ZOMG: Text-speak and tweens: Notso gr8 4 riting skillz
A new study in New Media & Society suggests that texting — with its abbreviations and grammatical shortcuts — undermines students’ writing skills. The “Texting, Techspeak, and Tweens” study by S....
View ArticleTruancy and tardiness: Does going after parents work?
Most people who work with truants say the parents are part of the problem. But is criminal action against the parents the right solution? Yes, according to districts that are getting more aggressive in...
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A charter school mandates pregnancy tests for students suspected of being...
Should a public charter school be able to demand that its students undergo pregnancy tests? (AP Images) UPDATE Wednesday: The school is changing its policy. The Associated Press reports that the school...
View ArticleThe joke is on the mean kids who elected an outcast to homecoming to mock her
The story about the outcast winning homecoming as a joke and turning the tables on her tormenters is getting a lot of mileage on Facebook as a real-life version of “Carrie” with a much happier ending....
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Homecoming for Whitney Kropp: Even the opposing team came out in support
Whitney Kropp at homecoming last night. (Facebook) Bullied Michigan teen Whitney Kropp triumphed at homecoming Friday night where even fans of the other team supported her — showing up at the football...
View ArticleClosing the achievement gap: We’ve been building vocabulary. How about also...
What sets children on a successful path in school and, hopefully, in life? The current belief is that it’s how much children know, so we buy math flashcards for 3-year-olds and sit toddlers down in...
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For many college students: First time away. First time drinking. First time...
Many teens drink for the first time in college. The CDC released troubling data this week on teenage girls and binge drinking. (AP Images.) Over the holiday, I talked with many friends and family...
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College students post lower grades when parents pay more toward their educations
Less can add up to more, at least in terms of parental financial support and college grades, according to a new study. (AJC file photo) I had a conversation Monday night with a friend who, along with...
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An Asian-themed party earns a Duke fraternity criticism and suspension
Duke students upset over an Asian-themed frat party went on the offensive and posted these photos from the event around campus. In the stupid fraternity tricks department, Duke University’s Kappa Sigma...
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Does a parent have a choice when the school tolerates bullying? Was this...
I’ve been watching a subtitled Swedish mystery series, “Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter,” in which the feisty protagonist is a crime reporter for a major newspaper. In the episode I watched last night,...
View ArticleIn black and white: Segregated proms continue but students at Georgia school...
The concept of segregated proms in the South shocked people when the AJC and other newspapers wrote about it a few years back. The first question from readers was how this could still be happening. It...
View ArticleA ‘kissing cousin’ of segregated proms: segregated high school reunions. Are...
A reader of the segregated prom blog sent me a note about something that DeKalb school chief Michael Thurmond referenced in a recent speech, racially segregated class reunions. Thurmond said that his...
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How two South Georgia districts ended segregated proms: Lessons from Turner...
Two nearby school districts have already gone through what Wilcox County is facing: ending the practice of private segregated proms. (AP Images.) Veteran educator Henry Walding used to joke that if...
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