Some D.C. Public Schools Caught Cheating, But Problem Appears Limited

A new school year is filled with excitement and expectation for most children, but for those who are unsure whether they are prepared for the next grade, the time can also be filled with worry and trepidation. How can parents know definitively their children are ready to advance to the next step of their academic careers? There are several signs to watch for and many more tips parents can use to get their kids started on the right foot when the new school year begins.

Getting Started in Early Education – Separation, Focus, and Reading

The early years of school are an exciting time for children, but they can also be scary for some. To ensure your child is ready to enter the hallowed halls of academia, consider the following:

• Leaving Mom and Dad – Is your child ready to say goodbye to you every morning? If not, begin breaking those attachment ties down by enrolling your tot in a preschool or church program. According to Family Education, children entering Kindergarten should be happy away from home and be able to handle basic needs like bathroom trips on their own.
• Focusing on Tasks – Throughout the early years of school, children must learn to focus on tasks and see them through to completion. This process begins in Kindergarten with “circle time” and cut and paste projects and continues through first and second grade, with reading groups, math tests, and writing practice. Great Schools

With the alarming rise in violence at public schools across the country, zero-tolerance policies have become the norm. In theory, these policies should lead to safer schools, since they offer school administrators the ability to deal with infractions promptly and decisively. However, the practice of zero-tolerance policies is showing significant flaws in the system, and many are demanding reform in the rules that have proven to hurt students more than they protect them in some cases.

The Purpose of Zero-Tolerance Policies

The establishment of zero-tolerance policies began in the 1980s. At the time, these policies primarily dealt with major offenses involving weapons and drugs. The term was first introduced by the Reagan Administration when the President launched his War on Drugs. When the federal government passed the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act of 1989, zero-tolerance policies became the law.

According to the Detroit Free Press, zero-tolerance policies expanded with the federal Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994, which mandated that any student caught bringing a gun to school would be expelled for one year or longer. Students accused of violations were also to be referred to local law enforcement agencies. However, it wasn’t long before that zero-tolerance policy was expanded to encompass a host of infractions, from dress code violations to assaults on another student. At that point, many began to question the effectiveness of zero-tolerance policies, particularly in situations where the policy began to override common sense and the best interests of the

Chicago teachers, frustrated with changes made by Mayor Rahm Emanuel that did not include input from the teachers’ union, have voted to strike this summer if contract negotiations do not take a positive turn. The vote comes in the midst of ongoing consideration of numerous contract issues, as a preliminary strike on Chicago school officials working to come to an agreement between administration and teachers. While the strike would not occur for another two months, it sends a significant message to Chicago school officials that teachers across the Windy City are not happy with the turns in public education taken over the past year.

Longer School Days, Less Pay at Heart of Conflict

According to the Huffington Post, Chicago teachers are unhappy with Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s decision to rescind four-percent teacher raises last year. The mayor then worked around the union to authorize increasing the length of the school day to seven hours, after his initial efforts to lengthen school hours were blocked by the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board. Currently, Chicago public school students boast the shortest school day of any large school district in the country – with just five hours and 45 minutes currently spent in class.

The Chicago Teachers Union has stated that actual instruction time in Chicago schools is on par with other districts across the country. When the union wouldn’t work with Emanuel on lengthening the school day in light of reduced pay increases, the mayor went directly to

Public School Achievement: Are Stimulants a Part of the Equation?

Students under pressure to make good grades and keep up with a myriad of extracurricular activities are turning to an unexpected place to get the edge they need to succeed: stimulant drugs. Many high school students across the U.S. are turning to prescription medications typically used to treat ADD and ADHD to increase their energy levels and focus when their physical bodies cannot do it on their own. The increased use of these drugs has many educators and health care providers concerned, but students who have seen their results continue to turn to the medications - and turn their friends onto them as well.

This video looks at the effects of Adderall on study habits.

Driven to Excel

The Herald-Tribune reports that students in high school today face enormous pressure when it comes to competing with their peers for class placements, test scores, and college entrance applications. The medications have been used on college campuses for some time but are slowly trickling down to the high school level as well. Students find that stimulant use gives them the necessary edge to perform at a higher level with less sleep required.

As many as 200 students sent their views on prescription medication abuse to the New York Times, frequently eluding to the fact that pressure to perform – from parents,