I am Poem

This week you have been studying symbolism and the "masks" that we wear.  Below, you will find a link to help you write your own poem.  Think about the mask you created and what it represents.

Follow this link to write your poem:  Click Me!

Students Speak Out

                This past week, TEA announced that they were revoking the charter of 14 charter schools in Texas. Schools are being closed for either low test scores or failing the financial accountability. Some charter schools are fighting the decision.  What a lot of people don't know is that there has been a big debate since charter schools opened in the 1990s. One side claims that students should be allowed a choice of school when they are not finding a suitable education in their district public school.  Others have claimed that charter schools are taking money from the bigger public schools and really are not helping students.  Some feel that charter schools are beneficial to students because they allow small class sizes and are meant to be innovative in their teaching.  Politics are very much involved in what is going on with charter schools and public schools, but many are not asking the students what they think.  So, now is your time to speak out.  What do you think about charter schools possibly shutting down? Do you think there are benefits to charter schools versus public schools? Speak out below. Remember to be respectful and check your grammar before posting. 

Racial Profiling and Police Brutality: How does it affect us? 

During Thanksgiving break, my friend and I went to Austin to visit and hang out. This was around the time of the Grand Jury's decision not to indict Darren Wilson, a white police officer who fatally shot Mike Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri.  My friend and I were at the Museum of the Weird looking at Big Foot when we heard the protesters outside.  I  heard some comments of people in the store that said "Why are they protesting? It doesn't even affect us!".  Do you think that what happened in Ferguson, Missouri is important to us all around the country? How does racial profiling and police brutality affect you? Do you think that protesting is important way to create change? 

Answer these questions on the comments below: 

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