Down the Hall – Ep 36 – Developing the Practice
With the increased prominence of social media and technology, professional development for teachers has become even more important in order to stay on the right side of the curve. It used to be that we improved our practice by commiserating with our immediate colleagues and maybe went to a conference or a seminar. Now its vastly different, where colleagues can live half-way around the world and can contribute ideas to our own development.
In this weeks episode, Dave talks to Sandy Kendell, who helps teachers in her school district with their own professional development. She talks about the role social media has played in her work and in her own development as well. She also talks about how the use of more varied educational technologies over the last 10-20 years has enabled teachers to enhance their teaching practices. Shes a wonderful person to follow on Twitter if youre interested in keeping up with all of this.
In addition to Sandy, there are many other great things to listen for.
Ave Maria University ditches student health insurance plans
Money and morality are the twin reasons Ave Maria University will no longer offer group health insurance plans to students as of Aug. 15.
University President Jim Towey said Monday that students and parents can thank the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which will force premiums to skyrocket 66 percent and also mandates no-cost coverage for contraceptive services, including sterilization and some abortion-inducing drugs.
Meanwhile, a dozen more federal lawsuits were filed Monday by 43 religious-related entities, seeking to overturn the contraception coverage requirement in President Barack Obamas embattled health care plan. They include Catholic charities groups, universities, dioceses and Archdioceses ranging from New York to Texas, including the University of Notre Dame.
Ave Maria, which filed its lawsuit in late February, was in the forefront of a groundswell that has grown into a wave of opposition aimed at pressuring the federal government to change its mind.
Solutions, Sort of
So maybe theres a crisis in student loans. Is there a way to fix it? Perhaps. According to an article by Sandra Block and Christine Dugas in USA Today, there are five possible solutions to the higher education cost problem.
As they explain, one option is to allow impoverished people to discharge student loan debt in bankruptcy. Under current rules, people are essentially stuck paying student loans not matter what happens to their finances.
Another option is just to forgive student loan debt. As Block and Dugas write Rep. Hansen Clarke, D-Mich., has introduced the Student Loan Forgiveness Act, which would forgive federal student loans after 10 years of income-based repayments. Borrowers who work in public-service jobs would be eligible in five years. Its not really clear how Congress would pay for this policy.
Another possibility is to increase Pell grants, the federal money available for poor Americans to attend college.
A School Prospectus is the Key Indicator of a School’s Potential
Many children spend years taking up and dropping different activities, until they settle on a select few where they reach their level of comfort, holding on to them for the long term. It’s very much trial and error, but these formative years are crucial in helping a child to decide which course in life they wish to pursue. Towards the end of primary school, children have usually attained their basic formal education in the three most important areas – the three R’s still holds strong: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.
If you are the principal of a school or college, you will be more aware than ever that the ability to present the school prospectus of your own establishment to the public in the best light is crucial to ensuring full capacity for the coming semesters. Gone are the days when basic websites were sufficient to portray your message. With increased competition among schools, there are greater numbers of principals requiring high quality web design to ensure that their site gets the best traffic. M Read more…
No Nominal Damages Under IDEA, 9th Circuit Rules
It’s only a matter of $1 in nominal damages, but the stakes in a Monday decision by a federal appeals court are much higher for litigation under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, in San Francisco, ruled unanimously that nominal damages are not available under the federal special education law. Nominal damages are usually symbolic and typically involve small amounts of money. They are distinct from compensatory damages, which are meant to compensate for specific types of losses.
The May 14 decision in Oman v. Portland Public Schools has implications for cases in which students have aged out of public schools and thus could not benefit from “prospective relief” such as court-ordered changes to their education plans.
The 9th Circuit ruled in the case of an Oregon mother, Pat Oman, and her son who was diagnosed with “special learning needs” in 2nd grade and provided an individualized education plan under the IDEA.
Senior softball standouts head to Ocala for all-star games
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Local senior high school softball players are traveling to Ocala to participate in an all-star tournament at Lake Forest High on Frday and Saturday.
Broward County will be represented on the South team by Pembroke Pines Charter pitcher Cristina Sacramento, a St. Thomas University signee who led Charter to the state title last week with an 18-strikeout, 1-hitter against Niceville in the championship game, St. Thomas Aquinas third baseman Christie Parsons, a Purdue signee, and University School right-handed pitcher Ashley Rey, who will be playing softball at Lamar University next year.
Aquinas coach Bryan Baucom will be the South coach and will be assisted by Pines Charter coach Tom Fadul.
Palm Beach County will have three players on the East team. Pal
Two Flint students heading to college free of charge on prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship
FLINT, Michigan Billionaire Bill Gates and his wife are sending two Flint high school seniors to college free of charge.
Northern High School’s Marcus Johnson and Southwestern Academy’s Elijah Noronha are heading have both been named Gates Millennium Scholars.
The prestigious scholarship covers all college costs as well as offers further funding for graduate school for 1,000 students each year.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation selects 1,000 Millennium Scholars each year.
The scholarship is awarded to minority students eligible for financial aid and is based on grades, extra-curricular work and an intensive application.
Johnson, 18, plans to study biology at the University of Michigan and then medical school to become a dermatologist.
On the essay portion of the scholarship application, Johnson remembers writing about what motivates him to succeed in school.
“My family,” Johnson said.