An unusual bus sat on Park Street on Thursday, Aug. 26. It wasn’t technically a school bus, but it did have something to do with school.

The blue coach bus belonged to the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, who spent time in Little Rock to begin his back-to-school “Courage in the Classroom” bus tour.

Duncan spoke to a full house on Wednesday night at the Statehouse Convention Center as part of the Kumpuris Lecture Series at the Clinton Library. The next morning, he held an exclusive roundtable meeting with Central teachers before giving a press conference and boarding his bus.

He spoke about his reform ideas, focusing on putting America back on top of the education realm.

From all standpoints, “education is the civil rights issue of our generation,” he said.

Duncan indicated that a key to improving education in America is improving teacher quality. He suggested more energetic recruiting and merit-based pay, which rewards teachers based on their students’ test scores.

“Our current evaluation system is fundamentally broken,” Duncan said. “No one thinks a test score should be the only factor in the evaluation.”

Although he suggested having multiple assessments for teachers, he didn’t give specific examples. He said they would be developed at the local levels.

Duncan also raised the idea of paying math and science teachers more money to account for the shortage of those teachers. But some teachers weren’t supportive of this idea.

According to social studies teacher Chris Dorer, it would put people against each other.

Clips from the roundtable discussion appeared on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday, Aug. 29, featuring quotes from Dorer, along with career and technical teacher Xerlotta Sanders.

Duncan called for more transparency in student and teacher data to increase accountability. For example, he wants to post student attendance records to hold parents accountable.

But the key is “balancing transparency, privacy, fairness, and respect for teachers,” Duncan said.

Although the discussion focused on teachers and America’s education system, it did come back around to students and their success.

Communications teacher Stacey McAdoo profiled AVID, a program aimed at supporting first-generation college students while they’re in high school. Central’s AVID program has around 150 students, McAdoo said.

Duncan recognized the program’s success and later posed a question striking the heart of the matter.

“Do we really, honestly believe every child can be successful?” Duncan asked.

Although Duncan has never taught in the classroom, he grew up and worked with a tutoring program for inner-city Chicago kids. Duncan graduated from Harvard with a degree in sociology and was the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools for seven years. While Duncan led the Chicago Public Schools, he successfully implemented some of the reforms he encouraged in the discussions. He opened new schools and closed ineffective schools. Many more teachers applied for jobs in the school district and received National Board certification. In addition, students raised ACT scores and took more Advanced Placement classes, and more students graduated.

Duncan praised Arkansas for the progress it has made in education, and he called Central “one of the best high schools in the country.”

“We couldn’t…be more hopeful about the direction you’re going,” he said.

Jerry Whitmore —— Gold Medals in 200 Meter Dash, Running Long Jump

Corey Dennis———-Gold Medal in 25 Meter Walk, Silver Medal in Shot Put

Kenneth Clay———-Gold Medals in 50 Meter Dash and Shot Put

Elijah Askew———-Silver Medal in 100 Meter Dash, Bronze Medal in Standing Long Jump

Chris Osler ————Gold Medal in 50 Meter Dash, Silver Medal in Shot Put

Jerry Whitmore was invited to attend an all-expense-paid, four-day summer athletic camp at Lyon College for his outstanding sportsmanship and performance this year.

Sophomore year is more than just the second year of high school. For some students, it means taking on more responsibility academically.

“Right now I’m taking one [AP class] because it’s the only one I could take this year,” says Sam Hoskins. “Plus, I felt I was working above pre-AP level, so AP was my only option.”

According to a survey commissioned by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, 56 percent of public school AP teachers think that too many students overestimate their academic abilities and are in over their heads when it comes to AP classes.

“I feel that I’m ready to take on the three that I’ve chosen [for next year], but I wish I could add one more,” says Sam. “AP’s aren’t really that difficult, but they can be sort of time consuming. That’s why I’m taking a study hall for half a semester next year.”

While some students are only taking one AP class, others are taking on more.

“I am taking two AP classes this year,” says Sana Khan. “The two that I am taking are Spanish and World History.”

Two AP classes may seem like too much for some students, but not for Sana.

“Next year I am planning to take seven. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that, but all of the classes I am able to take are AP, so I am going for it,” says Sana. “For example, I am taking Pre-cal right now so that means Calculus AB AP is a course I can take”

For some students, taking one AP class was their only option.

“I only took one this year because I didn’t have many choices, but next year I will be taking four,” says Sydney Bratton. “Because I’m a sophomore, my AP choices were very limited.”

Even though AP classes can be stressful, students persevere to get that college credit.

“Usually when I’m stressed out, I either just take a break and just chill,” says Sydney. “Though most of the time I just vent to my friends through a phone call or text.”
According to Sam, taking an AP class was not a waste of time. He would even suggest it to non-AP students.

“These AP classes prepare you for the real world and provide in-depth education on certain subjects. I would definitely recommend students to take these classes, but be ready to sacrifice some time to do the work and study for the slightly harder tests.”

Towards the end of the school year there is a big push for teachers to have everything covered according to the curriculum.  With all of these grades being recorded, people wonder if grades on the report card and Edline really reflect what is learned.

“Sometimes my grade is bad and I’m doing well in the class,” sophomore Kunal Shah says.

Having to record so many tests and grades, it is very easy for teachers to abandon the true purpose of grades. Grades often do not reflect what a student has learned in the class but how well they can play the gradebook game.  For example, some students will receive points (usually bonus) for bringing a box of tissues or staying after class and picking up trash, which does not reflect what a student has learned in the classroom.

“Grades are our way of measuring the extent of learning that has taken place,” Drew Price of Helium.com says. “Often times grades fail to portray what really has been learned. They should not be looked at so critically by parents and scholarship committees.”

Multiple options for demonstrating knowledge give a more accurate depiction of what students have learned. Practicing multiple methods of testing knowledge is preferred by principal Nancy Rousseau.

“I encourage my teachers to test student’s knowledge using several methods,” Rousseau says.

For example, oral exams and student discussion should be practiced because some students are not good test takers.

“I’m not a good test taker, sometimes I get nervous during testing,” junior Steve Seo says.

Some students may also suffer from test anxiety; even though they know the material.   If the test grade does not indicate that the curriculum has not been comprehended then review and retesting can be an option. Then grades can display progression instead of failure.

“I guess tests can be the only alternative to show what you’ve learned, or do a project over something you feel you improved in or learned about the most,” junior Abraham Hernandez says.

Edline is a weekly progress report used in the school to post grades and assignments and ultimately used for the grading on the report card. However, it does not always reflect what a student has learned.

“Edline is not an accurate representation of what students have learned in the classroom, sometimes teachers will not post regularly or students turn in assignments late,”  Rousseau says.

A failing grade on the report card is usually the result of a student not doing their work or not understanding what is taught.

“Being an active participant in class discussion is the surest way to insure that you learn the material,” Price says. “There is research that indicates you only remember five percent of the content that you hear and only 10 percent of what you read, but up to 90 percent of what you discuss. Therefore, discussing information with your teacher or classmates will help you retain information longer.”

Most students who go to Florida for spring break don’t plan to go for an educational experience, but instead to relax on the beach and get away from school. For 22 students, (most enrolled in Katie Parson’s Marine Biology class) going to Florida was to get a better feel of marine ecosystems instead of the hearing it in the classroom.

“The purpose of the trip was to provide the students hands-on experience with marine ecosystems and animals that they cannot get in the classroom,” Parson said. This way they could step out from behind the desks and actually carry out what they had learned throughout the year.

During this six-day trip, the students kayaked along Florida’s coast, collected shells at Lido beach, toured the Everglades National Park and snorkeled through coral reef off of the coast of Key Largo, among other things. On the final full day, the students were able to swim with dolphins under the guidance of dolphin trainers at the Miami SeaQuarium and learn about marine mammal conservation.

“It was a great experience,” junior John Kirchner said. “Anyone that is able should go.” Though the trip is marine based, students did not have to be enrolled in Marine Biology to attend it. “All we had to do to attend was to notify Mr. Foley or Mrs. Parson of our interest.”

There has been talk that this trip will take place every year during spring break. Parson says that this is likely true, but next year’s trip may be physics based with teacher Patrick Foley.

Freshman John Hamby is on student council as a freshman senator. Even though John has to give up time in the morning, weekends, and after school, he plans on staying with student council. His geometry teacher testifies to his dedication.

“John is very responsible,” Heather Jenkins says.

“I think it would be really cool to be Waverly’s vice president,” John says.

Waverly Brim is the other freshman senator this year. This long-term plan shows dedication and commitment. Even with this responsibility John still makes time for his other hobby, music. John plays any kind of guitar and, “a little bit of piano.”

John likes any kind of rock, blues, and sometimes “quiet stuff on acoustic,” he says.

Even though he does other activities, John wants to make student council work.

“If anyone gives me ideas I do my best to relay it to student council,” he says.

John really wants these ideas to work, but sometimes the final decision is out of his control.

“The worst thing is that some things we plan get stuffed down by teachers and Mrs. Rousseau,” he says.

Next year, John will return to student council as a sophomore senator. People who know John think he is up for the job.

Jenkins says he is “very intelligent,” and his friends agree that he was the right choice for the job.

“He is a good guy,” freshman Michael Bower says.

Michael has been a friend of John’s since sixth grade. Other than his friends and teachers, John gets inspiration from other places as well. He is inspired by “God, my parents,” he says.

John makes sure he is doing everything he can to help as much as possible with student council.

He says the best way to learn in student council is by, “coming to meetings, being involved as best you can, and listening to other senators.”

John’s locker reflects his personality. He has his books and binders organized on the bottom shelf and CDs on the top shelf. He gets everything he needs from there quickly and efficiently.

What isn’t shown in his locker is the reason he is so interested in being in student council. It requires extra time and sometimes his ideas don’t make it through. However, he has a strong urge to know things and a curiosity that keeps him going.

“I like being involved,” he says “I am kind of nosy.”

John desires to be a part of many things at Central.

“I think its fun to help plan stuff for the school,” he says.

One’s name is the first impression they can make when meeting someone new. Studies have shown that how desirable one’s name is now could affect his or her grades in school.

Identical tests were given to teachers to grade and the tests of students with more “desirable names” were given better grades than the tests with students who did not have “desirable names”, according to the Journal of Educational Psychology.

Names can also determine one’s self-image. If a teen likes his or her name, he or she will be more confident.

“I love my name. It is unique and I am proud to have it,” junior Syril Joseph said.

Freshman Haley Cooper agrees; she said her name fits her personality.

Freshmen Christine Nguyen and DaShaun Green disagree.

“I don’t like my name. I would change it to Lily Winter. Christine Nguyen is too long and looks weird in my signature,” Christine said.

“I would change my name to TaShaun Jenkins, like my cartoon’s main character.” DaShaun said.

Ethnicity also can determine what one’s name will be. Some teens like ethnic names, others do not like their name because it is so different.

“I hate my name,” sophomore Sarah Sarwar said. “It is so plain. I would rather have a Pakistani name.”

Some teens like their names, but at the same time they want a name they themselves have chosen.

“I like my name,” freshman Carlito Gordon said. “[However,]I would rather have the name Zeus or Bob. Zeus is more unique.”

Many movie stars have changed their names to be more appealing. Marilyn Monroe, Chuck Norris, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis and Vin Diesel have changed their names to something more popular, unique, and memorable.

However, not all teens are unhappy with the names their parents have given them.

“I love [my name],” junior Dillon Kimes said. “So no, I would not change it, I like it.”

Teenage girls everywhere look in the mirror and don’t like what they see. In a recent Seventeen Magazine survey, 69 percent of girls said that models influence their ideal body shape, although many know they would never look like a model.

“Girls get depressed because they can’t be that size.” Freshman Courtney Kirk said. “Then, they stop eating to become that size.”

Likewise, 68 percent of Stanford students felt worse about their appearance after they looked through a magazine. Many girls have said that the “very thin” models make them feel insecure.

“They set the impossible standard for girls,” freshman Abby Gatmaitan said. “ I mean, no girl can look the way they do.”

Of all the advertisements in a recent Teen Vogue magazine, 52 percent used the beauty of the models as the appeal for the product. Most of the clothing advertisements today emphasize the model’s looks.

“When you look at the ads, you can see the models, not the clothes,” freshman Lindsey Herbert said. “Seeing the models they choose, it just seems more about them.”

The average woman sees 400 to 600 ads a day, and over half of those ads feature extremely thin models. It doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Sometimes they put so much focus on the models that the clothes look odd and mismatched,” freshman Ushna Ilyas said.

On average, today’s models weigh 23 percent less than the average female. The advertisements mainly use the thin models. Plus-size models are not a designer’s first choice.

“They always use the same kind of girls rather than a variety of sizes,” freshman Chandani Patel said.

Seeing only thin models may seriously impact the teenage girls’ body image and push some to turn to eating disorders to get “model-skinny.”

“They should use models of all sizes,” Abby said. “They should represent all types of girls, not just the skinny ones.”

In addition, to other surveys, the results of another Teen Vogue survey showed that 27 percent of the girl’s interviewed felt pressured by the media to have a perfect body. The “perfect bodies” of the models the media presents can lead girls to become self-conscious and obsess over their appearance and weight.

“Models are usually pretty but are way to skinny,” Courtney said. “They should look like normal people.”

Through research and current knowledge of the environment, most people know that when they step outside and take a big breath of fresh air, it might not actually be that fresh. City air is filled with emissions from cars, factories and more, and the air in the country is often brimming with pesticides and other chemicals.  So to escape we should step back inside our houses and breath that nice, pure air-conditioned air, right?

Wrong.

EPA studies have shown that levels of 11 common pollutants are generally two to five times higher inside homes and commercial buildings than outdoors.  Not only are these levels higher, but the health risks are magnified because people generally spend 70 to 80 percent of their time indoors.

In 1990, the EPA placed indoor air pollution at the top of the list of 18 sources of cancer risk. The Danish and U.S. EPA studies have linked various air pollutants to many health issues, including dizziness, headaches, coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, skin dryness and irritation, nausea, burning eyes, chronic fatigue, irritability and flu-like symptoms.

When a building contains pollutants like these, it is considered to have “sick-building syndrome.”  Unlike you may think, new buildings may be “sicker” than old ones due to the reduced air exchange to save energy as well as chemicals released from new carpeting and furniture.

According to public health officials and the EPA, the four most dangerous indoor air pollutants in developed countries are cigarette smoke, formaldehyde, radioactive radon-222 gas, and very small fine and ultra-fine particles. Between 1985 and 2004, however, the number of U.S. cities banning indoor smoking in facilities used by the public increased from 202 to almost 1,700.

Formaldehyde, a colorless, extremely irritating gas, can cause a serious problem for people in developed countries. According to the EPA and the American Lung Association, between 20 to 40 million Americans suffer from chronic breathing problems, dizziness, rash, headaches, sore throat, sinus and eye irritation, wheezing, and nausea caused by daily exposure to low levels of formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde is found in many common household materials. It is common in building materials such as plywood, particleboard, paneling, and high-gloss wood used in floors and cabinets. It is included in furniture, drapes, upholstery, adhesives in carpeting and wallpaper, urethane-formaldehyde insulation, fingernail hardener, and wrinkle-free coating on permanent-press clothing.

Formaldehyde is also used in making cars. That new car smell that everyone loves is partially the smell of formaldehyde used in the upholstery and glue in the car. The EPA estimates that as many as 1 of every 5,000 people who live for more than 10 years in manufactured homes will develop cancer from formaldehyde exposure.

The third most dangerous indoor air pollutant, Radon-222 gas, is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that cannot be seen, tasted or smelled and is produced by the radioactive decay of uranium-238. This isotope can be found in most soil and rock but is more concentrated in underground deposits of minerals such as uranium, phosphate, granite and shale.

When this gas seeps up through the soil and is released outside, it disperses harmlessly into the air. But when buildings are built above such deposits it can enter into the building through cracks, openings and hollow concrete blocks. The house pulls the radon gas into it due to the slightly lower atmospheric pressure inside most homes.

Research from the National Academy of Sciences and the EPA has shown that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. You can have your house for radon, usually for $20 to $100 dollars per home, by calling the radon hotline at 800-SOS-RADON.

Many pollutants throughout the home could be causing serious health risks. Here are a few of them:

In the bathroom:

Chloroform

Source:  Chlorine-treated water in hot showers

Possible threat:  Cancer

1, 1, 1-Trichloroethane

Source:  Aerosol sprays

Threat:  Dizziness, irregular breathing

Para-dichlorobenzene

Source:  Air fresheners, mothball crystals

Threat:  Cancer

In living room:

Tetrachloroethylene

Source:  Dry-cleaning fluid fumes on clothes

Threat:  Nerve disorders, damage to liver and kidneys, possible cancer

Formaldehyde

Source:  Furniture stuffing, paneling, particleboard, foam insulation

Threat:  Irritation of eyes, throat, skin and lungs; nausea; dizziness

Benzo-a-pyrene

Source: tobacco smoke, woodstoves

Threat:  Lung cancer

Styrene

Source:  Carpets, plastic products

Threat:  Kidney and liver damage

In the kitchen:

Nitrogen oxides

Source:  Unvented gas stoves and kerosene heaters, woodstoves

Threat:  Irritated lungs, children’s colds, headaches

Asbestos

Source:  Pipe insulation, vinyl ceiling and floor tiles

Threat:  Lung disease, lung cancer

In the basement:

Carbon monoxide

Source:  Faulty furnances, unvented gas stoves and kerosene heaters, woodstoves

Threat:  Headaches, drowsiness, irregular heartbeat, death

Methlyene chloride

Source:  Paint strippers and thinners

Threat:  Nerve disorders, diabetes

Not only are indoor air pollutants a problem in developed countries but also in developing countries. The indoor burning of wood, charcoal, dung, crop residues, and coal in open fires or in unvented or poorly vented stoves for cooking and heating exposes inhabitants to high levels of particulate air pollution.

According to the World Bank, as many as 2.8 million people in developing countries, mostly women and children, die prematurely each year from breathing elevated levels of indoor smoke.  The world’s most serious air pollution problem is indoor air pollution for the poor, once again linking poverty and environmental quality.

The issue of indoor and outdoor air pollutants is one that cannot be ignored.  If the problem is already this bad, how bad will it be for our children and our grandchildren?  Hopefully one day there will be more laws and regulations to increase the quality of our environment but for now, we must make smart decisions in order to remain healthy.

Environmental science teacher Amy Snodgrass has some practical advice about indoor air pollutants.

“Things that smell good aren’t necessarily good.  Things that smell bad aren’t necessarily bad.  The challenge is to know the difference and know when to breath deep and when to run.”

If you’re someone who wears their heart on their sleeve — or even if you’re not — you might want to look into ethical clothing.

Ethical clothing, also known as “fair trade”, combats poverty by establishing sustainable businesses in developing countries, then paying a fair price for the goods they produce from year to year. Fair-trade principles encourage artisans to use recycled and natural materials whenever possible. Purchasing ethical clothing helps end sweatshops and unfair working conditions and alerts multi-national companies to what the individual shopper wants.

Celebrities are becoming more focused on strengthening the roots of fair trade. Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame has stepped away from the wizarding world of Hogwarts and into the realm of clothing design. She has designed a casual, comfortable line for British Fair Trade brand People Tree. Striped T-shirt dresses and gray blazers are all spun from organic cotton, meaning that the cotton is grown without synthetic agricultural chemicals.

To be a socially responsible shopper, check for fair-trade certified labels such as Fair Trade Certified. Web sites like fashion-conscience.com, the greenloop.com and ecofashionworld.com have sustainable clothing and accessories.

Ten Thousand Villages, located in downtown Little Rock, is a hub of ethnic items from villages all around the world. They sell handcrafted products made by artisans from more than 130 groups in 38 countries and are one of the founding members of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), a global network of more than 350 fair-trade organizations in 70 countries. It might be the only place in Little Rock where you can buy a multi-colored silk scarf from Laos and an elephant charm bracelet from Kenya in one store.

The Ten Thousand Villages web site says the store’s vision is that “one day all artisans in the developing countries will earn a fair wage, be treated with dignity and respect and be able to live a life of quality.”

That’s one goal we can all work to achieve.