I Speak of Dreams

Vast Increase In Private Schools

Over at Coyote Blog, there was an assertion that regulation reduces the number of  private schools.  It was a reflection on this piece from the Reason Foundation,
The Reason piece was discussed at the Marginal Revolution blog.  David Innes snorts.

Despite the assertions,  there has been an explosion in the number of private schools in the San Francisco Bay Area in the last two decades.  A remarkable recent feature has been the growth in two for-profit school chains, Challenger and Stratford.

Ennis alerts me to a martial art new to me: gatka -- and another vision of the melting pot.

At first I was concerned that the athletes demonstrating gatka would get a rude reception. After all, they’re swarthy, mainly male, dressed in salvar kameez, wearing round turbans. The men have long flowing beards. And this is the Fourth of July, a time for both patriotism and bigotry.

But I thought about it some more, and relaxed. After all, who would be dumb enough to mouth off to a bunch of Texans swinging swords like airplane propellers? Now that would be un-American.

The California Gatka Dal is here.

Binge Drinking on Campus

the Daily Illini is running a series on binge drinking

Suing The School or Independent School Follies: Being Expelled, but Mom & Dad to the Rescue

A girl at a private school in Lousiana, with an honor code, cheated on a test by using previous years' tests.   She was caught and lied to the Honor Court about using the tests.  She then confessed to the lie.  Subsequently, she was expelled.  Her parents sued the school because the teacher made it too easy to cheat.

This, to me, is a sure case of parents riding in to cover up for the child's wrongdoing -- a case of The Epidemic in action.  What would you do if you were the parents?  How about the board members? 

Suing The School or Independent School Follies: Cyberbullying

At a very wealthy independent school in Southern California with an enrollment of 1,500 , an episode of cyberbullying took place, in which   nine students used computers at the school to post threatening, gay-bashing messages on the Website of a student.

The attackee's parents sued.  Some people think that the suit, if successful, will kill the school.

It is hard to say at this distance, but it doesn't look like the school handled the matter well.

Suing The School or Independent School Follies: Being Expelled

At a mid-west independent school with over 1,000 students in kindergarten to 12th grade, one set of parents filed suit.

Why?  Their son circulated nude photos of a female student and was expelled.  The suit is over the expulsion.  The parents claim the school breached its contract in the course of the expulsion.

Age Compression, The Britney Effect, and Protecting Girls

Lizbeth, in Mom & Pop Culture, comments on the current girls' fashion

I know I sound like an old fuddy duddy when I say it, but pre-teen American girls are basically dressing like, hmm, how to put this -- WHORES.  It's not just the micro-minis and the standard half a tank top that disturbs me, but the attitude that comes with it.  Hey, look at me, aren't I the sexiest thing you've ever seen?

Slutwear, the Britney effect, sexualizing preteens--especially girls.  It has been going on for years, and despite the fashionistas saying slut is out, it is all there is on the racks for girls.  Age compression and hyper-consumers. 

Survey Of Tutoring Programs

Sylvan, Huntington, Kumon, Score: where do they stand with remediating specific learning disablities like dyslexia?

The Privileged Perfect Child Part I

Looking for the perfectable child—from twinkle to toddlerhood. 

This essay (which will appear in several parts) sprang out of discussions I’ve been having with Silicon Valley mothers of high school girls.  Most of the girls are my daughter’s friends:  of the girls are bright, passionate about one academic area or another, and engrossed in something outside of academics—theater, dance, athletics.  In short, these are young women to be proud of….and yet we mothers are worrying.  We worry that we aren’t pushing our daughters hard enough…and we worry that they are being subjected to too much pressure.  The girl with two year-round sports and a 3.298 grade point average is worrying that her grades aren’t high enough (“Two B+, Mom!  I could have done better!”).    The girl who is carrying three Advanced Placement courses—History, English, and Biology—is worried that her math grade isn’t high enough (it’s a solid B+).

This  is just crazy.  What is wrong with this picture?  What is this incredible push in on 14-to-18 year olds?  What happens to these kids when they get to college?

Learn to Tutor Dyslexic Children

I've written about the Scottish Rite Masons  and their wonderful efforts to provide effective remediation for dyslexic children.  (Properly, the collective effort is the Scottish Rite Masonic Childrens'  Learning Centers) But the Masons aren't everywhere, and finding effective remediation for dyslexia is difficult in many parts of the country. 

Susan Barton has developed a program that teaches parents or other adults how to remediate dyslexia.

She is offering a seminar July 18 to the 22nd in how to use The Barton System, program, and how to start an Early Intervention or Tutoring Program at the child's school, using volunteer tutors and the Barton System.