text:
Volume VII, No. 5
What's inside...
Getting it Right, Right from the Start: Birth to Five Kindergarten Readiness
What's New
- From the U.S. Department of Education
- Arts Education
- Closing the Achievement Gap
- Early Childhood Education
- Education Reform
- Raising Student Achievement
- Reading
- Teacher Quality and Development
- Technology
- Charter Schools
- Raising Student Achievement
- School Improvement
- Teacher Quality and Development
- Technology in Education
Getting it Right, Right from the Start: Birth to Five Kindergarten Readiness
President Obama has called investing in early childhood initiatives the first pillar of reforming schools and has challenged states to raise the quality of their early childhood programs, specifically to "ensure that children are better prepared for success by the time they enter kindergarten."
Studies show that skill differences at the kindergarten level between children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and their wealthier peers are not only substantial, but continue throughout their school years. It is also increasingly known through neuroscience studies that a child's brain develops most dramatically during the first five years of life. Several national studies indicate that children from low-income homes who are enrolled in high-quality early childhood programs are more apt to overcome skill gaps than those not enrolled in the programs.
Therefore the president believes that it is imperative to provide the neediest children--starting at birth--with quality education and other support services for them, their parents, and their families, in order to give them a better chance to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.
One Educator's Vision Helps Children Statewide
One early childhood educator, the late Judith P. Hoyer, put her unique vision for meeting this challenge in place in Maryland more than 15 years ago. As the supervisor of Early Childhood Education in Prince George's County, Hoyer saw a need for collaboration among the many professionals who deliver the wide spectrum of early childhood and family support services. Her solution? Bring together all of the educational and other needed services for at-risk infants and toddlers into a single place in order to provide the children and their families with a comprehensive set of services, and do it either within a Title I elementary school or in direct connection with the school.
The success of Hoyer's early childhood and family learning center led to its replication, and, in 2000, the Maryland legislature passed the Judith P. Hoyer Early Childcare and Educational Enhancement Program, establishing a network of what are widely known simply as the "Judy Centers." The law recognizes the innovative vision and memory of Hoyer, who passed away in 1997.
Today, the Judy Centers network is comprised of 24 facilities, with at least one in 20 of Maryland's 23 counties and in Baltimore City. The centers provide for a five-prong set of school-readiness outcomes for their more than 8,000 students:
- Being healthy, socially adjusted, emotionally aware, and able to communicate with adults and other children;
- Having an awareness of print and letter-sound relationships and understanding a story;
- Understanding basic math ideas, patterns, shapes, and how to put things in a certain order;
- Having an awareness about animal and plant life, and people's roles in the family and the community; and
- Being comfortable with individual creativity and an appreciation for self-expression through the arts.
The Judy Centers are one strategy within the Maryland State Department of Education's (MSDE) Strategic Plan of the Division of Early Childhood Development. Since 2005, the MSDE has had responsibility for all aspects of child care and early education, which includes the oversight of child care and family care providers, contracting and grant making for providers to improve early-care quality, and administering the state's Child Care Subsidy Voucher System and the Child Care Credentialing System. Maryland is the only state in which this full scope of early care and education programs is located within the state educational agency. Nancy S. Grasmick, Maryland's State Superintendent of Schools, called the consolidation of early care and education with K-12 education one of the most sensible education reforms that has taken place in the state. "We know that learning takes place long before kindergarten, and educators need to be involved in the process," Dr. Grasmick said.
An Emerging National Network Addresses Zero to Five
As Maryland was expanding the model of the Judy Centers statewide, a similar initiative focused on birth to kindergarten was underway in Chicago, where the Ounce of Prevention Fund opened the first Educare Center in 2000 to address the school readiness needs of disadvantaged children. The Center, like its counterparts in Maryland, believed that partnerships between the public and private sectors were essential to providing at-risk children with the education and services necessary to equip them for success in kindergarten.
A second Educare Center was developed in Omaha, Nebraska, by the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, which then partnered with the Ounce of Prevention Fund to create a national network, the Bounce Learning Network, to extend the concept of Educare to more communities. As the Network has grown to six Educare Centers, adding sites in Milwaukee, Tulsa, Denver, and Miami, each of the Centers serves as a "showroom for quality," highlighting their collaborative approach. The Centers bring together public funding for child care, Head Start, and preschool, and they share governance for the Centers' programs by partnering with the philanthropic, programmatic, and public schools sectors to form a model for change in the Educare states. The network will expand soon to Washington State with the opening of a center in Seattle, and more centers are under development in Arizona and Maine.
All Educare Centers share common features that include the following: a commitment to research-based practices and educational strategies; small class sizes and high staff-to-child ratios; a focus on language and literacy; on-site family support services and parental services; and use of the arts to support social-emotional, language, and literacy development. The centers also share strategies and lessons learned, network on common challenges facing their work with young children, and share ways to leverage increased investments in Educare states and communities.
Promising Evidence that a Comprehensive Approach is Effective
In Maryland, the State Department of Education has evaluated the readiness of kindergarten students at Judy Centers, comparing those students who received Judy Center services prior to their kindergarten year with their kindergarten peers who did not participate in the Centers' pre-K programs. Across the state, the MSDE has trained kindergarten teachers how to document their daily observations, collect work samples from their students, and use age-appropriate guidelines to determine if kindergarten students are proficient in seven domains: personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, social studies, the arts, and physical development. Known as the Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) the assessment is designed to provide parents, teachers, and early childhood education providers with a common understanding of what children should know and be able to do upon entering school. MMSR data for children who received Judy Center services prior to their kindergarten year were compared with data for children who had not received those services. In the consecutive school years of 2003 to 2005, the MMSR data showed that economically disadvantaged children (those who qualify for free and reduced-priced meals) with prior Judy Center experience were significantly more successful in terms of readiness for school than disadvantaged children without such experience . In 2005, the percentage of ELL kindergartners with prior Judy Center experience who were fully ready for school (88 percent) exceeded not only the other ELL children in the Centers, but also the Centers' kindergarten population overall.
Additionally, five centers in the Bounce Learning Network participated in an implementation study during the 2007-2008 school year, conducted by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG Child Development Institute), that looked at data for areas of school readiness, vocabulary, social and emotional skills, and classroom quality. Using the Bracken Basic Concepts Scale, which measures comprehension of concepts such as sequence, letters, and colors, the study revealed that students who joined Educare Centers between birth and age two not only outperformed those who attended the Centers for shorter periods, but also the national performance average for all kindergarten students. Similarly, when evaluated for vocabulary on a standardized measure of reading readiness, Educare students with three to five years experience averaged scores of 99.2, just below the national mean for all children.
Both the Judy Centers and Bounce Learning Networks are continuing their evaluation efforts. MSDE expects to release new data on the performance of Judy Center students this fall. The FPG Child Development Institute is continuing to follow children in the Educare Centers and is in the early stages of planning for a future randomized control study of the Educare model.
Helping State Policymakers Do Right by At-Risk Birth to Five Year Olds
The needs of at-risk infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families for programs that will prepare them for success in kindergarten and beyond, and for policy change at the state level to meet these needs, is the focus of a multi-state consortium supported by several major philanthropies, including the Buffett Early Childhood Funds, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The 13 members of the Birth to Five Policy Alliance represent the governance sector, including governors and state legislators; chief state school officers; child education, care and advocacy associations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Center on Children in Poverty; and special interest groups like the National Council of La Raza. Together, these organizations are pursuing three strategies to support state-level policy: knowledge development, including research and policy analysis affecting at-risk children birth to age five; outreach and support for state policymakers; and building champions for new innovations and investments in birth to five education among key stakeholders.
At the federal level, President Obama has proposed new funding in his fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget to develop cutting-edge plans and programs to raise the quality of early learning programs, challenging states to ensure that more children are better prepared for success by the time they enter kindergarten. For FY 2010, an Early Learning Challenge Grant program is proposed, which will help states ensure that children are better prepared for success by their entry in kindergarten. Through the current stimulus funding, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is investing $5 billion in efforts to expand the reach of Early Head Start and Head Start to an additional 150,000 children, and offering 55,000 first-time parents regular visits from nurses to increase the likelihood that their children will be healthy when they enter kindergarten.
Hope for Federal Leadership and Resources
The President is also increasing the collaboration between the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services (HHS). The agencies are working together, meeting in cross-agency working groups around specific areas such as infants and toddlers, parent involvement, workforce and professional development, data collection, and meeting the needs of special needs children and English language learners. Additionally, the two agencies are consulting with the White House on creating the Presidential Early Learning Council that will encourage states to better coordinate services across multiple federal early childhood funding sources, focusing particularly on birth to five as well as on key transitions such as preK to the K-12 system. At the state level, support is available from HHS for the creation of State Advisory Councils on Early Childhood and Care, which will lead in the creation or enhancement of high-quality, comprehensive systems of early childhood development. This support will work to ensure statewide coordination and collaboration among a wide range of programs and services, including child care, Head Start, IDEA preschool, infants and families programs, and pre-kindergarten programs and services.
President Obama and Secretary Duncan are committed to providing the support that our youngest children need to prepare to succeed later in school. To help guide the Department's course, the Secretary has brought in longtime early learning expert Barbara Bowman. She counsels, "If we have learned anything from the last 50 years of research, it is that the education of young children is critical to their later school success. This does not mean that children do not learn later, only that it is harder to promote high achievement if children do not get off to a good start. It means that starting between birth and age 3, children at risk for school achievement must have access to high-quality preschool programs. Preschool is not a vaccination; it has to be followed by high-quality kindergarten and later grades. Nevertheless, early childhood education must be a priority if all our children are to have an equal chance to succeed.&rdquo
Key Resources:
- Early Childhood Education at the U.S. Department of Education
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
- National Research Council and the National Academies Press for publications including Adding it Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics; From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development; and Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers
- Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Children
- First 5 California
- Thrive by Five Washington
- Young Children and the Arts: Making Creative Connections – A Report of the Task Force on Children's Learning and the Arts: Birth to Age Eight
What's New
From the U.S. Department of Education
Secretary Duncan officially launched his "Listening and Learning: A Conversation About Education Reform" tour with three events in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.. Since that time, he has embarked on visits to other states including Michigan and Vermont to gather input on the Obama Administration's education agenda, including early childhood learning, standards, teacher quality, higher education, and workforce development. "Before crafting any education law in Washington, we want to hear from people across America -- parents, teachers, and administrators -- about the everyday issues and challenges in our schools that need our national attention and full support," the Secretary explained. Many events will be taped and reports and video summaries will be published on the Department's web site and on the Secretary's blog. To visit the Listening Tour Online, click here. (May 2009)
The Senate has confirmed the nominations of Russlynn Ali to be Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Peter Cunningham to be Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach, Gabriella Gomez to be Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs, Carmel Martin to be Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, and Charles Rose to be General Counsel. Furthermore, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Tony Miller as Deputy Secretary of Education. (April 29)
The Secretary announced the selection of the 2009 Presidential Scholars. The program was established by Executive Order in 1964 to honor academic achievement by graduating high school seniors. It was expanded in 1979 to honor students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the arts. Each year, 141 students are named, including at least one young man and woman from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American families living abroad. Another 15 students are chosen at-large, and 20 students are scholars in the arts. Over 3,000 candidates qualified on the basis of significant ACT or SAT scores or nomination through the national youngARTS competition of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. The Commission on Presidential Scholars, appointed by the President, chooses the finalists. Scholars will be recognized June 20-24 in Washington, D.C. (May 4)
In a Rose Garden ceremony with President Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, and Secretary Duncan, high school special education teacher Anthony Mullen was named the 2009 National Teacher of the Year. Mullen, who served as a New York City police officer for 20 years, teaches at The ARCH School (an alternative education branch of Greenwich High School) in Greenwich, Conn.He also mentors fellow teachers, leads a program to provide academic support to students who have been expelled, and is commissioner of a youth baseball league. He is the 59th recipient of the award. The National Teacher of the Year program -- a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers sponsored by the ING Foundation -- designates an outstanding representative from among the 56 State Teachers of the Year (representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, a number of outlying territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity). The winner is selected by a panel of 15 leading national education organizations. (April 30)
The Department and Secretary Duncan are set on a "moon-shot" goal to get America on track and return to first in the world in high school and college graduation rates, school readiness, academic achievement, college matriculation and retention, and completion rates. Both the "Obama Effect" and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are bookends for this unparalleled opportunity to significantly increase student achievement. The Department's first progress report elaborates on efforts over the past 100 days to deliver on this promise and to lay the groundwork for the next four years. (April 29)
Confronting the reality that America once had one of the most educated workforces in the world, but in the 21st century it has slipped to the middle of the pack, the May edition of Education News Parents Can Use (originally broadcast May 19, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) dealt with issues about ways to ensure that more students gain access to college. The show featured effective information to raise awareness about practices in college access and completion; provided resources for families to help plan for and finance college, and included a live discussion with federal, state, and foundation leaders and local educators committed to the goal of establishing America's leadership in higher education. (To watch the archived broadcast, go to http://www.connectlive.com/events/ednews.)
Arts Education
As education is increasingly focusing on the 21st century knowledge and skills that will prepare students for the global economy, the Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is developing The Arts and 21st Century Learning Research and Policy Agenda. Its objectives are to: provide critical guidance to educators, policymakers, researchers, and funders of research; help build and refine knowledge of the role of arts and creativity in the learning that all people need in the 21st century; and build on AEP's legacy of supporting research via several successive national-level research agendas, including Priorities for Arts Education Research (1997), and The Arts and Education: New Opportunities for Research (2004). For information on this initiative, contact the Arts Education Partnership at email@example.com or visit their website, www.aep-arts.org.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced its second round of funding for fiscal year 2009 in several arts-related areas including Learning in the Arts. These grants support projects that provide in-depth knowledge, skills, and understanding of the arts to children and youth in schools and communities. Projects engage students with skilled artists and teachers. Examples of projects supported by Learning in the Arts grants include: a playwriting and educational tutoring program for incarcerated San Francisco and San Mateo County teenagers that pairs professional theater artists one-one-one with youth to create original one-act plays; a summer music camp that provides free-of-charge classical music training, with an emphasis on increasing performance skills, to public school students living in New York City's five boroughs; and an intensive summer visual arts program for high school students. Click this link for a complete listing of projects receiving Learning in the Arts grant support. (April 2009)
Closing the Achievement Gap
"Left Behind in America: The Nation's Dropout Crisis PDF-[507KB]," a report by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston and the Alternative Schools Network in Chicago found that nearly 6.2 million students in the United States between the ages of 16 and 24 in 2007 dropped out of high school and that men and African American and Hispanic students of both genders are among those particularly prone to dropping out of high school. The report emphasized the importance of having at least a high school education. (May 5)
A new report "Parsing the Achievement Gap II," follows up on an Educational Testing Service (ETS) 2003 report "Parsing the Achievement Gap: Baselines for Tracking Progress," and reaches the conclusion that while a few of the gaps in achievement have narrowed, overall, there has not been much progress. The updated report identifies 16 factors related to academic performance ranging from birth weight and hunger to lead poisoning, parental involvement, and teacher quality. The report then looks at whether these important factors were distributed evenly across different racial/ethnic and income groups. (April 30)
Early Childhood Education
Save the Children published its tenth annual State of the World's Mothers report. Focusing on the critical importance of children's experiences in their early years, the report suggests specific activities mothers and caregivers can do with their young children to help them reach their full potential in school. The report highlights the urgent need to reach 75 million children in developing countries who fail to complete primary school, as well as the 2.5 million fourth graders in the United States who are not reading at grade level. It shines a spotlight on places where children have the best chance to succeed in school and shows that effective solutions to early education challenges are affordable – even in the poorest communities. (May 2009)
A new statewide program in Oregon—EQUIP-[MS Word 60KB] (Education and Quality Investment Partnership)—aims to improve outcomes for the state's youngest learners. The program will provide incentives to early childcare and education workers who complete college courses or training. EQUIP was launched by a partnership of six organizations and will use nearly $3 million in federal stimulus funds, as well as private donations, to pay for the incentives. (May 2009)
The National Research Council's new report, Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How concludes that well-planned assessments can inform teaching and efforts to improve programs and can contribute to better outcomes for children, but poor assessments or misuse of the results can harm both children and programs. The report offers principles to guide the design, implementation, and use of assessments in early childhood settings. (April 2009)
Education Reform
Registration is now open for the 2009 ECS National Forum on Education Policy, Shifting Education and the Economy Into High Gear, sponsored by the Education Commission of the States. The forum will be held from July 8-10 in Nashville, Tenn. Participants will learn how education can be "an engine to ignite the economy." (May 2009)
Studies have shown that quality education has a positive impact on various social factors such as income, health, and voting and incarceration rates. A new Web site seeks to quantify just how much education matters. The "Common Good Forecaster" is a project of the United Way of America and the American Human Development Project, a New York-based nonprofit. The site uses U.S. Census data to calculate education's influence. (May 2009)
Raising Student Achievement
In an effort to improve its assessment system, South Carolina has instituted a new state test. The updated exam is intended to yield more detailed information about individual students' strengths and weaknesses. Parents will receive a breakdown of subject scores, such as geometry, algebra, numbers and operations, and other subcategories in the mathematics portion of the exam. (May 2009)
The Alliance for Excellent Education offers fact sheets on various subjects. Recently, the organization updated its information on adolescent literacy PDF-[288KB], citing information from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, otherwise known as the "Nation's Report Card." The brief notes that millions of American middle and high school students lack skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking. (April 2009)
Students who take part in high-quality learning programs before and after school show substantial improvement in academic achievement, attendance, engagement, and social and emotional development, a report PDF-[3.66MB] from the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers asserts. The report outlines strategies that states can implement to improve the quality of extended-learning initiatives, some of which include setting program standards, measuring results, and providing incentives to improve quality. (March 2009)
A new report, A Critical Mission: Making Adolescent Reading an Immediate Priority in SREB States, from the nonprofit Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) on adolescent literacy discusses the urgency of the problem in depth and presents specific solutions. The report urges states to elevate students' reading skills in the middle and high school grades by the development of comprehensive adolescent literacy policies that establish improvement in middle grades and high school reading and writing as the most immediate critical priority for public schools. Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia, the current chair of the nonpartisan SREB, released the report at the Education Writers Association last month. (April 2009)
Teacher Quality and Development
A new analysis PDF-[1.85MB]—The State of the Higher Education Workforce, from the American Federation of Teachers—reveals that the overall number of college faculty and instructor slots grew from 1997 to 2007, but nearly two-thirds of that growth was in positions off the tenure track. The growth in these jobs, and the decline in tenured positions, was most apparent at community colleges. (May 2009)
According to a new report PDF-[4.05MB] by the National Governors Association, state policy leaders should work to boost the quality of their teaching workforce by retooling state and local systems for recruiting, preparing, and retaining talented educators. Changes should include setting or raising minimum-entry standards for teacher- and principal-training programs; increasing programs' emphasis on student achievement; and designing performance-based pay and career ladders. (2009)
ASCD recently announced that Marc Cohen, principal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School (MLK) in Germantown, Md., and Bijal Damani, an 11th and 12th grade commerce and business studies teacher in the Galaxy Education System in Rajkot, India, are the winners of ASCD's 2009 Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA). Cohen helped to dramatically change the school's climate and the community's expectations. Damani says that she consistently uses project-based learning experiences with her students to help them understand business concepts while developing skills such as problem solving and creativity. (March 2009)
In an effort to promote 21st century education and improvements in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, nearly 700 technology industry executives, educators, and government officials from all over the country participated in the inaugural Innovate-Educate New Mexico conference earlier this month at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The event sought to coordinate existing efforts and collaborate on new ideas that better engage students specifically in STEM fields. Organizers also did it an interesting way by including talk show formats such as "The View" and "The Late Show with David Letterman" (which surprisingly featured a live band) as well as a presidential-style debate and remarks from several of the state's top elected officials. (April 2009)
Innovations in the News
Charter Schools
Charter schools in New Orleans, often lacking specialists in special education areas such as speech therapy and instruction for developmentally delayed students, now have a non-profit resource for help. Serving the Unique Needs of Students, better known as the SUNS Center, was created by the School Leadership Center and the Baptist Community Ministries as a "one-stop shop" for charter school leaders in need of special education services. The Center provides 23 charters with services that range from evaluations to professional development to referrals to other New Orleans organizations for help. According to a special education coordinator at one charter school, the Center's services are important to being in compliance with state requirements. [More—The New Orleans CityBusiness] (May 11)
Raising Student Achievement
Elementary students in 22 Detroit schools are increasing their skills and test scores in science thanks to BioKIDS, a hands-on curriculum and professional-development program designed by a team of researchers and science educators at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Students, just like real scientists, leave their urban classrooms to investigate, gather specimens, and devise scientific arguments, going beyond gaining only knowledge of scientific facts and concepts. On-going workshops for the teachers participating in BioKIDS allow them to share samples of their students' work and problem solve with peers about their instructional approaches. Previously, students were "just reading and trying to understand it," said elementary teacher Beatrice May, but with BioKIDS "they can understand the language…It's real life. They can see." [More—Education Week] (May 11) (paid subscription required)
In Colorado, state education leaders are expecting a new generation of educational standards will lead to deeper understanding in 13 content areas. State assistant education commissioner Jo O'Brien characterized the new draft standards as clearer, shorter, and focused on rigor when comparing them to the 1994 versions currently in use in Colorado. The draft standards in four subjects – math, science, music, and reading-writing – have been released, and state leaders are undertaking an eight-city tour to get the public's input. [More—The Denver Post] (May 11)
A new study exploring the roles of students' home cultures and out-of-school experiences suggests that white and African-American students perform differently depending on the nature of their learning groups. Researchers divided a group of 132 4th and 5th graders into racially homogeneous groups for lessons on math estimation, and used three groupings: one emphasizing communal ties, another promising a group reward, and one that offered an opportunity for individual rewards. The African-American students scored highest in the communal group, and for the white students, the group stressing individual rewards produced the best performance. While acknowledging the limits of the small scale of the study, its lead author, Eric A. Hurley, said the results should raise educators' consciousness about students' cultures. "All of the kids were capable of doing this task to a high level," he noted, "but it matters how you engage them." [More—Education Week] (May 5) (paid subscription required)
In a study published in the journal Science, seventh grade African American students in suburban Connecticut who were doing poorly in school performed significantly better when asked to undertake writing assignments about how such values as athletic ability, creativity, and being smart were important to them. The students who were randomly assigned to the writing group, had an average G.P.A. that was 0.4 points higher than those in the control group. The students who benefited from the writing assignments, according to the study's authors, felt more adequate than their struggling peers and the writing assignments helped to remove anxiety about academic performance. [More—The New York Times] (April 17) (free registration required)
School Improvement
The number of Chicago schools on a year-round schedule will triple to 132 this August, putting Illinois just behind California and Hawaii in the number of year-round schools. City school leaders cited better performance on state tests by students in its existing year-round schools over others in the district as a reason for the increase. Schools CEO Ron Huberman also said that local school councils agreed with the change to classes beginning the first week of August, a month earlier than other schools. The issue had the input of local teachers, students, and parents, according to Huberman. [More—The Chicago Tribune] (April 27)
State education chiefs and representatives of governors from 37 states convened in Chicago recently to discuss the possibility of common standards in math and English language arts. Co-sponsored by the National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO), the discussion builds on momentum created by the recent release of Benchmarking for Success: Ensuring U.S. Students Receive a World-Class Education by NGA, CCSSO, and Achieve, Inc., as well as NGA's adoption this past March of a policy statement endorsing common standards. While the meeting organizers were not certain that all states in attendance were ready to fully embrace the concept, several were prepared to take the lead with the support of their governors, according to Gene Wilhoit, executive director of CCSSO. [More—The Education Week] (April 22) (paid subscription required)
As Philadelphia's superintendent Arlene Ackerman prepares to implement a new strategic plan for the district, local school leaders have another report concerning the performance of the public schools versus those run by private providers, and it shows that students in district-run schools outscored those in the privately managed schools. The latest study conducted by researchers at the Center for Social Organization of Schools at The Johns Hopkins University, analyzed test scores in reading and math at 88 middle-grades schools, tracking the performance of students starting with the 1996-97 school year, which allowed researchers to examine performance before and after the implementation of Philadelphia's diverse provider system. The study was published in this month's issue of the American Journal of Education. [More—Education Week] (April 16) (paid subscription required)
In Mississippi, Governor Haley Barbour signed "The Children First Act," calling it "the state's most sweeping education reform in more than a decade." The new law empowers the state Department of Education to remove local superintendents and school board members whose districts fail to meet state performance standards for two consecutive years. While some critics of the Act worry that two years is too short a time for the proposed actions, Mississippi Superintendent Hank Bounds indicated it gives his department "the confidence that our leaders are making the right choices that always put children first." A new school accountability rating system will accompany implementation of the Act, one with accountability standards based on achievement test scores, academic growth, and graduation/dropout rates. [More—The Commercial Dispatch (MS)] (April 10)
Teacher Quality and Development
New Jersey, the first state to offer alternative routes to teacher certification, is experiencing increased interest in the opportunity it provides for would-be teachers displaced by the recent economic downturn and is fashioning a specific opportunity to bring unemployed finance professionals into schools to teach math. Open houses for prospective students for the alternative route teaching programs at the state's community colleges have been at standing-room-only capacity in recent months. In March, the New Jersey State Legislature enacted a pilot program called Traders to Teachers, which will place its first group of 25 students in math classrooms as early as next January. Nationally, 62,000 alternative route teachers were certified last year across the country and, according to a representative of the National Center for Alternative Certification, a significant increase is expected this year. [More—The New York Times and The Star-Ledger (NJ) (May 11 and April 12)
Other alternative route programs, such as The Boston Teacher Residency and the New Teacher Project, are experiencing increased interest from mid-career professionals who are considering a change to teaching. The Boston program accepts 75 applicants annually and, according to its director, Jesse Soloman, career switchers offer work experience and content knowledge over just transcripts. The New Teacher Project, which operates in almost 20 cities, reports a 44 percent increase in applicants this year but, according to David Keeling, a spokesperson for the Project "We're not just looking for people looking for another paycheck." [More—Forbes] (April 24)
More than 60,000 Maryland teachers will have new ID numbers this fall as part of an effort by the state education department to help them do a better job and help local school systems to match teachers to students based on both classroom and subject taught. The purpose of the new IDs will "not…be used to track teachers and evaluations and what they do for students," according to Clara Floyd of the Maryland State Teachers Association. "As we know more about those teachers in particular circumstances – where they are placed to teach – we can help those teachers and give them more support," said state schools superintendent Dr. Nancy Grasmick. [More—WBAL-TV Baltimore] (April 9)
Technology in Education
Despite the rapid growth of Web-based networking tools in the lives of students, a majority of school administrators surveyed by the Consortium for School Networking reported that they are not a prominent part of the school curriculum. The survey of 1,200 superintendents, technology directors, and curriculum directors also indicated "as the pace of technology integration in schools quickens, and more…educators see the practical benefits may tech tools have for student learning, administrators are working to recast their policies." Yet, the educators surveyed also expressed concerns about "safety and appropriate use of devices during school time." The survey also found that district administrators recognize the need for new types of professional development for teachers as districts consider bringing more Web 2.0 tools into classrooms. [More—Education Week] (May 1) (paid subscription required)
With an estimated 1.7 million online tests administered this spring, Virginia is a national leader in online testing. Begun as a means of speeding up the time if takes for local schools to receive end-of-course tests for high schools in 2000, the state's Web-based-testing initiative has grown from 15 school districts participating to all systems administering tests online. Each district receives $50,000 from the state, and another $26,000 for each school to help with developing their technology capacities. All of Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) tests are available online with the exception of the English writing tests. While some districts limit their online testing to the SOLs, some are administering local assessments in science, math, and history online as well. In Chesterfield County, near Richmond, 29 of its 38 elementary school are administering at least one subject test online. [More—The Richmond Times-Dispatch] (April 13)
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text:
did they refund your money ?
If so I doubt there is much you can do.
I had a backorder placed with Basspro.com for some .223 and 9mm ammunition. Everything was fine for two months. I called to check on the order status periodically. I called them a few days ago and was told that it should be filling any day. I checked my order status online today and the order was deleted.
I called basspro and the first woman I spoke to told me the ammunition was no longer being manufactured and therefore could not get it. After I hung up I thought it was strange that two different manufacturers would stop producing their product on the same day.
I called back and spoke with a second lady. She told me that in fact that was not true and that they changed their policy to in-store only. I explained that they should still honor my order since I placed it before they changed their rules. She apologized and you can imagine what she said (demand etc.) I also spoke with a woman in customer service who told me the exact same thing. There was nothing they could do for me.
Basically what I see here is my ammo was ready to ship and they decided to divert it to customers at their stores. Is there anything I can do? There might be some ammo in it for you. Thank you...
did they refund your money ?
If so I doubt there is much you can do.
They never charged my credit card in the first place. They had the card info though. I would think they should honor their previous orders. Also what really sucks is I found several other good deals in January and February that I didn't buy because I thought this order was good.
So they did not charge your card, you were never out of any money, how was the ammo stolen? Lawyers? You are out nothing but some time, as far as I see you have no recourse, no remedy. Chaulk it up to a bad experience and move on.
Nemo ME Impune Lacessit
Manus sapiens potens est
пиштоли не убиваат луѓе, тие само го прават тоа полесно
When did Gunco become the place to sign into to file grievances about deals gone bad?
They didn't steal anything. It is a company changing its policy which it has ever right to do. Since they never charged your card just consider yourself a disgruntled customer. That's what they risk when they up and change a policy like that and leave you in the dirt. Just don't do business with them anymore and next time do business with a company that doesn't sell ammo and BBQ equipment in the same place. Sorry to hear about it though I know I would be pissed off just cut your losses and look at ammo distributors. The normally honor their deals.
"What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?" -Thomas Jefferson-
"Our rights come from our humanity and may not be legislated away -- not by a vote of Congress, not by the consensus of our neighbors, not even by agreement of all Americans but one." Judge Andrew P. Napolitano
Well, I'm new to this forum. I posted in the "general" area where it states: "This is gun board where general discussion is welcome."
My post is definitely general discussion. If I posted it in "product reviews" or some other sort I would see your point.
I decided to post here because at least I know you're talking with like-minded people who aren't afraid of guns or ammo. If you had any idea what kinda deal I thought I locked in on you would understand. Thanks for making a new guy feel welcome!
Same kind of thing happened to me on some AR15 mags.
This is the way business is these days.
Some times you get the elevator.
But, some times you get, the SHAFT!
I had a simular experence with a well known parts supplier, I kept getting put off and put off I was told several difrrent times that my order was being being shipped , this happpened several times, Finally I said the hell with them if they cant tell the truth I dont need them. And I have pruchased from them for several years. But these days it is what it is, I'll tell you right where to place the blame,,, its the anti gun nuts that work in washington dc. that has the whole industry turned upside down. Other wise things would run nice and somewhat smooth and otherwise normal. YIOu were lucky you didnt get charged and you didnt loose any money. \Like it was preveiously stated its a policy change, and again it reverts back to those who are in public office who is making it hard for us all. ....Doc
Yes dcholl - now that the federal AWB failed (for now) I guess they'll have to settle on regulating the ammo. This gives me some hope though that in the somewhat near future we'll be able to obtain ammo at less inflated prices again.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What Are Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors?
Cancer starts when cells in the body begin to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer, and can spread to other areas of the body. To learn more about how cancers start and spread, see What Is Cancer?
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors start in the digestive system. To understand gastrointestinal stromal tumors, it helps to know something about the structure and function of the gastrointestinal system, also known as the digestive system.
The gastrointestinal system
The gastrointestinal (GI) system (or digestive system) processes food for energy and rids the body of solid waste. After food is chewed and swallowed, it enters the esophagus, a tube that carries food through the neck and chest to the stomach. The esophagus joins the stomach just beneath the diaphragm (the thin band of muscle below the lungs).
The stomach is a sac-like organ that holds food and helps the digestive process by secreting gastric juice. The food and gastric juices are mixed into a thick fluid called chyme that is then emptied into the small intestine. The small intestine continues breaking down the food and absorbs most of the nutrients into the bloodstream. This is the longest section of the GI tract, measuring more than 20 feet.
The small intestine joins the large intestine, the first part of which is the colon, a muscular tube about 5 feet long. The colon absorbs water and mineral nutrients from the remaining food matter. The waste left after this process goes into the rectum as stool (feces), where it is stored until it passes out of the body through the anus.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are uncommon tumors of the GI tract. These tumors start in very early forms of special cells found in the wall of the GI tract, called the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs). ICCs are cells of the autonomic nervous system, the part of the nervous system that regulates body processes such as digesting food. ICCs are sometimes called the "pacemakers" of the GI tract because they signal the muscles in the digestive system to contract to move food and liquid through the GI tract.
More than half of GISTs start in the stomach. Most of the others start in the small intestine, but GISTs can start anywhere along the GI tract. A small number of GISTs start outside the GI tract in nearby areas such as the omentum (an apron-like layer of fatty tissue that hangs over the organs in the abdomen) or the peritoneum (the layer of tissue that lines the organs and walls of the abdomen).
Not all GISTs are cancerous. Some are benign (not cancerous) and don't grow into other areas or spread to other parts of the body. Doctors have ways to find out whether a GIST is benign or cancerous. These are discussed in " How are gastrointestinal stromal tumors diagnosed?"
Other gastrointestinal tract cancers
It is important to understand that GISTs are not the same as other, more common types of GI tract cancers.
Cancers can occur anywhere in the GI tract − from the esophagus to the anus. Usually, these cancers start in glandular cells that line most of the GI tract. The cancers that develop in these cells are called adenocarcinomas. Most cancers of the GI tract, including those of the esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum, are adenocarcinomas.
Some parts of the GI tract, like the upper part of the esophagus and the end of the anus, are lined with flat cells called squamous cells. These are the same type of cells found on the surface of the skin. Cancers starting in these cells are called squamous cell carcinomas.
The GI tract also has neuroendocrine cells. These cells have some features in common with nerve cells but other features in common with hormone-producing (endocrine) cells. Cancers that develop from these cells are called neuroendocrine tumors. These cancers are rare in the GI tract. Carcinoid tumors are an example of a neuroendocrine tumor found in the GI tract.
Other rare types of cancer in the GI tract include leiomyosarcomas (cancers of smooth muscle cells), angiosarcomas (cancers of blood vessel cells), and peripheral nerve sheath tumors (cancers of cells that support and protect nerves).
GISTs are different from these other GI tract cancers. They start in different types of cells, need different types of treatment, and have a different prognosis (outlook). This is why doctors need to figure out whether a person with a tumor in the GI tract has a GIST, some other type of cancer, or a non-cancerous condition.
Last Medical Review: April 4, 2014 Last Revised: February 8, 2016
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.


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Lachowicz sentenced for Pulaski County courthouse threat
Joshua Lachowicz to spend four years in prison
PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. - A Dixon, Mo. man convicted of making a bomb threat against the Pulaski County courthouse in August will spend four years behind bars.
Joshua Lachowicz, 32, was sentenced Saturday for making terroristic threats. He will also serve two eight-year sentences for probation violations.
Lachowicz was arrested two days after the August 13 threat against a specific judge's courtroom.
No explosives were found in the courthouse.
But due to "additional circumstance accompanying the call," officials requested the help of bomb detection dogs and the Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit from Fort Leonard Wood. The bomb teams performed an extensive search of the courthouse, causing the building to be closed for the entire day.
Lachowicz is serving his sentence in the Department of Corrections facility in Fulton.


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|Producer Sensai has created numerous drum and bass numbers for some of the best jump up labels, including 'Venom/Destruction' for Foundation Music, and 'Warriors/Trapped' for Apophis Records. With each release supported by Grooverider, his sound has helped him become a noted drum and bass player.
Book This Artist
|Two thousand and eleven, MC Eksman still currently holds the number 1 position of best 'Lyrical MC', awarded at the National Drum and Bass awards voted by over 22 thousand people.
|DJ Krome & Mr Time aka Krome & Time started out in 1988 playing on Londons legendary Fantasy fm and various acid-house partys. They then went into recording their own music on the legendary Suburban-Base record label...
|2 Bad Mice formed in England in 1991, and was composed of Sean O'Keeffe, Simon Colebrooke, and Rob Playford, the latter the owner of the Moving Shadow record label. 2 Bad Mice were credited as among the first UK hardcore acts to begin incorporating breakbeats into their style. They were a staple on the early to mid 1990s hardcore scene, and were instrumental in the music's steady mutation into jungle/drum and bass
|One of the Orginal legendary Fantasy Fm Djs Spice has played for a vast number of promoters including Fantasia, Telepathy, Vision, Crazy Club, Orange,VIVID, Labyrinth, Breakfast Club, Enigma, Heaven On Earth, Biology, to name but a few..


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Edie Falco rolled right out of bed to attend a Broadway premiere.
Jessica Hecht and
Judith Light were there too.
Even Anthony Edwards came out of hiding for it.
Fergie getting paid by a shoe company and looking good doing it.
Estelle picked up a check too.
The Goopster has been trying to raise money for GOOP so went out last night and posed on fake grass. Not just any fake grass, but grass created by virgins from one town in Bangladesh. It can be yours for just $500 a square inch plus installation, which must be done by a certified craftsmen who has only eaten green beans for the past ten years.
Gwen Stefani and the man in white.
The Human Barbie without all over Barbie makeup.


text:
The act of discovering social site features in a way that is embarassing to you or someone else.
You post a very personal message onto someone's facebook wall, not realizing it is public. You discover your faceoops too late, when you get responses from unintended recipients.
by Huecodoc May 27, 2010


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Serves 6 comfortably
The lamb shoulder
• 2kg boned lamb shoulder
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 2 stick celery
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1. Peel the carrot, onion and garlic. Roughly chop along with the celery.
2. Put all the vegetables in a large oven dish and then place the lamb shoulder on top. This is a trivet and keeps the meat off the bottom of the roasting dish. Season the meat, rubbing the salt and pepper all over the shoulder. Add the water and cover with tin foil, making sure it has a tight seal.
3. Cook at 160C for four hours. When it is done the meat will simply fall apart. If not at this stage, re-seal, put back in the oven and continue cooking.
4. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred (I use latex gloves, as the hotter the meat the easier it is to shred).
Set the meat aside while the lentils are cooking.
5. Strain the vegetables into a bowl and reserve the liquid, discard the vegetables. Leave the liquid to settle. Once settled a layer of fat will rise to the top, using a ladle carefully skim this off and discard.
The lentil salad
• 250g Puy lentils.
• 1 onion
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 carrot
• 2 bay leaves
• 100ml good quality olive oil
• 5 spring onions
• 0.5 litre lamb stock
• small handful tarragon
• small handful mint
• small handful parsley
• ½ -1 tablespoon flakey salt
• Pepper to taste
1. Peel and finely dice the onion, garlic and carrot, keeping everything separate.
2. Put 50ml of oil into a heavy based pot at a medium heat and sweat the onion without colour for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the carrot and garlic and continue cooking for another 10 minutes until also softened. Add the lentils and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lamb stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes, you may have to add a little water if the mix is getting too dry. Check to see if the lentils are cooked; they need to be soft at this point. If not, continue cooking (some lentils take a long time, best to keep an eye on them).Remove the bay leaves.
3. Season the lentils with the salt and pepper. To finish, finely chop all the herbs and finely slice the spring onions, and add to the lentils. It will seem like a lot but that's what makes them so good. Pour over the rest of the olive oil, check seasoning.
4. Fold through the reserved shredded lamb meat and arrange on a large platter.
Serve with a bowl of strained Greek yoghurt, crunchy vegetables such as broccolini, and the lamb shoulder juices in a jug.


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forum: Campaigns and Community
Pages: 1 | Home » Campaigns and Community » Food Revolution Australia
#1 Sat 06 Jul 13 5:53am
- Member
- Member since Sun 19 May 13
Food Revolution Australia
Hi there Jamie,
My daughter and I have just today signed up for your classes in the food van in Victoria, Australia. I cannot tell you how pleased I was to finally get a place for your cooking classes. I am now like a child waiting for Christmas day to come as it is still 4 weeks away from the starting date. One serious question for you though that has always stopped me from cooking certain recipes. When I was in my 20's cooking for my family, I accidently wiped the inside of my eyelid with a finger that had just chopped up a fresh chilli - that was the start of my fear of the chilli as it was like having razor blades in my eye. Can I substitute something else for a chilli in recipes or would that alter the outcome too much or can I just leave them out altogether. I am eager to try a chilli recipe but I am very afraid. Can you help me.
#2 Wed 17 Jul 13 1:36am
- Member
- Member since Tue 16 Jul 13
Re: Food Revolution Australia
Why don't you use chillies by grinding it with water and using it with a spoon instead of your finger? If you don't want to use chilli at all, you can use another spices to add a taste to your dish. Like garlic and ginger along with lemon give a great taste and one can't easily substitute them with chillies.
yellowstone bus tour from los angeles
boston washington dc bus
Last edited by kate124 (Sat 27 Jul 13 6:54am)
#3 Wed 17 Jul 13 3:18am
- Forum super champ
- From Newcastle, Australia
- Member since Sat 10 Mar 07
Re: Food Revolution Australia
I wear disposable gloves when cutting/ chopping chillies. I also use them when peeling/ chopping onion, garlic or ginger because I don't like smelly hands.
Edit: ... Because I don't like having smelly hands.
Last edited by Maree (Wed 17 Jul 13 6:43am)
#4 Wed 17 Jul 13 5:09am
- Member
- Member since Wed 17 Jul 13
Re: Food Revolution Australia
I fine it best to rinse the onions after youve peeled them to get rid of the smell and "milk" so you dont cry. and after washing your hands rub them again the stainsteel tap or sink, weird i know but it works for me!.
Pages: 1 | Home » Campaigns and Community » Food Revolution Australia


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Share your style: #myonepieceAdd Your Photo
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text:
Team captain Julia Roller graduated with a degree in Dietetics.
Abigail Knapton produced the highest individual finish by a diver in Nebraska history, as she captured fourth place on the platform to cap the Husker effort at the 2017 NCAA Championships.
Freshman Abigail Knapton became an All-American in the platform prelims during the NCAA National Championships.
Nebraska freshman Abigail Knapton finished 30th among 50 competitors in the first NCAA Championship event of her career on Friday in Indianapolis. Knapton, a freshman from Omaha, posted a score of 281.90 in the preliminaries.
Senior Anna Filipcic experienced a dramatic end to her collegiate career on Thursday at the NCAA Championships.
Nebraska divers Anna Filipcic and Abigail Knapton travel to Indianapolis, Ind., for the 2017 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships March 15-18.
The best thing about this week's NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship is the line of demarcation that requires two venues to compete separately, yet share the same point total.
Freshman Abigail Knapton took first place in the platform event at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships.
The Nebraska divers traveled to Columbia, Missouri to compete at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships March 6- March 8.
The Nebraska divers traveled to Columbia, Missouri to compete in the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships.
All-American Anna Filipcic will lead a strong Nebraska contingent at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Mo., March 6-8.
The Nebraska swim and dive team is now ranked 45th in the CollegeSwimming.com poll.


text:
Good to see that you are successful in your career, considering that in college you were a career criminal. Thanks for kicking in the door of my apartment and robbing it and ruining my life. ****ing jerk.
Good to see that you are successful in your career, considering that in college you were a career criminal. Thanks for kicking in the door of my apartment and robbing it and ruining my life. ****ing jerk.
huh? i smell troll
not a troll. I am just still bitter that the police refused to cooperate because he was a Marshall football player. I would love to have a message passed on to the jerk about how I was terrified to stay in my apartment after he burgled it. I hope he got a lot of money out of all my dvds, cds, and cameras.
The worst part was that he robbed it on Thanksgiving. He robbed my downstairs neighbor too. I just happened to come home and catch him fleeing the scene. And having the big brains he has he kept driving by my apartment and staring at me out his car window to intimidate me. but I still called the police and they pulled him over and did nothing about it.
If this has any truth to it then I am sorry to hear that.

How do you know it was Ahmad Bradshaw?

Giants fan since the early 80s
i came home while he was fleeing the scene. he had accomplices but i don't know who they were. they got into a car and took off. then they came back several times while i was standing outside waiting for the police. they came back WHILE the police where there. i pointed them out to the police and the police went after them. the police then came back and said that "those guys couldn't have done it. do you know who that was? it was Ahmad Bradshaw." I didn't even know who he was at that point. Just that they didn't even question them any further or search them because he played college ball in our town.
Plus later on I found out that he got into trouble on campus for breaking into dorm rooms. I think it is pretty sad that someone who has such a promising career would find it necessary to rob people in poor neighborhoods. It sickens me to know that he is a pro-football player now. he doesn't deserve anything he has.
Sucks no matter how you look at it.

Giants fan since the early 80s
Did he steal your PS2?
i assume there is some kind of joke there, but no i didn't have a ps2. but he did steal my Reservoir Dogs action figures.... How random is that? He also stole my vintage camera collection which was pretty worthless, but cool nonetheless. .
you must be a troll and you must be lying. Here is why.
1. Bradshaw was arrested for stealing a playstation while at marshall.
2. He got sentenced two years probation.
3. He was also arrested at virginia for under aged drinking and resisting arrest.
4. I don't care who you are Some one with two priors would get arrested again and not given any mercy
in conclusion shut up you stupid attention hawk
So, let me get this straight, you signed on to the Giants message board to leave a message for Ahmad or to us fans? Personally, I dont care what he did in college. He did his time in jail by the way.

Sounds classic Eagles fan, but with better grammer and spelling... And in that case, Michael Vick killed dogs for fun.


text:
Me February 2014
This photo is awaiting approval and will be posted soon.
Play our fun game and find out if the one you like likes you back. Confide in us if you think you'd hit it off by clicking: Yes, No, or Maybe. We'll anonymously find out and let you know if the feeling is mutual. You have nothing to lose!
You've already said YES! If the feeling is mutual, we'll let you both know.
You've already said No. If you've changed your mind, let us know. If you say Yes, we'll anonymously find out if the feeling is mutual. You have nothing to lose!
You've already said Maybe. If you've changed your mind, let us know. If you say Yes, we'll anonymously find out if the feeling is mutual. You have nothing to lose!
You both said YES! The feeling is mutual. Now the rest is up to you! Say Hi and get the conversation started.
Ok, well it's a scattershot here, not sure what you might wanna know. I'm 53. My b'day is in February so I'm an Aquarius if you are into that kinda thing. I have 2 children. My son is 30 and living in another state with his wife. My daughter is 27 and married. I have one grandson and two granddaughters. All three are from my daughter. They take my breath away and are the apple of my eye. They call me Yaya. I call them my babygrands.
During the months of August through May I teach Pre School in an inclusion classroom. I've been teaching for 28 years and have 4 to go till I can retire and move on to the next chapter. I work part time as well and right now I'm in college working on my degree.
I like to garage sale and flea market. I buy things and resell them on Ebay. It's a hobby that makes me cash, so I get excited when I buy something for a buck and sell it for $30. I love to read and to write. I have been published once by a Michigan based publishing house. That was thrilling. I generally write short stories and poems, but I have one I have been writing for a couple years that is anything but short.
Me I'm a redhead, freckled and ornery as they come. I'm also a big ole softie. I can be very opinionated, and like to 'control' my surroundings. I am also the most loyal and loving person you'll ever meet. Once I decide I love someone it's for life. I don't have many friends, tons of people I acquaint with, but I'm selective on those I choose as a friend. Once someone is in that category, I'm as faithful a friend as they come. When I love I love hard. I'm affectionate, and love to be cuddled with. With the right man, sex is thrilling. It takes me a long while to trust someone enough to get naked with them, so if you want a sex kitten on your first day out, it won't happen with me. I'm an open lover and willing to try most anything once, but I need to feel that trust. I like to cook, but haven't in so long because I find no fun in cooking for myself. I've won awards at the fair for baking. It's one of the charming things about living out here, the fair. I love a great story and can listen to someone spin a tale for hours. I listen very closely to people, I love trying to figger folks out....
I've been divorced for 12 years and have plenty of dates, I had 2 relationships since I have been divorced. I'm looking for someone who knows how to give as much as I do. I'm ready for a two sided relationship. I'm ready to ....
Spark Networks USA, LLC does not conduct background checks on the members or subscribers of this website. However, the safety and security of our members is our top priority. We urge all members to follow our online safety tips.
The Color Code icon tells you that this member has taken the FREE Color Code Personality Test and wants to share his/her results with you. You can read all about their Color Code profile on the new Color Code tab.
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text:
News Archive
Summertime in the Pink City
Is there anything more wonderful than enjoying a glass of tan on a hot day in one of the numerous outdoor café's of Yerevan? Or using a mixture of Armenian, Russian and English to discuss the newest art exhibit at the Cascade? Or enjoying an impromptu hortovatz down by lake Sevan? I'm sure you can identify with my experience that not a day goes by that I don't have a vivid memory of my time in Armenia. As an RPCV, I choose to serve on the FOA board because it gives me an opportunity to thank the Armenian people by approving small grants for innovative projects that enhance their quality of life. We are the Friends of Armenia, because our time in that far off little country has changed us, and I encourage you to continue to say thank you to the people of Armenia, by submitting innovative mini-grant ideas and by renewing your membership.
2013 promises to be great, as funds were submitted to assist with an Art camp in Gyumri, GLOW camp, and with the generosity of Sean Reynolds (A16), BRO camp. This month we welcome Kevin Crookshank (A18) as our Communications Officer, and Peter Weems (A18) as the Chair of the Grants Committee, which includes Terri Pohl (A16), Patrick Findler (A16), and returning members Lindee Johnson (A15) and Maggie Woznicki (A18).
As always we welcome input as to the direction of the Friends of Armenia and I greatly, thank the board; Wayne Burt (A16), Hedley Bond (A18), David Coe (A17) and now, Kevin Crookshank(A18) for their wisdom and hard work.
Vanessa Bowie Rankin (A16)
Posted on Aug 21, 2013 in General


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Cairo (3B)
Heisey (CF)
per the Sun Deck
Cairo (3B)
Heisey (CF)
per the Sun Deck
Most Vottomatic Player
Personally I would have liked to seen Janish in at shortstop today and Heisey in Left Field. Leake could use the best defense possible. Give Rolen a day off against the Mets.
Most Vottomatic Player
You voted for Atwood too!
"Bring on Rod Stupid!"
Cairo is higher up in the order then Heisey and Hernandez...why?
"Since I've been with the Reds in 1989, we've never had a farm system this loaded," Bowden said. "If we were the New York Yankees and had unlimited dollars, we could have traded for Colon, (Jeff) Weaver, Rolen, (Cliff) Floyd, (Kenny) Rogers and Finley and gotten them all -- and still held onto our top five prospects. That's an amazing statement."
He is not 2nd or 3rd so in my book it is a win already
I thought league average bullpen arms looked better than this
Am probably going tonight (meaning no GT participation) and really like seeing Rolen play. Is there a reason he's resting tonight instead of the day game tomorrow, which is when he usually rests, or is it just Dusty's... un-intelligence. [/RANT]
I'd rather listen to Kelch read the phone book than suffer through Thom Brennaman's attempt to make every instance on the field the most important event since the discovery of manned space flight. -westofyou
Don't get me wrong, man, Dusty's done some GREAT things for this club this season, I'm just irritated SR's not in the line-up tonight, that's all.
I'd rather listen to Kelch read the phone book than suffer through Thom Brennaman's attempt to make every instance on the field the most important event since the discovery of manned space flight. -westofyou
I think Dusty would rather rest Rolen against Blanton tonight than rest him against a tough pitcher like Halladay tomorrow. Maybe he feels like the guys have a better shot at winning tonight without Rolen than they do tomorrow night? I can't argue with that logic if that's where he's coming from because tomorrow's game could be brutal. I think we'll need everyone playing tomorrow if we want any chance to win that game.
"I tried to play golf, but I found out I wasn't very good." -Joey Votto on his offseason hobby search
An MLB.com reporter asked what one thing Votto couldnt do. I cant skate or play hockey, Votto said. Well, I can skate ... but I cant stop.
Are they playing a bunch of day games in Chicago? perhaps a night off, followed by a string of day games? Perhaps Cairo hits Blanton well? Perhaps Rolen has hit Holliday well (I don't know if they would have matched up though). Perhaps Dusty made a gentleman's agreement w/ Philly: "you're two men down, we'll rest 2 starters"???? At least Cairo has been playing well. Hopefully Rolen is alright, just a normal day off.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
Okay, I like that Dusty moved Brandon to the leadoff slot. He seems to be the best fit the way our club is currently configured. But when, oh when, is he going to give Cabrera some much needed time on the freaking bench?
21 for his last 117 (.179 ba)
9 doubles, 0 HR's, 0 triples, 6 walks, 14 strikeouts
Is there anybody here who doesn't think Paul Janish can put up AT LEAST those numbers? So even if Paul struggled to the tune of a .179 ba, he'd STILL be an improvement due to his glove work. Time to make the switch Dusty. Past time.
Hey, it worked yesterday. :O)
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Lovely Accomodation for 4 People "Ktima Tzamika"
Спальные места4
Ванные комнаты1
Площадь42 м²
Этаж №1
- Возможность проживания семьи/детей
- Кухня
- Балкон/терраса
- Полотенца
- Можно с домашними животными
- Камин
- Парковка
Краткое описание жилья
|παραλια επισκοπη ρετηυμνο, 74055 επισκοπι ρεθυμνο, США
|Тип жилья
|ID жилья
|Процент подтвержденных запросов брони
|Время ответа
|Несколько часов
|Календарь обновлен
New apartments with nice view and hospitality.
-1 room apartments (living/sleepingroom) with a maximum of 2 persons
-2 room apartments (living/sleepingroomx2) with a maximum of 4 persons.
The apartments have kitchenette, bathroom, balcony, terrace, veranda and grill.
Ktima Tzamika offers nice, quiet accommodation set in 10 acres of land, full of olive, orange and lemon trees suitable for both summer and winter vacations.
This modern apartments and studios have from their balcony a great view over the sea and the surrounding mountains. They also have gardens for the kids to play, and places around to explore.
Ktima Tzamika is situated between the village of Episkopi and Kavros just 1 km outside of Georgioupoli, in a distance of 600 m from the long sandy beach. It is close to the sea (500m) in a quiet part surrounded by olive oils near the mountain. Rethymno is also nearby.
Equipment Provided:
All are equipped with cooking facility, refrigerator, water cooker, coffeemaker, television, complete kitchen equipment, heating, child bed and terrace chairs.
Правила ПроживанияPlease leave the room in the same condition as found.
|Цена за месяц (вплоть до 3 гостей)
|53333 руб.
|Цена за 3 гостей
|533 руб. за одну ночь/ дополнительная ночь
|Заезд после
|По договоренности
|Заселение до
|По договоренности
|Отъезд до
|По договоренности
|Политика Отмены Брони
Обзор других предложений от этого хозяина
We had a very good time at Kissamos. Anna and Michalis were very friendly and helpful. The appartment has a nice view to the beach and is close to it. Everything your need is reachable by foot. At night sometimes it was a little bit loud because of motos. All in all we enjoyed staying there very much and would spend our holidays there again.
It was a pleasure meeting both Michalis and Anna, who treated us as guests in both the house and Crete. Every 14 days they did what they could to make our holiday exciting and relaxing. Always very intresseret in the things we had experienced during the day and very helpful with suggestions and good ideas. And we loved the olive oil, figs and peaches that we got !
We stayed one week in 'tsikalaria holiday house'. At our arrival, Michailis, Anna's husband, picked us up in Kissamos and warmly welcomed us in the house. He gave us insight about the different places to visit and made his best to make our staying in his house pleasant and comfortable. He is also a knowledgeable man who likes to discuss with guests. The house is located in a tiny village (Tsikalaria) in a nice surrounding and, sitting on top of a hill, it offers a beautful view. It is decently equipped and clean. As a suggestion, we think that it would be good to improve the functioning of the shower, even if we are aware of the scarcity of water on Crete. Anyway, we had a very nice staying in 'tsikalaria holiday house'.
Beautiful house with very nice localization. Amazing landscapes and quiet surrounding. The owner Michail is very helpful and eager for giving useful information.
A beautiful quiet place in the middel of Creta. With a nice balcony where you can see the sun rising in the morning. You need a car to see the rest of Creta.
It was a pleasure to meet Michalis and stay at his holydayhouse. We enjoyed the time and the style of the house. If we come back to Crete, we will definitely stay at this place again!
We stayed in Kissamos for 14 days, three kids (13, 18, 20) and three adults. Kissamos was the perfect town for our group. With the car, we could visit three of the world top 10 beaches (Elafonisos, Falasserna and Balos) as well as a number of other great nature sites. The small town was charming with small restaurants with good local food. At the local travel agency they were able to arrange a great trip to the Samaria gorge as well as scuba diving.
Our hosts were very helpful and welcoming. They brought us fresh figues, tomatoes and peaches. They were helpful in planning our trips, and were interesting to talk with about old and new greek history and culture. The house was big enough for us but quite simple equipped, especially in the kitchen. The showers might need some upgrading. With two balconies, we were able to sit in the shadow at any time of day. Our best moments were on the balcony at the end of the day, just summing up the day´s events with a game of cards and a glass of local wine or beer. Please try the local microbrewery beer called LYRA, very tasty. Despite being a small town, there was a lot of traffic. The loud motorcycles were somewhat annoying, especially during the night. Altogether, our stay was very nice, and we can recommend this destination.
We had great holidays. Anna and Michail are lovely people, we talked about "all the world and his brother". The appartments are imbedded within a beautiful olive tree garden, and the children loved to feed the sheep and cats.
We had an excellent week on Crete, good location, close to beach. Service and response of Michalis was always accurate and doing everything to assure a comfortable stay. Fam in t Veld
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News Release
Easy ways to recycle your Christmas tree
If you're wondering how to dispose of the Christmas tree after the holidays, the Bellevue Utilities Department has the answers. Please do not dump Christmas trees in or near streams, as they can block water flow and cause flooding.
Residents with yard debris service can put Christmas trees at the curb for pickup on their regular collection day:
There are other options for disposal of your tree:
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I bought this thin, scragely vine at a canadian tire store about a week ago. It had no tag and I've looked on the web for about a week, still not being able to find out what kind of plant this is. The leaves are fairly thin, round and are in couples along the vine. The leaves are mainly medium green with a bit of white at the edges, but not along the veins. Leaves are about an inch in diameter. Hopefully someone can help me.......it's killing me to figure it out!!
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Town Square
Fmr. Nat'l Security Advisor of Communist Romania (now a proud American) on the "Occupy Movement" (A Sobering Read)
Original post made by A Sobering Read, Amador Estates, on Nov 4, 2011
Article: Web Link
In my other life, when I was national security adviser to Communist Romania's President Nicolae Ceausescu, I wrote the lyrics of his ode to "change.†Ceausescu pretended that his predecessor had devastated the country, and he pledged to change that change. In those days I heard that ode to change a thousand times, and today I am stunned by its similarity with the Democratic Party's "change.
...I paid with two death sentences — from my native Romania — for the privilege of becoming a citizen of this unique land of opportunity, and I am incredibly proud to be an American.
On that fateful day of July 28, 1978, when the U.S. military airplane that brought me to freedom landed at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., I was exactly three months short of the round age of fifty, and I more than ever regretted that I had kept postponing that step for so many years. The joy of finally becoming part of this magnanimous country was surpassed only by the joy of simply being alive.
On November 9, 1989, when I watched on television as the Berlin Wall was being torn down, my eyes were full of tears. The whole world was expressing its gratitude to the United States for her 45 years of successful efforts to keep freedom, democracy, and law-abiding liberty alive in most of the world.
Is my adoptive country perfect? Of course not. Since 1792, however, elections have been the American way of correcting the past and improving the future. Fortunately, we still have free elections. Last November, an overwhelming majority of Americans expressed their disgust with some of the members of the Congress who wanted to "change†America, and they voted them out of office.
Let's hope that in November 2012 the voters will restore American exceptionalism. For that to happen, let's also hope that the candidates running for the White House will stop fighting with each other, and will start focusing on how they want to cure the country's current economic and political ills.â€
Article: Web Link
To all the Democrats reading this. Please pay attention to what is happening. Your Party is not the old JFK Democrat Party anymore. It is in lock-step with the Communist Party. Take it from someone who should know like author Ion Mihai Pacepa.
Comments (5)
a resident of Ironwood
on Nov 5, 2011 at 5:54 am
Land o goshens, Jimbo, I'm so moved by this post. (Though some lefties will probably say that the "two death sentences" left the dolt all but brain dead.) In fact, it moved me to think about the similarities between OWS and the Polish workers' democratic movement of a few decades ago. And then I started thinking about the civil rights movement in the United States. And the free speech movement in the 60's. But these are probably just more examples of communism's inexorable crusade to eat our children, right Jimbo?
a resident of Parkside
on Nov 5, 2011 at 7:41 am
Kkkarl, your OWS movement comrades are spoiled products of an entitlement class of people who can't or won't work to bettrer themselves. They'd rather drag everyone else down to their level than pull themselves up.
a resident of Livermore
on Nov 5, 2011 at 9:13 am
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Nov 5, 2011 at 10:42 am
When Sarah Palin says "banks are bad, government is fat" the tea party stands and applauds. When a group of dems say "banks are fat and the government is bad" ... well that's communism. Look banks pay billions of dollars in bonuses, unworthy bonuses. CEO's make 100's of millions of dollars, unworthy millions. The repubs aren't showing they have the substance to win in elections ... they are not the force they think they are. Sitting on the sidelines blasting away with irrelevant rhetoric is just a waste of breath. Think it out. Think it out ... then blurt.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Nov 5, 2011 at 2:45 pm
I am with clink on this one, Jimbo. Obstructionism is not leadership, filibusters are not fixing anything, and the GOP has run out of good candidates with good ideas.
We may not have the old JFK Democrat Party, but drawing parallels to Ceausescu lacks any basis in fact.
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Here is a real neat idea for comb honey. It looks like a real time saver.
Steve http://www.beeosphere.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=252
Here is a real neat idea for comb honey. It looks like a real time saver.
Steve http://www.beeosphere.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=252
I saw that in Decembers Bee Culture. Not quite sure what to make of it yet, but it definatly could be a timesaver.
If it works well and the bees fill it well, it would save a lot of cutting and draining. I wonder what it costs per package? If it's comparable to the cost of a clamshell then it would be a real timesaver.
I know I am new to keeping bees but the idea of comb honey to me is to chew the comb. Since this system is basicly plastic foundation on the bottom of the pack you would have to scrape the comb out. There is not a way of cutting it into bite size pieces. I am not saying it may be a good marketing product anyway. This was just a thought I had when I read the article.
It's true, that's the way I eat it. I cut a thin slice off and put it on my toast or biscut or whatever. In this case you'd still probably cut a slice. You'd just have to do a little sideways movement to break it loose from the bottom of the container. It's the container botom that is embossed so the bees will connect it there.
I wonder how this differs from the Hogg half comb cassettes?
I would like to answer some questions regarding the beeopac that i have seen posted on the chat page.
I am hopping that the bee o pac will sell in the USA for 0.40$ each pac which includes the lid. 0.50Can$ The only other cost would be a wrap around label that would act as a safty seal.
Selling this product from the farm has been brisk and has been going for $4.00can with no problem.There is 128 pac/ 1/2super, with this you can calculate your return.
In timed runs I can set up a super in ten min, four weeks for the bees to fll with a moderate honey flow, and then 45 min to break all the packages apart put lids on and be ready for market. Eack pac is holding 130gm approx or 4oz approx.
From consumer test groups we asked what was there response to the product.
1. smaller pac that can be used up in a couple of days
2. the clear pac gives you a neat look to the product and shows how the bees filled.
3. less wax to deal with as you eat the product.
4. and from the beekeeper the time it saved, very little set up time, consumer ready pacs so there is no handling again and then of course the return with little to no waste.
Compared to Hogg half comb the bee o pac is very cheap to use, ready to fit a half supper, less time to fill.
I know that I am biased because i made the product but I developed the product because there is a consumer demand for the product on the high end revenue scale and that producing honey comb the traditional way is not an easy job and when measured to the labor you may want to ask why your doing it at all.
Oh ya the plastic is different than anything used before in a hive and the greatest trick was to have this system work without needing to pre-wax the bottoms.
The websit is just new and will be upgraded over the next couple of weeks so you may want to return to the site in a week or so to see the upgrades.
The original post was from steve e. This was his second post since Aug 2002. I thought that strange. Noticed he was from Ontario. Now a post from Sperlich, also from Ontario and his first post, and the maker and producer of the product being promoted. Does steve know andrew?
I only wish there could be a more straight forward way of seeing through the beekeeper helping another beekeeper, and get those promoting a product to just come out and do it. I would like to know who has agenda's and who just cares about helping another. This is not my website, but my opinion is that there seems like another dedicated spot would be helpful in letting those post commercial listing seperate from the rest of the posts. How about just listing the item under the "for sale" forum?
Of course we all had this discussion before.
Since he could have easily said he was from Alabama, I would assume that it was a honest post from someone who saw a product from a fellow Ontarian. Also, it's not available here yet, so this wouldn't be the best time to advertise it here. But there is not way to know.
Either way, the product looks like an improvement on several levels over the Hogg system. First, it fits a standard medium super. Second, if I understand it right, it doesn't require a lot of extra equipment to hold the cassettes. Third, again if I understand it right, it sounds like less labor involved to put it in. So far, it's not available here anyway. And third, it sound like it is more inexpensive per package.
I'd love to try a super of it to see what I really think, but I wouldn't invest a lot in any system like this without a trial run. But then that's another nice feature, it doesn't sound like you have to invest a lot to try it.
Your right mike B. This item mentioned by steve in ontario, and then the owner/producer from Ontario is surfing the forum and posts his first post a couple weeks later, is probably coincidence.
The last post I questioned (only other one) was a company from Canada promoting a 2-3,000 dollar unit, and they never kept ANY of their promises regarding referrals or putting forth additional information that was requested. I always follow the dollar when something smells. After many years in sales, I'm a little skeptical. Sorry if I'm barking up the wrong tree. I just like to know when its a tree.
Sorry I intruded into your space. I was directed to this site because of the questions asked about the Bee o Pac.
The bee o pac has been floating around Southern Ontario for the field test over the last three years. Ian and I feel that we worked out the problems and added economic scale to the product.
From reading your comments regarding the beeopac some of you still do not see it as it is. That could be from the webpage being up and running but not complete.
I also hope that the product will be ready for the up and coming beekeeping season.
Ps I am a beekeeper first.
Good luck with your product. I appreciate you being up front with your response.
In participating in a forum such as this, many chat from one beekeeper to another and base their opinion as such. I only want to know when one has agendas or a stake in one product or another. That way I can evaluate and give merit for comments based on the angle of the information given.
If you, Steve ?, and I guess Ian now, are working on a product, than everyone should be aware of any cooperation you have between each other. I think this is fair for everyone. I only thought it very coincidental how this thread started. Not for your efforts or product. Good luck to you and all who are capitalistic in mind and try to make improvements in beekeeping.
Andrew, This looks like a great idea for comb honey producers. Do the containers fit into a purpose built frame or will any frame do? Will they be available directly to beekeepers or through suppliers? Good Luck With Your Endeavours
I like what I see of this and am interested in more information comming. Please keep me informed and any test results you have in this.
BEE KEEPING sense 1964
Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan
I have been away for a while so haven't seen the posts. I would like to make it clear that I in no way am associated with this product. I saw it while surfing the web and it looked interesting. I just wanted to bring it to everyones attention and see what everybody had to say about it. There are people out here that like to read the forums and maybe not participate as much.
Ontario is a very big place