HIV scare puts Mo. school in uncertain territory

[blue]

They are being quite evasive in that article about "risky behaviors".

I'm just amazed that there's that big of a problem in one high school. That's a freaking scary thing!

Not realy suprised, its damage control.

I don't think we were ever taught about bleaching needles. Heck, even with the sex ed talks they do in our district, the boys and the girls still get different pamphlets. Pre-teen and middle school girls get info about their bodies (including diagram), while boys get a pamphlet with diagrams of both boys and girls. I don't understand that.

I was taught about STDs in 6th grade, I can only imagine what they are being taught now.

About division of church and state, many schools have prayer meetings and other religious services. Many times, as long as it's not forced on everyone, it's deemed ok, and sometimes if it's not on school hours it's ok. It all depends on the district and the community it's in. Isn't Missouri in the "bible belt"?

In the Anchorage School District that would be unacceptable. I can see the Athiest groups decending on Missouri by next week, Athiests dont care about districts or communities.
Yes that last statement can be inflamitory.
ETA: I am suprised at the population of MO, in regards to this issue.

[jennielynn1970]

In the district I work, as long as it's after school hours, and there is a teacher who is willing to be the supervisor (not involved, but to make sure that nothing is going on, and this is for any after school activity that students want to start), our district is not allowed to deny them access.

Same goes to groups that want to use the school facilities as a meeting place.
Boy Scouts (and they do pray, so I'd consider that a religious group)
Girl Scouts
4-H
Latino groups (yes, it can be by race/ethnicity as well)

What about the moment of silence that some places do after the Pledge to Allegiance? Many say that's used for silent prayer.

Come to think of it, when our district ran out of space in the schools, and needed to build additions or totally renovate schools, many of our kindergarten classes were moved to local church basements and classroom areas for the entire school year.

Do I agree with the collaboration between religious and ethnic and whatever else groups and our district? Not really, but then again, I'm not in charge and I don't make the rules. What does have to be taken into consideration is that when you have a large part of your district that is in poverty and student groups need places that are safe to meet, where can they go? Many schools are used in that way.


When I was in 6th grade it was 1982. We weren't that progressive here in PA at that time, lol. I think the girls got a sex talk in 8th grade, and that was about the extent of it. At least where I grew up (Poconos).

[blue]

In the district I work, as long as it's after school hours, and there is a teacher who is willing to be the supervisor (not involved, but to make sure that nothing is going on, and this is for any after school activity that students want to start), our district is not allowed to deny them access.

Back in the 70's and early 80's, the latest I can vouch for, we did CCD at a local High school; ironicaly it was the one my dad taught at but thats a different thread. The local churches have grown to where they have their own pre and after school programs, maybe being a small comunity has its advanages.

Same goes to groups that want to use the school facilities as a meeting place.
Boy Scouts (and they do pray, so I'd consider that a religious group)
Girl Scouts
4-H
Latino groups (yes, it can be by race/ethnicity as well)

Getting in the "Way back Machine", when I was a Cub and Boy Scout, our meetings where held at the Scout leaders home. I have never seen a Boy Scout, Eagle Scout, or Girl Scout uniform in a public school, even after school hours.

What about the moment of silence that some places do after the Pledge to Allegiance? Many say that's used for silent prayer.

After middle school I cant recall saying the Pledge of Allegiance in HS, even if we did I can say there was no moment of silence.

Im too brain dead right now, Ive had a bad week, I do want to respond to the rest of your post.

[jennielynn1970]

Getting in the "Way back Machine", when I was a Cub and Boy Scout, our meetings where held at the Scout leaders home. I have never seen a Boy Scout, Eagle Scout, or Girl Scout uniform in a public school, even after school hours.

Im too brain dead right now, Ive had a bad week, I do want to respond to the rest of your post.

First of all, ((((HUGS)))) to you for your week.



Secondly, I want to see a pic of you as a cub/boy scout, lol!

[RICHARD]

WHat are they smoking in Missouri?

There are specific means of transmission in order to spread/get AIDS.

50 people?

Instead of testing for the disease the school district should have programs going for sex ed and drug education. UNLESS these kids were exposed to that person's bodily fluids-and you really have to work at that-in a very intimate way, there probabkly is nothing to worry about.

Of course, everyone will be screaming bloody murder until answers are found.

Kids can be effing cruel to each other in circumstances like this. I have to laugh at the refusal of the football team to play at the school. Everyone knows that the quarterback is doing something evil right before he takes the snap.

Typical uninformed, ignorant small town hysteria. The morons in this town will remember this as the "AIDS scare of '08". Nothing more.

And no, you cannot pass it around by breathing the same air in the room as a person that is infected.

------------------------

THe more I think about it the more I want to scream.

I wonder what high risk behavior they are talking about? Sharing the bus?

And the poor 50 kids, unless they were heavy into some 'things' they shouldn't worry.


But maybe that is what some politicians are warning us about when they slam the mid west?

[Sirrahsim]

This whole thing is crazy. How on earth could *50* kids become exposed???

As for the football team cancelling, I get that. I personally would not let my children play a contact sport against someone that I knew/suspected of being infected with HIV. Accidents happen, football players bleed, in a lot of cases the trainers don't even change gloves before mopping bloody noses or swabbing at scrapes. Transmission of the virus in this way is not very likely but it is not a chance I would be willing to take.

[sparks19]

This whole thing is crazy. How on earth could *50* kids become exposed???

As for the football team cancelling, I get that. I personally would not let my children play a contact sport against someone that I knew/suspected of being infected with HIV. Accidents happen, football players bleed, in a lot of cases the trainers don't even change gloves before mopping bloody noses or swabbing at scrapes. Transmission of the virus in this way is not very likely but it is not a chance I would be willing to take.

Exactly... something is rotten in Denmark.

I hope there are some updates on this as things unfold.

[blue]

Come to think of it, when our district ran out of space in the schools, and needed to build additions or totally renovate schools, many of our kindergarten classes were moved to local church basements and classroom areas for the entire school year.

Anchorage and the Mat Valley use Relocatable buildings as "temporary" solutions when schools get too full. I dont see a problem with using local resources like churches to help out but too many of AK resisdents would rather the state take care of the problem.

Do I agree with the collaboration between religious and ethnic and whatever else groups and our district? Not really, but then again, I'm not in charge and I don't make the rules. What does have to be taken into consideration is that when you have a large part of your district that is in poverty and student groups need places that are safe to meet, where can they go? Many schools are used in that way.

It used to be that way in Anchorage, now the city has raised taxes to build youth centers to fill the role the public schools used to. More taxes more, more needless infrastructer. I cant fathom the way the city and the ASD work anymore. The only public pools where at the high schools, they have been shutting them down to public access due to budget constraints; more money for addministrative costs, less to public access.

When I was in 6th grade it was 1982. We weren't that progressive here in PA at that time, lol. I think the girls got a sex talk in 8th grade, and that was about the extent of it. At least where I grew up (Poconos).

I was 8 in 1982, I have no idea what grade I was in at the time. Progresive to me is just another word for liberal, my coworker is a self proclaimed "progressive", he is farther left then both NObama and Hillary are.

Ill admit Alaskan politics are strange on the surface but it adds up if you look at it on certain levels but thats for a different thread.

[jennielynn1970]

The district only uses the church facilities, the teachers are relocated to those spaces teach. And only some of our schools receive state funding. It depends on the poverty level of the community, and the amount of students on free and reduced lunch. Those who qualify get Title 1 funding and have more teacher assistants in the classrooms, smaller class sizes (usually about 15-20 kids vs. 30 per classroom), they have breakfast programs, and ASPIRE, which is state funded afterschool activities. The schools in our district that do not fall into that category are really screwed when it comes to the "extras".

We could get those portable classrooms, they have for other schools, but many times it comes down cost, available space outside of the school (many of schools don't have parking lots, teachers park on the street), and they try to keep what small amount of playground space they have for the kids.

Right after the stock market crashed the other week, a memo went out from our superintendent. They cut almost every possible activity after school you could think of because they lost so much money that they had put into stocks. It sucks. I mean, the kids are losing out, not the administrators. Admin complained about how tight the budget is, and when they asked the superintendent why he didn't turn down his raise (which was about 11% I think), he said no, he deserved that raise. Ummm... kids don't deserve to have activities?? If they wanted to take my raise for the year so that they could fund an activity, seriously, I would be fine with that. I have to pay bills, but I'm still there because I love to teach kids.

Our present superintendent had it put into his contract that EVEN if he left the district (fired or whatever, we've had major issues under his watch), he would still be paid for the rest of his 5 year contract. I still can't believe the school board OK'd that one.

[blue]

The district only uses the church facilities, the teachers are relocated to those spaces teach. And only some of our schools receive state funding. It depends on the poverty level of the community, and the amount of students on free and reduced lunch. Those who qualify get Title 1 funding and have more teacher assistants in the classrooms, smaller class sizes (usually about 15-20 kids vs. 30 per classroom), they have breakfast programs, and ASPIRE, which is state funded afterschool activities. The schools in our district that do not fall into that category are really screwed when it comes to the "extras".

We could get those portable classrooms, they have for other schools, but many times it comes down cost, available space outside of the school (many of schools don't have parking lots, teachers park on the street), and they try to keep what small amount of playground space they have for the kids.

Right after the stock market crashed the other week, a memo went out from our superintendent. They cut almost every possible activity after school you could think of because they lost so much money that they had put into stocks. It sucks. I mean, the kids are losing out, not the administrators. Admin complained about how tight the budget is, and when they asked the superintendent why he didn't turn down his raise (which was about 11% I think), he said no, he deserved that raise. Ummm... kids don't deserve to have activities?? If they wanted to take my raise for the year so that they could fund an activity, seriously, I would be fine with that. I have to pay bills, but I'm still there because I love to teach kids.

Our present superintendent had it put into his contract that EVEN if he left the district (fired or whatever, we've had major issues under his watch), he would still be paid for the rest of his 5 year contract. I still can't believe the school board OK'd that one.

Are you a union member? You can PM me if that is too personal to post.

[jennielynn1970]

LOL. Do I sound like a union member? Why would that be too personal to post? I know there are pluses and minuses to every union. Believe me.

Actually, yes, I am a union member, and I was on the executive committee as well. It just got to be too much to be dealing with, and a lack of interest with the rest of the teachers to get involved. They wanted all the help, wanted to bitch and moan, but never wanted to help out.

We had a picnic at the end of the school year a few years ago. My co-chair and I put it together. It was at a local park, FREE to any union member (we have 1200 teachers in our district, and a 90+% membership in the union), and it was on a 1/2 day of school, so all you had to do was drive about 10 mins. from any school to get there. Burgers on the grill, hotdogs, bbq chicken, all kinds of picnic foods, iced tea and lemonade (BYO). Volleyball courts, basketball.. it was a gorgeous place, and it was for our 35th anniversary as a union.

Out of the 1100+ members, guess how many actually came??

Maybe 100. It was FREE. On a sunny afternoon. On a half day of school, and family members were welcome.

The comments we got were "Why couldn't you bring it to us at our own schools?"

Lazy, freaking, apathetic people. It just ticks me off, even to this day. Can ya tell, lol!