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Show Vernal Express Wednesday, September 13, 2006 B7 Talking with our teachers, weekly profile This summer Merilyn Beacham, history teacher at Vernal Junior High, traveled to Mount Vernon in Virginia along with 49 other educators chosen nationwide. Beacham attended a workshop offered by the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) called "Shaping the Constitution: A View from Mount Vernon, 1783-1789." 1783-1789." Beacham said Mount Vernon was impressive and the experience experi-ence will help her teach about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights more effectively. She saw the bed where George Washington died, his presidential presi-dential chair, and the famous door to Gadsby's Tavern where Washington viewed his troops for the last time before leaving the continental army to become a planter again. After the five-day workshop, Beacham and her husband spent a week touring the Civil War sites. The Beachams try to go on a history-oriented trip every summer. They have traveled to Turkey, visited the Doyouknow your schools Did you know the PDKGallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools? (Adopted from a press release from Mark Peterson from the USOE by Dixie Allen, State Board Representative, District 14) On August 22 Phi Delta Kappa and Gallup released their 38th Annual Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools. The focus this year is on the change strategy dominating dominat-ing K-12 education because of No Child Left Behind. What do Americans think about schools? Americans still think the schools their kids go to are good, but not the ones across town and certainly not those across the country. Nationally, 49 percent of people give the public schools "here" a grade of A or B. 64 percent of parents give the school their oldest child attends an A or B. However, only 21 percent of people give schools nationally a grade of A or B. According to the poll, the .three biggest problems prob-lems facing3 schools today are: lack of financial support (24 percent), overcrowding (13 percent), per-cent), and lack of discipline (11 percent). How do Americans feel about vouchers? 60 percent of Americans oppose vouchers, up from 57 percent in 2005. How do Americans feel about charter schools? 53 percent of Americans favor the idea of charter schools; 34 percent oppose and 13 percent don't know. However, the public's knowledge of charter schools appears a bit shaky. 53 percent per-cent of the public do not think charters are public schools; 50 percent believe they are free to teach about religion as they see fit; and 58 percent believe charters can selectively choose students. On the plus side, 60 percent know charters cannot charge tuition. What do Americans know about the Achievement Gap? Most people - 70 percent - don't think schools themselves are at fault for problems facing public education, but rather that it is a societal problem. Again, most people - this time 77 percent - don't believe the achievement gap in schools is mostly related to the quality of schooling minority students receive. However, 88 percent of the population believes the achievement gap is very or somewhat important to resolve. They also believe (81 percent) that the achievement gap can be narrowed by maintaining high standards for all children. Only 57 percent, however, believe it is primarily the responsibility of public schools. How do Americans view curriculum cur-riculum and increased graduation gradu-ation requirements? There's a split between people who want high schools to offer a wide variety of classes and those want it to focus on the basics. 58 percent want a wide variety; 41 want just the basics. Parents with children in school have a greater preference (63 percent) for a wide variety of classes. A similar split is seen on whether to have a college-preparatory focused curriculum regardless of a child's interest in attending college. If you have questions in regard to these issues, please contact your State Board Representative, Dixie Allen at dxlallenyahoo.com or 218 West 5250 North, Vernal, Utah 84078 or phone: 435-7890534. Alamo, and also followed the trail of Lewis and Clark. "It's amazing how your perspective per-spective of history changes when you visit historical sites," she said. Beacham taught English at Vernal Junior High for 12 years before switching to eighth grade history two years ago. She also teaches folklore and geography. The students are what Beacham enjoys most about teaching, as well as the subjects she teaches. She makes her lessons les-sons interactive so that students stu-dents understand better how and why events occurred. In teaching about the Civil War, for example, Beacham creates a simulation in her classroom by assigning each student a character char-acter from the time period, like a slave, a plantation owner, a Southern belle, a soldier, etc. Students keep a journal, writing writ-ing how their character would respond to certain events. Although teachers need to obtain a certain number of points every three years to recertify, Beacham and other teachers take classes simply to better , their teaching. teach-ing. In October Beacham will take a class from the Middle East Center at the Utah State I" :'Cy ,aV lj I . V , - W i y - m IP f . " . r , S3 t 51 - 4 t ' 1 Merilyn Beacham University extension in Vernal. Beacham received her bachelor's degree from the USU extension in 1992. Poem commemorating 9-11 by Denise Klakken As the blue skies turned black.a nation came together. As the flames grew high, the tears fell like rain. As fear grew strong, the courage grew stronger. There are no words that will describe the rage and fear the nation felt that horrid day. Now the world knows that we will only rise for terrorism. We will never fall. 8M n (r m. . r i c,. ..rtsasN aw rfi mr - " 4 U iL'V-vi f i 111 pJU - - irXJ . yxj I ; : vs. : ?. ij u i ) u :(rju d w U H (i l- : ;; Correctly answer this question to qualify for the trip: What does the word Vernal mean? A. A great place to live ' , B. Spring . ' ; C Big water : ... -,.c D. Lost wilderness - : ' 1 : ; V- ' : ' E All of the above ; " . . ' .-,.- -. , . - - - . , -t - - -. R AandB ; . ' Fill out form below and submit it along wth your answer and a check to the Vernal Express, 54 N Vernal Ave. or send to P.O. Box 1000, Venral, UT 84078. Prize selection will be Nov. 1 . Subscription starts immediately. . Name Address City Zip Phone. One-year $24 subscription. Two-year $46 subscription. Your answer to the question:. S V V, - ' "V , t ' IS .-i" - "x1 J - -i" S4 I |