How to get skin cancer 101

A new type of class being taught in the United Kingdom. From the Daily Telegraph-

The new parity has been brought about by the Government relaxing the rules to allow schools and colleges to count practical qualifications obtained by students along with A-Levels and GCSEs in their league rankings.

It means that a merit in an ITEC diploma in "tanning treatments", for which students are taught how to operate sunbeds and apply fake tan without streaks over 72 hours, is worth 45 points in school league tables. This is equal to an A grade in one of the six units that make up an A-level in a subject such as maths.

I didn't know math was plural but who am I to criticize a member of the media.(Cue the sarcastic laughter)

Did anyone in Great Britain who approved tanning courses, know that the use of tanning beds increases the risk for skin cancer by seventy-five percent? I did, because as I write I'm fighting a battle with Stage IV malignant melanoma. The dangers of tanning beds has been known for a decade at least, and it is easily researched on the internet. If any education should be going on, it is not to use those potentially deadly devices.

The bigger point I'll make, is why is how to use a tanning bed being taught in school in the first place? Before you answer my question read what the above article also mentions

Courses in cake decoration, pottery and flower-arranging also attract similar points values.

At least those activities in theory could be put to use careerwise. As Joanne Jacobs asks-

"That self-tanning course will prepare students for . . . unemployment?"

Yes unemployed British can use this skill after being laid off. Absolutely!

Joanne also says-

Whenever I think the U.S. education system is nuts, the Brits make me feel like we're not so bad.

There are many degrees of nuttiness. If you aren't a reader of Joanne Jacobs already, I suggest you do. She is probably the best education blogger out there and I frequently hat tip here.

Johnny bring your bullets

Another example of zero tolerance run amok?

An elementary school studnet was suspended from school on Thursday after he brought ammunition to school and told schoolmates about it, according to a Marion County Sheriff's Office report.

The 11-year-old, who attends Emerald Shores Elementary School, showed other students six .22-caliber rifle cartridges and two empty shell casings that he had with him. He reportedly bragged about them to the students.

Once word spread about the ammunition, a sheriff's deputy spoke to the child about where he had obtained the items. The boy told the deputy he picked them up from the shooting range while he was there with his parents.

The school's dean told the deputy that the child would be suspended from school.

Bringing bullets to school is less dangerous than say taking a kitchen knife to cut steak with, but here in Florida both will result in having police called to the school. In this boy's case, no arrest was made. Any smart education tell me how a suspension serves the best interests of this child when it comes to his schooling? Unless its to teach him how adults can over react to kids being kids.

Nitpicker

This news reminds me of me taking notes in a 11th grade American History class.

A high school student's keen eye has caught a state test error that managed to slip past teachers, test coordinators and other students for almost a year.

Geoffrey Stanford, 17, discovered during a Kansas writing test last week that an essay question concerning greenhouse gases incorrectly used the word "omission" for the word "emission," prompting the Wichita East High School junior to point out the error.

"I thought, `Surely they're not talking about leaving out carbon dioxide altogether.' It just didn't make sense," Stanford said. "It had to be a mistake."

The state Department of Education has e-mailed a corrected version of the essay question to test coordinators around the state, but the incident already has caused a lot of red faces at the department, which used a committee of more than 30 state teachers to develop the test almost two years ago.

All of whom will assign Mr. Stanford more homework to do because he made them look foolish. What should Mr. Stanford go to work on next? The PGA Tour media guide book? The Palm Beach Post editorial page? The columns of Mark Steyn and Paul Krugman?

Speaking as an author, misspellings and incorrect use of some words will always slip through no matter how many times a work is read before publication.

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is San Francisco Board of Education member Jill Wynns. She gets the award for the following-

Overworked and exhausted San Francisco public school teachers and principals could be forced to give up their soda machines, as part of an effort to make sure they're not setting bad health examples for students.

While San Francisco Unified School District teachers and staff are given incentives -- under a federally mandated policy -- to exercise, eat healthy and stay away from junk food, the district can't force them to change their ways, according to Trish Bascom, health programs director.

However, it can take the soda machines from teacher break rooms -- and that's just what Board of Education member Jill Wynns is calling for, as the district is updating its student nutrition policy.

The student policy removed soda and candy machines from student cafeterias and locker rooms in 2003, but allowed the machines to remain in teacher break rooms.

"I know of one school, and I won't name names, where there is a soda machine in the principal's office," Wynns said, adding that it sets a bad example if teachers are telling kids not to buy caffeine-laden drinks but sipping one themselves.

Ms. Wynns do you or any of your fellow board members ever drink caffeinated coffee, get any kind of fast food for you or your children, eat beef? Should I go on?

The school board needs to pay more attention to what is going on in the classroom, not what is being bought in the faculty break room. For failing that lesson, I give San Francisco Board of Education member Jill Wynns today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Hat tip- Joanne Jacobs who writes- 'What's next? Rip out the coffee machine?'

The more things change, the more they stay the same

I'm talking about the reasons for British children not to have their homework done.

Technology failure is quickly replacing the destructive dog as the top excuse used by schoolchildren who haven't done their homework.

A Pixmania survey found that the average British teacher hears 15 excuses relating to homework a week.

When taken across the entire UK, that works out at 6.5 million excuses per week, with about 1.3 million of these related to technology.

Of the top-five tech homework excuses, computer crashes resulting in lost essays came out on top.

Others were accidental deletion after completing the homework and a failed internet connection preventing the carrying out of research.

The survey found that 68 per cent of pupils are now submitting schoolwork typed on a computer, which makes it far easier to blame technological faults.

So the excuses continue, the reasons have just adapted to the 21st century.

And what has happened to the old standby of blaming fido for not having your schoolwork ready?

Other more inventive excuses involved Russians hacking computers and stealing the homework as well as dogs urinating on the computer resulting in the computer exploding.

Dogs are getting skillful these days too.

Hat tip- Joanne Jacobs

Upside down

Six college students commit plagiarism, which is defined as literary theft, but guess who ends up getting fired?

Texas A&M International University in Laredo fired a professor for publishing the names of students accused of plagiarism.

In his syllabus, professor Loye Young wrote that he would "promptly and publicly fail and humiliate anyone caught lying, cheating or stealing." After he discovered six students had plagiarized on an essay, Young posted their names on his blog, resulting in his firing last week.

"It's really the only way to teach the students that it's inappropriate," he said.

Young, a former adjunct professor of management information systems, said he believes he made the right move. He said trials are public for a reason, and plagiarism should be treated the same way. He added that exposing cheaters is an effective deterrent.

"They were told the consequences in the syllabus," he said. "They didn't believe it."

The six students received F's and were reported to the school, but their grades may not stand because of Young's blog post, according to insidehighered.com.

Young, who also operates a computer business in Laredo, was terminated for violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that prohibits the release of students' educational records without consent. But he said he does not believe he infringed on anyone's privacy.

"You have to hold them accountable," he said. "If you don't, you hold a grave danger of having an illiterate society."

I don't know about a illiterate society, but you end up condoning thievery. Personally I take a dim view of plagiarists because I've seen my literary work stolen by others. I don't appreciate people taking credit for my work, when it takes me hundreds of hours to crank out a story or even over a thousand. One online story of mine that numbered over 100,000 words, had me spending the late winter of 2007 and most of the spring getting it written and ready for publication. If I tallied all the time spent working on my tale, I'd estimate it to be in the 400-600 hours range.

The University's actions are predictable in light of Young not being tenured and Federal law that protects student records. As a writer and blogger, I'm angry the real rule breakers in this affair are getting off with little punishment(Their F grades are under review) other than the humiliation they received from Professor Young.

Renita Coleman, a UT assistant professor who taught a journalism course on ethics in the spring, said there are better ways to handle plagiarism.

"I don't think that it serves anybody well to publicly humiliate them," she said. "It doesn't teach anybody that it's wrong."

Coleman said each university has specific guidelines for dealing with cheating, and situational factors should be taken into account. She said she has dealt with repentant plagiarists who weren't punished severely since they said they learned a lesson.

"Admitting your mistake and making an effort to fix it goes a long way," she said. "Motivations matter."

I disagree with Professor Coleman. Humiliation or the fear of it, are great ways to motivate people. Humiliation is used every day in criminal justice and effectively. Wouldn't it have the same effect in academia?

Hat tip- Professor Volokh at The Volokh Conspiracy. Insider Higher Ed is also writing on this news.

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is the Dallas Independent School District. They get the award for the following-

Years after being advised by a state agency to stop, the Dallas Independent School District continued to provide foreign citizens with fake Social Security numbers to get them on the payroll quickly.

Some of the numbers were real Social Security numbers already assigned to people elsewhere. And in some cases, the state's educator certification office unknowingly used the bogus numbers to run criminal background checks on the new hires, most of whom were brought in to teach bilingual classes.

The practice was described in an internal report issued in September by the district's investigative office, which looked into the matter after receiving a tip. The report said the Texas Education Agency learned of the fake numbers in 2004 and told DISD then that the practice "was illegal."

It's unclear how long DISD had been issuing the phony numbers, and district officials didn't know Thursday how many had been given out. But the investigative report and interviews with DISD employees indicate the practice went on for several years before it was discontinued this past summer.

DISD human resources chief Kim Olson, who came to the district in 2007, said that she learned about the false numbers this past summer around the time the district's investigative unit was looking into them and that she put a stop to the practice.

"There's no way we should be doing that kind of stuff," Ms. Olson said. "Even if your intention is good to help employees get paid, you can't use inappropriate procedures to do that."

Besides the plain ilegality of what was done, how would the people who approved this like their social security numbers used by other people. I bet not too much, it can play havoc with people's lifes from taxes, to credit reports, to even being falsely accused of being a criminal. The school district could be sued by the legitimate holders of those Social security numbers.

Everyone who was behind this should be fired. In the meantime I name the Dallas Independent School District today's Knucklehead of the Day. I truly suggest readers go and read The Dallas Morning News article in its entirety.

Hat tip- Michelle Malkin

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Gabriel Saucedo. He gets the award for the following-

Arizona State University student Alex Botsios said he had no problem giving a nighttime intruder his wallet and guitars.

When the man asked for Botsios' laptop, however, the first-year law student drew the line.

"I was like, 'Dude, no -- please, no!" Botsios said. "I have all my case notes...that's four months of work!"

Police said Gabriel Saucedo entered Botsios' apartment through an open window early Thursday morning. When Botsios woke up, Saucedo threatened him with a baseball bat, police said.

He was just like, 'I'm going to smash your head in,'" Botsios said.

At that point, the law student wrestled the bat away and began punching Saucedo, Botsios said.

"I basically grabbed him and threw him this way, and he held onto the bat so it threw him to the ground," he said.

Police said they took Saucedo to the hospital for stitches before they arrested him on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping. Other than a bruised knuckle and a few scratches, Botsios was unharmed.

If you're going to threaten someone with a baseball bat, you better know how to use it. Also don't try to steal a law student's computer which has all his class notes on it. He's liable to fight back. All of this earns Gabriel Saucedo today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Hat tip- Jonathan Adler at The Volokh Conspiracy

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is West Brook Middle School Principal Joan Broe. She gets the award for the following.

PARAMUS, N.J. (CBS) ― A Paramus middle school student was sent home Friday after he came to school dressed up as Jesus for Halloween.

For a few hours, Alex Woinski was the messiah of West Brook Middle School, but like the real Jesus, Woinski was condemned, so to speak.

"Sort of like a new remake of what supposedly happened," Woinski told CBS 2.

Decked out in sandals, a robe, fake beard and thorns, the 13-year-old joined 500 other students at his school's Halloween celebration, and on this day, he was the chosen one - to go home.

"It was offensive to some students," Woinski said, when asked what school officials told him the reason for being sent home was.

Woinski says he wore the costume because friends say his long hair makes him a Jesus lookalike, and were not offended by his costume.

The school says thes costume was a disruption and denies its religious nature had anything to do with it.

"I don't think I overreacted," Principal Joan Broe told CBS 2.

Broe said too many students were drawn to the costume, and that was reason enough.

"Children were [asking], where is the boy who is Jesus Christ?" she said. "It was disrupting the education process."

I am not much into Halloween. The whole holiday is disruptive to me. Is a school supposed to be a party for one or a place to educate? Tell all the kids to go home and change.

Note- Alex Woinski has a Catholic mother and a Jewish father and recently celebrated his bar mitzvah. Jesus was Jewish, as was his father.

I agree with Mrs. Woinski, this is political correctness run amok. I name West Brook Middle School Principal Joan Broe today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Hat tip- Joanne Jacobs

Sacked

The latest episode of the Nanny state run amok

The sack race and three-legged race have been banned from a school sports day because the children might fall over and hurt themselves.

Parents and campaigners described the move as "completely over the top". Teachers at John F. Kennedy Primary School in Washington dropped the events after discussions with Beamish Open Air Museum, where the Edwardian-themed sports day is being held today.

About 375 children are dressing up in period costume for the event. Running, hopping and throwing table-tennis balls into buckets will be allowed.

Laura Midgley, founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said: "It's health and safety rules gone mad. I think it's completely over the top. The worst thing that could possibly happen is the children fall over."

No we can't have that. Has the 'tug of war' been eliminated also? Children must not strain their ligaments in unsafe activity.

I suggest all children only be let out of the house every day after having to put on rubber suits and body armor. We must reduce the threat of any injury, no matter how small.(Turns of sarcasm at conclusion of this post....)

Hat tip- Joanne Jacobs

Well qualified

Here's some news you don't read every day.

The winner of the Miss Korea 2002 pageant, Keum Na-na (21), has received a letter of acceptance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Monday. The letter from MIT stated that Ms. Keum is an outstanding student with a great deal of potential and possesses both beauty and intelligence.

Considering the fact that MIT also nominated her for a scholarship, Ms. Keum no doubt obtained acceptance from the prestigious university thanks to her high marks in academics.

The letter from MIT noted Ms. Keum's beauty. Since when did college admissions factor that in when accepting a student. Not that the former Ms. Korea grades well IMHO. Her skills are very nice.

Keum first attracted public attention when she won the Miss Korea beauty pageant. She graduated from Gyeongbuk Science High School, and went to Kyungpook National University to study Medicine.

Brains and beuaty. Was Na-Na's answer to a beauty pageant question 'How would you like to change the world?' that she would wanted to be the first Miss Korea to go to MIT? I'm betting she didn't say World Peace.

Hat tip- Joe Seoulman

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Sunrise Elementary School Principal Issac Burgess IV. He gets the award for the following.

OCALA - A 10-year-old girl could face a felony weapons charge after she brought a kitchen knife to school with her steak lunch, the child's uncle said Saturday.

Marion County deputies arrested the girl Thursday at Sunrise Elementary School and took her to the Juvenile Assessment Center. School faculty had seen her cutting the steak with the knife at lunch. They took the knife away from her before calling the Sheriff's Office and her uncle.

Her uncle, Kenneth Thomas, said the child was distraught by the arrest.

I'd be distraught too. If I was Thomas or any of this girl's family, I'd be bringing this story to the attention of every major media organization there is. The Orlando Sentinel and Ocala Star Banner are a start, Wizbang is glad to help.

Rules to keep weapons out of school have a purpose. Using a knife on steak, I think that would tell anyone isn't a crime. Instead some brainless school officials call the police.

Note- Pencils, pens, even eyeglasses(Anyone remember the scene in The Godfather Part III?) and other items can be turned into dangerous weapons. However we do allow them into schools. We expect school officials to use common sense, which apparently no one involved with Marion County schools possess. This newspaper article has a school spokesperson give the canned response 'has zero tolerance for weapons on school grounds." Brains must be baned on school grounds too. For both articles clearly state, the girl wasn't threatening, just eating her lunch. Eating lunch is a crime in Central Florida!

From Sunrise Elementary School's front page

Do What's Right, Do Your Best, Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated.

This school's sorry administration doesn't practice what they preach. That and a absolute lack of intelligence and common sense cause me to name Principal Issac Burgess IV today's Knucklehead of the Day. Show that to students Mr. Burgess!

Linked to- Adam, Blue Star, Bright & Early, Church and State, Jo, Leaning Straight Up, Morewhat, Populist, Pirate's Cove, Pursuing Holiness, Right Voices, Right Wing Nation, Rosemary, Samantha Burns, Stop the ACLU, Stuck on Stupid, Third World County, Woman Honor Thyself, The World According to Carl, Yankee Sailor,

Learning Chinese

From the Daytona News-Journal-

DELTONA -- Joseph Negron is only a high school freshman, but already has his sights set on attending the University of Florida and hopes learning Chinese will help him win admission to the highly competitive school.

"It's one of the best languages to help me get in," said Negron, one of 24 students taking Pine Ridge High School's first Mandarin Chinese course this semester.

The Deltona school -- which also offers Arabic, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish -- is part of a growing number of American high schools offering Chinese and other "exotic" languages.

"It really is an explosion of interest in Chinese programs," said Marty Abbott, director of education for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. "It really is the language to add right now.

"People are looking ahead and thinking the Chinese economy is going to be the economy to compete with in the 21st century," Abbott said.

Her organization based in Alexandria, Va., estimates between 30,000 and 50,000 American high school students are now enrolled in Chinese classes, compared to 5,000 at the start of the new century.

First how is a the the official language of the world's most populous nation exotic? Standard Mandarin is also spoken heavily in countries other than the People's Republic of China.

I'm all for the teaching of foreign languages in languages. Actually I think they should be taught far before a child is in secondary school. When it comes to speaking a second language, Americans lag far behind the rest of the world. Just take the nation of my wife's birth, The Philippines. English is taught in grade school. An American in that country can easily converse with over 90% of the population.

Other nations in Europe and Asia teach English at an early age. I think American schools would be wise to emulate this practice of teaching a foreign language at a young age. Whether it is Chinese, Spanish, Arabic or several others. Our children may well grow up needing the ability to speak other than English. One day there may be more English speakers in the PRC than the USA.

Linked to- Adam, Bright & Early, Bullwinkle, High Desert Wanderer, Leaning Straight Up, Pirate's Cove, Right Wing Nation, Rosemary,

Today's lesson

From Reuters-

ROME (Reuters) - An Italian teacher has been suspended from school because of her extra-curricular activities as a porn star, local authorities announced Thursday.

The out-of-hours behavior of Anna Ciriani, who calls herself "Madameweb" in hard-core videos on the Internet and at erotic shows, was "not compatible with educational activity," the head of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia education authority said.

Ciriani, dubbed the "porno-prof" by Italy's main newspapers, said she never let her hobby get in the way of her teaching.

"My behavior at school has always been professional and irreproachable," she was quoted as saying by the AGI agency.

"I am a normal woman, with my family and my work as a teacher. I am (also) looking for transgression and sex."

Five years ago Ciriani was transferred from her post as teacher of Italian literature in a secondary school in the north-eastern town of Pordenone after students covered the toilets with nude photos of her downloaded from the Internet.

Since then she has been giving evening classes to foreign adult students in a nearby town.

I agree with the education official, there is nothing compatible with Ciriani's other line of work and her job as a teacher. Someone with common sense(which Ciriani appears to lack) would know for a teacher to be effective, they have to be respected by students. The actions of the students in Pordernone show that Ms. Ciriani has trashed herself in that regard.

I wonder what Ms. Ciriani was teaching in those evening classes. Feel free to make your own snarky comments.

Last but not least, Reuters named the teacher. I've long noted how the news service deletes the name of transgressors from their news stories. Has Reuters changed their policy or was this just a one shot affair?

Linked to- Big Dog, Blue Star, DragonLady, Rosemary,

Another job to fill

The appointment of Bob Kanjian to the Palm Beach County Commission means Governor Crist now has another job to fill.

Bob Kanjian left the Palm Beach County School Board last week with high praise from Superintendent Art Johnson and the board's remaining six members.

Now, they're left to wonder along with the public: Who's going to join the team, and when?

Gov. Charlie Crist, who appointed Kanjian to the Palm Beach County Commission, so far has no deadline for choosing an interim member to fill the District 4 vacancy.



Crist's office is taking applications for the nonpartisan post, and seven people expressed interest as of 5 p.m. Friday, said Anthony De Luise, the governor's press secretary. One is Terry Pereira, of Boynton Beach, who lost to Kanjian in last year's election.

The appointee will serve until a special election in November 2008 decides who serves the final two years of Kanjian's term.

The district stretches from Singer Island to Delray Beach. Responsibilities of the $40,887 job include overseeing the superintendent and setting policies for the nation's 11th-largest school system and its 166,000 students.

TFM lives within this School Board district. Should I apply? I don't think calling Governor Crist a Knucklehead and a stand up comedian in addition to my being a sarcastic blogger would help me land the job. Oh well.

There's rarely turnover on the School Board. Three members last year were re-elected without opposition. Kanjian and Pereira were the only two candidates who aimed to succeed Tom Lynch, the board chairman who did not seek a third, four-year term.

Some political observers have suggested few want to run for the board because of general satisfaction with the school system, a lack of controversial issues, difficulties with unseating incumbents, and a heavy work and time commitment.

Other than the payroll mess, which wasn't the fault of the school board, I have seldom blogged on issues involving the County School board. There just hasn't been anything blog worthy.

Wahid Mahmood, chairman of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party, said his organization plans to recommend some applicants for the School Board seat within the next week.

*****

Sid Dinerstein, chairman of the county Republican Party, said Friday that party leaders are to meet today to discuss whether to endorse a candidate.

I hope Crist ignores both Dinerstein's and Mahmood's attempts at kingmaking. The recommended choice of Jerry Taylor for the Newell seat left much to be desired.

Other School Board applicants are: Jan Porter, of Palm Beach Gardens, an education activist; Patricia Murphy Propheter, of Lake Worth, an attorney and former teacher; Ronald E. Giddens, who lives west of Boynton Beach, an optometrist; Stephen Waldman, of Boynton Beach, a child-care supervisor; Nick Loeb, of Delray Beach, a private wealth manager; and Stanley I. Warshaw, of Boynton Beach, an international trade consultant.

I don't know a thing about any of the applicants. At least my State Representative, Shelley Vana, isn't on the list. Shelley wouldn't get a thumbs up from me.

Linked to- Bright & Early, Bullwinkle, Rosemary, The World According to Carl,

Physical Education loopholes

Beginning this school year Florida public school students in grades kindergarten to fifth are required to get 150 minutes a week of PE each week. How is it working so far?

Crist was stunned, though, when Ellen Smith, a physical education teacher at Gove Elementary School in Belle Glade, told him one school was counting the time it takes students to walk to the cafeteria for lunch as part of the physical education requirement.

"Some principals are like good lawyers," Smith said. "They find loopholes."

She declined to name the school, but Crist said he was looking forward to hearing from her in private.

"I was serious when I asked about what schools we might be able to go visit and encourage good participation," Crist said.

FCAT mania has so overtaken some Florida schools, that I believe Ms. Smith's claims. I do feel Physical Education should be required in Florida public schools, but on the same hand the money needs to be budgeted for the classes. Plus the Florida legislature has to state the requirements quite clearly in the legislation they pass, which they apparently didn't. Well meaning laws that can't be enforced are just plain useless.

Linked to- Bright & Early, Woman Honor Thyself, The World According to Carl,

Hebrew lessons

From the Sun-Sentinel-

Ben Gamla Charter School stopped teaching Hebrew on Thursday, the day after school officials vowed to continue the language lessons.

The Broward School Board on Tuesday ordered the bilingual charter school to suspend its Hebrew curriculum pending more review.

The review of the language programs Ben Gamla was planning to use, are to be done by Hebrew Professor hired by the school board.

But the Hollywood school refused and continued its language lessons Wednesday.

On Thursday, however, Ben Gamla officials conceded and stopped.

Another Sun-Sentinel article tells us more. Including that the agreement the charter school with the school board, allows the teaching of Hebrew.

(Peter)Deutsch and (School Attorney)Rassbach said the School Board did not have the authority to shelve the language curriculum. The charter school was approved in May, and debate has mounted since.

Charter school representatives were at Tuesday's meeting to amend its curriculum for the third time to satisfy the School Board.

But the board put off approving the new language program until it could be scrutinized by a Hebrew professor hired to help monitor the school. With the backing of the full board, Beverly Gallagher, the board's chairwoman, suggested Ben Gamla teach only reading, writing and arithmetic until a Hebrew curriculum could be found that both sides agree on.

Rassbach said the board's deferment meant lessons previously approved must now be used to teach the 400 students attending the kindergarten through eighth-grade school.

Even though board members complained, they approved language programs in May and again in July saying they had few other options.

Hebrew is the national language of Israel and spoken in only a few other places. The language is closely associated with Judaism. The Torah, the most important document in the religion, is in Hebrew. Is teaching Hebrew therefore a teaching of religion?

I'm not Jewish, and the only language I speak is English. To my untrained eye, I wouldn't see the teaching of Hebrew to also mean you're also teaching Judaism. Though if I had to guess many if not most of the students at the school are of the Jewish faith. What's the parents opinion of this controversy? I guess the School board could be conducting an exercise in CYA in order to stymie potential lawsuits.

Its always been my opinion that foreign languages should be taught in public schools, preferably at a young age. For I admire people who can speak more than one, like a Polish priest friend of mine who can converse in Polish, German, English and Latin of course. My Philippine born wife speaks Tagalog(Filipino), two of its dialects(Waray and Cebuano) in addition. Here I am barely able to put two sentences together in English. I guess I'm a dumb one.

Linked to- Bright & Early, High Desert Wanderer, Right Wing Nation, The World According to Carl,

Lucky slots

From the Palm Beach Post-

TALLAHASSEE — As much as $700 million in budget cuts for public schools might be averted if the state can reach a deal allowing - and taxing - slot-machine gambling run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday.

"My hope is that we don't have to do any cuts in education ... but rather additions," Crist said after a Governor's Mansion meeting with teachers about nutrition and exercise programs at schools.

But those close to the deal, including a lawyer representing the Seminoles, say that the compact being negotiated would net the state only a fraction of what would be needed for public schools. The amount is closer to $50 million, attorney Barry Richard said.

Senate Democratic leader Steve Geller, a gambling law expert, said the state could collect about $200 million after the tribe's full-fledged casinos have been up and running for a few years.

"But I never heard any number anywhere like $700 million," Geller said.

Crist's office has been negotiating with the tribe since he took office, following the introduction of voter-approved slot-machine gambling at horse tracks, dog tracks and jai alai frontons in Broward County.

Indian tribes generally have been permitted to offer the same types of gambling on their reservations that other entities within the state are allowed to offer.

Counting on revenue from gambling to enhance or pay for education has been tried once before in this state. It is called the Florida lottery, which was established by a statewide referendum in 1986. While the lottery has funded programs like Bright futures, its hardly been the silver bullet solution some proposed it would be for education financing.

I don't have a problem on the use of gambling proceeds to finance education. The government taxes other 'sins', like tobacco and alcohol to raise revenue, so what is the difference? Still as history as shown us, it's a poor bet to think this revenue will improve education in the Sunshine State.

Linked to- Bright & Early, The World According to Carl,

The Going rate

The most recent news on Florida Atlantic University's search for a new fundraiser.

Florida Atlantic University has extended the application deadline for the school's chief fund-raising job, finding just two leading candidates out of an initial list of 42 hopefuls.

Doug Smith, a consultant working with an FAU search committee, said Monday he didn't see any stand-out résumés among those who applied and urged the group to keep looking for a replacement for Lawrence Davenport. Davenport resigned as senior vice president for university advancement in March with $577,950 in severance pay.

"I thought it was exceptionally weak, to be blunt," Smith said about the pool of applicants. "You have to know how high the stakes are here."

And, Smith acknowledged, filling the spot won't be easy.

The job includes leading the FAU Foundation as executive director and will mean running a capital campaign for hundreds of millions of dollars that the university hopes to launch soon.

The expensive dismissal/firing of Lawrence Davenport earned FAU President Frank Brogan a Knucklehead award. Brogan still hasn't adequately explained why Davenport got such a lucrative severance package.

The Palm Beach Post editorialized today.

It comes as little surprise that Florida Atlantic University extended the timeline for replacing chief fund-raiser Lawrence Davenport, who resigned in March. Or that FAU's search consultant calls the candidate pool "exceptionally weak" after the department's latest controversy, Dr. Davenport's nearly $600,000 going-away package.

But as any marketing student knows, the best strategy is to turn a negative into a strength. Rather than promote the job's hefty salary or FAU's great and growing medical and other programs, perhaps the pitch should be: "Come on down; the severance is great."

LOL, Randy Schultz. This isn't the first time I've enjoyed a sarcastic Post editorial. Read this one involving the local school board's payroll mess. In spite of all the Knucklehead awards I've awarded the Post in the last two years, TFM admits they do get something right occasionally.

The search for Lawrence Davenport's replacement should go on, as well as the questioning of Frank Brogan in regards to why he paid Davenport so much severance. The University's donors and the citizens of Palm Beach County deserve an answer.

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Liars can't figure

Politicians have been complaining about how the new property tax proposal will effect local revenues. Is it really true? Take this for instance from today's Palm Beach Post.

The Palm Beach County School Board will get its first look today at a proposed $3.6 billion budget - its biggest ever.

The budget includes about $1.5 billion for operating costs such as staff salaries, programs and books, $1.6 billion to build and renovate school buildings, $176 million in grant money and $40 million for contingency.

The money for schools comes from property taxes and the state's sales tax. Over the past 10 years, the district's share of education costs has risen as the state's has declined. Today, 72 percent of the budget relies on the county's property tax revenues compared to 60 percent in 1998.

In Palm Beach County, rising property values have provided the district a cushion in its budget, allowing it to avoid massive cuts. And as property values have increased, tax rates have declined. Even this year, as property value increases have slowed, the rates dropped from $7.87 per $1,000 of home value to $7.36, the lowest rate in 20 years.

Property tax cuts are happening but the budget is bigger than ever. Then what's the big deal?

Though property taxes have risen from last year, it's not as much as officials anticipated.

On the construction side, the decline in property tax revenue has put nearly every project on the district's five-year plan in doubt. Last month, officials learned they had received $281 million less than expected from property taxes and said they will reexamine the construction and renovation of new schools.

Why are construction projects being put on hold? Palm Beach County taxpayers passed a half cent sales tax to finance just that in 2004?

Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County voters overwhelmingly passed a referendum to raise the sales tax by a half-cent on the dollar for the next six years to build new public schools and replace older buildings. Thanks to the extra sales tax -- it adds a quarter to a $50 purchase of taxable items -- officials say the system will avoid a "catastrophic" scenario of overcrowded schools, deteriorating campuses and even classes held year-round. The half-percent tax, starting Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31, 2010, is projected ultimately to raise an estimated $560 million toward a $1 billion construction program. The plan includes opening or starting work on 14 new schools and 26 replacement schools and classroom additions at 27 schools -- all during the next five years. Administrators say they had no choice but to pursue the referendum because the district is projected to fall far short of obtaining the needed money from loans, property taxes and state sources. The construction plan is so large due to the addition of about 5,000 new students each year, a schedule of modernizing campuses that are more than 35 years old, an anti-overcrowding policy and high construction costs.

Why isn't that paying for school construction? Is the Palm Beach County School board going to do it again? In the 1980's a bond issue was passed to pay for school construction. Instead the money went towards teacher salaries and other expenses. It was a big scandal in the early 90's, and why it took years for the School board to make another special effort to raise money for school construction.

The increase in this year's funding is less than it has been in the past. For example, last year the total grew by 8.4 percent, but by only 5.4 percent this year.

When officials subtract money for state requirements, such as class size and teacher performance bonuses, the increase amounts to 2 percent, half as much as last year.

Part of the decrease is the result of declining student enrollment - 3,000 students aren't expected to return for the second straight year. The loss prompted the state to cut about $3 million from the district's budget this year.

Taxes are still up, student enrollment is down, the budget has gone up and the sales tax is still in effect. So what's the big fuss about the property tax initiative? To me it looks like local school officials are being crybabies. What do you think?

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