Is this an outrageous request from an over-entitled soccer mom or a reasonable accommodation? Janet Tener has asked that Clear Creek Amana High School, from which her son Zach is set to graduate with honors, to change the time of the graduation ceremony because their family has another event scheduled at the same time. Now, before you rush to judge Mrs. Tener, be aware that it may not be so out-of-line as you might think.
Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
Family Wants High School To Reschedule Graduation
Monday, January 10th, 2011Teenager Takes On Arizona Schools — All Of Them
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
It’s almost as if you can’t turn around, these days, without bumping into someone suing someone else over something that seems silly to everyone but the person suing and, possibly, the person being sued. Lawsuits involving kids and schools are no exception — parents seem to sue at the drop of a hat if they feel their precious snowflake has been slighted. Even so, if there really is a problem, sometimes a lawsuit — or the threat of one, anyway — is exactly what’s needed to make things happen. And so, Caleb Laieski has contacted school administrators in Arizona with the threat of a lawsuit if they don’t change their ways. That is, he contacted all of them.
Mark Twain Gets Cleaned Up
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
Some years ago, my mother-in-law, a theatre director, staged a production of South Pacific at a high school whose students were about 80% Asian, including many of Japanese heritage. Because it made no difference to the plot, she changed or eliminated the derogative term “Jap” from the script. Now, a new edition of Mark Twain’s classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is about to get the same treatment.
A Parent’s New Year’s Resolutions For 2011
Sunday, January 2nd, 2011
At the start of the New Year, it’s traditional for people to make sweeping statements about how they plan to improve themselves or their situation in the coming year. I could certainly do that — I definitely need to lose weight, I’d like to yell at the kids a little less, I really ought to work more on getting my book published — but that would only benefit me or, at most, my family. So I thought I’d take a look at the big picture and come up with some resolutions that will help kids all over.
So with that in mind, here is A Parent’s New Year’s Resolutions for 2011:
Anti-Vax’ers Lose In California
Saturday, January 1st, 2011
Remember the bit I posted a while back about autism causing whooping cough? Some parents, afraid that vaccines caused autism despite plentiful evidence to the contrary and even outright debunking of the original “study” that first made the claim, have been deciding not to get their children immunized, including opting out of the whooping cough vaccine. Not surprisingly, that resulted in an increase in the incidence of the disease. That won’t be happening in California any more, however, thanks to a new law going into effect.
Best Words of 2010
Friday, December 31st, 2010
Sadly, I think this will be the last year I’ll have a Best Words list as my littlest is growing and his speech is getting better every day. In the meantime, however, here are the Best Words of 2010 — my favorite mispronunciations, misinterpretations, and just plain amusing figures of speech, courtesy of my two-year-old.
The Video A Mother Should Never Have To Make
Friday, December 17th, 2010
Imagine losing a child — a teenager who is an intelligent, beautiful person with a great future ahead of them. Imagine losing that child not because of some accident of nature or incurable disease but because of something easily preventable. Imagine losing your child because of the thoughtlessness of their peers and the indifference of their teachers. Wendy Walsh doesn’t have to imagine it; she lives it every day.
Building A Better Chess Set
Monday, December 13th, 2010
Chess is a great game that offers intellectual challenge to kids and adults alike. Studies have shown that kids who play chess experience a significant increase in cognitive development as well as improved test scores. On top of that, it’s just plain fun. I decided, recently, that my kids — at least the older two — needed to learn to play. But, of course, I can never do things the normal way. I had to have a chess set that was unique and would capture their imagination.
What’s A Book?
Monday, December 13th, 2010
Most kids today have no clue what a typewriter is. Most have never seen a rotary telephone. Some may have seen examples of that ancient technology known as the VCR, but probably only in their grandparent’s attic or garage. Our kids may read more printed books than electronic ones, but that very well could change in the future. Perhaps it is worthwhile to make sure that our children know that there is value in books that can’t be found online.
The World’s Oldest Computer Made From LEGO
Sunday, December 12th, 2010
LEGO is big in our house. Pretty much everyone, including the kids, likes building with it. My oldest has made some pretty impressive models using LEGO bricks. I’ll admit, however, that none are anywhere near as impressive as Andrew Carol’s functional model of the Antikythera mechanism.
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