by Mike King - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

He came to the profession late in life, at the age of 35, after years of working jobs that held no real meaning for him. When Gregory Leontovich began his career as a special education teacher in 1992, he found his calling. Three years into it, his peers at his first school named him teacher of the year.

"I loved teaching," Leontovich said. "I still love teaching, but I know I'll probably never be in the classroom again."

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Christine Legere, Boston Globe

Members of Citizens for an Informed Community are asking Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School to let them attend the annual career day as a counter to military recruiters. (Robert E. Klein, for the Boston Globe)

At Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, back-to-school preparations include a debate over whether antiwar activists will be allowed at the school's annual career day, just as military recruiters are.

The effort is led by a Bridgewater-based group called Citizens for an Informed Community. Spokesman Vernon Domingo, a Bridgewater resident and Bridgewater State College geography professor, said the group simply wants to promote thought-provoking discussion.

"We're local, we live here and work here, and we support this country," said Domingo. "We're patriotic in the sense that we want this country to be as good as it can be."

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Don't let Congress hold education funding hostage to drug war politics.

RaiseYourVoice.com

Submitted by Evergreene Digest Contributing Editor Ken Mitchell

The Coalition for Higher Education Act Reform (CHEAR) is a coalition of religious, criminal justice, drug treatment, education, civil rights, health organizations, and victims seeking to repeal the Drug Provision of the Higher Education Act (also known as the "Aid Elimination Penalty,") a 1998 law that delays or denies federal financial aid to people convicted of state or federal drug offenses. Since taking effect in the fall of 2000, roughly 200,000 students have been denied aid. These young people, who have already been punished for their offenses, are now dropping out of school or reducing their course loads because they cannot afford the high cost of tuition.

Since that time, a major student-led campaign to overturn the law has spread to hundreds of campuses around the nation. In early 2006, Congress restricted the reach of the provision to offenses committed while a student is in college and receiving federal aid. Last year, a bill by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) to repeal the law in full -- the Removing Impediments to Students; Education (RISE) Act, H.R. 1184, garnered 70 cosponsors. CHEAR is now working for passage of the RISE Act in the 110th Congress or its inclusion in the upcoming Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bills.

Support for CHEAR's efforts is greater than ever before! There are now 335 organizations on record calling for full repeal of the drug provision, 170 of which signed our February 21 sign-on letter to Congress. We are optimistic of repealing this law during the 110th Congress! Please join our efforts to make this happen now!

Now is the time to contact your representative!!!

CHICAGO ARCHDIOCESE | Cardinal tried to spring sex abuser, then changed view after 'more accusations came forward'

Cardinal Francis George acknowledged Tuesday that he and other Archdiocese of Chicago officials had worked to reduce the prison sentence of sex-abusing priest Norbert Maday, who is believed to have molested children dozens of times.

In a letter dated March 6, 2000, to Maday -- formerly an associate pastor at a Chicago Ridge parish who was sentenced in 1994 for molesting two boys -- George writes, "Hopefully, some good souls will see that the six years of incarceration you have already endured are enough to satisfy the state and any sense of justice. . . . It would be a great fulfillment of the millennium spirit to see your captive heart set free.''

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By Christina A. Samuels, Education Week

The Schott Foundation for Public Education, which tracks the educational progress of black boys, plans to step up its efforts to see that graduation-rate gaps are closed.

John H. Jackson, the head of the Cambridge, Mass.-based foundation, said last month that the organization was issuing a challenge to school districts to promote a 50 percent increase in the graduation rate of black males in the next five years.

"If there isn’t a timetable, the plans can go in perpetuity," said Mr. Jackson, who became the president and chief executive officer of the foundation in July 2007.

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Teen Who Signed Non-Binding Contract Told He'd Be Jailed If He Didn't Join Army

CBS News

From NASCAR to bull riding, Army recruiters are pulling out all the stops and have had remarkable success meeting their quotas despite two wars. But one recruiter was caught in a tape-recorded phone call doing it with threats, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

As CBS affiliate KHOU in Houston first reported, Irving Gonzalez signed a non-binding contract that left him free to change his mind about joining the Army up to the moment he reported for basic training - which is exactly what he did.

"I'd rather just stay here," he said. "Go to college."

But listen to what his recruiter, Sgt. Glenn Marquette, told him would happen.

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