This year’s yearly progress report of schools revealed that more than 2,500 schools have failed to meet the standards set forth by the act, up from last year’s figure of 2,000 schools. Schools that failed to meet Annual Yearly Progress standards for more than two years in a row are required to implement special programs, such as tutoring, to help students reach the required standard.

Chico, however, feels that the current students set forth by politicians are “unattainable” and should instead be “realistic.” The U.S. Board of Education decided earlier in the year that it would consider waiving the requirements for schools that agreed to enact certain reforms.

But will the state of Illinois – a state where schools districts are merging their student bodies, eliminating bus transportation, and shortening the school day or even week – come through on their promises of reform?  The state’s Regional Superintendents of Education have already been working since July without pay, as a judge allowed for Gov. Pat Quinn to suspend their pay. Regional superintendents are in charge of transportation, the overseers of teachers’  certifications, and other services provided on a regional scale.

While many regional superintendents have continued to work without pay, news reports of resignations are starting to trickle in across the state.

Linda Brown, was a seven year old African-American child in the third grade who had to walk one mile to a bus stop through a railroad station to wait for a bus that would take her to a “black elementary school.”

Linda lived in Topeka, Kansas where a “white elementary school” was only seven blocks away, but only white students could attend this school.

This started the Brown vs. Board of Education lawsuit in 1951. Linda’s father, Oliver Brown and thirteen other parents tried and failed to enroll their children in the local “white schools” in the summer of 1950. They were turned down because of their race, and told to apply to one of the four schools in the city for African-Americans.

The parents of these children filed suit against the Topeka Board of Education, since Oliver Brown was the first parent on the list, the lawsuit was named after him. At this point in time, Blacks were not treated fairly, for every $150 spent on white children at their schools, only $50 was spent on African-American children at the “black schools.” The African-American schools did not have current textbooks, not sufficient school supplies and overcrowded classrooms.

Oliver who was turned down by the white school went to the NAACP to fight to get Linda into that school. The NAACP hired lawyers who fought for African-American children all over the U.S., to be able to attend the same school as white children, but at the state level this case lost. Referring to the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson which allowed separate but equal school systems for black and white children, and since no court ever overturned this case the state courts saw no reason to change it. The state courts stated that by continuing to enforce this ruling, the black children would accept their lower class and segregation sooner as Blacks could not eat in the same restaurants, drink from fountains or ride in the same train cars as white people.

Then the NAACP took the case to the United States Supreme Court on October 1, 1951, alongside other similar cases that challenged separate schools for black and white students. These cases started in South Carolina, Virginia and Delaware, they were joined together to be fought as one.

Some black scholars didn’t see a problem with attending all black schools, and the lawyers for the Board of Education used this argument to their advantage. The Brown lawyers argued that there should only be a separation of schools if the Black children were different than anyone else. They argued for three days, but the Supreme Court Justices talked about it for months. Instead of ruling they asked all the lawyers more questions, and then one Supreme Court justice had to be replaced and it was put over for another year.

Three years later the case ended on May 17, 1954 and Linda Brown and the other children like her won their case. The Supreme Court agreed that it wasn’t fair to have separate schools based on color. Prejudice held back some states for years from making the change, a change where they could be treated equally.

It looks like some Blacks in positions of authority and great responsibility is suffering from a serious case of Negroisum or a extreme case of an inability to make sound and ethical decisions when it comes to performing duties while holding positions of great trust and authority.  Supervisors, School Board Members, Mayors, City Counsel Members, Ministers etc.  Paid or Unpaid some of these individuals are not understanding that they do not represent themselves, but are serving the people that voted for them and trust them to carry out the duties of their offices in a ethical manner.

Many say they should not be viewed differently because they are African American and are conducting themselves like many that hold those positions.  They should be held to a higher standard.  These individuals get elected or appointed to these positions and act as if they do not owe their Communities, Wives, Kids, Ancestors, and God anything.  They act like they have been given a pass to bring shame on their people by not matering Self Control.  Why is it that when some people get a position, money, or power they loose common sense and their ability to reason.  These people become arrogant and walk around with their asses on their backs thinking they are a ruler and can break any and ever Law they please.  It is no longer the people’s money or budget.  “It is my budget!”  ”I do not represent the Students in my district.”  ”I represent my dam self.”  “I am Mr. or Miss. My Do Do Don’t Stink and to hell with my husband, wife, community and race.”  “Those So and SOs ain’t done nothing but believe in me, support me, love me and elect me to represent them.”  “What the hell is that?”  “I don’t owe no body anything!”  

Ofcourse no one is perfect, but most know right from wrong.  There are enough examples of this type of behavior for people to follow and not come in and make the same errors.  There should be a push for the communities that these Clowns represent to step up their efforts to hold them accountable.  Taring and feathering should not be left out.        

It was first just a rather ordinary meeting of the Florida school board, when Clay Allen Duke interrupted the meeting and stood in front of everyone.

He had spray painted the letter “V” for vendetta on the wall. (Vendetta is Italian for revenge.) He pulled out his handgun and started ranting about the school board firing his wife and tried to shoot six board members, until  he was shot in the leg by meeting’s security guard. After this, Duke turned the handgun towards himself and shot himself in the head in front of the whole school board. Actually, in front of the whole word.

Before this tragedy the school board had brought a video camera to record this meeting, though they did not know this awful event was about to happen. The video has been published on the internet, and here they are:

http://www.youtube.com/v/N-X2w0Pn09k?version=3

http://www.youtube.com/v/ReJn0kmobnI?version=3

http://www.youtube.com/v/6JNCLBEvko4?version=3

It is hard to wonder what would make a man, even one who had been inflicted with mental handicaps, such as Mr. Duke, to go to such extremes in their attempts to make a better world. While not condoning what he did; his use of the gun, and threatening the lives of innocent people, I do somewhat understand the position he took, or to better phrase, how he saw the world as being filled with its possible, and what would make him feel the emotion to act against it.

But what does Mr. Duke represent in our society? How does his story fit into the story of America, of ourselves, and the direction of our own nation. Quite a lot when you look at the situation as a whole. And while many would chuck Mr. Duke’s situation off as the occasional lunatic, that man who we see as the reject of society, never to return to our thoughts once his time in the national spotlight has ended. But is this right? Is this how we should see his story, and the story of hundreds who make such a violent last stand? I don’t feel this attitude is the best interest of ourselves, or our nation.

I think a great discourse is needed, and quickly, if we are to remedy this situation, a situation that is getting increasingly worse with each passing year. For to avoid this discussion is to avoid the symptoms of a growing cancer that can and will, if left untreated, do harm this nation to a point that it will never recover.

Does Mr. Duke have the right to be made into a hero of the common man? Of course not, but we calls to attention the problems that we are now facing. He shows us the need to see what gave birth to this situation, to learn, and to avoid continuing these mistakes any further. What was it that led to this crisis, and, ultimately, what led to Mr. Duke taking his own life?

It seems there has been a great failure, on many levels, to help Mr. Duke and others like him. Having suffered from at least one mental illness, and having served time within our correctional system, there was at least, for some time, a chance to locate and rectify what it was that was ailing this man. But much like others who have been through this institution, he was returned to society as far from corrected as one could possibly be.

He also had, judging from his now suicide note, appeared to have a growing discontent against the wealthy members of our society. Which is showing how ineffective the economy is actually recovering, given the continual inaction of the Democrat and Republican members of our government, and how little is being done by the major parties of the private sector to help stimulate the economy once again. We now see how anyone who is of a government title is now becoming a target of potential violence, regardless of their affiliation, if they have one at all.

And while we have people who care more about what goes on with people who matter little at all with the welfare of the nation, with pointless arguments on close door meetings of former and current Presidents, or other issues that will be forgotten long after we have passed and our descendants have inherited the devastated world that we are making today. And by leaving these problems, among the many others like them, unattended to, we will never truly rid ourselves of this problem.

This is a growing attitude against the wealthy, who continue to enjoy lives of luxury and content while the rest of us struggle to keep ourselves from drowning from our troubles, that I myself share with the rest of the nation. To be against the rich right is somewhat justifiable, at least to those who helped to start their portion of the crisis. But Mr. Duke’s methods to fix this problem were not. The use of violence, violence against innocent people, violence for the sake of violence, using the symbol of a comic book character whose tactics dealt with the slaughter of innocent lives, simply for him to achieve his own vision of a perfect world, can and must never be the answer. We are a nation that prides itself on responsible compromise. And the first step that must be taken is to take responsibility for our actions, and the direction that our nation is heading to.

          A recent radio news broadcast reported this past couple days this most shocking story. It has left concerned parents utterly amazed. It shocked me too. Why is this you may ask? How could this be? Some may answer this question with the most obvious reason. That reason would be budget cost.

          Now that opens a whole new can of worms so to speak. This reason brings a whole new sort of questions. Where is the budget cost going? These up and coming statements come from nowhere, but my own opinion.  

          I drive around a lot of the high schools in my own neighborhood and in my own city. I even hear conversations from parents and even students or are curious about this very subject. They all say about the same thing. “With my own eyes I see new football stadiums and new basketball arenas going up, but what does this say about the priorities or what is considered important to the school board?”

          This article makes you wonder does it not?

          Let us take a moment to look at it in the business perspective. Not only do you have to pay to purchase a ticket to attend anyone of these particular sporting events, but also at these events they hold concession stands for food and beverages and I am sure we all know the costly prices that it takes to buy a small thing of nachos or a hotdog and even a bottle of water will burn a hole in your wallet.

          So here is the next question. If money is piling in via these events, then can the school board really make the excuse that the budget costs are low to provide a library? Now I know that a lot of the money goes towards the athletic department in order to purchase new uniforms and shoes and sporting equipment, but if you are able to pay to build new stadiums or arenas then that tells me that the athletic department fund is not as low as we are led to believe.

          With all that said I leave you with the same question. What is the priority of the school board? Athletics or Education? 

          Leave me your thoughts. Parents these are our kids and young men and women that we are talking about here. We are talking about our kids’ future and the future of our nation. Parents get angry for you kids’ sake! Shout out with passion to the school board! Don’t them destroy our young people!!!

We suggest a more representative approach. School board members should represent the various stakeholder groups. For example: a representative from the teachers union, one from the classified, one from the district administration, one from the parents group (which would encourage formation of parent groups), one from each jurisdiction (city, county) and perhaps one or more generally elected by the community as a whole. Perhaps a student representative could also be included, a suitable high school student with the necessary interest and knowledge.

With a board such as this, checks and balances would prevail. An administrator could bring up a teacher for removal, and the teachers’ rep would likely oppose it. Then a majority of the other board members would hear the debate and cast votes. The same would happen if a complaint was made against an administrator or a classified employee. Thus employees at any level could be removed if they have failed to discharge their duties properly, while they would have protection against baseless charges. Alliances would form and reform depending on the issues involved, thus keeping any one point of view from dominating.

In the end, there would be one area that they would all have to say they agree on, and that’s what’s best for the students. With that as a starting place, just maybe the interests of the various adult groups would be replaced by the interests of the children we’re trying to educate.

“I still shed the tears that my mothers, mother cried,” a quote from a poem whose title and author  escape me but, the sentiment rings so true as we look at the events taking place in Wake County NC. Wake County the home of the state capital finds its residents choosing sides over the issue of school segregation or as the argument is being posed “re-segregation.”

The newly elected school board majority, during their campaign pledged to end the forced bussing and return to the “community school” system.  The opposition contends that the Supreme Court has already ruled that separate but equal was not a workable option.  The opposition which now includes local and national individuals and organizations including the NAACP, are taking their cause to court and say they are willing to invoke the Supreme Court to make a new ruling if necessary.  

To both sides this battle has a hauntingly familiar ring to it. The parents of the children affected by this issue realize that they are fighting the same battle their parents and grandparents fought during the civil rights movement.  Once again protesters are being taken out in handcuffs while others sing “We shall overcome.” 

Clearly this situation is similar but, not the same.  The position of the School Board is not based on the notion of some southern tradition or unspoken understanding between the races. They truly believe that children should go the school closest to their home.  Their argument is reasonable, until you take into account the demographics of the area.  It becomes clear that the current magnet school system has proven to be a better solution.  The diversity policy has proven to be beneficial to all members of the social economic group.  The current program has been heralded nationally and used as a model for other school systems.      

Let us hope that as both sides are fighting for what is best for “their” children that they may take pause and find a common ground and do what is best for all “our” children. 

Today, if you choose to have a career as a private investigation, you can go beyond the reading materials and the television series. There are many existing schools to cater to whatever field you want to venture on in private investigation.

A private investigation school is the best place to learn to be the best detective. Over the years, these schools have produced the best persons that are now offering their services to individuals. If you want to become one of these sought-for detectives, you can choose a school that will give you the best education.

Being a private investigator does not mean that you need to be on the filed most of your time. For those who would rather stay behind the scene, they could work in the laboratory. It is here that all the evidences are analyzed. All that is achieved in the lab will form part of the whole investigation process.

Now that you know your choices, you are now ready to look for a private investigation school. Below are some things that can help you come up with best decision regarding the private investigation school.

1. The required fee.

Private investigation schools do not come cheap. If you really want to get the best training, you will choose one that is certified by other institutions. The only problem you will encounter with these types is the fee that they require their students.

Having the best standards means that they will do everything to make sure that you are provided with all the resources that you will need. In addition, you will be taught by the best trainers the school can find. All these, among others, compensate for the high tuition fee.

If you have other priorities in life, you need to set aside enough budget in order to enroll in that kind of school.  It will be worth you money once you attained all the necessary background to get you started in the private investigation business.

2. Accredited school.

Not all private investigation schools are accredited by the Board of Education. There may be some that are tricking students into enrolling only to find out that the institution is not an authentic one.

Do some background checking on the school before you enroll on one. One way of doing it is to look for credentials from the administration itself. If you are still wary of what is presented to you, then you can go directly to the education board and inquire there.

Ask for names and contact information of persons that have graduated from that school. They are the living testimonials of what you can become once you pursue your degree. You can also ask them what they think of the school and if they were satisfied by the training that they got there.

To be a private investigator in Michigan is not to memorize every move that actors do in movies. It is also not about having you own investigation equipments. Enroll in the best private investigation school so you will be on your way to become the next best private investigator.

Seventeen days. Seventeen. It could represent many things, seventeen elephants, seventeen donkeys, seventeen lollipops, or even seventeen chocolate chip cookies (yumm). But, in Hawaii seventeen seems to represent something greater. Something that many people are passionate about. Seventeen furlough days. Seventeen days of no public school education. Seventeen days lost. We’ve gone through two furloughs day so far, and already, there are efforts to put an end to those days. I however, as a student, do not think that it impacts us as much as some claim these days actually do. I have no problem with these furloughs (and that’s not because I just don’t want to go to school). I do believe that it matters whether or not our students are prepared and willing to learn. In fact, they are necessary for our state.

Let’s look at some background first, in order to put all this into context (oh so important context). On October 23, 2009, the first of these furloughs began. No longer is it “Aloha Friday,” it is now “Furlough Friday.” Hawaii’s public school teachers and 170,000 students were forced to take seventeen fridays off throughout the whole year. This has given Hawaii students the shortest school year in the nation. All of this, because of a nearly 1 billion dollar budget deficit in our state. In an attempt to patch up the leaky faucet, a 7.9% pay cut and these furlough days was proposed by the governor. It was ratified by teachers. This has ignited a flurry of protest from concerned parents, teachers, and even students. But, the fact is, that it as necessary. Everyone has been hit hard by the recession. Everyone from regular families such as mine to the big monolithic, overbearing government. Not doing these furloughs would have pulled our state further into the pit.

Along with these protest, there have a been a number of proposed alternatives to these furloughs. There have been ideas to take funds from other areas, to extended school hours, and taking less waiver or planning and collaboration days (which is probably an excellent idea seeing as we have a ton of these). There have even been lawsuits filed against furloughs. Quite hilariously, in a discussion in class about furloughs, our ultra left-wing teacher (pardon me for saying that) suggested to the class that the government should’ve “taken away money from the garbage men.” And being the amazing brain-washer that he is, the whole class agreed. That’s accounted for by our gullibility, I would guess. But, on the more serious side, I do firmly believe if the public outcry is loud enough and a feasible solution was proposed, these furloughs will go away. However, somewhere else is going to have to take the hit eventually.

As for the actual impacts on learning of these furloughs, I myself do not seeing that as being too much of a problem. I myself, as a student find my teachers rather than stagnating and doing nothing about this, increasing the pace at which class goes as well as the work load. I feel as if I still learn a substantial amount in all of my classes and that if there were no furloughs at all we’d still be learning the exact same things. The important thing is preparation. You have to go into your classes with the mindset of learning something and not goofing off. So many of my friends and classmates around me LOVE the furloughs simply for the fact that they don’t have to go to school. And yet, they still go into classes with the intent to learn (myself included). Surprisingly, others HATE the furloughs, as they do believe that they’d get a lower education. Yet, these people are the same people who consistently slack off in class and tend to goof off. Some even attended a protest against the furloughs, but can’t attend an after-school study session. These are the kids that would most likely be affected by the furloughs. One upside of the furloughs is that they make all of our students all that more determined to do better in school and work harder. However, as a collective whole you shouldn’t have to worry about kids learning any less than they would otherwise, whether it be a lot or more.  However, it is true that we as a state, do rank extremely low in the national standings, but where we’re concerned, our students will not be learning any more or any less. Added work and nudging from our teachers as well as the (newly created) open-mindedness of our students to learn, especially now with the furloughs will make sure of that.

In conclusion, while some people may protest the furloughs, nothing will happen until either the lawmakers step in to do anything, spurred on the by the public, or if lawsuits stop the furloughs by declaring them unlawful. In the meantime, we’ve gone through two furloughs so far, and I don’t think much has been affected. Furloughs tomorrow, followed by a slew of holidays, and planning and collaboration days, resulting in a three day weekend and a three day weekday (at the time of this article). How enlightening… In the meantime, I’d like a quarter cup of math supplements mixed with some fresh english boosters, thank you very much. On the serious side however, our education isn’t going anywhere as long as we’re going to fight for and work hard for it. The question is where will the future take us, as the furloughs are slated for two years. One can only hope.