Underprivileged Schools Become Target for Teachers In Training

Everyone talks about poor schools should get more attention and better teachers, but to colleges such as the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), talk is cheap.

The UMBC sent its student teachers to underprivileged schools to teach them to establish strategies and put in more time and effort into their jobs.

Read this Washington Post article about UMBC and other schools who want student teachers to take on a challenge that even the government hesitates to face.

Preschoolers More Likely to Be Expelled Than Public Schoolers, Yale Says

I'm back Moon Man fans!

Sorry for the wait. Dealing with finals can be a pain.

This may not be a surprise to you all, but little children are much more terrible today than they were in the past, but just in case you haven't figured this out yet by now, a Washington Post article I have found today will help you.

Yale researchers have discovered that our nation's preschoolers are being expelled at three times the rate of a public school student. Yale's study of 3,898 preschools in 40 states also discovered:

• boys are being thrown out of preschool 4 1/2 times as frequently as girls.
• African American preschoolers are twice as likely to be expelled as white or Latino children, and five times as likely as Asian Americans.
• Twice as many 5-year-olds face the ultimate sanction for bad behavior as 4-year-olds.

Why?

Some say that preschool teacher lack the training needed to deal with these brats.

Some say that kids aren't receiving enough attention from psychologists and social workers.

Some say that today's children have serious behavioral problems.

What do YOU think the problem is?

Finals Are Over!!!

I'm finally done with finals, so I can now spend more time with Moon Man. I won't be posting daily like I used to, but you will be seeing AT LEAST three posts a week. I hope you guys didn't think I left you. I would never do that.

MOON MAN IS BACK!

Edweek Reviews Technology in America's Schools

Look what I recieved via email!

Edweek, a education magazine, has sent me its eigth annual report on school technology. All over the country millions are being spent on powerful new data management systems that will have school keeps up with the joneses (and by "joneses" I mean the criteria created by NCLB). Edweek's report includes articles that deal with:

• Technology spending

• State profiles

• The first-ever ranking of state technology leaders

View the Table of Contents:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2005/05/05/index.html

View the executive summary:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2005/05/05/35exec.h24.html

Browse state snapshots:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2005/05/05/35state-of-the-states.h24.html

Order print copies:
http://counts.edweek.org/products/special-reports/

Note: Access to other sections of "Technology Counts 2005" requires
free registration:
https://c4.erightsweb.com/edweek/show/registration/customerDetail.do?command=view

Spellings Punishes PBS Kiddie Show for Showing Same-sex Relationships

"Pro-family" Americans rejoiced after Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings (We've been seeing a lot of her lately, haven't we, folks) sent a compliant in January to PBS of all stations, accusing them of (almost) showing indecent material. USA Today reported that Spellings was hopping mad at the station because one of its kiddie shows, Postcards from Buster planned to show an episode where Buster, a cartoon bunny who travels around the country with his pilot father and his trusty video camera to record his experience, visits Vermont and meets families with same-sex parents. As, you can imagine, the Spellings and many others did not want Buster have THAT kind of experience.

Spellings recieved a swarm of emails-about 200,000-after sending her letter. Around 81% of those emails took her side, said the Education Department. Most of the postive email came from the American Family Association, who applauded her for "[taking] a bold stand for your children."

Despite the fact that PBS agreed not the air the episode, which was suppose to air on March 23 (my birthday), she also took away the station's Ready to Learn grant-a grant that helps prepare preschoolers for school. As a result, WGBH was forced to lay off or reassign 10 Buster staffers. Postcards from Buster has not been cancelled. WGBH is doing everything in its power to keep the show going.

A moral victory for America or a horrific act of homophobia? YOU MAKE THE CALL!

Warning: End of The Semester Alert

I must worn you all that the next two weeks are going to be hectic. I'm almost done with my Spring semester (and my first year) at Roosevelt University. This means I have tons of essays and exams to deal with. This means I might not be able to make as many posts as I usually make.

You have been warned.