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A beef filler product, dubbed “pink slime” in recent weeks, has been used in grocery store meats for nearly a decade. The byproduct has also been an ingredient in many school lunch menus, although children and parents were unaware of this fact until fairly recently. Now, the pink slime debate is in full fervor, and school districts nationwide are responding to concerns by doing away with beef filler completely. While this makes some parents breathe a sigh of relief, it is also making some districts dig deeper into their pockets to foot the bill for meat that may be healthier, but is also more expensive.

What is “Pink Slime”?

According to a report at , pink slime refers to a mix of fatty beef byproducts that were typically reserved for pet food and cooking oil in the past. The scrap meat is mixed with bits of cartilage and connective tissue, and then chemically treated to kill bacteria and make it edible. Ammonia is the chemical of choice, which has many food advocates up in arms about the safety of the product, particularly when it is served to children in schools.

The product was approved for use by the USDA, which dubbed it “lean, finely textured beef.” The agency continues to claim the meat is safe, and the American Meat Institute says it is 98 percent beef. However, those statements are not enough to satisfy many who have been turned off on the idea of

As Louisiana Governor Jindal Fights to Reform Louisiana Schools, Teachers Push Back

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has taken his sweeping education reform to state lawmakers, while educators in the state who are more than a little unhappy with Jindal’s proposals are finding ways to push back. Jindal’s plans would usher in some of the most significant education reforms in the country, with Jindal tackling sticky issues like teacher tenure and retirement plans, charter schools, and a voucher program that would impact half the children in the state. While Jindal’s proposals are garnering support from many state lawmakers and residents, others are downright furious with Jindal’s ideas on how to transform the state’s education system.

Teacher Tenure Tied to Job Performance

One of Jindal’s proposals that has won the ire of local teachers’ unions involves how teachers are hired and granted tenure. According to the Daily Comet, the bill would shift hiring new teachers to principals and superintendents rather than school boards. The bill would also make significant changes to current teacher tenure procedures, which are tied to annual evaluations for three years. Current evaluations rank teachers as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, which makes it challenging to weed ineffective teachers out from the rest.

Under Jindal’s new tenure proposal, teachers would be subject to annual five-year reviews under a more complex rating system. Teachers who received “highly effective” ratings for five years straight would be eligible for tenure. “Ineffective” ratings would result in loss of

Amid budget cuts, dismal performance ratings, and other challenges, public schools do not appear to need any more bad news. However, a recently released survey indicates school districts have yet another worry on their plates: teacher satisfaction across the country is at its lowest point in two decades. Why are teachers feeling less-than-loving toward their career choices? The answer may be somewhat complex, but there is also a bright spot in the news. Some teachers have provided insight into improving classroom environments and teacher satisfaction ratings simultaneously.

The MetLife Survey

The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher has offered input from educators, administrators, and policymakers since the first survey was conducted in 1984. Harris Interactive conducts the survey annually, and it examines views about the teaching profession and the economic impact on teaching and learning in schools, according to the MetLife website. The views of teachers, parents, and students are all accounted for in the yearly research.

The first survey was introduced after the Reagan administration issued its “Nation at Risk” report, which was quoted in the as saying, “A rising tide of mediocrity is presently eroding the educational foundations of our society.” This report set off sweeping education reform that left many teachers less secure. At that time, the survey emerged amidst ideas that discussions about education should include the voices of teachers.

In this year’s survey, Harris Interactive interviewed more than 1,000 teachers who taught K-12 grades at public schools.

Utah may boast the most restrictive sexual education laws in the country if a new bill passed through the state legislature is signed into law. The new law would restrict schools from teaching any type of sex ed in public schools outside of abstinence and would prohibit discussion on contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Despite the fact that this bill has passed in both the state House and Senate, there is plenty of opposition to the bill with state lawmakers, educators, and even parents.

About the Bill

Referred to as HB363 and sponsored by Bill Wright (R-Holden), this bill would define sex education in the state of Utah as abstinence-only and would ban schools from providing instruction on sexual intercourse, homosexuality, contraceptive methods, and sexually transmitted diseases. According to , Wright sponsored the bill as a response to what he called “inappropriate material” presented in classrooms. Specifically, Wright was opposed to material produced by Planned Parenthood being distributed to students. Wright said he believes sex education is something that should take place in the home, rather than the school.

Currently, Utah schools are allowed to offer sex-education courses with some restrictions attached. Schools are allowed to provide instruction about sexual intercourse and contraception without advocating for it. The classes are offered on an elective basis, so parents can choose not to have children take the course if they don’t want them to.

“A lot of our schools are already teaching abstinence,” Wright told