ACLU Sues CA schools

[Luissa]

It was $578 million, and it is 6 independent schools on the campus. Whatever that means.

 

[Wry Catcher]

It was $578 million, and it is 6 independent schools on the campus. Whatever that means.

Sounds like "small necessary schools" used in some schools in California. Some kids are slow learners and can't keep up with regular classroom expectation; other students are so 'active' they are a disruption to a regular classroom; other students are tactial learners, they don't learn well passively and need to be up and moving, touching and manipulating; and others are for 'stoners', kids focused on immediate gratification or so depressed they are self-medicating; then are those programs for kids who work and spend four hours a day in school and four hours at work -earning money, gaining experience and earning HS Credit.

 

[bodecea]

Look to the price of textbooks and how many districts are REQUIRED to have new textbook adoptions every few years even if the old books are still good. And these new education programs that come and go....check for district administrators getting kickbacks from some of these companies.

 

[random3434]

Look to the price of textbooks and how many districts are REQUIRED to have new textbook adoptions every few years even if the old books are still good. And these new education programs that come and go....check for district administrators getting kickbacks from some of these companies.

A dirty little secret......................

 

[chanel]

The American Civil Liberties Union said in a lawsuit filed Friday that California's cash-strapped school districts have been charging student fees that violate the state constitutional guarantee to a free public education.

The civil liberties organization is seeking class-action status for the suit, which accuses dozens of school districts statewide of charging for textbooks, uniforms and extracurricular activities.

Mark Rosenbaum, chief council of the ACLU of Southern California, said at a press conference announcing the lawsuit that an investigation by his group found some 50 districts that mention allegedly illegal fees on their websites, but that there are likely more that do so.

"There does not exist in California a true system of free public schools," he said. "Instead what we have are pay-to-learn schools."

Suit alleges Calif. schools charging illegal fees - BusinessWeek

I believe it is unreasonable to charge students for textbooks. But with that said, uniforms and school supplies have always been the responsibility of the parents. And many, many schools across the country are charging for extra curricular activities.

Comments?

I believe it is a violation of their rights to an equal education to charge for textbooks. Uniforms and extracuriculars are fair game for extra charges

Chanel

As a teacher, to you think traditional textbooks are obsolete? Will we go to a Kindle type device for students to store all their books?

I love the Kindle idea. However, believe it or not the DOJ does not.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/law-a...31-kindle-is-discriminatory-or-something.html

Re: the charge for textbooks. Apparently, poorer students are lent books. They just can't write in them. That does not sound unreasonable to me.

From the article:

The suit says one plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, was not able to afford a history book that students were required to purchase and had to borrow one from the school instead.

Since she did not own the book, the student had to use Post-it notes to mark important passages, while her classmates were able to write in the text itself, which put her at an academic disadvantage, Rosenbaum said.

Suit alleges Calif. schools charging illegal fees - BusinessWeek

For years, I used to buy school supplies for the kids who did not have them. (I also bought prom tickets, yearbooks, etc) Then a few years ago, I had an epithany. 100% of my students had cell phones. That did not jive with my idea of poverty.

We have very few field trips anymore, because many teachers feel that certain students cannot afford it, and of course the district won't pay for anything. Kids are missing out on a complete education, simply because of a few. It's time for parents to start putting their children first and getting their budgets in order. If they can wear 100 dollar sneakers and listen to Ipods, they can afford a calculator or a bus ride to the city, doncha think?