http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-622073.mp3
Albany, NY – BONG HITS 4 JESUS
IMPACT ON STUDENT FREE SPEECH?
Bong Hits 4 Jesus. This snappy headline received considerable
attention in the media over the summer, and probably more laughs
than people care to admit. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in
this case could have an important impact on student free speech
issues as we begin a new fall term. The Supreme Court's narrow
5 to 4 decision came near the end of the court's term for this year.
As a result, school principals and school boards start the new school
year with more ability to limit first amendment rights of students
across the U.S. To get a better understanding of this decision and
the history behind it, we turn again to a highly qualified authority on
the U.S. Supreme Court, attorney Philip Lacovara. Lacovara has
practiced law since the 60s and has litigated numerous cases before
the high court. He also taught at several universities and colleges,
including Georgetown and Columbia.
Jim Horne reports. (8:43)
THE COMING CRISIS IN CITIZENSHIP: HIGHER EDUCATION'S FAILURE TO TEACH AMERICA'S HISTORY AND INSTITUTIONS -
A report by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute indicates that American
colleges and universities are failing to instill Civic Literacy in their
students. The multi-year survey was conducted for the Institute by the independent University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy.
It contained 60 multiple-choice questions on American history, political
science, and economics...and was completed by 14-thousand seniors
and freshmen at 50 different colleges and universities. The report is
titled, The Coming Crisis in Citizenship: Higher Education's Failure to
Teach America's History and Institutions. Scores for college seniors
were, on average, only 1.5% higher than those for freshmen. And at
some highly respected schools like Brown, Georgetown, and Yale..
seniors actually scored lower than freshmen. Overall, scores were
around 53%..a failing grade. To get some perspective on what this
means, TBOOK spoke with a member of the Intercollegiate Studies
Institute's National Civic Literacy Board, Dr. Eugene Hickok.
Dr. Hickok is a recent past Deputy Secretary of Education, and is
now a Bradley Education Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
Glenn Busby reports. (9:03)
**(Attention Program Directors. The website given at the completion
of the above story for those listeners who want to read more details about the study is: www.americancivilliteracy.org.)**