Thursday's Extra Credit Reading

When it comes to the punishment that is metted-out to female teachers who sexually molest their male students, we think that there's little doubt that a double standard exists when compared to those punishments given to male teachers who commit the same crime against female students. The case of 27 year-old San Diego teacher child rapist Danielle Walls further supports that assertion. (Story here, photo there.)

A just-released poll of Iraqis makes the disturbing assertion that over 60 percent of Iraq's people favor attacks on US-led forces and slightly more want their government to ask US troops to leave the country within a year.

Another senseless school shooting, this time in Bailey, Colorado:

A gunman holding students hostage at a high school in the small mountain community of Bailey southwest of Denver fatally shot a teenage girl, then killed himself as SWAT members burst into the room where he was holed up, Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said.

The student, identified by a friend of the family as 16-year-old Emily Keyes, was taken hostage by the gunman at Platte Canyon High School just before noon on Wednesday.

Bev Lilly, a spokeswoman for St. Anthony Hospital Central, confirmed that the student died in late afternoon shortly after arriving by helicopter at the Denver hospital. Lilly said the girl had been shot in the head.

The gunman had not yet been identified and a reason for the takeover wasn't known.

Lynn Bigham, a friend of the dead student, described the girl as "sweet and affectionate."

Initially, six students were taken hostage in a second-floor classroom, but four were released before the standoff came to an end about 3:45 p.m. local time. There were reports of multiple gunshots being fired early in the standoff.

Wegener said negotiations with the man were initiated shortly after he walked into the school carrying a handgun. The sheriff said he did not know if the intruder targeted the classroom on purpose or at random.

The demand for classroom teachers is so high in Georgia that they're raiding the state of Tennesse in order to get a teacher into each classroom. (When one sees what Tennessee pays their teachers, it's little wonder why they all don't leave that state...)

There's an interesting back-and-forth going on between Alexander Russo's This Week in Education and Education Sector's Eduwonk.com over the Reading First Scandal. (See the scandal's backstory here.)

Another teacher, (this time in a private school for Gifted students) has been arrested on charges of allegedly possessing child pornography on his home computer. (What can we do to run these alleged rascals out of our profession once and for all?)

If you're looking to make some easy money and just happen to know someone over at the National Education Association, there just might be a job waiting for you. (And the fringe benefits for those who are hired to "work" are tough to beat.)
----------------------------See our latest EduPosts here and yesterday's edition of The Carnival of Education over there.