Hirshey, Gerri. “Whole Grains, Fresh Corn: School Menu.” New York Times 26 September 2008. 2 October 2008<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/nyregion/connecticut/28colct.html?em;.

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What’s for Lunch? Chicken strips, French Fries, pizza or cheese burgers. The ideal lunch for the average teenager nowadays. The biggest sought after lunch in America. In today’s public school the kids are hungry after food that may look good but not always good for them. How do you separate what they should and should not eat when the access to greasy and sugary food is so effortless. Back in 2006 I remember my high school change their wellness policy. I went from having good homemade chicken strip and fries everyday to baked chicken and sunchips. Having such a drastic transformation taken place in school I found it hard to even eat anything at school or concentrate in class. In this article a public school in Connecticut has choose to do some restoration with their nutrition policy. Instead of just doing away with their policy and old recipes they have decided to bring in a full time executive director of food services for the New Haven public schools. Timothy Cipriano has agreed to come in and shake up their menu and make it more nutritious for the students as well as fun to eat. In the article Cipriano has taken the foods kids like to eat and transformed them into nutritious diet friendly entrees. By doing so he has enhance the kid’s health with his new and improved wellness strategy.

I like this article because I was in a similar situation myself back in high school. My sophomore year the board of administrators told the schools that we were getting to fat. That this district obesity level was way out of hand and they were going to make a change. Of course we as students didn’t find out about this until weeks later when we went to lunch and found that the menu had change. There wasn’t anymore fried chicken and “good” pizza on the bar like the week before. The whole menu had transformed to be an old diabetic persons meal plan. As weeks passed I found that the new policy the was actually ok. The food wasn’t that bad. I felt more confident in my appearance. (Due to the lost of a few pounds)I just felt a lot better as a person. I hope that these students fell the same joy I felt with my schools wellness plan. Hopefully they take this change and commit to it. Eating healthy may not be fun all the time but the results are well worth it.

Matheson,, Kathy. “Philly school rekindles same-sex education debate.” USA TODAY 6 September 2008 . 18 September2008 <http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-09-06-boys-only-school_N.htm;.

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In Philadelphia there are some major changes being made in their schools. They have decided to place all males in this one particular junior high school. Moretheless is has the sense of a private school but made public. They will be in uniform and will also stay later than any other public school in the United States. The tax payers in the district are upset because they develop this program for only boys. In this poverty stricken neighborhood they felt the need to focus on boy due the high drop out rate of males. They consider the program to be helpful and needed in there Latin community.

This is a very good idea. I think that this being a only boy school will help the students who can’t afford the private schools to receive a better education. What would make this environment better? At this point in a young mans life they become more attracted to the opposite sex. Being separated from them while in a place where higher learning is supposed to be enforced. Getting dates and making out in the hallways can’t go on in the school. Unless there are students who attend the school are homosexual. Which brings me to my next point. That may be a concern for some of the students as well as the parents. What if homosexual is throughout the school and kids who are not involved in those activities are exposed on more of a personal level, or come in contact with guys of that preference, how are they to react. I agree that this program is a good idea. However you must be willing to take the good with the bad.

Ramirez,Eddy. “Rudy Crew; Miami School Chief is Ousted.” US Daily News 15 September 2008. 18 September 2008 <http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2008/9/15/rudy-crew-miamis-school-chief-is-ousted.html

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In Miami, Florida the superintendent of Dade-Public school system was fired. Rudy Crew was let go due to accusations of misuse of the districts finances and failure to interact with the majorities in the community. This however was a complete shock to the board after being informed of his great works in New York. Back in 2004 Crew also fired dozens of city employees and cancels a construction project for the district resulting in millions of Miami’s tax payer’s dollars wasted. After a meeting with the entire board of directors they came to an agreement to buy Mr. Crew out of the remaining two years left in his contract.

This is absolutely insane. Yet another official has fallen from the public schools. Having people in charge of finances is a big responsibility and should not be taken lightly. However having a well trusted individual in charge of handling a matter of this magnitude, it’s disappointing seeing that they can’t be trusted. It wasn’t said in the article if the money was stolen or just mishandled but nevertheless it is still disappointing. This school system was rated the fourth largest district in the nation and was nominated for the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education. Officials now say that they may have lost their chances of winning the award due to this unfortunate event.

Johnson, Joe. “Pot Leads to teachers arrest.” Athens Banner Herald 08 August 2008.29 August 2008<http://onlineathens.com/stories/082108/new_321035346.shtml;.

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Fifty-one year old Joseph Linwood Prescott-Reynard, a teacher at Clarke Central high school was arrested on drug charges. Nine marijuana plants were found growing near his home in Madison County (right outside of Athens). The Governors Task Force on drug suppression picked up on the plants as they were flying over the area. After they were done searching Mr.Prescott home they found a lot more than the nine marijuana plants that were growing outside. They found cocaine and about four other lethal weapons. Bail was set at eleven thousand five hundred dollars and he was sent on a paid leave from the district. Just until his case is solved.

Yet another teacher fallen from Clarke Central. As a graduated Gladiator it hurts a lot to see yet another role model ruin by drugs. It hurts to see any teacher or administrators defeated by drugs or violence. As leaders in this community it is their responsibility to make sure that the students they come in contact with are exposed to the right people and the right environment. Even though his drug habit was not made known during school hours. All former and future students now know him as the teacher who uses and sells drugs.

Matteeucci, Megan. “Clayton Schools lose accreditaion; Board members ousted.”Atlanta Journal Constitution 28 August 2008. 4 August 2008lt;http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/clayton/stories/2008/08/28/clayton_schools_accreditation.html;.

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In the past forty years there has not not been an issuse with acretation in the school systems. Well not that the public was made aware of. However Clayton county is the first in the past four decades to lose their entire accretiation. What does this mean? This means that there are some serious problems with the school board. Problems that affected everyone in every school in the district. Governor Sonny Purdue removed four of the board's members. Some school officials say that the district met all of the madates given by the state and that they should not lose accreditation. The school district has untill Sept 1, 2009 to meet all of their mandates in order to regain their accreditation.

I think that this is an horrible thing that has happen to Georgia studies have shown that our test scores as a whole are bad, but to see this to happen is a sign that it is alot more than test scores. what about the students in the schools who have put forth time and effort to do well in school? Has all that hard work been for nothing. Honesty I feel as though the whole district needs a full investigation to see whats going on in each school. Its not fair that "Eastside High" is doing well and is meeting all the requirements, and "Westside High" is not, and both are force to lose any hope for higher education. What about the home owners in the area? Their property value has now decreased all because the district has went sour. This is all a big chain effect. The business in that area are now more pron to do worse because all the residents are moving to better districts. I hope that this works out for the best for everyone.

My topic

Crime,sex, and drugs. Three words that describe the public school system. Most parents are forced to place their children in public schools my experience in Clarke County School District would be considerd heaven to some people. Even though I have had my share of bad teacher and nasty lunches my overall time there was ok. However there are some students who can not say the same. Like the students who witnessed the calubining or the students who were sexually harrassed by their teachers. I consisder myself lucky.
The public school system is a very touchy subject for me. That is one of the reason why this paper is so important to me. I have such big passion for higher learning that the system makes me want to step in and change some things for myself and the generations to come. I may not have all the answers,but the ones I do have will be expressed thoroughly in this paper.

My Life

A wife, daughter, granddaughter, and a friend. These are just a few titles that apply to me. My faith and family means the most in my life. Growing up without my mother being around has made me a very strong person. Not allowing men to control my every thought and move has not been something I can tolerate .A strong black woman is what I am and will forever be.

Married at the age of 18 is what I chose for my life. Not just because I wanted to flee fornication, but because I was in love with the man who loved me just as much as I did him. However now that I have gotten a taste of the real world paying bills and not having daddy there to take care of me ,has not been the fantasy I had envisioned. I never thought being all those things a wife, daughter,granddaughter,and a friend and still doing me .would ever be so hard. Nevertheless I love my life and would not trade it for anyone else’s