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Ask any elementary-aged child what their favorite school subject is and many will either say recess or P.E. Children delight in the opportunity to run, play and compete with other students after sitting in math and language arts for most of their day. Unfortunately, that time in the school gym or on the playground isn't always the safest from a parent's perspective. We have a rundown on a number of lawsuits pending in school districts across the country, due to what has been perceived as unsafe conditions.

In this video, an attorney explains your options.

Tucson School Sued over Fight

A simple game of tag on a school playground during a physical education class landed one Tucson student in the hospital, according to a report at . The student, a 10-year-old Cody Barber, claims that he was attacked by another student during a game of tag at his elementary school in the District. The attacker allegedly knocked Cody to the ground and then kicked him once. Barber's spleen was severely lacerated, which required surgery and six days at a nearby medical center to repair.

Barber's mother has accused the school district of negligence in the injury of her son because she said the alleged attacker had a known history of behavioral issues and had been placed "on restriction" by the school. This

Most educators and parents would agree that school needs to be a safe place if children are to successfully learn. However, what that safe place looks like has become a topic of controversy for one Michigan school district. On the one hand, a teacher is being applauded for standing up for homosexual students. On the other hand, that same teacher is being accused of bullying students who voiced their own views of anti-homosexuality based on their religion. Which stand is correct? The verdict is still out.

The Howell Controversy

In a high school about 45 miles northwest of Detroit, a school teacher asked one of his economics students to remove a belt buckle that featured the Confederate flag. The teacher, Jay McDowell, explained that the symbol could be offensive to some of the students in the class. The student readily complied with the request, but the exchange sparked a discussion among other students and the teacher that resulted in two students being asked to leave the classroom, according to a report at Black Christian News.

The first student, 16-year-old Daniel Glowacki, asked McDowell to explain the difference between the confederate flag and the rainbow flag that serves as a symbol of pride for the gay community. (At the time, McDowell was wearing a t-shirt with an anti-gay bullying message.) When McDowell explained the difference, Glowacki responded with, "I don't accept gays." Glowacki went on to explain that homosexuality goes against his Catholic religion, according to

What do you do with a school that consistently fails to maintain quality standards in educating students? Some school districts might opt to pull funding or close the school down completely. However, Los Angeles Unified School District has a very different idea in mind. This school district recently launched the Public School Choice reform, which allows other educational entities to take over failing schools in an effort to produce an institution that gets stellar results through innovation and autonomy.

Schools that do not make the grade each year are put on the eligibility list for Public School Choice reform. At that time, non-profits, teachers or charter operators can apply to revamp failing campuses. These entities can choose to operate completely separate from the school district, or they can work within district guidelines to produce a brand new educational system specifically geared to that school and the children who attend.

This year, according to MercuryNews.com, there are 26 existing schools and 17 new campuses that are eligible for Public School Choice Reform.

The Intercultural Development Research Association describes school choices as follows:

"In reality, school choice means very different things in different contexts. From the many versions of choice, we can construct three broad categories. First, there are choice programs within a single public school district. These local, “controlled choice” plans seek to expand educational options. Second, there are interdistrict and statewide public school plans. These seek to establish a public marketplace of schools through competition

Is Your Public School Fairly Funded? View the Report

One of the primary factors used to assess the quality of public education in our country is the amount of money that is pumped into the educational system by individual states. In light of President Obama's nationwide contest for funding, dubbed "Race to the Top," funding of public schools has become of even greater interest.

A recent study of school funding found that while a handful of states do reasonably well in getting funding to the districts that need it most, others are sorely lacking, putting low-income students at an even bigger disadvantage when it comes to their education and future.

This TEDTalk looks at the dilemma of public school funding.

About the Study

The recent study "," was authored by David Sciarra, executive director, and Daniel Farrie, research director, of the Education Law Center in New Jersey, and Bruce Baker of Rutgers University Graduate School of Education.

The report looked at all 50 states and rates school funding fairness on the following factors:

• Funding level
• Funding distribution
• State fiscal effort
• Public school coverage

The report uses a detailed analysis of these factors to determine which states exercised equality in their funding efforts, assuring that the school districts that needed the funding most were the top priority for their states.

According to a report in Daily

No one would argue that teachers work hard for their money, but there is debate over how much money that should be. The general public sometimes does not believe teachers get paid enough for their essential work. Others believe that shorter hours and longer vacation times should translate to lower pay than the average teaching professional receives.

At the center of this debate is whether teacher salaries should be a matter of public record. Should taxpayers who foot the bill for teachers' salaries know exactly where their money is going?

Those in Favor

On the one hand, teachers are classified as public employees, which means information like salary should be a matter of public record. Because these salaries are paid using taxpayer money, the public has the right to know how the money is used.

When armed with this information, voters are better positioned to influence decisions in the voting booth during election season. When taxpayers know the full scope of what teachers in their districts make, they are better equipped to ask the right questions about the direction of public education and determine whether changes to the current status quo are justified.

Those Opposed

On the other hand, teachers protest that their specific salaries are private information that should be kept away from public scrutiny. Some argue that publishing salary information about individual teachers on school or state government websites unnecessarily exposes lower-paid employees It may even put some individuals in danger when personal information is