Success Doesn’t Define You. What You Do Next Does.
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Every now and then, a moment arrives that shows you exactly why culture
matters. Last night in Detroit, Western Michigan won the MAC Football
Championship ...
ICYMI: Chorus Edition (12/7)
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The CMO of the Institute (that’s Chief Marital Officer) sings in a
community chorus because, among other reasons, she objectively has a voice
much like tha...
ICYMI: Chorus Edition (12/7)
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The CMO of the Institute (that's Chief Marital Officer) sings in a
community chorus because, among other reasons, she objectively has a voice
much like tha...
In winter weather whoopsie, ODOT caught off guard
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[image: ODOT]ere you late for work last Monday morning? Of course you were,
because the roads were in rough shape, particularly the highways with their
o...
The Company You Keep
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Even though the filing period for the 2026 elections isn't until April,
let's all pay close attention. The candidates lining up to run will tell
you more a...
Power Targeting the Vulnerable
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When cruelty becomes a strategy, the vulnerable suffer. I wrote about how
disabled students and hungry families were used as leverage during the
shutdown...
Chicago Torture Justice Memorial–HELP!!!
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As a member of Chicago Torture Justice Memorial Foundation’s Social Justice
Pollinator Hive (our community of recurring donors), we’ve been busy
working to...
Poem: someone died today
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[Header Photo by Ron Szalata on Unsplash] someone died todayand made my
partner cry i am afraid of dyingbut more afraid of not living not living
like today...
Ten News Items from The Contrarian
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These Top 10 lists will be refreshed weekly and will have their own tab on
the Contrarian homepage. Here’s our first one, followed as usual by my
rund...
A Crucial Lesson I Learned as a Young Teacher
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By the fifth year of teaching at Cleveland’s Glenville High School in the
early 1960s, however, I had learned one of the most important lessons a
teacher c...
Best STEM Materials for Classrooms – 2025 Reviews
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As a classroom teacher with over a decade of experience, I’ve watched STEM
materials evolve from simple blocks to sophisticated learning...
The post Best...
This and That, December 5, 2025
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*Update:*
The Seattle Times has a good profile of *Board President Gina Topp.*
One key item noted in the article is that, coming up at next week's regular
...
Gossiping
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What other people say about me is none of my business.
It's a rationale that pops up for me when I feel judged by others, when I
suspect or know that so...
How the NYPD violates sanctuary city laws.
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Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means for
New York to call itself a sanctuary city — and whether those words still
carry th...
Part II: Charter School Reckoning: Disillusionment
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In Decline, the first part of The National Center for Charter School
Accountability’s three-part report, Charter School Reckoning: Decline,
Disillusionme...
Youth. For Christ? At School?
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I should probably preface what I’m about to say by noting that I
self-identify as a liberal Christian. Without getting too far into the
theological weeds—o...
How Mandami and Democratic Socialists Win -
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Article, published today, explaining recent victories of democratic
socialists and progressives (in NY, Seattle, Buffalo, and elsewhere) and
putting t...
‘An Education’ by Diane Ravitch — My Review
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Fifty years after the publication of her first book, ‘The Great School
Wars’, author and historian Diane Ravtich has released her long awaited
memoirs. In...
Just Finished Diane Ravitch’s New Book
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By Thomas Ultican 11/25/2025 An Education; How I Changed My Mind About
Schools and Almost Everything Else, is highly recommended especially for
the thousan...
It Is Up to Us to Defend Democracy
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Do we have the courage to defeat an authoritarian regime? I believe we do,
if we organize strategically and effectively. There is no time to waste.
Do we...
November’s Parent Engagement Resources
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Be A Learning Hero has lots of research parent engagement with schools. No
Simple Answers for Kids and Screens* (Sara Konrath) After 10 years of
studying f...
Fix the Past or Invent the Future?
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Introduction Order the book from ASCD or Amazon. For years, the pervasive
story of American education was one of decline. In 1995, educational
psychologist...
Donald Trump, The Epstein Files, and “60 Minutes”
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Fans of ‘Sesame Street” will remember this song: “One of these things is
not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong. Can you say
which th...
Tuesday’s Close Election: Proposal One
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Zohran won six days ago. That was the election that everyone remembers. But
there was more on the ballot. Proposals 2 – 6 were about New York City (2 –
5 p...
This Is What Democracy Looks Like
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The polls for Prop 50, CA’s ballot initiative that counters MAGA’s illegal
gerry-mandering in Texas, opened Tuesday, November 4, 2025,…
The post This Is ...
Trying to get video cameras for my school
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through Donors Choose.
Here’s the project:
www.donorschoose.org/…
Putting this up because today only there is a 50% match for whatever you
contribute s...
Don’t Follow Advice from Billionaires
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This is by Julian Vasquez Lustig. —————- When billionaires step onto a
stage, release a book, or tweet some glossy piece of wisdom, the world pays
attentio...
Blogoversary #19 — Time to Move on
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Times have changed. I had a nice long run here, but let’s face it, it ended
a while ago. So I’ve moved. I’m not writing much any more, but when I do it
wil...
Il Papa è Morto
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Francis brought a distinct pastoral outlook to his papacy. A simple man, he
lived in a small apartment in the guesthouse. He sought to make the church
acce...
Trump plays Putin’s Playbook
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Recently Aleksander Dugin was interviewed on CNN, last week, and he stated
that he believes Trump is closer ideologically to President Putin than to
Washin...
Mike Shulman the ARISE UFT Judenrat
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I was surprised to learn that Mike Shulman has aligned himself with ARISE.
I previously supported him, advocating that the Castle Doctrine could have
bee...
How Do We Fight Trump?
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Dear Friends, I don’t know when and why it hit me. But I suddenly realized
how serious Trump is about changing the country into something that
horrifies. I...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen GarcÃa
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
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Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
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Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Critique of Standards-Based Grading
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It first happened to me about ten years ago. I was beginning my third year
of teaching in a new school in Washington, DC. Social studies teachers were
si...
My First and Last Visit to Hudson Yards
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Figuring I did not need to invite any more darkness and vulgarity into my
head than that provided on a daily basis from Trump’s White House, and
after read...
Reduced time for testing? Not so fast.
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NYSED and Commish Elia continue to say that the NYS Assessments are of
reasonable length, I completely disagree.
Here is what NYSED states are average expe...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
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It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
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Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
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Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
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I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
The Apotheosis of Betsy DeVos
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Betsy Devos has drawn few headlines in recent months, and that is a good
thing for the Secretary of Education. Her tenure began with Vice President
Mike P...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Should We Be Grateful?
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In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
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Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
REPORT: States With the Best and Worst Schools
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States With the Best (and Worst)Schools
By *Evan Comen, Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins and Thomas C. Frohlich*
January 20, 2017- http://247wallst.com
...
Test Refusal = People Power
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In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
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I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
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Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
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Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
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*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
Here's a clip from the end of today's session. I've chosen to highlight the section where Daniel Bill (D-17) asks a couple of good technical questions. If I'm not mistaken, he also hints pretty strongly that he's probably going to be one of those Social Security privatizers later on in his career, so let's tuck that away. There's a lot going on in this clip, so feel free to chime in.
By the way, that's Michael Madigan front and center; he's there to bully the members into voting for this pile of crap, and Tom Cross next to him. Between the two of them, these
California school districts -- wielding new fiscal flexibility granted by state lawmakers -- cut deeply into several popular programs to balance local budgets, according to a study of 10 diverse districts released this week.
Local educators in 2009 were granted total control over $4.5 billion that previously funded 40 regulated programs, a change made as Sacramento lawmakers cut educational spending by almost one-fifth. The new study begins to illuminate how local school boards changed spending on adult education, special programs for gifted students, new textbooks and other programs.
“District actions were driven mostly by the need to plug deficits in their budgets, rather than from careful evaluation of programs and priorities,” said Brian Stecher, a study co-author and senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization. “How this continues to evolve will have important impacts on K-12 students across California.”
Bennett Kayser, the candidate favored by the teachers union, won the last remaining open seat for the Los Angeles Board of Education on Thursday, beating Luis Sanchez, who was supported by the mayor.
"Teachers and teachers unions have been scapegoated, and I think we're on the road to vindication right now," Kayser said.
Kayser, a retired teacher, received about 10,700 votes, nearly 600 more than Sanchez, who is chief of staff for the current school board president, Monica Garcia. Voter turnout was less than 10%, and most ballots were cast by mail. Sanchez said he does not plan to ask for a recount.
The race to represent the 5th District, which covers the area
Michelle Rhee pats DougCo schools on back for voucher program
By The Denver Post
POSTED: 05/26/2011 04:36:09 PM MDT
Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of Washington, D.C., schools, today in a speech in Denver congratulated the work of the Douglas County School District in implementing a voucher program.
Rhee said before her work in Washington, her Democratic affiliation contained her support for education reform to anything that wasn't vouchers — until she started talking to mothers who felt they had no good school options for their children.
"I was not going to be the one to tell these moms that they couldn't take the money, that they should stick it out with us and hopefully in five years we could get the schools performing — even though in the meantime
faux pas major screw-ups this school year, I naively thought the last 3 days would be peaceful and incident free. Just when I thought the Universe was conspiring for my greater good, I have yet another fire to extinguish with this school run by bumbling idiots. No more than twenty minutes after I enter the house, Boy Wonder asks me if he can have money to eat lunch tomorrow. Hmmm, that’s odd because the last time I checked, he was supposed to receive free breakfast and lunch at school. So, as mothers do, I unloaded a barrage of questions:
Me: Why didn’t you eat lunch today?
Boy Wonder: Because they didn’t serve lunch today?
Me:Why not? Did you eat breakfast at school today?
gothamschools.org - Flyer outside Harlem Success Academy 1 on Tuesday. (Tony Richards) Charter school parents and advocates are planning a massive rally tomorrow to demand that the NAACP withdraw from the city teacher...
nydailynews.com - Susana Bates for News The Tweed Courthouse at 52 Chambers St. in lower Manhattan where the Department of Education is headquartered. Another day, another outrageous consultant scandal at the Depart...
nola.com - WASHINGTON -- Louisiana and eight other unsuccessful finalists for last year's national Race to the Top educational competition were invited today to compete for a share of a new but smaller pot of...
nytimes.com - Nine states that were also-rans in last year’s Race to the Top school improvement competition will get another chance, the Obama administration announced on Wednesday, though this time $200 million...
bigeducationape.blogspot.com - LAUSD - The Making of a Trojan Horse by Mark Hemphill (LAUSD - La realización de un caballo de Troya por Mark Hemphill) - Perdaily.comLAUSD - The Making of a Trojan Horse by Mark Hemphill (LAUSD - ...
chicagotribune.com - The outgoing board of Chicago Public Schools approved the appointment of the city's newest schools chief for an initial annual salary of $250,000 on Wednesday at a meeting marked by farewells and h...
blackagendareport.com - Printer-friendly version A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen FordPublic education’s corporate enemies – Democrat and Republican – now wage open warfare against teachers unions, seeking to strip...
fairtest.org - Mandated as a condition for states to receive federal Race to the Top (RTTT) funds, many states and districts are concocting schemes to “evaluate” their teachers in large part based on student tes...
preaprez.wordpress.com - Early Wednesday word was circulating that Tom Cross and Mike Madigan didn’t have the votes to move the pension bill out of committee. All committee meetings listed on the House schedule had been ca...
ringstruetome.blogspot.com - Sometimes a storyline is communicated by a single word. Like taxpayers — a word that Governor Walker and other Republicans seem especially fond of lately."[Protesters'] voices cannot drown out the ...
preaprez.wordpress.com - Last year they passed a two-tier pension plan in the Illinois legislature in 12 hours. No discussion. No debate. Teachers hired after January one of this year will need to work 44 years in order to...
guardian.co.uk - Fielding doesn't fancy being an exam invigilator and having to see 'those tortured little faces'. Photograph: Antonio Olmos It's the dread exam season.Do I want to be an invigilator?To perk up the ...
vivirlaeducacion.com - Publicado el 27 Mayo 2011Archivado en Josep | 19 mayo, 2011 por Psicólogos Bonnet Una de las creencias que se suelen tener cuando las personas evitan el relacionarse socialmente es el miedo a ser r...
bigthink.com - There’s a lot of stuff that comes through my Twitter stream. In addition to independent tweets, there also are my posts from here and Mind Dump, my Delicious bookmarks, things that I share from Goo...
capitolfax.com - * House Republican Leader Tom Cross unveiled his pension reform proposal yesterday… The plan, endorsed by the top Democrat and the top Republican in the Illinois House, would require many state emp...
suntimes.com - BY DAVID ROEDER Business Reporter/droeder@suntimes.com May 26, 2011 05:06AM Four investment banks are costing the Chicago Public Schools $35.9 million in annual interest payments tied to so-called ...
teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com - Ø With a Defined Contribution Plan (401k, 403b, 457), only your contributions are defined;Ø Your benefit is not guaranteed;Ø Your benefit is based upon investment earnings;Ø Your benefit ends w...
schooltechconnect.com - You have to call. Faxes are also good. Letters are also good. But you absolutely have to call. Below is a clip from my own call to my state representative, whom I haven't met yet. During the call, ...
preaprez.wordpress.com - I’ve looked at this Bill and actually read it all the way through. SB512 does not get rid of pensions like many are saying but it does give people an option to choose what type of plan it is whethe...
sacramentopress.com - I figure these firemen are secure in their manliness since they are dressed in pink and drive around in pink fire trucks all over the country. They are on a mission: to raise awareness and money fo...
host.madison.com - MARY SPICUZZA | mspicuzza@madison.com | 608-252-6122 madison.com | | Posted: Thursday, May 26, 2011 9:34 am A judge has struck down Gov. Scott Walker's controversial new collective bargaining law. ...
boston.com - WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Thursday threw out a lower court's ruling that authorities need warrants to talk to potential victims of sex abuse at school, without saying whether it thought the e...