I'm not exactly sure where they're putting that in, but it sounds like you're discussing a lot of the reservation areas. That is still unlikely to improve. Since, in most of the tribes, you're not allowed to buy the property (just rent it for a dollar/100years) people aren't willing to build and repair on buildings that they don't even technically own. It would be almost like throwing away money at that point for them. It sounds like a pretty rural part of the state where they're putting this though, may not even be reservation land involved here.

Okay, this is ridiculous. Apple is giving them free advertising. Providing the pipeline and distribution network for the advertising... And selling their product for them at a profit for the company. Now they want Apple to pay for them to be able to advertise the recording studio's product that they're trying to sell...

What part of this makes sense to anyone except greedy lawyers and CEO's? The sheer amount of gall is amazing. Do they really expect Apple to bend over and say 'thank you sir may I have another?' I'm pretty sure they now how to tell them where to stick it.

The printer's great, but the Fax machine... now that's where it's at!

While I'm also sure that this will end in disaster, I must confess if there is anything that can be done about the ants down here I would be incredibly grateful. The electrical equipment doesn't surprise me one bit, they go for anything, and I've regularly seen these wonderful little creatures around outlets and such.

As a teacher I have to say I think that it is an incredibly common problem for every school to have someone that isn't being as effective of a teacher as they could be (read in some cases awful and idiotic). In my experience it tends to be the teachers that have been in the system for a long time, most likely tenured, who are protected just by the length of time they teach. Many times these 'teachers' spend their time as place holders, completely ineffective as teachers, and often times as people that pull down the morale of the whole teaching staff. Knowing that someone is a terrible teacher, but gets to continue to teach year after year, doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the schools to many people.

That being said, in my experience it's ONE teacher in the whole school (at most two in a large school). Not a problem at a level that should cause people to lose hope in the system. They're there, and we're unfortunately generally stuck with them unless they really screw up. Which happens sometimes. But, for every one case like this we get so much bad press that it causes people to make their snide comments about the rest of the school's employees. Myself, and most of the teachers I know, all give more time to these students than anyone ever acknowledges. There's no right answer right now, but the evaluation systems in education are definitely a spot that needs re-examined in many places.

As a teacher I do think that perhaps what is unsaid is probably the bigger cause of this. I know there are a lot of slashdotters that are all about 'students rights,' and I agree to an extent they have to be there. But, when you're dealing with a classroom of students and attempting to teach state mandated material to students, maintain discipline, and manage to teach kids everything else in between (including often times being someone that they're more willing to talk to than their parents,) there has to be rules in place. (That's of course not including any daily fun you have with parents, politics, and whatever else comes up in your daily routine).

Cell phones in particular are a real big hot button in the education setting right now. At my school as long as we don't see them or have evidence they're there we leave well enough alone. I teach band, I'm down right happy for cell phones when I come back from trips - they keep me from waiting till 2 in the morning for parents to show up! The issues of photos, bullying through the phones, and much more importantly emergency management are causing this kind of stuff to begin being mandated to us by district lawyers. Word for my campus is next year they're not to be here at all - automatic consequences.

In the past I have had students outright say that they'll not listen to me on that issue if there's an emergency lock down or something. That kind of break down in discipline at that kind of time is something that can't be tolerated. Now I know that there are none of these circumstances being mentioned here - but please get off the high horse about students should be able to have every disruptive device and use them at all times.

Most importantly with this, I'd be willing to bet the student in question was blatantly disrespectful to all of the authority figures involved. At a certain point the student probably limited the options available to them. Perhaps there were mistakes, but due to privacy issues you will never hear the school side of the story.