4day Schools in Georgia

Many schools in Georgia are considering switching to four day school weeks due to many budget cut lingering in the air. Peach County has already taken this step, operating tuesday through friday each week. The estimate that they saved $313,000 in transportation and utilities by making this schdule cut. They set the exmaple for all other schools in the state of Georgia. Yet, there were many concerns as well as praises about this cut. Some expressed that education was the last thing in America that needed a cut and that public schools are not properly educating the youth today. Comments even expressed that educators were there strictly for the purpose of teaching and not raising the children. On the other hand, some thought this was a good idea. Personally, I could sway to either side on this issue. From the kids point of view, I'm sure it appears wonderfully: a three day weekend every weekend! Also, the amount of money saved by the school systems could help over compensate for some of the cuts being made each year. Yet, I can see why some would fear this change. Parents who work full time jobs would have to find alternative care for there child the extra day out of school costing more money for the parent. It may also compromise the learning of the students. As an education major, I have dealt with many teachers who felt like they were on a time crunch to meet  the states curriculum requirements attending school five days a week. Removing one of those teaching days each week might take away from some of the lessons students need for the year. However, if the cuts are made and the students academic levels remain high and possibly improve, I see no harm if moving to a four day school week.

Resource:
"Georgia Schools Switching to 4-day week." USA Today. 23 Feb 2010. USA Today, Web. 24 Feb 2010. .

Learning Healthy Eating Habits

Obesity has become a rising concern across America especially in young children. Lunchroom food along with snacks available on school campus may be a leading cause of obesity in youth today. Children need to be taught the importance of a healthy diet in school and learn how to practice it. It has been proven that if children are offered healthy choices in foods they will except them. However, many schools do not have such healthy choices. The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act is addressing the issues of renewing the standards for snacks and beverages offered with lunch meals. I have not seen much evidence of this within the cafeteria at many schoold besides the offering of fruit with their lunch. My hometown highschool did, however, remove all drinks containing cafenine from the machines. This school did not have a vending machine, but it some schools that may pose as a problem. A Center for Science in the Public Interest study showed that most of the items offered were highly unhealthy. It is not regluated by USDA standards and may therefore offer anything is wishes. Schools may also have a school ran snack store which my high school would have an example of. This is also not regulated by USDA standards. Students may purchse unhealthy snacks to have during their breaks or other parts of the day. However, schools who have both a vending machine and a school run snack store are just adding extra temptations to the students to make unhealthy choices throughout the school day. To make a change the parents, teachers, and students must all become involved. It is an increasing issue that needs a solution and that solution starts with schools!

Resource:
http://getkidsinaction.org/lunchroom

Black History Month

As long as I can remeber February has been dedicated to remembering significant African Americans in U.S. history, yet, I never really knew why the month of February...
Dr. Carter G. Woodson can be given much of the credit for black history month. After being raised by two former slaves and working in the coalmines himself he set out to achieve an education. He received the four-month term that was customary for black schools at the time. Determined to do better he taught himself further and at 19 entered high school. He went on to receive his Masters degree in history from the University of Chicago, and he eventually earned a PhD from Harvard. Woodson was greatly disturbed at the lack of acknolwedgment for America's black population. He began challenging the writing of Black history. To do this, Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History along with the Journal of Negro History. Through all of his efforts he was able to develop Negro History Week in 1926.Woodson believed that "the achievements of the Negro properly set forth will crown him as a factor in early human progress and a maker of modern civilization." Yet, In 1976, Negro History Week expanded into Black History Month. February was chosen for the celebration because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population: Frederick Douglass (February 14), an escaped slave who became one of the foremost black abolitionists and civil rights leaders in the nation, and President Abraham Lincoln (February 12), who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery in America's confederate states.

As a future teacher, I believe that this information is important to share with students. It helps them understand more about the struggle to establish acknowedgement and the history behind all these significant people in which they study. I know that I never learned this information growing up and learning through Black History Month each year. However, I do feel it is something that should be known by the children. If you are going to teach something to a child, I think you should teach all there is to know.

Resource:
"Extra!: History of Black History Month." CNN.com. 31 Jan 2007. CNN, Web. 9 Feb 2010. .

Start Date Bill in Alabama

      It seems that each year Alabama's legislature debates on the state and end dates of a school year. The Alabama tourism department has much to do with the development of this issue. They claim that the state loses over 300 million dollars a year by starting school so early in august, and they wish for that the change. The idea to be presented at this year's legislative session is the start of school after Labor Day. This would extend tourism season as well as create time for longer summer camps for children. However, children would still have to attend school a certain number of days throughout the school year therefore shortening another holiday vacation. Yet, other states such as Michigan and North Carolina have chosen to mandate the school start date to be after Labor Day. It is a great debate as to whether this should be implemented here. However, changing the start date will not only affect the state as a whole and the tourism season, it will affect others on a personal level. Jefferson Co Schools superintendent feels that the decision of the school start date should be determined on a local level due to many different concerns and unique needs. But other oppose saying that pushing the start date further into the year will allow less time with intense heat such as the AFT union president. Some schools in the state are still not fortunate enough to have air conditioned gyms, classrooms, and buses therefore every school district needs to be considered in this presentation. No one is certain were this bill will go because it has been brought upon the legislature once before. In April 2008 the house and the senate voted to prohibit classes in June, July, and early August but it never made it to the legislature. As a student, I would love to have a longer summer. Yet, as a future teacher, I would be concerned that the students would have a hard time transitioning from year to year with such a vacation span. It is definitely a topic that I feel needs much consideration before making a decision. It is one that could have both positive and negative effects on every school system.

Resource:
White, Linda. "The Local Debate on Mandating Alabama's School Start Date" http://www2.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/the_local_debate_on_mandating_alabamas_school_start_date/93916/