School
"People are scared to educate their children in Moss Point schools. " Margaret Lett came to the meeting for answers to questions the PTO had previously asked the board in closed session. She invited Hill to come to the PTO meeting and see what the group is doing to improve the schools. "We want positive things to happen to Moss Point," she said. "The children are really basically good," she said. After the meeting, Lett pointed out that Moss Point schools have the lowest rates of violence and drugs of any school on the Coast.
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Parents Worried About New School Zones For Ocean Springs
Several parents who attended the public meeting voiced concerns about the redistricting proposal. Sonya Ramsey said the plan could cause her child, who attends Magnolia Park Elementary, to be transferred to another school further away. "My child would be bused an additional 20 to 30 minutes to Pecan Park," she said.
- Aelfric Worries About Socialization Of Homeschoolers
Aelfric says I am all for the right of a parent to home-school his or her child, but it's a choice to be carefully undertaken. Few parents can bring the intellectual diversity and educational acumen to bear that the panoply of school teachers could...
- Why Homeschoolers Care About Public Schools
A certain blogger delights in pointing out problems they perceive with homeschooling (without any facts to back up their imaginary problems). While I personally think they should mind their own business as my homeschooling my own children in no way concerns...
- Magnolia School Officials Behave Like Children
From the Letters to the Editor in the Meridian Star. I couldn’t believe I was in a meeting with school officials. I have seen better behavior out of children. Our school won’t get any better with these types of leaders. If I had acted the way they...
- Educational News
In New Jersey we have Hell in the Public School Classroom. Sixteen-year-old junior Matthew LaClair says he was shocked when history teacher David Paszkiewicz, who is also a Baptist preacher in town, spent the first week lecturing students more about Heaven...
- Public Education Is Inherently Destructive
One of the big problems with the public school system is that the schools are not accountable to the parents. Parents have their children's best interest at heart; unfortunately public schools often do not. Public education is inherently destructive....