On 12/06/06, g robinson wrote: > looking to see if i can find an old acquantance i spent > several weeks with in europe back around 1972. her maiden > name was sue banton. thanks
Do you know if she went to college? if so, where? do you know where she went to high school? check the schools for their alumni directory.
On 12/31/06, Kerry wrote: > On 12/06/06, g robinson wrote: >> looking to see if i can find an old acquantance i spent >> several weeks with in europe back around 1972. her maiden >> name was sue banton. thanks > > not much chance of that!
Every teacher is entitled to a duty-free lunch and planning and preparation time. Except for a few minor changes made in the 1995 rewrite of the Texas Education Code, the statutes have essentially remained the same.
Duty-free lunch – Texas Education Code, Sec. 21.405 By law, each classroom teacher and full-time librarian gets at least a 30-minute lunch period “free from all duties and responsibilities connected with the instruction and supervision of students.” According to a Texas Attorney General opinion, the term “duty” would include a directive that teachers remain on campus during lunch, because it would relate to student instruction or supervision. Districts cannot require teachers to stay on campus during their 30-minute lunch even if the campus is “closed” for students.
The law provides exceptions—personnel shortages, extreme economic conditions or unavoidable/unforeseen circumstances—which give districts the right to require teachers to supervise lunches, but not more than one time per week.
The rules adopted by the commissioner of education set the bar very high before a district can assign a teacher to lunch duty. Scheduling problems do not create unforeseen circumstances. They exist when an epidemic, illness, or natural or man-made disaster leaves no one available to do the duty. An extreme economic condition exists when hiring a person to supervise lunch would cause the district to raise taxes to the extent that the district might face a tax roll-back election. A personnel shortage exists only after all available nonteaching personnel—superintendent and business manager included—have been assigned to the duty and the district has diligently recruited community volunteers to help.
Planning and preparation time – Texas Education Code, Sec. 21.404 The law entitles every teacher to planning and preparation time, during which the district can require the teacher to engage in no activity other than parent-teacher conferences, evaluating student work, and planning. Teachers must have at least 450 minutes of planning time every two weeks in increments of not less than 45 minutes within the instructional day.
Examples:
A teacher could have five 90-minute conference periods within a two-week period, instead of a 45-minute conference period each day. A district can provide 50- minute blocks of planning time daily, and exceed the minimum requirement, but it could not provide 50 minutes one day and 40 minutes the next.
A district cannot schedule a 7:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m. instructional day, and then give teachers 3:15 p.m.-4:00 p.m. to plan after the students leave.
Conference period cases often involve requirements for group planning or staff development during planning periods. According to the commissioner of education, if a district gives teachers no more than the statutory minimum planning time, the district cannot ask teachers to engage in group-planning during one of those planning periods.
Example:
A district that schedules 50-minute planning periods every day could ask teachers to plan as a group one day every two weeks, but the district could not take one planning period for group planning and another for staff development.
The United States Institute of Peace announces the National Peace Essay Contest for students in grades 9-12. For the 2006-07 contest, student's essay must examine the issue of youth and violent conflicts. First-place winners from each state receive $1,000 college scholarships and compete for national awards of $2,500 to $10,000. National award amounts include state awards. First-place state winners also are invited to attend an expenses-paid awards program in Washington, D.C., in June. To obtain guidelines for entering the contest, e-mail [email removed]].
Ivory Coast I need help to bring a teacher from the Ivory Coast to Maine. He has a BA in English and French is his native language. He is an English teacher in Cote d"ivoire. How can he come to Maine on a teacher exchange or cultural exchange program. Can someone please point me in the right direction? Thanks from a Lewiston teacher
Check out Fulbright programs; Rotary International; and even the Penobscot School in Rockland - they have native speakers for year-long assignments to teach the target language (they are a language school)
On 1/12/07, Crigen Richards wrote: > Ivory Coast > I need help to bring a teacher from the Ivory Coast to > Maine. > He has a BA in English and French is his native language. > He is an English teacher in Cote d"ivoire. > How can he come to Maine on a teacher exchange or cultural > exchange program. Can someone please point me in the right > direction? Thanks from a Lewiston teacher
I am surprised that there is no discussion here about Baldacci's new proposal to incorporate all of our school districts into only 26. I am studying to be a teacher right now, and am very curious about how teachers feel about it. Any pros or cons?
At first I thought, this is a terrible idea! But maybe centralization would have some benefits even beyond all the money it would save (money that is dearly needed in our public schools, and even to help raise teacher salaries). But whether the money saved would be funneled in the right direction to benefit education, who knows. Benefits outside of financial could be a more even school experience for all children, less beaurocratic stuff. I'd like to hear what school principals REALLY think about the proposal. Would they be just as happy not to have as many administrators directly overseeing them, and is that a good thing? Is there now too much duplication of effort because of so many separate school district offices? How much does it actually save Maine citizens if some of the current cost is covered by federal money?
Of course it would mean jobs lost and that's never a good thing for our state. Maybe something in between, something not quite as drastic a reorganization and streamlining, maybe that would be better. Phase in more gradually the combining of districts.
I need to know more before I take a stand either way. But it would be interesting to see more discussion about it here!
On 1/21/07, curious wrote: > I am surprised that there is no discussion here about > Baldacci's new proposal to incorporate all of our school > districts into only 26. I am studying to be a teacher > right now, and am very curious about how teachers feel > about it. Any pros or cons?
Thank you for your response. I agree, I don't know if the money saved would be funneled in the right direction. Would it hurt our kids, would they drop some courses (the trend in the dropping of elective classes like band, chorus, art, foreign language, home ec) Or would the "powers that be" see a way to fund more courses that would enable our Maine students to become active and knowledgeable globally as well as locally? -and yes, I wish there was more discussion on this board. I would like to learn more about teaching here in Maine, and one of the best ways is through discussion. Any more views out there? Please share!
On 1/22/07, Mainer. I just don't know wrote: > At first I thought, this is a terrible idea! But maybe > centralization would have some benefits even beyond all the > money it would save (money that is dearly needed in our > public schools, and even to help raise teacher salaries). But > whether the money saved would be funneled in the right > direction to benefit education, who knows. Benefits outside > of financial could be a more even school experience for all > children, less beaurocratic stuff. I'd like to hear what > school principals REALLY think about the proposal. Would they > be just as happy not to have as many administrators directly > overseeing them, and is that a good thing? Is there now too > much duplication of effort because of so many separate school > district offices? How much does it actually save Maine > citizens if some of the current cost is covered by federal > money? > > Of course it would mean jobs lost and that's never a good > thing for our state. Maybe something in between, something > not quite as drastic a reorganization and streamlining, maybe > that would be better. Phase in more gradually the combining > of districts. > > I need to know more before I take a stand either way. But it > would be interesting to see more discussion about it here! > > > On 1/21/07, curious wrote: >> I am surprised that there is no discussion here about >> Baldacci's new proposal to incorporate all of our school >> districts into only 26. I am studying to be a teacher >> right now, and am very curious about how teachers feel >> about it. Any pros or cons?
The Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative at Boston College (InTASC) developed tests to provide diagnostic information about algebraic misconceptions students may have. The testlets were validated during the summer and fall of 2006. InTASC is gearing up to start an experimental study designed to assess whether instructional interventions are effective in mediating some of the misconceptions piloted in the summer and fall. The study is scheduled to start on February 19, 2007 and it will run until March 23, 2007. Algebra teachers who teach grades 8 or 9 are eligible to participate and teachers who participate will qualify for a a $250.00 stipend.
For more information, please contact Helena Miranda at [email removed].
The Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative at Boston College (InTASC) developed tests to provide diagnostic information about algebraic misconceptions students may have. The testlets were validated during the summer and fall of 2006. InTASC is gearing up to start an experimental study designed to assess whether instructional interventions are effective in mediating some of the misconceptions piloted in the summer and fall. The study is scheduled to start on February 19, 2007 and it will run until March 23, 2007. Algebra teachers who teach grades 8 or 9 are eligible to participate and teachers who participate will qualify for a a $250.00 stipend.
My name is Becky Mallatt and I am from Oregon. I am organzing a 50 state quilt block exchange and I have all but 10 of the states ready to go. Maine is one that I don't have yet. I know this is a long shot, but I came upon your this chatboard, so I thought maybe I could send you the info and maybe one of the K-2 teachers here would like to participate. It will be totally free for you to join us, because the grant pays for everything. Here is the info I have posted on several websites. If you would like to join or know someone else from Maine who would, PLEASE reply ASAP. thanks so much and have a great day!
I received a "Kids in Need" grant for a "50 State Quilt Square Exchange." Here's how the project will work: I will get one teacher from each of the 50 states to agree to make 50 identical PAPER quilt squares to represent their state. They should be 6" square, done TLC-style (cut/glued paper). For instance, we made a beaver on ours because Oregon is "The Beaver State." Washington could be a pine tree design it's "The Evergreen State" and Florida could be a big sun because it's "The Sunshine State." You will also need to have a written piece, also 6" square, to go with each square (simple, kid- friendly, short and simple, writing pieces). They can all be the same. I am planning to do an interactive piece with my whole class.
My grant will pay for you to mail me your completed squares and writing. I will then redistribute your 50 squares into files for each state, so that after I have gotten everything, I will have a file for each state with all 50 states' quilt squares and writing pieces. I will then send that file back to you. THEN you can either make them into a 50-states quilt piece that you can display in your school, OR maybe make it into a book - this part is up to you.
If you are interested, please email me ASAP to my school email, rmallattbend.k12.or.us, or home email, [email removed]:
Your name & State Grade School School address Email
I will confirm with you and will then send you detailed instructions. Please respond ASAP as we need to get this project going as quickly as we can.
Hello...I have been teaching for 16 yrs and had a lot of good resources to share so I played around with my own webpage. It's really geared for k-6 teachers. I have centers, Harcourt, word walls, comprehension, assessments etc. Bravenet placed a banner (it's not mine) but the website was free so I'll deal with it for now : ) Anyway it's worth a look. I am not a techie, but I played around with the site and nit has a little of something for everyone. If your interested check it out at" literacynook.com I'd love some feedback since I am very new to this : ) Thanks!
On 12/06/06, g robinson wrote:
> looking to see if i can find an old acquantance i spent
> several weeks with in europe back around 1972. her maiden
> name was sue banton. thanks
not much chance of that!