Our Horrible Schools
Oh the hypocricy. After a student there won a radio contest, Kashmere high school in Houston got to have Jay-Z as principal for a day [alt link] Jay-Z as principal for a day. The same Jay-Z who was convicted of assault last year after admitting in open court, "I stabbed Lance Rivera".
But hey, no worries - he's got a positive message. Stanton Lawrence, Kashmere's real principal, had his own reservations when approached about the event. He realized that some members of the community could criticize Jay-Z's visit. "If this rapper is going to come and bring positive messages to our students, and encourage them along the right path, we need to be receptive," Lawrence said.
Using that same logic, one is left to conclude that schools must feel that kids who carry bottled water in the hallways can't make a positive contributions to their school. Isn't it also ironic that schools seem more receptive of a man convicted of a stabbing than of a 7th grader who sucked helium from a tank at school.
And for all those kids who've been suspended for having a pierced nose, or blue hair - I wonder how it is that their appearance can be deemed more 'distracting' to the precious 'learning environment' than having a mega-star rapper walk around the school poking his head in classrooms and making loudspeaker announcements.
Its a good thing that school administrators have their priorities straight.
But hey, no worries - he's got a positive message. Stanton Lawrence, Kashmere's real principal, had his own reservations when approached about the event. He realized that some members of the community could criticize Jay-Z's visit. "If this rapper is going to come and bring positive messages to our students, and encourage them along the right path, we need to be receptive," Lawrence said.
Using that same logic, one is left to conclude that schools must feel that kids who carry bottled water in the hallways can't make a positive contributions to their school. Isn't it also ironic that schools seem more receptive of a man convicted of a stabbing than of a 7th grader who sucked helium from a tank at school.
And for all those kids who've been suspended for having a pierced nose, or blue hair - I wonder how it is that their appearance can be deemed more 'distracting' to the precious 'learning environment' than having a mega-star rapper walk around the school poking his head in classrooms and making loudspeaker announcements.
Its a good thing that school administrators have their priorities straight.
# | November 23, 2002