Fighting for a cause
Fighting Sioux -- March 22, 2010 AP File Photo
The University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux nickname isn’t going away without a fight. The nickname was among several the NCAA deemed “hostile and abusive” in 2006. The NCAA threatened those schools with sanctions if they didn’t change their nicknames and logos. The university dropped its nickname and logo — the profile of an American Indian warrior — last year after the repeal of a state law requiring the school to use them. This week, organizers of a petition drive delivered about 4,000 more signatures than are required to put the question to voters. The university’s president then said the school would resume using the nickname until the referendum process is completed. Good for them. The NCAA was wrong to bully schools such as UND and others. We’re still waiting for it to put the squeeze on the Fighting Irish of the University of Notre Dame. Not hostile and abusive enough, apparently.
Grammatically speaking
OK, we’ll play the ugly Americans for a minute. Soccer’s World Cup is into its second week, and while it’s truly a spectacle, the play-by-play broadcasts and their odd British grammar is getting annoying. We know: The verb in that last phrase is wrong. It should be “the play-by-play broadcasts and their odd British grammar ARE getting annoying” — because the subject is plural. That’s the beef with these WC broadcasters, who’re constantly telling us “England ARE lucky to still be alive” or “the United States ARE gearing up for a big match against Algeria.” In both cases Americans use the verb “is” — because that’s just the way it is in the Colonies. But not in World Cup. We can handle British-isms like calling the playing field a “pitch,” a team practice “training” and soccer “football,” but this grammar deal is fingernails on a blackboard. Worse, color man John Harkes, of Kearny, N.J., apparently is along for the ride, echoing the subject/verb quirkiness of his British booth-mate. Blimey! Now, about the on-screen graphics showing distances in meters …
Tuition for illegal immigrants
New Jersey won’t be joining the short list of states allowing undocumented students to attend college at in-state tuition rates. The effect, supporters said, is that children will be punished for the actions of their illegal immigrant parents and likely won’t attend college at all. The measure’s failure is rightfully disappointing although the in-state tuition denial has become a politically popular choice in many states. While higher education is not a right, it’s an opportunity that ought to be as widely available as possible for those who want it. Banning students who were young and had no say when their family immigrated slams shut the door of opportunity for many of those students who simply cannot afford the much higher price tag of out-of-state tuition. What good comes from that?
Judgment day
An Ardmore mother will find her bank account about $3,000 lighter because her high school-age daughter kept missing school. Here’s hoping parents will get the message prosecutor Craig Ladd was aiming for. “Parents have several responsibilities when it comes to their children,” Ladd told The Daily Ardmoreite. “One responsibility that gets overlooked by some parents is making their children attend school, and we take school attendance very seriously. This case is good example of just how costly that failed responsibility can be.” Indeed. Schools have cracked down on truancy in recent years, knowing that students don’t learn if they’re not in school and because attendance rates now factor into the state’s school rating system. The ideal solution has students back in class before the case hits the court system. But when that doesn’t work, parents shouldn’t be surprised if they find themselves in front of a judge.
Just the facts
Tensions are high over a school deregulation bill. Is it too much to expect top education officials to keep the debate in the adult realm? Last week, some members of the state education board weren’t shy in expressing their displeasure. One exchange had a board member saying supporters of Senate Bill 834 were drinking “Republican whiskey.” Really? That nonsense is on top of the fear tactics the Oklahoma Education Association and some other opponents are employing. All involved should just stick to the truth. Doing so would still leave plenty of room for sincere debate.
Party time’s over
It’s no secret that Angela Monson is one of the most well-known and respected women in the state’s Democratic Party. Good for her. But her position as the new chairman of the Oklahoma City School Board is nonpartisan, and she must avoid any appearance to the contrary. Oklahoma County’s Democratic Party was active in her election. She was even scheduled to be a “special guest” at a party-sponsored fundraising event this week. Monson was only sworn into the post on Monday; she hasn’t had time to set the tone for the board she now leads. The county party isn’t at fault for inviting Monson. Only she can make clear that she’ll keep party politics or her affiliation with any agenda-specific groups at arm’s length. She must do just that, in reality and perception.
Wasting time
Tough budget times tend to leave lawmakers with too much time on their hands. We’re glad to see they didn’t waste much time on yet another unnecessary proposal that would infuse science classes with faith and morality discussions. Science teachers and their students already have sufficient freedom to explore scientific issues. Teachers must use their best judgment in guiding the discussion and keeping students on track. The proposed Scientific Education and Academic Freedom Act, which was killed in a Senate committee this week, and similar bills would just further muddy the academic waters. Lawmakers should stick to problems that need fixing. Academic freedom in the science classroom isn’t one of them.
Leadership appreciated
Kirk Humphreys barely had a chance to get started as chairman of the Oklahoma City School Board before voters bid him a hasty exit in favor of former state Sen. Angela Monson. We’re nonetheless grateful for Humphreys’ leadership during that short time, including his input in the hiring of Superintendent Karl Springer and his efforts to massage a 2007 bond issue plan so schools will get the promised projects without a tax increase. We hope history will prove that one MAPS for Kids legacy is proven leaders taking a renewed and active interest in the school district’s affairs. Patrons were fortunate to have two quality candidates to choose from in the first-ever chairman’s election. Who could’ve foreseen 10 years ago that a former mayor and former state senator would run against each other for school board?
Generous students
Teenagers aren’t all bad. We know this, of course. But it doesn’t hurt to be reminded. Students in the DECA club at Edmond North High School raised $2,400 for the Coffee Creek Riding Club. The club has provided free therapeutic riding to children and adults with varied disabilities for nearly three decades. Most of the club’s students range from toddlers to pre-teens. It’s a worthy program and the Edmond North students deserve applause for making sure it lives on. Job well done.
Works both ways
Turnabout is fair play. In response to a lawmaker’s ill-advised proposal to crack down on homeschoolers, Russell E. Spiars of Zionsville, Ind., suggests that a pro-homeschool legislator author a bill to let homeschool parents crack down on public schools. A pending bill would require parents to alert local school districts of their homeschool plans and offer academic progress reports. Spiars, in a letter to The Oklahoman, says, “I have observed many kids from both homeschools and government schools, and it is apparent to me that the most effective means of improving educational achievement would be to give homeschooling officials oversight over government schools.” Of course there’s not enough homeschool parents to go around, but it’s apparent that public schools need more oversight than homeschooling parents. Indiana has fairly lax homeschooling regulations, but it’s not as free of government interference as is Oklahoma. The proposed bill would change that.
