Foul word lesson tried to teach behavior once learned at home

By Pablo Lopez / The Fresno Bee With cursing becoming all too common at school, a Fresno principal tried something unusual: He had teachers write obscene words on classroom white boards to let students know what they shouldn't say. Ray Avila's idea at Tioga Middle School backfired. A 12-year-old's parents complained that the language lesson was just foul. Education experts agree the Tioga lesson plan was flawed from the start, but it highlights a problem in schools nationwide: how to teach children appropriate behavior in an era when many children aren't learning those lessons at home. "Unfortunately, some children aren't getting the skills they need to succeed," said Valerie Davis, a trustee with the Fresno Unified School District. The district has aggressively pursued sex-education, drug-prevention and anti-profanity... [read full story]