| Newspapers; 3/8/06 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 8 2006, 09:41 AM (192 Views) | |
| NFarquharson | Mar 8 2006, 09:41 AM Post #1 |
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From the Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...HOOLS/603080395 Wednesday, March 08, 2006 Bush bashing by teacher spurs threats Colorado man compares president to Hitler; angry callers target Mich. family, student who taped lesson. Joe Menard / The Detroit News "My job as a social studies teacher is to argue alternative perspectives and viewpoints so that students are aware of those points of views," says teacher Jay Bennish. See full image Colorado geography teacher Jay Bennish remains on administrative leave while his school district investigates remarks he made about President Bush during class, including comparing Bush's world view to Adolf Hitler's. Do you think he should be fired? BEVERLY HILLS -- The publication of a teacher's comments comparing President George W. Bush to Adolf Hitler during a Colorado classroom discussion has resulted in threats to the teacher, his family in Michigan and the student who reported him. John Bennish of Beverly Hills said at least 12 people have called his home and threatened his life and the lives of his family since comments made by his son, Jay, exploded onto the Internet and network television. Jay Bennish, 28, a teacher at Overland High School in Aurora, Colo., defended his position on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday, telling host Matt Lauer: "My job as a social studies teacher is to argue alternative perspectives and viewpoints so that students are aware of those points of views. They do not necessarily reflect my own views. They are simply thrown out there to encourage critical thought." The comments -- made to his class Feb. 1 in response to Bush's State of the Union address -- have thrust Bennish, a 1996 Seaholm High School graduate, into the national spotlight in the debate over the war in Iraq and war on terrorism. It also stoked the debate on how much liberty teachers should have in expressing views on current events. The comments were made public Feb. 22 by conservative syndicated columnist Walter E. Williams. Since then, the comments have been repeated on the Internet and on television shows, including Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes," on the "Today" show and on Rush Limbaugh's syndicated radio show. "This has been totally lopsided and one-sided," Bennish's father said of the coverage his son's comments have received. He said the Fox News Channel's coverage "reminds me of McCarthyism. And they're supposed to be fair and balanced?" Sean Allen, a 10th-grade student in Bennish's world geography class, recorded the comments on his MP3 player. They included Jay Bennish saying some of Bush's speech "sounds a lot like the things that Adolf Hitler used to say. We're the only ones who are right, everyone else is backwards and our job is to conquer the world and make sure that they all live just like we want them to." Later in the recording, Bennish said he was not claiming Bush and Hitler were the same, "but there are some eerie similarities to the tones that they use." Some students said that Allen, too, has become a target, even though the teen has not returned to school since the recording was made public. "Everybody's mad" at Allen, Phil Tekle, 17, told the Denver Post. "People are saying that if they see him, they want to beat him up. I think that's just talk, though." Allen, who has said he records all the lectures in his classes instead of taking notes, handed it over to his father, who passed it on to Williams and a conservative Denver talk radio station. From there, it hit Internet blogs and eventually mainstream media such as Fox. "Regardless of whether you're pro-Bush or anti-Bush, pro-American or anti-American, I'd like to know whether there's anyone who believes that the teacher's remarks were appropriate for any classroom setting, much less a high school geography class," Williams wrote in a Feb. 22 column posted on the Web site townhall.com. "It's clear the students aren't being taught geography. They're getting socialist lies and propaganda." Jay Bennish, whose mother is a teacher in Birmingham, was placed on administrative leave from his job in the Cherry Creek Schools District while it investigates whether his Feb. 1 lecture violated a policy requiring that balancing viewpoints be presented in classes. "The main reason I say those racy or thought-provoking perspectives (is) I'm trying to provoke my students to go out there and decide for themselves," Jay Bennish told the Post. "I try to throw alternative perspectives out to students so they can (think) critically. I think the whole thing is reflective of a trend, an intolerance for anyone who would dare to speak with an opposing view ... This is not a good sign for a healthy democracy." Bennish said he invites opposing views, as long as students can back up their arguments. He said no parents -- including the family of the student who recorded the lecture -- have complained to him, and all the students' parents had seen his syllabus and that school officials had approved it. "I think what I've learned is the level of polarization that America is facing right now," he said. "There seems to be a growing intolerance for anybody that would dare to articulate (contrary) ideas to what is ... mainstream. It's very discouraging and as a society and as a country, we need to grapple with these issues. "I certainly think this is a very scary precedent and this is something that could inhibit teachers from actively discussing these types of issues for fear they will be the next person to be broadcast" in the media. Bennish has weathered the criticism well for a teacher in the profession for just six years, said his mother, Jan, who teaches at Harlan Elementary. "I'm absolutely amazed at how well he's able to handle this," she said. "I think Jay's always been very mature." Jay Bennish's lawyer, David Lane, said he expects the school district to make a decision on his client's future on Thursday. "Aside from right-wing talk radio, he's got a lot of support," Lane said. "He's got some of the highest student evaluations of any teacher." The comments came as a surprise to Bennish's former lacrosse coach at Seaholm, Aaron Frank. "He was fairly quiet," he said, adding that Bennish was a good player. Despite his quiet demeanor, Bennish was an independent young man and an "individual," said Frank, now the school's athletic director. The Associated Press contributed to this report. You can reach Joe Menard at (248) 647-7429 or jmenard@detnews.com. ___________________________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603080356/1026 Wednesday, March 08, 2006 College offers online courses for Detroit school students Partnership with WCCCD will help kids fulfill proposed requirement for such a class to graduate. Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News DETROIT -- The district's high school students soon will be able to log on and attend any of the more than 100 online classes offered at the Wayne County Community College District. The access is part of a partnership expected to be announced today between the Detroit Public Schools and the community college, in part to meet a new state proposal requiring all students complete an online course to graduate. The courses, which would include college classes and ACT and SAT preparation, would start as early as this summer for about six high schools and expand districtwide this fall. The offerings will help students who want to take classes that aren't available in their schools, typically because of a lack of teachers or interest from other students, officials said. The college's chancellor, Curtis Ivery, said he expects both advanced students and others who may struggle with school to benefit from online instruction because students today connect with computers so easily. "At the age of three years, they are on the video games," Ivery said. "They are so comfortable with the technology." Students would be able to earn college credit and high school credit at the same time under dual enrollment. There would be no cost to students because there is state funding for dual enrollment, Ivery said. Detroit students also would be able to enroll in the online remedial classes the college currently offers its students, which would be similar to high school classes. Students would be able to attend the classes wherever they can access the Internet, including schools, libraries, the community college's campuses and at home. There will be a staffer at each school who will coordinate the online classes and can respond to students' questions in-person, school officials said. "It's another way of learning besides the traditional chalkboard method," said district spokesman Lekan Oguntoyinbo. Cass Tech junior Joy Alston likes the idea because it gives her more course choices. She's in AP Calculus this year but for her senior year she planned on going to Wayne State University for more advanced math. Now she said she may take that class online. "It's more convenient, definitely," Alston said. "We need the diversity (of classes)." But Victor Robinson, a senior at Cass Tech, said he'd prefer "the interaction with an actual human being." "It's more hands on," he said. The state wants all high school students to participate in on-line learning before they graduate and the requirement is included in tough new course requirements. The proposal was passed by the state House last week and is in the state Senate. Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced this week that a new online course would be offered next school year to all students that would help kids pick a career and give them a better understanding of the global economy, according to the Associated Press. You can reach Christine MacDonald at (313) 222-2269 or cmacdonald@detnews.com ______________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...73/1026/SCHOOLS Wednesday, March 08, 2006 Todd McInturf / The Detroit News Michigan Sen. Mickey Switalski reads a book to students in the gym. The district will ask voters to approve bonds for two new schools. Voters to decide school issues May 2 16 county districts will select new board members; 5 ask for money Charles E. Ramirez / The Detroit News Students and teachers walk to the gym to hear a guest during "March is Reading Month" at Pierce Elementary in Roseville. Pierce is one of the oldest schools in the Roseville District. See full image Macomb County school elections Area school districts are planning to ask voters to consider either millage renewals, increases or bond proposals. They include: Chippewa Valley Schools. The district is seeking renewal of an 18 mill non-homestead property tax to fund school operations for the next nine years. School officials estimate the millage will generate $14 million. New Haven Community Schools. The district will ask voters to restore 2-mills to its non-homestead property tax. The move would generate about $156,283 in revenue in the 2006 calendar year. Romeo Community Schools. The district has a proposal to renew its 18 mill non-homestead property tax. It also has a proposal to levy a 1.25 mill for three years to create a building and site sinking fund to repair schools. The first proposal is expected to generate about $8 million over five years and the second would generate $2 million in the 2008 calendar year. Roseville Community Schools. The district will have two proposals on the May ballot to pay for demolishing four aging elementary schools, building two new elementary schools, renovating Roseville High School and addressing a laundry list of other building maintenance issues. South Lake Schools. The district will ask voters to consider a proposal to restore .3981 of a mill to its non-homestead property tax to fund operations. The proposal is expected to generate $75,268 in revenue for the year. For a list of school board candidates, visit www.macombcountymi.gov/clerksoffice/electionDept.asp. Source: Macomb County Clerk's Office More than a dozen school districts in Macomb County will ask voters to elect new members on May 2 and another handful of districts will ask voters to consider either millage or bond proposals. Sixteen of the county's 21 school districts -- including L'Anse Creuse Public Schools, Utica Community Schools and Warren Consolidate Schools -- will hold elections for board of education members. In addition, five school districts will ask voters to consider millage renewals, increases or bonds to cover their operating costs or fund new construction projects. New Haven Community Schools, for example, will ask voters to consider reinstating 2 mills to the district's non-homestead property tax in May. Under the Headlee Amendment of the state's Constitution, the maximum authorized millage -- 18 mills -- can be reduced when a district's tax base increases faster than inflation. However, the higher rate can be restored by a popular vote. "Because of our growth, we've been faced with a reduction in our non-homestead Headlee millage," said James Avery, superintendent of New Haven Community Schools. "So we're seeking to have it restored." The Macomb County school elections will be held a couple of months after similar propositions to build new schools and make improvements failed in Wayne County communities. But that hasn't discouraged supporters of area school bond proposals. "I think the situations are different," said Brent White, publicity chairman for the Roseville Community Schools district's bond steering committee. Roseville will ask voters in May to consider two bond proposals: an extension for an existing bond approved in 1996 for building improvements and a 2-mill increase to cover the costs of renovating Roseville High School to accommodate freshmen who now attend classes at two junior highs. The money from the bond extension would generate $70 million to demolish four aging elementary schools, construct two new elementary schools and purchase school buses, officials said. The increase would generate about $38 million. The two proposals will cost the average homeowner in Roseville about $10 a month, according to officials. "I'm not familiar with what districts in Wayne County put forth, but the proposals we're asking voters to consider are for items the community at large has determined are things that they want to see corrected," White said. The district proposed a $99.3 million bond last year, but it was defeated at the polls. "We've addressed a lot of issues and concerns residents had (about that bond) by taking voter surveys and holding community meetings with the public," he said. "I think this time around we have a much more cost-effective bond that addresses the more key points of concern that everyone in the community has." Nancy Orlando said her grandchildren attend Roseville's public schools and she supports the district's proposals. "I want my grandchildren and all children in Roseville to have a good education," she said. You can reach Charles E. Ramirez at (586) 468-2905 or cramirez@detnews.com. _____________________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603080317/1026 Wednesday, March 08, 2006 Monica Almeida / New York Times College students go casual in e-mails to professors Lack of formality irks academics, who say they are deluged with notes bordering on ridiculous. Jonathan D. Glater / New York Times Jim Wilson / New York Times Jennifer Schultens, an associate professor of mathematics at the University of California, Davis, says student notes can be inane. See full image One student skipped class and then sent the professor an e-mail message asking for copies of her teaching notes. Another did not like her grade, and wrote a petulant message to the professor. Another explained she was late for a Monday class because she was recovering from drinking too much at a wild weekend party. Jennifer Schultens, an associate professor of mathematics at the University of California, Davis, received this e-mail message last September from a student in her calculus course: "Should I buy a binder or a subject notebook? Since I'm a freshman, I'm not sure how to shop for school supplies. Would you let me know your recommendations? Thank you!" At colleges and universities nationwide, e-mail has made professors much more approachable. But many say it has made them too accessible, erasing boundaries that traditionally kept students at a healthy distance. These days, they say, students seem to view them as available 24-7, sending a steady stream of e-mail messages -- from 10 a week to 10 after every class -- that are too informal or downright inappropriate. "The tone that they would take in e-mail was pretty astounding," said Michael J. Kessler, an assistant dean and a lecturer in theology at Georgetown University. " 'I need to know this and you need to tell me right now,' with a familiarity that can sometimes border on imperative." While once professors may have expected deference, their expertise seems to have become just another service that the student, as consumer, is buying. So the student has no fear of giving offense, imposing on the professor's time or even of asking a question that might reflect badly on the student's judgment. For junior faculty members, the barrage of e-mail has brought new tension into their work lives, some say, as they struggle with how to respond. Their tenure prospects, they realize, may rest in part on student evaluations of their accessibility. Meg Worley, an assistant professor of English at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., said she told students that they must say thank you, after receiving a professor's response to an e-mail message. "One of the rules that I teach my students is, the less powerful person always has to write back," Worley said. ________________________________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603080308/1008 Wednesday, March 08, 2006 Letters Parents, students question new curriculum Mandate crowds out electives As a student at Seaholm High School in Birmingham, I have well exceeded the 16 mandated credits Michigan wants to try to enforce statewide ("Tougher classes pass hurdle," March 2). My hard work has earned me a spot at the University of Michigan. But after four years of aggressive academics, I have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life. By instituting these mandated credits statewide, schools will be forced to shut down elective classes that may give some insight about what else is out there, because we all know the real world isn't composed in a textbook. Jenna Weeks Beverly Hills Require foreign language Thank you for Jim Ballard's column supporting the proposed new state academic standards ("State high school principals support tougher standards," Feb. 22). However, nowhere does he mention the support for two years of foreign language study. I am wondering if the Michigan principals association is not including foreign language in its support. Foreign language study is an integral part of a college preparatory curriculum in most of our states. It needs to be a part of the Michigan required curriculum. Gary E. Scavnicky Troy Great but flawed idea I disagree with the proposed new curriculum mandate by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Although the idea of requiring Algebra 1, geometry and Algebra 2 for every student who enters high school sounds great, there are many flaws the plan does not remedy. What about the gifted students who were previously able to test out of Algebra 1 upon entering high school? Isn't requiring them to repeat that subject an unnecessary waste of the staff's and students' time? On the other end, more than 100 students failed Algebra 1 last year in my high school's freshman class. Ike Anyanetu Taylor Practical schooling needed The headline "Will tougher courses help students learn?" (Feb. 27) suggests false conclusions. Will taking trigonometry teach students money management? Will algebra teach students how to reconcile a checkbook? Will foreign language courses teach family planning? Will chemistry teach how to count money? We don't need harder courses; we need more practical education. Joseph P. Migliore Allen Park Teaching methods matter In reading this article ("Tough classes may scare students away," Feb. 12), I caught a few references to what I see as a core issue: How people learn. I suggest we lose our attachment to teaching methods that do not address the very real, differing modes of learning (left-brain, right-brain, visual, abstract, etc) and re-engineer our teaching methods for every level of pre-college education. You can gather all the teaching "math whizzes" you want -- if they cannot teach effectively to individual learning styles, you have done nothing to improve education in Michigan. Elizabeth Roggenbuck Clawson __________________________________ http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../603080314/1008 Wednesday, March 08, 2006 High taxes and low skills dim state's high-tech dream WMU survey finds execs don't think much of Mich. Michigan is seeking to create new-economy jobs with $1 billion in seed money it hopes will attract life sciences and biotechnology companies. But a new survey suggests the state is putting the cart before the horse. It hasn't created the tax and education climate that new-economy job creators value. "Michigan is not a new-economy powerhouse," Judith Bailey, president of Western Michigan University, said Tuesday, stating the obvious. The university commissioned the poll by EPIC-MRA of Lansing, and Bailey unveiled it at an Inforum luncheon in Dearborn. It asked business executives in five states -- Michigan, California, Massachusetts, Illinois and Ohio -- to rank the most important attributes for a state hoping to draw life science businesses. Topping the list is taxes, and the executives rank Michigan near the bottom in favorable tax policy. But, the executives say, a state can overcome an onerous tax burden -- as California and Massachusetts have -- by offering a highly educated work force. Sadly, Michigan trails in that category as well. The executives don't think much of Michigan's brain power. That's a reflection on the state's culture, which places a low value on education. Barely one-third of the Michigan executives in the survey view a highly educated work force as very important to the state's success. Their response dovetails neatly with earlier surveys from the Your Child organization and The Detroit News, which found only 27 percent of Michigan parents view education as essential to their children's success. What's the poll tell us? First, that Michigan risks squandering the $1 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund if it doesn't first lay a foundation for supporting a science and technology economy. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has resisted tax cutting, clinging to the argument that a state's tax structure is not a detriment to attracting business. She's right -- as long as the state can offset taxes with a vast pool of highly trained workers. Michigan can't. At 22 percent, its percentage of adults with college degrees is about half of what Massachusetts boasts. And it can't even begin to compete with California for cool. So those states can get away with burdensome taxes. Michigan has to work harder. Western Michigan's Bailey noted that capital in the 21st century will follow brain power. But most of the executives surveyed don't see Michigan as capable of supporting science and technology industries. The state would do better to invest the $1 billion in dramatically reducing the business tax burden or slashing tuition cost so that everyone has ready access to a college education. Or both. But trying to build a technology and science economy without first constructing a solid tax and education foundation is folly. |
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| NFarquharson | Mar 8 2006, 09:49 AM Post #2 |
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From the Free Press: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...EWS02/603080430 Wayne County Livonia school changes proceed Parent group has lawsuit pending March 8, 2006 BY ZLATI MEYER FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Despite a lawsuit, Livonia Public Schools is continuing its transition to the Legacy Initiative, which calls for closing seven schools and putting grades 5-6 into their own buildings. Among the decisions at Monday night's school board meeting are new school start and end times, the creation of parent and staff focus groups to discuss what special classes to offer fifth- and sixth-graders and that no portable classrooms will be necessary. In addition, various schools are hosting open houses for incoming students to help them adjust. Students in kindergarten through fourth grade would start classes at 8:55 a.m. and end at 3:57 p.m.; fifth- and sixth-graders are to be at school from 8:35 a.m. to 3:37 p.m. The middle schoolers' day would run 8 a.m.-2:48 p.m., while high school classes would continue to be 7:25 a.m.-2:19 p.m. School officials said the times are estimates, pending an agreement with the teachers union about workday lengths. The K-6 start times are within 15 minutes of this year's schedule and the middle schools' times are 5 minutes earlier. Parents at the meeting said this schedule would, because of bus routes, cause some kids to get home around 5 p.m., a charge the district denied. Today, the middle schools are hosting open houses for the eighth-graders coming from Riley Middle School, which will house grades 5-6 in the fall. . "We're moving forward with District Transition Team meetings every other week and school transition teams meeting regularly," said district spokesman Jay Young. The parents group Citizens for Livonia's Future is seeking an injunction to prevent the district from going ahead with its plan to reconfigure grades and close buildings. A hearing is scheduled for Friday in Wayne County Circuit Court. "We do not understand the value to our children," Steve Futrell, president of the grassroots organization, said Monday. "We do not understand the cost structure and savings, and we don't know where we'll be a year from now if this plan doesn't help our students." Citizens for Livonia's Future is also circulating petitions to recall the six board members who voted for the Legacy Initiative. Contact ZLATI MEYER at 248-351-3291 or meyer@freepress.com. ________________________________________ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...EWS02/603080427 Wayne County Hamtramck schools chief aims to build student achievement March 8, 2006 BY CECIL ANGEL At a meeting tonight, Chow plans to talk about a projected enrollment drop. He said he hopes that the Schools of Choice campaign will attract new students. It's evident when talking to Dr. Felix Chow, Hamtramck's new schools superintendent, that political correctness is not his thing. He tells it like he sees it when it comes to educating students and the need to focus on the basics. And now he is leading a district with a large immigrant enrollment. Chow, 54, understands firsthand the adjustments those students are making because he has been through it -- many times. He was born Zhou Hou Tong in Shanghai, China, and educated in Hong Kong, Italy, Puerto Rico and the United States. He speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, Wu, English, Spanish and Italian. He's been in the United States since 1976 and a citizen since 1982. He says he was the first Asian-American school superintendent in the state when Flint Community Schools hired him in January 2002. So, when Chow hears that the Hamtramck district should be more accommodating to Muslim students and offer Arabic language classes, he calls it a misguided notion. "I have nothing against Arabic people or religion," Chow said Monday, referring to Islam. But "when we look at required education for our children, what is better for our students in the long run, more math and science and social studies and language arts, or to be able to speak or learn Arabic?" He said he wants the students to become proficient in courses that will help them get into good colleges and find good jobs. Besides, he said, the district simply can't afford it. At a school board meeting tonight, Chow plans to tell the board that Hamtramck Public Schools is projected to lose as many as 400 of its 3,200 students in the fall and that it could be necessary to lay off at least 30 employees. "To use district resources to hire a certified Arabic teacher is almost impossible," Chow said. He sees an option. "If you go back in history 50 years ago when Hamtramck was predominantly Polish, the school district did not teach Polish," Chow said. But the school district worked with the community to offer Polish lessons as extracurricular activities during evenings and on Saturdays, he said. "We can do the same thing." Meanwhile, he hopes that the district's Schools of Choice campaign will attract enough new K-8 students so no one will be laid off, he said. In November 2004, the district was forced to lay off 17 teachers after enrollment plunged from 3,808 students in September 2003 to 416 fewer in September 2004. Chow said he wants to turn around the district's enrollment decline by building a solid reputation for academic achievement. He's been on the job for three months and has a 3-year contract. He came with an impressive resume including 20 years in the corporate world. Chow, who has two associate degrees, a bachelor of arts, three master's degrees and a doctorate of education from Boston University, also was the chief financial officer for Mott Community College in Flint. During his time with Flint schools, he closed 10 schools and laid off 500 employees. "What do you call a superintendent who closes schools?" Chow asks, smiling. "A former superintendent." Still, he made a good impression in Flint. "He was really behind the kids and good student achievement," said Flint school board member Vera J. Perry. Chow and his wife, Ann, live in Dearborn and don't have children. He enjoys spending time playing the violin and likens his love of education to the pleasure of playing music. "Doing this kind of work is like being a musician," Chow said. A musician "will never tell you this is work." Contact CECIL ANGEL at 313-223-4531 _________________________________ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...EWS03/603080374 Oakland County Expanding students' horizons at Novi High New fine arts wing provides path to opportunities March 8, 2006 BY LORI HIGGINS FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER Renee Hadley, 18 of Novi, front, practices a routine Monday with classmates during ballet and modern dance class at Novi High School. A new fine arts facility enables the school to offer dance and other new programs. Said Principal John Lawrence: "It's like a dream come true." (HEATHER ROUSSEAU/Special to the Free Press) Open house The dedication ceremony and open house at Novi High is to take place 1-3 p.m. Saturday at the school, 24062 Taft in Novi. The open house will feature student-guided tours and demonstrations in areas such as art and science. Renee Hadley has studied dance for 15 years, but it was only recently that she was able to take a dance class at Novi High School. The new dance studio there is part of a recently constructed fine arts wing at the school -- complete with a black-box theater and a choir room -- that has undergone a $37-million transformation thanks to a successful $75.6-million bond proposal in 2001. The school will formally thank the community, and show off its new digs, at an open house and dedication ceremony Saturday. "We have so many more opportunities now," said 18-year-old Hadley, a senior at Novi, which has 1,900 students. Just about every part of the building was touched in the renovation and addition, Principal John Lawrence said. "I drive up to the building and I just look at what has been done and I pinch myself and say, 'Is this really real?' It's like a dream come true." But the real benefit isn't for him, it's for the students who will have new opportunities to learn because of the expanded facility, Lawrence said. That includes students who for the first time are getting a chance to get practical experience to go along with their child development courses. The school opened up a preschool program and students taking a child development course get a chance to put what they've learned in the classroom to work. The preschool, which is run by the Novi School District's community education department, gave Rachael Rogg a chance to work with children and test her teaching skills. Rogg, 18 and a senior, plans to teach elementary school. "It was amazing," said Rogg, who got the practical experience last semester. "We got to make actual lesson plans and see what worked and what didn't work." She's just as impressed with the other features of the renovated school. There are new gathering spots in a building that previously lacked them. One is an atrium that is connected to the cafeteria. It's a welcome alternative from some classrooms that don't have windows, Hadley said. "You get a break from the classroom scene. It's so much nicer," she said. The atrium has been host to school events like dances. Students seem to like events held there better than in the gym, Hadley said. The cafeteria was expanded to accommodate more students, and the auditorium was renovated, with new seating, carpeting and a sound system added. There are new classrooms for the career and technical education programs. The outdoor athletic complex was renovated, as well as areas for administrative offices, student services and attendance offices. "This was a huge project," Lawrence said. Contact LORI HIGGINS at 248-351-3694 or higgins@freepress.com. _________________________________________ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...ION01/603080328 Editorials Work, School Smart time priorities for teens keep focus on lessons March 8, 2006 Gov. Jennifer Granholm's veto of an effort to let teenagers work 20 hours a week instead of the current legal limit of 18 shows the state has its priorities straight. When the governor says education has to come above all else, it's not just a political talking point. It's a reality, proved more each day, as once plentiful minimum wage jobs disappear and employers seek workers with developed skills. Students have to stay in school and keep up with their work to achieve those skills. Allowing 16- or 17-year-olds two extra hours of employment might pad their wallets a bit more. But at the prevailing minimum wage rate, $5.15 an hour, minus Social Security and other taxes, the boost would hardly compensate for the additional distraction from school. Had the governor supported Senate Bill 179, it would have been, in the eyes of some young people, a state-sanctioned excuse to put work above their education, or worse, an invitation to try to juggle more work yet with school and extracurricular activities like sports. Michigan is one of only three states, along with Delaware and Maryland, to set a combined school and workweek limit for 16- and 17-year-olds. The state's current limit of 48 hours continues to be reasonable, even as the Legislature has moved over the last decade to increase the minimum number of hours of school instruction. Opponents argue that the limit undercuts employers who rely on young people as workers. That argument might wash in a state with low unemployment rates. Here, sadly, there is no shortage of unemployed, qualified workers eager to fill jobs of any kind -- even if it may crimp some employers' ability to hire young people who will work for less, rather than adults who know how to advocate for higher pay. Granholm's veto reflects a strong and sensible stand for education and for fair wages. Michigan has ample reasons to be firmly in favor of both. ___________________________________ http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...EWS04/603080447 Macomb County NEWS IN A MINUTE: Macomb County March 8, 2006 MT. CLEMENS: A high school teacher is charged in online sex case A Mt. Clemens High School teacher was arraigned Monday on charges that he tried to meet with a person whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl for sex in Novi, according to Attorney General Mike Cox. Agents from the Attorney General's office arrested Louis A. Pressel, 43, on Sunday as he arrived for what they say was a sexual encounter he arranged online. Investigators say Pressel started chatting online Jan. 11 with someone he thought was a girl. The operation was part of Cox's Child and Public Protection Unit, which, according to Cox's office, has now caught 83 people. "Parents have plenty to worry about," Cox said in a statement. "The last thing they should have to fear is that their child's teacher is an Internet sexual predator." Pressel was arraigned in 54-1 District Court in Novi before Magistrate Judith Holtz on charges of child sexually abusive activity and using the Internet to communicate with a minor to commit child sexually abusive activity. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Bond was set at $300,000. A preliminary exam is scheduled for March 15. The Attorney General's Office was notified that Pressel was hiring an attorney. TC Wallace, superintendent of Mt. Clemens Public Schools, said Tuesday that Pressel taught chemistry to 11th- and 12th-graders at the high school and has been at the school for eight years. He said Pressel is on paid administrative leave pending further investigation and that the teacher has had no prior problems in his tenure at the high school. "What is most important is that we protect the integrity of our programs and ensure parents that schools are safe," Wallace said. "We also don't want students to lose focus as a result of an unfortunate incident as this." By Christy Arboscello and Stan Donaldson |
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11:46 AM Jul 13