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Really Enjoying the Holidays with Kids
Three-year-old Andrew vigorously romped with cousins and wrestled with Grandpa as he eagerly anticipated Santa's arrival. For him, the long wait to Christmas morning was cruel. His family get-togethers brought irregular naps, extra sweets, incomplete meals, and lots of action, but Andrew kept pace with the festivities. One evening his Mom made the usual statement to "get ready for bed." The normally agreeable lad clenched his teeth and fiercely protested, "I'm not tired!" To prove her wrong, he played more energetically. After Mom's repeated attempts, Dad jumped into the fray with, "Andrew, bedtime!" Andrew exploded in unusual defiance by falling to the floor kicking and screaming. Shocked by this behavior, his parents hovered over him in open-mouthed disbelief.
Elsewhere, nine-year-old Laura was the star in the Children's Christmas Musical. Each day after school she'd rush through homework, a fast food supper, song memorization, and go on to rehearsal. As the weeks passed, easygoing Laura became agitated. She bickered with friends, easily cried, and often whined, "Nobody likes me!" She complained of frequent headaches, forgot the words to her songs, and started stalling when it was time to go to practice.
Sound familiar? Should these children be punished or have privileges removed? Do these kids need discipline? Quite simply, in these cases, children just need less stress. And there are millions of families who experience similar situations at this time of year—children are so sensitive to the busy holiday bustle. Perhaps no other month brings more angst than December.
Everyone knows that kids act unpleasant and annoying at times. Skillful parents realize that the behavior isn't always a need for punishment; sometimes it's a cry for help. Normal, daily pressures are expected, but excessive pressure and stress can produce peculiar behavior, may affect a child's developing brain, and contribute to later health problems. Parents who understand this and relieve undue stress have a happier, healthier, more agreeable child—even during the holidays.
How can you tell when your child's behavior is stress connected? What are the signs? The answer lies in increased behaviors such as:
- whining
- hyperactivity or over-sensitivity
- tantrums
- headaches
- forgetfulness
- stuttering
- bedwetting
- allergies
- nightmares
- complaints of stomachaches
The frequency of the behavior indicates the degree of stress your child feels.
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Lancaster police arrest 2 on drug charges
Officers serve search warrant in drug caseUPDATED 12:25 PM EST Jan 25, 2013
Lancaster police served a search warrant Friday morning in the 500 block of Pershing Avenue as part of a drug case.
More Video
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subset: commoncrawl


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CHICAGO 1/31 -- On Sunday, Occupy Chicago took to the streets in response to the violent treatment of Occupy Oakland protesters at the hands of the Oakland Police the night before, gathering at at LaSalle and Jackson before setting off on a fast-moving march around the Loop.
"As the march progressed, clearly having no planned route or direction, the police's aggressive behavior erupted." said Micah Philbrook of Occupy Chicago. "They began to forcefully push and shove peaceful protesters in an effort to get them off the street."
Keilah Becker, a member of Occupy Chicago Social Media Team, says she was subjected to extremely aggressive treatment at the hands of an unidentified CPD officer.
"The cop came up behind me, grabbed me by the arm and pushed me onto the sidewalk." said Becker, who was recording and livestreaming the march at the time. "I told him, 'You can't touch me, get your hands off me,' to which he responded by pushing me onto a trashcan and began yelling extremely sexist and verbally abusive comments at me...I was streaming all of this."
When another man attempted to come to Becker's aid, the officer threw him to the ground and proceeded to arrest him.
"I was streaming all of this and then my phone was taken from me." said Becker. "A woman officer grabbed my phone and turned off the stream. She deleted the footage and told me I could not record officers and that it was a class 4 felony."
The officer was referring to the Illinois Eavesdropping Act, widely regarded as the most restrictive law of its kind anywhere in the Nation. It makes any type of audio recording of an individual or group without their express permission a Class 4 felony. In Becker's case it could be much worse. Under this law, audio recording law enforcement personnel is a Class 1 felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Videotaping without audio is not covered under the Act.
The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking to have the law stuck down. Harry Grossman, legal director at ACLU Illinois said the law is hindering the ACLU's ability to file lawsuits concerning police misconduct. Currently, the ACLU is waiting on a decision from the 7th U.S. Court of Appeals regarding the constitutionality of the law.
Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-57th) has introduced HB 3944 and hopes to get it out of committee and signed into law before the NATO and G8 summits in May. The bill moves to reverse part of that law to allow officers on-duty in a public place to be recorded by civilians without their consent -- and has an unlikely backer in CPD Superintendent Garry McCarthy -- who said in a panel discussion at Loyola University last week that he's behind it.
"As far as the use of videotape, I certainly endorse it, for the protection of the police as well as [civilians]," McCarthy said in an interview with the Chicago Sun Times. "There's no argument when you show videotape and can look at what happened. I actually am a person who endorses video and audio recording."


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US GOVT/NASA Hiding HMO Data
- Goldy
- uploaded: Mar 21, 2012
- Hits: 711
The US Govt/NASA are hiding very important and even critical data pointing to the fact that Earth magnetosphere is reversing to point directly back at the Sun. Remember that the HMO is inbound from the Leo Constellation directly opposite the Sun right now, which is more evidence that Earth is under the influence of a second heliosphere with an inner and outer reach of influence extending from the inbound HMO coming into the inner solar system for an orbit around our Sun.
SuspiciousObserver Video: http://youtu.be/aUeqkwzykM4
Related Story: http://soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/content/nasa-hiding-data-magne...
Elenin Orbit Diagram: http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=elenin;orb=1;cov=1;log=0;cad=1#cad
188-Day Cycle Chart: http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c266/Terral03/188DayCycle.jpg
3/22 Warning Press Release: http://terral03.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=369
My website: http://terral03.com/ (get Newsletter)
Download Paltalk Messenger (free): http://www.paltalk.com/
Terral's Research Group: http://www.paltalk.com/g2/group/1388121500/
1 comments
Bilofrights1689 March 22, 2012 7:49:27 AM CET
Slow down guy, what the fck are you banging on about. You are stuttering mass info. If you want the masses to listen to you then you need to explain in simple language what you are trying to say. All I got was - event, room, 200 people, moon, wave, hide, $. I need a coffee now.


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By Jade Bulecza - bio | email Willacoochee, GA (WALB) – Investigators are looking for clues in a mysterious murder in Willacoochee. A young woman was found dead in her car Sunday.
Her friends are taking donations to help pay for her funeral as investigators try to find evidence that will lead to the killer
Investigators walked down railroad tracks, through empty buildings, searching for any kind of evidence to help them find 26-year-old Rosie Gaskins' killer.
"We're looking at anything of interest anything that looks out of place anything that looks fresh." said Atkinson Co. Sheriff David Moore.
Atkinson, Berrien, Clinch, and Coffee county authorities were out Monday carrying flags to mark the spot of anything they found.
The sheriff says it could be awhile before they get the autopsy results.
"The way the state's budget shortfalls are the way they're closing crime labs left and right could impact our investigation," said Moore.
Authorities won't reveal their theories on how they think Gaskins was killed. They say the case is still in the early stages.
Down a dirt path off Springhead Church Road is where Gaskins was discovered. She was found dead in the driver's seat of her car just past the gate.
She was last seen alive on Saturday. Meanwhile,her friends are taking donations for funeral expenses for the woman they call "Rose Bud."
"If anyone can donate money that would be wonderful," said Jessica Cothron,a close friend and manager of the Chevron off Highway 82, where Gaskins was assistant manager.
"I had known her since she went to school and she was a good person a really good person really good worker. You couldn't get her to stop working," Cothron said.
Several customers dropped money into the jar for Rosie Courdle, friends say most know her by her maiden name.
"It's just a shock to the community," said James Gaskins.
James Gaskins isn't related to Rosie but is a customer of the store. He says she was young and that her murder has upset the entire community.
Aden's Minit Market405 Main StreetWillacoochee, GA 31650(912) 534-5210
©2010 WALB News. All rights reserved. Feedback
P.O. Box 3130
Albany, GA 31706
(229) 446-1010
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EEO Report
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- Egyptian: The scarab-beetle god identified with Re (Ra) as a creator god; often represented as a beetle within the sun-disk
Syllables: 2
From Beyond BabyZone
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Rated 4.6 out of 5Â by 11 reviewers.
Men's adidas Basketball Shoes
Crazy 8 Shoes
Black/Running White (G21939)
Size Chart
+ Save To Wishlist
Rated 5 out of 5 Better than Jordans I THINK THESE ARE WAY BETTER THAN ANY OTHER BRAND, BRAVO ADIDAS. August 16, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Daquanj Crazy 8 review I was excited when I saw these sneakers on the site. These was a must have for me and it should be for you too. Comfortable, stylish and great ball kicks in my opinion. I love these. It reminds me of the retro Crazy 8. September 12, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Iamaman13 best shoe to ball in Hands down the way the show wraps around your foot gives comfort support and freedom all at once not to heave and a very stylish but not to flashy design puts it as my number 1 shoe of all time then i go to Jordan XX September 16, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5Â by A1 4 life Baddest Sneaker Ever Since I brought this sneaker I have had nothing short of good compliments these crazy 8 sneakers fit good looks good and did they are the sickest on the block I will get another pair definitely again with my 20per cent discount Adidas gave me I'm so happy September 27, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5Â by Nixon It Was Ok. There was a few flaws scuff on front toe of shoe, packaging wasnt all that fantastic either. September 17, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Juiicy Great Buy! Bought it just for fashion purposes and I love them! Super comfy n smooth feel. I'm usually an 8.5 but they only had an 8 left n I really wanted them! They fit snug but not tight . October 9, 2013
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Family holidays
Starring: '60 Volkswagen T1 Kombi
(by camilofontana)
WANT, just because it exudes a good vibe. Forget the fact that the engine can barely handle 50 MPH, no one would dare give something like this a parking ticket, or a "key job." I once saw a VW Bus on the Cross Bronx Expressway and, to date, its the only car I've ever seen doing 35 on the freeway without garnering angry inappropriate gestures, or getting cut off. True props.


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Usually ships in 1 to 3 business days.Estimated Delivery Time
Our staff are available to answer any questions you may have about this item.
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IZZO knows golf. IZZO is golf. IZZO does nothing but golf. They focus on just one thing – providing creative solutions to the problems that vex every golfer.
From the original IZZO Dual Strap™ to their ultra light carry bags, cart bags, training aids, and their new Zwoods – IZZO is dedicated solely to making your golf game better and more enjoyable than ever before.
Prior to 1991, millions of golfers had to endure the pain of shouldering a bag on a single strap for 18 exhausting holes. Feeling their pain, T. J. Izzo sought to eliminate fatigue by creating the IZZO Dual Strap System™. This simple, brilliant innovation made walking the course easier, golf more enjoyable. In fact, Frank Thomas, technical director of the USGA, hailed the IZZO Dual Strap™ as one of the four greatest innovations in modern golf. Today, 100% of all carry bags use a dual strap, and millions of golfers are enjoying the walk thanks to IZZO innovation.
Now, charged by that spirit of innovation and a quest for quality, the IZZO Product Development and Quality Teams – all avid golfers – apply their unparalleled knowledge and passion for the game to deliver unique, superior quality products that can help every level of golfer "be good." The results: feature-rich, high quality bags that are lighter and more versatile; training aids that can help improve every aspect of your game; and their new 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 Zwoods that are easy to hit off the tee, off the deck or out of the rough.
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News from WTOP
News from the AP
Mike Causey
Shows & Panels
Shows & Panels
Shows & Panels
Shows & Panels
- The 2014 Big Picture on Cyber Security
- AFCEA Answers
- Ask the CIO
- Building the Hybrid Cloud
- CDWG/NetApp
- Connected Government: How to Build and Procure Network Services for the Future
- Continuing Diagnostics and Mitigation: Discussion of Progress and Next Steps
- Federal Executive Forum
- Federal Tech Talk
- The Future of Government Data Centers
- The Future of IT: How CIOs Can Enable the Service-Oriented Enterprise
- The Intersection: Where Technology Meets Transformation
- Maximizing ROI Through Data Center Consolidation
- Mitigating Insider Threats in Virtual & Cloud Environments
- Modern Mission Critical Series
- Moving to the Cloud. What's the best approach for me
- Navigating Tough Choices in Government Cloud Computing
- The New Generation of Database
- Satellite Communications: Acquiring SATCOM in Tight Times
- Targeting Advanced Threats: Proven Methods from Detection through Remediation
- Transformative Technology: Desktop Virtualization in Government
- The Truth About IT Opex and Software Defined Networking
- Value of Health IT
- Air Traffic Management Transformation Report
- Cloud First Report
- General Dynamics IT Enterprise Center
- Gov Cloud Minute
- Government in Technology Series
- Homeland Security Cybersecurity Market Report
- National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- Technology Insights
- The Cyber Security Report
- The Next Generation Cyber Security Experts
Shows & Panels
NASA kicks off SEWP V planning
The space agency will reach $10 billion in sales in 2012 under the SEWP IV governmentwide acquisition contract. Joanne Woytek said there is a lot of industry interest in the next iteration of the contract.
Red Hat gets common criteria approval
Red Hat Chief Technology Strategist Gunnar Hellekson joins host John Gilroy to talk about how his company helps federal agencies with their open software needs.
May 15, 2012
House passes 2013 funding for Commerce, Justice
The House approved the first spending bill for 2013, setting operating budgets for the Commerce and Justice Departments and for science-related agencies, such as NASA.
Secure Cloud Computing-"Progress & Best Practices"
May 22nd at 12pm
Program will discuss Key Initiatives Around "Cloud Computing" in Government, Key Benefits Associated with Cloud Computing, Barriers or Contraints to still overcome, How to Address Security Concerns in a Cloud Computing Strategy, Private vs Public Clouds, A Future Vision for the next 1-2 Years in Cloud Computing
White House promises veto of GOP spending bill
The White House on Monday vowed to veto a House spending bill for the Justice Department, NASA and several other agencies, charging its GOP authors with violating last summer's budget pact and cutting programs like legal aid to the poor too deeply.
Feds rank leadership low in annual survey
The Partnership for Public Service took a closer look at the data from the 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and discovered that feds aren't too happy with their leaders. Senior leaders especially received low rankings from federal employees.
NASA's latest space telescope on track for 2018 launch
NASA is currently building the James Webb Space Telescope and expects delivery of all of its scientific instruments this year.
NASA seeks innovations for space waste
NASA is looking for ways to re-purpose waste in space, and the space agency is turning to innovators to come up with some ideas.
Agencies lay out plans for Open Gov 2.0
Every agency issued updated open government plans, updating progress and detailing new initiatives for the next two years. NASA will change the way it designs and builds its websites. SSA will focus on health IT and putting services online.
NASA nabs Shorty Award for social media use
This week, NASA's communications team took home a Shorty Award the equivalent of the Oscars for social media.
NASA's Kennedy Space Center gets message from Hill on cyber
Center CIO Mike Bolger said encrypting laptops and implementing logical access are among his top priorities in 2012. Kennedy Space Center also is exploring how to let employees using their personal smartphones or tablet computers on the network.
March 29, 2012
Agencies asked to switch to new locations on airwaves
The federal government wants to alleviate data congestion on smartphones and other mobile devices by asking the Defense Department, NASA and other agencies to switch to new locations on the airwaves or share their existing frequencies with commercial networks.
NASA endures 5,000 computer security breaches over two weeks
NASA has had more than 5,000 computer security breaches in the last two years, according to Inspector General Paul Martin. One of the biggest losses: command codes for the International Space Station.
NASA upgrades IT for now with eye on future
The space agency's CIO Linda Cureton said the I3P contracts are helping NASA stay on pace as technology matures. The agency already is seeing benefits from the three awards made in 2011.
February 23, 2012
Call for new astronauts garners 6,000 applicants
NASA recently put out a call for new applicants to ensure that its astronaut corps is fully stocked for upcoming missions to the International Space Station. More than 6,000 people applied for 10 to 15 positions.
Romanian accused of hacking NASA-JPL computers
A federal grand jury has indicted a Romanian citizen on charges he hacked into 25 climate-research computers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
Aerospace panel issues space station safety report
Retired Vice Adm. Joseph Dyer, chairman of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, talks to The Federal Drive with Tom Temin about a new report on safety aboard the International Space Station.
2012 R&D budget winners and losers
An analysis by the American Association for the Advancement of Science found the 2012 budget for research and development will make investments into energy and environment research and cut R&D at the Defense Department and NASA.
NASA not waiting to adopt winning SAVE idea
The 2011 Save Award winner met with President Obama Monday to present his idea to create a lending library at NASA. Matthew Ritsko said his suggestion was built off of an effort by the space agency to become more efficient. He said two related efforts are underway to improve how NASA manages and shares tools and equipment.
NASA listens as Voyager One nears edge of interstellar space
Launched in 1977, the Voyager One space probe is approaching the heliosphere, the large bubble created by the sun, on a journey to a faraway constellation. Ed Stone has been the chief scientist of the Voyager program since its inception in 1972. He and other NASA scientists have been tracking Voyager for 34 years, listening to his transmissions and analyzing its scientific discoveries.


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Sacred Geometry: Welding, Plasma Cutting & Metal Sculpture with Laird Hovland / Starts August 27th, 2012 (4 days)
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Welding Sacred Geometry Four Day Workshop @ Tarnoff Art Center.
This workshop is designed to give students a basic understanding of the concepts of sacred geometry, and the hands-on ability to create several geometric solids in paper. The students will be taught basic welding, safety, and metal finishing methods, and will leave the workshop with a three-dimensional sacred geometry object (a star tetrahedron and/or vector equilibrium) welded in steel plate or rod.
Day One:
Materials: Poster board, compass, ruler, pencil, scissors, glue
AM: Two dimensional studies – Basics of Sacred Geometry: Moving from one dimension to another, from Point to Line to Shape. We will draw the basic geometric elements, the triangle, hexagon, and square, and will learn a method for drawing a pentagon with compass and ruler. We will be drawing the Flower of Life, connecting basic geometric elements within that shape. We will draw the spiral representation of the Fibonacci Sequence.
PM: Three dimensional studies – Geometric Solids. We will learn to draw in 2-d and assemble in 3-d four Platonic Solids in poster board: Tetrahedron, Cube, Octahedron, and Icosahedron.
Day Two:
AM: We will discuss the Golden Ratio, and learn to draw and build the fifth Platonic Solid, a Dodecahedron, in poster board. We will learn to draw and assemble an Archimedean Solid, the Vector Equilibrium, also called a Cuboctahedron in poster board. We will learn to draw and assemble a Star Tetrahedron, also called a Stellated Octahedron, or Merkaba in poster board.
PM: The class will be introduced to the tools of the metal shop, including Plasma Cutter, MIG welder, pneumatic tools, and electric grinders, and will spend time going over the safe and proper use and operation of these tools.
Day Three:
Class will discuss projects together and will start cutting and welding individual projects with personal assistance from the instructor.
Day Four:
Class time committed to finishing individual projects. Lastly, there will be a peer review of finished work.
I've been an active member of the Santa Fe, New Mexico art community for many years and have an extensive sculpture foundry background. In the last twenty-five years I've worked on the sculpture of such notable and diverse artists as Bruce Nauman, Kiki Smith, Lesley Dill, Robert Graham, Frank Gehry, Daisy Youngblood, Maya Lin, Juan Munoz, Valeska Soares, Terry Allen, Allan Houser, Roxanne Swentzel, and many others. I find that the influence of other artists stimulates my growth as an artist and the experience of being involved in the creative process of others has helped hone my own artistic sensibilities and informed my sense of the creative journey. Born in the Far East to Christian missionary parents, I have deep spiritual influences from both Eastern and Western traditions that impact my work in profound ways. I spent my youth in Montana, currently live in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and am influenced by the natural beauty and rhythm around me.
The workshop will be held at the Tarnoff Art Center located in Rowe New Mexico. Students (4) will have full access to the studio facility while attending the workshop. Suggestions can be made for reasonable lodging, and Santa Fe has plenty of rooms available although the city is about 20 minutes away. The daily schedule will consist of instruction from 9:00-12:00, lunch from 12:00-1:00 and continued art making from 1:00-4:00.
When: August 27-30 Mon-Thurs, 4 Days
Where:Tarnoff Art Center, 4 Wildflower Lane, Rowe, NM 87562
Time: 9AM – 4PM M-Th, 4 Days
Cost: $380,with meals, (continental breakfast and lunch), $340 without meals.*Space is limited to 4 Students, we reserve spaces on a first come
first serve basis. Payment is due in full at time of reservation.
Website/Blog Address: http://www.tarnoffartcenter.
[si-contact-form form='23']


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After bitter legal battles, criticisms by researchers and protests by teachers, New York City released performance rankings of 18,000 teachers today.
And the condemnation was immediate.
"It is outrageous that the New York City Department of Education is releasing teacher rankings that, by their own admission, are based on bad, unreliable data," said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. "Publicizing this data reneges on a deal I made with former Chancellor Joel Klein years ago that it would only be available to teachers and their supervisors for purposes of improving instruction. Today's release amounts to a public flogging of teachers based on faulty data.
"Instead of working with teachers to develop and implement an evaluation system that assesses teachers based on multiple criteria and helps them improve, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city's education officials preferred to publicly ridicule teachers," she said.
The release was accompanied by a caveat from the district to not use the scores alone to judge teachers, which I find strange as what else would parents be expected to do with the data? The rationale for releasing teacher grades or ratings is to better inform parents which teacher are effective and which are not, according to proponents.
New York was ordered to release its data because a court ruled the teacher ratings, which had been collected and used internally, were public documents.
But SchoolBook, a collaboration between The New York Times and WNYC , notes in a very thorough piece:
The push to release the individual rankings began in August 2010, when New York City education officials contacted the reporters who most closely cover the city's public schools and encouraged them to submit Freedom of Information Act requests for the teachers' rankings. Until then, the city had refused to release the names with the rankings, citing issues of privacy.
On the eve of the rankings' release, the teachers' union filed a lawsuit. The city has acknowledged the reports are not perfect, but one of the judges who ruled on the case as it made its way to the state's highest court said imperfection was no reason to hide them. Last week, after the union lost its last appeal, the city announced the rankings' release.
"City officials are disingenuously telling parents, reporters, principals, teachers and others that they shouldn't draw conclusions based on these scores alone," said Weingarten. "But who wouldn't, when they have nothing else to use?"
According to the New York Times: (Please link and read the entire story before commenting.)
At a briefing on Friday morning, an Education Department official said that over the five years, 521 teachers were rated in the bottom 5 percent for two or more years, and 696 were repeatedly in the top 5 percent. But citing both the wide margin of error — on average, a teacher's math score could be 35 percentage points off, or 53 points on the English exam — as well as the limited sample size — some teachers are being judged on as few as 10 students — city education officials said their confidence in the data varied widely from case to case.
"The purpose of these reports is not to look at any individual score in isolation ever," said the Education Department's chief academic officer, Shael Polakow-Suransky. "No principal would ever make a decision on this score alone and we would never invite anyone — parents, reporters, principals, teachers — to draw a conclusion based on this score alone."
Nevertheless, the data is ripe for analysis. One fact shared by the Education Department: Many of the teachers included in the database are no longer working in city schools. Officials said 77 percent of the 18,000 who received reports were still employed by the Education Department, but of those who remained, many had moved on to administrative jobs or teach subject areas or grade levels that were not included in the reports.
For example, the teacher who was rated most highly, based on his scores for the 2009-10 school year, is now an assistant principal at another school, according to his online profile. His rating encompassed only one year of data and was based on 32 students' test scores.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
February 24th, 2012
7:54 pm
How long before we see such idiocy here in Georgia?
It seems like they had the data, flawed as it is, and didn't know what to do with it. Wonder how much money they spent on the "database" used to compile it?
February 24th, 2012
7:54 pm
"For example, the teacher who was rated most highly, based on his scores for the 2009-10 school year . . ."
That says it all. Rated most highly, based on his SCORES. Insane.
February 24th, 2012
7:59 pm
The releasing of data without a proper analysis only substantiates the reality that our educational system is too political and not structured for continuous improvement. While scores tied to teacher performance are necessary, it is only valid if the score reflect appropriate growth thereby giving teachers credit for the progress made by the student while assigned to the teacher or by placing blame most appropriately if the data suggests that the student regressed or did not make progress while assigned to the teacher. Most importantly is the use of the data to ascertain what content the students did not master while assigned to the teacher, possibly indicating what areas of professional development are needed by the teacher. Clearly, we need an informed population of parents and consumers. Then and only then will they interpret the data most appropriately and come to the right conclusions. When the overall population cannot analyze data and make justifiable conclusions, it may be a most appropriate indictment on our educational system and our teachers in particular. I need to review the data and analyze it before I can make a valid conclusion of what it may infer or even suggest. I encourage all to do so if you are so skilled or inclined to do so. If not skill, call your teachers and ask them why.
February 24th, 2012
8:33 pm
This is not something I say lightly because I normally abhor the practice, but . . .
I would be tempted to file a lawsuit for defamation of character or libel. These ratings are misleading and/or personally damaging to a teacher's career. I have zero faith in our elected officials. While our country plunges ever deeper into debt, they argue about things like birth control and abortion. Morons.
February 24th, 2012
9:01 pm
NYC is releasing the data because it was ordered to. After newspapers requested the records and then sued to get a ruling, New York's courts ruled that the "TDR" database comprised public records under state law.
It should be stated that former Chancellor (Cowboy?) Joel Klein was in favor of releasing the data, no matter the flaws, while the current chancellor sees the problems with doing so. But a court order is a court order…
February 24th, 2012
9:44 pm
The data are riddled with errors. I mean, even the people who created the value added assessment are cautioning about how it is used. There's an article on HuffPo about this, and one of the teacher is quoted as saying that he takes time to teach his kids how to write a research paper. Because of that, they don't score as high on the Regents exam as they could, but when they get to college, they are more prepared for actual college work than some of their peers who scored higher on the Regents because they were given more test prep. Now, on paper, the teachers who do test prep appear to be "more effective", but which kids got a better education? And isn't that the point?
February 24th, 2012
9:45 pm
Before the grammar police attack ~ one of the teacherS
February 24th, 2012
9:47 pm
And, isn't SOMEONE going to always be in the bottom 5%? I mean, it's not Lake Woebegone. Not everyone is above average.
February 24th, 2012
11:11 pm
This same idea is in the works for teachers here in GA. All thanks to the waiver from NCLB. Also the state will be using evaluations from students to rank the teachers as well. I am not in teaching to win a popularity contest, I am in teaching to give my students the best education. And the idea of merit pay will also be partially based on the aforementioned as well.
February 25th, 2012
12:33 am
You mean that people want to mistreat teachers? Color me shocked….
February 25th, 2012
12:38 am
@DeKalb Teacher – You are welcome to use my plan next year when that madness starts in GA….
I am planning a least one party a week for my classes. Sure, I'll spend some money, but many kids are willing to bring in some junk food into class anyway. I'll get movies from blockbuster and we'll have a great time.
The kids will LOVE that. My ratings will be off the charts!
Also, I just plan to give them all As. That will make the kids happy, the parents happy, and most of all it will make the administration happy. Why should I bother to teach? They only care about making everyone happy and making sure that the kids pass. So, I will do just that!
And, oh – might you be thinking about education? Silly you! Who cares about that in Georgia? The EOCT is curved so very much by the State DOE, a monkey can randomly fill it out and pass.
However, I am afraid that I will only be able to stomach one such year like that. I'll probably win Teacher of the Year or whatever, but I am over the State of Georgia and how they treat teachers. So, after one more year, I move out-of-State. I already have bought a home there and am making plans.
So long, Georgia. Enjoy your generations of totally stupid kids.
February 25th, 2012
1:39 am
From a link within the "SchoolBook" link above, entitled,"Value added assessments":
"A computer predicts how a group of students will do in next year's tests using their scores from the previous year and accounting for several factors, like race, gender and income level. If the students surpass the expectations, their teacher is ranked at the top of the scale — 'above average' or 'high'. . . ."
I see both negatives and positives from this data evaluation of teachers. One significant positive is that teachers will probably more readily recognize that they must instruct every student where he or she is specifically functioning in order for the student to achieve maximum growth. Thus, teachers will find ways to insure that differentiated instruction is occurring within their classrooms.
In terms of a negative that I noticed, I have analyzed the value-added-assessment model, in detail, and I see no reference to the individual student's IQ data. I recognize that even to mention the use of IQ scores is uncomfortable; however, I believe that that variable in data assessment must also be broached, if the assessment of teacher effectiveness and of students' maximum growth for a given year, is to be completely valid. Here's why:
A student with a below average IQ may have been instructed very well to have increased only 7 months, in a particular curriculum area, in a 12 month time period. However, a student who scored in the gifted range of IQ, and who only increased 1.6 years in a 12 month time period, may not have been instructed well. Based on the gifted student's innate potential level, perhaps he should have progressed 2.8 years of growth, for a year's time period, instead of only 1.6 years.
I recognize that the value-added-assessment formula measures not only the student's progress for the current year, but it measures, also, the probability of the student's progress based on how much that student had progressed for the past three to five years, on the average, for each year. Thus, if the student achieves less than that average amount of progress for his present year, his present teacher could be rated as a poor instructor. (Other factors, such as a principal's evaluation through observation are, also, considered.)
However, here is the catch. I was taught, as a graduate student, that if a student is reading within two years of his grade level, that he will be able to function in the reading requirements for that grade level. This means that if a 7th grade student is reading on 5th grade level that he will be able to function in the material for the 7th grade, but if he is reading on 4th grade level or below, in 7th grade, then he will not be able to function on 7th grade material.
Now, in considering the variable of IQ score, Johnny has scored in the IQ range of 83 to 88 for several years. That means that he is probably below average in his innate potential. One could, then, reasonably expect Johnny to grow 7 months in a 12 month period. Let's say Johnny is in 2nd grade and he is reading on grade level 1.5 which is sufficient for him to function in 2nd grade. Next, he enters 3rd grade and he is reading on 2.2 grade level, having grown 7 months in 2nd grade. Johnny should still be able to learn and grow in 3rd grade because he is not reading more than two years behind 3rd grade level. So, he grows another 7 months in 3rd grade, with good instruction, based on his potential.
Now, we have Johnny in 4th grade and he has advanced in his reading skills to 2.9 grade level, which is within the two year cut off point for being able to master the curriculum for 4th grade. Next year, Johnny is in 5th grade and, having advanced 7 months in a year, he is reading on 3.6 grade level, but he can still cope. The next year, in 6th grade, Johnny is only reading on 4.3 grade level which is barely sufficient for coping with 6th grade material. In 7th grade, Johnny is only reading on 5.0 grade level, and he just barely passes his classes, but he does pass to 8th grade. In 8th grade, he reading on 5.7 grade level. Each year, then, from 2nd grade to 8th grade, Johnny has made his maximum progress which was, based on potential, 7 months of growth for a year's work.
Johnny has been promoted to 8th grade because he passed 7th grade curriculum, but he is only reading on 5.7 grade level in the 8th grade, or more than two years behind his grade level. Therefore, although his 8th grade teacher may be a good teacher, Johnny may not advance 7 months in the 8th grade, as before, because he will have been taught on his frustration level during his 8th grade year. Johnny's teacher was not aware of his IQ scores, nor of his academic developmental history, which had shown how he finally reached an academic frustration point in his 8th grade school year. In fact, Johnny may even regress in his reading skills in 8th grade because he will have spent a year being taught on his frustration level. At the end of his 8th grade year, his reading level may only be 5.5 grade level. When he entered 8th grade, his reading level was 5.7 grade level. His teacher is surprised that she received a poor rating based on Johnny's 2 months' regression in his standardized test scores. After all, his previous years' scores had shown that Johnny could be expected to advance at least 7 months in a year's time. His teacher does not know why he regressed by 2 months since she had tried so hard to help him grow. Johnny does enter 9th grade, however, because he (barely) passed most of his classes even though he regressed in his standardized reading scores, but now he is only reading on grade level 5.5 in 9th grade, or 3 and 1/2 years behind grade level – a perfect candidate for drop-out status. If teachers had made wise and prudent use of Johnny's IQ scores, as well as spending time assessing his developmental history, they might have analyzed his unique needs more wisely, earlier, and they might have provided him with the remediation he needed earlier, even though he was advancing "according to how he had advanced previously."
A factor of data so vital as IQ must be weighed, along with curriculum standardized pretest and posttest scores, in order to assess accurately both teachers' instruction and students' needs.
IQ is a variable that should be weighed within value-added-assessments, in addition to the named criteria, above, of "race, gender, and income," in order to have a fuller understanding of each student's potential. Of course, there are IQ variations within every race and ethnic group, within both genders, and within all income levels. IQ data is one additional source of data information which gives a more complete instructional analysis. Students' IQ scores should be handled discreetly, and certainly IQ scores should never be published.
February 25th, 2012
6:17 am
NWGA Teacher says a teacher has test scores…. I know it wasn't an intentional mistake, but teachers don't have test scores (well except their certification test scores. Students have test scores. Students are the ones who actually take the tests, and since there is actually little accountability on the part of the students to actually perform on tests in Georgia, using these scores to evaluate teachers is the insane idea.
February 25th, 2012
6:20 am
Truth Today- are you aware of the main designer of these value added assessment algorithms has questioned the use of them. Are you aware of the margin of error of above 70% for both the math and the english exams? Educating ourselves with useless data is not educating ourselves. In no more gives information for formulating opinions and options than if I told you that gas prices for the next month will be based on a formula that is 70% WRONG all the time. How would it be if our economies based our budgets on that faulty input? How many household budgets would be adequately served by being dished misinformation like that. Margin of errors so high means it is not information at all and doesn't even constitute data- throwing darts at numbers on the wall would likely result in more consistent results than these published results.
February 25th, 2012
6:26 am
I know it is not common to follow education news from New York but it has been in the press a great deal. The assessments from NYC had to be realigned repeatedly in the pass decade- the passing rate bar was miscalculated on more than one occasion. It made the headlines a while back. Would a parent actually trust anything concerning test results or scores coming after that track record? The only silver lining I see out of this garbage being published is that the lie that is test score value added scores/teacher effectiveness link will be shown in the absurd light that it is. But, at what cost to the students, to the teachers, to families and to the educational budgets and systems.
February 25th, 2012
7:40 am
The "value-added" approach based on student test scores may have some validity in evaluating a teacher's performance, but it is limited even if the data is not flawed. Without many classroom observations by trained professionals from outside the system, teacher evaluation will remain bogus. Real learning isn't like "piece work" on an early 20th century assembly line. The "value added" approach is simply trying to evaluate (or give the appearance of evaluating) on the cheap. Pure politics.
February 25th, 2012
8:13 am
I teach at a special education school for emotionally, behaviorally disturbed children. Our classroom time is often disrupted due to the problems these children exhibit. My goal is to teach them to effectively manage their behaviors so that they may return to the regular school setting. Many of my student's behaviors in the regular school are exacerbated by being taught at their frustration level in regular school. Imagine sitting for 6 hours a day, not understanding what is being taught and unable to do the work assigned. Add to this fact that you have never been taught coping skills to deal with your frustration.
Now, in order for me to help these students, I try to make learning accessible to them. I may teach 7th graders 3rd grade math, but they are learning the third grade math. They are actually grasping the concepts and able to do the work. I had a teacher observe a child she had worked with before, and she noted a complete change in him. She had never seen him participate in any of her lessons. In my class, he was raising his hand, answering questions, and adding his opinion to discussions. I'm sure he will not meet expectations on the CRCT, but that doesn't mean he isn't learning.
So, is this considered a success because I've engaged a student in the learning process, or a failure because he will show no growth in the 7th grade math standards?
February 25th, 2012
8:25 am
we need to see ratings for newspaper employees.
February 25th, 2012
8:26 am
As long as teachers resist accountability but demand more and more money, the public will be suspicious.
And they should be.
February 25th, 2012
8:29 am
The problem that I see is not the school district putting out the scores, but the parents for not realizing that a child's test scores aren't how a teacher should be evaluated and should demand a better evaluation tool. Everyone gets evaluated on their job. These evaluations aren't always "fair." However, there needs to be accountability across the board in education (teachers, teacher aides, administrators at all levels), and there are much better ways to do this evaluation. These evaluations should not be made public, but should be used to get rid of teachers and others working in the field of education who do not belong.
February 25th, 2012
8:33 am
Our local, state and national Govt. has many people on the payroll. Now that teacher performance ratings are being made public, when will we see the performance ratings of all our other public employees?
February 25th, 2012
9:19 am
If you have cancer, do not go to an oncologist. Go see a family practice physician. The overall patient death rate for a family practice physician is lower than an oncologist's. Family practice physicians must be better at their jobs than oncologists. The data says so.
February 25th, 2012
9:53 am
@ see, 8:15 am
"I may teach 7th graders 3rd grade math (Instructional Level), but they are learning the third grade math. They are actually grasping the concepts and able to do the work."
"I had a teacher observe a child she had worked with before, and she noted a complete change in him. She had never seen him participate in any of her lessons. In my class, he was raising his hand, answering questions, and adding his opinion to discussions."
You have hit the "instructional formula for success," on the head! Students must be taught where they are individually functioning, or they will not be able to grow and achieve to their maximum levels. This fact not only applies to the special education students you teach, but to all students – from the ones who are the most gifted to the ones who are slower to achieve. All students can learn to their maximum abilities, if (1) each is taught where he/she is functioning, and if (2) each is taught at a rate in which he/she can absorb the material taught, with mastery.
You may want to read my 1:39 am post to understand why this is true, as well as read the link that I am providing, below, entitled "Mastery Learning," for fuller understanding of these instructional truths.
Several years ago, when a local school system mandated that all 8th grade students take Algebra for their 8th grade mathematics course (regardless of where each student was individually functioning), I predicted that at least half of those 8th grade students would fail that course, and they did. Many of those 8th grade students were, unintentionally, "set up" for failure by an unknowing County Office mandate that was actually intended to increase the standards for all 8th graders. It is unfortunately true that many highly educated educators still do not know these specific instructional truths, because professional educators specialize in various areas of expertise. More value must be placed upon perceptive teachers' input regarding instruction (such as yours). All educators want students to achieve to their maximum growth each year in every curricululm area, but, to achieve that end, each child MUST be taught where he or she is functioning at point in time, which is referred to as the student's Instructional Level. (See link below.)
I tried to warn others that almost a majority of those 8th graders would fail that Algebra course, with that one-size-fits-all approach to building mathematics' standards, through investing my time in writing a comprehensive article for the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, but my article was never published. It is frustrating to watch, from the sidelines, and not to be able to help students and teachers, better understand instructional truths when such large and impacting instructional errors are made by those who mean well, but who are instructionally unsophisticated, in these ways.
The present movement for evaluation of students and teachers must acknowledge the assessed potential of each student, which will effect his or her rate of learning curriculum, if schools across this nation are to help every student "achieve and grow" yearly.
February 25th, 2012
9:55 am
It would appear that the release of these (so-called) ratings is simply another tactic in efforts to get teacher in line. At least, NY teachers are, I imagine, unionized, so that they might present a unified voice. Right or wrong, there needs to be MEANINGFUL ADULT dialogue between the two groups of disputing parties. In the "Land Of Oz", better known as Georgia, only the "great wizard" rules.
February 25th, 2012
10:04 am
Why release rankings based on bad data? To piss on teachers. Perhaps the teachers should release rankings of their leaders based on bad data–put it all over the newspapers, announce it on the TV news, etc.
February 25th, 2012
10:05 am
To see, I applaud your work, but the problem is that your children are being put into a no win situation. Your students should not be put back into a regular classroom EVER if there behavior causes a disruption to the learning environment. It's unfair to all parties involved and selfish on the part of the parents of the student with disabilities. I've been on both sides of this issue professionally and personally and no one wins. Add to the mix that a teacher is being rated and now you have a disaster in the making. Mainstreaming is a boon for advocates and looks good on paper, but in reality is a sham and causes more harm than good.
February 25th, 2012
10:07 am
@Public HS Teacher: Where will you move? Do you think things will be different somewhere else?
February 25th, 2012
10:39 am
@Sarah "As long as teachers resist accountability but demand more and more money, the public will be suspicious. "
Teachers are not resisting accountability – they are resisting accountability measures that have been shown to have severe margins of error which make them about as accurate as a coin toss. They are resisting accountability measures that do not take into account student differences, or subject differences.
Let's take a single scenario – which isn't at all unlikely. In order to better facilitate services, teacher A has all the "English as a second language learners," many of whom are below grade level in academic skills. Class B has all the inclusion students who have diagnosed learning difficulties. Class C has a new teacher who has been give behavior problems the other teachers don't want to deal with, and class D had all the well behaved students and high achievers because they teacher is the wife of a principal. Do you really think deciding those teachers' abilities and classroom effectiveness based upon their students' scores is fair or accurate?
In Tennessee, they are basing "teacher accountability" upon the scores of students they don't even teach! They are measuring the art teachers' effectiveness based upon students' reading scores! You tell me how that is accurate or fair. Of course teachers are resisting such idiocy!
We are getting closer, with testing that reflects student growth throughout the year, rather than merely an end point measure compared with "general" on grade expectations… however, you still have issues with student mobility, student motivation, etc.
I know of one teacher who was called to account for the reason a percentage of her students did not make huge gains on a "progress" testing over a three month period. Well, those students were very high achievers from the beginning and were at a point where they started topping out in the testing for their grade level. In order to score higher they would have to be taught content that was not developmentally appropriate for them, or was totally outside the purview of the curriculum… example teaching Latin or middle school algebra to third graders. You can toss a bit of that in here and there, but you can't teach an elementary class Latin in order for some of your students to excel on a standardized test. On the other end, you have teachers struggling to have students identified and tested for learning difficulties, who are being judged by the fact that students who are not making sufficient gains, likely because they have serious cognitive deficits.
When they come up with an effective measure which truly reflects my abilities as a teacher, I will gladly jump on board, but as long as they try to judge my abilities based upon measures that are rife with errors and fallacies, then I will resist.
February 25th, 2012
10:40 am
I suspect many teachers will consider leaving our public school systems for private, and who could blame them? The pay may not be as good, but at least they'll be treated like teachers and not data sets.
February 25th, 2012
10:56 am
I don't know what the problem is. Everyone in the Tea Party knows that teachers are overpaid, underworked, and coddled by the unions. They are the enemies of the people, and suck up all our tax dollars. Our children don't need such over-paid and under worked teachers. We should fire them all, and then let Tea Party volunteers take over those jobs. Then they would be done right, the children would become good Christian americans, and it would cost the tax payers nothing! God Bless the Tea Party!
February 25th, 2012
11:29 am
I would love to see Tea Party volunteers take over teaching jobs! As a public school teacher, I am to the point that I would not even volunteer to be a "data set" if I had the opportunity. I will be leaving the profession at the end of this year.
February 25th, 2012
11:32 am
@redweather: Private school teaching definitely sounds attractive! This testing-driven atmosphere is toxic to everyone working in the trenches, and especially to the students.
February 25th, 2012
12:21 pm
When you are running a machine that produces widgets using the exact same components each time one is made, it is easy to determine efficiency ratings based on the performance of the employee. However, those who believe that teachers can be just as easily judged are sadly mistaken and they are causing the emphasis for improving education to be misdirected. Students are not the same as widget components. Teachers can not give the same inputs to every student and get the same results. It is impossible. Whereas a factory can operate in this fashion, schools can not.
When we decide to stop the teacher-bashing and have thoughtful discussions about improving our educational outcomes, we will begin to see breakthroughs. We should allow teachers more time to work together with their colleagues and the parents of children rather than spend so much money and time on testing. The obsession with testing is ruining our schools.
I agree with V for Vendetta that the publishing of ratings based on faulty, unreliable data is slanderous. I can't imagine a single corporate entity that would stand idly by while their product was denigrated by similar, faulty rating systems.
February 25th, 2012
12:31 pm
Mary Elizabeth: @1:39 (goodness, I thought I was a nightowl!!):
I work with struggling readers in a rural county. I frequently see the kids like Johnny. I even went so far as to get a master's and certification in reading so I could help these kids. What frustrates me so is that not only are we told to teach the curriculum and "differentiate" instruction, I also tend to get funny looks from admins when I bring in the data showing kids reading on elementary levels in high school. The test is still the goal, no matter what evaluation system we come up with. I frequently move kids up at least one grade level, with many making over 2 grade levels of progress with targeted instruction. I LOVE what I do, but clearly if standardized test scores are the measure, my kids will likely fall short and I'll be scored low. It's sad to think that doing my job and helping kids build skills, confidence, and potential for future success could make me look bad. This year, my first group of 40 or so seniors who I worked with as freshmen are graduating. Of those who stayed in school (we lost 5 to transfer or dropping out), every single one will graduate either on time or within one semester of their orignial graduation date. Most didn't pass the EOCT in ninth grade, but are ready to graduate and most are planning post-secondary education. I simply cannot believe that one, admittedly flawed score could cost a teacher like me. I fear what's coming in Georgia as we implement the new college and career ready index for schools.
February 25th, 2012
12:36 pm
"I suspect many teachers will consider leaving our public school systems for private, and who could blame them? The pay may not be as good, but at least they'll be treated like teachers and not data sets."
redweather: I have seen some very good teachers leave for just that reason and I agree that more will likely do the same. I've contemplated it myself and have decided to wait and see how the next school year goes. I'm an optimist by nature, but I seriously wonder how states hope to retain teachers and encourage new teachers when everything coming down the line is negative.
February 25th, 2012
12:41 pm
Tony: when those discussions involve teachers and the decision makers really listen, we might see substantive changes. Ironically, most suggestions for improvement offered up by teachers are low-cost if not totally free, and would remove a ton of bureacracy. Therein lies the problem- there is too much at stake for too many highly paid people in administrative roles. The teachers are increasingly looked down upon or ignored because the simple solutions would cost people their jobs and might actually make the system work better.
February 25th, 2012
12:55 pm
@ Ron F, 12:31
You have written such a wise post with experience to back it up. Yes, you could be cut from the system that is presently being designed, and that is why I write with so much detail as I have on this thread. We must assess, as doctors assess, to pinpoint where to teach kids, in a targeted, instructionally sound way. But, to think that all kids will meet at the same instructional standard, at the same point in time, is instructionally unsound and that fact must be shared and known to others in power. Also, the instructional principles reasons behind this fact must be highlighted to them. We must keep sharing this instructional truth until someone hears who has the influence – and the will – to build what you are saying into assessment instruments for both teachers and students.
You sound like a great teacher to me. I commend you highly.
This statement, below, that you have shared is true in so many other school settings, also. It is a sad testimony of the pressure placed on administrators to simply show results without considering where students are functioning, at point in time, or without considering how fast they are reasonably able to move through the curriculum – that is correct for them and targeted to them individually – with excellent instruction:
"I also tend to get funny looks from admins when I bring in the data showing kids reading on elementary levels in high school. The test is still the goal, no matter what evaluation system we come up with."
NOTE to U. S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan: I commend what you and the President are trying to do to improve education and to enhance the respect that teachers are afforded in America, but I surely do hope you read this post in full!
February 25th, 2012
12:57 pm
DT says he or she is not in it to win a popularity contest. True. I appreciate that; however, surveying parents and students and allowin them to write comments is helpful. For example, my child is assigned homework on Mondays and it is due on Friday. this happens every week. I am a working mo m and I have time on the weekends to help my childdren with homework, rarely during the week. I asked my child child's teacher if I could get the homework early — on Friday instead of waiting until Monday and he flat out refused…thus discouraging, not encouraging parental involvement.
Like it or not, parents and students are customers and you have to make an effort to accomodate them — or risk losing your job to some other teacher at a charter school.
February 25th, 2012
1:00 pm
You wondered allowed "but I seriously wonder how states hope to retain teachers and encourage new teachers when everything coming down the line is negative."
In a different economy, I might agree with you but in today's economy there are plenty of people willing and able to fill the void if public teachers quit. Good benefits and admirable working hours are in short supply these days and pensions are unheard of. If I had to do it over i'd go into education. I would be THISCLOSE to retirement and a pension.
Good Mother
February 25th, 2012
1:24 pm
@Hermione – I bought a place on a beach. My life will be better for sure. I am qualified to teach in college, so I'll look at all of the local colleges to see if there is a fit.
Then, my fall back is to look at local high schools both public and private. Sure, it may be similar to GA – but it simply cannot be worse!
February 25th, 2012
1:34 pm
Ridiculous. Would anyone tolerate a police officer's performance review being made public knowledge? A social worker? A fireman? Additionally, if we run off the teachers that score at the bottom, who do you think is going to replace them? My brightest students wouldn't tough teaching with a ten-foot pole — and this kind of crap is the reason.
February 25th, 2012
1:52 pm
Good Mother: good point, but I wonder how many people see it as "the grass is greener…" As my kids say, "it ain't all that". Many find the "admirable working hours" mean you do a lot of work at home instead of going home to supper and the TV. I fully appreciate the fact that I still have a job with good benefits in this economy, but it becomes challenging to retain a positive outlook in the face of sooooo much negativity. I love teaching, and I LOVE the work I get to do with my struggling learners, but I wonder if that passion for the profession will be enough to keep me going. In this economy, I'd be a fool to leave, of course. But is that reason enough to stay in a job and is it fair to the kids when teachers lose the love and desire for the profession? I don't think I'd trust my doctor very much to do his job well if he came in saying "I used to really love this, but now I'm just counting days…" I'm trying my best NOT to end up like some friends/teachers I know who are just counting days to retirement.
February 25th, 2012
1:55 pm
NOTE to U. S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan: I commend what you and the President are trying to do to improve education and to enhance the respect that teachers are afforded in America, but I surely do hope you read this post in full!
You mean efforts like Arne Duncan coming to Atlanta TWICE to politically prop up Beverly Hall AFTER it became obvious to ANYONE with any degree of knowledge and integrity that she was the central player in THE biggest cheating scandal in United States educational history?
And then Obama STILL trying to nominate her to an educational advisory council?
February 25th, 2012
1:57 pm
Hey Teacher: it will take a few years, but eventually we'll end up with an inadequate pool of prospective teachers, and then what? If the numbers of young, energetic people drop too much, we won't be seeing big score improvements then. We really need to be doing all we can to encourage new teachers with new ideas to join the profession. Especially now as the baby-boomers are retiring. In the next ten years, we'll need a lot more new teachers than we're going to be attracting I'm afraid.
February 25th, 2012
2:08 pm
Well, the whole thing is sort of silly because parents who are plugged into a school and are paying attention know who the good teachers and who the bad teachers are and know how to avoid the bad ones or get them removed from the classroom. Happens all the time at our schools. They don't need a silly "rating" system based on bogus test scores.
February 25th, 2012
2:13 pm
@Ron F. – Counting days to retirement? Heck, I am counting days to just get in my 10 years here in GA. Then I am "outta here!"
I have tried to understand the reasoning behind these types of decisions/attitudes in Georgia. And, the only thing that I can find is that the corrupt politicans are being swayed by the "education" corporations that want to set up shop here and open "charter" schools to make a profit. In other words, it is all about money.
Things are so overlooked to justify this money thirst…. the unbelievably strong PULBIC schools, the amazing STUDENTS graduating from these public schools, and so on.
But, hey – the Georgia voters seems so very ignorant and willing to latch onto any sound-bite thrown their way. They deserve what they get.
I just really hope that they are ready for the generations of stupid kids here in their future!
February 25th, 2012
2:51 pm
Clayton County School System employees: It is time to stand up, speak out, and demand a full scale investigation into the actions of Edmond Heatley. For some reason, the current board and the PSC have hidden themselves under a rock as it relates to the inhumane and disrespectful treatment of the system's employees. First of all, he was illegal for him to take away our bonus money. Secondly, he is controlling ALL funds in Clayton County, He controls the ASEP funds, and he has informed some high schools that the county will now take control of the monies made from the sale of tickets to sporting events (basketball). The RTTTmoney is being used to fund a technology initiative. Read the job postings. If we do not demand his resignation, we will suffer more financially. Why is it that Fulton County's superintendent found a way to thank the employees of the school system, yet Ed Heatley is not visible. Why does he need a bodyguard? He knows that he is a cruel dictator who treats employees with the utmost disrespect. The board members should be ashamed of themselves for bringing this man to the county. He is concerned about himself only. He has no interest in the students or the employees of this county. After all he did say that, "Morale was a personal issue." Well, a majority of the employees of CCPS have a personal issue.
February 25th, 2012
3:16 pm
I see four major flaws with Value-Added Assessments:
First, test scores allow for only so much growth. If a school scores at the top % one year, they are expected to exceed that performance the next year. If they do not for three years, they are a failing school, despite producing top scorers. Of course, any idiot can realize that you cannot score above the top %!
Second, states routinely track assessment data incorrectly. Rather than comparing the same set of students' scores from year to year, they compare this year's third graders against last year's third graders. Two groups of completely different children. What if a teacher happens to get a class of geniuses one year and a class of dunces the next? Ooops.
Third, NCLB requires that all students, regardless of ability or IQ, be taught and tested on grade-level. This is true for extremely disabled students as well as for extremely gifted students. The student with a 70 IQ is never going to be able to do seventh grade mathematics in seventh grade, nor should he or she be expected to. The student with only the brain stem and complete lack of control of his or her bodily functions will never be able to read, especially not on grade level.
Fourth, the assessments are not standardized across the country. New York uses a different assessment from Georgia which uses a different assessment from North Carolina and so on and so on. The assessments can also be changed at will, making year-to-year comparisons largely invalid.
None of these points adds up to confidence on my part that a professional's life should be ruined because of public reporting of rankings based on his or her students' test scores. Remember, this data will now be around forever. It could potentially follow the named teachers for the rest of their lives, good or bad.
February 25th, 2012
3:22 pm
@Public HS Teacher, You are right! It's the same "bright and shiny" syndrome Georgia politicians have about transportation projects, building projects, and anything else that attracts lobbyists, their money, and the hint or suggestion of Federal funding.


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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A Sioux Falls man is charged with raping a five year old girl under his care at a motel room on West Russell Street last night.
Officer Sam Clemens says 22-year-old Kaleb Joseph Makey is also charged with sexual contact with a child under 16.
Clemens says Makey Was babysitting the girl when her mother returned unexpectedly. He says she on her way to a store when she realized she forgot her purse. When she returned to the motel room, Clemens says, she found the child naked from the waist down.
Clemens says the mother called police and Makey was arrested walking on North West Avenue.
Ther was an infant male in the room that was not harmed. The mother was going to the store with another son and her husband.


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Reblogged from otlgaming
Adam Ford is the Art Director for ChAIR which is part of Epic Games. He has a wide style of drawing and sketching and his various types of visual art give him even more depth and variation.
Check out more of his work at his blog: I Am ADDam
ooh! Lovely style!
Even in different mediums, skills can be translated across it seems. Even if you have 'found your style' or preferred medium, you shouldnt be afraid to try different things!


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Oreck Premier Series HEPA Vacuum
by Oreck | Item #: 246936 |Model #: OR101H |
This deep-cleaning vacuum includes a HEPA disposable bag.
The Oreck Premier Series is an industry standard now made to Oreck standards. This OR101H commercial upright vacuum comes with a HEPA disposable bag. Its powerful 870-watt motor deep cleans in just one pass, and it filters down to the .3 microns.
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Additional Documents
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|Product Type: Standard Kitchen Faucet
|Number of Handles: 1
|UPC Certified: Yes
|Handle Type: Lever Handles
|Installation Required: Yes
|Finish: 1: Bronze
|Finish: 2: Chrome
|Finish: 3: Satin Nickel
|ADA Compliant: Yes
|NSF 61 Certified: Yes
|ASME A112.18.1 Certified: Yes
|ANSI A117.1 Certified: Yes
|Material: Brass
|California Proposition 65 Compliant: Yes
|IAPMO Certified: Yes
|California AB 1953 Compliant: Yes
|Vermont Act 193 Compliant: Yes
|Energy Policy Act 1992 Compliant: Yes
|Scratch Resistant: Yes
|Rust Resistant: Yes
|Chip Resistant: Yes
|Tarnish Resistant: Yes
|Stain Resistant: Yes
|Lead-Free: Yes
|Vandal Resistant: Yes
|Spot Resistant Finish: Yes
|Mineral Build-Up Resistant: Yes
|Style: Contemporary
|Number of Installation Holes: 3
|Handles Included: Yes
|Red/Blue Indexes Included: No
|Valve Type: Ceramic Disk
|Side Spray Included: No
|Soap Dispenser Included: No
|Pull Out Spray: No
|Hose Included: No
|Deck Plate Included: No
|Swivel Spout: Yes
|Maximum Flow Rate: 2 Gallons per Minute (GPM)
|Commercial Use: No
|Country of Manufacture: Taiwan, Province of China
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OUR SKU # EDE2078This item is also sometimes listed under the following manufacturer numbers: ES8911DLK1, ES8915DLK5, ES8918DLK8


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For a nutritious drink, use this Cuisinart juice extractor.
On your way to wellness? Learn more about juicing and blending here.
Limit 5 per household.
- Large 3-in. feed tube fits whole fruits and vegetables.
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- Cleaning brush
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- Manufacturer's 3-year limited warranty
- 1000 watts
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As long as it comes with cool features which is a given (I hope). And Blue-ray, hopefully better.
I wont be getting one. I recently got myself a projector, screen, and sound system all for under $1000. This setup connected to my Mac Mini is all I need. I get all the features of my mac projected to a 100" screen.
It better be a good LCD with deep a*s black levels and high contrast ratio like Panasonic TV's otherwise I'm sticking with Panasonic.
The comical thing is that this "representative" survey was of only 200 people in a single area of one state.
Overall, I think Apple's biggest competition will still be Samsung in this market =\
Horse ****. You couldn't get 33% of the people in America to go to the drive-thru at Best Buy to pick up a FREE TV. Whoever did this stupid survey should be draun and quartered. What a stupid bunch of BS.
ill stick to my samsung displays thank you, from small monitors to the 52 inch i have samsung has never let me down...
will check out Panasonic. For now, I'll stick with Sharp displays. I'll avoid Samsung as much as I can, just like I try to avoid anything Google as much as I can.
I'll stick with Sony led!! Sony is the best! Then its Samsung
Me, I'll wait for the specs on it to come out before I make my choice, it will have to be awesome to beat my Samsung LED 6580 Series Smart TV.
This just in, 1 in 3 people will throw again several thousand dollars on an overpriced TV.
You will be buying a tv with full access to give your money to the apple store(itunes store). That will be the biggest reason for the release of this tv.
And that's fine if that's what you want from a tv. I'd personnally wait for the second or third release. Apple is famous for holding back to get you to buy every generation.


text: MINNEAPOLIS, MN (WHBL) - The Milwaukee Bucks lost to Minnesota for the fourth straight time, 112-101 Tuesday night in Minneapolis. The Bucks trailed by two points going into the final quarter, when the Timberwolves pulled away with a 19-4 run. Milwaukee trailed by double-digits through the final seven minutes, as the Bucks dropped to 2-23 against Western Conference opponents. They've still not won back-to-back games since last March. Milwaukee started hot, hitting its first 12 shots and 15 of 21 during the first quarter. The T-Wolves caught up and took over with the help of 20-8 run early in the third period. Brandon Knight scored 21 points to lead the Bucks, and center Zaza Pachulia had a career-high 10 assists. Forward Ersan Ilyasova missed the game with a sore right ankle. Kevin Love had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists to help Minnesota win its fifth game in its last seven. The Bucks have lost three of four, falling to an N-B-A worst 13-51 on the year. They'll play at Atlanta Thursday night.


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Ocean View Italian-style Villa
This 1999 Italian villa-style of approx. 7,547 sq.ft. of living space designed by Jon Sorrell is set on approx. 3 rolling acres in the heart of Montecito. Estate offers panoramic ocean, island, and Montecito Valley and mountain views. This elegant 4-bedroom home features a grand 2-story entrance loggia with an approx. 21-ft. high ceiling, a 2-story living room with mezzanine and dramatic center atrium and fireplace, music/family room, formal dining room with panoramic ocean views, paneled library/pub room, gourmet kitchen with breakfast conservatory, wine storage room, and a first-floor guest bedroom with fireplace. The second floor features two bedrooms, loggia with fireplace and walls of arched french doors, and an expansive master suite with a sitting room, two fireplaces, and two full baths. An expansive outdoor entertainment area with a pool, spa, and pool house ideal for soaking in the sweeping views and landscaping designed by Grant Castleberg. Detached 3-car garage.


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We were pleased to be joined by Dr. Mehmet Oz. You can watch the doc on Fox every afternoon at 3 and 4 p.m. Dr. Oz was in Chicago visiting Oprah as she prepares to take her show off the air.
Dr. Oz also gave us a preview of his Thursday show, where reveals five revolutionary metabolism boosters. The doctor also answered some of your questions from Facebook.
35 Skyline DriveLake Mary, FL 32746
Phone: (407) 644-3535News Tips: (866) 55-FOX35


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|European PGA Tour
· All-Time Winners
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Westwood leads Malaysian Open by 1
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (SportsNetwork.com) - Lee Westwood carded a 1-under 71 on Saturday to remain on top of the leaderboard of the Maybank Malaysian Open.
Westwood, who is seeking his 23rd victory on the European Tour but first since the 2012 Nordea Masters, finished three rounds at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club at 14-under-par 202.
"It was tricky out there," said Westwood. "I didn't play as well as I did the first two days, but there were some difficult flags and it was really hot."
Andy Sullivan fired a 6-under 66 to jump into second place at 13-under 203, while Julien Quesne (69) sat in third at minus-10 and Nicolas Colsaerts (72) owned fourth at 9-under.
Danny Willett (72), Masahiro Kawamura (70), Eduardo De la Riva (71), Ricardo Santos (70), Garth Mulroy (69) and Rikard Karlberg (67) shared fifth at 8- under 208.
Westwood has held the lead since the end of the first round and entered Saturday with a four-shot advantage.
The Englishman opened his third round with a 20-foot birdie putt at the first, but gave that shot right back at the second. He later rolled in a birdie at the fifth to move to 14-under and held a three-stroke lead at the turn.
Westwood converted an 18-foot birdie at the 11th to stretch his lead to four strokes before Sullivan made a run at the lead.
Sullivan started his race up the leaderboard with a string of birdies at the third, fifth, sixth and eighth around a bogey at the seventh, moving him to 10-under.
He closed his round with birdies at the 10th, 12th and 16th pull within two of Westwood.
"I played well again and tried to limit my mistakes," Sullivan said. "I only made one mistake, but I got it back straight away. I'm delighted with the way I finished."
Westwood, meanwhile, parred six straight from the 12th to remain at 15-under before a finding a bunker with his second shot at the 18th en route to a closing bogey, which dropped his lead to just one entering the final round.
"It was a real grind, but I'm leading going into the last round so I'm quite happy with that," stated Westwood.
NOTES: Westwood won this event in 1997 when it was a part of the co- sanctioning Asian Tour ... Sullivan is looking for his first career win on the European Tour. He has finished inside the top five in two of his last four starts ... Defending champion Kiradech Aphibarnrat withdrew prior to the start of the third round.


text: POLITICS: White House Politico: Obama's surveillance board packed with insiders | August 29, 2013 | 12:00 am Topics: White House Around the Web Barack Obama Politico National Security Edward Snowden Surveillance White House,Around the Web,newsgatherr,Barack Obama,Politico,National Security,Edward Snowden,Surveillance President Barack Obama pledged he'd appoint "outside experts" to review the country's surveillance practices, but he's since tapped largely insiders for the key posts. Read the rest of this post on the original site » Sign Up for the Politics Today newsletter! Please enter your email address below to begin receiving the Politics Today newsletter. You must enter a valid email address in the field above! Thank you for signing up for the Politics Today newsletter! You should receive your first newsletter very soon. We're sorry, there was an error processing your newsletter signup. Please click here to visit our Newsletter Signup Center to register for this newsletter. Web URL: http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2534859 Share this article on Facebook or Twitter Print this article View article comments Leave a comment


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SOSEScript: setTownGlobals failed executing with the following error: Error on line 32 position 1: Subscript out of range: '[number: 0]'
By Pam Johnson
Branford's new Firearms Sales Ad Hoc Committee has announced two public hearings will take place, March 14 and March 16, for citizens' input on creating an ordinance restricting gun and ammunition sales in certain areas of Branford.
The hearings are Thurs. March. 14, 7 p.m. and Sat. March 16, 10 a.m.; at Branford Fire Headquarters, 45 North Main St.
Attending the committee's organizational meeting last week were representatives of two Branford businesses which sell firearms, including Mike Higgins and Brian Owens of TGS Outdoors, which opened on Main Street in February; and Tom Imperati of The Hunter's Shop, a West Main Street shop which has been in business in Branford for 32 years; including a former location on Main Street (next to the current Bridal Trousseau building).
Imperati, Owens and Higgins invited committee members to visit their businesses.
"I think the four of you, to proceed, should take a look and see what it is you're deciding on…and realize the people that come into our store are your everyday citizens," said Higgins. "Come in, chat with us, and maybe have a little better understanding of what we're all about. Your committee is about the whole town. There are an awful lot of people in town that enjoy the same sports that we do; and it should be about them, as well."


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Feb 14, 2013 | 03:16 PM
| Catherine Ngai
Essar Steel Algoma,
Kalyan Ghosh,
flat steel,
earnings report,
Sault Ste. Marie,
Catherine Ngai
NEW YORK Essar Steel Algoma Inc. posted its fourth consecutive quarterly loss on the back of a "lackluster" market and lower average sales prices.
The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario-based flat-rolled steel producer posted a net loss of Canadian $25.1 million ($25.07 million) in its fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31 compared with a C$50.8-million loss in the same period a year earlier on sales that fell 6.1 percent to C$475.1 million ($474.56 million).....
NEW YORK Essar Steel Algoma Inc. posted its fourth consecutive quarterly loss on the back of a "lackluster" market and lower average sales prices.
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Are you stocking more inventory today than 18 months ago?
We actually don't know who his investors are. At the point when we are ready, we will investigate further. There are just so many things to handle and there are a lot of items to be considered with the project."
-- Charles C. Mitchell, Barstow city manager


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Keyprop is always on you, and it's the perfect stand for any occasion. It fits virtually every smartphone, including iPhone4/5, Galaxy S4, Nexus 4, and most cases. Also, get KeyCam, a self-timer camera app.
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Caesars Entertainment, which plans to bring a casino to Baltimore, announced Thursday that it would spend $25 million more and hire 500 more people than originally planned to take advantage of opportunities presented by the passage of Question 7.
Caesars now will build a higher-end Horseshoe-brand casino rather than a Harrah's on the Baltimore site near M&T Bank Stadium that will focus on table games such as poker and black jack.
The Horseshoe brand appeals to a younger crowd, analysts say. Caesars officials have gushed about the urban vibe of the Baltimore project and the possible synergy with nearby stadiums and neighborhoods. Thursday's announcement cemented the group's intentions of marketing the property as a more vibrant and hip alternative to its primary competition, the giant Maryland Live Casino located in the parking lot of a suburban mall in Hanover.
Horseshoe has a reputation, especially in the South and Midwest, as a "value-for-your-money" brand with its cowboy-inspired atmosphere, said William R. Eadington, a professor of economics at the University of Nevada and director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming. Harrah's, he said, has a tendency to be more staid.
Horseshoe is supposed to be a step above Harrah's, said David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. But the Horseshoe brand is missing from Caesars biggest markets, including Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J. Caesars hasn't established a clear distinction among its brands, he said. "It's very nebulous right now."
"It's going to be very important for Caesars to build a unique presence that is going to be appealing to a particular niche," said James Karmel, a professor at Harford Community College who tracks the gambling industry. "What you have in a competitive environment, which Maryland is becoming, is particular casinos appealing to segments of the gaming crowd."
While the structure Caesars plans to build on Russell Street won't change much, the exterior finishes will be re-thought, said John Payne, one of Caesars two presidents. New plans will need to be presented to the city's architectural review board, but construction still should begin early next year, he said.
Horseshoe Baltimore is expected to cost $400 million and open in the middle of 2014. The company now will employ at least 1,700 people at the casino.
"Today's announcement by Caesars Entertainment, coming on the heels of the passage of Question 7, is great news for Baltimore," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, in a statement. "The addition of table games allows Caesars to build a larger and more exciting casino in the city, which will result in creating hundreds of more good-paying jobs for area residents and a greater capital investment in our downtown. A larger, more competitive facility only strengthens Baltimore's opportunities to create jobs, fund education and reduce property taxes for city homeowners."
Payne and Chad Barnhill, general manager of the Baltimore casino, offered few details Thursday and said Caesars had done only "legwork" on the switch from a Harrah's brand to Horseshoe. They said it would take several weeks to determine how the building's interior structure will change, though they anticipate adding more amenities to accommodate larger crowds.
They've yet to decide how many restaurants will be included, but they do plan on meeting with local restaurateurs to see if any are interested and would be a good fit. New plans also will include a theater seating at least 500 people.
The finish of the casino will be upgraded, Barnhill said, with a "richness" created by dark woods similar to those used in other Horseshoe casinos.
Only seven of the company's 39 U.S. casinos carry the Horseshoe brand. Harrah's bought the original Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas — known as the birthplace of the World Series of Poker — in 2004, but quickly sold the building and Binion name, retaining the Horseshoe name and the poker series. It later purchased Caesars.
Two of the company's most recent urban projects were Horseshoe casinos in Cleveland, which opened in May, and Cincinnati, scheduled to open next spring.
Payne said the company would offer every table game allowed by Maryland law and predicted between 80 and 110 tables in addition to the poker room.
The company still plans to buy all 3,750 video lottery terminals it has been allotted, but that, too, will be studied. The Horseshoe in Cleveland recently removed 200 slot machines and hopes to add more table games, which proved more popular there.
Caesars has parlayed the Horseshoe brand's history into a reputation for creating high-stakes, high-action gambling rooms, said Gregg Klein, a gaming industry analyst with Imperial Capital.
The brand's slogan is "Home of the Best Odds, Highest Limits & Biggest Jackpots." The Horseshoe in Cleveland has a $10,000 limit on all of its tables; at its other facilities, the limits can go well above that.