There have always been bullies. Bullying may, in fact, be intrinsic to human nature. Our primate relatives commonly resort to bullying and to vocal and physical intimidation to enhance their social status, acquire mates and compete for food or shelter. Children, however, generally lack such biological imperatives, so what makes a kid become a bully? […]
Banned Books Week and Censorship in America
The lessons of McCarthyism have not brought censorship and witch-hunts to an end, so support Banned Books Week. Free speech and censorship share an uneasy relationship. Despite the guarantees of the First Amendment, many use it as a bludgeon, as if beliefs entitle one to dictate how others should think or act. Banned Books Week […]
Common Core: Is It Here to Stay?
Succinctly, the Common Core State Standards Initiative, aka Common Core, is a set of specifications detailing what students in grades K-12 should know in mathematics and English language arts at the completion of each grade. They were developed by representatives from 48 states, two territories and the District of Columbia over a period of years, […]
