The last year has revealed some serious challenges we face as a country. Although the year ahead may present glimmers of both fear and hope, depending on your beliefs, we must take very seriously a number of threats on the political horizon that will directly impact us as public educators and union members. It’s critical [...]
In 1971, a corporate lawyer named Lewis Powell drafted a memo to the Chamber of Commerce. This memo, known as the Powell Memo, or Powell Manifesto, set forth a blueprint for increasing political and social power of corporations. It has served as a playbook for the last several decades, as companies have followed its advice [...]
For decades, employees who decline their health insurance have been able, when bargained into a contract, to receive a payment for making that choice. The waiver, which is only a fraction of the value of a policy, itself, saves employers money while offsetting the difference an employee not taking insurance might otherwise find in their [...]
We’ve faced so many challenges in the last few years. Two new tiers were added to our pension system. The Tax Cap has changed how districts create their budgets, jeopardizing jobs and programs across the state. New teacher evaluation laws have coupled teacher and student fate to an obsession over poorly designed tests. Charter schools [...]
Half Hollow Hills HS West educator, Linda Davidson, was recently awarded a Lemelson-MIT Excite Award. This award is given annually to a select group of educators across the country who have applied to receive a Lemelson- MIT InvenTeam grant for the following school year and have been selected as a finalist. Award recipients participate in [...]
The Society of Chemical Industry is a 100 year old organization dedicated to recognizing technical achievement in applied chemistry and publicizing chemistry's unique contributions to modern life. In 2010, the SCI began The "SCI Scholars Program" in partnership with the American Chemical Society. Under this program, outstanding college sophomores and juniors in Chemistry or Chemical [...]
