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Ever since the Internet has come into the public school classroom, filters have been used to keep inappropriate and obscene information and pictures away from students. However, the ACLU has recently been alerted to the fact that pornography isn't the only thing not making it into public school classrooms today. Many schools across the country are using their filtering tools to weed out information for LGBT students – even when the websites in question do not fall into the pornographic or inappropriate category. What's worse is that many of these same schools allow anti-gay websites to be accessed on campus.

What's In and What's Out

The problem came to the attention of the ACLU a few years ago when a high school student in Tennessee was searching for information about scholarships for gay and lesbian students. The student was unable to access any of the websites that provided such information, according to a report on . However, the student did discover websites advocating that gay and lesbian behavior can be reformed or overcome. The student notified the ACLU about the issue, and the ACLU sued the school and several others in Tennessee with similar policies.

On their website, the asserts, "Blocking all LGBT content violates students' First Amendment rights to free speech. They also violate the Equal Access Act, which requires equal access to school resources for all extracurricular clubs, including gay-straight alliances and LGBT support groups." The

Recess has traditionally been a part of the school day in public elementary schools, offering students the opportunity to breathe in fresh air, work off energy, and socialize with friends outside the confines of the classroom. However, in the interest of providing additional instruction during the school day, many schools have moved away from recess in favor of more classroom time. In some areas, recess has been on hiatus for years, but parents and educators are joining together in a movement to resuscitate recess after finding numerous benefits this time of free play provides. This article will take a look at some of the schools that have done away with the popular playtime and why many are bringing the ritual back to their playgrounds.

This video discusses eliminating a recess break.

The Benefits of Recess

While recess may not seem to have many benefits to daily studies on the surface, research into the matter seems to prove otherwise. On their website, the cites numerous benefits of recess, which impact the students' physical, emotional, cognitive, and social health and wellbeing. Some of the physical benefits of recess include:

• More time spent in active play
• Proper growth and development from physical activity
• Helps children maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of some diseases later in life
• Improves bone mass and density, lowering the risk of fractures throughout life

There are also cognitive and

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

The value of standardized test results continues to mount, with state and federal lawmakers utilizing these test scores to give either rewards or punishments to school districts.

Many schools, particularly those in low-income areas that are already stretching resources too thin, are facing additional pressure to "teach to the tests" in order to ensure all of their much-needed funding continues. The pressure has apparently led some teachers and administrators to "tweak" test scores so schools get a better performance rating.

Cheating in Atlanta?

According to a recent report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as many as 109 teachers and administrators in Atlanta are being investigated for possible cheating on standardized tests. Suspicions began in December 2008, when the paper published an analysis that showed the academic gains in some Atlanta schools were simply too good to be true. When the tests were audited, an unusual number of erasures on tests were discovered, leading to the investigation into allegations of cheating on the tests.

If evidence is found that the educators did indeed change some test answers, they may face further scrutiny and sanctions. The investigative panel responsible for looking into this issue released a final report with the following findings of the employees suspected of cheating:

• 78 of the employees worked at just 12 schools.
• 25 employees at 13 different schools appear to have acted independently.
• 6 employees at the 33 remaining Atlanta ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Schools also acted independently, according to the investigation.

An article in the

When it comes times for public school graduates to march up the aisle to the tune of "Pomp and Circumstance," the venue for the ceremony becomes an issue. Many high schools do not boast a large enough gymnasium or auditorium to house a significant number of graduates and family members, and outdoor stadiums are always vulnerable to stormy weather. ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø venues, like professional arenas, can be quite costly to rent, leading some schools to look for affordable alternatives within the community.

In some cities, the apparent solution has been to hold graduation ceremonies in large church buildings, and pastors have been more than happy to offer their spaces to neighboring schools. However, public school graduations in churches have raised questions across the country about the separation of church and state. In fact, some schools have actually found themselves in the midst of court proceedings as a result of inadvertently combining religion with public education.

This video looks at the issue of separation of church and state in our public schools.

A Fight at First Cathedral

First Cathedral, a non-denominational megachurch in Connecticut had opened its doors to no less than five high school graduations in previous years, according to an article in . The expansive church was chosen by the schools both for comfort and affordability.

However, not all the students and parents were comfortable holding a graduation ceremony in