Teachers Rally for Public Education Funding Boone Educators Among Thousands at Frankfort Rally

The EST. 2009 APRIL 2018 FREE ISSUE STUDENT NEWSPAPER of BOONE COUNTY B1B1 HIGH SCHOOL EBELLION Where are the INFINITYINFINITY STONESSTONES ? ENTERTAINMENT RFUTURE OF KENTUCKY’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS Teachers rally for public education funding Boone educators among thousands at Frankfort rally RLindsayVolpenhein Not a single public school in Kentucky was open on Monday, April 2. Instead, thousands of educators rallied at the state capitol in Frankfort to protest various budget proposals which may have cut funding for public education. All 120 school districts in the commonwealth were shut down either because of spring break or relating to the statewide protest. Boone teachers were among the crowds rallying against the proposed budget cuts that might have left Boone County Schools insol- vent by 2019, according to a report by the Kentucky Department of Education. The bill was set to cut transportation, counseling services, and family resource funds among oth- LanceMelching/REBELLIONSTAFF ers. Many Boone teachers rallied in Frankfort on April 2 to express their dismay with the budget proposals that threat- Boone teacher Jessica Hol- man was among those at the rally. ened to slash public education spending and possibly cause Boone County Schools to be out of money by 2019. “Right now, public education is being drained of the necessary and senate. However, when Gov. funds to support the needs of its Matt Bevin received the bill, he students,” Holman said. vetoed certain parts of it. The cuts could result in fewer The house and senate then supplies, teacher training initiatives, had the power to either override the and necessary faculty positions vetoes—which would restore their according to Holman. original budget—or let the vetoes English teacher Kelly Read stand and allow the governor to was also in attendance and is con- have budgetary control. cerned about the budget cuts. The vetoes were overridden, “While [staff cuts] will not so the budget spared public educa- cause most teachers to lament the tion from many of the worst scenar- loss of a job, it will cause an in- ios. crease in the number of students we These changes have left some see in the classroom. This in turn teachers debating whether the rally will mean that students will have was a success or not. fewer one-on-one opportunities,” Some believe that the changes Read said. made are significant enough while Perhaps in response to the others are asking for a total over- rally, a less severe education fund- haul. ing bill passed through the house See RALLY on page A3 LanceMelching/REBELLIONSTAFF Bill proposals cause future teachers to reconsider The rallies were held to raise awareness “I still would like to become a teacher, getting abused. MackenzieCoop about the situation and draw attention but financially it just doesn’t seem to Events such as this are making some R to bills in the legislature. be the best route,” Curee said. feel like teachers are not important and the Some educators fear that changes to One of the most controversial Another reason the teaching disrespect they’re receiving is leading some retirement, disrespect of the teaching profes- bills to pass during the current ses- profession may see fewer new teach- current students to not want to become future sion and cuts to education funding will result sion reformed the teacher retirement ers is because teachers aren’t getting educators. in a decline in the number of people interested system. the respect that they used to. “Being a high school student, I definite- in pursuing a career in education, which may While not much was changed In addition to the challenges ly see that teacher aren’t respected by their lead to a teacher shortage. for teachers currently in the system, teachers face with disrespectful stu- students and now they’re being disrespected An ACT survey shows that the percent- new hires will no longer receive a dents and parents, even people in by the people who hire and pay them,” Curee age of students interested in becoming an pension, instead having a 401k-style positions of authority such as Gover- said. educator is continuing to decline as years pass. “hybrid” system. nor Matt Bevin, are calling teachers Another reason students may not be- In 2014, only 5 percent of students Because new teachers won’t “remarkably selfish and shortsighted.” come teachers is because of cuts to education indicated an interest in the teaching profes- have the same guarantees as current MATT Bevin even went as far as to say funding. sion, which was down from 7 percent in 2010. teachers, some fear it is turning people BEVIN that teachers protesting against the Bevin proposed budget cuts to public With protests and demonstrations across away from the profession. Governor pension changes were being “ignorant schools including cutting transportation fund- the state, education leaders in Kentucky have Senior Noah Curee is planning and throwing a temper tantrum,” and ing. voiced these concerns, especially in two large on becoming a history teacher, but is having he suggested that teacher protests were re- rallies at the capital on April 2 and April 13. second thoughts. sponsible for students ingesting poison and See EDUCATION on page A3 Entertainment…………………...…….............................. B1 Sports………………...……………………………………………….. B8 A2 News of the Huh?……………….…...…….……………………. A2 Teacher Profile……………...…………………………………….. A3 Opinion……………………………...………………………………..A3 A4 What We Do……………...………………………………………… B2 INSIDE WHAT’S A4 A2 RAPRIL BEYOND BOONE Pacific garbage patch larger than thought However, cleaning up a mas- JenniferSadler sive trash collection like the Great R Pacific Garbage Patch is not as easy The Great Pacific Garbage as it seems. Because the patch is so Patch is a large collection of marine far away from any country’s coast- debris in the North Pacific Ocean line, no country will take responsi- that spans from the west coast of bility or provide funding to help North America to Japan. clean it up. The patch is estimated to con- Many individuals and interna- tain over 1.8 trillion pieces of plas- tional organizations like The Ocean tic and be anywhere from the size of Cleanup project have taken matters Texas to the size of Russia. into their own hands to help clean A 2015 study by the Universi- up or at least prevent the patch from ty of Georgia found that humans are growing any larger. filling the oceans with an estimated Another problem these indi- 8 million tons of plastic every year, viduals and organizations face is and that is expected to increase 22 microplastics, or very small pieces Orange snow coats eastern Europe percent by 2025. of plastic debris resulting from the The Great Pacific Garbage disposal/breakdown of consumer hara giving the island a hazy orange The snowstorm was so large Patch, in particular, is increasing products and industrial waste. RylandBernard filter. that NASA could see it from the exponentially and a new survey These microplastics are R Meteorologists report that the satellite imagery. It appeared as a estimated that the mass of plastic is harmful to marine life and can take Orange snow covered parts of orange snow phenomenon occurs on brown streak among the white 16 times larger than previously anywhere from 10 years to 1,000 eastern Europe in late March, alarm- average once every five years. How- clouds. NASA reported this as the supposed. years to decompose. ing crowds of people on the slopes. ever, the concentration of sand in largest transfers of desert sand in This massive collection of Many microplastics are the The light orange pigmentation was the air was higher than in the past, history. trash stuck on the ocean floor was same size as small sea animals, so caused by sand from the Africa’s and people complained about get- The last report of orange snow first discovered in 1997 by Captain any nets designed to catch them Sahara Desert being swept nearly ting sand in their mouths. was in 2007 when Saharan sand was Charles Moore, who discovered the would scoop up these creatures as 5000 miles into the European bliz- The sand must reach the upper transferred to Siberia. The Siberian patch when he crossed the Pacific well. zard. levels of the atmosphere to travel snow was mixed with rain of high after competing in the Transpacific Even if a net would be possi- Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, long distances. The low-pressure concentrations of irons, acids, and Yacht Race. ble, the National Ocean and Atmos- Romania, and Moldova were frosted winds pull sand up, and then the nitrates. Ever since his discovery, sci- pheric Administration’s Marine with the orange snow, making the sand mixes with rain and snow be- Sand was also transferred to entists, conservationists, ecologists, Debris Program estimated that even surface look more like Mars than fore making its descent on to the the United Kingdom in October by and environmentalists alike have 67 couldn’t clean up one percent of eastern Europe. Earlier that same Earth. Pollen particles were also Storm Ophelia and high gusts of been working to bring awareness to the north Pacific Ocean in a single week, Greece’s largest island, Crete, said to be found in the snow-sand winds spread wildfires in Portugal this issue and begin efforts to clean year. was dusted with sand from the Sa- mixture. and Spain. up the patch. News of the Huh??? A monthly collection of strange stories from around the globe RSamHuddleston The truth is out there The dead will rise After months of preparation, daredevil and skeptic Following deportation from Turkey and arrival to his Enough is enough “Mad” Mike Hughes lifted off in a homemade rocket in home country of Romania, Constantin Reliu was troubled to order to decide once and for all whether or not the Earth is find that the Romanian government had him officially listed Minnesota lawmaker Drew Christensen has authored a flat.

Load more