Welcome Back
Political Cartoon
What do you notice in this political cartoon?
What do you think the political cartoonist is trying to say?
Send your answers to School4Stuff.
A Keep Current Issue
National Public Service
Some are calling for the government and the next President to require that everyone in the United States make a commitment to national service. Previous Presidents have started up volunteer organizations. Franklin Roosevelt started the Civilian Conservation Corps and John Kennedy started up the Peace Corp. Many feel it is time for a new President to step up to the plate. They say there are plenty of people in every community that could use a helping hand and a national requirement to serve your country will help people across the country.
Others, however, say it shouldnt be the governments role to require people to volunteer. And that it isnt even necessary what with polls showing volunteerism at an all-time high. Since 9/11 Americans have been eager to help out and that shows in the number of volunteers active in hospitals, schools and other organizations across the country. They say the decision to volunteer should be an individual decision and not a national requirement.
What do you think,"Does the United States need a national service requirement?"
Think about this issue and then E-mail your opinion.
Another Keep Current Issue
President Bush
Even though we will not elect our next president until 2008 the race for the White House is already underway. Candidates from both major political parties are already running for the office.
There are many reasons that someone might want to become President. It is a position of great importance and power. The person that works in the Office of the Presidency makes decisions that influence people and countries all over the world. Being the leader of the United States means you are in the position to make the world a better place, improving the lives of people everywhere. It is a position of great responsibility.
But some are not attracted to the immense responsibilities of the office. Many feel that being President would be too stressful. Knowing that your decisions will affect people all over the world may be a scary idea. Some may not want a position where their decisions may, in some cases, mean life or death. And being President means that you will not have that much of a life. Everyone wants to know what the President thinks and does every day.
What do you think,"Would you like to be President of the United States?"
Think about this issue and then E-mail your opinion.
Another Keep Current Issue
Year Round School
The National Association for Year Round Education says there are ample statistics to answer yes. Students who have shorter but more frequent breaks retain more of what they are taught. Some experts say students� problems can be caught and corrected earlier. And some say its time to scrap a school schedule that made sense when most students lived on farms or when schools had no air conditioning, facts that are no longer even remotely true.
But opponents say test scores do not always go up. Others argue that the higher costs of maintenance and paying teachers would be prohibitive. Some point to summer jobs and to sports schedules as two examples of disruptions that would hurt families and students. And for families with students in different schools with different schedules, they say family vacations would be impossible.
What do you think,"Should school be year round?"
Think about this issue and then E-mail your opinion.
Another Keep Current Issue
Highway Distractions
If cell phones have been banned while driving a car, why haven't other, equally distracting activities? Lawmakers in Vermont are wondering the same thing. Representative Thomas Koch is sponsoring a bill that would ban eating, drinking, reading, writing or anything else other than driving a vehicle. He told reporters that his bill wasn't just for the distracted drivers' own good but to protect all the other people on the road.
But while studies indicate that 8 out of 10 collisions or near crashes are caused by distracted drivers, critics of the Vermont bill say it goes too far. They say trying to prevent people from eating or applying makeup would also be all but impossible to enforce. And Sarah herself notes that many people eat in cars because they are in a hurry and a drive through is a time saving convenience.
What do you think,"Should eating or other activities in cars be banned?"