Direct Education Scheduler
Dan’s Journey to Iraq: A Student Press Adventure, Part 2
Early last year, I began writing about The AUIS Voice, the first independent student newspaper in post-Saddam Iraq. Started by a scrappy band of Iraqi students and an impassioned ex-Washington Post reporter, the Voice’s spirit of innovation is ironically its adherence to the oldest principles of the craft: objectivity, editorial freedom, and the search for truth (rarities among Iraqi media). In mid-May, via a university grant, I traveled to the northern Kurdish region of Iraq to interview and observe the student staffers in action along with gaining a glimpse of the university and region where their unfolding story is set. This series is centered on my trip.
Current and former Voice staffers and I pose for a quick pic on the AUIS campus. Left to ri
A Teacher We Met: Torres Fulfills Lifelong Dream
An as a teenage immigrant from Mexico, Torres had benefitted from caring teachers at Santa Ana High School. After graduation, he longed to help other young Latino boys and girls to get their education and carve out meaningful lives with choices. So he stayed connected to the school, coaching, tutoring and being and aide in bilingual and special education classes. At the same time, he worked second, and even third, jobs to pay the bills and support his family. He says he stuck with the school for so long because he had a dream, a dream to teach.
Torres was able to make the dream a reality when he enrolled to pursue his college degree and enter an alternative Teacher Corps certification program. Through the On Track Scholars Transition to Teaching program at CSU Fullerton, Torres earned his teaching credentials in math and special education so that he could serve low-income and Spanish speaking students in the Santa Ana community.
Reading is Harder Than It Looks.
Graduation has come and gone.
Another school year in the yearbooks.
It’s always an exciting time for students (and really hot for everyone else).
For me, it is more stressful than exciting.
My stress comes from the fact that I have to read.
Read?
Yes, read.
Normally, I am pretty confident with my ability to read. After all, I’ve been practicing since my kindergarten days in the early 1970’s.
That was a special time.
I had my whole life ahead of me. Not like today, when I have half my life ahead of me (if all goes well).
I also had a bowl haircut and knee patches on my jeans.
It was a look (don’t judge me).
Each year at graduation, I have the responsibility of reading the names of the graduates as they walk up on stage to receive their diplomas.
I’m not going to lie to you, it’s not easy.
Don’t get me wrong, the difficult part isn’t being overwhelmed by waves of emotion as I send another group of Seniors out into the world.
It’s the reading.
And there will be a new group of Seniors next year (sorry, old Seniors).
Pronouncing names is not as easy as it looks.
Sure, I’ve known most of the students for years. What I haven’t know
UPDATED: Florida teacher union sues state over pensions
The state’s teacher’s union has filed a class action lawsuit against the state, hoping to overturn a new requirement that requires current state employees to start contributing to their pension.
The Florida Education Association filed the lawsuit on behalf of 11 plaintiffs, which include not only school employees but also law enforcement, social work and health care employees who are in the state retirement system.
This law, passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Scott, state employees must now contribute 3 percent to their salaries to the Florida Retirement System. The lawsuit said while this is a perfectly legal requirement for any new employees, it’s a breach of contract for current employees.
“You can’t go back and change the deal that was made at the time,” said union lawyer Ron Meyer said. “The 550,000 individuals in the retirement system believed they were participating in a system that was not conbrituatory, but one that provided a certain level of benefits.”
He equated it to changing the terms of a 30-year mortgage after 20 years.
Scott sees it differently.
“Asking state employees to pay a small percentage into their pensions is common sense. Floridians who do