Eder on board at Marco Island Academy with one-year contract
December 10th, 2011
Marco Island Academy’s new art teacher Rob Eder in his art classroom. Nori St. Paul/Eagle Correspondent
Marco Island Academy’s newest teacher Michael Doherty. Nori St. Paul/Eagle Correspondent
— Marco Island Academy continues to strengthen its foundation, according to board member Chris Schemel, and recently hired two new teachers.
Former Marco Island Charter Middle School teacher Rob Eder signed a one year contract with the charter high school. Eder recently returned from North Carolina, where according to Schemel, he taught, and also ran a business for the past five years. He taught with the charter middle school here for five years before that.
According to the middle school’s principal of 12 years, George Abounader, while Eder taught there, “He was a diverse and excellent teacher.”
Eder is certified to teach art, social studies and English.
The second new educator at the high school is Michael Doherty, the science teacher.
Tags: Academy, Island Academy, Marco Island, Marco Island Academy
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Businesses, philanthropies give $2 million to Shelby County school merger effort
December 5th, 2011
Schools in Transition
Thursday’s approval of a $2.2 million budget and $1.7 million consulting contract by the Shelby County’s school merger Transition Planning Commission revealed the costs and scope of the planning that will go into consolidating Memphis City Schools with Shelby County Schools.
The 21-member transition commission’s budget includes $2 million that has been donated by local businesses, corporations and philanthropies, with the bulk of that total now committed to a contract with Boston Consulting Group.
Donors listed in a news release are FedEx, First Tennessee Bank, AutoZone, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Hyde Family Foundations and Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, plus unnamed donors who wished to remain anonymous.
The contract, negotiated by commissioner Christine Richards, who is also executive vice president and general counsel for FedEx, outlines a hectic work schedule that calls for options on critical decisions outlined by the end of February and determinations made by the end of April.
One example is how to structure the district: Should it be centralized or decentralized into what the contract calls “regions, clusters, networks?” If so, how much authority or autonomy would be spread throughout the county?
That is vital, according to the contract language, because whatever model is chosen “will inform many committees’ work.”
The Shelby County Schools Education Foundation, which has served the suburban district, is acting as the commission’s conduit for incoming and outgoing funds.
Tags: Merger, School Merger, Shelby County
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Bullying and Social Media among Teens
November 30th, 2011
We continue to collect statistics about bullying both in person and via text and the internet. A new study entitled Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Networks indicates that more kids are bullied in person than in virtual environments. In fact, the study conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project for the Family Online Safety Institute concluded that most young people are kind to one another on social networks.
The statistics align closely with previous scientific surveys on bullying and cyberbullying. The largest source of bullying (12 percent) was in person, followed by text messaging (9 percent). Eight percent said they had been bullied via email, a social networking site or instant messaging and 7 percent were bullied via voice calls on the phone. Girls are more likely to have experienced what we typically call cyberbullying, while boys and girls are roughly equal when it comes to in person bullying.
According to the study, more young people are stepping in when they witness bullying.
Tags: Teens
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Admission Rejected after Pre-Application – Fall 2012
November 30th, 2011
I am a big fan of yours. I would like to share my experience and ask you some questions. Hope you will help me. I am planning to apply for Food Technology for fall 2012.
I have filled pre-application for same graduate program in few universities (which is present in specific graduate program website). It is a free application in which we have to fill personal details, GRE, TOEFL, GPA. Also we have to write a short SOP about 1000 characters etc., It is only for international students to check the sustainability of original application as original application costs about 100$ which is too costly.
I have GRE score of 800 quants + 370 verbal. There is no minimum GRE requirement mentioned for 1 university. Still i got a mail that i do not meet the requirements. I have GGPA of 8.8/10 and have mentioned 2 publications related to same field. This clearly shows that the universities specific programs put a minimum cut-off for scores though they say there is no minimum cut-off.
- What does this mean?
Tags: 2012, Fall 2012
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There is an Eloquence in True Enthusiasm
November 30th, 2011
I really liked Diana Senechal’s recent post over at Open Salon, “Bad Teachers or Bad Curriculum,” and I agree with much of her educational philosophy. However, there’s one little piece of the educational policy puzzle that seems to have fallen on the floor, kicked around a bit, and forgotten. Unfortunately, it’s a corner piece, and the picture isn’t ever going to be complete without it.
Enthusiasm.
I have had teachers who know their stuff, teachers who can recite the periodic table backward and forward all day long but hate having to teach those pesky students. I’ve had monotonous math teachers, wiling away their last two obligatory years before retirement, teachers who taught me more anecdotal lessons about beekeeping than the basics of Algebra II.
Fortunately, I have had more than my share of great teachers, teachers who truly love what they do. Teachers who, even 35 years into their teaching careers, can’t imagine retirement – they can’t even bear teaching the same material more than a year or two in a row for fear of boredom.
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Jefferson County Public Schools reach highest enrollment in 25 years
November 26th, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky., — Jefferson County Public Schools have reached their highest enrollment in 25 years.
New figures released for this school year show JCPS has reached 100,534 students. That makes the district the largest in the state and the 28th largest in the nation.
Enrollment in JCPS has been on the rise for past 15 years.
School officials say the steady growth is because of some population increases around the county and new career themes at high schools. They also say more parents are turning to public schools instead of private schools in a down economy. The Archdiocese of Louisville says enrollment at its 48 catholic schools has decreased by about 2000 students over the past five years.
The biggest enrollment gains this year came from five high schools: Jeffersontown, Moore, Ballard, Iroquois and The Academy at Shawnee.
Tags: 25 Years, County Public Schools, Highest Enrollment, Years
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Outdoor toys can become a great Christmas gift
November 25th, 2011
Variety is important for your children, because most of them will get bored easily if stuck with the same old story. So, outdoor playing can be a great idea if you buy attractive toys for your children.
Climbing frames
If your child is overactive and loves to climb furniture, don’t restrict him or her to give a way to release the energy. These frames are made from robust materials such as wood, metal, or its combination, and you can get the best price at tp climbing frame sale. The cost varies depending on the material quality and characteristics of the frame. You can get a frame with a single thread or with overhead bars or other characteristics. Some of them come with a slide, ladder, playhouse, monkey bars and swings. They are good for the movement of the muscles of your child and let your child use his energy in the right direction. These toys require no maintenance and last for years.
Ride on toys
Other exciting outdoor toys include scooters, cars and trikes for children. Read more…
Tags: Outdoor toys
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