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Destination Spotlight of the Month
Whether you arrive in London via the underground or inside one of the city's ubiquitous black taxicabs, you will immediately be greeted by a deep sense of history and met with the unique vibrancy of this incredible destination.
Tourist highlights include: Changing the Guard (Daily) This is one of the oldest and most familiar of all royal ceremonies. Every other day a throng of tourists gather outside Buckingham Palace to watch the exchange of duty between the Old Guard and the New Guard.
West End Shows (Daily) Famed for its musicals, the West End in the centre of London boasts some of the best theatre in the world, from musicals to comedy and drama.
Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair (November) Showcasing the finest selection of Christmas gifts, fabulously-festive home decorations and a delicious range of food and drink from luxury Christmas puddings to Cornish Cheese and fine wines, the Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair is the ultimate Christmas bazaar.
V Festival Chelmsford (22/23 August) Richard Branson's answer to the popular music festivals during the British summers offers many of the biggest live acts from around the world.
Flight Specials you should know about
Pay for your flight conveniently with our 'Retrieve & Pay' online tool.
Did you know that flysaa.com is packed with great functionality that allows you, the traveller, to become your own travel agent? Each month, this section will highlight one of the many online tools available. This month, the focus is on...
Retrieve & Pay Tired of waiting in queues to pay for your ticket? Tied of being put hold? Why not use our 'Retrieve & Pay' online tool, enabling you to pay for your ticket in a fast, convenient and secure manner.
Please note:
To utilise this tool, visit www.flysaa.com and navigate to 'Before You Fly' >> Manage Reservations. Ensure you have your booking reference number on hand.
For more great online tools, visit Manage Reservations section under the "Before you fly" tab.
Partners of the month
Avis Avis has always been about trying harder, about going out of our way to make the customer feel special. Our new campaign's aim is to bring that idea to life through the simple but powerful action of a Smile. A Smile is something so uniquely powerful; it spreads from those who give it to those who receive it. It costs nothing and its impression is a lasting one that we already own. It is through this simple action that we want to show that Avis lives up to our promise, that People are more important than cars.
So go on, smile because the offers don't just end there...
Heathrow Express Heathrow Express is the fastest, most frequent way to travel between Heathrow Airport and central London. With no traffic jams, taxi queues or stops to worry about, you can be in the centre of London, or right inside the airport, in just 15 minutes. Departing from London's Paddington station every fifteen minutes, Heathrow Express delivers an airline-style experience the moment you step through the doors. Heathrow Express trains are designed to be level with the platform, making it easier to get your luggage onboard. All carriages are climate controlled and include modern, accessible toilet facilities. Book now using our South African Airways special discounted rates.
In the news�
South African Airways (SAA) has added capacity to its African route network in keeping with its African strategy, as well as having strengthened its network with additional flights on routes to Perth, Australia and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The changes to the airline's schedule are in line with demand trends in the current economic environment. Off peak flights on several domestic and international routes have been reduced in keeping with a decline in demand.
However, SAA will continue to take up new opportunities in line with its plans to concentrate future growth on its extensive African route network. As such, its presence in West Africa has been strengthened and additional frequencies have been added on routes to both Australia and Argentina.
Further increasing its footprint in West Africa, three extra flights have been added to the popular West African destination of Lagos, Nigeria. This increases the number of frequencies on this route from four to seven per week. On four of these days, SAA will use a Boeing 747-400 on this route due to increased demand as well as the requirement for a first class service on this route.
Also in West Africa, flights to Douala, Cameroon, will increase from two to three per week. On the route to Perth, Australia, SAA is increasing the number of flights from five to seven per week; while flights from Johannesburg to Buenos Aires, Argentina, will increase from two to three per week.
SAA will continue to closely monitor market demand and look for new market opportunities going forward. Further expansion of flight frequencies throughout Africa is expected to take place later this year.


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Western enthusiast and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry has put together a new biography of George Armstrong Custer.
Western enthusiast and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry has put together a new biography of George Armstrong Custer. Filled with paintings by noted Western artists such as Frederic Remington and photographs by Matthew Brady, "Custer" (921.000) offers an engaging look at the flamboyant general, his fatal performance at the Little Big Horn, and the legends surrounding him which were fostered by his wife, Libbie, and Buffalo Bill Cody.
The always surprising Caleb Carr returns with an incredibly imaginative work set in Germany during the Dark Ages. "The Legend of Broken," Carr explains in his prologue, is an ancient document he discovered while going through the papers of the late historian Edward Gibbon. It tells of Broken, a city carved out of granite and surrounded by the Davon Wood, where a race of diminutive beings called the Bane live. Sorcery and science begin to mesh as the people of Broken and the Bane must put aside their age old hatred to find the source of the pestilence that is slowly killing them all.
Siblings Grace and Andrew Easton inherit their grandmother's house in London and decide it is large enough for them to live in comfortably and separately. That works well until Andrew's boyfriend, James Derain, moves in. When Andrew and James witness a friend's murder, the trauma they each suffer shakes up the household. Somewhat unsympathetic, Grace decides to lose herself in a good book. She chooses an unpublished work by a once popular novelist that strangely echoes her own situation. Things always get a little edgier when Ruth Rendell writes as Barbara Vine. "The Child's Child" is Vine's latest.
Parenting today is challenging and often difficult even under the best of circumstances, but what of parents who have children that fall outside the mainstream? How do you deal with a child who is autistic or born with Dwarfism or is gay or goes on a shooting rampage? National Book Award winner Andrew Solomon spent 10 years researching these questions, interviewing thousands of people along the way, to present "Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity" (362.400).
Donald Bain, who took on the guise of Jessica Fletcher to produce a ton of "Murder She Wrote" mysteries, now takes over the "Capital Crimes" series begun by the late Margaret Truman. When Sheila Klauss is arrested for running down her psychiatrist Mark Sedgwick, Dr. Nicholas Tatum, who works with the Criminal Behavior Unit, asks Mackensie Smith to represent her. Tatum believes Klauss was under hypnosis when she killed Sedgwick — a theory that leads them to an elaborate scheme to assassinate presidential candidate George Martinson. "Margaret Truman's Experiment in Murder" (M) is the title.
With Peter Jackson's rendition of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" filling movie theaters this season, playwright Noble Smith explores the lessons we can all learn from Bilbo Baggins and his people. "The Wisdom of the Shire: a Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life" (823.000) highlights the way of life of the brave, unassuming Hobbits who seem to find happiness in the simplest of things.
Other new titles:
Fiction — "Two Graves," by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child;
"Agenda 21," by Glenn Beck;
"A Place in Time: Twenty Stories of the Port William Membership" (SS), by Wendell Berry;
"Shadow Creek: a Novel," by Joy Fielding.
Non-fiction — "Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim" (814.000), by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella;
"Hallucinations" (616.900), by Oliver Sacks.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sales and Help Line
Call or Text: 937-552-5616
Sales and Help Line
Call or Text: 937-552-5616
Shop Our Extended Service Plans
TRANSMISSIONAll Internal PartsSeals and GasketsTorque ConverterTransfer Case (Including All Internal Parts)Transmission Case
REAR-WHEEL DRIVEAxle ShaftsBearings (Front and Rear)Drive Axle Housing (Including All Internal Parts)DriveshaftRetainersSeals and GasketsUniversal and Constant Velocity Joints
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who can purchase a Ford ESP (Extended Service Plan)?
Q: When will my plan expire?
A:For vehicles STILL in factory warranty: Ford ESP terms begin the day the car was purchased brand new by the original owner with zero miles on the odometer. For example, a 6 year 100,000 mile Ford ESP will expire six years from the date the car was purchased brand new by the original owner or when the odometer reaches 100,000 miles.
A: Immediately after purchasing a Ford ESP from this website, you will receive an email confirming your purchase. Your Ford ESP contract will then be emailed to you within 3 business days and registered with Ford Motor Company. You can begin using all the benefits of your Ford ESP immediately.
NOTE: Ford Extended Service Plans purchased for vehicles not covered by the factory warranty require a vehicle inspection before the contract can be activated by Ford Motor Company. The vehicle inspection report (click here to download) must be completed at a Ford or Lincoln Dealership. After the dealership completes the inspection, email the inspection AND the invoice to email@example.com, or fax the paperwork to 877-339-1978.
Q: What's the difference between PowertrainCARE, BaseCARE, ExtraCARE and PremiumCARE? A: Each plan offers coverage to suit different situations and budgets. For example, PremiumCARE is ideal for a "loaded" vehicle with extensive options and for an individual who wants the maximum coverage (switches, regulators, window motors, etc.) PowertrainCARE is better suited for a someone looking to cover the basic power train of their vehicle (engine and transmission components), and who has a lower budget for their extended service plan.
Q: Will my dealer honor a plan I bought over the Internet?
A: Yes. The plan you buy from this website is a Genuine Ford Extended Service Plan backed by Ford Motor Company and will be honored at every dealership in the United States and Canada. Your plan will be activated in Ford's computer and will appear on your dealer's computer when you take your vehicle in for repair. For vehicles outside the factory warranty, most independent garages will also accept a Ford ESP.
Q: How do I or the dealership determine if a repair is covered by my Ford ESP?
A: If you know what component has failed, you can refer to your Ford ESP brochure to determine if the component is covered. If the component is covered, your Ford ESP covers the cost of the component and all labor. In addition, your Ford ESP will cover any damage caused by the covered component and provide a rental vehicle for overnight repairs. Your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership will place the part number in Ford's computer and determine if the component is covered by your contract.
Q: Why buy an extended service plan from Ford?
A: There are many aftermarket companies that you can buy extended service plans from. However, Genuine Ford ESPs are the only extended service plans honored by every Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealership in the United States and Canada. Ford ESP's are also the only extended service plans backed by the full faith of Ford Motor Company. With a Ford ESP you have the confidence of knowing only genuine Ford parts will be used on your vehicle and the comfort of knowing only Ford certified technicians will be working on your vehicle. With a Ford ESP you only pay your deductible at the time of repair, you do NOT have to pay for the repair and then wait for reimbursement like most after-market warranty companies require. Third party extended service plans do not offer the benefits you will enjoy in your Ford Extended Service Plan.
Accept no substitutes. Look for the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury logos on the contract materials.
Q: Where can I take my vehicle for service?
A: You can take your vehicle for service to any Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership in the United States or Canada.
Q: Can I cancel my Ford ESP?
A: Yes. All Ford ESP contracts can be canceled for a full refund within 30 days (if you have not used any aspect of the plan). Beyond 60 days, you will receive a pro-rated refund from Ford Motor Company. To cancel a Ford ESP simply call us toll free at 1-877-339-1978.
Q: What happens if I sell my vehicle with an active Ford ESP contract?
A: If you sell your vehicle with an active Ford ESP contract you can transfer the remainder of your contract to the next owner for a small fee. Simply contact us toll free at 1-877-339-1978 for more information on transferring your Ford ESP.
Q: Does my plan cover a rental vehicle?
A: Yes. All Ford ESPs cover a rental vehicle for overnight repairs of covered components. The free rental will be arranged by the servicing Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership. You can also purchase First Day Rental and receive a free rental for same day covered repairs.
Q: If I have a question about my active plan, who do I call?
A: You can contact us at 1-877-339-1978, or you may contact your local Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership.
Q: What is a deductible?
A: The deductible is the amount you owe the dealership for each eligible repair visit. An Eligible Repair Visit occurs each time a covered Vehicle failure (or failures) is repaired by a dealer on a single visit.
Q: How can I verify my plan is active?
A: You can verify your plan is active by contacting us at 1-877-339-1978 or by calling your local Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership. Please have the serial number (or VIN number) of your vehicle ready when you call.
Q: Where is my vehicle's serial number?
To locate the VIN on your vehicle, stand on the driver's side of the vehicle and look through the lower corner of the windshield. You can also find the VIN by opening the door and look in the door jamb area. All cars and light trucks built after 1981 have a unique 17-character VIN.
If you cannot locate your VIN, please give us a call at 1-877-339-1978 and ask for the Genuine Ford ESP Department.
Ford's Limited Maintenance Plan covers all your oil changes and tire rotations for the length of plan that you purchase. This plan allows you to save hundreds
of dollars by purchasing most of your maintenance at one time. Limited Maintenance Plans can be purchased for any age vehicle, with any number of miles. The plan terms begin the day you purchase the plan.
For example, a 5 year 75,000 mile plan with 15 services begins the day you sign the plan contract and will expire 5 years from that day or in 75,000 miles from that day or when you have performed 15 services. The 15 services can be performed at any time before the 5 years and 75,000 miles have expired. You could use one service a month for 15 months if you wish.
purchase this plan and then take your vehicle to any Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership in the
United States to have your oil change and tire rotations performed. This Limited Maintenance Plan does not cover all your factory recommended maintenance, it only covers oil changes and tire rotations. For complete coverage of every factory recommended maintenance item and most wear items such as brakes, please purchase a Premium Maintenance Plan (Premium Maintenance Plans can be found in the slide out menu under your specific vehicle.)
Your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealership will also perform a Multi-Point Inspection at no charge with your oil change and tire rotation. There is
no deductible and nothing owed to your dealer at the time of service. Your Limited Maintenance Plan will appear in their computer.


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Funeral services are 2 p.m. Wednesday at Turpin Funeral Home chapel with burial following in Bonner Cemetery in Tichnor.
Harold Louis Rhodes, Jr., 66, of Stuttgart went to be with the Lord on March 9, 2013. He was married to the love of his life for 45 years, Sarah Margaret Rhodes. He retired from Riceland Foods after 35 years. He lived each of his retirement days with Sarah and his extended family.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Harold Louis Rhodes Sr. and Marcel Rhodes; his brothers, Wade Grissom, Jimmy Hutchinson and Keith Rhodes; his sister, Sandy Peden; his son, Dale Louis Rhodes Sr.; and his granddaughter, Allyson Dayle Rhodes.
He leaves behind to hold up his beloved Sarah, two sons, James Earl Rhodes and Michael DeWayne Rhodes; several lights in his eyes — his grandchildren, Karmen Nicole, Dale Jr., James Allen, Hannah Grace and Derrick Layton; his great-grandchildren — his stars in his heaven — Kayden, Jenah and Angel; his daughter-in-law, Kathy Rhodes; four sisters, Anita, Emily, Bonnie and Diana Sue; two sisters-in-law, Margie and Jacky Sullivan and Chester and Louise Herring; two brothers-in-law, James and Theresa Rowland and Lester and Carolyn Rowland; and a host of nieces and nephews who shall carry his legacy through the years to follow.
Funeral services are 2 p.m. Wednesday at Turpin Funeral Home chapel with burial following in Bonner Cemetery in Tichnor.
Visitation is 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at Turpin Funeral Home.
The family will be gathering at 508 N. College St. in Stuttgart.
Pallbearers are Jacky Sullivan, Dale Rhode Jr. Phillip Sullivan, Robert Rowland, Dennis Herring and Lawrence Wilson.
Please go to www.turpinco.com to sign the online guestbook.


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Organizers are gearing up for the second annual Rainbows for Veterans event, set for 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery.
Organizers are gearing up for the second annual Rainbows for Veterans event, set for 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery.
The event is hosted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, the Friends of the Neosho Fish Hatchery organization and Sugar Creek Gobblers, the McDonald County chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Dan Fuller, president of the Sugar Creek Gobblers, said the event was a way to thank veterans for their service.
"No registration is required, all they need to do is bring a military ID," he said. "We will furnish their fishing equipment, their bait and we will also provide lunch."
The free event includes fishing, food, and a tribute to the men and women who have served our county.
It is recommended that participants arrive a minimum of 30 minutes early to park, register, and checkout the supplied fishing equipment and bait.
"The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service appreciates our past and current military personnel who protect our freedom," said hatchery manager Dave Hendrix.
Participants will be allowed to catch and keep a limit of four rainbow trout.
"We will clean them, bag them and ice them for them to take home," Fuller said. "I think last year, we cleaned somewhere between 800-900 fish."
Organizers deemed last year's event a huge success, and Fuller noted there were between 325-350 people at the derby.
"It is a real exciting day for the veterans," he said. "Last year, we had so many comments on how they enjoyed it, emails and letters, they enjoyed the camaraderie."
Fuller said he is pleased to see the veterans and current military personnel come out for this.
"We are so glad to see people out and enjoy the outdoors and enjoy the Neosho National Fish Hatchery," he said.
For more information, please contact the Neosho National Fish Hatchery at 451-0554.


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アブカムでは最適な動作のために Google Chrome など最新ブラウザでの閲覧を推奨します。
Synthetic peptide conjugated to KLH derived from within residues 450 to the C-terminus of Human ATPB.
Our Abpromise guarantee covers the use of ab150291 in the following tested applications.
The application notes include recommended starting dilutions; optimal dilutions/concentrations should be determined by the end user.
|Use a concentration of 1 µg/ml.
|Use a concentration of 1 µg/ml. Detects a band of approximately 56 kDa (predicted molecular weight: 56 kDa).
|Use a concentration of 5 µg/ml.
ab150291 stained HepG2 cells. The cells were 100% methanol fixed (5 min) and then incubated in 1%BSA / 10% normal goat serum / 0.3M glycine in 0.1% PBS-Tween for 1h to permeabilise the cells and block non-specific protein-protein interactions. The cells were then incubated with the antibody ab150291 at 5µg/ml overnight at +4°C. The secondary antibody (green) was DyLight® 488 goat anti- rabbit (ab96899) IgG (H+L) used at a 1/250 dilution for 1h. Alexa Fluor® 594 WGA was used to label plasma membranes (red) at a 1/200 dilution for 1h. DAPI was used to stain the cell nuclei (blue) at a concentration of 1.43µM.
IHC image of ATPB staining in Human normal heart muscle formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue section, performed on a Leica BondTM system using the standard protocol F. The section was pre-treated using heat mediated antigen retrieval with sodium citrate buffer (pH6, epitope retrieval solution 1) for 20 mins. The section was then incubated with ab150291, 1µg/ml, for 15 mins at room temperature and detected using an HRP conjugated compact polymer system. DAB was used as the chromogen. The section was then counterstained with haematoxylin and mounted with DPX.
For other IHC staining systems (automated and non-automated) customers should optimize variable parameters such as antigen retrieval conditions, primary antibody concentration and antibody incubation times.
ab150291 has not yet been referenced specifically in any publications.
Please note: All products are "FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY AND ARE NOT INTENDED FOR DIAGNOSTIC OR THERAPEUTIC USE"


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Mrs Timberlake's married style and privacy woes
Look at how Helen Mirren outclasses everyone on this carpet, as it should be.
Anyway, Jessica Biel is married now so... I guess that's why she's dressing like she's 50. Compare what she looks like with Scarlett Johannson, age 27. Scarlett is exactly 27, if not even more youthful. And Mrs Timberlake is easily 15 years older.
Kirsten Dunst in this beaded Oscar De La Renta pantsuit probably could have made it work without borrowing from an old-moneyed socialite. The problem with Jessica Biel is that she thinks she has more steeze than she actually does. And this is what happens.
They're all here of course for the premiere of Hitchcock which is being pushed on everyone like it's a showcase for Biel and Johansson when, really, it ended up being cut to focus around Mirren and Anthony Hopkins. Click here for the trailer and to read an earlier article about Biel's seeming irrelevance in the film, given that we see her for all of half a second in the trailer.
Still, as you'd expect from her, given that she thinks of herself as an elite actor, she's talking like it's some kind of added glory on her resume. Biel plays Vera Miles and in preparation for the role, she wanted to speak to the real-life Ms Miles but was turned away as the retired actress is intensely guarded and will not compromise her privacy, something Jessica claims they have in common...
That is, indeed, what she said:
"Vera Miles wasn't interested (in talking to me)... Vera is alive and did not want to speak to me because she doesn't have a public life and is not interested in a public life. I don't think that was an insult to me but her grandson was available and so I picked his brain for hours. He's married and was very nice and (a) very respectful guy, and he was very unsure about me at first. He is very protecting of his grandmother, but he was the best historian on her career and who she was at the time of Psycho. Her life is exactly what she wanted. I feel it's very challenging to have a private life. It's been very hard for me to have any sort of privacy in life. I get that it's a balance you have to try and create but it's very hard."
I'm sorry, didn't we all just see Justin Timberlake jumping on Jessica Biel's head at their Italian wedding on the cover of PEOPLE Magazine?
Yes, I imagine it would be challenging to have a private life when you sell photos of one of the most private days of your life to a weekly magazine, and, before that, called the paps through the course of your courtship and engagement. But by all means, carry on. Carry on, as celebrities do, always, always unchallenged. It's easy to convince yourself of a lie when no one is around to tell you you are Full.Of.Sh-t.
FameFlynet, Neilson Barnard/ Getty


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Dorking Locksmiths
With emergency local engineers covering all areas, ready 24 hours a day*, A2B Dorking Locksmiths can provide help with most expediency. Our Dorking lock repair and lock fitting services come with a target response time of less than 2 hours* and we only charge from the time of arrival. No payment is taken until the work is completed and you have signed to say you are satisfied! (deposit may be required for parts purchased).
At A2B Dorking Locks we specialise in solving all types of lock problems with euro locks in Dorking, mortice locks and rim cylinders. We are registered with many Quality Assurance Firms such as the guild of master craftsmen, so that you know you are in safe hands.
Your satisfaction and safety is our top priority as we hope that you will not only re-use our services but also recommend us to your friends and family. Our local locksmith team covering Dorking pride themselves on being fast, efficient and reliable. Whether you are locked out, have a broken lock or have discovered any other locks issue, call our free phone line for free quotes and estimates.
Our Local Dorking Locksmiths are CRB checked
Recommend us to your friends
A2B Locks offer a safe opening service in Dorking for any make or model of safe. If you have lost the keys or the combination we can open the safe for you without disruption to your home or business.
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A2B Locks will install or repair window locks in a upvc, metal or wood framework. We can also add extra security to your windows in Dorking
Door locks
A2B Locks install and repair a range of high security locks in a domestic or commercial property. We often carry out the repaiur or replacement of mortice, rim or euro locks.
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All types of locks
We install all new locks, which are certified to BS 3621. We repair, maintain and install locks for doors, windows, garages and security locks. The common manufacturers of locks that we work with on a regular basis are Chubb, Yale, Union, ERA, Ingersol and Banham.


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Common Core moved to full Manchester school boardBy TED SIEFER
New Hampshire Union Leader
September 24. 2013 11:35PM
MANCHESTER — The Common Core state standards have been dropped in the lap of the full school board.
The board's Curriculum and Instruction Committee voted Tuesday to send the matter to the full board without a recommendation, after several dozen people spoke against the standards and some school board members echoed some of their concerns.
Approximately 50 people turned out for Tuesday's meeting. Many of them reiterated objections to the Common Core standards that have been forcefully made at several school board meetings in recent weeks.
The committee has been asked to sign off on curriculum guides developed over the summer by city teachers in order to align teaching in the district with Common Core. District officials have said that Manchester is well behind other districts in adopting the standards; state education officials have indicated that state and federal aid could be jeopardized if the district does not agree to institute the assessment test derived from the standards.
Critics charge Common Core is an attempt by the Obama administration to impose a rigid educational system that relies on unsound principles and undermines local control. Supporters say its goal is to establish nationwide learning benchmarks and to make U.S. students prepared to compete in the global economy.
Richard Dumont, who served on the school board in the 1990s, said Common Core reminded him of earlier, ill-conceived proposals to revamp the curriculum.
"I can't for the life of me understand why the board would want to implement a massive rewrite on how we teach our kids," he said.
Another critic, Siobhan Tautkus, implored the board, to "ask one question — what does the federal government do well?"
At the same time, three Manchester teachers involved in developing the curriculum guides maintained that the standards were helpful and that they gave teachers more control rather than less.
"I found the standards open enough to adapt my own lessons," said Debra Villiard, a fourth grade teacher.
After more than an hour of public comments, the committee considered a motion from Ward 8 board member Erika Connors to approve the standards on a "draft and pilot basis," while withholding any support for adopting the Common Core assessment test, Smarter Balanced.
Committee member Art Beaudry, Ward 9, said there were still too many unanswered questions, and proposed creating a special advisory committee to review them. "I would like to see us formulate a committee to look at something more in line with best practices in Massachusetts," he said.
Ward 10 school board member John Avard, who is not on the committee, agreed more study is needed. "The more I learn about Common Core, the less I know," he said. "Let's not rush into this blind... We're not ready for this yet."
At times, the audience broke into cheers, prompting committee Chair Sarah Ambrogi, Ward 1, to bring down the gavel.
Connors later withdrew her motion, and proposed that the committee refer the matter to the full board without a recommendation, which the panel voted to accept.After the meeting, Ambrogi acknowledged that the board was being asked to approve something that it had relatively little time to consider.
"I wish that we had begun talking about this three years ago, when the state first adopted the standards," she said. "That is why we were probably continuing to play catch up... I think the full board is going to have a hard time with this."
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