¶ … Norma Fox Mazer While most of the books students read in school seem to be written by men, one of the most popular authors of books for young adults was actually a woman. Norma Fox Mazer wrote more than 30 books during her career before dying at the age of 78 from brain cancer. Some of Mazer's more popular titles are "After the Rain" and "When She Was Good" and while both books were written by the same author each one covers very different themes. In "After the Rain," which was published in 1987, Mazer tells the story of a teenaged girl named Rachel who is struggling with self-esteem at school and family issues at home. Rachel learns to appreciate her own uniqueness by forming a bond with her grandfather, a tough old man who is unfortunately dying from an illness. The lesson...
In "When She Was Good," which was published in 2000, Mazer writes about a young girl named Em Thurkill who is faced with a very difficult situation at home. Because Em's parents both have serious problems, with her Dad being an alcoholic and her Mom being depressed, she is forced to grow up early and Mazer makes her story very realistic throughout the book.
Stop Learning: One hears a great deal today about the poor quality of education. While some children do well, others cannot seem to learn even the basics. Reading, writing, and arithmetic -- the famous four R's -- have garnered a great deal of attention in one educational initiative after another. Presidents, governors, mayors, and school district superintendents have all taken up the battle cry. Numerous ideas have been proposed, but
Round Schooling -- a solution or a slogan? "More is better,' is an ethos that is often frowned upon by parents and teachers alike when it comes to, for example, chocolate or recess. However, when it comes to year 'round schooling, even some school administrators are inclined to blanch at the prospect, according to Ann McGlynn of the Journal of the School Administrator. In her March 2002 article on the
The school programs have been a subject of research, legislation and debate across many states and over many years. There has always been the urge to come up with a harmonized calendar that is suitable for the students, the teachers, the parents as well as the management of the schools. This has always proved to be a delicate balance, one rarely achieved in many institutions. There is need however to
Students in these kinds of schools do not attend school longer, but they do not have a summer break that is longer than any of the other breaks that they take during the school year. Research done by McMillen (2001) indicated that there were 106 schools in the state of North Carolina that operated on the year-round school calendar for third through eighth grades during the 1997-1998 school year. McMillen
Another significant benefit of the year round system pointed by the proponents is that the YRE system offers year round assistance for children who need additional time to catch up. As intersession classes are followed up immediately children do not have to wait until summer classes to catch up with their difficult subjects. "While changing the calendar year in itself can provide many benefits, the importance of intersession instruction
Round Schooling: Implications for the Current State of Public Education The media has recently reported an array of problems with the public education system including criticisms of teacher effectiveness, lack of funding, and continued decline in academic achievement in comparison with other nations. Schools are facing a rise in class size with reduced support in regards to materials, finances, and staff. Despite government legislation, including the No Child Left Behind
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