An Ohio school was asked by the American Civil Liberties Union to put an end to punishing a student refusing to stand and receive the Pledge of Allegiance. Roxanne Westover, 17, says that she is an atheist and considers the pledge to be more religious than patriotic.

Because Westover refused to participate in the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, she says she was sent to the principal's office at Hubbard High School several times.

On Tuesday, the ACLU wrote to school district officials arguing that students have right not to say the pledge as a matter of free speech.

Superintendent Richard Buchenic says that he told the ACLU that the matter has been "dealt with."

Carrie Davis, ACLU of Ohio staff counsel, says that Hubbard High School intends to follow a district policy that states students are not required to recite the pledge.

The economy is down and money is tight for a lot of families, and Cleveland State University understands the hardships that students are facing. In light of this, CSU has announced a new $3,000 scholarship available to incoming freshman that's renewable up to $12,000 over four years.

The new scholarship, called the Freshman Scholars Program is awarded to new full-time freshmen entering beginning in Fall 2010 with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and an ACT score of 23 or a combined SAT score of 1060. The last day to apply for the Freshman Scholars Program is February 1, 2010, and incoming freshman can apply online at www.engagecsu.com.

The $3,000 scholarship is renewable by maintaining a 3.0 cumulative GPA for full-time students. CSU tuition is about $8,000 per year, and this scholarship can reduce annual tuition by 36%.

Ohio State University President Dr. E. Gordon Gee picked up a nice honor from Time Magazine today who named him the best college president in the nation and ran a lengthy piece on him. The entire piece can be read by clicking to Time Magazine's Website.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland was quick to congratulate Gee releasing a press release that read:

“I am so proud that Dr. Gee received this significant distinction for his incredible leadership and the national prominence he brings to the university and our state,” Strickland said. “Dr. Gee understands that for Ohio to succeed we must have the most educated, innovative workforce in the country, and that institutions of higher education and the business community partnering together are an important part of our plan to create jobs and lasting economic growth.”

Case Western Reserve University announced today that their Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing will receive $3.7 Million in federal stimulus money. CWRU said on their website:

The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing (FPB) at Case Western Reserve University was recently awarded $3.7 million in six stimulus grants from various federal offices to fund innovative research and academic programs.

Funded projects include establishing a new center of excellence on end-of-life science; expanding the Self-Management Advancement through Research and Translation (SMART) Center with a program to involve more disabled persons in the subject side of research activities; developing new electronic tools to reduce health disparities; testing the effects of early therapeutic mobility among hospital patients; combating the nursing faculty shortage through a forgivable loan program for graduate students; and providing opportunities to disadvantaged students.

"The stimulus awards represent that the hard work of our dynamic faculty and staff is unique, relevant, and, most of all, needed," says May L. Wykle, the Marvin E. and Ruth Durr Denekas Professor and Dean of the nursing school.

A Connecticut college has warned students interning for the womanizing David Letterman to keep their distance from the funnyman. A representative from Quinnipiac University told the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com:

"due to recent circumstances we will have a discussion with those in charge of placing our interns at the David Letterman show in the future."

The school added, "We will diligently oversee this internship program to ensure that our interns are out of harm's way."

Letterman recently revealed on air that he had been the target of a blackmail plot after he was accused by CBS News producer Joe Halderman of carrying on a sexual relationship with his former girlfriend, Stephanie Birkitt, a former assistant to Dave on the "Late Show".

Letterman admitted to having a relationship with Birkitt, 34. She began on the show as an intern and was promoted to his personal assistant. She also appeared in several on-air bits along with other female staffers.

President Barack Obama says that kids today spend too little time in the classroom, something he would like to change. Obama adds that this puts American children at a disadvantage with other students from around the globe, and supports longer school days and school years.

Obama has two school-age daughters of his own - one in third grade and another in sixth grade. He said that he knows that longer school days and school years are "not wildly popular ideas. Not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom." Obama also proposes opening schools on the weekend so kids have a safe place to go.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan also supports more time in the classroom. He notes that the current school calendar is based "upon the agrarian economy" and that these days, there aren't too many kids "working the fields".

A woman from New York City says she can't find a job and is suing the college where she earned her bachelor's degree. Trina Thompson, 27, files a lawsuit last week against Monroe College in Bronx Supreme Court and is seeking the $70,000 that she spent on tuition.

John Zitzner is an entrepreneur, a visionary, and some would say that he’s a bit of a dreamer. He was positive that in the proper setting, inner-city kids could do as well educationally as their better situated suburban counterparts, and he set about to prove it.

With the assistance of the able team of educators he has assembled at E Prep School, a charter school sponsored by the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD) he is achieving phenomenal success with a cross-section of grade 6 through 8 students — educational refugees from the public school system if you will — who are willing to face up to the challenges of a rigorous educational environment. And no, he’s not cherry picking, he’ll accept all who are sincere about learning in a safe, caring — albeit rigorous — educational setting.

In the process, he’s painting those who make myriad excuses for our abysmal public education system into a very tight corner. The myths school administrators and teachers’ union officials continually make in regard to their wards’ consistently poor showing on state tests are being blown to smithereens by the students of E Prep; their accomplishments proves there is nothing wrong with inner-city kids, it’s our approach to urban education that has been all wrong.

Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer and a day honoring our nation's fallen veterans, is a day off work and off school for the majority of Americans. But one Ohio school district has instead decided to schedule classes for the day in order to make up for weather related closings earlier this school year.

Fairfield schools in Butler County will be making up the last of nine days missed due to a September wind storm and winter weather closings. The district, which consists of 10,100 students, will be the only one open in Ohio on Monday.

The town of Fairfield also canceled its parade, replacing it with a significantly smaller event. The school is planning in-school events to honor the holiday as well.

Parents and veterans are angered by the moves, saying that it is disrespectful. But school officials say it is necessary and prevents seniors from having to attend a day of class after graduation.

After Andrew Mizak called 9-1-1 to report that his 28-year-old son threw a plate of food and made a fist at him after being asked to clean his room, he admitted that he may have gone too far in making the call and declined to press charges, stating that he did not want to harm his son's political career. Unfortunately, the embarrassing incident has had an impact on his career already. Mizsak's son, also named Andrew, is a member of the Bedford School Board, who voted this week to discipline him for his behavior.

On Tuesday, the school board voted to remove him from two liaison positions, and passed a resolution to explore publicly censuring Mizsak. Mizsak voted no on both measures.