My parents regarded school teachers as higher beings, as did many immigrants.

Their educations ended with high school - my father going to work as a clerk and then salesman in a company dealing in printing and stationary, and my mother working as a secretary and then bookkeeper in a firm of wool merchants.

I learned quickly, as I tell my graduate students now, there are no answers in the back of the book when the equipment doesn't work or the measurements look strange.

It appears that some school officials, teachers, and parents have assumed that religious expression of any type is either inappropriate or forbidden altogether in public schools; however, nothing in the First Amendment converts our public schools into religion-free zones.

There is more awareness among parents and families and teachers that if we want children to succeed in school, we need to provide good experiences in kindergarten and earlier.

Spring Break is such an important time to donate. Kids are out of school, parents are busy and there's not as much time to go and donate. That's why the Blood Center will have (several donation sites) throughout the month of March.