Manhunt at Parkland High School Was False Alarm

Friday's lockdown and manhunt at Parkland High School came after a teacher saw a student who appeared suspicious.

A high school student trying to get in shape for military boot camp inadvertently triggered a massive emergency response Friday at Parkland High School, law enforcement and school officials said. The student's behavior appeared suspicious to a Parkland teacher, who saw him sweating, in a flak jacket, making a salute and saying a prayer at the flag pole about 4:45 p.m. before he ran off, officials said. She called the Lehigh County Communications Center to report it. But the student's behavior turned out to be innocent, said Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin at a 10 p.m. press conference held with South Whitehall officials and the Parkland School District superintendent. Officers had responded to the school after the call came in…

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Mountain View

The Wednesday Early Dismissal Debate

East Penn School District has implemented early dismissal Wednesdays for decades. Other area districts have not. Are there advantages to this option?

This seems to be a hot topic for many people this week, so I thought I’d chime in. Having grown up in East Penn School District, Wednesday’s 1:30 p.m. dismissal times seem only natural. It’s the way it’s always been. As a lifelong resident of the district, I never really asked why. But as a parent, now I also wonder. When I was a student, Wednesdays were my favorite day of the week. Naturally, it was a shorter school day, which meant less time sitting in the stuffy classroom. But it also meant there was a unique opportunity to visit with friends in the middle of the hectic school week. Children boarded school buses with notes from parents stating changes in drop-off locations. “Jeff, please note that Jenae will be getting off the bus with …

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Corbett’s Tax Pledge Costs the Rest of Us

Governor promised not to raise taxes but that means everyone else has to.

In 2014, Gov. Tom Corbett will no doubt campaign that he honored his pledge not to raise taxes during his first term. So far, that’s true -- he just made it so everyone else had to raise them. The screams of anguish and gnashing of teeth you might have heard this spring were school boards throughout the Commonwealth cutting teachers and programs and raising taxes to fill budget gaps. School boards have had to face property owners complaining about another tax increase in a weak economy, plus parents and students angry over program cuts and teacher layoffs.  Remember, school board members are unpaid, and this year it’s got to feel like they volunteered to be crossing guards on I-78.   Mind you, Corbett inherited a boatload of tough choices …

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Rosemary B

3:47 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012

And those are some of the reasons why union contracts do not work. They treat all workers as if they are worth the same. No incentive to try harder than the next person. Breeds mediocrity.   more ›

Mountain View

Should Paper Report Cards be Part of Budget Cuts?

Printed report cards hold more value than the budget dollars saved in paper and printing costs.

Do you remember the emotion of bringing home your report card? Whether good or bad, there were tangible results that parents and children could sit and discuss on "Report Card Day." It didn't require a computer, Internet, or a log-in user name and password. Oh the memories... I’m specifically writing about changes made in East Penn School District this year. It’s my point of reference, since it’s where I went to school and it’s where my son (soon to be sons) is enrolled. This year, as part of a district-wide “going green” initiative, paper report cards have gone the way of the 8-track tape. In my opinion (yes, this is an opinion column), the transition was made too quickly in East Penn. Since it’s an issue that’s been bothering me, I …

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What Makes a Teacher Good?

Pennsylvania is seeking to revamp its teacher evaluation system. Should an educator’s job be tied to student test scores?

I sometimes think that good teaching is a bit like Potter Stewart’s description of hard-core pornography. The late Supreme Court justice said he wasn’t sure he could define it but he knew it when he saw it.  Most of us could probably describe a great teacher we had with adjectives that are hard to quantify: creative, motivating, innovative, passionate, tough but fair, funny, dedicated and interesting. But how do you gauge those qualities in an evaluation system for teachers?  Pennsylvania is moving toward replacing its antiquated system that deems teachers either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Under the state’s proposal, teachers would be rated distinguished, proficient, needs improvement or failing. State House Bill 1980, introduced by …

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