I am also a product of the Philadelphia school system, having attended during the '50s & 60s. Not only was corporal punishment the rule of the day, but you had to face it again when you went home. The removal of students who did not want to learn was always a given. Academic achievement was something to strive for and be proud of. There was no "No child left behind". You passed or you repeated the grade until you 'got it' or were old enough to be set out on the street.

We decided, for some reason, to change the rules. Maybe someone thought this new approach would be better, but the results say just the opposite. All of the things that you pointed out came about. Over time it has become worse, and not surprisingly, the national jail population has exploded. I know that there are other circumstances that contribute to the rise in prison population, but old saying are old saying because they have they are true; they have withstood the test of time. "As the tree is bent, so shall it grow". Parenting and teaching go hand in hand. Boundaries have to be set for children both at home and at school.

I understand that teachers have to earn a living and we need to do all that we can to enable them to do their jobs. We're talking about cheating....! It serves no one in the long run. Most disruptive students tend not to be your better students. Get them out of there so those who want to learn can. Those who want to teach can. Don't put more shackles of a group of our citizens who have enough shackles as it is. What can these students contribute to society without an education? You can't apply for most jobs today without the ability to fill out the computerized application. Just because we have new ideas doesn't mean they are always better ideas. Let's revisit our educational goals and our approaches for getting there.

And yes, I am an African-American male.

That is the read speed. The write speed is more like 45MBs.

There have been some great replies. You might want to look into creativelive.com. There is a free class...FUNDAMENTALS OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY with JOHN GREENGO - JANUARY 20-24. Just log on and learn. Their classes usually give you in a couple of days what you would learn in a full semester at a school and the instructors are all working pros and many of them are also authors. You can't beat FREE!

Can we do things better now with computers than we did with an abacus? Sure. The tools are better so you have a better chance of making great pictures as you gain more knowledge of how to utilize them. In the end, it still comes down to how well you apply your craft, no matter what tool you are using. Photography is still basically painting with light. If you don't get that concept, the camera becomes a point and shoot with bells and whistles that we shy away from.

As a Black photographer/videographer, I would like to suggest relaxing and using your meter. There is no perfect setting for black skin, as there are so many shades. Your biggest challenge will come with group shots if their skin tones vary widely, in which case you will need to use an "averaged" setting. Other than that, just shoot and adjust on the fly.