Since Father's day is coming up here is a great gift ideal for the Dad that has everything Details

Home Schooling in Cyberspace New York Times article by Bonnie Rothman Morris (but since this is the NY Times it is anybody guess who is the real author) on the growth of home schoolers use of online schools for the lower grads. "Parents say that even with the help of an online curriculum, home schooling is hard, and the days can be stressful. "I pray a lot," Mrs. Tomlin said."

TCS: Tech - Failing the Test " Imagine what might happen if power over schools were re-distributed back to parents. This would require breaking large school districts down to a size that enables meaningful participation by parents. It would require that any state or Federal funding come with no strings attached. It would require local leaders willing to stand up to bureaucracy and union featherbedding.

The focus of school reform ought to be on stripping away the centralized power structures and re-empowering parents. Standardized testing feels to me more like part of the problem than part of the solution".

Block Scheduling A critical review of the results of block scheduling Just a cursory look but it seems that someone in order to justify their salary is rehashing another education fad. Discuss the topic Here

Bad News and Good News The bad news despite a valiant effort Brandywine finished 3rd in the highest tax rates behind Fleetwood and Antetam. BHSD also finished second in the highest rate increases since 1997 with a meager 39.5% to Tulpehocken 50%. The good news is BHSD should surge into the lead in both categories with this year's proposed 11% increase putting our millage rate at 24.3 for a 55% increase since 1997 and we still have a smaller but guaranteed rate increase the following year to solidify our position.. Source: PA Economic League Research Summary

	2002	Change 1997 to 2002		Tax Rate
School District	Millage	Mills	%	$100,000 House
Fleetwood	23.05	4.77	26.1	2,305
Antetam	23.00	2.89	14.4	2,300
Brandywine	21.80	6.17	39.5	2,180
Conrad Weiser	20.05	5.19	34.9	2005
Muhlenberg	19.81	4.95	33.3	1,981
Tulpehocken	19.50	6.50	50.0	1,950
Daniel Boone	19.00	4.00	26.7	1,900
Oley Valley	18.69	5.10	37.5	1,869
Reading	18.00	-0.76	-4.1	1,800
Exter Twp	17.70	2.37	15.5	1,770
Schuylkill Valley	17.63	1.13	6.8	1,763
Wyomissing	17.50	3.02	20.9	1,750
Twin Valley	16.90	2.30	15.8	1,690
Boyertown	16.04	2.61	19.4	1,604
Gov Mifflin	16.00	1.71	12.0	1,600
Hamburg	15.63	1.69	12.1	1,583
Wilson	14.90	1.45	10.8	1,490

Terrorist Teacher Arrested"At Heathrow Airport today, an individual later discovered to be a public school teacher was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a compass, a protractor, and a graphical calculator. Authorities believe he is a member of the notorious al-Gebra movement. He is being charged with carrying weapons of math instruction." - Confirms the suspicions that those quiet math geeks are up to no good.

Harry Potter Fastest Ever Seller NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amazon.com said on Wednesday the latest installment in the Harry Potter book series has already become its fastest-selling new product ever, with more than 500,000 copies ordered in advance of the book's publication on June 21.

From Today's Reading Eagle Exeter board backs renewing drug testing of some students
Those who participate in non-athletic extracurricular activities will be subject to random checks. School athletes have been tested since 1999.

Bureaucrats operate the same the world over. Brian's Education Blog Today's big British National Education Story is about a school in Croydon which sent its pupils home early because it couldn't afford to teach them, this being because it couldn't afford substitute teachers.
My problem is that when I see a nationalised industry resisting "cuts" by this time honoured technique, which is basically to treat the exact people for whom it all is supposedly being done with maximum and very public neglect, I smell technique rather than reality. If your job is seeing to widows and orphans and you want more money, the standard procedure is to round up a few of your saddest looking widows and most appealingly photogenic orphans, and some newspaper photographers, and chuck the widows and orphans in the gutter in front of the newspaper photographers, and stand next to it all wailing "Look what you made me do!"
Lacking detailed inside knowledge of this particular school, I have no idea whether this is grandstanding or a genuine cry for help.

BW Online | May 26, 2003 | The New Gender Gap The New Gender Gap
From kindergarten to grad school, boys are becoming the second sex

If you are interested in where your tax money goes there will be a series of budget meetings in June.
June 2nd Tenative approval
June 11th Public Hearing
June 23rd Final Budget Adaption

Will post the times later usually 7:00 or 7:30 pm

For those who still don't think your vote can make a difference there were only 14 votes seperating the second place and sixth place candidates in total votes received yesterday. So once again thanks to everyone that came out to vote and for those who didn't Al Gore will be coming around to talk with you. It is not like he has a job and can't afford the time.

Michael Grossman 627
Liz Stehman 540
Janic McDermott 539
Robert Lowry 534
Richard Rau 532
Lori Yocco 526
Sonya Hughes* 502
Louise Olsheski* 477

*Current board members


----- Original Message -----

The Concerned Citizens of Brandywine School District thanks everyone for their help in making a success of yesterday's primary election.
Our three candidates qualified in the top 5 either both the Democratic and Republic slates or on the Republican slate.
With your continued support next year we can have a board that puts its emphasis on Education Not Administration

EDITED The results reported in the online version of the Reading Eagle were incomplete for some reason this does not surprise me. The results will be final around June 6 when the absentee votes are totaled. If the tie between Lory Yocco and Janice McDermott still exist there will be a drawing for the fifth positing on the Democratic spot

Republican candidates:                        Democratic candidates:
Liz Stehman               294                  Michael Grossman        348
Janice McDermott     286                  Richard Rau                    271
Michael Grossman    279                  Sonya Hughes                260
Robert Lowry              277                  Robert Lowry                   257
Lori Yocco                 273                 Lori Yocco                      253
Richard Rau 261                   Janice McDermott           253
Sonya Hughes 242                   Louise Olsheski 250
Louise Olsheski 227                    Liz Stehman 246

Two umpires run over behind home plate following a youth-league baseball game in Topton

Oreos too dangerous for kids, suit says SAN FRANCISCO – Children in California may have to give up their Oreos, if a lawsuit filed by a San Francisco public interest lawyer is successful.

Job Opening If you will be a graduate this spring who has spent more time watching Star Trek then doing homework here is a great position: CNN.com - Qapla'! Hospital seeks Klingon speaker - May. 10, 2003

Everything you need to know to compete for the lowest SAT Examination score: Answering All Questions Incorrectly! One man quest futile attempt to obtain the lowest SAT Score possible. There is also some good information for those who want to make the ordinary 1600.

Want to see your name or compose a message in hieroglyphs National Geographic Magazine Treasures of Egypt: Translator

A little Brit Humor According to a news report, a certain private school in Edinburgh recently was faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints. Every night, the janitor would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back. Finally the head decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the janitor. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the janitor who had to clean the mirrors every night. To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the janitor to show the girls how much effort was required. He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirrors. There are teachers, and then there are educators.

MAY BOARD MEETING is at 7:30 PM Monay May 5th. Click here for this month's agenda

The Flea Market for the benefit of the Art Dept. has been postponed till next Saturday May 10. Be sure to come out next Saturday to meet members of the Concerned Citizens and candidates for the school board.