The Hero Teacher in Perspective

Prologue: I’d like to thank Dean Bill Henk for inviting me to blog about a terrific project on which we collaborated. On Tuesday, the College of Education, the Office of the Provost’s Social Entrepreneurship Initiative, and the MU Law School sponsored a conference entitled “Urban Education Innovation and Reform Programs: High Success for High-Need Kids.” The event began with an engaging talk by Raj Vinnakota, Marquette’s 2010 Social Entrepreneur in Residence and the founder of The SEED Foundation (Schools for Educational Evolution and Development), and its nationally acclaimed boarding schools. A panel with local urban innovators and reformers next discussed their pathways to high success with high-needs students here in Milwaukee.

Over the lunch hour, National Teacher of the Year Rafe Esquith talked about his experience working with inner-city kids in Los Angeles, and some of his fifth grade students — the Hobart Shakespeareans — performed Shakespearean scenes and a couple of rock n’ roll songs. And, in the evening, Rafe and the Hobart Shakespeareans spoke to, and performed for, an audience of education students, faculty, local educators, and interested community members (thanks to all of those at the College of Education for making the evening such a great success). Cross posted at the Marquette Educator >>

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Same-Sex Marriage and Judicial Elections

Largely overlooked in the spate of reports on the recent election was the defeat in a retention election of David Baker, Michael Streit, and Marsha Ternus, three Justices on the Iowa Supreme Court.  They had previously joined the majority in ruling that Iowa’s ban on same sex-marriage violated the state’s equal protection guarantees.  As a result of that ruling, Iowa became the only state in the Midwest to allow same-sex marriage.  This was important not only for gay and lesbian couples in Iowa but also in nearby states.  A majority of same-sex marriages in Iowa during the past year involved couples from Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

One key to the election results was the money that was spent in Iowa by national groups opposed to same-sex marriage, and Iowa opponents of same-sex marriage welcomed the spending and surely delighted in the Iowa returns.  Bob Vander Plaats, a leader of pro-removal campaign said, “It’s the people rising up, and having a voice for freedom, and holding an out-of-control court in check.”  

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SCOTUS to Address Requirements for Federal Murder Statute

Yesterday, the Supreme Court agreed to decide what “federal nexus” must be proven in a murder prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(a)(1)(C).  The statute makes it a federal crime to kill “another person, with intent to . . . prevent the communication by any person to a law enforcement officer or judge of the United States of information relating to the commission or possible commission of a federal offense.”  The specific question before the Court is whether a defendant may be “convicted of murder under § 1512(a)(1)(C) without proof that information regarding a possible federal crime would have been transferred from the victim to federal law enforcement officers or judges.”  Additionally, the case presents interesting questions regarding the interpretation of statutory state-of-mind requirements and the scope of federal criminal jurisdiction.

The decision below was United States v. Fowler, 603 F.3d 702 (11th Cir. 2010).  Here’s what happened.  

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