Career Academies for Low Income Students Proving Effective Entryway into Job Market

See Career programs stress college, too, and give students a leg up, study says, NYT, 6/26/08, at A14

-2500 career academies in US today

Vermont Law School Bars Military Recruiters and Loses Federal Grants

See Law School Pays the Price in Don't Ask Rule Protest," NYT, 6/29/08, at 15

-feds still cut off funding under Solomon Amendment if schools don't allow military recruiters on campus
-Vermont 1 of 2 schools protesting 15 year rule preventing openly gay and lesbians from serving in military

Online Diploma Mills of Growing Concern

See Diploma mill concerns extend beyond fraud, NYT, 6/29/08, at 14

-Washington couple Randock operated 120 fictitious universities
-10k diplomas for customers in 131 countries for 120 universities
-terrorists can use bogus degrees to get visas

East Ramapo School District Holding Back Nearly 12% of First Graders in Controversial Plan

SeeHolding back young students: is program a gift or a stigma?, NYT, 6/25/08, at B1

-8400 student school district
-first graders held back in 15 person segregated classes to try to boost student achievement early

Pregnancy Pact in Massachusetts HS Shocks School

See Knocked Up HS girl: sweet!; NYP, 6/22/08, at 15

-17 high school girls now pregnant in same high school in Gloucester Massachusetts

NJ lawmakers save tuition incentive for top 20% of graduating students to attend community college for free despite financial pressures

See "Lawmakers salvage tuition incentive effort," Bergen Record, 6/21/08, at A3

Guest Blogger Heather Johnson Argues Against Corporal Punishment in Schools

Please note that this blog welcomes guest posts for consideration for publication on this blog. Feel free to submit posts for consideration anytime to bryandglass@gmail.com.


5 Reasons Why Corporal Punishment Should be Outlawed

Spare the rod and spoil the child is an adage that belongs in the past, or so you would think. But there are still a few states in the United States of America that allow children to be physically punished even for minor misdemeanors in school, as long as the disciplinary act does not create the risk of death or cause serious injuries and disabilities. This law gives members of the faculty the right to paddle errant children if they think they need to be disciplined.

The legalization of corporal punishment in American schools is in complete contrast to the law in most European nations which prohibits even parents from physically hurting their children as a way to discipline them. Corporal punishment can be purely physical, physical with the intent to cause emotional distress through humiliation in front of peers, or negative reinforcement (locking the child in a dark room and so on). There are severe drawbacks to the use of corporal punishment as a disciplinary measure, both at home and in schools.


• Physical punishment is hardly a deterrent to misbehavior. In fact, the human psyche is built to resist authority, and if the authority is imposed through corporal punishment, some children would rather do the crime and take the time (being punished) rather than conforming to rules.
• Corporal punishment, especially acts that are meant to embarrass and humiliate, leave emotional scars deep inside that last a lifetime. Psychologists have proven that individuals subject to abuse during childhood grow up to become abusers themselves; they are aggressive to the point of becoming violent at times, they have low self esteem and they do not know how to love their children.
• When children are beaten or punished in a degrading manner, the teacher-child bond is lost in the resulting animosity. The child withdraws into him/herself, becomes sullen and to hide the fear inside, grows rebellious. Corporal punishment can make bullies out of children who were earlier just rambunctious boys and girls.
• The process of meting out corporal punishments can lead to acts that are more violent and potentially harmful or life endangering if the teacher or staff member loses control of him/herself. Physical punishment gone wrong has been known to result in serious harm to body parts like the eyes, ears and limbs.
• There is a distinct possibility that children who are one-off offenders, who get into trouble the first time they skirt the boundaries of rules, are prone to become serious troublemakers if subject to corporal punishment.



By-line:

This guest post is written by Heather Johnson, who frequently writes on the subject of online college degrees. She welcomes your comments and freelance writing inquiries at: heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.

Yale University to Increase Enrollment

See Yale to increase undergraduate enrollment by 15%, NYT, 6/8/08, at A1

South Koreans Studying Overseas to Escape Pressure Cooker at Home

See For studies in English, Koreans learn to say goodbye to Dad, NYT, 6/8/08, at A1

-40000 Korean schoolchildren studying in US, Australia, NZ

US High School Students Falling Behind Students in Other Countries Such as India and China

Highs hitting a low, NYP, 6/1/08, at 24
-too much focus on football and facebook
-short attention spans problematic

Wake Forest University and Smith College End Requirement for Incoming Students to Submit SAT or ACT scores

See "Two colleges end test-score requirement," NYT, 5/27/08 at A19

NYC Teacher Fired After Long Stay in Rubber Room

See "253G to ax one teach," NYP, 5/27/08, at 15

-David Salkin terminated for poor classroom management after only 5 years on job and after shortly receiving tenure

Second Circuit Upholds School Punishing Student for Criticizing School Over Internet

See "Court backs HS limit on free speech," NYP, 5/30/08, at 8

-2d Circuit rules HS had right to punish student for harsh criticism of administrators over the internet, cite disruption analysis

Ilinois District Judge Voids State Moment of Silence Law as Unconstitutional

See "Moment of silence law voided in Ill.," Bergen Record, 5/30/08, at A11

-outspoken atheist sued claiming practice was unconstitutional