Take Note

Democrats do it. Republicans do it. Baseball, basketball, and football fans do it. The macarena, in fact, has swept the nation, including many of its schools.

But this hottest of fads quickly lost its sizzle for school officials in Wake County, N.C. It's not that they exactly booted the dance that puts arms, hands, and hips in motion. But school officials advised principals that as long as the macarena wasn't part of the curriculum, they should skip it.

"My job is to keep us focused on the curriculum," said Suzanne S. King, the district's assistant superintendent...