Education, Teacher Quality Concerns Utah Voters
Nonprofit helps certify qualified teachers
The state of the education system in Utah is a primary concern for many voters. According to a recent survey by Dan Jones & Associates, 50 percent of respondents voiced disapproval for the newly authorized Academic Pathway to Teaching (ATP) rule, which allows college graduates to teach in their subject area without completing any training in classroom management or lesson-planning skills.
Meanwhile, 40 percent of Utah voters named teacher quality as their top education priority, according to another survey conducted by the Utah Foundation. The new ATP rule does not hold individuals to high standards in order to be teachers; however, a national nonprofit called the American Board does, by providing training materials and thorough, competency-based exams.
The American Board offers an online and self-paced teacher certification program that is an ideal fit for anyone looking to get into the education field on a flexible timeline at nearly one-third the price of a graduate degree. Candidates of the program must show proficient knowledge in pedagogy, the method and practice of teaching, as well as the subject area they wish to teach in.
“Our program is a great fit for professionals who always wanted to teach or want to take what they learned from years in a different career to benefit students in a classroom,” said Executive Director Lisa Howell. “Principals appreciate our candidates because they normally have real-life experience in the subjects they teach.”
The American Board does not have a physical campus, allowing teachers-to-be the freedom to study anywhere in the world and even work full-time while earning certification. On average, candidates take seven to ten months to earn their certification with some students completing the program in as few as two months.
The American Board is a national nonprofit dedicated to putting qualified professionals in the classroom through an online, self-paced alternative teacher certification program. Established by funding from the U.S. Department of Education in 2001, the American Board is endorsed by 12 states as an official route to teacher certification. The self-paced, self-study program has issued more than 6,000 certifications since its inception.
For more information call 1-877-669-2228 or visit www.americanboard.org.
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Labor Department News Brief
U.S. Department of Labor | Oct. 13, 2016
US Labor Department sues Utah drywall contractor for minimum wage, willful overtime, recordkeeping violations
Violations stem from misclassifying employees as independent contractors
Date of Action: Oct. 3, 2016
Type of Action: Filing of lawsuit
Name of Defendants: Solid Drywall LLC
Solid Construction Group LLC
Frank LeBaron
Allegation: A U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found Solid Drywall LLC and Solid Construction Group LLC of Midvale, Utah; and owner Frank LeBaron violated the Fair Labor Standards Act when they failed to pay minimum wage to 15 employees and pay the applicable overtime rate to 133 or more employees misclassified as independent contractors. The division is unable to identify all of the employees to whom Solid owes back wages because the company failed to keep required records for employees it funneled and paid through a labor provider.
The division also determined that company payroll records show it paid workers by check for up to 80 hours in a semi-monthly pay period, and paid a straight time rate in cash or with a prepaid debit card for all overtime hours worked in violation of the law. Investigators also found Solid paid some workers “off the books” in cash at the straight time rate for all hours worked including overtime hours. These violations demonstrate a willful disregard for the FLSA’s overtime requirements.
The department’s suit seeks to establish the employment relationship between Solid and a number of its employees; that the company paid minimum wage to some employees improperly; and that it denied overtime pay to all of the company’s employees.
In addition, the action by the Secretary of Labor seeks a court order to require Solid to:
– Comply with the FLSA’s minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions in the future.
– Pay back wages owed to employees, plus an equal amount in liquidated damages.
– Keep employee records as required by the FLSA.
Quote: “Construction work is hard enough without worrying about getting paid fairly,” said Betty Campbell, regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division in the Southwest. “Solid Drywall and Solid Construction’s employees deserve to be paid for all the time they spend working, including overtime. This lawsuit shows the department’s commitment to root out and remedy these violations, protecting the workers and leveling the playing field for contractors who play by the rules.”
Resolution: The department seeks a court ruling for unpaid minimum wage and overtime compensation and an equal amount in liquidated damages for Solid employees. The suit also seeks the court to order Solid and related companies to abide by labor laws, maintain required time and pay records, and ultimately pay its employees accordingly.
Additional Information: The Wage and Hour Division continues to conduct investigations in low-wage industries where data and evidence show high rates of non-compliance, and where workers are less likely to complain. Both education and enforcement continue in the construction industry in which a high violation rate exists.
Court: U.S. District Court for the Utah Central Division
Docket Number: 2:16-cv-01025-BCW
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32,000 Demand the Removal of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) from Judiciary Committee Over Failure to Understand Sexual Assault
When Asked if Trump’s Comments in the 2005 Video Constituted Sexual Assault, the Alabama Senator Told the Weekly Standard: "I don't characterize that as sexual assault. I think that's a stretch.”
More than 32,000 people have signed onto a new petition campaign from UltraViolet Action, a national women’s advocacy organization, calling for the removal of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The petition campaign was launched after the top Donald Trump surrogate refused to acknowledge that Trump’s comments in the 2005 hot mic video— in which he described forcibly kissing women and grabbing their genitals—constituted sexual assault, telling The Weekly Standard after Sunday night’s debate “I don't characterize that as sexual assault. I think that's a stretch.”
VIEW THE ULTRAVIOLET PETITION HERE: http://act.weareultraviolet.org/sign/Sessions_assault/
“Grabbing women’s genitals without their consent is the very definition of sexual assault, and it is a crime — full stop,” said Shaunna Thomas, Co-Founder of UltraViolet Action. “Whether Senator Sessions is just interested in enabling Donald Trump, normalizing his hate, racism and abuse towards women, or is unable to understand the basic definition of sexual assault —his membership in the Senate Judiciary Committee is an insult to all women and undermines faith in our government.”
“For a Senator who cosigns Trump’s sexism and abuse towards women to remain on a Committee that decides judicial nominations and legislation that impact the lives of women is disgraceful. Sessions’ record on protecting women is abysmal, from voting against cracking down on military sexual assault to opposing the Violence Against Women Act—and his latest comments leave no doubt about how he views women,” added Thomas.
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UltraViolet Action is an online community of over 1,000,000 women and men who want to take collective action to expose and fight sexism in the public sector, private sector and the media. Find out more at WeAreUltraViolet.org.
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Kathleen Thomas Allan, Ph.D. releases ‘Research & The Analysis Of Research Hypotheses: Volume 2’
LEHI, Utah – Kathleen Thomas Allan, Ph.D., knows that most college seniors and graduates do not feel comfortable with their classes on statistics. Allan wants to provide an alternative through her published book “Research & The Analysis Of Research Hypotheses: Volume 2” (published by Xlibris), which is designed to simplify the statistical analysis.
“When I worked on my Ph.D., I had to take a set of statistics courses. I am mathematically inclined but I realized that most ordinary college students would have a difficult time with statistics,” Allan tells.
Allan provides a method for collecting and analyzing research data intent, which simplifies the statistical process. On it second volume, “Research & The Analysis Of Research Hypotheses” shows five basic methods for analyzing the data collected during the research process. “I would like readers to be comfortable analyzing the data they collect in their research project,” the author adds.
An excerpt from the book:
“Research & The Analysis Of Research Hypotheses” has been designed employing M. David Merrill’s theories concerning Rule, Example and Practice. The “rule” is described and defined in the portion of each unit of instruction labeled “PURPOSE:” The “example” and matching “practice” are described in the portion labeled “OBJECTIVES:” The body of the unit describes the rule in more detail giving examples as needed. Finally, there is an “assignment” which requires the student to put the rule into practice. The two volumes provide a basis for doing a research study which graduate students can use as a model for their thesis or dissertation.
“Research & The Analysis Of Research Hypotheses: Volume 2”
By Kathleen Thomas Allan, Ph.D.
Hardcover | 8.5 x 11in | 228pages | ISBN 9781503549531
Softcover | 8.5 x 11in | 228pages | ISBN 9781503549548
E-Book | 228pages | ISBN 9781503549555
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Kathleen Thomas Allan, Ph.D. was born in India of British parents. She has lived in India, England, New Zealand and in Utah and Illinois. Allan has experienced education in all four countries. In New Zealand, she taught in elementary school and mathematics in high school. She has a doctorate in the field of instructional psychology with an emphasis on designing curriculum materials. In developing the two volumes of her book, Allan used the principles she learned when she worked on her doctorate. More information is available in http://kayallan.com/.
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