The California Supreme Court has released the verdict allowing illegal immigrants to preserve their rights to pay in-state-tuition fees.

The strict state law against aliens has been laying much burden on illegal immigrants of California. The provision acts to investigate every alien on the California state—due to the fact that aliens often play an unfair advantage over taxpayers of the state.

The out of state rates imposed on undocumented students ranges to $34,000 annually while residential students only pay $11,300 a year. These resulted to a lawsuit against the University of California condemned for imposing unfair tuition fees on illegal immigrants in 2005.

But last Monday, a new rule upholding a 2002 state law favored all illegal immigrants to the right on-state-tuition fees. The law also implies that students will be privileged to pay in-state-tuition provided that they have attended any California high school for three years before graduating.

Despite several officials who are not in favor of the provision, civil right groups, undocumented students, and university officials were glad of the courts decision since it’s a big advantage for US citizens which aspires to enroll unto California schools.

The new regulation is also expected to favor who will meet the school criteria like boarding school students whose parents are in other states or graduate degree students which are out of California by going into some school worldwide.

Such regulation intends to involve all 400 undocumented students of UC and according to Mark Yudof, President of UC, “these students shouldn’t be ignored or their careers in the future shall be endangered.

In conclusion, altering the state’s regulation and laws which results into motivating more students to go to school is better than keeping an amendment which will not benefit the welfare the society as a whole. This is the spirit of the No Child Shall be Left behind Policy.

A winner of Oprah’s Angel Network $100,000 Use Your Life Award, Grammy Award Nominations in 1988 and 1989, 2005 MMP Fall Leadership, $100,000; the —U.S. Dream Academy—came to lift up the broken dreams of Pimlico Elementary/Middle School students and the Park Heights neighborhood.

The U.S. Dream Academy launched Monday as state authorities as well locals joined the inauguration. The Dream Academy is an after-school program geared towards educating a specific population of students such as; students with incarcerated parents, live in at-risk communities, and attend a school which does not cater progress in their education programs.

The whole innovation scheme is much considered to be a light for those kids who should be pursuing valuable goals in life rather than being on the streets. As the internationally known Dream Academy have been much supported by several philanthropists and famous stars like Oprah Winfrey. The financial strength of the academy will ignite the darkened dreams of children from the 3rd grade to the 8th grades.

The Dream Academy program has been hosted in 10 learning centers in 10 cities and has operated in the Baltimore with an initial funding $ 3 million over 500 students in the Baltimore school district.

Several officials and highly reputable personnel in the Park Heights neighborhood describe the coming of Dream Academy as a dawning of the new day. The Dream Academy except great support from famous celebrities, have been always very successful in uplifting the education system of most schools worldwide.

The US Dream Academy was founded by Wintley Phipps, a seventh day Adventist minister and a world-renowned singer. Initiated in 1998, the non-profit organization is dedicated in providing values based, interactive, remedial and tutorial classes for children at-risk by initiating Family Learning Centers all over the country. Phipps was inspired by personal family experience and wants to transform the lives of children through technology and by the hands of the adults surrounding them.

Schools worldwide commemorated the Veterans Day 2010 celebration through different activities.

In Brazil Indiana, the Clay Community Schools Corporation held various school activities along their circle of schools. Students in the Eastside Elementary School brought pictures of their recognized veterans. Activities started at 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon.

The Clay City Elementary and High Schools made it loud with bands and invited veteran guest speakers. Another Clay Community School, — Van Buren Elementary School—organized a choir along with a PowerPoint presentation. The program will commence Wednesday (9-10:30 am).

Missouri, Fair Grove School District will thank veterans by hosting a Veterans Day celebration at their high school gymnasium, Thursday 10 a.m. The event will be joined by veterans followed by a luncheon in the middle school area.

New Jersey, Stony Brook Elementary School welcomed the Brewster VFW Post 9917, 1 pm, along with Brewster Band, Bayside Skippers, and Tap Dancers. Veteran guest speakers were the highlight of the event.

Old Saybrook High School celebrated along with ceremonies, assemblies, and heart-warming activities bringing together all those veterans in the armed forces. The school program kicked off at 7:15 a.m. with coffee and a fifth-graders presentation at 10 a.m.

Florida, student of Cove Elementary School wrote 1000 letters for troops in Iraq and collected non-perishable goods and hygienic products to be sent as a care package while Jerry Thomas Elementary conducted a flag ceremony. The Jupiter Elementary streamed veterans, shared lessons on veterans, patriotic activities, and story reading followed by sending letters to soldiers.

British Columbia, Burton Elementary School assembled, and spiced up a sing-along with the Pacific Middle School band while Image Elementary School offered a musical tribute along with American Legion Musicians. The wind ensemble together with the choir performed also a musical tribute along with Army Spc. Zach Rosling (a Mountain View graduate).

Schools worldwide are facing the pressure of the newly imposed Federal law—leaving several institutions below the passing line.

In Illinois, more than half of its public schools and highly reputable education institutions failed to meet the examination targets for the year; creating confusion among spectators if the current education standards are appropriate.

Of its 879 school districts, high schools ranked worst. Almost 90 percent (9/10) of high school institutions passed but did not make distinguished outputs on the math and reading tests; which makes them risky under Federal government sanctions.

Results showed an undesirable and pressured performance. Of all 3000 schools testing for 2010 for eight graders, only 24 % scored in the advance levels; the rest failed and some were on the borderline.

Over the state, 44 % of elementary and middle schools did not pass above the new standards. Comments from educators were negative; saying that it was bound to happen because they could not force out children to score higher in every year until 2014.

According to the study made by Consortium on Chicago School Research, students which meets and do not exceed the given standards on the education program during the 8th grade will hardly get a score of 20 on the ACT entrance exam for college as juniors.

The researchers commented that scores do not imply high achievement and for parents, it is not the appropriate level to get pressured when they want their child to go to college. Schools used ISAT passing rates rather lump passers from exceeders; which makes it difficult to tell which schools are excelling or just below the standards.

The expectation of the Federal government under the No Child Left Behind law is for schools to make their students math and reading proficient by 2014 and standards gets higher every year—which sadly, most teachers do not find very possible since its inception.

The federal government has tightened school regulations regarding bulling and gender discrimination. Schools worldwide which fails to implement anti-bullying polices shall be penalized by losing U.S. funds.

The issue have caught the attention of higher education authorities especially the federal government when recently several reported suicides of homosexual students flood the news papers. It is first time for the government to impose such act as harassment—under the civil rights statutes (1964-190) which protects citizens from race, national origin, and gender and disability discrimination.

The promulgation has been made clear by Russlynn Ali, assistant Ed secretary at a conference yesterday—emphasizing that the protection extends to gays, lesbians, and transgender. The assistant secretary also said they aren’t making a new policy but it existed long ago.

The Rutgers University suicide incident paves way for several campaigns against bullying. The university now tightened rules against discrimination which some schools consider as normal act of teenagers. Elementary, high schools, and colleges must create antidiscrimination schemes or they will face loss of federal aid.

A letter have been sent all over high schools, colleges and universities nationwide and related cases shall be on legal precedent by the guidance created by the George W. Bush administration regarding discrimination of religion and gender. A conference on anti-bullying next school year is on plan and the Department of Education will conduct series of workshops for school and university administrators.

Meanwhile, on a conference late Oct 21, President Obama felt sad about the suicide incident and helped submit videos to an anti-bullying campaign targeted for lesbians, gay, and transgender. Many have given support to eradicate bullying especially gays and lesbians. A newspaper encouraged victims not to commit suicide and consult professional help. New Jersey will be strengthening their eight year campaign and their respective law against school bullying.

Schools in Western China have been in full security appending to the recent “student demonstrations” against the implementation of Chinese—as the main language—in education programs and relative instructions.

Accordingly, police units and safety officers were posted at several middle schools and high schools in the Tongren County in Qinghai province. Tibetans, which inhabit the second smallest administrative region that includes minority groups and some Mongolians, were not in favor of the proposal. Though, the event is a national matter, reporters were prevented from interacting with students and school teachers.

The Tibetan language which symbolizes the region’s political struggle is heavily valued by most citizens in the area—pointing that Tibetans have independently administered the area and implementation of Chinese policies were hardly eradicating their Buddhist culture.

However, the issue seems to be ironic. While many fight for liberation of the area by refusing the Chinese language, several parents are enforcing their children to learn Mandarin —as substitute education program—for their child’s job security.

The other weeks were filled with peaceful march of students from Tongren to some parts in Qinghai. Fortunately, there were no reported acts of violence regarding the protest. Last Monday, classes resumed quietly and all school activities came back to normal.

Teachers were not talking about the issue—and were not privileged to do so. Some nervously refused to converse about the protest as well as the language plans. Citizens who were asked anonymously said the “area wasn’t stable for the moment”. Teachers where called for meetings and students were sad about the implementation.

The democratic protest only led to greater plans of increasing Chinese language in the area. A Communist Party Chief praised such proposal of using the common language, while officials backed the plan—saying that implementations will only take place once the area becomes stable.

Philippines, (October 18, 2010)—classes are suspended to the rising signal level of the Typhoon Juan also known as Typhoon Megi. Classes in public and private schools in the Cordillera Autonomous Region 1 and 2 were suspended after Eduardo Muyot, Department of Education Undersecretary, ordered class suspension in the 15 major affected areas with typhoon signals 4, 3, 2, and 1.

Preschools, kindergarten, elementary and high school levels were automatically suspended as the storm warnings were raised by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Preschool classes were cancelled in areas with signal number 1.

Meanwhile, suspension of college classes is under the control of their respective colleges and universities and the orders of the Higher Education Commission, the Undersecretary stressed. Additional suspensions will be made by the DepEd later in the afternoon after PAGASA’s newest report about the typhoon.

The Department of Education made use of the social media network “Twitter” to announce further class suspensions. The twitter account @DepEd_Ph was created to inform savvy Filipinos about the upcoming changes due to typhoon Juan.

This was more prepared to the event last year where the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration and Department of Education announced late the suspension of classes which have made most parents furious.

On the other hand, Typhoon Juan (Megi) brought strong winds of 287 Kph along with gusts up to 350 Kph as it hits the Philippines. Weather analysts expect Juan to severely damage the coast of Luzon with strong winds and heavy precipitation.

Major evacuation initiatives were done by the government especially in the Luzon part. The previous typhoon taught the Filipinos about securing their selves even before storms devastate their properties. Since the CNN calls the typhoon Megi as a “monster storm”, the Philippine government tries hard to secure the Luzon inhibitors as well as students which are very vulnerable to natural calamities such as landslides.

God made only man and woman, but, the society had developed into different multiple “sexual orientations”. And today, the society as a whole is divided into the traditional, straight (male), female, and into the other genders (sexual orientation) like the gays, bisexuals, and transgender. The society has gradually accepted these orientations which brought up the celebration of —National Coming-out Day.

Since these orientations have been put into reality, and has largely increased in many places, the National Coming out Day is a way to promote equality among other genders. Among all the places in the society, campus schools record the most number of these other sexes especially, the teenage phase is where a person defines his/her identity.

Eventually, discrimination has grown in some hearts and students display a different attitude towards these genders. Gays and lesbians in school are often the center of criticism; an evident act of discrimination. And despite the gradual appreciation of the other sexes, there is still something that keeps them from showing up in the society as a normal individual.

To address such gender problem, schools worldwide took part in encouraging gender equality and freedom for the other orientations. In Illinois, the National Coming out Day was celebrated with different activities. Community colleges and universities organize campus programs on pride and equality. Educational institutions invited guest speakers to share their experiences of being the other sex and give encouragement for those undergoing discrimination and pressure.

In Miami, Nova Southeastern University students marched 6:15 pm across their campus to show support for gays, lesbians, transgender, and bisexuals. The university conducted seminars with guest speakers like the universities in Illinois.

These programs were initiated to address suicidal incidents in the other sexes because of pressure, discrimination, and bullying. Lately, a New Jersey student jumped off the bridge because of gender bullying while seven recorded suicides was reported in Illinois.

Florida—schools in the state have decided to open regular classes this Wednesday (Sept. 29, 2010) despite weather bureau reports that tropical storm “Nicole” is expected to hit Wednesday its respective shores.

The coastal Palm Beach County schools chose to conduct classes even with these warnings. Instead of canceling classes due to possible storm hazards, district officials advised parents to provide their children with the appropriate storm dress. According to Nat Harrington, spokesman of Palm Beach County, classes shall be canceled is there is an observed increase in the storms intensity overnight.

The Palm Beach County is the second largest county in the state of Florida; having an estimated student body of 1,294,654 (2008).

Broward County Schools will not also cancel classes but will be open giving advanced notice to parents in case conditions warrant changes. The Broward County Public Schools is the 6th largest public school system in the nation enrolling up to 260,000 students and over 260 education centers (wikipedia).

Miami-Dade Schools, the largest in the nation is also in line with the mentioned public districts. Having an enrollment of 380,006, the district ought to inform parents through media about changes in classes with regards to storm Nicole.

Along with the large school districts, all catholic schools in Miami followed on. Pine Crest school also went affirmative with Broward County while, American Heritage in Plantation will not conduct classes as reported on an email send to parents.

Major Colleges and Universities of Florida will conduct classes on Wednesday as well as Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University and its three community colleges.

Employees, students, and teaching staffs which may find it hard to drive through the stormy weather due to flooded roads and may induce risk of accidents personally and to others may contact their school administrators, professors, and supervisor.

Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives or friends without any regard to merit, (wikipedia). The word is a thousand year old vice—first seen in the Middle Ages.

In different aspects of life, nepotism is greatly practiced. In politics, ascending to greater positions without any appropriate qualifications—but because of blood—is clearly a nepotistic accusation.

Nepotism is classified into many types, one example is ethnic nepotism—preference on a particular race. On education and schools, one perfect example is the “Legacy Preference”, a preference given by educational institutions particular applicants based on a familial relationship with the alumni.

This practice had existed for long in many American colleges and Universities; particularly—Ivy League Schools—mostly made up of top schools worldwide. The Ivy League, an athletic conference, is comprised of 8 private higher education institutions in Northeastern United States.

A prominent example is the Harvard University. Truly admitting, former President of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers stated in the book by William G. Bowen that—legacy preference (nepotism) is an integral part in the community of any private schools.

America strongly condemns legacy admissions as a part of cleaning the unethical history of discrimination as stated on the American Civil Rights Institute report. With such initiative, “Legacy Preference” is definitely banned despite claims that private institutions may be exempted.

According to the 1886 Civil Rights Act, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8:

“No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.”

This contradicts the practice of legal admission in any public and private schools. Such act of nepotism is described as a leeway of selling university placement and underweighting the significance of —academic merits—in exchange for financial pursuit. This will also affect societal balance as the wealthy students outwit middle applicants in university placements.