text:
The reason I am on vacation this week is because my children are out of school due to the new Decatur "balanced" calendar, which has students back in class Aug. 1 and out of school for a week in September, in February and in April.
I don't care for the schedule, which was apparently put in place not to boost student achievement, for which the research is dubious, but to recruit teachers. The conventional wisdom is that teachers like the shorter summers and frequent breaks throughout the year. (A close teacher pal hates the schedule as she can't attend a standing family reunion in August, and she says the week-long breaks get the students off focus, but I assume she is the exception.)
While this calendar does not work well for me, I am resigned to it.
Not so in Cobb where some parents continue to oppose the adoption of a similar calendar there. One mom sent me a note complaining about the 90-degree plus temperatures when the kids went back this year in August.
She wrote, "The average high in mid Sept. is 81. The cost of air conditioning buildings at 95 degrees or higher, compared to 81 degrees, must be hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars more. The weeks off in Feb. and Sept., days off before Thanksgiving, and six staff days should be put back as regular school days. The Georgia Legislature should mandate a Sept. 1 start date and a June 1 end date for all state schools. With deficits in the millions of dollars, a calendar that is 175 days from Sept. 1 to June 1 should save money and energy."
There are also practical challenges to a balanced calendar. Very few camps have sprung up during the September and February breaks so parents either take off from work or find a sitter. And if children are in sports, the games and practices play on, break or no break. I know people who couldn't go away this week because their children have sports commitment.
Cobb's school board is considering a switch back to a traditional calendar and will take up the issue at its Thursday meeting. The district is seeking input through an online survey.
I don't count in a Cobb vote and nobody is asking me in Decatur, but my nod would go to the old calendar.
–Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
February 15th, 2011
5:19 am
Teachers want parents involvement, but parents seem to get involved in wrong things – or they don't get involved in things that really matters…
February 15th, 2011
5:42 am
As a teacher, parent of a high school and a middle school student, homeowner and taxpayer in Cobb County – I am in favor of the balanced calendar (option 1) for the next school year. If the county is truly interested in valuable instructional time, fewer teacher and student absences, high teacher morale,high CRCT scores and meeting AYP – it is the only viable option.
First of all we need as much insructional time as possible before the CRCT – this needs to be valuable instructional time – with students and teachers in the classroom. The new calendar has allowed teachers to not have to choose between taking their own children to appointments and being in the classroom (8700 fewer personal days have been taken this year). As a middle school teacher – it is impossible to make appointments before or after school. The new calendar has allowed me to do my job without neglecting my own children, by making appointments during the breaks. We have seen fewer student absences as well.
If a calendar is selected that has us in school until 12/23 ( the only other options) – there will be an incredible amount of student absences, which will impact AYP. Parents WILL take their children out several days early and teachers will be stuck at school with an empty classroom. This will be horrible for teacher morale which has taken enough hits over the last 2 years. Many of us will be unable to spend Christmas with our families. Spending Christmas Eve at Hartsfield or all day long in a car is not the way we want to celebrate the holidays. Please show us some amount of consideration. Cobb County is filled with incredible teachers who constantly sacrifice for their students with our time and resources. I think asking us to give up Christmas with our families is too much.
February 15th, 2011
6:07 am
I have taught in another country where the school calender was close to the balanced calender Cobb has now. I have also taught for many years under the traditional US calender–the one where we have to have that long summer break so the kids are available to help with the farm chores.
Obviously I think the balanced calender is a better idea, for the sake of a more productive learning environment. Any teacher can tell you what it's like teaching burned out, tired and angry kids in the dog days of October and March, when students haven't had a meaningful break since labor day and President's Day respectively, and they won't have one until Thanksgiving and Spring Break. Any teacher can tell you what effect that has on their own energy and enthusiasm levels. Also, most teachers know, and many students will often admit, albeit begrudgingly, that after about six weeks of summer vacation, everyone's recharged, ready to go, and beginning to grow just a little bit bored. To have a week off in mid-October and February at the cost of two weeks less in the summer is the best, smartest thing to do if you want to advance the quality of learning that takes place ALL year in schools. To my knowledge, no other country has the kind calender we do, especially not those countries whose educational achievements we are increasingly coming to envy as we feel more and more anxious about our own.
February 15th, 2011
6:14 am
Good points, but what about the parents who not only can't afford 'camps,' but can't afford the time off? And starting a *month* early? Teachers have that many "appointments" with their kids??
The arguments about CRCT and AYP- I don't get those, they are taken in the spring. Besides, they are dumbed-down tests that obviously are not meant to do anything other than highlight gross deficiencies.
It always seemed to me that these calendar changes are yes, for someone's kids, but not for the school's kids. I understand some people love having days, weeks off, interspersed throughout the year. But the hardships it creates for those of us in the more common working world are harder to overcome than flight and appointment scheduling.
February 15th, 2011
6:26 am
AYP is partially based on student attendance. All of the curriculum that is tested on the CRCT must be covered beforre Spring Break this year – testing begins on the Tuesday we return. If CRCT is so useless – why are they debating basing teacher pay on the test results?
February 15th, 2011
6:27 am
correction – before
February 15th, 2011
6:35 am
I just got a call informing me that my middle schooler will bring home a "packet" to be completed over the break. Justification: too much time lost from the classroom prior to the CRCT. Teachers will be off on holidays, while I'm at home trying to force a 12 year old to complete a 20 page packet. Either they need to be in school, or don't. Make up your mind Cobb County!
I will also "note" that during the Sept. break, both my high schoolers had practices during that week. We couldn't go anywhere, and the schools were open, resulting in no cost savings. As a parent, I see that my three children are unable to stay in a routine with constant breaks. And they all have "projects" to work on over the breaks.
February 15th, 2011
6:42 am
I hate it with a passion. It wrecks HAVOC on personal, educational and financial routines. But I get the sinking feeling I am in the minority. i voted for the "old fashioned" schedule, but I don't think it's popular. Teachers love the breaks and East Cobb wealthy parents love the extra breaks where they can go to nice vacations when it's not so crowded.
February 15th, 2011
7:02 am
@ Chris Murphy — The number of days off is the same. Parents will not need to pay for more day care costs. In Cherokee county, day cares, YMCA day camps, etc., all offer programs during the weeks we are off. Several parents have commented that it helps their budget to have day care costs spread throughout the year.
Regarding the comment in the letter Maureen quoted, it seems the writer assumes that the air conditioning in the buildings is shut off during the summer. It is not. The custodians and maintenance crews require a/c, not to mention the fact that if a building had 3 months with no air running, the interiors would be ruined.
@ Note — holiday? Really? I'll be planning lessons and grading papers. No holiday here.
@ABC — there are a lot parents who like having these weeks off. I do think you are in the minority.
February 15th, 2011
7:17 am
Well, to me the student achievement "reason" rings hollow. I believe if our students were required to MASTER concepts, we would see much greater achievement, even if we were off every other week! They say students forget stuff over the summer? Then they never actually learned it! If you learn to mastery, you still remember it 40 years later!
I am against the "balanced" school year also because it neither takes into account the teachers' need for certification work, nor the need for the building to be "refreshed", which cannot happen a week here, a week there. In addition, ANY weeks where we go to school when the weather is so hot is NOT money-saving, and can be outright dangerous!
Finally, the child care woes, which have never been a problem to me (as a teacher and grad student I set my life up around being a mother), I can understand how they could be a terrible problem for some, especially in rural areas like where I live where there are no camps and only one day care center.
Looking at the expenditures overall, plus the human capital costs, I'd vote a big NO on the "balanced" school year.
February 15th, 2011
7:33 am
The human capital costs have been much lower under the balanced calendar. Teachers have taken 8700 less personal days so far this year – which amounts to a huge savings for the county. I anticipate that number to take a nose dive if we return to the traditional calendar.
February 15th, 2011
7:34 am
You may be surprised to know that the majority of parents and staff in Cobb are overwhelmingly in favor of the balanced calendar. The Georgians Need Summers group are a very small, vocal minority, but they shouldn't be portrayed to represent the viewpoint of a majority of parents in Cobb.
The kids are only starting a week earlier than they were starting the previous couple of years. We're ready for our kids to go back to school come August 1st. Our kids need the breaks throughout the year to avoid burnout. It tremendously reduces absenteeism (for both teachers and students). The reduced teacher absenteeism was tremendous this year (8,700 less days already this year has been reported) saving hundreds of thousands on the cost of substitute teachers and allowing children to have their regular teacher more often. Also, the weeks off help break the cycle of viruses and other illnesses being passed around, while giving time for custodians to completely sanitize classrooms.
The balanced calendar was already voted in for three years and many families have already made plans for next year based on that. The new school board members are completely disregarding the input of the parents in their posts to push their campaign agendas on the district.
February 15th, 2011
7:57 am
For me, the interruption in routine was a big problem. A week off in October, November, two in December equal a lot of time off in the Fall. Then MLK Day a week after we get back……a long week-end in Feb. (many don't take a whole week) canceled this year. No more breaks till April. The week we comeback testing…not a good schedule. Save the October days for May and if there is no bad weather get out of school a week early!!! My system here in TN also adds time everyday all year to equal 13 snow days which have been used this year.
I liked the more traditional schedule and never had appointment problems for me or my kids.
February 15th, 2011
7:59 am
So you attribute the fewer teacher sick days to the balanced calendar? I would have to wonder if other, unbalanced systems have had a similar drop-off. I know our school has–due to teachers being afraid for their jobs. So they come to school sick, postpone doctor visits, etc. I would hesitate mightily to say there IS causation there (although there might be). If all other variables were the same, you might more confidently attribute it to the balanced calendar.
February 15th, 2011
8:02 am
I am a working parent in Cobb County. I am also very involved in both my kid's PTSA's and schools. I am also in favor of the balanced calendar for many, many reasons. There are lots of arguments on both sides about financial aspects, convenience, vacation plans and all sorts, but bottom line is it MUST be about what is best for the students and for their education. All other factors, need to work around what is best for the kids. They are what is at risk here.
I see how the balanced calendar has helped my kids stay focused on their school work. By having a break, they don't get burned out, they have a chance to rest and recharge their batteries. Kids don't need 12 week summers. They lose their retention and the first 6-9 weeks of the school year is wasted on recap. Shorter summers equal less loss of information.
During the breaks, our school closed down and completely disinfected — just as the flu and lice season was getting underway — thus reducing student AND teacher absences. The school disinfected again at Christmas time and will do again next week. After talking to our principal, this close down and disinfection had a dramatic affect on attendances — there were far less absences this year as compared to previous years and when compared to non-balanced calendar schools.
In our area of Cobb County there have been several camps and day care providers offering services during the breaks. In addition, in my neighborhood several mothers, who work at local preschools, offered day care services for a fraction of what day care centers cost. Most had spaces all week and could have taken more kids.
Most of the people I know opposed are opposed because they're not used to the calendar. I've yet to hear any concrete reasons why the balanced calendar is bad for the children.
I speak to far more parents (both working AND nonworking) in favor of the balanced calendar than those opposed. I am a working parent and I know the welfare of the children is what is at stake here. The current calendar was voted in for three years — keep it that way and try it out.
February 15th, 2011
8:06 am
The idea that you have to teach everything in the grade before the CRCT is a MYTH too many teachers (and administrators) have bought into. By trying to cram everything in, you sacrifice students' learning and understanding. I would hope that the way the CRCT cut scores are constructed account for the fact that testing takes place before the end of the school year.
February 15th, 2011
8:13 am
As a Mom of a Kindergartener, resident and taxpayer in Cobb County- we absolutely love the balanced calendar. Because the local businesses, parks and rec, etc arent offering camps to fill in the weeks off throughout the year- that isn't even close to a reason to switch back to the traditional calendar. Contact your local city government and complain about your specific area. Cobb County cities do a fantastic job of offering camps and activities. Find a local mom who is trying to earn some extra money by watching kids during the weeklong breaks- if in fact, your childs school schedule is a huge inconvenience to you.
The hot summers aren't going to be avoided, school or home, it's still hot outside. I would rather my child be in a learning environment since being outside isn't possible for most of the day. The air conditioning is still running at the schools, if our kids are there or not.
I was surprised to see that anyone was against the balanced calendar, I haven't heard one complaint among teachers or parents. Every teacher I have spoken with loves it because they can be on vacation when no one else is- Disney, beaches, etc aren't nearly as busy during Sept & Feb as the middle of summer.
Regarding the teacher who couldn't attend the family reunion- yes, she can. It's called vacation/personal time. The same as anyone with a job would have to do- use their vacation/personal time.
I hope Cobb county listens to the parents & teachers and sticks with the balanced calendar.
February 15th, 2011
8:23 am
I agree with Involved Parent, the balanced calendar actually IS preferred by a lot of parents. I know many who supported it from the start, and many who didn't think it was a great idea last year, but now love it. Personally, I found myself torn between the Aug 1 start and the Aug 15 start, but decided to vote to keep the balanced calendar (not that I think these surveys for the public really count for much). I wish they had presented a compromise between the two options, like starting Aug 8th and having a 2 day mini fall break and a couple of days before Christmas Eve. I think the quantity of week long breaks with the balanced calendar are overkill, however that is better to me than lengthy stretches with no breaks at all, even if it means starting school on Aug 1.
Not everyone in "wealthy East Cobb" is vacationing during these breaks. I know many who are not, or going to visit family, not taking cruising or skiing. We stayed home during the new September break and will be home next week. The extra time off in September did in fact benefit my children academically. They had some welcomed downtime, my older two worked on optional above and beyond projects, and we had time to reinforce some skills being learned in the classroom. My children had no trouble with the stopping and starting, which was a concern I had about the balanced calendar.
Honestly, I don't care much either way which calendar is chosen. The number of days kids are in school is not different. Whether ten days of break time is part of summer vacation or taken during the school year is not a big deal for my family. We are able to cope with the school calendar not being exactly what we would like it to be. I wish more people could do the same and the Cobb BOE would move on to more pressing issues.
February 15th, 2011
8:25 am
Announcing that "the overwhelming majority of parents believe…" does not make it a fact. Parents were not fairly asked nor their opinions counted in the decision to move to the unbalanced calendar- neither in Cobb nor in Cherokee. The weeks off have benefitted only teachers…and only some of them. The "daycare" available for parents during these wasted weeks is a travesty. The daycare centers provide a wild freefor-all with not enough staff and nothing constructive, fun, or useful for the kids to do. The alternative, which many parents are forced to take, is to leave the kids alone and bored all day and they either veg with video games or get in trouble. The promises made that it would be a vacation for the kids ended exactly as we thought- with homework and projects all due -not the day after the break, but 2 days after the break…anybody stupid enough to be fooled by that one?!
Summer vacation daycare and YMCA camps offer well-planned,structured activities for kids and have lots of additionalstaff- highschoolers and college kids who need the money and the job on a resume. There is a protracted rest for young kids to grow, the days are long so families can spend time together playing, family reunions can be planned,and companies are not so stressed with all their employees trying to get in a vacation in a nine week period of time. The teachers are too hot to let the children out to play, so they are locked in a classroom, all day and then thrown on to overheated, (some unairconditioned) buses for a 45 minute ride home. The difference in heat and humidity between August first and Labor Day is HUGE! And as for the crap about kids "forgetting" what they learned over a long summer", if I had a dollar for every time a teacher or parent admonished me that I couldn't have forgotten it if I'd really learned it, I'd be rich. Stop teaching for a test and teach for learning and that argument can go straight back down the drain where it belongs. No thinking person buys the argument that summer vacation is only for the farmer. Harvesting is done in late summer/early fall, anyway. Summer vacation has too many advantages for kids and their families for it to be plundered by people who have other agendas.
February 15th, 2011
8:28 am
really? I worked in Special Needs Preschool for several years. Their immune systems are significantly less stable than "typical" children. We continually requested sanitation in the room, as these children were always more at risk to becoming ill. Using the same old dirty mop, with regular cleaners, and spraying tables with watered-down non-antibacterial solutions does NOT qualify as sanitation! Have you actually LOOKED at what they use to sanitize your classrooms? THAT is a poor excuse for extra weeks off added into the school calendar. Could the reason for less flu cases be due to vaccines? Or maybe children are finally being TAUGHT how to keep germs from spreading (how to sneeze, how to wash hands, how to not share foods and drinks?). I wish I had time to respond to the other "Pro" reasons for the "balanced schedule," but I don't. This was the issue that really "burst my bubble."
February 15th, 2011
8:37 am
One correction to your story. It is not true that camps and other alternatives have not popped up as a result of the schedule. I have two chlidren who attend Cobb County Schools. The YMCA, Sports-A-Rama and several other places have added "Winter Break" camps for Feburary, just as they do for Spring Break (and they had a Fall Break Camp in Sept. last year).
I am a supporter of the balanced calendar. I have noticed less stress and burnout in my kids. The teachers seem to enjoy it and as you said for them it is a recruitment tool.
February 15th, 2011
8:38 am
I LOVE the balanced calendar. I'm in Henry County and we've had it for years. I love the extra breaks during the year. I remember as a kid that miserable amount of time after Christmas break until Spring break. It was 4 months of school straight with no breaks, except we used to get MLK day back then. Spring fever was horrible. But now that is broken up with a break 6 weeks after Christmas. Incidentally, the September and February breaks are fantastic times to take vacations, rather than the busier Spring break week. I can't see how parents struggle to find child care. Most of the day care centers take school kids that week, so I've never had an issue finding a place for my son.
February 15th, 2011
8:40 am
Why can't Georgia's schools follow the calendar of most of the schools in this country? Get out in June and back after Labor Day? It's time for Georgia to get on board in the 21st century and become a progressive rather than a regressive state in all aspects.
February 15th, 2011
8:42 am
My 4 children have gone through the Cobb Co. system in 3 different High Schools. Two are currently using the "balanced" calendar which is actually more like UNbalanced. The kids get off track with so many breaks. Curriculum starts and stops and never really goes forward because another break is coming. Throw in some unexpected snow days and things really slide down hill. Besides the heat of August affecting building air conditioning bills there are also higher School-bus AC costs and related heat issues. All those buses running their ACs more while driving in hot summer traffic add heavy exhaust which quickly turns to smog in the dreaded August heat depression. The increase in air pollution exacerbates asthma. Also, it's too hot for the kids to have recess or do outside activities and don't even think of them wearing their "new Fall School" clothes…no wonder they want to defy dress codes and wear flip-flops and shorts; so would we! Just think of all the athletes who get heat stroke every year trying to practice… To me it's a no brainer. Do what's right for the kids and families and forget teacher recruitment. Surely there are plenty of talented teachers who would be happy to have a job that ran from Sept 7th to June 7th.
February 15th, 2011
8:42 am
For it to truly work, Cobb needs to close the schools during that Sept week, and yes that means even god forbid the football players don't have mandatory practice. I know that is asking alot of our Jock worshiping culture
February 15th, 2011
9:01 am
Forsyth County seems to be one of the only systems on the north side that are not on a balanced calendar. For some reason our test scores and student attendance don't seem to be a problem as the "balanced" calendar activist would have you believe. Nor do we have a problem with getting teachers. As a matter of fact the majority of parents had the board redraft next years calendar to include a later start date – Aug 15 – and have kids attend school the first two days of Thanksgiving instead of the calendar we had this year.
Over the last several years parents have overwhelmingly voiced opposition to the balanced calendar because we don't feel it provides any added benefits to student education. In our community at least, it seems the balanced calendar idea is dead for awhile.
Plus the extra breaks are not all they are cracked up to be. I have family with children in the Cherokee School system and that calendar is nothing but a problem to them. Kids go back to school in early August and somehow are nearly burnt out after only 6 weeks of school? Same in February. The kids just got off a long winter break and then 6 weeks later they get another week off before getting spring break in just 5 weeks later? Seriously you folks actually think that helps with routine and learning retention? Schools elsewhere in the country use the traditional calendar, score better than Georgia students, and don't have any qualms about learning retention from long summer breaks.
Oh and for the burnout stuff. Kids get weekends off all the time. Not to mention that Labor Day, Columbus Day, Day after Thanksgiving, MLK Day, and Presidents Day give these kids at least a three day weekend and sometimes longer with teacher work days and inclement weather days built in around them.
February 15th, 2011
9:16 am
What I don't understand is why every single option has to be geared to getting out by the end of May. August is a heck of a lot hotter than June around here, so why not have school run from Labor Day through mid to late June? I have to wonder how I made it through all of those years of grade, middle and high school and then college without having a break every month or so….and I better tell my boss that I need a more "balanced schedule" in my life so I don't get burned out. I guess I am an abusive parent because when my son complains about school and says he needs a day off I tell him to "suck it up." Attending school is my child's "job" and the sooner he learns that life can be hard and unfair and doesn't get scheduled around his "feelings" the better.
February 15th, 2011
9:17 am
@Maureen – I don't count in a Cobb vote and nobody is asking me in Decatur, but my nod would go to the old calendar.
Yeah, I agree, Maureen, but your old and my old don't mean the same thing. Why, back in my day we didn't start school 'till the day after Labor Day, which worked fine then and there's no reason it would not work now. We've gotten away from "what works" because of governmental interference in our every day lives and until we strongly demand change, it will, sadly, stay the same.
February 15th, 2011
9:18 am
Henry Co has had the balanced calendar for years and I've argued again and again that parents of younger children benefit from this calendar while those of us with kids in HS do not and by the time those loud pro-parents' kids are in HS, they'll be changing their mind. WHY? B/c just as Maureen stated, we don't really get a break and it makes our summer even shorter. My son played football so July 24th (or thereabout), started daily conditioning workouts; they work out 3-days a week in the gym all summer as it is but these daily work outs are mandatory. Then they go to a 3-day camp, missing Open House. School starts August 1. Two weeks last year they had practice at 6am due to the heat. The previous year they had practice at 8pm in the evening. Then came fall break with a game the first Friday night so we got a 3-day weekend before practice resumed Tues – Thurs b/c we had another game on Friday. The problem is that only a few districts are on a balanced calendar and that doesn't come into play when they make the schedules.
I've missed our family reunion in Michigan every year since the balanced calendar was put into place and two weddings in the past 3 years in August b/c my son was already knee-deep in school and athletics and it's not worth flying up there for 2 days. I do put my son's education and activities above my extended family but what I'm getting at is the rest of the nation does not operate like us (and yet they're not one of the worst school systems in the US).
I'd be thrilled with starting school at least 1 week later & 2 would be even better (I'm not even asking for a Sept start date)! Make Fall break 2 days, Thanksgiving 3 and shave a couple of days off of Christmas. We don't need a mental break only 6 weeks into the school year! Change the mid-winter break to two long weekends and we'll still get out before Memorial Day.
February 15th, 2011
9:19 am
There is going to be a side of this calendar issue that is going to be angry when they don't "win", no matter what is chosen. It is not like we have a choice of starting in September…we are talking about a few days in the beginning of August. Why not use the "second runner up" from last year if it is so important? Start on August 8th, skip the September break and keep the February one. That would also give a bit more room to end for the holiday break before December 23rd, which is absurd. Who am I kidding – that would actually take some compromise. This is so counterproductive.The Cobb BOE needs to focus on finding a superintendent that is actually worth something, balancing the budget, and trying to retain as much of the staff as possible.
February 15th, 2011
9:21 am
I see advantages and disadvantages to both calendars. However, the legislature shouldn't mandate anything. Every county and every city with an independent school system elects a school board. Those boards are responsive to those local citizens and know the needs of their communities. Each school board should set the calendar for its district and the legislature should stay out of it. I am so tired of hearing the myth–at least in Georgia–that schools have never started before Labor Day. I graduated from a Georgia public high school in 1971, which means i started in the fall of 1967. My mother saved all kibds of things, including the school handbooks that we received at the begionning of every year. The LATEST date we ever started to school was August 22. The earliest date was August 9. That was 40 years ago.
February 15th, 2011
9:22 am
The other reason for the early start in August and the finish before Memorial day is the push to finish the first semester BEFORE Christmas break. Most schools on the old calendar come back from Christmas, have a week of class and then finals versus being completely done before the break. I do understand that b/c just like teachers do with fall & Thanksgiving break, they assign work so it's not 'really' a vacation whereas if you take the final & the semester is over, there's not much else to work on. It's easy to finish the semester before June 1 if you start it at the beginning of Jan.
February 15th, 2011
9:24 am
Another Involved Parent
February 15th, 2011
8:02 am
"I see how the balanced calendar has helped my kids stay focused on their school work. By having a break, they don't get burned out, they have a chance to rest and recharge their batteries."
I see the total opposite with my children. It tends to take them a week to get back into a routine every time they have a long break. I have talked to a great deal of teachers on this subject and the majority tell me that, while some of there students come right back from breaks and are ready to go full steam ahead, most of their students struggle for a few days to get back to a routine.
If this is the case then the two added breaks are causing an additional 10 days of the school year to be not as productive as they need to be.
I am not sure if your observations are correct or if mine are but I would really like to see some research on the subject.
February 15th, 2011
9:31 am
I would also like to see some research for Murray and Walton counties that has gone to the extended day and 160 day calendar. I am not so sure that this may be the best way to go.
February 15th, 2011
9:32 am
I am so tired of hearing the myth–at least in Georgia–that schools have never started before Labor Day
John, thanks for making this point! I started school also in the 60's and never recall it beginning after Labor Day. Some people must think if you mention something over and over again without being challenged, it becomes the truth.
If there is someone that went to public K-12 in GA that can recall starting after Labor Day, I'd like to know what school district they attended.
February 15th, 2011
9:34 am
WOW looks like quite a few of you jumped on your menstrual cycles and are going for a ride this morning.
February 15th, 2011
9:35 am
I do not understand where the teachers union "wants" in this state takes precedence over our children's actual needs. The real reason behind the "balanced" calendar is that teachers want to avoid feeeling burned out and to have more time with their families. Thr truth of the matter is that having schools open during the dog days of summer cost the taxpayer more in operational costs. When we have interspersed weeks off, it does not increase the retention in my children, and they are very good students. It is almost like the old, "two steps forward, one step back". These weeks are only interspersed for the teacher's benefit, nothing more. I personally think that our children retain and progress more through consecutive weeks of study. Is it hard, yes, do they learn more, certainly.
School has become more about teachers and their well-being than that of the students. When are we going to learn that are students are our future and there needs should be put above those that are supposed to be leading them to the goal?
With all of the breaks that we have interspersed into the calendar year, kids never really get into the swing of learning and develop a rhythm for growing their intellect. By golly, the teacher (employee of the state) gets their additional time with their families though. Sacrificing the needs of the many for the wants of the few; that is what the school calendar has turned into.
February 15th, 2011
9:45 am
Maureen, could you please post some sort of disclaimer that we DO NOT HAVE TEACHERS' UNIONS in Georgia? Thanks.
February 15th, 2011
9:47 am
Someone is going to complain no matter what calendar is put into place. Teachers and parents in Fulton are complaining that there aren't enough breaks because they started later than everyone else. For several systems, this is the first year trying out the "balanced calendar" — a little tough to judge given that we had an extra week off for snow thrown in there. If there hadn't been those snow days, a week off in February may have been more welcome. As is typical with education, you try something new and instead of tweaking it, you throw the idea out completely. Having week long breaks (especially at Thanksgiving when students would miss those two days anyway) has merit — maybe we just don't need so many of them?
February 15th, 2011
10:10 am
Having all the breaks to account for cleaner class rooms is a lame excuse. I agree with most people that say this is a huge financial burden for the parents who actually work. In this economy and in a this "Right to Work" state, people might lose their jobs because the parent(s) have to take time off work. Which in many working families cheaper than these "camps". So again the excuse to sanitize the classroom are bogus. That would mean every other county with an "unbalanced" calendar should have more sick students and teachers. Yeah right.
Also after a week off it is hard to get kids focused back on school. The other options that were giving on the survey were utterly ridiculous.
February 15th, 2011
10:26 am
I love the excuses for the balanced calendar. It is good comedy for those of us that live in the real world and are a working families.
February 15th, 2011
10:28 am
Now there's someones PHD if their ever was one. What a spin. All schedling problems would disappear if you went back to quarters rather than semesters.
February 15th, 2011
10:29 am
The start after Labor Day is actually an old farmering calendar so the kids would be out of school in time to harvest the summer crops and and have time to help plant the fall crops before going back to school. So technically, the North is still on the old calendar while the rest of the country is pushing ahead!
I remember starting school out in Oklahoma as early as August 6th. My very first day of school was August 26, 1988… how do I remember? It was my fifth birthday! The North needs to get with it.
February 15th, 2011
10:30 am
Sorry meant "farming calendar"
February 15th, 2011
10:34 am
@Maureen -
Please let me clue you in on something….. never, ever, ever are decisions made at the school administration level or at the Board of Education level based on "what teachers want."
It just doesn't happen.
If it is a good school, decisions are based on "what is best for the students." If it is a bad school, it is based on "what makes the administrators job easier." If it is a bad school system, it is usually "what lines the pockets of the BOE."
But never, ever are decisions based on "what teachers want."
February 15th, 2011
10:47 am
I will also add…..Students become very unfocused a few days before the vacation and there are always parents who leave a few days early or come back a few days late to make for a better flight schedule or more travel time.
February 15th, 2011
10:51 am
I love the balanced calendar and so do my children. My oldest is in high school. His schedule is so stressful. He is involved in one extra curricular activity that practices right after school Monday-Thursday. Once he is home he has homework that takes him until 9:30-10 to finish. They never get to see their friends because they are so busy. This creates a high stress environment for these kids. I think we can all agree to the health risks that continued stress can cause. With the breaks built in it gives my child a little down time where he can regroup. Yes, they may have a packet to complete over the break but it is nothing compared to the normal everyday they experience. Someone else also mentioned the decrease in absenteeism. My children have missed less school because they are able to get to their appointments during their days off. Some parents are complaining about teachers and the fact that they shouldn't need a break. Have these people ever sat in a classroom full of children and try to teach them and try to keep all their attention at the same time. I can only imagine the burn out they must experience. Would you rather have a teacher that has a refreshed outlook in your child's classroom or one that is completely burnt out. They are under more and more pressure to preform for CRCT while they have an extra 2-3 kids added to their classroom every year. My children are always ready to go back to school after the first 5-6 weeks of break. They get bored and are ready to see their friends again. If a balanced calendar is such a terrible thing so many schools around the country wouldn't be changing their calendars to systems similar to this. In my area there have been many day care centers that start week long camps during this break. For them not to do this would be a very stupid business move. I am sure the longer this balanced calender is allowed to continue the more we will see places offering care during this off times. I would think that paying for day care throughout the year would be much easier on a working family than having to come up with a large amount during the summer. None the less, not every one is going to be happy or like it. However, we should allow the calendar to at minimum run its course so we have sufficient evidence as to which calendar benefits our students.
February 15th, 2011
10:51 am
My husband, schooled in Alabama went beck to school in August and then they were off early Sept. for cotten picking…….I grew up in St. Louis..Labor Day to Memorial Day…..3 days Thanksgiving, 2 weeks Christmas…..long week-end Easter. A few long week-ends for Parent Teacher conferences and 2 days for teacher meetings…….Worked well!
February 15th, 2011
10:52 am
Oh Maureen you are wrong that you cannot vote for the Cobb School Calendar. The district has ordered a Monkey Survey (not joking) and you and all your friends in Decatur Georgia or Decatur Alabama or wherever can place your vote in Cobb for our school calendar.
February 15th, 2011
10:57 am
@HS Public Teacher — you are so right. I've yet to work in a system where teachers were the driving force behind a particular decision. While I am a fan of the balanced calendar, no one asked me how I felt about it one way or another.


text:
Almost home! One more 7.5 hour flight and I'm back!
Posted 10 months ago
2 notes
Went to Helsingborg which isn't that far from where I'm staying and looked around a little. The building in these photos named Bostads was a watch point for denmark during its war for the Skåne This is what is left after almost 500 years.
Posted 11 months ago
Tags: castle, helsingborg, exchange student, sweden, history, war history, war, old,
Going to see the Ängelholm Rögel's
Tonight they are playing the Malmö Red Hawks! First game in a long time, getting excited!
Tags: Malmö, Ängelholm, Red Hawks, Rögle, sweden, hockey, exchange student, exitement,
Afternoon Fika!
Halloween is just around the corner
1 note
Tags: halloween, scare, child, snowman, costume, wtf, simple, prank,
Here is a video of my riding today!
Learned to ride a horse today in om Gym class. I must say it was a nice feeling to ride!
Ly came over today for some horse riding with my host mother. Afterwards we made apple pie and other things such as cinnamon apple peels and dumplings with said apple peels! Long story short it was a fun day!
Photo set #8
Posted 12 months ago
Photo set #7: Sami Museum
©2013–2014. Postage by Greg Cooper. Icons by PixelResort. Thanks to Jamie Cassidy & Panic.
*Unlikely to find your lost post using this but you can try...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hong Kong never runs out of the cravings for Japanese, whether it's getting buzzed on Sake or overloading on Kyoto Joe's Mala roll, it's just never enough.
Taking a lead in festivals this month is the SumoSushiSakeHK this Saturday on the 23rd of November 2013. With plenty of sashimi and sushi from places like Wabi Sabi, Nan Tei, Sugo Sushi and many more, the one day event will be taking place at the Indian Recreation Club across the Hong Kong stadium.
The anticipation of having LIVE sumo wrestling matches, live music and sushi eating competition, this festival will also feature over a 150 types of sake and shochu. Talk about an exciting Saturday!
Desserts-wise, popular ice cream maker Lab Made will be whipping up their most popular Japanese flavours on the spot.
Tickets to SumoSushiSakeHK will be available from 1 November 2013 onwards, which are priced at HK$280 for five tokens, HK$350 for 10 tokens and HK$500 for 15 tokens plus access to the VIP seating area (tickets at the door are an additional HK$50 each).
Buy tix now at www.sumosushisakehk.com !


text:
Summer Choral Festival
Beginning Tuesday, June 3, St. George's Choral Society will host a two-week choral intensive, with two rehearsals a week, culminating in
a performance
of Rossini's "Petite Messe solennelle" on Saturday, June 14 at 7:00 PM.
Our application period has ended. Please e-mail
to inquire about singing. Participation costs $195 for those who apply by April 19 and $225 for those who apply by June 3. In certain instances, financial aid may be available.
Fee Includes:
$75 or $100—Festival Fee
$20—Scores, which participants keep
$100—Five $20 tickets, which participants can resell
Pay Online
Applied by April 19 $195.00 USD
Applied after April 20 $225.00 USD
The Festival includes:
4 rehearsals with professional section leaders
1 dress rehearsal
1 concert with professional soloists
Refreshments at each rehearsal
Rehearsals will be held at the Church of the Incarnation (Madison Avenue at 35th Street) on:
Tuesday, June 3, 7:009:30 PM
Thursday, June 5, 7:009:30 PM
Tuesday, June 10, 7:009:30 PM
Thursday, June 12, 7:009:30 PM
Saturday, June 14, Dress Rehearsal 2:005:00 PM, Concert 7:00 PM
Return to Homepage
History & Leadership
Become a Member
Member Guidelines
Rehearsal Schedule
Summer Choral Festival
Contact Us
Join Our Mailing List


text:
#TaniaOnTheScene - Welcome to the Jay Zzzzzzzzzz collection.
More gawkers than shoppers showed up for the controversial launch of Jay Z's highly touted, limited-edition, luxury holiday collection at Barneys — where the buzz Wednesday was more about the rapper's sky-high prices than his cutting-edge design.
The buzz around the launch after the shop and frisk incident has many disappointed with the pricey line. Others, however, are still willing to drop a few stacks for a piece of Jay's look.


text:
Full size version is only available to registered users
Please Register as a New User or Login as Existing User to gain full access to all the photos on this site. Registration is quick and completely free.
Unregistered users can only view full size photos that have been added this month.
Pitch 10 on the Voie Petit - 8a at 3,700m
© Adam Long, Aug 2009
Route: Voie Petit
Climbers: Ben Bransby, James MacHaffie
Camera used: Nikon D300, 50-150/2.8


text: Whether it's appearance or performance you want for your Mercedes-Benz E500, we've got your back. With a sprawling set of custom built options, your E500 will be the hottest on the block. If it's tire squealing speed and power you need, bolt some of our performance Mercedes-Benz add-ons under the hood. Choose from a full range of specially manufactured E500 accessories to suit your needs. You can rest assured that Auto Accessories Garage has got your Mercedes-Benz E500 covered.


text:
Update re: Angry Letter I sent MillerCoors
Dear Mr. Holby,
Thank you for providing your feedback regarding the Miller Lite 'Man Up' campaign. We appreciate receiving all comments in order to help us determine public reaction to our advertising efforts.
After reviewing your letter, I am disappointed to hear that you are so turned off by the commercial. Our consumer response shows that many twenty-something, legal drinking-age men enjoy and are responding positively to the campaign.
I assure you that we have spent a lot of time researching how to appropriately communicate our campaign while doing so in a way that reflects the inclusive nature of our company. Three ways in which we do this are:
- Inclusion of our Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) marketing group in the evaluation of the advertising.
- Consumer testing and
- Having the protagonist in each case embraced into the group of buddies.
Again, we appreciate the time you took to share your concerns with our company and want you to know that your view point is very important to us.
Andrew J England
MillerCoors LLC
For those who missed the original post containing a portion of the angry letter I sent MillerCoors and Draft ECB Chicago, the advertising agency, that is here.


text:
Requiem of Thunder DEMO 2
Notes and Credits (added by S65)
Here is the link to the .EXE version:
Here is the link to the .EXE version:
Works best when downloaded in Presentation mode.
UPDATE: Boss 2 now works perfectly, and the game is fully commented.
This is my latest project, Requiem of Thunder. Requiem of Thunder is a vertically scrolling space shooter which at the moment has no story, but will in the future. This demo contains the first 2 levels, with bosses,
Use the arrow keys to move and press Space to shoot. You can shoot up to 10 bullets at once.
I think that this is my best project yet, and is also one of my more complicated ones.
Favorite this project 109
Love this project 150
Total views 2117
View the remix tree 64
Ready to Remix!
Add your ideas! You could try:
- drawing a new costume
- changing the scripts
- creating a new sprite


text:
Ledisi, Patti LaBelle, Marsha Ambrosius, Erykah Badu, Miguel & Estelle Shine For a Great Cause at UNCFs "Evening of Stars!"
The United Negro College Fund's 33rd Annual Evening of Stars fundraising ceremony was recorded on Sunday in Pasadena and will air on September 25 at 10 PM on BET.
Since 1944, the UNCF has provided scholarships to support the education of students at more than 35 member historically black colleges and universities. The organization's slogan, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste," is celebrating its 40th anniversary; this year, the UNCF will uphold their motto by providing 10,000 scholarships and educating more than 55,000 students.
The Evening of Stars always allows the top celebrities in the industry shine on stage, helping to raise money for a great cause. The legendary Patti LaBelle performed, along with Ledisi, Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, Erykah Badu, Miguel, Marsha Ambrosius, Musiq Soulchild and Estelle.
Head over to TheQueensCastle.net for more photos of the event!
You too can support the mission of the United Negro College Fund and learn more about the organization's philanthropic efforts at UNCF.org
Photo Getty Images


text:
Sign up for Yardbarker's daily Top 10 newsletter, the Morning Bark! Customize to get news on your favorite sports and teams.
Found April 23, 2013 on Red's Army:
PLAYERS: Jordan Crawford, Doc Rivers, Jason Terry, Jeff Green
TEAMS: Boston Celtics
TEAMS: Boston Celtics
Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump. "I thought he was good," Rivers said. "He stayed in his lane, let's put it that way. He didn't go outside of it. Usually guys in their first [playoff] game, they do one or the other. Some guys don't do anything. I though he did far better than that. Or they try to do too much. I thought he was pretty much under control emotionally." CSNNE: Crawford could see more time in Game 2 "Play my game, the game I continue to play that got me here that Doc Rivers wants me to play," Crawford said. "So I'm just trying to help them win any way…Just be precise, don't second guess nothing, be precise. Whatever you think to do, do it quick. If you make a mistake, do it hard." Crawford said he didn't feel overwhelmed by his first taste of a playoff atmosphere. Instead, he said Game 1 was a nice opportunity to get a feel for t
Original Story: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RedsAr...
Comments are closed.
What do you think?To leave a comment, you can:
Underrated Stat of the Night - Game 2
Doc Rivers may go deeper into his bench at TD Garden - Knicks vs Celtics, Game 3
Celtics' lack of talent catching up with them
Video: Doc talks after Monday's practice
Doc Rivers Searching for Solution for Second Half Letdowns as Celtics Return to Boston
Hip pointer won't keep KG out of Game 3
Doc Rivers, Tom Thibodeau Lament Grumpy Atmosphere at Team Hotel That Celtics, Bulls Are Sharing in New York
Rivers: Garnett to play in Game 3
Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics Share a Hotel
Turnovers the Difference in Celtics' Game 1 Loss
Rondo Playing De Facto Coach Role With Celtics
Comments from the Other Side - Knicks Game 2 4/23
Celtics' Unchanged Second Half Struggles Show Lack of Depth, Knicks' Defensive Improvements
Celtics Seeking Revenge in Game 2
Celtics News
Delivered to your inbox
You'll also receive Yardbarker's daily Top 10, featuring the best sports stories from around the web. Customize your newsletter to get articles on your favorite sports and teams. And the best part? It's free!
Follow us on Twitter
|Latest Rumors
|Best of Yardbarker
Today's Best Stuff
For Bloggers
Join the Yardbarker Network for more promotion, traffic, and money.
Company Info
What is Yardbarker?
Yardbarker is the largest network of sports blogs and pro athlete blogs on the web. This site is the hub of the Yardbarker Network, where our editors and algorithms curate the best sports content from our network and beyond.


text:
Rate Dr. Walid Alhoussan
Dr. Walid Alhoussan's Ratings
A SHAME TO HIPPOCRATIC OATH!!! THE WORST DR. EVER!!! QUEBEC PATIENTS STAY AWAY FROM HIM!!! HE IS ONLY INTERESTED IN THE MONEY!!! NO MANNERS WHAT SO EVER!!! RUDE, UNETHICAL, ARROGANT!!! OVER CHARGES FOR COPIES OF TESTS RESULTS($20 A PAGE)!!! I WISH HE CAN GO BACK TO PRACTICE WHEREEVER HE CAME FROM!!! EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE(ON DRUGS?)...If you want a rude, poor, unethical expensive, and an unwillingness to solve or treat your medical issues FEEL FREE TO VISIT HIS VET. CLINIC...SORRY BUT I THINK ANIMALS RECEIVE BETTER ATTENTION THAN THIS"DR" CAN EVER GIVE YOU
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2560512].votes_count ]]
This doctor is Simply Rude!! No Manners at all! He doesn't listen . I had to interrupt him to even let me speak?!! Very unhelpful !!! Worst experience ever. Especially from a doctor!.
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2553715].votes_count ]]
Dr. Alhoussan is the most respectful doc I have ever met. He really treats each person as an individual, and knows about you and your issues. He never makes you feel as if you are asking a stupid question. He is one in a million!
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2535804].votes_count ]]
He is the most talented doctor EVER, I have been running from apple clinic to apple clinic between Ottawa and Toronto area looking for an anwer to my headache, they "ALL" told me to take pain medication and relax, he is the ONLY one who asked me to have a head CT scan and guess what, I had tumor!!!
Dr. Alhoussan saved my life before it was too late (that what my neurosurgeon told me)
Thank you sooooooooooo much Dr. Alhoussan, and SHUT the F*** UP every one who said other wise because you people was looking for a clown not a genioun doctor like him!!!
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2532674].votes_count ]]
EXCELLENT doctor! Very humanitarian attitude! He takes the time to talk with you and address all your concerns. He was in Aylmer (Gatineau), Québec before and I continue with him after he went in Ontario to start a practice on his own years ago as I found him above many other doctors I have encountered. I come from s family of doctors (they all live far from me) and I know a good doctor when I see one and I would not change family doctors for the world. He can take patients even without an appointment (walk-in) or even if you are his regular patient if the need arises. When I needed to get to a specialist, he made all the referrals for me without hesitation when other doctors had not been listening to me in the past. I am sticking to Dr. Walid Al Houssan and would HIGHLY RECOMMEND him to anyone without hesitation. He is very busy and sometimes his staff is a little bit 'short' and lacks patience but this is NO reflection on him and he will take your comments on his staff if you do bring them up. You just need to be a bit 'patient' with his staff whom I know work hard too in long busy days. Overall, this is the place for me and the number of patients which flock test alone attests in itself as to the great quality of this medical practice. If you come in without an appointment, of course you will have to wait and the staff will give you an approximate waiting time. If the clinic is BUSY, you can on some occasions have to wait for a couple of hours but then again doctors taking 'walk-ins' are fairly rare these days so count yourself lucky. He take both the Ontario OHIP card and the Québec Health card - he speaks both French and English and I think Arabic too (but he is native of Damascus, Syria) and is a VERY GOOD, KIND and HUMANITARIAN doctor and genuinely upholds his Hipocratic Oath with skill and dignity for people. The people criticizing him here have no idea what they are talking about - if they knew this doctor for as long as I have, they should be ashamed of putting out the garbage they have done here!
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2509917].votes_count ]]
Shame on him (times 10) and shame on the people who granted him the 'doctor' title. No work ethics, no manners and no sense of humanity what so ever :( I swear he can't even be a donkeys Doctor ( I would love to spit on his face one day !!!!!)
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2498894].votes_count ]]
I dont understand those people who goes to a doctor and need him to babysit them, i have been with dr. Alhossan for three years now, he is such a great doctor, he doesn't need to talk to me in a very soothing voice to satisfy me, he only needs to fix my medical problem and he always do in a very professional way, he know exactly what should be done, so don't go there just to put him into a test, get over you childish behavior people , it a clinic not a spa, I highly recommend such a brilliant doctor.
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2208959].votes_count ]]
I had heard great feedback from this doctor, that is why I went to see him. The staff was okay, and they were on time. BUT, the service I received was nothing less than horrible. Dr. Alhoussan seemed a little on edge when he got to work, closing doors and cabinets very loudly, making a lot of noise. When he got to where I was waiting, he did not great me or even look at me, he just asked for the problem. His questions and instructions were very unclear, french or english. He did not listen or consider what I told him. He was unsensitive and unprofessional. I am VERY disapointed, a little pissed off and truly hurt : you would think that a DOCTOR would treat his patients with more respect and tact. I have a serious problem, and I was treated like a child who is refusing to cooperate. Don't go there, that's all I am saying.
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][2208958].votes_count ]]
I love this doctor, he is very talented and smart, he was treating the whole family and still sending him more, he dosen't like to waist his time because he respect other patients time, I never had to wait more that 30min unlike the other WI clinics, Arabic people like to talk A LOT (im Arabic too) and don't care who is waiting in the waiting room, thats why they dont like him, he dosen't like to talk much, I never had to go to him for the same problem twice because he treats it RIGHT from the first time, he is genius.
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][167016].votes_count ]]
The worst Doctor ever. Stay away from him. Unpleasant, don't care about what you have to tell him, I will not recommend him even for my pet. My little one needs a recommendation to be followed by a psychiatric, he refuses to deliver just because we came for another reason first!!!! He has no humanity. I am angry yes but not about him but about who deliver him the opportunity to be a doctor. Again, don't deserve even to take care about pets. For whom who think it's racism, I am Arabic my self.
Was this rating useful? 0 [[ userState['ratings'][167015].votes_count ]]
Top Hospitals in Ottawa, ON
Top Urgent Care Centers in Ottawa, ON
Find a Doctor by Specialty
Top Family Doctors / G.P.s
#1 of 1234
#2 of 1234
#3 of 1234
#4 of 1234
#5 of 1234


text:
Featured how-to
Mastering MEAN: Introducing the MEAN stack
This series demonstrates what a MEAN web development project looks like end-to-end, going beyond simple syntax. This first tutorial gets you started with an in-depth, hands-on introduction to the stack's component technologies, including installation and setup.
Mastering MEAN: Tour a MEAN application
Take a walking tour of a MEAN application, tracing the first incoming HTTP request from the server side through to the client side.
Build a Node.js table-driven storage container application
Create a general-purpose container for key-value pairs and their associated metadata to provide a table where the data can be collected, consulted, modified, and discarded in a generic fashion with built-in jTable functionality.
Build your first Node.js website
Spot the International Space Station using third-party APIs and the Liberty runtime
The International Space Station is easy to see — if you know when to look up! Build an app to find the best viewing times for your location, using this starter app that you can customize and deploy on Bluemix.
WebSphere Application Server
Speed delivery of new applications and services with WebSphere Application Server.
Get IBM trial software quickly and easily
Try IBM products before you buy them.
Web Experience Factory
Try this Java® platform based, rapid application development environment.
alphaWorks community
Evaluate and influence IBM research and development with emerging technologies.
Key topics
Build and deploy Java applications fast — using cloud-based services, runtimes, and infrastructure.
Get started, get product docs, get answers.
- Ajax resource center
- IBM University Relations
- PHP project resources
- Redbooks
- WebSphere sMash developer resources
- alphaWorks community
- developerWorks blogs
- Web 2.0 and Mobile Development Community
- Web Experience Factory Community


text:
UCAS Code
Full-time: three years. Part-time: at least five years.
Campus, Full-time and Part-time
G100; Short form: BSc/M
£9,000 per year (UK/EU)
Preston (Campus code: U)
BSc (Hons)
If you want to develop your skills and knowledge over a broad range of mathematical disciplines, this top 10 rated degree is for you. It will equip you with a thorough overview of modern mathematics, exploring a range of topics from pure and applied mathematics to statistics. We place an emphasis on the key skills of mathematical reasoning, covering the fundamentals of mathematics in lectures and workshops, along with problem-solving activities, group work and computer lab sessions. You'll also develop transferable skills in other areas such as report writing and presentations - skills which are highly sought after by employers.
Please read the course structure for more information about our mathematics course.
2014 Entry Requirements
BBC A2 inc. B in Maths (Use of Maths not accepted) (excluding General Studies) or BTEC Extended Diploma at DMM, plus A Level Maths Grade B, GCSE Maths & English Grade C.
2015 Entry Requirements
ABB A2 inc. A in Maths (Use of Maths not accepted) (including General Studies) or BTEC Extended Diploma at DDM, plus A Level Maths Grade A, GCSE Maths & English Grade C.
Course Enquiries
University of Central Lancashire
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1772 892400
Email: email@example.com
Information about admissions; what to expect; what we need and your next steps. For information on financial support options see Bursaries/ scholarships.
Compulsory modules
Compulsory modules
Ordinary Differential Equations: Series and Numerical Solutions of ODEs; Systems of ODEs; Fourier Series.
Experience UCLan for yourself: talk to lecturers, walk around campus and chat to students.
The BSc (Hons) Mathematics is designed to provide you with an excellent foundation in modern mathematics and to develop your skills and knowledge over a broad area of the mathematical disciplines.
At Stage 1 (Year 1 for full-time students) you will study fundamental modules in pure, applied and computational mathematics and statistics.
At Stage 2 (Years 2 and 3 for full-time students) you will take a variety of modules in pure and applied mathematics and statistics which include a number of compulsory topics, such as Ordinary Differential Equations, along with optional modules across pure and applied mathematics such as Fields and Galois Theory, and Mathematical Biology. The course is a broad, balanced programme with an emphasis on the keys skills of mathematical reasoning.
In your third year you can undertake an individual project in Mathematics under the guidance of a supervisor. This is an opportunity to investigate in depth an area or application of mathematics that particularly interests you.
During Stage One you will cover the fundamentals of mathematics in lecture courses and workshops. These modules are designed to provide you with the core skills required to tackle the more advanced material in the following years. Stage 2 modules range from those that present mathematical theory and proof, thereby developing your reasoning ability, to those with a more practical slant that develop your problem-solving. There is also the opportunity to take part in problem-solving activities, group work and computer lab sessions.
Throughout the mathematics course you will encounter a range of teaching methods. This may include traditional "chalk and talk" style lectures, small group tutorials and problem workshops, and sessions in computer laboratories, depending on the module studied. For some modules, the University's online learning environment (eLearn) will be used to access course materials. In many modules, problem sheets will be given out, which will reinforce your knowledge of the material taught in lectures. This combination of learning methods allows you to continue independent learning through a variety of approaches.
The mathematics team encompasses 10 members of staff based in the School of Computing, Engineering & Physical Sciences, who specialise in various aspects of pure and applied mathematics. This includes model theory, acoustics, non-associative algebras, dynamical systems and magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). These include: Kevin Bowman, Christopher Powles, Danielle Bewsher and Daniel Brown.
The staff who teach on these courses are all members of the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute for Mathematics, Physics, and Astronomy. They all have doctoral research degrees and come from diverse and international backgrounds.
Several of the mathematics team are also members of mathematics professional bodies such as the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications (IMA) and the London Mathematical Society (LMS), and are actively involved in local branch activity.
The mathematics programme provides an excellent foundation in modern mathematics and encompasses elements from pure mathematics, applied mathematics and statistics.
The programme is built around a set of core material from the three sub-disciplines supplemented by specialist modules such as cryptology, logic and mathematical biology.
As well as development of mathematical skills and knowledge, development of transferable skills such as report writing, presentations and group work is embedded in the programme.
Students graduating from the mathematics programme are equipped with skills that prepare them for postgraduate study. Every year, PhD studentships are available within the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, working on a variety of topics with different academics.
The mathematics course will help you to develop a range of important skills that will make you attractive to employers. These include:
At the end of the mathematics course, you will be ready for a career in any one of a vast range of industries, including:
We are still accepting applications for a number of courses starting in 2014, please contact us for further information.
+44(0)1772 892400
Our Maths degree is approved by the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications (IMA).
To complement the mathematical content, development of transferable skills is integrated within the mathematics course. These skills include writing reports, giving presentations and group work, which are skills that are highly desired by employers. The course also includes outdoor team-building events.
The School provides an 'electronic learning' environment to facilitate flexible learning. This environment combines traditional face-to-face lecture/tutorial and practical sessions with additional, resource-rich, on-line materials allowing you to continue independent learning through a variety of approaches.
Emphasis is placed on learning by doing and all modules stress the importance of applicable work, in both laboratories and tutorials. There will be a combination of coursework and examinations, depending on the modules selected. A variety of coursework assessments will be used. In first year, these include a mixture of project work and small continuous tests.
You can choose to undertake a work placement in a relevant industry to enhance your practical mathematical skills and apply them to the workplace.
You could choose to spend a year studying at our campus in Cyprus.
Mathematics graduates can be found throughout industry, business and commerce, in the public and private sectors, with large employers and in small organisations. Employers value the intellectual rigour and reasoning skills that mathematics students acquire, as well as their analytic approach to problem-solving.


text:
SPECIAL OFFER: - Limited Time Only!
(The ad below will not display on your printed page)
Start with feet together, arms bent by sides. Hop straight up, lifting left knee toward chest, then extend left leg in front of you to stride forward and land with left foot directly under hips. Alternate legs for 30 seconds. (Be like Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall and do it to the rhythm of "New York, New York.")


text:
Getting started
Contact Us
Advanced Search
| Arduino Forum :: Members :: giantsfan3
Show Posts
Using Arduino
General Electronics
Re: How does this sensor measure liquid level?
on: July 03, 2013, 09:41:26 pm
That doesn't answer my question. I understand how this type of measurement works between two capacitive plates, as I stated in my question.
But how did they do it with what appears to be only ONE capacitive side/plate/pad placed on the container?
Quote from: HugoPT on July 03, 2013, 02:24:04 pm
Reading the capacitance can give you the water level using some calculations.
Using Arduino
General Electronics
Re: How does this sensor measure liquid level?
on: July 03, 2013, 11:32:37 am
@MarkT, But there appears to be only one plate/set-of-pads (as opposed to two plates with one on each side of the container), so what do you mean, "to each other"?
Using Arduino
General Electronics
How does this sensor measure liquid level?
on: July 03, 2013, 10:35:54 am
I am familiar with a method of estimating the liquid level which is done with two plates of a large capacitor -- one plate on each side of the beaker/container. As the liquid level rises, the dielectric changes, so the capacitance between the two plates changes. Measure the capacitance, and you can calculate the liquid level. All good.
But just now, I found this interesting product (also capacitive based), which seems to measure the liquid level with the plate/sensor installed on just ONE side of the container -- I don't get how this is possible!
The sensor:
Does someone understand how this works?
Using Arduino
Project Guidance
Re: How is this idea to measure a (tiny) gap?
on: June 18, 2013, 11:13:07 pm
Quote from: dc42 on June 18, 2013, 01:24:14 pm
Why not make a capacitive sensor and measure the capacitance? Depending on what A and B are made of, making the sensor might be as simple as gluing some metal foil on the faces of A and B.
This might work well I think because the foils could be very thin.
This would also make it a very lightweight solution that I could insert and remove when needed.
So the dielectric is air, the cross-sectional area stays constant -- and only the distance between the plates would change, which the capacitance is inversely proportional to.
I presume I would have to use an RC circuit, apply a constant voltage, and track the charging/discharging to infer the time constant. So something like this:
@dc42: How immune would such a sensor be to environmental noise? I am trying to see how I can design this in way that would ensure the capacitance measurement is accurate (able to track the distance between the capacitor plates down to changes of 0.1 mm or better).
Using Arduino
Project Guidance
Re: How is this idea to measure a (tiny) gap?
on: June 18, 2013, 11:06:34 pm
@Nick_Pyner and @PeterH:
That's the thing; I would like to minimize the number of moving parts, so that the assembly is relatively free, insert-and-remove, and ideally portable.
Gearing and shafts would introduce more moving parts which might contribute to drift over time unless I design it extremely well (which is not assured in my particular case of little mechanically skill).
Using Arduino
Project Guidance
Re: How is this idea to measure a (tiny) gap?
on: June 18, 2013, 10:18:28 am
@Riva: That's along the right lines I think -- But note that even the very tips of the internal jaws of the caliper are still a bit too thick for my gap. Hence, my thought of perhaps attaching something to the edges of the caliper jaws and then extending that something out into the gap. Hmm...
( Also, the spring you mentioned was just to provide counter-support to prevent the caliper from closing, am I correct? )
Just now, I have also updated the design idea to something like the following -- first image below. And then perhaps use a really compact caliper like the one in the second image at the bottom.
But really, I wish I could somehow just ditch the majority of the caliper altogether, and just find some compact way of measuring the stretching/de-stretching (compression and extension) of the scissor-shaped/alligator-clip-shaped blades in this setup:
Using Arduino
Project Guidance
Re: How is this idea to measure a (tiny) gap?
on: June 18, 2013, 09:58:05 am
Could you elaborate: The leadscrew placed where?
If you are suggesting to attach it behind/to the right of the moving Surface B and track the number of rotations as it closes in on the gap, this is not a viable option in my particular case because of these reasons:
a) the Surface B is actually large/massive (my picture is just an exaggerated illustration)
b) there is no convenient place behind/to the right of Surface B where I can station the encoder/leadscrew, etc.
c) I prefer to isolate the full setup to within the gap's neighborhood, so that I can simply move my setup to another place and use it again.
Using Arduino
Programming Questions
Re: Extracting just the decimal part of a float
on: June 18, 2013, 09:39:43 am
Yep, worked out well. Thanks all!
Using Arduino
Project Guidance
How is this idea to measure a (tiny) gap?
on: June 18, 2013, 09:17:06 am
Hello all,
After several days of playing with different ideas, I think I am on the verge of solving this problem -- very close -- but can't quite grasp how to fit in the mechanics.
The goal is: I am trying to measure the gap between two surfaces. The gap has a value between 3 and 9 mm and is closed together over time as a process occurs -- I'll need to measure the gap versus time, so I am considering a setup that I can leave in place and log the data to my Arduino Nano's EEPROM or use an SD shield.
The problem is that I want to measure the gap with a resolution of 0.1 mm or better ideally.
So I gave it a shot using inductive sensors (too big to fit in the gap), computer-vision-based attempt (not very portable), and a couple of other methods.
Finally one day, I was using a caliper and realized that a standard caliper which uses capacitive-plate measurement can easily get this kind of resolution (even 0.01 mm or better), so why not use this readymade device?
Of course, re-designing the whole caliper/capacitive-plates/etc. from scratch would be too complicated for a beginner-intermediate electronics hobbyist like me.
So I am wondering if there are any easy ways I can take my caliper and somehow repurpose it to solve this problem.
For example, something like in the below image. And since I only need 3-9 mm full range of movement, I could cut off all the unnecessary portion of the caliper (for example, in the below image, most of the right-hand section of the caliper.
But could I somehow make it compact or could there be a simplification of this?
I am pretty sure my suggestion isn't as smart with the mechanics as might be possible.
Using Arduino
Programming Questions
Re: Extracting just the decimal part of a float
on: June 09, 2013, 09:25:15 pm
@Msquare: That much precision is needed (and exists) here because the value being collected (via RS232) is coming in the form of a serial String, as a number with that many decimal points. Then I do some computation with it and, based on the computation, make decisions as well as send the value (or else a message) via an Xbee to a second Xbee.
@robtillaart: Hmm, I didn't consider that possibility; for some reason, I thought the float type would split the significant digits between the integral part and the decimal part in a consistent manner (as opposed to one maximum constraint on the ENTIRE number of digits).
The maximum integral part is 999, so let me give this a shot.
Quote from: robtillaart on June 08, 2013, 02:56:06 pm
with respect to the problem:
Is there any way to reduce the integral part so the float uses its significant digits for the decimal part?
What is the max integral part?
Using Arduino
Programming Questions
Re: Extracting just the decimal part of a float
on: June 07, 2013, 09:18:46 pm
Yes, (across many languages) floating point arithmetic in general seems to be have 6-7 total digits of precision.
I've decided to store the data into a string/char-array right at the offset, then either convert it into a long and do arithmetic with it, or else directly store as a string.
Using Arduino
Programming Questions
Re: Extracting just the decimal part of a float
on: June 06, 2013, 10:30:34 am
Pete, This fails to do the trick because the the 0.00005 addition (to the float) has an uneven effect depending on each different float. E.g., in this case, it resulted in the last two values still being mis-extracted.
Quote from: el_supremo on June 06, 2013, 10:13:45 am
Many decimal fractions cannot be represented exactly in binary. The fix is to round the number. Try this
int DecimalPart = 10000 * (Value - IntegerPart + 0.00005);
Using Arduino
Programming Questions
Extracting just the decimal part of a float
on: June 06, 2013, 09:52:57 am
I am having a bit of trouble with the floating precision of float; never thought I would need this many decimal digits of precision but today it happened!
My goal, from a given float (always with four decimal digits), is to extract just the decimal part ("mantissa") as an integer.
So I attempted this method:
void ExtractDecimalPart(float Value) {
int IntegerPart = (int)(Value);
int DecimalPart = 10000 * (Value - IntegerPart); //10000 b/c my float values always have exactly 4 decimal places
Serial.println (DecimalPart);
But the above results in the following (note that the latter two print out wrong):
ExtractDecimalPart (1234.5677); //prints 5677
ExtractDecimalPart (1234.5678); //prints 5677
ExtractDecimalPart (1234.5679); //prints 5678
What can I do to solve this in an economical way?
Using Arduino
Project Guidance
Re: Ardutester - Arduino Component Tester
on: June 02, 2013, 06:32:31 am
Very elegant interface too! I'd love to either buy one of your shields, or else would at least like to make one for myself.
Any chance that you will release the Eagle/KiCad files as well? I see you've already sourced the Gerbers.
Using Arduino
Programming Questions
Re: How to port Arduino to any given microcontroller
on: May 28, 2013, 09:43:40 pm
Noted. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
As far as which uC: No one in particular, but I've been using the Digikey search/sort feature and when I included some features such as N number of UARTs, or integrated CAN, etc., I come up with some really neat, fairly inexpensive microcontrollers that exist out there (e.g., from Texas Instruments), but it's hard to directly jump into these new uC's for a coder like me with experience only on the Arduino platform (and the various libraries). So I thought I'd pick one and see if I could learn how to use them with Arduino sketches.
Quote from: majenko on May 27, 2013, 12:17:59 pm
You should really target your port direct to 1.0.x so as to avoid future complications
Out of interest, which microcontroller are you thinking of porting to?
Powered by SMF 1.1.19
SMF © 2013, Simple Machines
©2014 Arduino
Copyright Notice
Contact us


text:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
muffin_of_chaos said...
No, Farfro's got a good point. Hunters and Paladins have been dominating the posts, which is kind of annoying, and where else to post his complaint than to the column that perpetuates the problem?
I have a Hunter and a Paladin, so it's all good for me, but I can see how it would be annoying to others. Not that WoW Insider has to care, it's their time/energy.
By the way, I know *I* for one am going to be very annoyed at the number of Death Knight articles out there. But then, those will make more sense because pretty much everyone who reads WoW Insider will have a Death Knight...very few will have a Hunter.
So yeah. About that whole logic thing.


text:
My Dear Ekiti Compatriots,
It is possible.
In all things, as the Holy Books compel us, we must learn to give thanks to the Almighty. To those who still doubt the miracle of our living God, yesterday's declaration of the actual winner in the April 14, 2007 Gubernatorial election and the supplementary election on April 25/May 5 2009 in Ekiti State is more than ample evidence that our God is good, all the time. Forty seven years ago, our great leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in his famous allocutus stated that "after darkness, comes the glorious dawn". With profound gratitude and great humility, I stand here today before this distinguished gathering and declare that this is the arrival of such a dawn. From a dismal tunnel into which electoral robbery has drawn our beloved state, even made worse by the sheer incompetence and incontinence of the violators of our collective right to political choice, their Lords Justices of the Appeal Court have rescued our state and delivered your voice and choice back to you, the good people of Ekiti State. It is not 'Kayode Fayemi and 'Funmi Olayinka who have won a victory here today. This struggle has never been about us. It's been about you and the corporate sovereignty of Ekiti people.
This has been a long and tortuous journey strewn with blood and tears along the way. For forty two long months after that election, you insisted on pitching tents with the truth and decided on a new politics for our time. In all these tiring years and depressing months, through all the legal rigmaroles and social perversions, you held on to your faith even when the path was uncertain. In spite of the temporary triumph of perfidy and what looked like an endless stream of inequity, you good people of Ekiti, and our numerous friends and supporters both within and outside Nigeria, stood firmly by us; we remained your choice and your voice. You reflected what Ekiti history teaches us from the period of the ancestors about resistance to oppression, about courage of conviction and about justice as the first condition of our humanity. At a point, the sheer impudence of the electoral thieves provoked our people to ask: Ki la ti a se yi si o, Ekiti kete? But the response that you gave to the challenge was outstanding. You did not respond by force of arms, nor resort to criminality and brigandage. Instead, you pursued your conviction with dogged determination within the ambits of the constitution and the law. You heeded my plea that I do not want to be Governor over dead compatriots and that we must pursue justice without shedding blood. You bore all the indignities and suffered all the tribulations in the firm belief that, in the end, justice shall prevail. Today, your inviolate belief in democracy and your unquenchable thirst for justice have been echoed in the hallowed chambers of the Nigerian judiciary. Your choice and your voice have triumphed. At last, the siege is over. History is made, like the day our forefathers repelled the ajeles at the historic Ekiti Parapo wars.
It is possible.
Today, we, the Ekiti people, begin a new journey to meet our manifest destiny as the vanguard of enlightenment, not only in Nigeria, but in the rest of Africa. We went into the election believing in the sanctity of the vote, in our determination that our people's votes should count in order to ensure that we can be held accountable. Today, we enter into a sacred social contract with you, our people. Let this message be heralded in every corner of our marvelous state, let it be echoed in the four corners of this amazing country and beyond the shores of Nigeria; let it be repeated by generations to come: that on this day, at this place and in this historic time, a judicial verdict provided an opportunity for the light that is Ekiti State to shine again; the shining light which had been consecrated by those who came before us, is today snatched from the jaws of defeat and delivered to the doorsteps of victory. Never again in the history of our state of enlightenment shall a government not duly elected by the people be imposed on them.
It is possible.
For some time, our civility and restraint was misunderstood as a sign of weakness and fear. We did not resist the tyranny of the military and erected barricades against the run-away autocracy of the militariat, only to submit to the bloody machinations of civilian marauders. We were resolute in our belief that the state for which we have given, and will still give, our all, will never by our retaliation or reaction, be turned into the graveyard of democratic politics. The struggle was waged on our core principle of restoring a heritage of values known to Ekiti and Yoruba people. Yes, it is true that we have had a bitterly divided state in the past three and a half years. Ekiti was always in the news for all the wrong reasons, not celebrated for any enduring and worthy exploits. Indeed, we responded to the tricks and treacheries of the powers by the sheer morality of our authentic mandate; we did not fight, we struggled. We struggled to ensure that, through all the uncorrupted avenues for legal justice, the mandate that you freely gave retained its sanctity in the face of daunting odds. It is a fulfillment of my constant refrain that our freely given mandate will neither be compromised nor stolen.
For the avoidance of doubt, dear compatriots, what we struggled against were not the individuals who stole our votes, who benefitted from the robbery and those who, through political or even judicial means, sought to consolidate the electoral heist. Those we struggled against and those who this judgment has given us the renewed will to defeat are tyranny, illiteracy, poverty, diseases and the darkness that has been imposed on this land of honour and fountain of knowledge. My compatriots, now we must recover the spiritual and moral direction that many used to celebrate us for – courage, character, competence, compassion, candour and integrity. Ekiti was founded on these ideals and we now have a sacred duty to take them back.
We had named this a collective rescue mission. The vision is clear; the mission is here. It is to make poverty history in our land. While it is going to be a daunting task, it is not an insurmountable challenge to move beyond our most recent wounds. In fact, our only choice is to continue on the path of reconciliation and renewal towards a model state – because this state is bigger than us all.
It is possible.
As I am ushered into the Governor's Office in Ado-Ekiti, make no mistake about it, I will ensure that you, the good people of Ekiti State, own this government. I will do this by re-designing my agenda through the village square and town hall meetings I promised; democratizing governance, modernizing agriculture; improving on infrastructure; promoting free and qualitative education towards the development of functional human capital; providing free health and social security to the disadvantaged sectors of our state, ensuring industrial development; tourism and sustainable development and promoting gender equality and women's empowerment.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, the state of our State calls for an urgent, bold and swift action. What happened in Ilorin yesterday had strengthened my bond with you. My 8 point agenda would be pursued with vigour and life would be more abundant for our people .Governance shall not only be transparent and accountable but the good of our people would be the template. There would be employment opportunities and youth development shall receive urgent lifeline. Women would never suffer discrimination as they would become vital indices in our development calculation. Child and maternal mortality rates shall be reduced and eventually stamped out. Agriculture, our mainstay would come alive while tourism would add value to Ekiti, a state of aesthetic splendor. Your health will be my wealth as we set about fulfilling our promise of an affordable, accessible healthcare for every Ekiti citizen. Education, our heritage and weapon against ignorance shall receive a religious attention. For the good of our people and to the Greater Glory of humanity, I declare Education free for all primary and secondary school pupils. Children at birth up to five years of age, pregnant women and senior citizens are exempted from paying medical bills in all government hospitals. In addition, we shall introduce a social security scheme for all our senior citizens that are 65 and above within the shortest possible time.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen – This event is occurring as the world reviews a decade of the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs]. I do not believe that this timing is just a mere coincidence or an occurrence by happenstance. It is also five decades after the gargantuan accomplishments of our sage as the premier of Western Nigeria. Even the sage must be turning in his grave about the deteriorating developments in his zone and the entire country as a whole. It is therefore an opportunity for those of us interested in societal transformation to recommit and rededicate ourselves to the values promoted by Chief Awolowo and renewed in the MDGs. Our challenge as a successor generation is not just to restore the fundamental tenets of the Awo credo in our actions. Yes, education, health, development of the human capital and freedom from poverty must remain inalienable rights for our people but in accomplishing the necessary tasks, we will not privilege ideology over facts. Not dogma over common sense. Our primary objective will be what works best in the ultimate interest of our people. We shall do development with our people and not for them.
I must caution that this would not be smooth-sailing. The road will be rough, the climb is bound to be steep but that also represents the history of our people – a history of continuing struggle. We owe it a duty to repair the damage done by the departing authority even as we re-start the clock of progress in our State. For about three and a half years, governance became an exercise in trial by error. Ekiti government house became a theatre for comedians where policy somersault and executive recklessness became the script. It was forty months of a game without rules, a journey without maps. Health care delivery became death scare delivery and the neglected hospitals became centres where you pay through your nose to shake hand with death. Peace became a rare commodity in our cultural warehouse and lives became disposable with unnatural expiry dates, through the guns of assassins and kidnappers and the bullets of armed robbers. We recorded more political killings in these sordid forty months than in the previous twelve years of our existence as a state. A strange catechism of politics without integrity was handed to our youths who were living witnesses to unpardonable electoral robberies. Infrastructure and public utilities became public nightmare. Education system became impaired while deception became an article of faith. Official relationship with our elders, leaders and traditional rulers was maintained mainly with pecuniary inducements rather than through conviction.
Compatriots, I have reiterated many times that the struggle was not a personal war between political adversaries but a compelling call to a crusade for the redemption of our dear State which we have all toiled to build. In the spirit of reconciliation and renewal, we must have the courage and the determination to build bridges across divides and unite in common effort. We must be honest and admit that attaining greater heights in Ekiti State will require more than just government. There is no magic wand about it. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us. Yes, government must lead, but each of us must do our part in rebuilding this beloved state of ours. Yes, we must provide more opportunities and ladders to success for our young men and women, but parents must still guide and protect their children. True, we must ensure a politics of meaning and eschew bitterness in political relations.
In this sense, I want to assure all that there will be neither recrimination nor retaliation under this administration. Without a doubt, we will undertake a comprehensive review of what had transpired in the last forty two months as should be expected, but this is with a view to strengthening the fabric of democratic governance and correcting the ills of the past, not an exercise in witch-hunting. During this period, the civil service which is the key implementing agent of government had its flag flown at half mast. The fire of a vibrant workforce was extinguished and the artisans were in sackcloth, mourning the arrested opportunities of Ekiti, our State of hope. To begin this process of renewal, we shall require all Permanent Secretaries in our civil service to revert back to their positions as of May 28, 2009 immediately while suspending all irregular civil service appointments.
It is possible.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, our celebration today is not a celebration of our victory as politicians or as a party, our celebration is that of the triumph of justice and equity, the victory of Ekiti people's inalienable right to choose their leaders, a celebration of the triumph of human spirit over the indignities of the age; a triumph of hope over hopelessness. But it is also a celebration of a new beginning, one for which all Ekiti people must roll up their sleeves to begin the rebuilding of our state which was hampered by gross electoral robbery.
We cannot but salute our leaders who put what money could not buy – their honour and their humanity – on the line so that the government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish in Ekitiland. They were not seeking personal victories or favours; some of them were not even from these shores; theirs was, and still is, an irrevocable commitment to the ideals of democracy, the promises of justice and the illuminations of egalitarianism.
For the avoidance of doubt, even if, fundamentally, our task begins with Ekiti State, it goes beyond the limits of our state, because we cannot be truly free until our compatriots are all free. Therefore, let this be only the beginning of greater justice, within and beyond Ekiti state. This land which had flowed with milk and honey, both which has now been sucked and licked dry by a most unprecedented kleptomania, must be returned to its pride of place in the comity of nations. Ekiti people, as we celebrate the centenary of Obafemi Awolowo, the High Priest of Enlightenment and Egalitarianism, I hereby reaffirm my willingness to work with others to ensure that Ekiti State and our country, Nigeria, marches again, unimpeded, towards her manifest destiny.
Yes, it is possible.
I thank you.
God bless you, God bless Ekiti State, and God Bless Nigeria.
Dr. Kayode Fayemi,
Governor of Ekiti State
Wednesday, October 1 2014, 1:14 am
I urge you not only to perform your civic responsibility of voting but also to be peaceful at the polls and maintain a civilized conduct of decency and decorum. —
Switch to our mobile site


text:
June 13, 2014 10:29 PM
Africa Africa investment Africans in China air pollution alliance california currency Dalai Lama diplomacy economic growth economic slowdown EU european union exports financial crisis 2008-2009 foreign direct investment foreign policy foreign trade Foxconn free trade agreement Gao Hucheng globalization global trade gold Guangzhou high-speed rail hollywood Hong Kong human rights conditions human rights policy imports India indigenous innovation infrastructure jerry brown made in China manufacturing Nigeria North Korea North Korea trade outbound investment Russia trade trade disputes trade surplus U.S. relations U.S. trade United States Vietnam WTO
U.K. Weighs Profit vs. Principle as Li Keqiang VisitsLi Keqiang's three-day visit to the U.K. got into full swing on Tuesday, with the Chinese premier meeting both the Queen and his British counterpart David Cameron. Deals and declarations were announced, covering trade targets, currency, a $20 billion natural gas agreement, Chinese investment in British infrastructure including nuclear power and high-speed rail, educational exchanges and new consulates. Britain had already announced new visa policies to ease
June 18, 2014 4:13 AM
Top Taiwan Official To Make First Visit To Island
Reuters reports that China's top official in charge of relations with Taiwan, Zhang Zhijun, will make his first visit to the island later
China Cancels Thai Rice Deal Amid Graft Probe
After Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission launched investigations into embattled Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's
February 4, 2014 3:31 PM
Prospective U.S. Ambassador to China Under Scrutiny
News came on Wednesday of Max Baucus' selection—pending senate approval—to succeed departing U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke.
December 19, 2013 11:58 PM
- Solar-Panel Dispute Burns Hole in EU Strategy
- China to Build $5 Billion EU Beachhead in Bel...
- Chinese SOEs Major Losers in 2012
- California's 'Chinese Dream'...
- Gov. Brown Sees China as Ticket to High-Speed...
- China Won't Forsake North Korea
- Some Chinese Souring on Being N. Korea'...
- MOC Claims China Not World's Top Tradin...
- China Fluffs Up Cotton Price
- China Trade Now Bigger than US
- Eastern Promise in Guangzhou's Little A...
- N.Korea Trade with China Increases
- How the China Trade Helped Make America
- China Bans Foreign Vessels from Waterways
- U.S. Files W.T.O. Case against China
- Japan and China Bypass US in Direct Currency ...
- China Vows to Balance Trade with US
- Time for a Strategic Reset