Teacher World

I read an interesting article out of Stockholm, Sweden, about a preschool which has one fundamental purpose: to break down gender roles and gender bias. Some might say it goes too far. Let me tell you about this school, and you can be the judge.

Egalia, a preschool/kindergarten located in the Sodermalm district of Stockholm, is a taxpayer-funded school which opened last year and is one of the most radical examples of the efforts Sweden is making to encourage equality between the sexes from childhood on up. This effort reflects Sweden’s concern that society gives boys an unfair advantage over girls, which is why the national curriculum for preschools includes breaking down gender roles as one of their core missions.

Jenny Johnsson, a teacher at Egalia explained, “Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing. Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be.”

How is this accomplished? The 33 children who attend, from ages 1 to 6, are called “friends” by the staff instead of “han” (him) or “hon” (her). When visitors come to the school, the staff refers to them as “hen.”

Every detail at the school, from the color and placement of the toys they play with to the kinds of books they can read, is carefully planned to avoid the students falling into gender stereotypes. The children play together in the kitchen center but can move right over to the Legos and building blocks which are right next to the kitchen so that children don’t draw mental barriers between the two activities: cooking and construction.

The director of the school, Lotta Rajalin explained, “What matters is that children understand that their biological differences don’t mean boys and girls have different interests and abilities. This is about democracy. About human equality.”

Egalia acknowledges the biological differences between the sexes by making sure that the dolls the children play with are anatomically correct.

This school is not only trying to tear down gender bias, it also creates an environment which is tolerant of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Almost all of the books which the children can read deal with homosexual couples, single parents, or adopted children. For example, one book is a story of two male giraffes who are sad because they have no children, but the story ends happily when they find an abandoned crocodile egg. Search the bookshelves all you want, you won’t find any of the classic fairy tales since they feel that they reinforce stereotypes.

And Rajalin explained that the staff works with the children to help them discover new ideas when they play. “A concrete example could be when they’re playing ‘house’ and the role of the mom already is taken and they start to squabble. Then we suggest two moms or three moms and so on.”

According to Rajalin, the school has a long waiting list and only one student has ever been pulled from the school. Jukka Korpi says he and his wife chose Egalia “to give our children all the possibilities based on who they are and not on their gender.”

But some parents worry that obliterating gender roles entirely might confuse children making them unprepared to face the real world outside of Egalia.

Tanja Bergkvist, a blogger and a leading voice against what she has dubbed “gender madness” in Sweden said, “Different gender roles aren’t problematic as long as they are equally valued. Those bent on shattering gender roles say there’s a hierarchy where everything that boys do is given higher value, but I wonder who decides that it has higher value. Why is there higher value in playing with cars?”

Others feel that the methods utilized by the staff at Egalia are a form of mind control. Director Rajalin even reported that some of the staff had received threats from racists who were angry that black dolls were being used in the preschool as well as white ones.

Sweden is known for their staunch support of women’s rights, allowing gay and lesbian couples to both legalize their union and adopt children, and their gender studies which permeate academic life. But this school is unique, even in Sweden, and one can’t help but wonder: have they gone too far?

Planting the seed at an early age that being male or female does not have to dominate their life choices, especially in terms of their interests and eventual career, is an awesome thing. Do I think you have to make kids a “hen” to accomplish that? No, I don’t. I think they are going from one extreme to another: gender bias to no gender at all.

In my experience, extremes can be hazardous. I believe that they can use their toys, stories, role playing, etc. to teach them that their maleness or femaleness does not have to define who or what they will be without stripping them of their maleness or femaleness, as if it is something bad.

Jay Belsky, a child psychologist at the University of California, voiced his concern over the fundamental principles of this school saying, “The kind of things that boys like to do — run around and turn sticks into swords — will soon be disapproved of. So gender neutrality at its worst is emasculating maleness.”

And while I don’t disagree with the concept of broadening a child’s view of the world to extend beyond the traditional family, with a father and mother both present in the household raising their children together, I am bothered again by the extreme to which that alternative is being emphasized. When I read that almost all of the books in the classroom are about homosexual couples, single parents, or adopted children, it has me questioning the school’s motivation. If you want children to feel comfortable in their own families, whatever those families look like, and with their future life choices you had better expose them to all of those choices as opposed to only the less traditional ones. Otherwise, aren’t you guilty of instilling a bias of your own?

It seems to me that Egalia, a title which connotes equality, is not as free of gender and sexual bias as it would like to think it is. I fear that they have traded one extreme for another, and neither extreme is an equal message for kids.

What do you think? Please take a minute and share your opinion.

Teacher-World's Blog Egalia preschool, gender bias, Stockholm, Sweden

Somehow I missed this story back in April of this year, but I read a follow-up article about it, and I became so interested after researching the story deeper that I feel compelled to blog about it, in spite of the time delay. So forgive me, but here goes anyway.

Sheri Lynn Davis, a 40-year old teacher at Jamie’s House Charter School in Houston, a school for children with behavior issues, apparently snapped in late April as she began beating one of her students in front of the rest of the class and another teacher. Impossible? Well, the incident was caught on a student’s cell phone, and it definitely happened!

What would make a teacher, who had received the honor of being the Teacher of the Year for two years, snap in such a violent way? Well, Davis appeared on Good Morning America with her attorney, Lisa Andrews, where she admitted that there was no excuse for what she did, but as she described the school and you dive a little deeper into the Texas charter school system, you get a clearer picture of why she might have snapped.

First, Jamie’s House Charter School, like many other charter schools, is a school for children who have had behavior problems and are not cutting it in a regular classroom. Many of them, as Davis pointed out, already have criminal records. This is a school which is no stranger to violence and intimidation.

Lisa Andrews told GMA, “A lot of the problem at Jamie’s House is the lack of discipline; the chaos. These teachers that work there are expected to be police officers, bouncers, guards, as well as throw in a little learning for the day. And it’s a very chaotic, hostile work environment for these teachers, and it’s not safe for the students either.”

Second, Davis was coming into her classroom, on the first day of state testing (a highly stressful time for teachers, I might add) after just breaking up a fight in the hallway between a 16-year old boy and a 13-year old girl. Now, if you’ve ever stepped in between kids fighting, you know that the adrenaline is definitely pumping through your veins, because you place yourself in the line of fire. (Been there, felt that, and it took me a long time to calm down afterwards.)

Third, as Davis was returning to her classroom, adrenaline pumping, she heard the door slam and lock. When she looked into the room, she could see that the new girl who was just recently enrolled, a white girl with special needs, was surrounded by the students in the class who are predominately African American. Davis reported that they were mimicking her and being hostile to her, and she was worried for this girl’s safety.

Fourth, according to Davis, 13-year old Isaiah Johnson was “bouncing around in a threatening, bullying position.” Davis had the following to say about Isaiah, “This young man has assaulted teachers, he has assaulted kids, he has been consistently addressed with administration concerning his behavior.”

Fifth, Texas law only requires bilingual and special education teachers to be certified to work in charter schools. No other teacher needs certification! Crazy! And although Davis is a science teacher, she has never held a teaching certificate!

Texas teacher certification laws state that teachers must have a bachelor’s degree, complete an educator preparation program and pass certification exams, but not to teach in a charter school. This will astound you…teachers hired in these schools simply need a high school diploma and they must demonstrate competency in their subject. (I’m not sure how they do that; is that just by their own say-so, or is there some kind of test?)

The director of the Texas Charter Schools Association, David Dunn argued, “There are certified teachers who misbehave. Certification does not equal protection. The real protection around student safety is the criminal history background checks that all public schools in the state of Texas are required to do.”

Sixth, Davis claims that the teachers at Jamie’s House are not trained, nor are they prepared to deal with the violence and criminal behavior many of these students display. She stated, “Clearly I do not justify my own response, but what needs to happen — there needs to be a system designed that protects the kids. I should not be the protector for the child that was in immediate danger. We receive very little training concerning these kids. We had no idea what we were getting into.” 

In rebuttal, Sue Davis, spokesperson for Jamie’s House told GMA, “Of course we believe teachers receive adequate training based on the fact that nothing like this has happened before.” (Is that due to training or just dumb luck?)

So, these are the casualties of this horrific situation: Sheri Davis was fired as soon as the principal saw the cell phone video, pleaded no contest in April to the charge of injury to a child under the age of 15, and was given probation. Davis apologized personally to Isaiah’s mother, but also encouraged her to take a more active role in her son’s life than she previously has.

The teacher who witnessed the attack and said nothing resigned rather than face disciplinary action.

And Principal David Jones faced a misdemeanor charge for failure to report child abuse after the cell phone video of the beating was made public. His attorney claimed that Jones didn’t know the serious nature of the incident until he saw the video himself. He was acquitted of any charge.

Okay, it’s break it down time! It is reprehensible for the state of Texas (or any other state) to place uncertified, barely-trained “teachers” into charter schools that are holding cells for a lot of future criminals, because that is what many of these are. As a certified teacher with professional training in a variety of areas such as Assertive Discipline and Quantum Learning, I would still feel unprepared to teach in a school like Jamie’s House. I applaud those individuals who have the personality and the fearlessness to tackle these rough schools, but it is certainly not for everyone. And on-going, intensive training to prepare teachers for the situations they will face should be mandatory, as well as providing the personnel who can adequately provide the back-up these teachers need to do their jobs safely.

In the interviews I watched with Isaiah Johnson, I was struck by the fact that he looks so clean and innocent. He is soft-spoken and respectful. In one video, his attorney states that there is no evidence that Isaiah hit anyone “that day” or did anything that the other students weren’t doing. I do not condone hitting a child, so don’t get me wrong; what Sheri Davis did was wrong, and she knows it and admits it. But this boy is being painted as a victim, and it sounds like he’s anything but that. Oh, he may have been the victim on that day, but it sounds like he is more often the victimizer than the victim.

Let’s tell the truth about this boy. I don’t think he’s sweet and innocent! If what Davis said to GMA is true, he has been violent in school and has been in trouble with the administration often. If that is true, why isn’t the school making that statement in support of Davis? Yeah, he may not have hit anyone “that day” but it sounds like there is evidence that he hit kids on other days. The media is giving this boy a whole lot of attention that he may not deserve when they should be giving all the facts about him, rather than his lawyer’s statements and Isaiah’s rehearsed, respectful comments. Because we all know lawyers don’t stretch the truth, right?

Finally, Sheri Davis was clearly out of control when she started wailing on Isaiah. It looked as though all of her pent-up frustration and anger was released all over that boy’s body! Appropriate? Absolutely not! Understandable? Well, I’ll let you be the judge of that. Have you ever just had enough of a bad situation and incorrigible people, and finally just let loose on the nearest target? Isaiah was Sheri’s target. Who was yours?

Bullying, charter schools, School violence, Teacher-World's Blog Good Morning America, Isaiah Johnson, Jamie's House Charter School, Sheri Lynn Davis, Texas teacher certification laws

For more than a decade, Newsweek has been ranking the top public high schools in America. This year, they tried something new, asking a panel of experts which include Wendy Kopp of Teach For America, Tom Vander Ark of Open Education Solutions, and Linda Darling who is a Stanford professor of education as well as the founder of the School Redesign Network, to come up with the criteria to judge a school’s success at producing college-ready and life-ready students. Using their model, each school is judged on six components: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), AP tests taken per graduate (25%), average SAT/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10%), and AP courses offered (5%).

Based on this newer rating system, the Dallas Science and Engineering Magnet School was ranked as America’s Best High School. American Morning live on CNN interviewed its principal, Jovan Wells, asking her first to explain what made her school so successful. She said, “I guess the secret is a combination of several different things. But the one thing that stands out of course is you have to have great teachers, and teachers who are willing to go above and beyond, and willing to train throughout the summer, and willing to stay long hours without being paid. And we have an abundance of that at the School of Science and Engineering, and they really make the difference. They’re there for the students.”

Great teachers are definitely a must, but this school has something most public schools do not have: the luxury of hand-picking their student body. Here’s how it works. This school pulls students from the whole Dallas area, looking at their ITBS scores, their GPA, as well as an on-site math assessment, an essay, and an interview. 

Why so many hoops to jump through to get into this school? Wells explains, “Because it’s a school of choice, and they have to be interested to want to go through this rigorous process.”

Wells said they look at the scores carefully, trying to pull evenly from the whole Dallas area, so that their enrollment is a representation of the whole district. But is it really?

What this process spells out to me is a cream of the crop student population, which automatically puts this school on a different playing field from most public schools. Let’s face it! These are students who really care about education, who are incredibly gifted in math and science, and who probably have a lot of parental support. They don’t show up at this school by accident. With a student body such as this, the sky’s quite literally the limit!

The amount of time students spend in this school makes a huge difference, too. The school day itself is pretty traditional; next year the school day goes from 9:15 to 4:15, but the school actually opens at 7:30. At that time, they have what they call a zero period or students might be tutored by their teachers, and, at the end of the day, there is a 9th period that lasts till 5:00 in addition to after-school tutoring.

“It’s maximizing the time on task, and students are there before and after school just as if it was the entire school day. I mean, they’re there working and really taking advantage of that extra time available to study and work with the teachers,” said Wells.

Again, this is great, but they get this kind of turnout due to the nature of the kids they have the honor of teaching. These are gifted, academically-successful kids who are motivated to learn. All of you teachers out there, just imagine what you could do with a classroom filled with these kinds of students!

And what was Well’s advice to parents who live in school districts that don’t have the option to send their children to a magnet school like this one? How do they help them to be successful in the school that they are currently attending? She recommends getting their children involved in chess camp, math camp, and supplementing what they are learning in school in those areas of interest to them through programs available at the university level. She encourages parents to be proactive and research what is available in their local area which could provide extension opportunities in their children’s areas of interest.

What makes the students at the Dallas Science and Engineering Magnet School so successful? There is a correlation between the higher expectations of their parents and teachers to their desire to achieve. Can that same formula work elsewhere? It seems very likely.

The key to this school’s success? Certainly, the students that this school gets to work with are exceptional. That is a huge advantage. But it is the dedication, long hours, and hard work of both the students and the teachers in this school working together with a common purpose which spells success.

High Caliber Schools, Teacher-World's Blog America's Best High School, American Morning, CNN, Dallas Science and Engineering Magnet School, Newsweek

In my continuing effort to help high school graduates figure out what kind of career they might be interested in pursuing, I found the following 10 degrees which are currently in demand. Check them out and see if any of these might be of interest to you.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) polls employers asking them to predict what kinds of jobs they might be hiring for in the future. The first five in-demand degrees are based on those predictions.

* #1-Accounting
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment opportunities for accountants will increase 22% through 2018. The average salary for an accountant is $68,960. Jobs that are related to accounting include budget analysts (average salary-$70,660) and loan officers (average salary-$65,900).
* #2-Finance
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, job prospects for financial analysts are projected to rise 20% through 2018. The average salary for a financial analyst is $86,040. Related careers include financial advisors (average salary-$91,220) and actuaries (average salary-$98,620).

* #3-Engineering
As a whole, engineering jobs are expected to climb 11% through 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The average salaries for engineers are as follows: mechanical engineer-$82,480, civil engineer-$82,280, and electrical engineer-$87,770.

* #4-Computer Science
The U.S. Department of Labor projects jobs for computer scientists will grow 24% through 2018. The average salary for computer scientists is $103.150. Related fields are computer support specialist (average salary-$49,930) and network systems administrator (average salary-$72,200).

* #5-Business Administration
Public relations specialists jobs are expected to increase by 24% (average salary-$59,150), market researchers jobs by 28% (average salary-$66,850), and operation research analysts jobs by 22% (average salary-$76,980) by 2018.

This brings me to the health care industry. The U.S. Department of Labor anticipates that this field alone will create about 3.2 million jobs from 2008-2018. These are the top health care careers you might want to consider.

* #1-Medical and Health Services Manager
This field is projected to grow by 16%. It traditionally requires a master’s degree, but for some entry-level positions in smaller facilities, a bachelor’s degree might be enough. The average salary is $93,670.

* #2-Registered Nurse
This is a high demand profession. By 2018, there will be 582,000 more RN jobs available according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There are three choices with this career path: a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree, or a diploma from an approved nursing program. The average salary is $67,720, but this is higher or lower based on the earned degree.

* #3-Medical Records and Health Information Technician
This is a good alternative for someone who wants to be in the health care industry but only wants to earn an associate’s degree. This field is projected to see 20% job growth through 2018, and the average salary is $35,010.

* #4-Medical Assistant
Jobs in medical assisting are likely to grow by 34% through 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This career usually requires an associate’s degree but may be completed in a year by earning a certificate. The average salary is $29,760.

* #5-Pharmacy Technician
This is another rising health care career where jobs are projected to grow by 25% by 2018. Certificate or associate’s degree programs for this career usually take six months to two years to complete. The average salary is $29,330.

In our present economy, it is imperative that young people take a good look at projections like these to try to match their interests with available jobs. With jobs so hard to come by, the days of randomly choosing a career path is a thing of the past. It is up to high schools, colleges, and parents to guide our children into career paths which will provide the best opportunity for them to use the skills they are being taught to be self-sufficient after college.

I hope this helps some of you who are in the process of making these so-important decisions.

Teacher's Unions business, graduates, health-care, in-demand careers, National Association of Colleges and Employers, U.S. Department of Labor

Kids have all kinds of reasons for picking the colleges that they do: a family member went there, it’s close to home, it’s far away from home, it has a great football team, it’s got a great academic record, it’s got a reputation as a party school…

Let’s face it; what students are looking for in a college is different from kid to kid. But in our present economy, kids need to have educationally and financially sound reasons for choosing the college they do. So, if I can help in that decision, I would be honored to do so.

I read a great article published in USNews/Education by Peter Van Buskirk with extremely important questions for high school students to ask colleges which they are considering attending in order to get the biggest bang for their buck, and hopefully a better opportunity for employment after graduation. (I wish I had read this before sending my kids off to college.) Here are the questions you need to ask, according to Van Buskirk:

* “What is your graduation rate?” Van Buskirk points out that a college’s graduation rate provides important insight into how well they support their students throughout their college experience. It is not unusual for students to drop out of college, but the higher the drop-out rate, the more that might indicate a less supportive environment which might make it more difficult to achieve your ultimate goal; to graduate.

* “What is your graduation rate in four years?” You want to know that when they tell you their graduation rate, that is based on completing your college experience in four years because anything beyond that becomes a higher financial investment.

* “What is your first-to-second year retention rate?” It is most common for students to experience difficulty acclimating themselves to college academically in the first year of school. A school that has a high retention rate from the first to the second year probably has transitional programs in place which make it easier for students to adjust. It would be wise to ask what kind of programs are in place if you should need them in your first year. A college with a 90% or higher first-to-second year retention rate is preferable.

* “What are the opportunities for independent study and internships?” It is critical that you have the opportunity to explore and develop your ability to analyze and ask questions in work-related activities pertaining to your studies. This is an integral piece of your educational experience, and it may help you in your search for employment after graduation.

* “Who will advise me in course selections? How about for graduate school applications?” It is imperative that students get good advice regarding course selection because it may be the difference between completing your studies in 4 years, as planned, to having to extend your plan to 5 or 6 years.  That same advice is important for students who are going on to graduate or professional degree programs.

* “In my program of interest, what are the outcomes for graduates over the last five years?” This is such a critical question right now. You need to know if graduates are being hired in your field, where they are being hired, and what their average salary is. If you are going to be continuing your education, you need to ask what the acceptance rate is for graduate school and Ph.D. programs.

* “What post-graduate networking opportunities are available to your students?” You need to know that whatever college you choose is still going to be there for you when you graduate. Do they offer on-campus, off-campus, and online networking? Do they provide career counseling, job fairs, and mentoring opportunities with alumni? You want a school that is going to work to get you hired.

Van Buskirk stresses that you ask for proof of what colleges tell you when you ask these questions. He says, “Insist on seeing organizational charts, advising plans, event calendars, and outcome data. Although it might not be present in recruitment materials, this information is available. Considering what is at stake, you have every right to see it.”

Finally, he recommends that you make a spreadsheet of the information you receive from each college or university that you are considering, and use that spreadsheet to help you narrow your search.

Your ultimate goal is to find the college that gives you the best academic and financial opportunity. With the high price of a college education today and our limping economy, you literally can’t afford to settle for anything less.

So, go forth and search! But do so wisely. Your economic future depends on it!

Higher education, Teacher-World's Blog colleges, graduation, Peter Van Buskirk, USNews

Since most kids are on summer vacation right now, I thought that from time to time I would blog about summer activities that seem to be well worth a child’s time. So, let’s start with camps.

What kid doesn’t love summer camp? Swimming, crafts, sports, all of the things kids love rolled up into one fun event. Well, a day camp in Lafayette, Indiana, is all of this and more.

Purdue Athletes Life Success Program, or PALS for short, is a summer camp designed for under-served kids which concentrates on getting active while teaching the campers about making healthy choices.

Previously called National Youth Sports Program, the camp is in its 10th season. What makes this summer camp stand out is that it is free to under-served kids based on referrals from their school. This year, almost 350 students signed up through the Lafayette School Corporation. But altogether more than 500 Tippecanoe County students between the ages of eight and fourteen will spend 4 weeks at PALS.

One of the main things kids learn at this camp is to make better choices about their physical health, “You don’t have to spend your time in the house or watching TV or playing video games,” said PALS Camper and Klondike seventh grader Rachel Gary.

One of the campers’ favorite activities is a game they call Sharbade. In this game, kids roll around on scooters trying to throw a ball into a net. Check out the video! It looks like fun!

But kids at this camp are learning about more than how to make better physical choices and to be more active. They move throughout the 4 weeks in groups of 20 going from station to station covering topics ranging from nutrition to gang violence, and they participate in sports ranging from swimming to soccer.

They are  learning important life lessons about drugs. relationships, financial literacy, character building, and more. They learn why they don’t want to ruin their lives by becoming addicted to drugs, and that they are all equal, no matter who they are.

The true test of a program’s success is in the kids themselves; did it change their behaviors and their attitudes about their health? According to the superintendent of Lafayette School Corporation, Ed Eiler, the program has improved attendance, reduced disciplinary problems, and increased participation in extra-curricular activities in their district. Most importantly, he claims that it has helped these kids to learn how to build healthy relationships.

Katelyn Lopze, a counselor at PALS, started out as a camper 10 years ago. She admits that the program has grown dramatically, but that it hasn’t lost its emphasis on establishing personal relationships. Lopez said that attending this camp helped her to grow and mature, teaching her how to behave with other people when forming relationships and how to respect adults.

“I feel like the numbers have definitely grown, but the relationships between the counselors and the campers has gotten a lot more personal,” Lopez said. “I just hope they have the same kind of experience I had.”

She admits that if she hadn’t learned all that she did through PALS, attending college probably wouldn’t have been an option for her. She will be a senior at Purdue this fall and hopes that the campers she is working with will realize that going to a college like Purdue is a possibility for them someday, too.

A professor of health and kinesiology and co-director of the camp, Bill Harper said that for the past several years, organizers of the camp have been studying the peer relationships camper form while they are at PALS, which is data that the team is working to publish sometime soon.

“What we found was the friendships they’ve made in this program were the most significant take away,” Harper said.

Teacher-World's Blog drug awareness, healthy choices, Indiana, Lafayette, Purdue Athletes Life Success Program, relationship-building

In Conan O’Brien’s speech to the 2011 graduating class from Dartmouth College, he made these amusing but highly relevant comments to both the graduates and their parents: “Many of your children, you haven’t seen them in four years. Well, now you’re about to see them every day when they come out of the basement to tell you the Wi-Fi isn’t working. If your child majored in fine arts or philosophy, you have good reason to be worried. The only place they are really qualified to get a job is Ancient Greece.”

Funny comments, right? Well, not so funny if you happen to be one of this year’s college graduates who cannot find a job. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know when I say times are tough, and it isn’t easy for kids coming out of college to find jobs out there. With loans to pay off and no income with which to make payments, more and more college grads are moving home, putting more of a burden on already strapped parents. Let’s take a closer look at the financial issues college grads face after graduation.

New statistics reveal a rather dismal picture for both parents and graduates. According to NEFE, the National Endowment for Financial Education, 59% of parents are helping or have helped adult children after graduation, and most of those have helped by letting them move home. 65% of 18-39 year-olds feel that financial pressures are tougher than previous generations, and 32% of parents say that they had it easier than their children.

NYU education professor and Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, Pedro Noguera told CNN that these statistics are a reflection of the fact that kids aren’t being as practical as they should be about their choices of what they will study in school and how that choice will impact the next phase of their life. He explained, “I think too many students have just chosen to do things that they think they are interested in and not enough about thinking about what am I going to do next in life.”

But Noguera doesn’t put all the blame on students. “They need a lot of help, and the colleges need to step up in providing some more guidance and helping students think about life after college.” CNN’s Christine Romans was quick to add that the guidance needs to start in high school and with parents since there is just no margin for error anymore.

The chart above reflects the problem that graduates face today: if income was keeping up with the cost of tuition, the typical graduate should be making $77,000 a year, which is obviously not the case. And with the tuition rates rising all the time, this raises the question whether college is worth the money.

“It’s worth the cost in the long term. It’s certainly worth the investment. But what we have to ask is whether or not these increases in college tuitions, what are they based on and why do they go up every year, as the way they do?” said Noguera.

But the higher cost of tuition is not the only problem students face today. According to CNNMoney, the amount of federal aid available to students is not keeping up with the increases in tuition either. The maximum money available to students through government-subsidized student loans has stayed at $23,000 for a four-year degree since 1992. How can that be fair?

Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators told CNNMoney, “There does seem to be this growing disparity between income and the cost of higher education. At the same time, there’s been a fundamental shift, moving away from public subsidization, to individuals bearing more of the cost of higher education.”

This need to subsidize their children’s tuition through private loans has led to the following tendencies: families are taking on huge levels of debt, or they are pushing their child to complete a two-year degree instead of a four-year degree.

The third trend is the exorbitant student loans which graduates must pay off on their own with often limited resources. FinAid. Org claims that about two thirds of the students who graduate with a four-year degree today will walk away with an average debt of around $23,186. Yikes! But, the news gets bleaker!

Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of financial aid sites FinAid.org and FastWeb.com. reports that about half of these students will still be paying off their loans in 20 years, and for many of these unfortunate graduates, paying on their loans will keep them from being able to afford a home, save for retirement, or put away money for their own children’s education.

“They could still be paying back their own student loans, when their children are in college,” he said.

Any way you cut it, the high cost of college tuition is draining parents and young people today, and with tuition continuing to climb, there seems to be no easy solution.

Noguera told CNN, “These are questions we should all be asking our society because we are saddling our youth with these huge debts that they will take years to pay off, and it does undermine them in their ability to lead independent, productive lives.”

LZ Granderson, CNN.com contributor, said high schools need to start looking at colleges differently. Rather than looking at a 4 or 5 year degree, he urges parents to help their children make the smarter decision to take their lower level classes at a cheaper community college.

“There are other solutions now that parents have to start looking at in order to help their kids get through schools without being saddled with a tremendous debt when they graduate,” Granderson said.

Sound advice for parents of high school students! Start preparing your children now for a better future tomorrow.

Teacher-World's Blog CNN, CNNMoney, college graduates, college tuition, LZ Granderson, Pedro Noguera, scarcity of jobs, student loans

I continue to be so incredibly touched by every article I read about the courageous citizens of Joplin, Missouri. This latest article clearly captures my heart as a teacher, because at a time when most school districts, unless they are year-round schools, are taking a little breather before plunging into the 2011-2012 school year, Joplin doesn’t have time to take a breather, as they are desperately trying to rebuild and reinvent their educational system.

Not only did last month’s destructive twister take the lives of more than 150 people, including seven students and one teacher, but it destroyed three of its school buildings, including Joplin High School, and it badly damaged seven other school buildings. With school scheduled to begin on August 17, there is much to be done.

But before decisions could be made about where to put students in the fall, the school district had to get summer school up and running. Can you imagine? Last week, only three weeks after this horrific tornado hit, this resilient community and its tenacious school district got more than 1,600 elementary school students enrolled in summer classes! That doesn’t even count middle and high school students.

Enrollment has doubled from last year, and that’s no accident. First, the district is offering free transportation, but more importantly than that, school is providing these traumatized children with a sense of stability; a normalcy, which they so desperately need. Being in school gives them hours during the day when life is pretty routine, and they don’t have to think about the problems their families are facing.

“These children don’t have a home to live in,” said Irving Elementary School Principal Debbie Fort, whose school was one of those destroyed. “Parents know they need to get a routine back. Their lives have been turned upside-down.” (Principal Fort spent her time after the storm searching for teachers who were missing.  She has opened her arms and her home to two families who were displaced, one of whom is a faculty member.)

Isaiah Basye, a teacher, said, “The kids are just relieved to be back at something peaceful. It gives them hope, to see that we’re not letting the tornado change us. We’re still here with open arms. This place is a haven.”

So, what will it take to get kids back in classrooms in the fall? It’s a pretty intimidating list: buildings which escaped destruction will have to be turned into schools with classrooms, computers and furniture need to be replaced, teacher’s treasured resources that were bought or created over the years will need to be saved or reinvented,  and water-logged and dirt filled books will need to be salvaged.

Decisions have already been made concerning where some students will go to school next year: many middle school students will go to an empty warehouse in a distant industrial park while half of the high school students will go to an empty big-box store.

Joplin’s football team has already started practicing, in spite of the fact that their practice field and weight room were destroyed in the tornado and one of their members is still in the hospital. Even though their numbers are down, some players returned even though they have been living in temporary housing or with friends or relatives far away.

The team is feeling the need to represent Joplin this fall, but their new coach, Chris Shields, who lost his rental home as well as some of his belongings in the tornado said, “We don’t really feel like we need to say, `Win for Joplin.’ We know inside that Joplin is helping us. It’s time for us to help Joplin.”

With all the chaos and misery the people of Joplin have experienced and continue to face, it would not be surprising to find them simply demoralized and beaten. But the reality is the people of Joplin refuse to give up. And right now, they seem to be rallying around the resurrecting of their schools.

The sign outside where their high school used to stand, once read JOPLIN HIGH SCHOOL. After the storm, it read OP HIGH SCHOOL. Someone used duct tape to change the OP to HOPE! If that doesn’t bring goose bumps, I don’t know what would!

Three wooden eagles, Joplin’s school mascot, stand proudly in front of this sign, and someone spray-painted a sign that says, “Her feathers are ruffled, but she’s not dead.”

The best part of this story, is the hope that Joplin has for the future, because they are not content to simple rebuild their schools. They have a vision of a state-of-the-art building which would be a testimonial to their innovation and tenacious spirit, rather than one that reminds them of their losses.

“We need to let ourselves be free to dream,” Assistant Superintendent Angie Besendorfer said. “It’s really hard. We’re living with the reality of what happened. You almost have to give yourself permission to move past the really horrible, horrific things.”

Teacher-World's Blog Joplin, Missouri, schools, tornado

I am thrilled to share an amazing story with you today about a punk rock group out of Chicago, which is standing up for gay and lesbian teens in a big way.

The punk rock group called Rise Against has made an amazing video which shows young people being bullied because of their sexual orientation. “Make it Stop, September’s Children” is a powerful video, which shows three young people being bullied to the point where they are each contemplating suicide,

Tim McIlrath, the lead singer for Rise Against explained to HLN why he wrote this song right now: “I think as a songwriter I felt compelled to put this song together in the wake of the gay teen suicides that hit the headlines in September, 2010. And then also as a member of the rock scene, of the bigger rock scene that can be so male-dominated and testosterone-driven. I feel like this scene has failed to comment, or at least send out a message about where we stand on this, and I wanted our fans to know where we stood, and I wanted to be a part of the solution really.”

The ending of this video is quite remarkable! Instead of the three teens in the video committing suicide, as they were clearly preparing to do, it fast forwards to their futures, where they are all celebrating their individual, beautifully successful lives. And, as if it needed a more hope-filled ending than that, the band tied into the “It Gets Better” project, which I have blogged about in the past, showing video clips of some of the people who shared their stories on this amazing YouTube program to encourage gay and lesbian teens not to give up hope in the face of bullying, but to stay strong because it does get better.

When the host of HLN’s Showbiz Tonight asked if Tim thought there was enough being done to get the message of hope out there to young people who are being bullied because of their sexual orientation, McIlrath said, “Not enough! There can be more done for sure. And certainly, we live in the microcosm of the rock community and the Rise Against community, and we’re doing what we can to talk to our fans and let them know where we stand. And I hope more bands do that, especially from our world because, like I said, I think our world has sort of failed to really get active here and let people know why we need to support gay rights, why we need to support gay teens.”

In the wake of Tracy Morgan’s outrageous anti-gay and anti-lesbian comments recently, this video is a powerful message of hope which, with luck, will drown out the voices of people like Morgan, who speak messages of ignorance and hatred.

Bullying, Teacher-World's Blog Bullying, gays, It Gets Better Project, lesbians, Rise Against, teen suicide

Okay, are you ready for this one? Meet Trevor Moran, a twelve-year old boy from Temecula, California, with an interesting hobby. He dances to some of his favorite songs, not at home or with his friends, but in Apple stores.

Two years ago, Trevor embarked on his outrageously fun career: Apple store dancing. His method is pretty simple. He scouts out an Apple computer in a store that has a good view of both the inside of the store and its customers. He opens YouTube, selects a song, starts the webcam, and goes to town. When his performance is done, he uploads it to his YouTube channel “iTr3vor.”

The videos have gone viral. In fact, his most popular one, “Apple Store Dance To Check It Out!!” has been viewed more than 1.3 million times. But, there’s no way you could make a name for yourself through such a crazy hobby, right?

Wrong! Trevor has been featured on “Inside Edition” and in the Wall Street Journal. And his interview with CNN is coming out next week. “It’s easy to get an audience,” Trevor said. “Kids say they want to be famous, and they don’t know how to do it. I went on the Internet.”

When Trevor told his mom, Nicole, what he was up to, she was mad at him. She said that it was rude for him to go into a store and dance around. But Trevor was persistent, and finally wore her down.

Nicole admits that in the beginning she didn’t want anything to do with what he was doing. She would wait in the car until he was done. Eventually, she began to soften as she realized that at the Temecula Apple Store, not only were they not making him leave, but they loved him. (Imagine the free publicity for the store, for Pete’s sake!)

It is a riot to watch the reaction or non-reaction of the people who are shopping in the store while Trevor does his thing. Some people don’t respond at all, or at least try not to, while others are clearly amused and trying to figure out what is going on. Occasionally, a store employee joins in.

Trevor says he sometimes brings friends along but they are usually too embarrassed to dance.

All in all, it is just silly, senseless fun, thanks to a boy who isn’t afraid to be silly and crazy and just himself. “I’m not embarrassed,” Trevor said. “I love dancing in public.”

So far, Trevor has danced at Apple Stores in New York, Mission Viejo, San Diego, and his hometown, Temecula. He receives $100 a month from YouTube because they place ads on his videos since they are so popular. And, even though he has all of the equipment he needs at his fingertips in the Apple store, he still spends most of the money he earns on video equipment from, guess where? Yes, his local Apple Store!

What are Trevor’s future plans? It will come as no surprise that he wants to be an entertainer, and he already has a manager.

This is one boy we will be seeing a lot of in the future. Enjoy his videos, and check out his YouTube channel.

Teacher-World's Blog Apple Store dancing, Trevor Moran, YouTube