Happy Birthday, FNC!

On this day 14 years ago, Fox News began its broadcast as a fledgling news network that had a vision unseen in broadcast news. It began providing a more balanced coverage of the world's events through hard news coverage and gave more conservative news analysts a voice that they would not have received with the Big 3 and CNN. Fourteen years later, Fox News holds the highest cable news ratings and has some of the most successful news analysts of all time in Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. In the past, I have analyzed the broadcast style of Fox News and the benefits of watching the network, as well as how they impacted the political happenings and the way other networks broadcast the news.

Below are a couple of retro Fox News clips of O'Reilly and Hannity and Colmes:

Technological Boundaries

From the point of view of an educator and one who is tech-savvy, a relevant article came across my computer screen this afternoon. It explores the question:

Should teachers be Facebook Friends and Twitter Followers with their students?

The article makes mention of specific incidents and disciplinary actions taken by school administrators regarding teacher behavior on these Social Networking sites.

I will answer the question YES and NO, as it depends on the situation.

During the time period that an educator has a student in their classroom, the student is in the school and the educator is employed in the building, teacher-student Social Networking "relationships" (be it Twitter followers or Facebook friends) should not exist. I answer the question with a resounding NO; and if I were Superintendent, I would ban it.

Those Social Networking Connections take away from the professional relationship between the teacher and student, while at the same time, entering into the realm of "TMI." (Too Much Information) Furthermore, that TMI could be the source of classroom disruptions, which will take away from the purpose of the respective parties being in the classroom. If a student sees their teacher Facebook friend posting inappropriate pics or questionable status updates, it will eventually come out, especially with the proliferation of technology that allows words and images to be passed at the snap of a finger. Those disclosures can lead to the educator's loss of reputation, termination or prosecution of the educator, as they are walking into an area and crossing a boundary that is easily avoidable. Furthermore, if a teacher sees something inappropriate on a student's Facebook page, be it underage drinking, drug use or other behavior practiced by the minor deemed illegal, NJAC 18A:40A-12 statesthey must report it and they open themselves up to criticisms and questions as to why they are Facebook friends with that student:

"Whenever it shall appear to any teaching staff member, school nurse or other educational personnel of any public school in this State that a public may be under the influence of substances (alcohol, controlled substances)...that staff member...shall report the matter as soon as possible to the school nurse (or) principal."

Failure to adhere to this could have deleterious effects on that teacher who is Facebook friends with that student, especially if the district has regulations in place regarding its use.

In other circumstances, I would answer YES. The circumstances consist of the following: the student must have graduated and be a minimum of two years away from the high school. If the educator is not employed at the original school and the student has graduated, the social networking connection is appropriate. The student could benefit from that relationship as the educator could possibly assist the student with networking, resume assistance and good social networking etiquette. Just because a teacher may do their job in the classroom doesn't necessarily make them a good teacher, they must go the extra mile and the open lines of communication after the classroom time is not only appropriate but necessary to that student's continual development. During the six years I have been an educator, I have continually kept in touch with students well after they graduated and not only have they benefited from any advice or networking assistance I've given them, I've benefited as it's increased my level of empathy over the years, as well as enhancing my reputation as an educator who is always willing to provide assistance to a student. It is refreshing to see other educators I know and have worked with participate in similar activities.

I will now provide some additional suggestions in Facebook usage for educators and students. It is a wonderful tool from which all can benefit, if used effectively and appropriately!

Educators
- Remember, your role is one of a leader and you are modeling the correct behavior for former students who may be your friends
- Do not complain about your job in your status update
- Do not post inappropriate pictures
- Do not have inappropriate contact with current (and former) students
- Do not post anything that can compromise your professional duties

Students
- You will be searched on Facebook by a prospective employer or educational institution. Therefore, do not post anything where your character, reputation or ability to follow the law may be questioned
- Do not leave your Facebook page open to the world
- Do not give your password out to ANYONE.
- Always avoid TMI situations
- Remember that words or phrases you may use on Facebook (or in SMS) are not acceptable in the educational or professional world and as a result, you must be cognizant of the use of "filtering"

Coming Undone

We've seen both small signals and big signals that the wheels have been falling off the wagon the past two years.

Big news on the polling front today. Gallup released their first "likely voter" poll of the Midterm election cycle and it has Republicans significantly prevailing in both a high voter turnout and low voter turnout scenario. If these numbers pan out, we could be talking some of the largest Republican majorities in Congress not since 1928! With this news, I remind those who want to make sure we send true leaders to Congress who endorse smaller government, lower taxes and a resurgence of true checks and balances in Washington, to not be complacent, stay involved, follow the news closely and be aware that the opposition will stop at nothing to stay in power! We've seen examples of this in Florida, Delaware and California. (I believe there is still yet more to come.) Most importantly, go to the polls on November 2nd and make your voices heard!

And on a side note, Obama will be hitting the road to Asia 2 days after the Midterm Elections...timing anyone?

Dishonorable Actions

Those on the left saw the number of Americans who gathered on the Mall for Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally on 8/28/10, and frankly, were scared. Reacting to that successful day in which over 600,000 Americans attended, no arrests were made and attendees cleaned up after themselves, they answered with their own rally, the "One America Rally" which took place last Saturday. First Amendment rights allow for the rally to take place, but there was a scene that made me sick to my stomach after seeing it, and that was the condition in which the Mall and its surrounding area was left.



That is the National World War II Memorial left in shambles! This scene reminds me of how Obama supporters littered the grounds of Invesco Field with flags that they used as props. Pictured below, this soaring monument is a place of where one should show reflection and gratitude to the American soldier. This dishonorable act shows a lack of pride in our Greatest Generation of soldiers, many of whom gave their lives for the cause of freedom and the destruction of Totalitarianism and Fascism. I am truly heartbroken that these people (who are supposed to be environmentalists) had such a lack of respect for those this memorial honors that they trashed it. It's safe to say the organizers did not replicate the success of Restoring Honor.

Remember the Children

New Jersey made national news last week with the announcement that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, will donate $100 million dollars to the Newark Public Schools, bringing about a partnership between Zuckerberg, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker. News broke last week, but it went national with an appearance by the three on Oprah Winfrey's show. I'm going to analyze how this recent news affects the major players and how it may affect the Newark Public Schools.

Chris Christie: After the loss of funds on Race to the Top and its ramifications, which I recently covered, as well as his differences with teachers and the unions, Christie gets a shot in the arm with his role in this $100 million grant. It shows not only New Jerseyans, but Americans watching, that Christie cares about improving education in the city of his birth and wants to have an active role in the city's Renaissance. The items the grant calls for align with Christie's education agenda, specificially charter schools and student achievement and assessment of stakeholders. Behind the scenes, he has been building alliances with Newark power brokers such as Steven Adubato Sr. (founder and CEO of the North Ward Center) and Joseph DiVincenzo (Essex County Executive), both of whom will also benefit from this grant. In a political sense, the grant also takes out Christie's most likely political adversary in 2013 in Cory Booker, as to follow though on the implementation of the grant, he must continue to serve as Mayor of Newark. Booker's position in the grant has him working with the governor and not against him, therefore, if Booker challenges, his image would be forever harmed.

Cory Booker: Even though he won his re-election, Cory Booker has not been too popular lately. Newark still has a really big crime problem and also its police force is being investigated by the ACLU. As someone who stood strong against abusive tactics by an incumbent in Sharpe James during his first campaign, and someone who has been praised by his supporters and the media, it is imperative for Booker to step up and show Newarkers he is a leader. This alliance provides him with a chance to put those solutions into action, with a result of improving his popularity in the city and decreasing the chance that Sharpe James, who has served his time, may try to get back into the political game and challenge the young, idealistic mayor (I am aware he has stated he doesn't intend to seek public office, but nothing in politics is a sure thing.)

Mark Zuckerberg: With the movie The Social Network coming out, Zuckerberg is not positively portrayed and is in the midst of taking a major PR hit due to that portrayal. Furthermore, Facebook is beginning to have a surge of negative publicity. While I do not believe this is solely an "image rehab," Zuckerberg could benefit from this philanthropic move and because it's a "challenge grant," there could be more money on the way, putting his name in the news again for positive reasons.

Oprah Winfrey: Let's face it, Oprah has taken a hit as a result of her ardent support of Obama. As she gets ready to end her show's run in 2011, Oprah needs to rehab her image and having this feel-good announcement on her show does wonders for it and gives her a greater chance to end on top.

It must be imperative to all involved that this $100 million grant should have nothing to do with rehabbing poll numbers or reputations. The main group who must benefit from this donation is none other than the students of Newark, who attend these crumbling schools and because they are in such sad shape, do not have the same chance for success a student in a suburban district may have. So far, early reaction is mixed. The groups involved are reviewing the grant and are starting to take positions. This will also likely go before the Assembly so they may vote to allow Booker to have the sought after authority over the Newark Public Schools. All stakeholders involved must rise above the potential conflict and turf wars to meet and come to an agreement as time is ticking away fast! Pardon the cliche, a quick decision and agreement, again, will allow the students of the Newark Public Schools have the best chance at achieving and maintaining successful, self-sustaining lives.

UPDATE: The Star-Ledger is reporting that Cory Booker may be legally barred from taking an active role, as spelled out by the grant requests. It remains to be seen how this will pan out, but I, along with my fellow New Jerseyans, will be watching.

Does Character Count?

In politics, we have asked this question many times, especially in every presidential election since 1992. My answer to the question is a resounding YES!

Linda McMahon, running for the Senate in Connecticut, addresses this question head-on in the following ad:



Earlier this year, Connecticut Attorney General and Democrat nominee Richard Blumenthal came out in a press conference that he lied about his service in Vietnam and makes no apologies for it. It is very unfortunate that a politician will use the military for political expediency and this does speak volumes about his character. It insults those who have served, those who have faced the fire and those who have given their lives to the country. McMahon's ad speaks volumes and gets the viewer thinking what else he will lie about, has he lied about and what bonds of character will be broken that Richard Blumenthal gets his way.

The big push these days in education is "character education." One such organization, Character Counts, discusses the six pillars of character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship. Blumenthal, who in the Senate would be a leader, and as a leader, youth and his constituents would be looking up to him, attempting to emulate him. By lying about Vietnam, he breaks every one of those character pillars and not only lets down anyone attached to the military, he lets down those who would vote for him in Connecticut. Any non-politician by lying in a job interview (which, technically, a political campaign is; just elongated) would lose out on a job, possibly future jobs and their reputations. Let's hope the voters hold not only Richard Blumenthal, but other candidates, to that same standard come November.

Christine O'Donnell has an ad

As we enter the final month before the election, we begin to see more ads, some are good, some are not. The media has tried to paint Christine O'Donnell since she won her party's primary in Delaware. Today she comes out with a new ad and has her turn to define herself:



This ad was very effective because O'Donnell did not try to hide and addressed the attacks and questions directly by comparing herself to her voters. Who hasn't done things in life they wish they didn't, who hasn't had financial issues at one time or another in their lives; especially in this economy. By using the phrase "I'm you. None of us are perfect...," Christine O'Donnell's alignment with the voters does not put herself above the voters, as other politicians tend to do. She then transitions into articulating what she will and won't do in Washington. Taking time into consideration, (her primary was September 14) this ad was appropriate and both offensive and defensive in nature. O'Donnell does need a biographical ad to follow up and normally, the biographical ad should be first, but again, with these time constraints, this ad was the best choice.

UPDATE 10/7: Christine has a new ad. I really like this one, but if Fred Davis (her media guy) could drop the blue background in the next one, that would be awesome!