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Thursday, August 15, 2002 |
Big Brothers and Big Sisters do the right thing
Another article in the SF Chronicle: Big Brothers and Big Sisters have decided to welcome gay and lesbian mentors. Of course, this doesn't sit well with everyone.
For more than 25 years, the nonprofit group Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has had an open-door policy for those who want to volunteer as mentors for young people.
But now, the group finds itself fighting off an effort by conservative organizations that are trying to get corporations to yank their sponsorships because the Big Brothers Big Sisters has mandated that its chapters welcome gay and lesbian volunteers as part of its nondiscrimination policy.
"when I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all"
A pair of articles in today's papers on education, technology and the struggle to maintain control over everything students do.There's a telling quote in the article in the NY Times : this student's only offense seems to be eliciting envy:
But phones are not the only problem. Not too long ago Ms. Brooks found a student watching a portable DVD player in the cafeteria. She told him to put it away since it violated the school's policy against electronic equipment on campus.
"I was like, `Whoa, I can't even afford one of those,' " she joked, but she can foresee a day when many students can, presenting another potential disruption for principals to contend with.
Shall we think about the incongruity of banning students from watching DVDs in the cafeteria that they choose, when schools are cutting deals with private companies to pipe advertising-disguised-as-education into the classroom? Apparently, it's ok to watch TV if the school is getting its cut.
When I was in school, I used to be able to tune out with a paperback SF novel I'd picked up for a dime at the used bookstore. No amount of banning stuff can make a boring class interesting. I paid attention when the teacher was competent. Fortunately, I lived in a school district that paid its teachers well, so I had more good teachers than bad ones.
Meanwhile, Lawmakers OK bill to lift cell phone ban in California, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Local school boards would have to set rules governing devices, as the legislature removes the blanket ban on cell phones and pagers that was put in years ago. The move is opposed by many teachers who have the same attitude as the New Yorkers:
"Cell phones and pagers somewhat empower kids with this self-entitlement that they have every right to respond to and contact whoever they want," she said. "It would be a huge distraction when you are trying to teach."
Here's a suggestion: instead of trying to legislate progress out of existence, how about teaching students responsibility early on? Set the rules that if your phone rings in class, it gets confiscated until the end of the day, and start teaching the basic etiquette of handling cell phones. Students will learn how to turn on vibrating mode fast enough.
