Five links that made us think this week:
Give me an O! Give me an M! Give me a G! Let's hear it, OMG! God is indeed the newest member of a cheerleading squad in a small East Texas town, where cheerleaders' decision to use Bible verses in banners has caused much controversy over the past week. The school superintendent has opposed the squad's actions, citing a law that bans religious expression at public school events. But the cheerleaders are saying "Goooo First Amendment rights!" and cheering their freedom of expression.
World Teachers’ Day is celebrated across the globe every year on October 5th, and this year’s slogan is ‘Take a stand for teachers!’ UNESCO’s Director General, Irina Bokova, released a YouTube video saying, “Each of us remembers our favorite teacher, each of us recalls the feelings of wonder and curiosity they fueled in us.” What teacher does this video make you remember? Personally, I will never forget my World History professor in high school, Blanca Facundo, who taught her students with a relentless drive to shape us into critical thinkers.
Wednesday’s first Presidential Debate on domestic issues left the audience wanting to hear more on the candidates' education policies. President Obama stood by his position to support education spending, while Gov. Romney claimed that he would eliminate all programs that didn’t pass this test: “Is the program so critical it's worth borrowing money from China to pay for it?"
Photo via World Teachers' Day.
Next week, an affirmative action case will go to trial in which a white student is claiming she was racially discriminated against when she was denied admission to the University of Texas at Austin. In this NY Times op-ed, Princeton professor of sociology Thomas J. Espenshade defends the goal of affirmative action but not the method, arguing that the controversial policy addresses the symptoms, but not the roots, of racial inequality in our country.
This one’s for the science fans: Just when you thought all dinosaurs were scary and massive, along comes Pegomastax africanus, the dinosaur that, according to one scientist, would’ve made a nice pet. According to a new study reported in National Geographic, this spiky creature lived over 200 million years ago along rivers of what is now Africa, at that time still Pangea, the supercontinent. He doesn't look too friendly, but studies show that he was probably a veggie with a jaw structure ahead of his time.
That’s it for this week. Have a great weekend, everyone! Pura Vida.
Want to share your thoughts with me? Email me at carolina.cromeyer@teachforamerica.org.
