Daily Kos: Stop Special Needs Vouchers in Wisconsin!

If there's one thing we've learned in Wisconsin since February 2011, and in Michigan just this month, it's that what gets passed in the statehouse after the election can be devastatingly different than what was promised or campaigned upon or even hinted at before. ?We've also been hit with the following corollary: these things can happen with blinding speed.

Since the Nov. 6 election, the Walker administration has made no secret of their priority-plans to expand school vouchers in Wisconsin beyond the current voucher-cities of Milwaukee and Racine, but so far there hasn't been a peep about a certain piece of voucher legislation that deservedly failed during the last legislative session: the ALEC-sourced "Special Needs Scholarship Program Act," AB110/SB486.

But just because they haven't said anything, doesn't mean it's not coming. ?There's a consistent expectation among those "in the know" at the Capitol: the special needs vouchers are an unspoken priority for the Walker administration, and the voucher legislation will be back before we know it. ?The only questions are when and how. ?Separate legislation? ?Rolled into an omnibus voucher expansion bill? ?Buried in the state budget? ?Inserted into the state budget later in the middle of the night (as happened with voucher expansion language in 2011)?

I started writing about special needs vouchers in Wisconsin all the way back in May 2011 (Piratizing Special Education in Wisconsin: AB110)

The statewide special education vouchers, as proposed last session, would allow families of students with disabilities to take tax-dollars used to educate their child in public school, and spend them to send their child to private school instead. ?Any child with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) at a public school would be eligible, regardless of income.

The proponents of these "scholarships" make it sound so good -- but the promises are terribly hollow and the damage would be extensive, both for potential voucher students and for their classmates remaining in public schools.

More below the cheddar swirl...

First thing most parents don't know about these vouchers:
Anyone who takes a special needs voucher would forfeit all their rights and protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. ?
This includes things like the right to an enforceable IEP; the right to have access to qualified staff; the right to not be expelled for behavior related to the disability; the right to have a transition plan from school into adult life. ?Private voucher schools would not be required to provide even a single special-education professional or therapist!

Second related thing that most parents don't know: ?
If things go wrong at a voucher school, you have no right to stay if they want you to leave. ?
The public school has to educate your student; the private school has no such obligation. ?In fact, the private school could decide mid-year to send your student back to the public school... but keep the voucher money for the year. ?It's a terrible double-whammy for the public schools, as they not only lose the resources with the voucher but then have to do their best for the student who returns without the money if the voucher school kicks him or her out.

In fact:
No voucher school is obligated to take your student in the first place. ?
We've already seen this in the longstanding Milwaukee "Parental Choice" voucher program, where they're not-accepting students with disabilities in droves. ?Under 2% of current voucher students in Milwaukee have disabilities, while the figure in the Milwaukee public schools is now approaching 20%! ?A similar dynamic would surely happen with statewide special needs vouchers -- only those students with less-severe disabilities would be accepted, leaving the students with greater challenges to cope with a reduced pool of shared-resources back in their public school.

On top of all this:
The voucher schools would not have to accept your special needs voucher as full tuition. ?
Private schools could charge more if they choose, leaving lower-income families struggling or unable to make up the difference. ?So the vouchers would end up subsidizing wealthier families, including those who could easily afford private education on their own.

And finally, most parents have no idea:
There were NO disability-advocates at the table when this legislation was created. ?
No people with disabilities themselves, no parents, no disability organizations, no special educators. ?Nobody but corporate representatives dictating corporate profit-interests to state legislators -- because this legislation comes from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and that's how they operate.

Here is the original version of AB110, creating the Special Needs Scholarship Program.

And here, via The Heartland Institute, is the ALEC model legislation:
The Special Needs Scholarship Program Act

Fortunately, some parents of students with disabilities in Wisconsin (including myself) do know, and want as many others to understand what this legislation really means -- before it's sprung on us once more. ?A new statewide grassroots group is underway, entirely parent-led: Stop Special Needs Vouchers. ?The group is online on Facebook and with the Stop Special Needs Vouchers blog. ?There's even an e-mail announcements list for breaking calls-to-action! ?To join, just e-mail a request to stopspecialneedsvouchers@yahoo.com (the admins request in turn that you include just a little information about yourself in the note -- e.g. "I'm a parent from Racine" or "I'm an educator from Marinette.")

We know that, in additional to the near-unanimous opposition from Democratic state legislators, there are also Republican legislators with serious doubts about special needs vouchers. ?If we work together, we can stop this. ?But the time to organize is NOW -- because if we wait until the legislation actually appears, it could indeed be too late.

Source: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/22/1171613/-Stop-Special-Needs-Vouchers-in-Wisconsin

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Building TRUST With Your List - Clay Montgomery Internet ...

Dec 21, 2012 Posted by Charlie Page on Dec 21, 2012 in Email Marketing, List Building | 0 comments

How many times have you heard that you need to?build a list of your own?to succeed online? If you are like most people the answer is ?more times than I can count!?

It really is true that you need a mailing list in order to succeed online over the long term. You can learn more about list building in my?List Building Quick Course.

But having a list is only?part?of the story.

It?s what you do with the list that really matters.

The real earning power of having a list is is the?relationship?you have with the people on your list.

• The messages you send.
• The?products?you choose to promote, and when you promote them.
• The information you provide and how you respond.

No one talks about that.

Well today I?m going to talk about it. Today I?m going to share the rest of the story.

Here?s a question for you. If I gave you a list of 50,000 real people and told you that this was now your?mailing list so you could do anything you wanted with it ??what would you do?

• How would you go about creating sales from that list?
• What would you say first, second, third?
• How often would you email them and what would you promote?

You see, the answers to these questions are?far more important than the sheer number?of the list. I have a friend who has a list of 80,000 people but makes only a little money from that list. Why? Because?he pounds them with offer after offer day after day. If there is a product launch or JV happening online, he?s mailing to his list about it.

It?s sad really because those people did not join his list to be pitched continuously. They joined?because they have a need?- and it?s not a need to buy things!

Whether you have a list of 500 or 500,000 (or?even if you are just starting) here is a formula you can follow that will help you serve the people on your list and make sales at the same time.

A classic win-win!

It all starts with what I call my TRUST formula.

I named this method TRUST for one very important reason. Without trust your list will never respond the way you want them too. Period ? end of story.

Here?s how it works in the real world. People need to get to?know you?before they can like you. They need to?like you?before they can trust you. And when they?trust you?? when you have?earned?that trust ? some very good things can happen.

Does it take work? Yes. Is it worth it? Building a list and gaining the trust of the people on your list is?THE key to experiencing freedom. So really, only you can say if it?s worth the effort.

Personally, I would never do business any other way.

So here?s the formula in a nutshell. Take a look and then we can dig in to each letter to learn more.

T?- Teach
R?- Reward
U?- Uncover needs
S?- Sell solutions
T?- Trigger actions

TEACH

Many people are worried about the ?teaching? part of this formula because?they do not consider themselves to be expert enough to teach?because they have not yet experienced success.

I have a friend named Buck who can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the Civil War. But he didn?t live through the civil war. Yet he is considered an expert on the Civil War.

You see, you don?t have to be?THE?expert to teach.

But you do need to teach from a place of either experience or investigation. Do you remember a couple of guys called?Siskel and Ebert? They were movie reviews on television for a while (I think Ebert is still at it) and were very funny in how they did their reviews. They could barely agree on anything! In their day their ?thumbs up or down? could help or hurt ticket sales ? a lot.

But I don?t believe either of them ever made a movie. I doubt they ever acted or directed or wrote a movie.

But their deep research earned them ? you guess it ? trust.

The moral of the story is this; don?t wait until you know everything there is about a thing to begin sharing what you DO know. But don?t write about things you know nothing about either.

If you strike that balance and your motives are to help readers you will do very well indeed.

REWARD

A vital, and often overlooked part, of developing a trust relationship with the people on your mailing list is?rewarding their continued readership.

In today?s world the person who joins your list, stays on your list and consistently opens and reads your messages should be considered not only a ?business asset? but a?friend.

If you communicate with your list in this way you will do well.

• Care about the people on your list.
• Think about their needs.
• Do your best to help them.
• And, by all means, reward them with occassional suprises along the way.

You don?t have to be rich to do this. You have PLR products sitting on your hard drive right now that very well could be a blessing to those on your list.

You are exposed to effective and fun strategies every week as you read email and use the products you buy.

Sharing these (with permission of course) are but two ways to reward the people on your list.

PERSONAL NOTE: If you want to really build trust, and if this is in your heart to do, give the people on your list something of real value and from which you can?t possibly profit. They will see your sincerity and reward it when the time comes for you to make a specific buying recommendation.

UNCOVER NEEDS

The next step is to uncover the needs of those on your list. But how can you do that?

By asking!

I know it sounds simple, and it is, but it works. Again, you need?pure motives?here. We?ve all seen the ?Tell me what you need? messages from marketers where they do a survey and then build a product that just ?happens? to fit what the survey says.

That?s just a marketing tactic, what I?m talking about is something more.

I?m talking about really knowing what?your audience?needs.

How can you do that? Here are three ideas.

I. Read the comments on your blog and look for pattterns.
2. Ask your list what they need with no ulterior motive.
3. Set up a ?reply? email for your list so people can hit ?reply? and ask a question.

If you do nothing more than these three things you will know more about the people on your list who go to great lengths in order to avoid all contact with the people on their list. You know the type ? they use ?do not reply? addresses and all sorts of filters to avoid you.

SELL SOLUTIONS

This goes back to the age-old discussion about features vs. benefits. If you want to know more about that I have an?article you can read here.

Now that you know what your list members need you can scout around and find the right solution and then offer it to them.

The key here is to make a recommendation?based on experience and your own research?and not just on what?s ?hot? or being launched today.

Rememer my friend with the big list I talked about earlier? He?s the guy you don?t want to be ? the person who promotes every product that comes out as if it is the solution to YOUR problem when he doesn?t even know your name.

Selling solutions is the name of the game. Sell?what the product will do for the buyer, not just what the product can do.

I?m buying a new car and the last salesman I spoke with was so excited that his car would go from 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds. What he did not realize is that I would?never in my life?want to do that.

Rather than trying to uncover my needs he was totally focused on selling what he wanted me to buy.

See the difference?

TRIGGER ACTIONS

Now that you?ve done the hard work of gaining trust it?s time to?make suggestions?of what your readers might buy that will help them.

Here are a few suggestions of how to do that based on my own experience.

1.?Only?promote?what you know works and you do yourself.
2. Get very?specific?about why you are making a recommendation to take action.
3. Tell your reader?the specific action?you want them to take. Not all actions involve buying something. You might want them to subscribe to a new list or download a free trial.

In all the years I?ve worked online the thing I have done that has been the most profitable is not building a list. In truth,?I have a rather small mailling list?when compared with other marketers.

The most profitable, and rewarding, thing I have done online is getting to know?the people?on my list,?serving them?and having them reward me again and again when I make suggestions.

If you are one of them, and I suspect you are, thank you. I consider you not only a subscriber but a friend.

And friendship is perhaps the most beautiful thing indeed!

Source: http://workwithclay.com/building-trust-with-your-list/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=building-trust-with-your-list

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Why some kids have an inflated sense of their science skills | 89.3 ...

Listen Now

[4 min 35 sec]

AFP/AFP/Getty Images

A massive analysis of some 350,000 students in 53 countries has uncovered a paradox: Students in many countries that are mediocre at science have an inflated sense of how good they are.

Listen Now

[4 min 35 sec]

If you're a student at the halfway point of the academic year, and you've just taken stock of your performance, perhaps you have reason to feel proud of yourself.

But a recent study suggests some of the pride you feel at having done well ? especially in science ? may be unfounded. Or at least your sense of your performance may not be a very accurate picture of how good you actually are.

A massive analysis of some 350,000 students at nearly 14,000 schools in 53 countries has uncovered a paradox: Students in many countries that are mediocre at science have an inflated sense of good they are.

First the good news: The United States isn't among the worst offenders. Students in countries such as Thailand, Jordan, Mexico and Brazil seem to be worse than U.S. students when it comes to science knowledge, but they have even higher levels of self-esteem when it comes to their beliefs about how good they are at science.

But compared to countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Japan, South Korea and Great Britain, American students appeared to have an inflated sense of their science abilities. Students in those other countries were better when it came to scientific knowledge than American students, but it was the Americans who had the higher opinion of themselves as students of science.

The study, published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, focused on the academic performance of 15 year-old students. It was conducted by Eva Van de gaer, Aletta Grisay, Wolfram Schulz and Eveline Gebhardt.

The paradox between performance and students' impression of their performance has been noted before. The paper proposes an explanation for it: The reference group effect.

The study argues that countries have very different standards when it comes to science education.

In countries with elite science education standards, you can be a very good science student but, since you measure yourself against an elite standard of performance, you think of yourself as mediocre. On the other hand, if you live in a country with average (or mediocre) science standards, you might be just a decent student, but compared to general expectations of how good students are supposed to be, you feel like a genius.

In an interview, Schulz offered me an analogy. He asked me to think about a person who was 5-foot-10 in China and a person who was the same height in the Netherlands. The Dutch, on average, are taller than the Chinese.

"The person would in China probably think of themselves as a tall person," Schulz said. "If you go to the Netherlands, such a person would rather say, 'ah, I'm a short person,' because you compare yourself to those who surround you."

The same thing happens with science education, he said. Students in countries with elite science standards are much more likely to think of themselves as mediocre, whereas students in countries with mediocre standards are much more likely to think of themselves as elite.

Schulz works at the Australian Council for Educational Research, which studies educational issues in science, mathematics and reading.

Schulz told me the reference group effect could potentially be a double-edged sword: In terms of preparing students for competition with one another, it makes good sense to get a realistic sense of how good you actually are compared to, say, your peers in South Korea. On the other hand, Schulz said, there was also something to be said for having an inflated sense of your own abilities.

"For motivating students to take up science studies, how you perceive yourself is actually more important than how much you know," he said. "If your general belief (is) you're not that good at science, that might have this powerful effect of saying, 'Ah, I'd better stay away from it in the future.' "

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio.?

Source: http://www.scpr.org/news/2012/12/21/35340/why-some-kids-have-an-inflated-sense-of-their-scie/

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Basic facts on Egypt's constitution referendum

CAIRO (AP) ? Egyptians vote Saturday in the second round of a highly contentious referendum on a new constitution to replace the one suspended after the 2011 revolution. Here are some basic facts and figures on the vote.

? Saturday's vote takes place in 17 of Egypt's 27 provinces, with some 25 million people eligible to vote. Polls open at 8:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) and close at 7:00 p.m. (1700 GMT), although authorities often extend voting for several hours.

? Preliminary results will likely be known late Saturday or early Sunday, as observers compile results announced at each polling station. Official final results are not expected for several days afterward, but such preliminary results have proven accurate in past elections.

? In the first round, held on Dec. 15, preliminary results showed a low turnout of 32 percent, with 56 percent voting "yes" for the constitution in voting that took place in 10 provinces, including the two biggest cities Cairo and Alexandria.

? Among the areas voting is Cairo's twin city of Giza, capital of the province of the same name, Egypt's third most populated with nearly 4 million registered voters. Also voting will be Nile Delta provinces in which Islamists who back the charter enjoy large constituencies, such as Beheira with 3 million registered voters. The "no" vote could be stronger in the three Suez Canal cities ? Port Said, Ismailia and Suez ? and the Nile Delta province of Menoufia.

? The ballot paper has two options: "agree" in light blue circle or "don't agree" in brown circle.

? Rights groups and opposition filed complaints citing violations marring the vote, including attempts to suppress "no" voters. The main international group that monitored previous Egyptian votes, the Carter Center, is not deploying observers this time around. Egyptian law requires judges at each poll station to monitor. Despite a boycott by many judges, authorities say they have 7,000 judges to cover the 6,700 polling stations.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-21-Egypt-Glance/id-d426a94540c74f0e98446258dca1c36a

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A Fast Reference List Of Homeschooling Suggestions | MustReads ...

When you have in-depth info to teach an older kid, wait till a younger kid is napping to complete so. This kind of info requirements your undivided time and focus, and also you can only provide that in the event you don?t have to have a tendency to the infant. When your younger kid naps for an hour or two, your older kid can ask concerns, ask for the help with function and truly discover essential subjects. Take the chance to create this occur.

The objectives you set for the homeschool classroom have to be simple to measure. Create down precisely what you would like your kid to understand in the finish of every day, week, month and lesson strategy. For instance, ?I would like John to become in a position to multiply as much as ten? is a superb short-term objective. ?I would like John to understand all about Globe War II? is really a long-term objective. Each ought to include good reinforcement when accomplished.

Maintain a journal of one?s activities. You are able to track the methods which you have utilized. You are able to then appear back to locate the methods that had worked nicely for the kids and what didn?t. It?ll assist you come up having a homeschooling regimen that functions nicely for the loved ones with out attempting exactly the same items again and again.

Locate a great homeschooling co-op inside your region. You?ll find that this network replaces the neighborhood based about a school. Turn out to be an active member inside your co-op, organize some occasions and interact with other parents. You as well as your kid will advantage from attending the occasions organized by your co-op.

Put aside time for loved ones enjoyable. Certain, you invest all day lengthy with each other operating on school function and maintaining the home in order. But, do you ever truly have enjoyable with each other? Setup each day and time to possess film night or perhaps loved ones game night so you are able to appreciate the time you invest with each other.

In the event you are parenting an infant and operating having a homeschooler, think about investing inside a high-quality carrier. A carrier will allow you to maintain your infant close whilst you?re homeschooling your older kid. This assists to calm the infant, and it provides you much more time to dedicate for your older child?s education. Numerous high quality carriers are in the marketplace, so select 1 which you are comfy with and use it frequently whilst within the classroom.

The curriculum you select shouldn?t place restrictions on what your children are studying. Use the books as tools to manual you within the path your children require to go in schooling. Take the info in the books and construct a studying platform that your children will do nicely with. If that indicates which you are skipping a non-critical lesson or two that?s fine.

In the event you are homeschooling various aged kids, think about unit research. Having a unit study, you choose a subject and also the entire loved ones learns about it. The subject might be a European nation, the lifespan of a frog or perhaps a specific musical style. Every kid functions to their capability level and everybody assists to teach components from the unit. This can be a excellent way for peers to share their studying expertise. In addition, it cuts down on the quantity of preparing which you, the teacher, need to do and tends to make homeschooling simpler.

Homeschooling is one thing that appeals to a expanding quantity of households, every of which might have a various inspiration for creating the option to educate their children at house. The simplest way to prepare for the challenges of home-based education would be to obtain an excellent deal of info ahead of time of starting the procedure. By reviewing the above material as essential, it?s simple to help keep a powerful educational foundation and philosophy in location.

Here is more info about http://blogs.albawaba.com/ visit Blogs.Albawaba.com/audreyrrr/98407/2012/12/18/575833-sound-methods-for-homeschooling-your.

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Source: http://www.mustreads.info/a-fast-reference-list-of-homeschooling-suggestions/

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Source: http://namraceti.posterous.com/a-fast-reference-list-of-homeschooling-sugges

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Pinellas County Sports Roundup

Seminole LL continues registration
SEMINOLE ? Seminole Little League plans open registration for spring baseball and softball, ages 4-18, at the SYAA complex, 12100 90th Ave, on the following dates:

? Wednesdays, Jan. 9, 16, 23 and 30, 6 to 8 p.m.

? Saturdays, Jan. 12, 19 and 26, 10 a.m. to noon.

The fee is $150 for the first child and $100 for each additional child. Three proofs of residency are required (utility bill, voter?s ID card, driver?s license) as well as an original birth certificate. For more information, call Jane Dekorte at 647-1472.

Junior camps set at Treasure Bay
TREASURE ISLAND ? Treasure Bay Golf and Tennis, 10315 Paradise Blvd., is offering tennis and golf camps for juniors Wednesday, Dec. 26 through Friday, Jan. 4, 9 a.m. to noon. The fee is $20 per day. Preregistration is required. Call 360-6062.

Fast Pitch Softball registration starts
PINELLAS PARK ? Pinellas Fast Pitch Softball is registering players for spring softball at Youth Park. Girls ages 6-16 are eligible. Visit www.sportssignup.com/Pinellas-Fast-Pitch-Softball?Inc?Online-Registration.start to register online. The fee is $125. Call Candy at 686-0957 for more information.

Team USA plans baseball tryouts
PINELLAS PARK ?The Team USA 10-under travel baseball club plans open tryouts at Davis Field for motivated kids wanting to take their skills to another level. Call 410-5037 or 452-3680 for tryout dates and more information.

Tides WGA seeks 9-hole players
SEMINOLE ? The Tides Women?s Golf Association invites players to participate in its weekly 9-hole league Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. at the Tides Golf Club. The 18-hole league tees off at 7:30 a.m. For more information, call Judy at 392-3576 or the Tides Golf Club at 393-8483.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TbnweeklycomRssFeeds-LatestArticles/~3/nH2w0BP1xjc/121912_out-03.txt

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Industrial jobs increase in Nevada

RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- New numbers are showing industrial jobs in Nevada increased by more than two percent over the past 12 months.

According to the Nevada Manufacturers Directory, Nevada gained more than 1,200 industrial jobs between October 2011 and October 2012.

It's the first gain since 2007.

Across the state, 56,000 people work in the industrial manufacturing industry.

Click here to read this story on www.mynews4.com

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50253173/ns/local_news-reno_nv/

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