tagged w/ Teachers
-
Writing for the Huffington Post, reporters Jason Cherkis and Zach Carter published a jaw-dropping story yesterday about a scheme by Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) to “set up a business of teacher death speculation.” Perry and his officials entered negotiations in 2003 with the Switzerland-based multinational bank UBS to allow the firm to buy life insurance policies on public teachers, then package the policies into securities that could be sold to speculators across the world. As teachers died, the securities would become profitable, and the money from the plans would be split between UBS and the Texas government.
An intriguing twist to the story is former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX), who joined UBS as a top executive after he left the Senate and has served as a political mentor to Perry since the late ’80s. Gramm, an architect of Wall Street deregulation while in Congress, aggressively lobbied the “gruesome” deal:
Gramm and UBS had concocted a gruesome combination of what are now regarded as two of the most infamous Wall Street scams on record. The resulting package closely resembled the growing market for mortgage-backed securities, but instead of allowing Wall Street to bet on peoples’ homes, it would enable bets on peoples’ lives. [...]
http://tinyurl.com/3d6e6beWriting for the Huffington Post, reporters Jason Cherkis and Zach Carter published a... more
-
-
LOrion
-
added this
-
9 months ago
- |
-
One in four primary schools in England still has no male registered teacher, statistics show.General Teaching Council for England figures show a slight improvement on last year, with 27.2% schools with no male teachers, down from 27.8%.
Link : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14748273One in four primary schools in England still has no male registered teacher,... more
-
-
sitsi
-
added this
-
9 months ago
- |
-
The 9th Circuit Court ruled in favor of a high school teacher sued by a student upset over the fact that Christianity, literal interpretations of the Bible and creationism were mocked openly.The 9th Circuit Court ruled in favor of a high school teacher sued by a student upset... more
-
-
More than a third of teachers have been subject to online abuse, according to a survey conducted by Plymouth University.
Link : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14527103More than a third of teachers have been subject to online abuse, according to a survey... more
-
-
sitsi
-
added this
-
10 months ago
- |
-
CNN...
Nation of adults who will write like children?
By Katia Hetter, Special to CNN
August 10, 2011 2:04 p.m. EDT
Miley Cyrus's and Justin Bieber's handwriting in Habbo Celebrity "Advice to My Teenage Self."
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Critics are upset that cursive writing classes are being kicked out of more schools
Teacher: "Handwritten documents convey important cultural information"
Another critic fears adults in the years to come will write like children
Autograph seller says stars under age 30 already have sloppy writing
.
(CNN) -- A glance at teen stars Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber's letters to their younger selves makes one thing clear: their handwriting is terrible. In the letters, part of the Habbo Celebrity "Advice to My Teenage Self" book, the content is messy and their cursive signatures are barely legible.
The handwriting of today's teen stars "is so atrocious, it's talked about and recognized through the industry," says Justin King, a Toronto-based paparazzi for Flynet Pictures and independent autograph seller. "With stars ages 30 and above, they generally have a much more full, legible signature. When you deal with these new people like [teen actress] Elle Fanning, you're lucky if you get an E and F and a heart for her signature."
It's just not the teen stars who can't write properly. Most states don't require children to learn cursive writing anymore. Some 46 states have adopted the Common Core Standards, a set of educational guidelines that do not require cursive writing as part of a school's curriculum. The state of Indiana recently announced it would drop a district requirement to teach cursive writing as of this fall. Instead, students must be able to type on keyboards.
How friends, family spark handwriting change
Technology has pushed cursive writing off the agenda of many school systems across the country. As a result, Handwriting Without Tears founder Jan Olsen sees more sloppy handwriting in schools today.
"If you stop teaching handwriting in the second grade, you're going to have a generation of people who write like second graders," says Olsen, whose company teaches a clean and simple style of cursive that avoids the fancy curls and swirls of old-fashioned script.
Are we becoming a country of adults who write like children? Will we be able to understand the power of John Hancock's actual signature on the Declaration of Independence if we can't read the original document? How can we feel the magic of Jane Austen's earliest, unpublished, handwritten manuscript, "The Watsons," which recently sold for $1.6 million at auction?
Will younger generations not know the powerful emotions that come from receiving a handwritten love letter that describes all the love someone else feels for you? What about the fear and courage that comes from writing your first love letter that contains all the love you feel for someone else?
'Snail Mail' project promotes art of letters
"Handwritten documents convey important cultural information about authors," says Davis Schneiderman, novelist and chair of the English Department at Lake Forest College. "These documents also suggest an authenticity that electronically produced documents do not. The Declaration is an index of its time as well as clue to the physicality of its signers. Imagine 'John Hancock' typed in an 18-point Times New Roman font. The proud fury behind his oversized signature would be lost."
Retired schoolteacher Carol Collin also mourns the loss of cursive in children's lives. "They miss the sense of pride they get when they can write neatly and elegantly in cursive instead of only knowing manuscript [print]," says Collin, who taught for 40 years in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District in California and still substitute teaches. "There are many times in school and as an adult where being able to write elegantly is an advantage. Prospective employers will be impressed by clear, readable, attractive writing."
Educators warn of negative effects of not teaching cursive
Granted, most workplaces are more likely to be dominated by computers and technology than pens and pencils and handwritten thank you notes. Its makes sense that computers are the go-to resource for researching and writing papers and other homework assignments.
And some writing experts aren't worried about children not being able to read the original Declaration of Independence or sign their names in cursive. Historical documents can be reprinted in print form and children can be taught to sign their names in cursive for legal documents and birthday cards.
Handwriting has never been a static art
Yet teens who can't write legibly -- multimillionaire teen celebrities aside -- do suffer. Even though many children use computers to write papers at home, most writing done within the school walls is still done by hand. (The country's ongoing economic problems won't likely add many computers to our nation's public school classrooms in the next few years.)
"Without it [cursive handwriting] you lose the sense of having your thought process through your hand movements to create your language and thoughts to someone else," says Michael Sull, a master penman in Spencerian script; past president of the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting; and author of four books on handwriting including, "American Cursive Handwriting," which was released last month. "There is a great loss in the progress that could be made with children fostering their motor skill development, literacy training and concepts of communication."
Sloppiness makes the reader think the writer's ideas aren't any good, studies show. "If you have sloppy handwriting, people make [negative] judgments about the quality of your ideas," says Steven Graham, professor of education at Vanderbilt University.
And poor handwriting slows down the writer. If you write slowly, your hand may not be able to keep up with your mind's attempt to have a thought, form it into a sentence and remember it long enough to write it down. "Until you can do this skill quickly and without thinking, it will interfere with your output," says Graham. "You better learn to write."
.CNN...
Nation of adults who will write like children?
By Katia Hetter, Special... more
-
-
-
At least 178 teachers and principals in Atlanta Public Schools were recently caught cheating to raise student scores on high-stakes standardized testsAt least 178 teachers and principals in Atlanta Public Schools were recently caught... more
-
-
British teachers and public-sector workers swapped classrooms and offices for picket lines Thursday as hundreds of thousands walked off the job to protest pension cuts.British teachers and public-sector workers swapped classrooms and offices for picket... more
-
-
Holly Marie Polson, 35-year-old married mother of 4 from Palmdale, California, had been arrested for allegedly engaging in repeated sexual episodes with a 13-year-old boy.
Polson, who worked as a teacher's aide at an Antelope Valley middle school, faces four felony counts of lewd acts with a child she was supposed to be tutoring the 13-year-old after school. The victim and suspect allegedly engaged in several acts of sexual intercourse while in a vacant classroom on the school campus. According to the boy, during the past two weeks, he has had sexual intercourse with an Instructional Aide at his school. Officers say Polson confessed to the affair and admitted to several instances of having sexual intercourse with the young boy on school grounds when she was arrested at her family home on last Tuesday.
http://femalesexoffenders.com/fso/index.php/the-news/360-holly-polson-arrestedHolly Marie Polson, 35-year-old married mother of 4 from Palmdale, California, had... more
-
-
b2r
-
added this
-
11 months ago
- |
-
Jennifer Sowa Smith, 29-year-old teacher at Steel Valley High School, Munhall, Pennsylvania, is facing charges that she sent sexually explicit pictures of herself to at least five male students.
According to the criminal court docket, Jennifer Sowa Smith was arraigned at District Judge Thomas Torkowsky's office on several charges, including two felony counts each of unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors, another felony count of criminal use of a communication facility and a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of children. Bail was set at $25,000.
Court documents say the Steel Valley High School teacher sent nude pictures of herself to the teens, two of whom were under 16. Smith is also accused of propositioning at least two of the teens.
Smith texted photos of her breasts and vagina, according to a criminal complaint. She is not accused of sexually assaulting any of the students.
Detectives began investigating after Steel Valley Principal Jeff Soles interviewed four students about receiving inappropriate texts from Smith. Students circulated the photos among themselves, though Smith told them to delete them, the complaint said.
Smith told a student she wanted to have sex with him on her desk, but he said he didn't want to cheat on his girlfriend, the complaint said. Also in one of the text message exchanges Smith told a student that she wanted to perform oral sex on him after school in her class. From March 15 to April 20, the two traded more than 250 text messages, according to the complaint.
http://femalesexoffenders.com/fso/index.php/the-news/351-jennifer-smith-arrestedJennifer Sowa Smith, 29-year-old teacher at Steel Valley High School, Munhall,... more
-
-
b2r
-
added this
-
12 months ago
- |
-
Dorothy Elizabeth Dixon, 29-year-old special needs teacher at Northgate High School, Coweta County, Georgia, has been arrested on allegations that she had sex with a 15-year-old male student.
Reportedly Dixon's husband reportedly found sex texts on his wife's phone and tipped local officers about he possible sexual relationship between female teacher and a male special needs student.
Maj. James Yarbrough of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office said Dixon’s husband saw messages on his wife’s phone and originally thought those communications were with a adult male. But what Dixon told him when he confronted her, said Yarbrough, was that she had been having relations with a 15-year-old boy who had been a former student that she had taught in a special needs class at Northgate.
Dixon allegedly had been involved in the relationship with the 15-year-old for several months and the two had him in different locations.
http://femalesexoffenders.com/fso/index.php/the-news/344-dorothy-dixon-arrestedDorothy Elizabeth Dixon, 29-year-old special needs teacher at Northgate High School,... more
-
-
b2r
-
added this
-
12 months ago
- |
-
Amy Kathleen Caudle, 31-year-old teacher at Andalusia Middle School, Alabama, has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree sodomy for sexually abusing students.
As a result of the plea deal with prosecutors, she was sentenced to 15 years for each count, to be served concurrently. She will serve three years, with credit for time already served in the county jail, and will have 12 years of supervised probation.
Caudle was arrested back in March this year, for allegedly sexually abusing three students. She let slip to a former school employee that she performed sex acts with at least two students. The employee informed police Caudle was arrested a short time later.
According to Chief Assistant District Attorney, Caudle performed oral sex on two underage victims multiple times between November 2010 and February 2011. The incidents in question took place in her vehicle, one on Bray Street in Andalusia and one in Johnson Park.
http://femalesexoffenders.com/fso/index.php/the-news/340-amy-caudleAmy Kathleen Caudle, 31-year-old teacher at Andalusia Middle School, Alabama, has... more
-
-
b2r
-
added this
-
12 months ago
- |
-
Who knows where it starts, maybe in the womb, maybe it’s a reaction of tiny lungs to that first mind blowing breath or maybe our first outcry is a political statement. Each and every one of us is born fragile, sensitive and totally dependent. We react to life based on our circuitry, our environment and since we’re spirit made flesh there is a recoil. Little average Joey begins responding in varying degrees of feeling participation or avoidance in his life process. There’s the overlay of mother, father, birth order, siblings, teachers, institutions, the world etc.Who knows where it starts, maybe in the womb, maybe it’s a reaction of tiny... more
-
-
Once again, WHACKO-TV has come up with another new show and this one is called HOW TO MAKE AMERICA BETTER. The immigration problem in America is not going away. We turned the Eduardo the Educator to give us his plan on how to make America better. We know that his crazy idea will never happen, even though it does have some great possibilities.Once again, WHACKO-TV has come up with another new show and this one is called HOW TO... more
-
-
April St. John Alexander, 26-year-old biology teacher at MacArthur High School, Irving, Texas, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old male student.
The student, who is now 18, told investigators that the sexual encounters with his teacher took place at MacArthur High School, where she was a biology teacher, and in her car. They had sex sex approximately 25 times in the fall of 2009, from October to December.
The Irving Independent School District said Alexander resigned with no reason give on Nov. 17, 2010. She started working with the district on Oct. 14, 2008.
http://femalesexoffenders.com/fso/index.php/the-news/323-april-st-john-alexander-arrestedApril St. John Alexander, 26-year-old biology teacher at MacArthur High School,... more
-
-
Carrie McCandless, former teacher who pleaded guilty to having sexual relations with an underage student has been ordered to serve additional jail time for violating the terms of her probation.
She must also complete 60 days of unsupervised probation. Because Larimer County District Judge Devin Odell revoked her probation on the felony charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, McCandless will now have a felony conviction on her criminal record, said Larimer County DA spokeswoman Linda Jensen.
McCandless tested positive for morphine in her system in April on a court-ordered drug test.
Because of this violation, she now has a felony conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
http://femalesexoffenders.com/fso/index.php/the-news/321-carrie-mccandless-gets-2-months-in-jail-for-positive-drug-testCarrie McCandless, former teacher who pleaded guilty to having sexual relations with... more
-
-
b2r
-
added this
-
1 year ago
- |
-
Those who say our educational system is broken clearly aren't spending enough time on the Internet. Professor Brett Erlich's YouTube tutorial shows that our schools are, in fact, teaching vital lessons on everything from physics to personal responsibility. You'll be talking about this Viral Video Film School episode all summer long.
Catch "infoMania" on Fridays at 9/8c, starting May 27 on Current TV.
infoMania is a half-hour comedy show that airs weekly on Current TV. Picture the ultimate office water-cooler, only with funnier co-workers who willingly stay up late imbibing all forms of media so you don't have to. Caveat: Bring your own water. Hosted by Brett Erlich and co-starring Sergio Cilli, Erin Gibson, Ben Hoffman and Bryan Safi, infoMania airs Fridays on Current TV.
Viral Video Film School is a recurring segment on the weekly television show infoMania. In each episode of VVFS, Professor Brett Erlich teaches you valuable skills in the discipline of Viral Video making. So sit down, take notes, and try not to piss him off. For more Brett visit http://current.com/viral-video-film-school-im/ and Current TV.
Go to http://current.com/infomania for more, and make sure to check out our Facebook profile for special features at http://facebook.com/infomania.
Current Media, the Peabody-and Emmy Award-winning television and online network founded in 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, engages viewers with smart, provocative and timely programming -stories that no one else is telling in ways that no one else is telling them. Current's programming shines a light where others won't dare and boldly explores important subjects -- opening minds, sparking conversations and forming deep connections with its viewers. The channel's audience is comprised of affluent, curious, social and connected adults who crave the kind of entertaining, enlightening, witty and informative programming found on Current's TV and online properties. Current is now available via cable and satellite TV in 75 million households worldwide - 60 million households in the US - through distribution partners Comcast (Channel 107); Time Warner ; DirecTV (Channel 358 nationwide); Dish Network (Channel 196 nationwide); Verizon and AT&T. In the UK and Ireland, Current is available on BSkyB (Channel 183) and Virgin Media (Channel 155), and in Italy, Current is available on Sky Italia (Channel 130). Viewers can also find Current online at www.current.com.Those who say our educational system is broken clearly aren't spending enough... more
-
-
-
This video is about my introduction of my video chat online adviser webpage. It's about providing online video chat with users in computer and internet knowledge. Like emails, internet use, e-commerce, downloads, softwares, anti-virus, spywares, computers maintenance, disk cleaning and other relevant computer and internet knowledge.This video is about my introduction of my video chat online adviser webpage. It's... more
-
-
I see very little coverage of this and see reports with diminished numbers of attendees. There were thousands, not hundreds as seems to be being reported from other sources.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/12/wall-street-march-may-12_n_861367.html
Thousands of teachers, social workers, union members and more took part in a march Thursday against Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plans for wide-ranging budget cuts -- and against the Wall Street bankers they blame for the city's budget woes.
Activists reported that the NYPD had arrested several marchers, but the demonstration took on a mostly joyful cast, with colorful signs, raucous chants and even a stilt-walker.
The May 12 Coalition's organizers promised a big turnout of more than 10,000 marchers, and while immediately pinning down the crowd's size proved difficult, at least that number turned out.
Demonstrators from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) alone, which faces more than 4,000 teacher cuts if Bloomberg's budget is enacted as is, numbered in the thousands.
Rev. Al Sharpton, UFT President Michael Mulgrew and an array of city councilmembers and state elected officials laid the blame for the budget cuts squarely at Bloomberg and Wall Street's feet.
"Wall Street recovered, hedge funds got stimulated, and now they want to lay off teachers and close day care centers," Sharpton said. "We're going where they sent the money," he said of the march.
Organizers claimed the city could prevent budget cuts by reinstating the state's "Millionaire Tax," ending subsidies for large companies that failed to meet job-creation targets and renegotiating city contracts with the big banks. They estimate their proposals could save New York City $1.5 billion and billed the event as a demonstration not just against the Bloomberg budget plan but also as an effort to "make the banks pay."I see very little coverage of this and see reports with diminished numbers of... more
-
