ROAD
TO SUCCESS
Ted Sanchez 2515 S.W. 27th Avenue. Miami, Fl 33133 (305) 859-7979 www.silverbluffanimalclinic.com
opinion highlights
highlights August 2012
5
Old school education
Changes in state laws require students to complete one virtual school course in order to graduate Ali Stack
Brooke Donner
Opinion Head Writer : Orso Raymo
Insight Editor:
Insight Head Writer:
Audrey Fernandez
Deanna Breiter
Sports Editor:
Sports Head Writer :
Gene Liu
Lukas Georgatos
For me, it’s not about emotions or what should be – it’s about facts and what is. I’m not exactly thrilled over mandatory virtual learning, but given the facts I believe virtual education is a sound way for the state to cut back on spending while providing quality public education. The fundamental premise of Florida Virtual School (FLVS) criticism is the notion that, because the state saves money on FLVS in general compared to regular school funding, FLVS steals jobs from in-school teachers. First, FLVS doesn’t steal teachers’ jobs because it employs teachers. Second, FLVS saves taxpayers money. Sunshine State News reported the state spends on average about $2159 less per student enrolled in FLVS course than it pays per student in a conventional Florida high school. FLVS, in fact, should be praised because not only does it cost less to run, but, based on data supplied by Miami Dade Public Schools and FLVS, virtual teachers have higher minimum salary and higher maximum salary levels than Miami-Dade in-school teachers do. If quality of education is the issue, then let it be known FLVS reported its 2011 Advanced Placement (AP) passing rates were higher than Florida’s in 12 of the 15 AP courses it offers and higher than national averages in six. These statistics don’t prove FLVS’s superiority, but to those who staunchly oppose virtual education on grounds of supposed subpar quality, I assure you there are just as many who have had not-so-good experiences in regular, brick-and-mortar schools. It is folly to simultaneously acknowledge the state’s precarious education budgets, but insist on the ridding of FLVS. No one advocates for Florida instituting an income tax, which could provide revenue for increased education spending, but why is cutting costs never an acceptable avenue of reform? I concede that schools are unfairly burdened with the costs of administering standardized tests that FLVS doesn’t have to, and with the costs of hiring FLVS facilitators and obtaining computers. Admittedly, there is no way I can defend the state or FLVS on this issue, but I am certain most think the solution to this predicament is increased funding. It isn’t. Increased funding is not a solution because it creates a problem – debts or increased taxes. The cries for increased funding
in the right direction for Florida’s public education woes. Features Editor:
Maggie Rivers
Remy Fuentes
HEAD OPINION WRITER
One would think that a step into the world of computer-based education would be the antithesis of expensive, inefficient, and cumbersome bureaucracy, yet the good legislators in Tallahassee have found a way to make the adults of tomorrow hate virtual school today. As per Florida law, incoming freshmen and sophomores (and the poor souls who follow) will need to complete at least one virtual class to graduate; however, the burden of actually getting these students through their required virtual class falls on the individual schools (and their wallets). In order to accommodate these 700 students who will now be taking the class, the school will have to hire a lot of new personnel, buy computers, and find the space to cram over a fifth of the schools population. The bill itself however was not passed with intentions of saving money or pleasing teacher unions (as I initially suspected), but rather it’s an attempt to prepare students for the rigors of online education they will be exposed to at college in the coming years. While I’m all for preparing more people for secondary education, this clearly isn’t a viable solution. First and foremost, this bill says nothing about what class students will be required to take virtually. Assistant Principal Joseph Evans has already confirmed his intentions of having the majority of these 700 guinea pigs take virtual physical education. Basically this bill does nothing but ensure that the vast majority of Florida students take pseudo athletic classes through a loophole in very shoddy legislation, which, as I see it, doesn’t get you any closer to being college ready, especially considering that every college has different requirments regarding virtual classes. Furthermore, on a more fundamental basis, taking only one virtual class, even if it is demanding, doesn’t habituate the mind to an exclusively virtual education. In order to fully prepare students for computer-heavy schooling, Tallahassee should have implemented a system that gradually adds virtual classes to student’s schedules from year to year. This way by the time the average student is a senior more than half of his or her classes are virtual, making the high school to college transition seamless. While the efforts of the decision makers in Tallahassee are admirable, and more than definitely a step in the right direction, they were poorly executed and frankly seem like too much of a burden on individual schools, but with some adjustments the statue can be a success.
TWO VIEWS
you just dug. Doing this, you can’t change the fact that there is still a hole. My goal here is not to bash in-school teachers, but rather to show
The Scene Editor:
Commentary by Orso Raymo
Hoping for the worst Commentary by Nicolas Rivero
students are stuck in class 180 days a year. How else am I supposed to skip a few days of school besides praying for a hurricane to level Miami-Dade county? Forging a doctor’s For the past six years, hurricane seasons have come and note would be immoral. gone, but not a single school-cancelling storm has passed With hurricanes, it’s always important to remember through South Florida. Although it looks like this season that it’s somebody else’s problem. Some, like administrator will quietly slip away as well, there are a few reasons to Joseph Evans, are happy with the calm weather, saying that keep your fingers crossed for a terrible disaster next year. another big storm would be “catastrophic,” especially for The local news coverage of the event almost makes our construction site of a school. Indeed, back in 2005, up for the storm itself. Your channel 7 team, just grateful when South Florida was spending its summer getting steam to be reporting on something other than gas station rolled by tropical storms, hurricane Wilma alone robberies and quirky animals, works tirelessly caused $600 million in damages. to provide you with up to the millisecond That’s rough for whoever had to pay coverage on all the most pressing for all those repairs, but at the questions, like “How hard should I time the storm hit, I was panic?”, “Who is this clueless guy eating all the ice cream walking around on the beach and frozen pizza my right before a hurricane hits and 9-year old stomach could what does he have to say?”, and hold in a freezer-clearing “What would it look like if my feast before my power local weather man left his safe, went out. I couldn’t have expensive studio and walked been happier. outside with a microphone and That is, until I realized I was a poncho for no reason whatsoever?” going to miss an entire week of In any case, if we follow their advice they’ll school. Not being at school means Lukas Georgatos/highlights be sure to prepare us for a full-blown zombie your day is automatically better, apocalypse or a minor tropical depression; after a few whether you spend it playing with the hours of watching the news I don’t really remember which one is live power lines you found on the side walk, coming anymore. ransacking your local Home Depot for 9-volt batteries and More than anything else, it’s simply a matter of fairness. While beef jerkey, or sitting in your steaming, powerless house schoolchildren in Connecticut are spending their snow days building a and listening to the ever present hum of your neighbors’ divine army of snow angels, and kids from Kansas are trying to find their generator. As you boil your tap water to render it safe to way back home from Oz in the aftermath of a tornado, South Florida drink, you can thank your lucky stars for this awful disaster. OPINION EDITOR
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“In 2005, when South Florida was spending its summer getting steam rolled by tropical storms, hurricane Wilma alone caused $600 million in damages.”
highlights August 2012
6
Changes to MAST Academy size and admissions blown out of proportion
STAFF
Unfortunately, a summer of rumor-spreading and hearsay has distorted understanding of the situation. Misinformed MAST students, like junior Bianca Guerrero, were outraged at the change. “I think it’s totally unfair for the current students,” Guerrero said. “MAST used to be a very hard school to get into and to see this happen, it’s very disappointing, even to the students that already graduated.”
Editorial
Over the summer, MAST Academy, uncommonly known as Maritime Science and Technology Academy, the Village of Key Biscayne, and the Miami Dade County Public School board brokered a deal of epic proportions. Absurdly complex, the deal involves starting two new Cambridge Academies (one for high school and one for middle school) focused on mathematics, sciences, and international studies at the MAST site, increased enrollment in MAST (via an extensive lottery system), and physical expansion of the school from the $18 million provided by the Village of Key Biscayne.
is understandable, since the initial plans (which have been heavily amended) were thrown upon MAST parents and students at the end of last school year. But according to the Miami Herald and the school board’s current plans, Key Biscayne students will only receive preferential bias in admission to the middle school, not to MAST. In fact, MAST is increasing its total enrollment by
25 percent and retains its curent lottery Biscayne residents account for less than system – remaining a school of choice and not the Key’s home school. Gables remains their home school. Accusations of “rich kids” buying The effects of and reasons for MAST’s their way into MAST are totally expansion have been blown entirely out incongruous, amounting to nothing of proportion. In a manner typical of high more than hate-mongering and blatant school students, facts have been tossed disregard of the aside for the sake of facts. Similarly, I think it’s totally unfair for the juicier details with accusations of a current students. MAST used each retelling of the falling standard to be a very hard school to get story. Unchecked of prestige at into and to see this happen, by the school board, MAST are only it’s very disappointing, even which attempted speculation; to the students that already to cram the change Key students graduated. have to meet of the school year Bianca Guerrero, the same without clarifying MAST junior requirements all the details, rumor other students and misinformation have to meet. have run wild over the summer. Students at For our school, “MAST @ Virgina our school, and at almost every other school Key” (the school’s new name) proposes for that matter, will be virtually unaffected by the change.
‘‘
Curiosity leads to Mars Commentary by Stephan Chamberlin STAFF WRITER
After the “seven minutes of terror” NASA experienced during the risky landing of the Curiosity Mars Rover that involved a crane suspended on jets and a parachute built to withstand speeds upwards of seven miles a second, those looking to curb government spending have begun to doubt the value of space have instilled an incomparable sense of national pride, provided them with most of the technology they use today, and haven’t cost as much as they thought. politicians who think that NASA spending is going overboard are playing for the quarterly report, and are mortgaging the future of the nation. Here’s an interesting fact: last year we spent $861 billion, 22 percent of the federal budget, on the department of defense, but NASA’s budget was slightly more than half a penny on the tax dollar. If every dollar collected for taxes were split into four quarters, one of every four would go towards defense spending, or to the military. the money to explore space; it is that we won’t. As far as I can see, NASA is a force of nature like no other. In
>>Speak Up!
What does Gables think of Frank Ocean’s openess about his sexuality?
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It’s good because hiphop’s always changing and it changes how people listen to music. -Andres Mejia, sophomore
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It really doesn’t matter. As long as it makes him happy. -Diane Garriga, senior
the 1960s, NASA spent $20 billion on the Apollo missions. When the United States was going into space, every little kid wanted to be an astronaut. When we went to the moon, we had our children dreaming about the future, teachers and role models would tell students about the cities, the cars, the food, the homes, the computers and technology that would come in the future. The $20 billion that NASA spent didn’t just get us to the moon; it fueled American ingenuity and creativity, but most importantly, gave us something to look forward to as a nation. In addition to all the positives NASA can bring, it can also help us avoid some terrible negatives. “Earth is bound to get hit by an asteroid or a solar blast sooner or later, and if all the eggs are in the Earth basket, we are going to go extinct,” said physics and calculus teacher Orestes Mayo. Mayo echoes the sentiment of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a maxim that we would do well to remember and apply to our future. “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining,” he said Similarly, the time to fund space exploration and missions to establish bases or colonies off-planet is not when faced with imminent disaster, by then, it is already too late. Applying this to events in everyday life will help you, too. Just like NASA thinks we should not wait for scary threats to explore space, you should not wait until your grades are in trouble to do an extra credit assignment. For the future, yours and everyone’s, remember that fortune favors the bold. Perhaps next year we will all be a little bolder and we will ask the government to double the space budget, and give NASA an entire penny on the dollar.
Cost of Curiosity: $2.8 billion Cost of Iraq War: $845 billion Saturn V Program: Successes: 11 Failures: 0 Lukas Gerogatos/highlights Source: NASA.gov
Ocean makes waves in hip-hop Commentary by Ali Stack EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
An industry known for its machismo and homophobia received a wake-up call and culture shock early this summer when R&B artist Frank Ocean opened up about his bisexuality. In a Tumblr post that took the hip-hip commu– which he admitted was with a man when he was 19 years old. As part of the notoriously homophobic and misogynist hip-hop collective Odd Future, Ocean has undermined assumptions about the group’s values and set the bar for inclusivity and understanding in music. He has opened doors for gay musicians, and his coming out was a much-needed step in the right direction. “It’s a step forward in [Ocean’s] career. He doesn’t have to mask his emotions anymore,” said senior Dylan Lopez, a fan of Ocean’s music. Indeed, Ocean’s lyrics had traditionally used ‘her’ as the default pronoun for referencing a lover – up Channel Orange, where he freely uses ‘him’ on tracks like Bad Religion. Not only will Ocean’s announcement now leave him free to use male pronouns in lyrics, but will hopefully inspire other gay musicians to do the same. Because of the (unjustly) heteronormative society of our time, even gay musicians often default to pronouns that will sell the most and write lyrics that will appeal to the widest demographic. Although possibly a smart marketing move, such
orientations in music. Ocean’s fellow Odd Future member Tyler the Creator congratulated Ocean on Twitter following his coming out – a surprising move screaming “PR!” to many (myself included). Odd Future (and Tyler the Creator especially) is known for homophobic and outright disgusting lyrics, resulting in a recent drop from a New Zealand music festival’s lineup. The word ‘f****t’ appears in almost every one of Tyler’s songs, along with rape fantasies in many others. And while many believe subsequently, record sales), rappers are no more excusable for uct’ of their rhymes is what sells. The hip-hop community need not perpetuate discrimination, especially in light of one of their own embracing and revealing his bisexuality. Ocean’s coming out should, and hopefully will, phase out unfounded prejudice and narrow-mindedness rooted in misogyny from such a widely popular musical genre. “It’s a game-changer,” said Lopez. Talent is talent, regardless of sexual orientation and myriad “anyone [who] has an issue with Frank Ocean […] an idiot”. Music is one of the world’s most appreciated art forms, and art at its purest should indicate total freedom of expression – something that can only be accomplished if the hip-hop community openly accepts variations in sexuality. Frank Ocean has given the industry a gentle shove in the right direction and will undoubtedly serve as inspiration to other gay musicians.
insight
highlights August 2012
T S O C L A E R E C TH I L B U P OF L O O H C S
Books, supplies, fees, taxes... When it all adds up, the idea of a free public education seems to Be Just that -- an idea. In practice, it’s much more complicated. highlights takes a look at the REal Cost of attending and running public schools.
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insight
highlights August 2012
8
EDUCATION C
P
T c in
No penny-pinching in public schools By Rachel English STAFF WRITER
You start the day off with an empty mind and a full suddenly your mind isn’t that empty: You need to buy $30 worth of supplies and pay off a $10 class fee by the end of the week. You now feel a hole burning through your wallet as you realize you still have another seven classes to go, most demanding the same things. Public schools strive to provide millions of students with a “free” education. However, after considering all of the school supplies, uniforms and other miscellaneous expenses students have to meet, public education is far from free. If these costs are not met, students are reprimanded. Schools such as Gables have strict uniform rules, mainly resulting in detention if they are not followed. The appropriate school polos cost approximately $13 each. In addition, the most basic uniform bottoms will run about $30. Furthermore, most teachers send students home with a long list of required school supplies including, but not limited to pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, binders, and mandatory reading books. Teachers may penalize pupils for not having the correct supplies for the day, which can entail a detention or even a lower grade for that class. A lack of supplies also potentially becomes a hindrance to learning. With pens running at $5 per pack, pencils about $8, paper at $6 per 100 pages, and notebooks at $7, students say that keeping up with teacher demands can be overwhelming. For most, purchasing these items is out of their control. In addition, English classes require students
to purchase their own novels as part of the class curriculum. Novels can cost around $7 each. It may be a breeze for most students to cover these expenses; however, for many it is a constant struggle to keep up. “ I understand [why we have so many expenses] because [the school] needs funding,” said junior Isabella Maldonado, “but the school doesn’t get that much funding so it has to come from the students.” through the Parent Teacher and Student Association (PTSA) for students who need help paying for uniforms and school supplies. “If [the students] need polos or PE uniforms, we get contacted by the counselors and they just let us know on an anonymous basis that they have a student in need and they tell us what size and then we will donate from PTSA […],” said PTSA President Aida Shafer.“In the past we have had some other requests and we try to help out with whatever we can.” Testing and graduation expenses can easily create an Although Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-Scholastic Assessment Tests (PSATs) have been administered to certain students in the past for free, many other exams required to get into college cost major bucks. Tests such as the SAT and American College Testing (ACT) can cost up to $50.50 each. Graduation is no exception. According to the Student Activities Director Ana Suarez, students are required to pay $22 for their cap and gown. Also according to Suarez, student activities covers all other costs to run graduation including invitations, decorations and the remainder of the ceremony
through various fundraisers throughout the year. These fees are not limited to the classroom. In order to participate in other school activities, students must pay up. Events such as prom and homecoming have been a longterm tradition at every high school across the United States for decades but still are not cheap. Not only do students have to pay for their ticket, but they also spend extra on personal grooming, clothing, and accessories for the big night. Colleges prefer well rounded students, namely those involved in extracurriculars such as clubs, community organizations and sports. However, these extra curriculars players to pay for uniforms, traveling and insurance. While paying these fees can merely determine the type of high school experience some students have, for others, it could ultimately affect what college they get into or even how their future turns out. “Clubs should just be a fun activity that a student can do to be involved with the school and community. But in order for some things to get done a club needs a necessary amount of money that the school can’t provide,” said senior Carmen Ortega, who realizes that extra curriculars pose as an almost see-saw like situation since they are a necessity for college but come at a price. The high cost of a private school education entails quality education, security, and cleanliness. However, when comparing the private to public school system, attending a public school (regardless of all the expenses) in which the student takes advantage of the available resources is well worth the buck.
highlights August 2012
CALCULATION
PARKING DECAL
The privilage of driving to school comes at a price. $10 for a spot n the lot!
They pay, we learn: By Gene Liu & Gaby Martinez SPORTS EDITOR & STAFF WRITER
CLASS FEES
A public high school’s mission is to provide each student with a diploma. Unfortunately, there are several expenses required to You just paid off your $20 science achieve this goal. Both maintenance and materials for public school lab fee. One down, only 7 more would be impossible and unattainable without funding received from to go! Class fees can range from the government. In a perfect world, the government’s money would $3 to $100 . cover all costs for schools, creating the fabled ‘free education’. Still, the idea that the price of a free education is far from free may seem ironic to most. To facilitate the education process, a school must provide students with books and lunch. EXTRACURRICULARS There is no conceivable way for students to fully
Club fees average anywhere from $10 to $25, and a spot on the team comes with the cost of uniforms and insurance, which can reach $1000.
are accompanied by expenses, which taxpayer money is meant to offset. Other than student resources, maintaining the school is also on the ever-growing list of expenses. Even something as inconspicuous as but necessary, costs. Without a sound school
LUNCH MONEY
Don’t forget, you’re paying $2.50 a day. That amounts to $450 a year...not including those frequent trips to the vending machine.
taking place. According to Assistant Principal Joseph Evans, the money for school maintenance partially comes from a “vandalism account” the school has set up. “We catch kids vandalizing part of the school
they made,” said Evans when asked about the workings of the account. Taxes rarely cover these costs, a problem schools across the country, including ours, attempt compensating with grants and
Funding facilitates learning but it’s still not enough
fundraisers which frequently require student participation. In addition to those two money-makers, the school collects funds from students registering for free or reduced lunch. Depending on the amount of completed forms, the school receives a set amount of money; more forms that are completed means the school receives more money. “The school receives their money based on school enrollment,” said Evans. “There’s a formula on how much money you receive per student who attends that school.” Evans added that each student comes with his or her own Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) period. This measurement creates a way for schools to measure the length of an individual’s enrollment period. From this calculation, the student is then worth certain amount of money for the school. This FTE cost covers basic school expenses. Despite all the money the school receives from taxpayers, grants, fundraisers, free or reduced lunch forms, and FTE calculations, the amount is not enough to cover all the school’s expenses, much less produce a surplus for the school’s more fun activities or future educational programs. “We had a grant with Adidas for the last two years [with our Physical Education program] to reduce the cost of buying materials, clothing, and some equipment,” said Evans, who went on to explain that other departments also have certain grants that According to the “Statistical Highlights” pamphlet circulated by the county, the entire the Miami-Dade County Public School system received a total of $3.3 billion for the last academic year. funding, students may soon have to worry about more than just studying. A steady decrease in the public school budget will create more obstacles when it comes to running a public school. In the end, students will be affected at all levels.
Uniform: $13 per shirt, $30 per pant Lunch ($2.50 a day x 180 days): $450 Fees (core classes and elective): $51 Books: $7 per book Club fees: about $15 per club Sport: $30 for insurance, $100 for uniform Homecoming: $70 per ticket Prom: $80 per ticket
$775 $855 $925 $1,052
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