Education News: March 16, 2007

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending March 16, 2007.

Girls Are Now ‘Huffing’ More Than Boys, Abuse Study Says
(Source: USA Today, 3/16/07): The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a report on Thursday showing that more teenage girls than boys are using inhalants to get high. Common household objects such as aerosol cans can be used by youth to “get high,” which can lead to dangerous behavior and health problems.

Bill Would End Corporal Punishment in Schools
(Source: The News & Observer, 3/15/07): The number of school districts that allow corporal punishment for students outweighs outnumber those that ban it in the state of North Carolina. Lawmakers are considering a bill to ban the practice state-wide. In the past, the issue has been handled at the district level, with each district implementing its own policy.

Dozens in GOP Turn Against Bush’s Prized ‘No Child’ Act
(Source: The Washington Post, 3/15/07): More than 50 Republican members of the House and Senate are introducing a bill in Congress that would allow states to opt out of provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. Many Republicans voted for the measure the first time around, but now some legislators are speaking out against a law they see as punitive.

Teacher Walkout Cancels Classes in West Virginia
(Source: The New York Times, 3/14/07): Teachers in at least 14 counties in West Virginia staged a walkout on Wednesday, protesting their salaries. West Virginia State pays the 47th most competitive salary in the nation. Only three states have teacher salaries lower than West Virginia’s, and districts say they have a hard time recruiting new teachers to join their districts. A 3.5% increase in salary that the legislature passed was deemed to be too low by protesting teachers.

Jackson Urges Recognition for Scientifically Inclined Youth
(Source: The [Minneapolis-St. Paul] Star Tribune, 3/13/07): Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, delivered a speech in Minnesota last week about the importance of encouraging more young people to get involved in science and math. She calls the projected shortfall of people in these fields the “quiet crisis” and predicts that the United States will become less competitive in the future if steps are not taken to combat this problem.

Justices to Hear Landmark Free-Speech Case
(Source: The Washington Post, 3/13/07): “Bong hits 4 Jesus,” the non-sensical phrase a high school senior in Alaska displayed during the running of the Olympic torch in Juneau, will be debated in the Supreme Court this week. The American Civil Liberties Union will be arguing that the punishment the student received puts a cap on free speech, while Kenneth Starr will argue that schools have a right to disallow speech they deem harmful for students.

School Bomb Threats Are Getting Out of Hand
(Source: The Buffalo News, 3/13/07): The Buffalo school district is exploring more options for legal punishment in the face of an increasing number of school bomb threats made in recent weeks. Estimating that each threat costs $40,000 to evacuate students and thoroughly search the premises, administrators are looking at legislation proposed by State Senator Mary Lou Rath that would require students to make restitution and face possible jail time if caught.

Texas House to Debate Bill Barring HPV Vaccine Requirement
(Source: The Houston Chronicle, 3/13/07): Texas State Representatives will be debating a bill overriding the governor’s mandate that all sixth grade girls in Texas get vaccinated against HPV by 2008. 93 legislators already support the bill, but 100 votes will be needed to implement it if there is a gubernatorial veto.

75% of Education School Grads Can’t Get Jobs in Michigan
(Source: The Detroit News, 3/12/07): Certified teachers in Michigan greatly outnumber the available jobs for teachers in the state. Michigan teacher preparation programs cost taxpayers roughly $5,000 per student per year, and some people are upset that their money is educating teachers who will teach out of state. Michigan expects to lose an additional 15,000 school-age children next year as the younger population continues to shrink.

Monitors Will Oversee State Testing in Pennsylvania Schools
(Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/12/07): The state of Pennsylvania is sending monitors to oversee the Pennsylvania State School Assessment tests which are starting on March 13th. Monitors will look to see how closely test administrators are complying with instructions. The Pennsylvania State Assessment tests are used as the benchmark for measuring student progress against the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act.