Education

Take Note

March 18, 1998 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Books on wheels

At Pinewood Elementary School in North Lauderdale, Fla., some students are wheeling their books around school rather than carrying them on their backs.

The new trend of backpacks on wheels caught on last fall, said Marie Goodrum, the principal of the 1,153-student school. She said about 50 of her students wheel their class materials around in the same way that grown-ups wheel luggage around in an airport. Local stores market the backpacks on wheels especially for children.

Ms. Goodrum has put a stop to some student trends in the past. For example, she decided it was inappropriate for girls to wear short tops that showed their navels, and she wouldn’t let girls wear clogs to school because she said they might slip and fall.

But Ms. Goodrum views the trend of backpacks on wheels as positive.

“It’s saving the backs of our boys and girls,” she said. “The old backpacks--they’re so heavy,” she lamented.

Boot camp

Cynthia Foster Haynes rises before dawn to take her son, Robert Foster, 13, to school for almost two hours of pushups and wind sprints before school begins at 8 a.m.

“I don’t like it,” Ms. Haynes said of the regimen. “Getting up at four in the morning to get him to school is not on my ‘A’ list.”

But hundreds of parents have been clamoring to get their children into the in-school “boot camp” program in Birmingham, Ala., school officials say.

Carol W. Hayes Middle School, for grades 6-8, is testing the pilot program to see if a jolt of military-style discipline and personal attention will help wayward youngsters avoid serious trouble and suspension, without taking them away from their classes. Students are recommended for the program by administrators and the local court.

After the morning regimen, the 25 students in the program join the school’s 675 other students for a regular day of classes. Students stay after school for two hours of tutoring and one hour of “drill and ceremony,” according to the program’s director, Alvin Leavell.

An in-school program is different from other youth boot camps because it keeps youngsters in school and families together, said Mr. Leavell, a retired career soldier.

That consoles Ms. Haynes, who said that after two weeks into the six-week program, she sees positive changes in her son’s habits, which she hopes will last.

--MARY ANN ZEHR & ANDREW TROTTER

Events

Mathematics Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Breaking the Cycle: How Districts are Turning around Dismal Math Scores
Math myth: Students just aren't good at it? Join us & learn how districts are boosting math scores.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Achievement Webinar
How To Tackle The Biggest Hurdles To Effective Tutoring
Learn how districts overcome the three biggest challenges to implementing high-impact tutoring with fidelity: time, talent, and funding.
Content provided by Saga Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Reframing Behavior: Neuroscience-Based Practices for Positive Support
Reframing Behavior helps teachers see the “why” of behavior through a neuroscience lens and provides practices that fit into a school day.
Content provided by Crisis Prevention Institute

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 20, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: March 13, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read