Education

Overheard

October 01, 2003 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

“It’s like a knife cutting out the soul of education.”
—Joan Davidson, president of the New York City Art Teachers Association/UFT, on the cuts in middle school arts electives made to accommodate the city’s new standardized curriculum.

“Last year, everyone was asked to recognize the county’s financial concerns and do without a raise. Why, then, was money found for those who already are the...least likely to feel the pain?”
—Carol Shaner, executive director of the Baltimore County principals’ union, reacting to the recent news that county superintendent Joe Hairston quietly gave raises of at least $11,000 to each of his three deputies this past year.

“The hair-grooming rule leveled by Boonville [High School] against Kolby Hurt is an asinine, stupid rule. This court can only address and rule on constitutional violations. It cannot overrule or correct stupidity.”
—Judge Scott Wright of the U.S. District Court of Western Missouri, expressing contempt for a Boonville High School policy banning male basketball players from wearing long hair. Wright ruled that school officials acted within their rights when they benched cornrowed player Kolby Hurt this past season.

“These are the kids we’ve got to get ‘outta’ ‘here’ if they are low on the FCAT!”
—Part of a note mentioning Florida standardized test scores from Susan Renick-Blount, principal of Parkview Elementary School in Opa Locka. The note was attached to a memo asking teachers to supply names of out-of-area students who were frequently late, absent, and inattentive and who did not complete class work.

Events

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
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
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
Creating Resilient Schools with a Trauma-Responsive MTSS
Join us to learn how school leaders are building a trauma-responsive MTSS to support students & improve school outcomes.
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.

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 Quiz ICYMI: Judge Orders Teacher-Prep Grants Restored And Other Trending News This Week
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of the Supreme Court.
iStock/Getty
Education Briefly Stated: March 19, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz How Much Do You Know: Ed. Dept.'s Mass Layoffs and More This Week
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Illustration of 2 hands cutting paper dolls with scissors, representing staffing layoffs.
iStock/Getty
Education Briefly Stated: March 12, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read