Paying Parents to Go to School?
Back in January, we blogged about a program where students got paid to study with tutors. Apparently, this story struck a chord, because hundreds of you responded. Well, on today's show we covered a similar story with a twist: In Iowa, a program called Education Brain Trust is paying parents $25 to attend day-long seminars that show them how to work with teachers, help with homework and how to support their kids. So far, more than 300 parents have attended the program.
A school superintendent in Iowa supports the program because it encourages parental involvement; But some critics say that paying parents cheapens the learning process. The ball's in your court: Drop us a line and let us know where you stand on this issue.
Lisa Porterfield, Curriculum Manager
No Accreditation
Sometimes, I still get that awful dream that I'm back in college, lost on campus, and missing the last class I need to get my degree and get back to work at CNN. It's not real, of course, but it comes with a sense of desperation that some Clayton County, Georgia students are facing for real today.
Consider what Genetta Reeves recently went through when her school lost its accreditation. Reporter Rusty Dornin described it as "an unbelievable nightmare," though Reeves' college of choice accepted her anyway because of her good grades. But what about those students who won't get accepted if their school system doesn't shape up? Just imagine what it would be like to do the work you're supposed to, get the grades you're supposed to, and then get rejected from college because some school officials weren't doing their jobs.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Shoutout to Gerald!
If you've been watching our show since last year, you've probably seen the two times our producer, Gerald Smith, totally surprised me with bloopers reels. Getting back at him on Friday's program was bittersweet: sweet for the revenge I finally got and bitter for the fact that we'll miss him when he goes to NBA.com.
More than 95 percent of the shows we've broadcast for the last SIX YEARS were produced by Gerald. And he's been the voice in my ear for almost the entire time I've been on the air. I shouted out my thanks to him on Friday's program, but if you'd like to as well, here's the place to do it.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Big Machine, Little Risk
A lot of you are writing in about the "Big Bang machine," saying you're concerned about the black hole possibility. I understand why some of you are worried: The YouTube animation seen on Tuesday's show would make anyone nervous. But honestly, I don't think we have anything to worry about. If there were a serious threat that a massive black hole could form, I'd like to believe that this entire project would be illegal. After all, no science experiment I've ever heard of is worth certain death.
Consider this, too: A large black hole in space is believed to form when a massive star collapses. The Big Bang machine is beaming particles - little "blips" that are nowhere near the size of the earth - let alone a star. So I think that, if a black hole is formed, it'll probably be a very tiny, unstable one, as the scientists say.
Whether you're for or against the experiment, I don't think we should lose any sleep over it.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Biggest Science Project EVER
It leads off Tuesday's show, it took 14 years to make, and its goal is to help scientists understand more about the universe. Now I have a feeling this isn't the last you'll hear about the "Big Bang machine"; it's not every day that something smashes particles together at the speed of light. But at a cost of $10 billion to explore a scientific theory, is it worth it? The scientists involved certainly think so. We'd like to see whether you do.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Staying Punny...
...if not always funny: You voted, and we decided. We're keeping the puns.
Thank you all for writing in, even if you voted against the puns. We don't just want your opinions - we want to include you in our show, which is why we sometimes do "blog reports" and why we asked you whether we should keep the puns in. In fact, we started this blog site to give you a voice in CNN Student News. Your response has been excellent, and we hope you'll continue to log on and shout out your thoughts throughout the school year!
Yours,
Carl Azuz, Anchor
To Pun or Not To Pun
No joke: A lot of you (except maybe Sara) have been saying you DON'T like the puns at the end of the show. That's perfectly all right; my feelings aren't hurt (much).
But here's your chance to help us decide what to do in future programs: Do we continue including puns? We know they're corny, but hey, puns are meant to be. And if a majority of you don't want 'em in the show, well, we may just take 'em out.
Carl Azuz, Anchor (sans humor...)
So Far, So Good?
This Friday, we're bringing you a story about a controversial school boycott designed to bring attention to school funding in part of Chicago. Whether or not you agree with the boycott, we'd like to know how it's going at your school or district: Are there things you'd want to change, or is everything going well for you?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
What's On Your Mind?
We've been talking about doing a generic type of blog to give you a chance to comment on anything you've seen on our show. This is it.
We get a lot of comments for topics we don't blog about, so here's your chance to tell us: What's on your mind?
(And we'll keep doing this from time to time if you guys like it.)
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Puns, Jokes and Winces
A viewer named Adam wrote in today asking about the puns at the end of the show and "at the way Carl winces every time he says one." Here's how all that got started:
I was the writer of CNN Student News before I actually appeared on the program. And since I'm kinda cheesy (which I'm sure you've figured out by now), I decided to have a little fun after "Before We Go" segments by writing a pun here and there. Before long, teachers started writing in saying that their students either liked or groaned at all the puns, but that they added an element of fun to the show that y'all liked to predict. So when I took over as anchor, our new writer, Jordan Bienstock, continued the tradition.
I guess the winces are just my reaction to actually having to say them on air - as opposed to just writing puns for other anchors. But hey, if you dish it out, you gotta take it.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
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