As of January 31st, one of our schools founding teachers, Mrs. Nancy Kaplan will be taking a study sabbatical leave for one semester and will return in September of 2010.

Teachers that have taught for seven consecutive years are eligible for a sabbatical leave. During study sabbatical, teachers chose to return to a college or university and take graduate level classes in their licensed subject. They must take eight credits, and the teachers have to pay for their own courses. The Department of Education must approve of these classes before they are taken, and while on the leave, teachers on receive 70 percent of their pay.

“I’m taking a sabbatical so I can recharge my batteries and teach for many more years before I retire,” said Mrs. Kaplan.

Mrs. Kaplan will be attending Brooklyn College where she will be take three classes: Comparative Ethnic Literature, The Short Story, and Faulkner.

“I wanted to take journalism classes, but my sabbatical might not have been approved since my teaching license is English and History. I hope to sit in on some journalism classes at Brooklyn College, though,” said Mrs. Kaplan.

If the course work a teacher applies for is not rigorous enough or if they teach in a shortage area, they can be denied sabbatical leave.

Normally, when the teacher contract is renegotiated, sabbatical leaves are always discussed.

The NYC DOE would like to omit sabbatical leaves from the teacher contract. However, the United Federation of Teachers is always supporting sabbaticals.

“The DOE wants to remove sabbatical leaves to save money, but it’s not going to happen in the future,” said UFT representative Jim Sherlock.

Although she will be busy with her schoolwork at Brooklyn College, Mrs. Kaplan still plans to help her students and the newspaper whenever she is available.

“I’m only over the bridge and an email or a phone call away if The Insider staff and my students need me,” continued Kaplan.

“I know that along with me, the entire staff and faculty wish Mrs. Kaplan a wonderful and productive sabbatical. We will all miss her, her creativity, her passion, and her dedication to our students and our school, and look forward to her return,” said Principal Ms. Aimee Horowitz.

Also making her leave easier is the recent grant Mrs. Kaplan won. Mrs. Kaplan is the 2010 Middle Atlantic States Region winner of the Bob Costas Award for the Teaching of Writing given by the College Board every year.

“It’s a relief knowing the journalism fund will have plenty of money this year and next,” said Mrs. Kaplan.

Temporarily replacing her will be Mr. Frank Duffy. Mr. Duffy will be teaching Ms. Kaplan’s English classes as well as running the school newspaper.

Related posts:

1. CSI Experiences Dakamela
2. Freshmen Get a Jump Start
3. A Whole New Community

We may not flinch from mentioning the unmentionables, but our school’s still short on sexual education.

Twenty two US states, plus DC, mandate sexual education.

As of September 1, 2009, New York is still not among them.

Many will receive the infamous “talk” from a family member, or some offhanded tips from a friend, but check the numbers: more than six in ten high school students will have sex before they graduate, and 110 teens will become pregnant today, according to getthefactsny.org.

“We should definitely have health education in school,” said junior Raven Fakoya, adding “students get their knowledge on sex from the streets.”

Data compiled by the Guttmacher Institute reveals that fifty percent or more of teenage pregnancies in New York end in abortion.

Only three other states can claim likewise: New Jersey, Massachusetts and District of Columbia.

At least New Jersey and District of Columbia mandate Sex Ed.

It’s time for New York State to step up. Since it rejected federal funding for ineffective abstinence-only programs, state and federal governments have not replaced that funding for evidence-based sex education.

And when the Center for Disease Control reports that one in four teenage girls have a sexually transmitted infection, it’s clear students either don’t have the information they need, or aren’t using what they know.

We can’t change hormones but we can change some major misconceptions.

Some teens  are going to have sex. But bombarded with enough of the facts, a fraction might sink in and incite them to be slightly safer about it.

Related posts:

1. Chancellor’s Changes Challenge Fundraising
2. Saving the Planet, One Country at a Time
3. A New Era of Tolerance

“In the Philippines it’s normal to have storms and floods, but when the second flood hit, it caused a lot of damage,” said Alfredo Salmos a native of the Philippines.

According to reliefweb.int tropical storm Ketsana hit on September 23. It affected about 4,320,699 people across the Philippines. Also about 216,941 people were moved to evacuation centers, mostly located in Manila.

Typhoon Parma was the second typhoon within a week that hit the Philippines. Parma made the conditions caused by Ketsana even more unbearable for the locals. The dirty water of floods brought many diseases. According to reliefweb.net, the official death toll stands currently at 311. Among these deaths 238 were caused by landslides.

These storms were two of the worse the Philippines seen in recent years. Parma hit hard because it added to the immense damage already caused by Ketsana.

Parma also hit Manila, the capital of the Philippines, where evacuated people took refuge.

“Even the capital was underwater from the flood,  which is bad because the people don’t have anything to depend on,” said junior Clarisse Concepcion who has family in the Philippines.

Evacuation centers were already shaky and semi-flooded, but Parma made it much worse. Many of these centers were destroyed, leaving more locals homeless, adding to the severity of the problem.

According to nytimes.com, the damages are costing the government 2 billion dollars. A substantial amount of this money counts towards crop and land damage, as well as infrastructure destruction. Other costs that the government has to fund are job losses and transportation.

The president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is urging the U.N. and other countries to donate money and give aid to the Filipino people. The U.N said they will give at least 44 million dollars worth of aid, which as been pledged by the international community.

Students here also feel for those in the Philippines.

“I feel bad. I would like to help them and donate money,” said junior Raven Fakoya.

Many people originally evacuated to the capital Manila for safety. Now they can’t even depend on their largest city for help.

Related posts:

1. Saving the Planet, One Country at a Time
2. A New Era of Tolerance
3. Saving the World by Getting Involved

Events like Taipei’s “Love Out Loud” parade October 31, the largest in Asia with a turnout last year of 18,000, are milestones in a continent where homosexuality can still be illegal.

“It is a platform from which to not only pressure legislators to push for LGBT rights, but also a venue to change the public’s consciousness and views about homosexuality,” said Oscar Atadero to Fridae Magazine when asked about his role in organizing the first gay pride march in Asia in 1994.

The social awareness raised by pride parades is a force in stopping the denial, ignorance and brutality against the LGBT community.

“You are what you are,” said sophomore Leorie Beriguete.

In some places progress has been made. Last month Indonesia overturned legislation that would have permitted public whipping, stoning and imprisonment of homosexuals and adulterers in the Banda Aceh province.

Aceh, known for the devastation it endured from the 2005 tsunami, is semi autonomous from the central government located in Jakarta. Aceh’s 69-seat house unanimously passed the legislation on September 14, but the local government then sent it to the Supreme Court for review; on September 22 the legislation was revoked.

This July India’s Delhi high court amended Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a colonial law instated 149 years ago by the British, because its description of same sex relationships as “unnatural offenses against the order of nature” violated fundamental rights to personal liberty (Article 21 of India’s constitution), equality (Article 14) and prohibition of discrimination  (Article 15). Until this, homosexual acts were punishable with a 10 year prison sentence.

Most Asian countries, however, retain such laws.

Despite many references to homosexuality in ancient art and literature, homosexuals in Asia today have been withheld civil rights, abused or killed in a culture that often denies their existence.

China only ceased to consider homosexuality a disease in 2001, a move the US made in 1973, although it has a cultural legacy of homosexuality dating to 1027 BC in the stories of Mizu Xia, Pan Zhang, and Lord Yang, classic tales of love written during China’s Zhou period.

The Hwarang, elected leaders of a military group during Korea’s Silla Dynasty (BC 57- AD 953), celebrated same-sex love in vernacular poetry such as that found in the Sam-Guk-Yu-Sa. Yet, in 2002 when the Lesbian and Gay Alliance against Discrimination, the Lawyers for a Democratic society and Exzone.com sued the Korean government after its Information and Communications Ethic Committee classified homosexuality under “obscenity and perversion” in its “Criteria for Indecent Internet Sites,” the court took cue from 1997’s Youth Protection Act classifying “homosexual love” as “harmful to youth” – and ruled that freedom of speech and expression were not applicable regarding homosexuality.

“That’s ridiculous. They’re exactly the same thing,” said junior Talissa Rosario. “There’s no difference between gay sex and straight sex.”

In 2003 the Korean National Human Rights Protection Committee advised Korea’s Youth Protection Committee to amend the 1997 Youth Protection Act, removing anti-gay language, which had been the basis of the ruling in Exzone vs Korea.

Singapore is not as progressive. Its Media Development Authority fined a cable station $15,000 for showing a gay couple and their adopted child after consulting with the Programme Advisory Committee for English Programs, which agreed in a statement on its website “that a gay relationship should not be presented as an acceptable family unit.”

“We have to realize everyone has the same feelings; We have to care more for one another,” said Youth Development Worker Mrs. Hattie Slaughter, who has worked in every high school in Staten Island.

According to Fridae magazine’s article “Oscar speeches censored in 53 Asian countries?” on April 25, “… the words ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’ in Milk writer Dustin Lance Black and actor Sean Penn’s Oscar speeches have been muted out during the recorded broadcasts.”

Accepting an invitation from university leader Lee C. Bollinger to speak at Columbia University. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s official statement on the execution of gays in the Islamic Republic (some 2,000 in 2008) was that “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals.”

But there are, and LGBT Asians, whose existences are denied, are victims of hate crimes. “There have been killings documented in Iraq and other parts of Asia. The Human Rights Watch is an excellent group on that,” said Mr. Kevin Cassidy, executive manager of communications and external relations for the UN’s International Labor Organization.

The UN proposed a gay-rights declaration in December, but it is still in limbo. Non-signatories were south Asians, and surprisingly, the United States under the Bush Administration – the only Western government that refused. In a quick turnaround, the Obama Administration is reversing this position.

LGBT rights are far from settled. The president of the United Nations, Ali Abdussalam Treki, opened its 64th General Assembly and responded to calls for the universal decriminalization of homosexuality but stated that, “As a Muslim, I am not in favor of it …. It is not accepted by the majority of countries. My opinion is not in favor of this matter at all . . . And there are some countries that allow that, thinking it is a kind of democracy . . . I think it is not.”

Related posts:

1. Saving the Planet, One Country at a Time
2. Japan Brings Joy to Students
3. Valentine’s Day Gone Global

Love Drunk doesn’t really disappoint because Martin Johnson, lead singer and writer of all the songs on the CD, sticks to what he knows is going to be a good song: love, heartbreak, and the motivation to do something about it.

Their first single, “Love Drunk” hit the radio over the summer and became a major hit with teenage fans. The song is about how someone used to be head over heels in love, and not realizing that there was plenty of problems with the relationship.

Boys Like Girls’ second single, “She’s Got a Boyfriend Now” was available on iTunes in the beginning of August 2009 as an early release single for pre-ordering the digital copy of Love Drunk, but the song was never played on the radio. It’s a very upbeat song that many can dance to.

The last song of the album, “Go” is by far one of the best written by Johnson. It has a very easing melody, played with mostly acoustic guitars and violins in the beginning of the song and during the instrumental at the end. The song is about how you should “dig yourself out of a rut, no matter what the rut is, like an addiction, or a bad relationship,” said lead singer Martin Johnson in a recent YouTube interview.

The album did have a major flaw though, the duet with Taylor Swift on “Two Is Better Than One”. “The song doesn’t have a fast beat; it’s downtrodden and it sounds like Martin isn’t enjoying what he’s doing,” said sophomore, at the Notre Dame School in Manhattan, Gabby DeLorenzo.

Love Drunk will probably not be as great as Boys Like Girls.

“Love Drunk is awesome, but if you go back to the first album, it was more popular with stronger songs, like ‘Hero / Heroine’” said sophomore Leorie Beriguete. BLG always has a great lineup of songs, but Love Drunk has just kept them on the safe side, and there are a few songs that seem to take Boys Like Girls a step back, songs like “Contagious” or “The Real Thing”.

“Boys Like Girls’ lyrics are rather childish, and lack originality,” said sophomore, Nasir Kujenya.

Overall the album’s pretty solid for their second album. Their tunes are all catchy and mostly upbeat. Their romantic melodies will be a great hit for their hardcore female fans and anyone who can relate to the song’s subject.

Related posts:

1. New Motion City Album Hits the Streets
2. Raditude Leaves You With Bad Attitude
3. 21st Century Breakdown

Should the Public Schools Athletic League get rid of our soccer team? Our co-ed soccer team continues to show improvement, but some of the players on the team aren’t taking PSAL games seriously.

Similar to the team’s first season last year, this season the team’s thirteenth game against the Curtis Warriors, was forfeited on September 18, 2009.

“I feel upset and sad for those who showed up and didn’t get to play,” said Coach Luis Cruzatte

According to Cruzatte, it seems as if some of the players aren’t serious about varsity soccer at all. Those who showed up  at the Curtis field were pretty upset with the players who did not.

“Even after all the practices, we did not get to show off what we had been ready for. I feel sorry for those who showed up and didn’t get to play. I hope our team realizes soon that soccer is more than just a sport,” said a soccer player.

Adding to the forfeit, the team’s first home game against Port Richmond didn’t turn out as well as expected.  Still, there’s no doubt that in that game our team put up a challenge.

Defense players junior Michael Grigoli, senior Robert Keller, and sophomore Sal Barone ran back and forth on the slippery field trying to keep the other team from scoring.

“Our first game didn’t turn out as we hoped, but we put up a good fight. The girls especially were more competitive than most of the guys on our team,” said team captain Matt Prevosti.

Despite the forfeit, there are a number of dedicated players on the team who practice every day after school from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Those who show up at practice are the ones benefiting from the coaches mentorship.

Two hours of running back and forth on the field and playing practice games has improved the team’s ability to perform.

New female players freshmen Lina Apostol,  Caitlin Casale, Diana Estrada, Alina Khan and sophomore Gabrielle Lafata are excited to be playing with and against the boys.

They display an amazing performance during each game and are more aggressive than many guys on the team.

“I enjoy playing because it gives me a chance to get competitive with everyone and show off my skills,” said freshman Diana Estrada.

Related posts:

1. Why the Soccer Team is Co-Ed
2. Dribble Down and Shoot: Boys Get Ready for the Season
3. Demi and David’s Last Stop

‘For this year, my goal is to make the honor roll.’ Patrick Bonoan’13	‘I hope to pass every marking period this year.’ Brandon Pincay’11
‘This year I would like to join a new club.’ Rachel Kogan’13	‘Getting above G’s in all of my subjects would be pretty awesome.’ Glenn Kugelman’11
‘Since I am a freshman, my goal would be to set a precedent for all my other years.’ Vincent Eadicicco’13	‘This year I would like to learn to understand AP Bio, and pass the test.’ Stav Vaknin’10
‘I hope to get into a good college by bringing up my SAT scores.’ Katie McSherry’10	‘I’d really like to pass with all E’s this semester.’ Jonathan Wahnon’12

Related posts:

1. Farewell, Class of 2009 – Will the legacy stay strong?
2. Rhyming to Your Own Beat – Poetry Slam 2009
3. Sports Briefs December 2009

Since climate change is a serious issue, the United Nations’ 192 members plan to meet in December in Copenhagen, Denmark to create another agreement that will be more effective than the Kyoto Protocol. To make sure the negotiations are smooth, some of the UN delegates gathered this September in New York City in order to pre-negotiate and to prepare.

Previously, environmental issues have emphasized saving nature. In the past few years, however, the alarming rate of climate change has caused many human deaths and causalities.

Although the connection might not be clear, climate change is responsible for many of the issues that threaten the world today, according to members of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank. Asthma, other respiratory diseases, desertification, natural disasters, famines, and flooding are only a few examples.

The flood in Istanbul, Turkey, for example, killed eight on September 9 this year. The repetitive floods in Bangladesh, which caused thousands of casualties in the past few decades, is yet another example.

These floods and other natural disasters will occur more frequently if countries continue their environmentally damaging activities, according to UNICEF employee Kerry Constabile. Countries like China, Canada, and the U.S. are most at fault because they are the highest emitters of greenhouse gases, the leading cause for rising temperatures and sea levels.

It might not seem like a concern for the U.S., but climate change is currently harming and will continue to damage developing nations the most. These countries suffer from the footprint advanced nations like the U.S. and China leave on the environment because ultimately we all share the same air, water, and certain resources. It is obviously not fair that the actions of developed nations damage those that are poor and developing.

Adefola Adeosun and Adetola Adeosun at the conference
posing with actor Djimon Hounsou.

“The countries that are the most vulnerable have the least history in carbon emissions,” said author, NY Times reporter, and active environmentalist Andrew Revkin.

Many island nations like Papa New Guinea will no longer exist in the upcoming decades due to rapidly rising sea levels. The 380,000 people living on the Islands of the Maldives live only one meter above sea level. Yet, they barely contribute to climate change but will soon loose their homes and most likely have to relocate to Australia.

While speaking to the UN delegates, the President of the Maldives, Mr. Mohammed Nasheed addressed this possibility stating “We will die. Our country will not exist.”

Besides facing destructive disasters and extreme weather conditions, many people lack basic resources, including useable water and arable land, especially in underdeloped countries like Bolivia and Indonesia.

“People are currently fighting simply over water,” said environmentalist Caroline Howe, referring to the water wars occurring in countless nations and even among U.S. states.

Although climate change is a compelling issue, the most important goal for the UN delegates is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, but the negotiations happening now and in December deal with agreements that need to be met by 2020.

80 percent is a high number even with 41 years left, but according to World Bank Specialist and former Senior Advisor at the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Edward Cameron, the scientific community agrees if that number is not met, we are likely to expect even more calamities caused by higher temperatures that are the result of greenhouse gases.

Moreover, none of the nations that agreed to the Kyoto Protocol fulfilled their 5 to 7 percent reduction requirement.

“If we failed on five percent, how can we reduce 80 percent?” questioned Mr. Cameron.

Surprisingly, several nations agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Sweden promised a 25 to 45 percent reduction, the EU collectively offered to reduce by 30 percent, China by 15 percent, Japan by 25 percent, and a few other nations made similar promises that they plan to meet by 2020.

Sadly, President Obama didn’t commit to any significant reduction; he simply boasted about what the U.S. has done so far and added that the U.S. will contribute to the fight against climate change, only if the rest of the world also contributes.

“How far does the other side have to jump before we move,” asked Mr. Nasheed, implying that countries asking each other to go

first are making childish decisions.

Despite the simplicity of many of the solutions for climate change, the UN faces serious challenges as its members attempt to create an agreement that is this progressive.

Firstly, UN delegates, presidents, prime ministers and other leaders are chosen by their people to represent their respective national interests, and fighting climate change appears to be a global issue that might not necessarily benefit all.

Countries are also arguing that developed nations, as primary contributors of greenhouse gases and consumers of the world’s resources, should be fighting climate change.

“The negotiations are going far too slow, and they are still lacking real progress,” said Mr. Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Sweden.

Besides disagreements among countries, for many political leaders, especially those with term limits, it seems climate change is an issue that will be relevant to national policy. However, nations that face the repercusisons of climate change today should be leading the race against it.

“They [world leaders] don’t think outside the to-do list for today… It’s not like everyone is going to sign the sheet,” said Mr. Revkin.

“I know deep down you [U.N. members] are not listening,” agreed Mr. Nasheed

If countries fail to act, an already large number of countries will lose resources, biodiversity, and most importantly people, due to the impacts of climate change.

Fortunately, some leaders are concerned and are willing to make wise decisions for the future.

“[Climate change is] a truly global responsibility, said President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.

Despite the lack of action from many politicians, youth around the globe are expressing their concerns about the planet and adapting to climate change.

According to Caroline Howe, college students in India and Connecticut, raised funds to install solar panels at their campuses.

Similarly, students at a German high school were the first to donate to the adaptation fund created by the UN.

After viewing the enthusiasm of young people around the world, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon and UNICEF selected 13 NY high school students, with diverse ethnic backgrounds and one exchange student from Pakistan, to persuade world leaders to promote eco-friendly policies. These 13 student delegates each wrote a letter about their personal experiences with climate change, and four of them narrated a film to the UN members asking the members to act instead of simply talking.

Later another four of the 13 students shared a luncheon with the spouses of UN delegates, including Michelle Obama, during which they discussed the importance of climate change education.

“They [the first spouses] were so down to earth. And knowing they shared our concerns about education and climate change made the lunch all the more interesting,” said junior from the High School for International Studies in Brooklyn, and student delegate Gabriel Wahab.

Actor Djimon Hounsou also participated by reading a passage from Carl Sagan’s The Pale Blue Dot.

International, national, and local efforts against climate change are essential to preserving the planet because, as Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said, “The consequences will be made more serious for all of us.”

Collaboration is also needed. “We cannot simply accept the situation where part of the world wants to save the planet while others simply don’t care,” said French President , Nicholas Sarkozy.

Although the speeches in the Assembly Hall might have had strengths and weaknesses, hopefully the presidents and delegates had more productive discussions in the hallway and during lunch, where their poltical success is not on the line.

“The most important decisions happen behind closed doors,” said former lobbyist and UNICEF employee, Vidar Ekehaug.

Related posts:

1. Saving the World by Getting Involved
2. Copenhagen Climate Change Summit Ends with More to Do
3. A New Era of Tolerance

Although it was extremely nerve racking for the class of 2010 to enter this unknown territory known as high school, it was a little easier for some of our freshmen this year, as many of them attended the Freshmen Academy, a seminar to help incoming high school students become familiar with the school and help them to understand their new learning environment.

For three weeks freshmen and their parents worked together as partners on scavenger hunts, drum circles and organizing an international café. The students learned about leadership, teamwork, and how important these two characteristics are at our school.

“Teamwork was the most important thing I learned — that even though a leader comes up with an idea, that idea can change and grow when others on the team add to it,” said freshmen, Victoria Manzo.

During the three week academy, students were asked to make a PowerPoint presentation to share 25 things about themselves.Through this project the freshmen learned about themselves, each other and their new school. So, attending their first day of school was easier since they already made some friends and enjoyed one anothers company.

“I see how successfully it [Freshman Academy] was done. Mark worked on an amazing PowerPoint presentation about himself, having never used PowerPoint before. It was three weeks he really enjoyed,” said

Michelle Magrone, mother of freshmen student, Mark Magrone.

Later, on September 15th, parents were given the opportunity to follow their child’s schedule and experience being a student at our school. The majority of the attendees on Simulated School Night were parents of freshmen.

“I was pleased with the turnout of the freshmen parents. They were eager to meet teachers and to see what the school day is like from a student’s perspective. I was disappointed in the turnout of upper classmen since very few participated,” said Parent Coordinator, Mrs.Annette Lentini.

Simulated School night is extremely important in our school. It allows parents to interact with teachers and other students’ parents. Also, the experience allowsthe parents a run-through of what their child does in school each day.

“The purpose of a simulated school night is to convey to parents what their children will learn in their classes, what teachers expect, and how parents can help support their child in school,” explained principal, Ms.Aimee Horowitz.

Although there are over one hundred new students in the school, there are not as many new teachers.

Still, most of the freshmen agree that all their teachers are nice, understanding, calm and patient.

“A majority of my teachers are nice; they’re very patient and friendly. When you don’t understand something they help you out,” said freshman Shantel Rowe.

Likewise, parents agree that our school is a unique learning environment for their children.

“I feel that they will prepare my child with a diversified education in worldly events and different cultures. My daughter will have knowledge of everything that is happening in the world today, and that will give her a great start in college,” said Lisa Morganti, mother of Alyssa Morganti.

Many of the freshmen have joined sports teams and will begin to join clubs as soon as after school programs are made available. They have also realized that our school is very different from other high schools. Our school is a friendly, globally aware environment.

Although the class of 2009 is gone, our hallways are filled with new faces, eager to meet the upperclassmen and begin their high school years.

Related posts:

1. Farewell, Class of 2009 – Will the legacy stay strong?
2. A Whole New Community
3. No Child Left Behind Revised

At our school, students were divided about Obama’s speech. Some students felt Obama was inspirational and others felt he was indoctrinating students.

“I think the controversy is justified. Obama abused his power by forcing kids to listen to him and his speech. He raised good points in his speech, but he is trying to force everyone to agree with him,” said an anonymous student.

Prior to Obama’s student address, there was some controversy between parents in several states including Texas and Virginia. Several parents felt Obama would be indoctrinating children . Some felt such a speech could only happen in a socialist society.

On the other hand several students, teachers and parents enjoyed watching Obama address students nationwide.

The main focus of his speech was to challenge students this school year and to make them realize how important it is to become successful in life.

According to Online News Hour Extra, most of the nation’s school districts planned to show the speech and made exceptions for the students whose parents did not want their child to watch it.

Obama used phrases such as ‘There is no excuse for not trying,’ ‘The future of America depends on you’ and ‘You can’t let your failures define you, you have to let them teach you’ to urge the students to work hard and stay in school.

“I agree and disagree with the speech. I understand conservatives’ criticism because of the legal principles of federalism being undermined by the President’s involvement in education. From a strict constructionist view of the US Constitution, the 10th Amendment reserves education within the province of the states. In America we don’t have nationalized education. Federal intervention smacks of socialism, and this upsets folks. They feel the President is overreaching. But I quoted the President in my opening ceremony remarks. The content, though, maybe not the act of his speech, was right on. He encouraged youngsters to do their best and talked about perseverance, and advancement through education. Encouraging young Americans to rise to high expectations is a worthy presidential issue. I am glad the President said what he said – I hope students listen,” said Assistant Principal, Joseph Canale.

By challenging children to think about their education, some may come to realize how much their education is and will take ownership of their work.

Although the speech may have turned some people away, it may inspire others to open their eyes to become responsible students.

President Obama ended his speech with a plea, “Even when you feel like other people have given up on you, don’t give up on yourself!”

Related posts:

1. No Child Left Behind Revised
2. Teachers Travel to Asia and South America
3. Freshmen Get a Jump Start