A weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else — from the nation’s leading voice on education innovation and opportunity.
Perspectives on Hot Issues in 2020 Race -
or Those That Should Be
A Special CER Newswire
It seems like forever, but it was just a few weeks ago that the nation witnessed its most recent union-organized walkouts in North Carolina. Prior to that, the unions had pushed teachers in more than 15 states or communities to walk out of their schools in 2019. And more strikes are imminent, as the Chicago Teachers Union is threatening to strike as soon as September if contracts they want with the city don’t come to negotiations quickly. This, after they received record increases last year!
Their purpose? To highlight the lagging teacher pay and incentives and to create public awareness and legislative response for compensation.
But the real purpose was revealed earlier this month in the results of the annual Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools: more than half of all teachers are mulling leaving the profession.
While PDK would argue this is about pay and benefits, the teachers we talk to have a different take -- traditional public school educators feel like political footballs. Their union is fostering discontent and is advocating for political efforts and policies that have nothing to do with teaching! In each of the communities that they pushed to walk out on kids, compensation was already on the list for increases at the local or state level.
And according to Education Week, the average teacher salary is more than $60,000 -- not including benefits, or accounting for the full-year pay scale.
If comp and benefits were the main focus of the NEA, for example, why were the majority of the 368 resolutions they considered not about education but rather issues like immigration and abortion. They even voted against New Business Item #2 - “re-dedicate itself to the pursuit of increased student learning in every public school in America by putting a renewed emphasis on quality education.”
No wonder why a near majority of teachers are fed up!
The solution to the summer of teachers’ discontent is not to raise fixed pay scales a bump or two -- it’s to completely transform the teaching profession. It’s not that difficult. Here’s what the candidates should be talking about -- and what state legislatures nationwide should be doing:
Rather than create and maintain salary levels at the state level and in districts, which are the subject of master contracts in right to work states or bargaining in labor-controlled states, leave the positioning and creation of education employees to the schools! Educators can have and want flexibility -- some want to work longer, take on more responsibilities, sit for reviews and vie for bonuses.
Others, especially younger teachers starting families, may like to work from home while they spend time with their newborns or little kids.
All that paperwork that teachers have to take home? Imagine giving a classroom educator the ability to “contract” that work to a teacher who wants to work from home longer than the average amount of maternity leave. Curriculum specialists, administrators and advisors make up the majority of education employees. Most do not need to be near a classroom to do their job.
From LA to Chicago, to small town school districts, the lion’s share of funds are spent on facilities upkeep. They are like real estate brokers -- not just in the schools, but in the vast expanse of facilities across the cities and states they have to maintain. The more people are permitted to work from home, the less overhead there is. It’s that simple.
Imagine education looking more like corporate America and utilizing its resources in ways that allowed both to maximize their time and potential.
The reality is that while my generation of working mothers wanted to go to the office, many today want to work as entrepreneurs, from home or wherever their families take them. Fathers have the same aspirations.
And just consider the volume of online learning going on worldwide! Students -- even younger ones -- are no stranger to Facetime and digital conversations. A teacher on leave may want to Zoom in from home while his/her teaching assistant manages the classroom.
Or how about an entirely virtual school, like many successful charters have? Born in charters, blended learning is also increasingly penetrating traditional public schools, allowing both on-the-ground and self-paced personalized work to go on among students.
There is simply no need for the classroom of yesterday to be the classroom of tomorrow. There is a myriad of ways to restructure and redesign learning that maximizes parents, employees, and employers. Most of all, there are ways to reignite the passion of teachers and remove their status as political footballs tossed about by labor unions.
We needn’t have a Warren-inspired, multi-billion child care or early education program to serve the needs of families. The benefit of changing education’s structure would not only support the needs of these families, but expand the pool of people wanting to work in our schools and around our children -- magnifying the capacity and talents of those who work with our kids, day in and day out.
These are the issues the candidates, pundits and yes, media can and should be talking about. What else is on your mind for this campaign season? Write me directly and jeanneallen@edreform.com and share your ideas.
Best for the remaining summer days, short as they are....and get ready. A very long election year is right upon us!
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
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Sutherland Institute announces Rep. Curtis in 2019 Congressional Series
SALT LAKE CITY—Today Sutherland Institute announced Rep. John Curtis will address Religious Liberty for All in its 2019 Congressional Series, presented by Zions Bank. The event will be held on Friday, Aug. 23.
“We face a unique challenge of balancing needed protections for the LGBTQ community with the importance of protecting religious liberty – one of the fundamental rights enshrined at the founding of our nation,” Curtis said.
“Our Founders addressed the free exercise of faith, not as a requirement of government, but as a founding virtue that creates a necessary sense of purpose and shared accountability to a higher power,” said Rick B. Larsen, Sutherland Institute president. “Freedom thrives with such a united and humble perspective. Without it, we are left to every version of tribalism, nationalism and identity politics. It is with this perspective we welcome Rep. Curtis and his thoughts on this critical subject.”
This is a private event, but it is open to the public with advance ticket registration and will be streamed live on Sutherland’s Facebook page. It is also open to media who RSVP in advance to kelsey@sifreedom.org. Space is limited.
Following Curtis’s remarks, a panel will discuss how religious liberty intersects with the lives of America’s minorities. Panelists include: Mary Rice Hasson, the Kate O’Beirne Fellow in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.; Avais Ahmed, an experienced e-commerce business owner; The Rev. Marian Edmonds-Allen, a Justice Ministry Education Supervisor for Auburn Seminary and co-founder of the LGBTQ Youth Continuum of Care; and William C. Duncan, Sutherland's Religious Liberty Scholar and director of the Marriage Law Foundation.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY FOR ALL
*Questions from the media will be permitted following a Q&A with audience members*
WHEN: Friday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. MDT
WHERE: Sutherland Institute
15 W. South Temple
Suite 200
Salt Lake City
UNITED UTAH PARTY ANNOUNCES 2019 COUNTYWIDE CONVENTIONS
Countywide gathering will allow all UUP members to elect party officers
Beginning September 7, 2019, the United Utah Party will be holding county party conventions across Utah. The purpose of these conventions is to elect county officers, help party supporters get to know each other, and work together to build the party in the county.
"We invite to our county conventions anyone interested in a new alternative to the dysfunctional Republicans and Democrats. Come join us in building a new political system build on moderation, common sense, and practicality," said Richard Davis, the UUP Chair. "You will find other like-minded people who want to end the partisan gridlock that dominates today's politics."
UUP county conventions are open to the public. However, only those who are registered members of the party can vote on party business at the convention. For those not already UUP members, voter registration can be done in advance at vote.utah.gov or at the door.
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Applications are OPEN for our Fall 2019 Social Investors Forum! Finalists will have the opportunity to pitch - Shark Tank style - to our Investment Committee, who can award loans, grants, or mentorship to organizations with innovative programming that are committed to improving the quality of life for Utahns.
Learn more about the Social Investors Forum or apply on our website.
CFU believes investing in staff is one of the best strategies for nonprofits to achieve their organizational goals. Each year, CFU sets a budget for staff members to use for professional development.
Rosemary, Community Relations Manager, says: "This year, I used my professional development budget to travel to Seattle and meet with their philanthropic community to learn how I can help elevate the work we do at CFU. During my trip, I discovered new ways to engage our giving circles, new frameworks for engaging grantees and donors, and a renewed sense of excitement for the work we have the benefit of doing in Utah.
I love attending pitch events as well, and enjoyed Women's Pitch Night Seattle, which focused on helping female entrepreneurs refine their pitches. I am looking forward to bringing what I learned at that event to our Social Investors Forum (which you should attend this November!).
I’m grateful for a workplace that supports both my current passions and future career."
We often get asked, "What does the Community Foundation of Utah do?"
Answer: We're a grantmaking organization. But we are also SO much more. Our 2018 Annual Report tells another piece of our story.
ADA revealed the updated list of top mobile app development companies in India.
BELMONT, UNITED STATES, August 21, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This press release discusses the most uplifting mobile app development companies that have modeled cross-cutting convenience and followed SDLC while app development. The concept of what propelled them to emerge out as a winner is discussed in the context of separating concerns for the development of mobile applications.
The mobile app development companies in India listed by ADA, adapted to evolving client's requirements clung to latest technological innovations, adhered to budget and time constraints, added a little life to the content effortlessly, thus becoming the antidote to manual processes that slow the business down and fritter away team productivity. They have time and again come up with relevant applications that added value to the existing business, have helped them evolve eventually and are an extension to existing websites. Needless to say, these have engaged users with the business.
Zowie, a whole list of captivating mobile app development companies! So many emotions and even more words to convey them! ADA sensed that, so it categorized the most relevant ones for you in this easy overview. Woo-hoo!
1. Prismetric
2. Konstant Infosolutions
3. Y Media Labs
4. AppInventiv
5. Space-O Technologies
6. Hidden Brains Infotech LLC
7. Dev Technosys
8. Mtoag Technologies
9. ChopDawg
10. QBurst
11. Intuz
12. Nimble Appgenie
13. Techugo
14. Mindinventory
15. Mobisoft Infotech
For a complete listing of top mobile app development companies, visit here: https://www.appdevelopmentagency.com/top-mobile-app-development-companies-in-india/
About App Development Agency (ADA)
ADA is an established research firm that maps service seekers and service providers on its platform, thus filling the demand and supply gap. This saves a substantial amount of time, cost and efforts on part of both parties. It has been global in its approach and followed industry standards to select top performers in mobile and web app development, who have strong ability to deliver, are flexible, adapt well with latest technologies, have sufficient work experience, are focused and those who have been appreciated by clients periodically.
Latest tech blog:
Balling the Koa vs. Express Scenario in Node.js Frameworks
Ada James
App Development Agency
NA
email us here
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Who is moving the needle in philanthropy? Nine present-day philanthropists were recently awarded the of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. See how they are shaping the way we do giving.
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I'll be speaking at several events this week - the Iowa AFL-CIO convention today, the Democratic National Committee Summer Meeting on Thursday and Friday, the 2nd Congressional District Democrats' Central Committee meeting on Saturday and the Clay County Democrats Steak Fry on Sunday.
I'll also be organizing three "Cup of Joe on the Issues" events next week.
You'll find more details of my events below and also here.
Wednesday, August 21st:
Altoona, Iowa: I will be speaking at the Iowa AFL-CIO Convention (Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel, 1 Prairie Meadows Dr, Altoona, IA 50009, USA) at 3.55pm on Wednesday, August 21st.
Thursday, August 22nd:
Friday, August 23rd:
San Francisco, California: I will be speaking at the Democratic National Committee Summer Meeting’s “Meet the Candidates Session” at roughly 11am on August 23rd (event from August 22nd-24th) at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel (333 O’Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94102).
Saturday, August 24th:
Sunday, August 25th:
Wednesday, August 28th:
Thursday, August 29th:
Friday, August 30th:
Riceville, Iowa: Howard County Democrats are hosting Joe for a Cup of Joe on the Issues event on healthcare on August 30th at 5pm (3091 75th St, Riceville, IA 50466-7139, United States). RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/359989654877396/
For more information, visit my site (here) to read more about who I am and where my campaign is going next, or contact my press team on press@joesestak.com.
Respectfully,
Joe Sestak
