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Dr. Michael M. Krop Sr. High • 1410 Countyline Road • Miami, Florida 33179
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November 30, 2011 • Issue 3 • Volume 14 STUDENT INTEGRITY
HONOR
EACHER OF
THE YEAR By Blake Mars staff writer
The soft sounds of piano keys and a chorus of voices resonate through the chorus room 3120 as students rehearse under the guidance of magnet choral director and Krop Teacher of the Year Gary Keating. After a twenty-year hiatus, Keating returned to teaching public school six years ago. Despite his break, he never lost touch with his passion for music, charity and above all, his students. “I hope it’s my enthusiasm for my kids and the fact I try to go above and beyond in everything I do that really got me recognized,” said Keating. With years of teaching experience in public school and college, Keating has dedicated himself to people both inside and outside the classroom. Keating has organized successful events for the Design Center of the Americas and the Miami AIDS Walk, which raised over one million dollars in 2006. “Last year we held our choral district competitions at school, and he ran the entire program,” choral magnet sophomore Renee Bastian said. “He did so much extra work and put in so much effort and it’s finally time that he got some credit.”
As a teacher, Keating believes he is obligated to provide an environment for students where they can ask for help, find answers and feel safe. “Being an openly gay man, I accept my students no matter what may make them different,” Keating said. “They need to know that they are welcome in my room, where nobody is judged,
De Yurre believes Keating’s students are his first priority, as he will do whatever it takes to make sure they are all content. Keating, who recently earned a doctorate in music from the University of Miami, emphasizes the importance of music beyond performance and strives to teach his students how it can be implemented in their futures. With experience in concert halls, opera companies and renowned symphonies, he shows his students how their love for music can be transferred into I hope it’s my a profession enthusiasm for that may lead my kids and the to success and fact I try to go happiness. above and beyond K e a t i n g ’s in everything I do passion for that really got me music has recognized. extended to a selection of his students who have pursued music beyond high school. Some of -Gary Keating his former students have chosen to major in music, business and music therapy, and everyone is safe.” while recent graduate Natalie For hours after the 2:20 bell, Sulca plans to tour with Jose Keating’s room is filled with Feliciano and John Legend. students and he takes pride in Still others have performed in telling them to go to their “other national tours of Broadway homes” when it becomes too late. shows, and three of his students “A lot of us in chorus view even made it to the Top 12 on Keating as not only a teacher, but this year’s “X-Factor.” also a parent away from home,” “I am so grateful for him,” Bastian said. said De Yurre. “He is the best Choral magnet senior Arianne teacher I have had thus far.”
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SHOULD LIBERAL ARTS FUNDING BE REDUCED? page 5
Virtual classrooms: a study in deception By Sharon Sabbagh managing editor
Sophomore Joanne Smith* spends about six hours a week on Florida Virtual School (FLVS) taking two different courses. However, according to FLVS’s records, Smith is not enrolled in any online classes. “I would never hire someone to take a class for me,” Smith said. “But I have no problem if someone else is willing to pay me to take a class of theirs.” Senior Stacy Parker* pays Smith $50 a semester to take her online class. She says that although it may not be cheap, its worth it. “I was missing credits and afraid I would not graduate,” Parker said. “Plus with 3 APs and college applications, I really have no time to take a silly PE class online.” Although there is no way to know just how widespread this kind of cheating is, many students feel that paying someone to take an online class is not uncommon. “You see it on Facebook
all the time,” senior Victoria Vargas said. “People are always putting up statuses offering money to whoever messages them first that is willing to take their FLVS class.” Florida Senator Oscar Braynon acknowledges this problem and says that he would not support making FLVS mandatory unless it included ways to weed out cheating. However, Dade County now requires students beginning with the class of 2015 to take one online class before graduation. No new solutions were included to ensure student integrity is not compromised. Data Based Assessments, or oral assignments, must be completed over the phone and are integrated into every FLVS class as a way to hinder students from cheating. Although this initially presented a problem for Smith, she now describes the assignments only as an “extra nuisance” to deal with.
►turn to Virtal classrooms on spread page 11
POLITICS
Protesters occupy Ft. Lauderdale
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The revival of the graphic novel
JAVIER STORCH
CORPORATE GREED: Protesters sit on the steps of city hall in the midst of the Occupy Ft. Lauderdale movement. Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, their mission is to address the problems faced by the 99% and generate solutions by raising awareness and educating the rest of the community. Flyers, bumper stickers, press releases and education pamphlets are distributed at large to the public to assist the 99% with the challenges created by the 1%. They invite other organizations, associations and labor unions to participate in their movement. Their message is also spread through the use of social media, Twitter and even flash mobs. For more information visit www.occupyfortlauderdale.org.
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More Inside: iDoser has similar affects to drugs, page 12
Breaking Dawn Part 1 Review, page 8
page 7
Schiffy’s 5k race, page 17