How Conservatives Would Reform Education

How Conservatives Would Reform Education The biggest obstacle to education reform is the existence of teachers unions. Unions act to protect the interests of teachers at any cost, even at the expense of students. Unions often work to minimize teacher accountability, protect low-quality teachers, and support the unsustainable expansion of retirement and health benefits. Labor unions once played a crucial role in ensuring fairness in the workplace. Unions were initially formed to protect workers against brutal employers who abused laborers, refused adequate breaks and time off, and did not ensure safe working conditions. Labor unions were never really intended for government workers or employees. For the most part, private labor union membership continues to fall as right-to-work reforms grow in strength in many states. When it comes to public sector unions, and specifically teachers unions, conservatives favor putting students needs first once again and ending the union-dominated culture that has prevented educational reforms in public education. As American students continue to lag in key areas and drop-out rates in major cities remain at unacceptable levels, it’s clear that the policies of the past have failed. Teachers have long enjoyed being portrayed as overworked and underpaid public servants who only go into the teaching field â€Å"for the children.† While that may have once been very true, union dominance has changed the this and, perhaps, the chief motivation for entering the profession. Unions have little to do with helping children. When teacher’s strike, it usually hurts the children they claim to have entered the profession for. Teachers arent in education for the money, they will tell us. In reality, unionized teachers typically strike for pay, preventing accountability, and enhancing already generous (and publicly paid) benefits. Support Merit Pay and Promote Standards Conservatives support ending the union-dominated contracts that oppose merit pay and advancement and places longevity of teaching over the quality of teaching. Conservatives support a merit-based system for public school teachers, and holding teachers accountable has been one of the most difficult things to do. Unions oppose most measures to determine whether teachers are effective and work to make it impossible to get rid of those who are not. Education is one of the few fields where a lack of results has no consequences, and length of teaching is of greater importance than the quality of teaching. In general, conservatives would support a bottom-up approach, and these standards would be local and statewide based. Applying the concepts of  federalism should apply to education, just as it should for most government-related agencies. Local school districts should have the greatest power to determine effective and acceptable standards without interference from the heavy hand of either a large bureaucratic federal government or unions. Common Core is designed to be a national standards program but is disguised as a voluntary program. Support School Choice Not surprisingly, the biggest obstacle in enacting favorable school-choice legislation has been the opposition of well-funded labor unions. Polls have consistently shown that parents and communities overwhelmingly support school choice. Parents should have the ability to select the school that is the best fit for their child. Unfortunately, protecting the jobs and salaries of government teachers - no matter how ineffective they may be - is the main goal of unions. Unions rightly fear that an open and competitive atmosphere would deplete the ranks of people who would voluntarily send their children to public schools, thus reducing the need for public teachers, and the need for unions themselves. Recent History: The 2012 Chicago Teachers Union Strike In 2012, the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike over pay and accountability. As they forced the cancellation of classes for hundreds of thousands of students – leaving families in a bind – they took to the streets carrying signs about how the strike was for the sake of the kids. While this was untrue, continuing the myth of the abused, underpaid public school teacher is of utmost importance. Hiding behind children is an unique advantage teachers have over other â€Å"public servants† like DMV processors or meter maids. (Imagine the amount of sympathy the drivers license clerk would get over a strike about increasing pay and benefits).​ With an average salary of $76,000, the typical Chicago teacher makes more money than roughly 3/4 of the country. Citing such teacher benefits as weekends off, nights off, long summers, and extended holidays are usually met with cries of â€Å"burnout.† Most jobs have a pretty big degree of burnout and teachers aren’t the only ones who get tired of their jobs and leave for something else. But teachers are special. They work with children. This supposedly makes teachers free from criticism. The major problem with the unions is that it becomes hard to find out who teaches for the children and who is there for the high-end government benefits. Unions have ensured teachers are among the most well-compensated, vacationed, and job-protected workforces in the country, all without true concern for what best helps students.

Critique Review of the Film The Pursuit of Happiness Movie

Critique of the Film The Pursuit of Happiness - Movie Review Example It goes to extra lengths to inspire its viewers even when it shows much of what happens when one does not have as opposed to how to get what everyone wants to have: that is moneyThe film has two key characters, Chris Gardner and his son. Chris Gardner is a character that goes to extra lengths to alleviate his family from poverty. He struggles so hard to make ends meet despite being evicted from the apartment (Muccino, 2006). Unlike the common conception where people struggle financially because they are school dropouts or drug addicts, Gardner is shown as a talented and bright young man who is unfortunate. Together with his son, they endure so many hardships including sleeping in shelters, subway, and hotel when he is lucky to get money during the day. From the look of how the characters dress, the film’s setting takes place at a time when America’s economy was under a recession. Research shows that the last few years of this century are not the worst hit by the economi c recession as compared to the early 1980s (Leonhardt, 2009). However, despite this, Gardner aims at showing the world that the poor do not need an army to fight poverty. All that a person needs are proper shoes as shown in several scenes and a positive attitude regardless of the problems at hand. As a viewer, it is also critical to note that Will Smith, who is Chris Gardner in the film, does an exceptional job at convincing viewers of the struggles that people face just to survive. There are not so many films that portray how people struggle financially and in relationships so convincingly. I believe that the film drives the point home allowing viewers to make note of its logos of the logic contained in its interesting display of characters’ behavior. Though Smith is only acting, this is a message that reminds all those who have the resources particularly the middle-income families that all this can go away.

India's Contribution towards the British War Effort in World War I and Research Paper

India's Contribution towards the British War Effort in World War I and the Aftermath - Research Paper Example Since the Ottoman Empire sided with the German forces, the Ottoman army started attacking various strategic positions (oil depots, ports and locations military importance) in the Middle East. Moreover despite the neutral role of the Shah of Afghanistan, the Ottoman army influenced some of the local tribesmen on the Indian-Afghan border in the North-West of India to who started attacking the British forces and captured some of the land and supply routes. The British Army was a mixture of races from different dominions and colonies of the British Empire and the British Indian army was one of them. 2 regiments of the British Indian Army were permanently stationed in various other British colonies before the start of WWI but in WWI it played pivotal role on various frontiers in Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The Indian Army mainly comprised of the lower Castes of Hindus; the untouchables, the Shudras (artisans, craftsmen and service providers) and the Vaishyas (agriculturis ts, cattle traders, merchants and bankers) and also in Muslims the Ajlafs (the local converts) and the Arzals. The Indian people were not trained to become high ranked officers in the army and only served as soldiers commonly known as Sepoys (derived from Persian word Sipahi meaning soldier). In World War I the Indian Army fought against the German Empire in German East Africa and on the Western Front. The Indians also served on various other frontiers in Egypt, Gallipoli. The most remarkable of the efforts by the Indian army was in Mesopotamia where nearly 700,000 soldiers served against the Ottoman Empire. In addition to these foreign expeditions the Indian Army also defended the British Indian Empire at the North Western frontier and also in the South East at Burmese border. The Largest Volunteer Army The British established their first cantonment in India in 1757 at Goa to fight against the French forces in India and it marked the beginning of the inductions of Indians to the Br itish Army. As the British invaded more and more land the Indian population in the army went on increasing and when in 1857 the Indian throne was brought under the British crown, the British Indian Army was formally established. The Sepoy mutiny of 1857 forced the British to limit the Indian inclusion in the army to lower rank soldiers and as a result mostly the lower castes joined the army. By 1914, the British Indian Army was the largest volunteer army in the world with a total strength of 240,000 men. The largest increase in the army happened during the WWI when the recruitment process was very fast and the Lower Caste Indians were more and more interested to join the army not only because of the incentives but also the sense of security for being in the British army was a big motivational force for a lower caste Indian who was treated in an inhumane manner. This large induction increased the number of Indians in the British army to almost 550,000 by November 1918. This large str ength also increased the importance of the British Indian Army which was called upon to deal with incursions and raids on the North West Frontier. Moreover the Indian army was also deployed in the British Empire in China, Singapore and Egypt. Events during the War 1. The Indian army was sent to Marseilles on 30th September 1914 as reinforcement to the British Expeditionary Force but the Indian army was not familiar to the local conditions and climate and was poorly equipped to resist weather. Moreover the uneducated, less-trained lower caste soldiers from India could not learn to operate the new war equipment. This force took part in the four major battles namely

Eid vs Christmas Essay Example for Free

Eid vs Christmas Essay In the building with the blue windows and the diamond shaped roof tops, children dressed in red and green with rosy cheeks, were gaily singing: â€Å"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one more hoppin’ slay! Hey! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! † In the building across the street, with the pink windows and the mosque behind it, families were visiting each other in their newly bought clothes and shining shoes, wishing each other: Eid Mubarak, Dear Brother, Dear Sister May Allah’s blessings be bestowed upon you and your family! † The year 2008 is host to Christmas and Eid al Adha during the same month, only a few days apart. One would notice that decorations and celebrations favour one of the Religious Holidays over the other. Why have we chosen to commercialise Christmas and not the Islamic event of Eid? How is it that worldwide Christmas is rejoiced at an extreme point of merriment, whereas Eid al Adha is commemorated only within its Islamic communities? The historical references of the birth of Christ (As) and the sacrifice of Ibrahim(As) and his son are known within both religions and are testimonies of social gatherings. Actually, in our Islamic religion we learn that Ibrahim (As) would sacrifice his son Ismael (As) in Makah, while among the Christians, they believe that Ibrahim (As) would sacrifice his son Isaac (As), not Ismael (As), in Palestine. Artists painted the scenes, poets rhymed the stories, authors researched the history, all in tribute to the religious aspect of the culture of their upbringings. So, why is Christmas the prize of the globalization of the market, and not Eid al Adha? Why is Christmas more widely accepted as a commercial Holiday and not Eid? Throughout history, religion has been a battleground for the survival of cultures and traditions. Territory was fought for based on religion, international communications broke down because of different convictions. Yet, the holidays seem to unite even people who are the farthest apart. Thanksgiving, Easter, Ramadan, Eid al Fitr, Eid al Adha and Christmas are celebrations that should be known worldwide; and for the most part they are. In the United States and Canada they honour Thanksgiving, also most westren countries have Easter and Christmas holidays; the Orient celebrate with some of these holidays. However, come Ramadan or Eid, and only the immediate Islamic based countries, like the Middle East and the South-Asian countries, know the details of the holiday. Abu Dhabi is an example of a multi-tradition and multi-cultural city. Every year, Ramadan is noticed and felt all over the city, even its peripheries. Usually, both Eids are just as important as Ramadan is. Nonetheless, this year, because Christmas and Eid al Adha are so close to each other, the shopping malls, hotels and other retail outlets are decorated with the spirit of Christmas and not the joy of Eid al Adha. The controversy is that this is an Islamic country, yet the atmosphere feels very occidental. There are Islamic countries that allow a one-day or two-day holiday scheme for Christmas, whereas Western countries don’t instigate the notion of respecting the religion of others in their society. This demonstrates the respect Islamic based governments have towards their inhabitants, what does it say about the Occident? The Islamic goverments does no justice to the foundation of its roots. It is quite disappointing when the nation’s leaders are not intervening and stating that Eid is as important as Christmas; maybe even more so! This is a country whose laws and government regulations are born from the Quran itself. True, Jesus’ (As) birth is a belief amongst Muslims, but so is the sacrificial symbol of the Adha a belief amongst the Christians and other religions in the world. Why can’t all cultures adopt the Islamic tradition of gifting children with new clothes and taking them out to restaurants and amusement parks? The government does not encourage Eid as much as it allows public places to be enveloped in Christmas decorations. In France, the Arab communities hold visitations and share in Islamic customs within their brotherhood, whilst around them Christmas carols are sung and the city is embellished in tinsel and goblins, awaiting the arrival of â€Å"Santa Claus†, or in their terms â€Å"Pere Noel. In Dubai, much like Abu Dhabi, hotels and restaurants have special Christmas luncheons. Shops and Malls give away special offers during the ‘Festive Season’. There is yet to be established an Eid theme blanketing the cities where Islam is the religion of base, like that of Christmas. What is even more upsetting is that Christmas is in itself less religious and more commercial than it was 500 years ago. Christmas has a face, a fi gure one can imagine when thinking of the Holiday: a jolly man, with a red suit and a white beard. He did not always look like this. â€Å"Santa Claus† acquired his red suit and the big belly through a Coca Cola advertisement in 1931. His image changed, distorted almost, into what we know now as â€Å"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! † by many cartoonists. â€Å"Through the centuries, Santa Claus has been depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to an elf. He has worn a bishops robe and a Norse huntsmans animal skin. The modern-day Santa Claus is a combination of a number of the stories from a variety of countries†*. (Coca-cola. om) Children stop believing in him at a very early age, whereas before, they would reach the age of maturity and only then learn that â€Å"Santa Claus† is a spirit of St. Nicholas. Eid al Adha, was, is and always will be the same. The story never changes. The facts are facts, not subject to individual interpretation. Families pass on the same heritage that remains untouched, untainted, unpenetrated by social reform. In conclusi on, I strongly believe that the injustice the Islamic governors does, the discrimination between religions should be educated to a halt. Eid al Adha is my upbringing. Within my family, an uncle has a Christian wife, their house is always decorated with Christmas twinkles during the season; this year, they waited with the decorations until after Eid al Adha. As a Muslim in an Islamic society, I have been brought up to respect all religions and beliefs by our Islamic governments; so why now can’t the Islamic governments respect their religion that they take oath to respect, protect, and maintain it?

Aims of Training and Development Essay -- Business and Management Stud

Aims of Training and Development Training can be teaching employees new skills that are relevant to their current job position or refreshing the skills that they already possess. To have a good training and development programme enables firms to develop individual employees and the organisation itself as training is one of the best forms of motivation. Employees are able to broaden their knowledge and become more valued within the firm. Having a well-trained workforce is greatly beneficial for a company as employees are likely to be more motivated and target driven. Also various jobs and tasks are likely to be carried out more efficiently if the workforce is highly skilled at what they do. Listed below are some off the main benefits to a company in having a well-trained workforce: - Training and development will enable a company to have a much more flexible workforce - Employees will become more motivated and are then likely to be more productive - If employees are offered advanced training in areas such as ICT, HSBC may find that can progress further as a firm into more advanced markets - If employees are motivated and comfortable in the work they do there will be a fall in absenteeism - If employees are properly trained in health and safety accidents around the workplace will be reduced Ø Types of Training The three main types of training that companies offer are: - Induction Training - On-the-job Training - Off-the-job Training Induction Training This involves introducing new employees to the workplace, existing employees and showing them what the job will entail. It is important that the they get an idea of how the company is run, the companies history and that they get familiar with the services and products the company offer. During the induction process employees will be shown health and safety procedures and the basic layout of the workplace. This is so they know where an appropriate member of staff if a problem was to occur. The induction process allows employees to gain essential knowledge before starting their job and ensures safety and maintenance in the workplace. On-the-job Training During on-the-job training employees are taught the skills and techniques they need while actually carrying out their job. Types of on-the-job training include Coaching and Mentori... ...nowledge and this will depend on their learning ability and training needs. To plan this properly HSBC design a training and development plan and use it to summarise the required financial support. The training is split into: Ø Training and Competence Ø Management Development Ø Supervision/team leader courses Ø Professional qualifications Ø Maintenance of professional knowledge Ø Learning Centre Ø Individual training needs – HSBC Ø Individual training needs – external The finance department will budget a certain amount for training and the training department will have to make sure they stick to it. This means that the training department would have to justify all costs associated with the various training and development methods. They would have to assess how many hours and how many workers the training will use to get a rough idea of the cost. Clearwater Strategy HSBC use a strategy known as â€Å"Clearwater†. This is a strategy for differentiating the bank from its competitors through the provision of high quality customer service. This would create an environment conducive to increased sales producing income growth and thus increased profitability.

Career Interest Profile

My impenitence of researching, straightening, coping with pressure, applying expertise, logical thinking, and leading are consistent with my profile. The researching means I have the ability to get up to speed quickly when presented with new information and tasks. It allows me to support my opinions with evidence. My ability to produce focused and detailed plans while ensuring I see the big picture are in agreement with straightening. M very comfortable with data, identifying patterns, and getting to the root cause f problems by asking the right questions that support my logical thinking. Applying expertise is my understanding of how things work and the capability to effectively implement the use of every tool at my disposal in order to get things done more efficiently. Coping with pressure simply means I can stay on task and be positive through any situation. Together, all the competencies I have described support my capacity of leading.I enjoy coaching mentoring, ND developing indi viduals by providing clear direction, purpose, and motivation. My work culture preferences are high powered, teamwork centered, and ethical. These correlate to my career interests and competencies in many ways. The teamwork centered culture requires working in a close knit team which is interconnected with enterprising and social individuals with most if not all my competencies. In addition, the ethical preference relates to leading by setting the appropriate standards of behaviors.

Introduction to Marketing Red Bull - 1928 Words

Topic 1: Introduction to Marketing Red Bull 1. The Product/ Competitors/Industry 1.1 Product Red Bull is a sweet, caffeinated drink aimed to give consumers the high energy kick. Available only in rather expensive 250ml cans, 350ml bottles, with 4 packs and only two ‘flavours’ (original or sugar-free). It contains caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, and B vitamins. Founded in 1984 by Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull has become the worlds leading energy drink, a staple in many young, and active people’s lives. 1.2 Competitors Big global companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi have introduced their own energy drink versions to their product base. Mother (by Coca Cola), Amp (Pepsi), V, Battery, 180, RedEye and Bennu†¦show more content†¦Consumers are willing to pay the higher price for Red Bull because it satisfies their needs and wants, it also delivers on its promise to ‘Vitalize Body and Mind. So regardless of size of the can or price, consumers are willing to pay for Red Bull’s product. 3. The Marketing Management Philosophy In our opinion, Red Bull fits into three of the marketing management philosophies. When it first entered the market it could be viewed in the selling concept phase. Founder Dietrich Mateschitz even stated. â€Å"If we don’t create the market, it doesn’t exist.† (Gschwandtner 2004). Mateschitz used buzz marketing to promote the product by giving consumers free samples. Once Red Bull established itself it then moved into the product concept philosophy. It seems that many consumers buy the Red Bull product wholly based on what benefits it can give them, i.e. increased wellbeing and energy. Red Bull cans are branded with the tagline ‘Vitalises body and mind’ and it is well known by consumers that drinking Red Bull can alleviate tiredness. 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