School is back in session!

Of course that means kids all over the nation are sad, while parents everywhere are singing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” (Do you remember that commercial? One of the classic back to school commercials from a few years back.)

With students returning to school, New York State released a survey with some rather staggering statistics about graduation rates. According to the survey, girls are graduating from high school in New York State at a much higher rate than boys. Statewide, 73.4 percent of girls graduated in 2007 after four years of high school. That’s compared with 63.9 percent of the boys graduating. Some educators believe it all boils down to effort and focus with girls more serious and sincere about school. The New York State Education Commissioner, Richard Mills, says the consequences can be major with high school dropouts finding themselves on the margins of society financially, politically and socially.

So, what can be done about graduation rates? Of course this is a discussion that’s been on-going and there’s no quick and easy answer. But, how about keeping kids in school. That might be a good start. Many school systems struggle with truancy rates and many are trying to figure out what to do about truancy. Child welfare authorities in San Antonio, Texas think they’ve come up with the perfect solution.

Read on …

The Rochester, New York school district has long ranked very low when it comes to graduation rates and test scores in the nation. When the new School Superintendent arrived in town about a year ago, Jean-Claude Brizard vowed to see both test scores, and the graduation rate, go up. True to his word, test scores did indeed improve. The school district may have found a creative way to do so, but at the same time, it’s created quite a stir. Everyone applauded the district when the latest report showed record gains in test scores on state exams. But, it of course also led to the question of just how did they do it.

The process of raising the test scores, as I already mentioned, has caused quite a stir. As a matter of fact, now Superintendent Brizard is worried that the recent Social Studies fiasco could overshadow the school district’s gains on the state exams.

Read on …

A story out of Lockport, New York broke earlier this week involving a hazing incident on a bus. Apparently after a Varsity baseball game, a few Varsity players took a couple JV players to the back of the bus and started slapping them around in some sort of distorted passage of rights onto the team. First there was slapping, then there was kicking, then it escalated to sexual abuse. The Varsity team teens involved in the incident have been charged. The Lockport School District Superintendent cancelled the rest of the baseball season and said the school is looking into the incident.

Now another report comes out outlining the fact that the coaches of the team have been arrested. That’s right folks, the coaches were ON THE BUS, when the incident took place. Yes, you read that right. The coaches were on the bus when the sexual abuse was taking place at the back of the bus. Police have arrested Wilson School JV coach William Atlas and Varsity Coach Thomas Baia charging them both with child endangerment.

Many times people wonder about the kids today and why they act like they do. Here we have an example of coaches, so-called adults, who should have known better, and probably knew what was going on, but they did nothing. Once again we have an example of so-called example setters, being clueless.

Just my two cents,
Dr. Rus

A task force in one Rochester, New York area School District says it’s time to crack down on student behavior. As a result, the Greece School District plans to introduce a new dress code, new policies on cell phones and more. In a recent report the task force recommends the changes because under the current policy kids are getting away with too much. The new policy for the dress code reads “no tank tops and skirts and shorts have to be longer than your arms when they’re extended.” Of course such a policy will result in an outcry from many students, and it’s sad to say, some parents as well.

As for me, I too think it’s about time the adults start acting like adults. For too long society, and some adults alike, have sent a strong message to kids that they are all adults. Such is simply not the case. Look around and you’ll discover rampant disrespect. Why? Because kids have suddenly turned into the rule makers instead of the adults. Parenting means just that, parenting the kids because they do not know the rules, norms and boundaries in society. But, all in an effort to not “upset” the delicate emotional state of the kids in the world, we’ve seen a lack of respect for authority, as well as a total breakdown of respect and common sense.

But, lets not lay all of this at the feet of parents and adults not stepping up to the plate. We also need to look around and discover there’s a breakdown of good leadership setting good examples for others to follow.

Many adults don’t know how to dress. Many adults don’t know how to use cell phones. Many adults like to wander around with those stupid Bluetooth attachments hanging out of their ears. Come on folks, no one is that important that you need to be ready to answer your phone at any second. This is simply common courtesy. I recently found myself sitting in a church service and a leader, who really should have known better, sat through the beginning of the service with that stupid bluetooth thing hanging off his ear. As the sermon started I finally reached up and flicked the thing off his ear and said, “Who are you trying to kid. You’re not that important. Show some respect and take it off.”

Come on folks, a bluetooth attachment on the side of your head is not a fashion statement. It’s a stupid statement.

So, if the adults and leaders in society today don’t know how to act, how in the world can we expect our kids to know how to act. Personally, I applaud the Greece School District for their brave move of putting in some common sense policies for the students at school. Maybe in about 10 years we’ll start to see leadership, respect and common courtesy return to the world.

Just my two cents,
Dr. Rus

I just don’t get it. I don’t think this means I’m getting old, it just means I sometimes wonder if kids have lost the ability to think clearly. I understand they’re kids and they’re not supposed to totally get it. But when it comes to style, who in the world said pants falling off was cool?

Why do kids think it’s a hip style to wear their pants hanging down around their knees? It makes no sense. Their pants are so baggy and big they have to hold them up! They can’t walk down the street unless they’re walking with their legs spread wide open, (looking like they’ve wet their pants), so their pants won’t fall down.

And this is cool why? As I said, I just don’t get it.

When I was a kid I hated going shopping with my parents because they always made me buy clothes that were too big so they would last longer. “Don’t worry,” my parents would always say, “you’ll grow into them.” Suddenly I found myself confronted with having to wear pants that were too big. While they didn’t hang down around my knees, I remember how pleased I was when I finally did grow into my clothes.

Not so these days. Kids today actually buy clothes that are too big. They say it makes them feel good and proud about themselves. Hmmmm, if this is truly the case, why do they insist on hiding behind baggy pants, over-sized shirts with hoodies pulled over their heads, hiding their faces, walking with they heads down afraid to look anyone in the eye? Could it be they are actually filled with low self-esteem and shame?

So, what brought this little rant on about baggy pants you ask? On my way into the radio station this morning I saw two kids walking along the road, (at 4am no less, why were they out at 4am!?) in the rain. As my mom always said, and still says to this day, “Don’t you have enough sense to come in out of the rain?” Anyway, aside from the fact they were out at 4 in the morning, they both were walking along the road with their baggy pants hanging down around their knees. But, it doesn’t end there. It was so wet these two kids were walking with their heads down using both hands to hold up their pants. One hand was clutched around their waist so their pants wouldn’t fall down. The other hand was on their pant legs holding their pants up out of the puddles on the sidewalk. Apparently none of this worked though, as suddenly both kids fell flat on their faces because they weren’t watching where they were going, nor could they avoid tripping over their baggy pants.

As I said, I just don’t get it. This is a cool style why?

It would be too easy to yell at both parents and kids about this. But, in the end, yelling does nothing. Instead, maybe we should encourage the next generation to be proud of themselves and stop hiding behind over-sized clothes.

Just my two cents,
Dr. Rus

Whoever came up with this idea needs to be fired from whatever position they may hold in the school district.

CNN is reporting that a Georgia School District is testing a pilot program to get kids to study. No, it’s not the reward of a good education which of course empowers one to move forward in life. No, it’s not exemption from having to write exams if you have good grades. It’s not even recognition from peers, teachers, and school administration for making good grades. Some brilliant administrator has decided to try out a pilot program that pays students $8 dollars an hour to study!

But wait, there’s more!

Not only will students get paid to study, they will also receive bonuses for good grades!

Give me a break! Paying kids MORE than minimum wage to study! Whatever happened to making learning exciting, and also encouraging kids that a good education will further you in this world. This is nothing more than a bribe and whoever came up with the idea should find themselves on the unemployment line, quickly.

Hey, here’s an idea. How about taking all that money the Georgia School District has set aside to pay these kids to study and set up a scholarship program for students who earn good grades. At least that way a handful of students might be able to afford a continuing education program. Paying students to study is nothing more than a quick fix thrown at students in an effort of fixing what’s a broken educational system.

Just my two cents,
Dr. Rus

It’s another sad and tragic story, that didn’t need to happen.

On September 29 three teens and one recent high school graduate all lost their lives in a terrible accident near Canisteo, New York. The wrecked car containing their bodies wasn’t found until late Monday afternoon, nearly three days after the tragic accident. The four had left an all night party to get a snack around 3 o’clock in the morning. That was the last time they were seen alive.

Now a New York State Police report says all four were intoxicated at the time of the crash. The driver was 17 years old and only had a junior license. That means he wasn’t even supposed to be driving after 9 o’clock at night, and when he did drive, he was supposed to have a parent or legal guardian with him. The teen had a blood alcohol content of .13, which is over the legal limit, three days after the party! The others killed in the crash were a 15 year old, another 17 year old and a 21 year old. Three were high school students, while the 21 year old was a recent graduate. New York State Police also say all of those in attendance at the all night party were underage, and that means someone served them alcohol, illegally.

Now, as I said above, this is a terrible tragedy. However, it begs the question, will the adults who own the property where the party was held, be held responsible? I think they should be. After all, bartenders and bar owners are held responsible for patrons who leave their establishments drunk and get into an accident. There is also an even larger issue going on in this case. Not only did the adults know the party was going on and that there was drinking, they also had to know all of those attending the party were underage. The police know where the party was held, so why not track down the owners, and arrest them? Will this happen? We’ll have to wait and see.

We live in a time when many adults don’t want to parent their kids. Instead, they want to be their best friend and let them get away with drinking and other things that simply shouldn’t take place. While it’s true parents need to be friends with their kids, it’s more important that they parent their kids. That means being smart and not blantantly breaking the law.

No matter how you look at it, underage drinking is against the law and really stupid. Many times parents say “it will never happen to my kids.” But, the sad reality is, many times such drinking parties end in tragedy taking the lives of the innocent.

Lets find the adults who own the property where the party was held, and hold them responsible for taking the lives of four young people.

Just my two cents,
Dr. Rus

I played a round of golf yesterday with my brother and his wife who were in town visiting for a couple days. I use to play a lot of golf, but these days my golf rounds come few and far between. As a matter of fact, yesterday was just the second time I’d been out this year. If you add the past few years together, I think I may have played golf about 5 times over the past three years. So, you can well imagine just how rusty, and inconsistent I can be on the golf course.

All in all though, I do enjoy a nice relaxing round of golf. Well, when it’s relaxing. If you take the game too seriously, when you’re just a hacker like me, the last word coming to mind is relaxing on the golf course. It’s always interesting to watch the weekend golfer who thinks he’s Tiger Woods screaming and yelling and throwing golf clubs all over the place. A weekend golfer is just that, a weekend golfer. It is suppose to be a time of relaxation where we enjoy time with friends, and yes, even admiring the wonderful scenery on the golf course.

I did pretty well on the golf course. While I didn’t break 100, I must admit I came closer than I ever have before. But then again, if I hadn’t duffed that shot on the 2nd hole, missed those putts on way too many holes to count, and not lost 6 or 7 balls on the golf course, I coulda done a whole lot better.

Ahhh yes, the world of shoulda, woulda, coulda…

I’ve been thinking about that phrase over the past few days as well. A lot of people live in what I call the Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda World. It’s really a world of make-believe where we don’t take responsibility for our actions. It’s really a way of shifing the blame off of us, and putting it onto someone else. I think it may even border on the line of denial of what’s really going on around us. Sure, I missed a few putts, okay, I missed a lot of putts. Sure I lost some balls in the rough, and yes, I did duff a number of shots on the golf course yesterday. But, if I didn’t want to miss all those shots, and I really wanted to break 100, I’d be spending more time on the golf course than I do now. But, I just don’t find golf as a high priority in my life right now. I enjoy the game, and I enjoy the company of family and friends when playing, but I’m just a weekend duffer, not a golfer.

Now, these thoughts didn’t just come out of nowhere. As I mentioned above, I’ve been thinking about the world of Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda over the past week or so in light of a recent report about the tragic Virginia Tech shootings. I really find it somewhat disturbing, and if anything, it’s also a terrible way to remember such a tragady as the loss of so many lives at the hands of one very disturbed individual.

Many news organizations are talking about a report that pretty much takes the blame off of the shooter, and places it on the leadership of Virginia Tech. The report basically says if Virginia Tech leaders had of done more, the tragedy could have been avoided. First off, there’s no big d’oh there. It’s like my parents have always said, Hindsight is always 20-20. It’s easy to armchair any event after it happens and say it’s all your fault. If you had of done this, if you had of done that, none of this would have happened. In other words, it’s the world of Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda rising it’s ugly head once again. In the end, this line of thinking accomplishes very little in the area of actually learning and growing from an experience. All it does is shift the blame, and forces us into a place of denial of what’s really going on around us.

Could things have been done better at Virginia Tech? Probaby. Would things have been different at Virginia Tech if other things had of been done? Probably. But reality is this, a very tragic event took place and a number of people died needlessly at the hands of one very disturbed individual.

The path to healing does not come from tossing accusations around and pointing fingers at others while living in the world of Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda. The path to healing comes when we look to encourage one another through times of tragedy, instead of throwing stones at one another.

It’s like my mother always said; Be careful when you point a finger at someone, there’s always three fingers pointing right back at you.

Just my two cents,
Dr. Rus

The past few days I’ve come across some rather startling news stories. Not that the problem is new, but the people are new. I’ve been soap-boxing on this for quite some time now, but once again the whole area of “Parent’s Hosting Underage Drinking Parties” is on the rise again.

Here are three headlines from this week alone;
1) Videotape of Underage Drinking Leads To Student Punishment
2) Underage Drinking Lands Man In Jail
3) Underage Teen Transported To Pot Party

The first story involves a husband and wife who “supervised” a party for High School students. The so-called “responsible father” videotaped the whole party. Of course many of the teens got into trouble driving home, police obtained a search warrant, found the tape, went to the High School, and 50 some underage students were identified drinking.

The second story is even more disturbing! A 31 year old mother hosted a birthday party for her 13 year old daughter. She got the kids at the party drunk, and then stripped for them. Then, a 47 year old man took a bunch of the teens and pre-teens home with him when the party broke up at 4:30 in the morning. He pulled out more booze and added in some drugs and then “allegedly” had sex with a 15 year old.

And last, but not least, a 19 year old took a 17 year old to a pot party!

Now, the last one isn’t quite as bad, after all, it involved teens. But, the first two incidents are incredible. What is going on here folks! Actually, I know what’s going on — it’s an example of parents wanting to be the kids “best friends” instead of “parenting.”

Give me a break. Parenting means setting an example, not getting underage kids drunk.