Administrators examine parking lot security - Edmond Public Schools

Page 9 THE EDMOND SUN Friday, November 20, 2009
OPINIONS
EDMOND NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
Parking lots cheaper than bumper
cars; same effect
GabrielaSposito
North Staff Writer
On a daily basis I am impressed
by the respectful and responsible
behavior of my peers. I am especially
proud of the absence of
reckless driving in the parking
lots.
I cannot say enough about the
considerate attitudes Edmond
North students demonstrate toward
each other.
They are so anxious to share
the crucial details of their lives
via texting, Tweeting and instant
messaging that sometimes they
can’t help but ignore the lone pedestrian
crossing the street.
The driver voices his concern
for that person’s near-death experience
through the use of vivacious
vulgarity.
Stupid fool, didn’t you get the
memo that drivers are not actually
supposed to yield to pedestrians?
Besides, everyone knows that hitting
one is worth 10 points.
It is clear that the students cherish
their education. The screeching
of tires clearly indicates that
they are in a hurry to get home
and crack open those textbooks.
And when a driver floors his
gas pedal to cut in front of me as I
am backing my car out, my heart
swells with pride due to my peer’s
ambition.
It’s obvious that the parents are
as eager to come to school as their
children.
Even after the teenagers have
exited the car, Mom or Dad continues
to gaze back at North or
simply just into empty space.
Finally, they collect their
thoughts and continue driving,
narrowly missing me as I try to
drive around them.
In the afternoon, the parents
flock enthusiastically to the campus,
only this time several park on
Fretz Ave., the same road many
students use to return home.
But fear not, because I am not
perturbed when the driver in front
of me slams on his brakes in the
middle of after-school traffic to let
a student climb inside.
It doesn’t even bother me when
that student takes his own sweet
time getting himself, his books
and his backpack settled into the
car. Since these events occur frequently
each day, I appreciate the
consistency it adds to my daily
routine.
One of the things I am fortunate
to observe every morning is
the ceaseless love of a parent.
Mom will always ensure that
her child will never have to walk
more than five feet to the school’s
entrance.
After all, what decent, loving
parents mandate that their son or
daughter walk a longer distance,
since they are already forced to
traipse around the entire Freshman
Academy all day?
Furthermore, only cruel mothers
and fathers send their children
out even in the slightest drizzle
with only an umbrella.
The risk of melting or soggy
socks is too high, and these annoyances
would not only be inconvenient
but downright catastrophic.
As a senior strolling toward
the school from my parking space
located far, far away, the parents’
display of affection gives me such
a warm, tingly feeling that I don’t
even notice the drenching rain
chilling me to the bone.
After dodging a car whose
driver clearly thought that I was
a figment of his imagination and
stepping into a knee-deep puddle,
the driver’s colorful curses reverberate
throughout the parking lot.
However, I am not upset; on the
contrary, I’m immensely pleased
because I would have looked completely
ridiculous walking around
soaked only from the waist up.
The affection of so many drivers
in the North parking lots is
something that I will proudly imitate
as a reflection of the students
and parents who value their own
and others’ safety.
It is extremely important to
preserve this example generation
after generation. So, please Edmond
North: stay classy.
Assessing the true value —
Merit pay should evaluate teachers’ strengths
State and local authorities have
recently proposed increasing
teacher pay based on merit — specifically,
based on students’ performances
on End of Instruction
(EOI) exams.
And, quite frankly, as a student
for 13 years in Edmond Public
Schools, I can’t really understand
why.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not
against increasing teacher pay;
however, merit pay has numerous
problems, the greatest of which lies
in developing an adequate model to
evaluate how “good” a teacher is.
Students and teachers alone understand
what day-to-day classroom
life is like.
By graduation most of this year’s
seniors will have spent over 14,000
hours in classrooms. The same
amount of time goes for countless
teachers in this district.
Among these 14,000 hours, we
spend approximately 28 taking
EOI tests — less than 1 percent of
our entire school career.
Effective teaching cannot be measured
by arbitrary exam scores.
Teachers lead in other activities
JordanHendricks
North Staff Writer
that prove to be far more beneficial
than preparing for standardized
testing.
What about teachers who deeply
understand their subject, who have
studied it intently, are passionate
about it and wish to instill in us this
same passion? What about class
discussions that challenge students
to venture beyond textbook facts
and ask “why?”
These are things that cannot be
measured.
What about the special education
teacher who devotes equal, if
not greater effort, as a fellow Advanced
Placement (AP) teacher?
Special education students will
naturally not receive the same
With senior year comes special
events: senior pictures, prom, graduation
and “On Your Own.”
This event is designed especially
for seniors, educating them on
issues like handling new relationships,
staying healthy, and practicing
safe and responsible sex.
The chosen subjects are extremely
topical; the class of 2010
has a measly six months left of high
school before leaving the nest.
The sex education portion, however,
is clearly a topic that needs to
be introduced sooner.
Because sexual activity occurs
often in high school, it needs more
emphasis than the limited time that
is spent on the subject in middle
school.
I’m not saying I encourage early
sexual activity, but everyone simply
has to face the facts. Many high
school students have already had
sex by the time senior year rolls
around.
If this section of the “On Your
Own” seminar were to be introduced
during freshman or sophomore
year, many of those already
having sex or contemplating doing
so would hopefully think twice.
I attended “On Your Own” on
Oct. 6 along with most other senior
girls in Edmond. As I scanned the
audience, I recognized the faces of
girls I knew, some of whom had
already experienced pregnancies,
abortions or sexually transmitted
infections.
The program has to take place
earlier in the high school career.
What good is educating someone
on potentially risky activities when
they’ve already experienced them?
Yes, it will help to prepare for the
future, but why wait? These actions
could’ve been prevented if all
the facts were taught beforehand.
According to Guttmacher Institute,
a non-profit organization that
works to advance reproductive
health, in the U.S. nearly half of
teenagers between the ages of 15
and 19 have had sex at least once.
With that fact in mind, why is
scores as their AP counterparts, but
this does not undermine the value
of their teacher.
If merit pay is based on test
scores alone, then the fact remains
that teachers with advanced classes
will make the most money, as these
students tend to perform better on
standardized tests.
I’m clearly no legislator, but if
merit pay is the only way to give
my teachers more money, let’s
increase the pay for those with
graduate degrees, those with certified
qualifications in their areas of
study, and, for AP teachers, those
who attend AP workshops and participate
in grading the actual AP
exams.
Let’s award the teachers who care
deeply about their students and
manifest this concern by learning
their material and teaching it in the
most effective way possible.
I guarantee that, years from now,
students will not look back on high
school nostalgic of the teachers
who best prepared them for their
EOI exams.
Teacher pay must reflect that
fact.
‘On Your Own’ must be introduced earlier
AngelaRoybal
North Staff Writer
“Own Your Own” not introduced
until the age of 17 or 18?
Throughout the speeches and lectures
given by the speakers, girls
from the audience were allowed to
anonymously send up questions to
be answered, but the level of ignorance
for some of these questions
was truly appalling.
Although the day did include
some information that is clearly
more relevant to seniors, the sex
portion of “On Your Own” should
be offered much sooner than senior
year. Maybe if it was, some teens
wouldn’t be making the same poor
decisions they are today.