praise_gibbs Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/education/story/6456794p-6309584c.html Kareem Elnahal learned a lesson Tuesday night — even in graduation, the school still rules. The class valedictorian surprised administrators and his fellow 2006 graduates at Mainland Regional High School when he opted to give an unapproved speech criticizing the school. Mainland, Elnahal said, does not encourage intellectual thought and the exchange of ideas. The senior, in a detailed speech that referenced philosphers and ethics principles, referred to his education as “entirely hollow.” The speech was interrupted by the principal, and Elnahal cut his remarks short and left the ceremony. (Entire story is included in the link) __________________________________________________________ The HS [Mainland Regional HS] that is talked about in this article is the rival of the HS that I attended [Egg Harbor Township HS]. So naturally, you can see some excitment here.. Think of it as a Dallas Cowboys player admitting that their team sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/education/story/6456794p-6309584c.html Kareem Elnahal learned a lesson Tuesday night — even in graduation, the school still rules. The class valedictorian surprised administrators and his fellow 2006 graduates at Mainland Regional High School when he opted to give an unapproved speech criticizing the school. Mainland, Elnahal said, does not encourage intellectual thought and the exchange of ideas. The senior, in a detailed speech that referenced philosphers and ethics principles, referred to his education as “entirely hollow.” The speech was interrupted by the principal, and Elnahal cut his remarks short and left the ceremony. (Entire story is included in the link) __________________________________________________________ The HS [Mainland Regional HS] that is talked about in this article is the rival of the HS that I attended [Egg Harbor Township HS]. So naturally, you can see some excitment here.. Think of it as a Dallas Cowboys player admitting that their team sucks. GO VINELAND FIGHTING CLAN!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 The entire US education system does have a problem. It starts with two faced parents demanding better education standards yet calling for teachers heads when their brat fails or gets in trouble. There is also the problem with increasingly violent little monsters roaming the halls, untouchable because society has decided being strict is "too harsh, man." And no education rant would be complete without mention of the teachers union that makes everything a giant pain in the butt. Having said that I think that the final ceremony of highschool really isn't good unless you do piss the administration off. We had beach balls that made their head veins visible and topped it off with fire crackers that brought on a police investigation. Wonderful moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_Pressure Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 There is also the problem with increasingly violent little monsters roaming the halls, untouchable because society has decided being strict is "too harsh, man. The bigger problem making them untouchable is this zero tolerance bull****. The problem kids start picking on someone, if they fight back, THEY are the ones that get suspended. The kids that start trouble are untouchable as long as they remember not to throw the 1st punch. My brother was getting annoyed by somebody one time, kid poured battery acid in his soda at lunch, and purposely spilled ketchup on him. The kid egged my brother on to hit him, so my brother broke his nose, sending him to the hospital. The kid never got in trouble, my brother was suspended for a week for starting (and I guess finishing in the same action) a fight. Sorry to take this thread off on a rant in the opposite direction...the valedictorian should have been allowed to finish his speech. The fact that he was stopped supports his claims that his school does not tolerate open thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praise_gibbs Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 GO VINELAND FIGHTING CLAN!!!!! Uh... How about no! :laugh: Go EHT Eagles!! :paranoid: :laugh: The entire US education system does have a problem. It starts with two faced parents demanding better education standards yet calling for teachers heads when their brat fails or gets in trouble. There is also the problem with increasingly violent little monsters roaming the halls, untouchable because society has decided being strict is "too harsh, man." And no education rant would be complete without mention of the teachers union that makes everything a giant pain in the butt. Having said that I think that the final ceremony of highschool really isn't good unless you do piss the administration off. We had beach balls that made their head veins visible and topped it off with fire crackers that brought on a police investigation. Wonderful moment. Solid points.. I totally agree. I believe he saw the stage being set.. the graduation had the mayor, the schools superintendent, and any other official having to do with making changes to the school. As the valedictorian, he knew all eyes would be on him so, he ran with it. The fact of the matter is, we as Americans, have the right to freedom of speech, having the principal stop him before he was able to finish the speech just takes his right away. The principal should have allowed Kareem to finish his speech and then if he chose to ( which he did ) have a counter arguement trying to prove the valedictorian's solid points wrong. I applaud him [Kareem]--He only said what needed to be said. Hopefully, the school officials from all over do not overlook his argument and realize that there is a problem.. so fix it! The bigger problem making them untouchable is this zero tolerance bull****. The problem kids start picking on someone, if they fight back, THEY are the ones that get suspended. The kids that start trouble are untouchable as long as they remember not to throw the 1st punch. My brother was getting annoyed by somebody one time, kid poured battery acid in his soda at lunch, and purposely spilled ketchup on him. The kid egged my brother on to hit him, so my brother broke his nose, sending him to the hospital. The kid never got in trouble, my brother was suspended for a week for starting (and I guess finishing in the same action) a fight.Sorry to take this thread off on a rant in the opposite direction...the valedictorian should have been allowed to finish his speech. The fact that he was stopped supports his claims that his school does not tolerate open thought. Good points and it may not be on full topic but, it does bring on an interesting thought. In that incident, both parties should be held accountable and punished for their actions. Just because you did not throw a punch does not make it right to egg people on.. in my eyes, you would be just as guilty. ____________________________________________________ The U.S. school system needs work.. it seems the schools are passing kids because it will give them a good advancement rating. They try to keep the failing to a minimum regardless if the poor child learned anything or not. I am interested to see what some of the Extremeskins school teachers think about the schooling system and the way it seems to be passing kids regardless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiebear Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 PraiseGibbs: You owe me my 4 minutes back. This is an article about a student giving a speach with no real content mentioned. That was then interrupted by a principal that said he was dissapointed and could the student wrap it up. Who did and left on his own... All in all: A non story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrockster21 Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 PraiseGibbs: You owe me my 4 minutes back.This is an article about a student giving a speach with no real content mentioned. That was then interrupted by a principal that said he was dissapointed and could the student wrap it up. Who did and left on his own... All in all: A non story. :laugh: I thought it was going to be a Hawaiian student criticizing the mainland...:laugh: Rip off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Harris Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 The entire US education system does have a problem. It starts with two faced parents demanding better education standards yet calling for teachers heads when their brat fails or gets in trouble. There is also the problem with increasingly violent little monsters roaming the halls, untouchable because society has decided being strict is "too harsh, man." And no education rant would be complete without mention of the teachers union that makes everything a giant pain in the butt. well put, destino. the fact is, so many kids don't get taught anything at home. no manners, no respect, etc. they are taught that teachers and people of authority are the enemy, and if one of them offends you, come home and tell mom or dad, so we can cuss the principal out and threaten lawsuits. i also agree 100% about teacher unions. i'm a member for one reason and one reason only: legal rep in case of an unwarranted accusation/ lawsuit. The bigger problem making them untouchable is this zero tolerance bull****. The problem kids start picking on someone, if they fight back, THEY are the ones that get suspended. The kids that start trouble are untouchable as long as they remember not to throw the 1st punch. My brother was getting annoyed by somebody one time, kid poured battery acid in his soda at lunch, and purposely spilled ketchup on him. The kid egged my brother on to hit him, so my brother broke his nose, sending him to the hospital. The kid never got in trouble, my brother was suspended for a week for starting (and I guess finishing in the same action) a fight. 1. i doubt that example is representative of the school system as a whole. in our school, you get suspended for cheering/ egging on a fight. will something like that happen every now and then? if your brother is unable to prove his side, i guess it could. schools aren't perfect, but that is far from the biggest problem. 2. we all know that there are consequences to what we do. your brother knew that punching this dude would result in suspension. he could have gone to a staff member and reported it, but i know that's not very macho. should the other kid have received some disciplinary action? sure. The fact of the matter is, we as Americans, have the right to freedom of speech, having the principal stop him before he was able to finish the speech just takes his right away. freedom of speech is hidden behind as an excuse to say whatever, whenever, wherever......there is a time and place. and a graduation ceremony is not the time and place for that. The principal should have allowed Kareem to finish his speech and then if he chose to ( which he did ) have a counter arguement trying to prove the valedictorian's solid points wrong. I applaud him [Kareem]--He only said what needed to be said. Hopefully, the school officials from all over do not overlook his argument and realize that there is a problem.. so fix it! dude, a graduation ceremony is not a debate. those things are long enough as it is. :laugh: I am interested to see what some of the Extremeskins school teachers think about the schooling system and the way it seems to be passing kids regardless. it's unfortunate. it's even more unfortunate that the school system has to waste taxpayer dollars trying to educate a child who has zero interest in learning, parents that have zero interest in aiding said learning and who will defend the child no matter what he does. they just like the free baby sitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praise_gibbs Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 PraiseGibbs: You owe me my 4 minutes back.This is an article about a student giving a speach with no real content mentioned. That was then interrupted by a principal that said he was dissapointed and could the student wrap it up. Who did and left on his own... All in all: A non story. You do not see the issue? It seems that the school systems throughout the U.S. are allowing kids to graduate without any real knowledge.. That doesn't worry you a bit? :laugh: I thought it was going to be a Hawaiian student criticizing the mainland...:laugh: Rip off! Umm.. ok.. GO HAWAII!! :thumbsup: well put, destino. the fact is, so many kids don't get taught anything at home. no manners, no respect, etc. they are taught that teachers and people of authority are the enemy, and if one of them offends you, come home and tell mom or dad, so we can cuss the principal out and threaten lawsuits. I agree here, Maj....somewhat. It does all start at home and with the parents. However, I do not believe that the parents are teaching their kids that people of authority are the enemy. They are however not somebody who is untouchable and can do as they please either. An abuse of power can/and should be able to be questioned. If everything is fair and just and still their kid fails.. then don't you think they should check into a possiblity of a learning disablilty? 1. i doubt that example is representative of the school system as a whole. in our school, you get suspended for cheering/ egging on a fight. will something like that happen every now and then? if your brother is unable to prove his side, i guess it could. schools aren't perfect, but that is far from the biggest problem. It is a part of the problem however. If a kid is being egged on and bullied and in turn is distracted from his studies.. that is a problem. Education should be number 1 in any kids lives.. you have to go to school, so learn something. If the bully is distracting them because they are either not as knowledgable and in turn choosing to make school more of a popularity contest instead or maybe they are picked on at home from their parents and take it out on the kids at school. Either way, he is distracting/ being distracted from his studies.. but, yet they will more than likely graduate anyway. 2. we all know that there are consequences to what we do. your brother knew that punching this dude would result in suspension. he could have gone to a staff member and reported it, but i know that's not very macho. should the other kid have received some disciplinary action? sure. I agree Major.. I also think he knew that his brother deserved a suspension.. he is livid that the bully didn't receive anything. freedom of speech is hidden behind as an excuse to say whatever, whenever, wherever......there is a time and place. and a graduation ceremony is not the time and place for that. I agree. But, what was said needed to be said. dude, a graduation ceremony is not a debate. those things are long enough as it is. :laugh: He was able to kill two birds with one stone.. can you blame him? The parents were there as well as the school officials. it's unfortunate. it's even more unfortunate that the school system has to waste taxpayer dollars trying to educate a child who has zero interest in learning, parents that have zero interest in aiding said learning and who will defend the child no matter what he does. they just like the free baby sitter. Interesting. If the kid has zero interest in learning then, wouldn't a change in the curriculum be in order? I know around here, the teachers tend to teach the text book and not much of the issues in regards to it. I would think that they should go more in depth on the issue and not what was already written before the students very eyes in turn they are just reading to us. This is not a knock on you Major or anybody out there that is a teacher.. it is just something that seems to be a little too common around these parts and the surrounding areas and on the news. That is why so many kids are home-schooled this day and age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dchogs Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Interesting. If the kid has zero interest in learning then, wouldn't a change in the curriculum be in order? I know around here, the teachers tend to teach the text book and not much of the issues in regards to it. I would think that they should go more in depth on the issue and not what was already written before the students very eyes in turn they are just reading to us. just a couple points from a private school teacher and administrator: 1) teacher/districts/schools cannot simply change the curriculum for a student. in a day and age where there are frequently 30+ students in a classroom, there would need to be, say, 20 different curricula. in an ideal world, teaching would be done in much smaller groups that allowed teachers to customize their lessons to the students needs, interests, and learning styles. unfortunately, parents often miss their opportunity to create this ideal situation and reinforce what is being taught in school in a manner that best suits their student(s). 2) state exit exams and standardized testing has forced the "teaching the text" on some teachers. some teachers are under-prepared and/or too lazy to do the research to make their lessons up-to-date and meaningful to the daily experiences of their students. other teachers (the better ones) manage to both "teach the text" and to delve deeper. it isn't easy treading the fine line of investigating all the side issues surrounding a central idea and making sure that all the central ideas that you HAVE to cover are taught. also, it'd be easier to get to the side issues if a teacher could trust that the vast majority of the class would actually read and learn the text on their own so that the teacher could spend class time in a more productive, more exciting, and more educational fashion. as to the graduation speech, there is a time and place for this. he could have address the school board at a meeting, for instance. as the article said, freedom of speech is not univerally granted to students within a school. while i believe that the student is getting at some very serious issues regarding education in the US, i also understand the point of view and actions of the administration in this case. what would i have done as an administrator, not completely sure. i'd like to think that my students would know me well enough to feel comfortable bringing me a speech that was "outside the box." i could review the "real" speech, we'd talk about it, and then he could say his peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fight_on_til_you_have_won Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 :laugh: I thought it was going to be a Hawaiian student criticizing the mainland...:laugh: Rip off! I actually thought it was going to be a Taiwanese valedictorian talking about China... and wondering why the hell the Atlantic City press would give a ****. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 The entire US education system does have a problem. It starts with two faced parents demanding better education standards yet calling for teachers heads when their brat fails or gets in trouble. There is also the problem with increasingly violent little monsters roaming the halls, untouchable because society has decided being strict is "too harsh, man." And no education rant would be complete without mention of the teachers union that makes everything a giant pain in the butt. As someone who is married to a principal, I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fight_on_til_you_have_won Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 The entire US education system does have a problem. It starts with two faced parents demanding better education standards yet calling for teachers heads when their brat fails or gets in trouble. There is also the problem with increasingly violent little monsters roaming the halls, untouchable because society has decided being strict is "too harsh, man." And no education rant would be complete without mention of the teachers union that makes everything a giant pain in the butt. I'm glad you mention the teachers' unions, because those people have perfected the art of playing the victim. They've convinced everyone that they don't get paid anything. Unless you work in the inner city or rural areas, that is completely untrue! Most teachers make more than I do. Then there's the pension trick. In Illinois, when teachers retire, they get a pension of 80% of the average of their salary the last five years of their tenure. So what they do is bump up their salary for the last five years so they get a bigger pension. Then they ***** about how there's no money. :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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