school news stories on Newser

Brooklyn School Bans Hugs

Kevin Spak — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:14:05 CDT

The Brooklyn Prospect Charter School is cracking down on that most deviant of tween behaviors: hugging. The school has instituted a rule banning hugs in the hallways, outraging many students and teachers, the Brooklyn Paper reports. Though the rule was purportedly instituted after a sixth-grader said a hug from an...

NY Test Asks Kids About Baffling 'Talking Pineapple'

Matt Cantor — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:33:05 CDT

No amount of studying could prepare students to assess the wisdom of a talking pineapple, but that's what New York kids were asked to do on a state test. The eighth-grade reading exam offered a fable-like story about a pineapple challenging a hare to a race. Other animals weigh in,...

Teacher: I Was Fired for Trayvon Hoodie Protest

Kevin Spak — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:13:05 CDT

A civil rights group is raising a hue and cry on behalf of Brooke Harris, who says she was fired for trying to help students organize a fundraiser protesting the killing of Trayvon Martin. Harris says students in her yearbook class suggested an event in which they'd pay $1 in...

School Report: Trayvon Once Suspended With 'Burglary Tool'

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:51:00 CDT

The battle over Trayvon Martin continues. Now it emerges that the teen was suspended from his high school three times, including for carrying a screwdriver, which officials considered a "burglary tool," according to school authorities. The screwdriver was found with women's jewelry in his backpack after a school guard spotted...

School Backs Free Condoms for Kids 12 and Up

Matt Cantor — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:22:10 CDT

In a 5-1 preliminary vote, a school committee for a Massachusetts town has approved providing free condoms to students ages 12 and older. The service, which requires a second vote for final approval, would provide the condoms through Springfield school nurses and clinics. Those given the contraceptives would receive counseling...

Teacher Sued for Ordering Girl to Pee in Bucket

Kevin Spak — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:11:05 CDT

A 14-year-old San Diego girl has filed a $25,000 lawsuit against a teacher she says ordered her to pee in a bucket within earshot of her classmates. The alleged incident occurred Feb. 22, when the student asked to be excused to use the bathroom. She says teacher Gonja Wolf...

Mom Packs Books, Lunch, Pistol for 6-Year-Old

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:01:42 CDT

One 6-year-old girl surprised her classmates at a New York school this week by opening her bag and brandishing a .25-caliber handgun—left courtesy of her mom, a retired NYPD detective. "No one was hurt—but maybe she don't know it's a real gun and bang, bang, bang," said one...

School Takes Roll With Fingerprint Scans

Matt Cantor — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:17:18 CDT

Roll-calls are so 20th century. A cutting-edge Florida district is scanning students' fingerprints as a way of taking attendance, Popular Science reports. And the schools are getting even more careful: While the scanning systems are currently in school buildings, some will soon be moved to buses, allowing the district to...

Parents Should Send Kids to 'Wrong School'

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:20:00 CDT

Sending your child to a better school outside your district is a worthy act of civil disobedience—especially if you're a disenfranchised minority parent, argues Michael Flaherty in the Wall Street Journal . Exasperated parents "whose children are zoned into failing public schools" have even started a mini-crime wave across at...