Postal Service reports $5.2B loss in 3rd quarter

(AP) ? The nearly bankrupt U.S. Postal Service on Thursday reported a quarterly loss of $5.2 billion and warned it will miss another payment due to the U.S. Treasury, just one week after its first-ever default on a payment for future retiree health benefits.

From April to June, losses were $2.1 billion more than during the same period last year.

The mail agency said it is being hurt significantly by mounting costs for future retiree health benefits. Those expenses made up $3.1 billion of the post office's quarterly loss.

Declining first-class mail volume also contributed to losses.

"We have simply reached the point that we must conserve cash," Thurgood Marshall Jr., chairman of the Postal Service's board of governors, said in explaining the payment defaults. He cautioned that the mail agency may have to delay other payments if necessary.

The Postal Service for months has been urging Congress to pass legislation that would allow it to eliminate Saturday mail delivery and reduce the annual health payment of more than $5 billion. The post office defaulted on that payment last week when the House failed to take action before heading home for a five-week break.

The mail agency says it will miss the second $5.6 billion payment due on Sept. 30, also for future retiree benefits, as cash runs close to zero.

At a news briefing, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe made clear that day-to-day mail delivery will not be disrupted in any way despite the cash crunch. But Donahoe expressed frustration with the repeated delays by Congress, which he said is contributing to a lot of "negative talk on finances" that could undermine confidence in the mail agency and its long-term growth.

"Congress needs to act responsibly and move on this legislation," he said. "This is no way to run any kind of business."

Overall, the post office had operating revenue of $15.6 billion from April through June, the third quarter of its 2012 fiscal year. That was down a fraction from the same period last year. But quarterly expenses this year climbed to $20.8 billion, up 10 percent, largely driven by the health prepayments. The Postal Service is the only government agency required to make such payments.

The Postal Service also has been hurt by declining mail volume as people and businesses continue switching to the Internet in place of letters and paper bills. The number of items mailed during the last quarter was 38.5 billion pieces, a 4 percent decrease, much of it in first-class mail.

On the positive side, the mail agency reported that it continued to lower costs by reducing work hours and boosting employee productivity. The Postal Service's fast-growing shipping services, which include express and priority mail, had a 9 percent increase in operating revenue to $3.3 billion.

That strong growth in shipping services, which the mail agency is promoting as a cheaper alternative to FedEx and UPS, helped offset roughly three-fourths of the declines in first-class and advertising mail, said Stephen Masse, the Postal Service's acting chief financial officer.

The numbers bring the Postal Service's year-to-date net loss to $11.6 billion, compared to $5.7 billion for the same period last year.

Art Sackler, co-coordinator of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, a group representing the private-sector mailing industry, cautioned that the worst of postal losses may be yet to come. He noted that the Postal Service's third-quarter numbers may reflect an unusually higher volume of mail that typically occurs in an election year.

The Postal Service on Thursday said it believes it will stay afloat, despite perilously low cash levels anticipated in October, partly because of increased revenue from higher volumes of election mail.

"There are more than 8 million private sector workers whose jobs depend on the mail, and these jobs may be in jeopardy if Congress fails to reform the Postal Service," Sackler said. "As bad as things are getting for the Postal Service, it could be worse next year."

The agency has forecast a record $15 billion loss by the end of this year. Without legislative changes, it said, annual losses will exceed $21 billion by 2016.

The Senate passed a postal bill in April that would have provided financial relief in part by reducing the annual health payments and providing an $11 billion cash infusion, basically a refund of overpayments the Postal Service made to a federal pension fund. The House, however, remains stalled over a separate bill that would allow for aggressive cuts, including an immediate end to Saturday delivery. Rural lawmakers, in particular, worry about the impact of closures in their communities.

The Postal Service originally sought to close low-revenue post offices in rural areas to save money but after public opposition it is now moving forward with a new plan to keep 13,000 open with shorter operating hours.

The Postal Service, an independent agency of government, does not receive tax money for its day-to-day operations but is subject to congressional control.

____

Online:

State-by-state graphic ? http://apne.ws/QMOOzh

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-08-09-Postal%20Problems/id-f7eb207b5dcb423886efb87ae435450f

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OU Commends Congress' Letter Urging ... - Yeshiva World News

Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations ? the nation?s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, representing close to 1,000 congregations ? commended Congressional leadership for spearheading a letter to Germany urging the government to protect religious freedom by not outlawing circumcision.

Yesterday, Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) sent a bipartisan letter signed by twenty members of Congress to German Ambassador to the United States Peter Ammon. The letter expressed deep concern over the District Court of Cologne?s decision to ban circumcision approved by parental consent, applauded Chancellor Angela Merkel?s and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle?s opposition to this verdict, and urged the legislature to protect those who choose to exercise their religious freedoms.

Circumcision, or Brit Milah, is a fundamental ritual and sacred rite of passage for both the Jewish and Muslim communities. Throughout history, the prohibition of Brit Milah has been tantamount to rejection of the Jewish community?s existence.

Nathan Diament, OU Executive Director for Public Policy, stated, ?We commend this bipartisan Congressional effort ? particularly lead authors Representatives Waxman, Lowey, and Berman ? to safeguard the universal value of religious freedoms. We are grateful for the recognition that the court ruling imperils religious freedom and Jewish practice, and urge the German government to respond accordingly.?

(YWN World Headquarters ? NYC)

Source: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/?p=137354

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Fossil discovery complicates Homo sapiens' family tree ( video)

A team led by renowned paleoanthropologist Meave Leakey has discovered new fossils that they say suggests that our apelike ancestors shared their habitat with other hominid species.?

By Seth Borenstein,?AP Science Writer / August 8, 2012

This undated handout photo provided by National Geographic and Nature shows Meave Leakey as she carefully excavates the new face KNM-ER 62000 near Koobi Fora, northern Kenya. Leakey hails from a famous family of paleoanthropologists who say that the newly found fossils confirm their controversial theory that the human family tree may have sprouted some long-lost branches going back nearly two million years.

Fred Spoor/National Geographic/Nature/AP

Enlarge

Our?family?tree?may have?sprouted?some?long-lost?branches?going?back?nearly?2?million?years. A famous?paleontology?family?has?found?fossils?that they?think?confirm?their?theory?that there are?two?additional?pre-human?species?besides?the?one?that?eventually?led?to?modern?humans.

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A team?led?by Meave Leakey, daughter-in-law of famed scientist Louis Leakey,?found?facial bones from?one?creature and jawbones from?two?others in Kenya. That?led?the researchers to conclude that man's early ancestor had plenty of human-like company from other?species.

These would not be Homo erectus, believed to be our direct ancestor. They would be more like very distant cousins, who when you go?back?even longer in time, shared an ancient common ancestor,?one?scientist said.

But other experts in?human?evolution are not convinced by what they say is a leap to large conclusions based?on?limited evidence. It is the continuation of a long-running squabble in anthropology about the earliest members of our own genus, or class, called Homo ?an increasingly messy?family?history. And much of it stems from a controversial discovery that the Leakeys made 40?years?ago.

In their new findings, the Leakey team says that none of their newest?fossil?discoveries match erectus, so they had to be from another flat-faced relatively large?species?with big teeth.

The new specimens have "a really distinct profile" and thus they are "something very different," said Meave Leakey, describing the study published online Wednesday in Nature.

What these new bones did match was an old?fossil?that Meave and her husband Richard helped find in 1972 that was baffling. That skull, called 1470, just did not fit with Homo erectus, the Leakeys contended. They said it was too flat-faced with a non-jutting jaw. They initially said it was well more than 2.5?million?years?old in a dating mistake that was later seized upon by creationists as evidence against evolution because it indicated how scientists can make dating mistakes. It turned out to be2?million?years?old.

For the past 40?years, the scientific question has been whether 1470 was a freak mutation of erectus or something new. For many?years, the Leakeys have maintained that the male skull known as 1470 showed that there were more than?one?speciesof ancient hominids, but other scientists said it wasn't enough proof.

The Leakeys' new discoveries are more evidence that this earlier "enigmatic face" was a separate?species, said study co-author Fred Spoor of the Max Planck Institute in Germany. The new bones were?found?between 2007 and 2009 about six miles (10 kilometers) away from the old site?near?the fossil-rich Lake Turkana region, Leakey said.

So that would make?two?species?? erectus and the?one?represented by 1470.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/QpF_0zhtT7c/Fossil-discovery-complicates-Homo-sapiens-family-tree-video

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Rihanna Talks Chris Brown In Oprah Interview (Video)

In a very candid and open interview Rihanna opens up to Oprah, talking about one of the most painful times in her life. ? Yes I am talking about the infamous abuse incident with Chris Brown that left the brunette beauty feeling ashamed and without her best friend. It is true what they say, Oprah can get anyone to talk about anything. Fans of Rihanna will get to find out exactly what happened between the Barbados native and her onetime love in a very emotional ?Oprah?s Next Chapter? which is set to air on August 19th at 9PM EST on OWN. RiRi shares how she felt during that time, saying things like ?It was embarrassing. It was humiliating. I lost my best friend? and ?I was resentful. I held a grudge. I was dark.? You can see a glimpse of just what you can expect from the interview in the below video. I have to say I have watched the preview a couple of times and I can?t wait to watch the interview in its entirety. Especially after hearing Oprah say that she was surprised by the time she spent with Rihanna saying she thought the singer would come off [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/vBABCZR_uws/

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Dell debuts new 27-inch U2713HM monitor: its first AH-IPS panel, $799 (updated)

Dell debuts new 27inch U2713HM monitor, its first AHIPS panel

What's this? Appearing on its Japanese blog, ahead of any English language announcement, Dell's new monitor pairs a backlit LED with a 27-inch AH-IPS display. The U2713HM marks the company's first Advanced High Performance IPS panel, which cranks viewing angles up to 178 degrees and adds Dell's name to a pretty exclusive list of manufacturers. The screen can output up to 2,560 x 1,440 (WQHD) resolution, with Dell promising a 37 percent reduction in energy consumption compared to the preceding U2711. If you've got HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA or DVI-D, you'll likely be well-prepared for the monitor, which also has a four-port USB 3.0 hub embedded. However, that high-quality panel corresponds with a suitably high price tag; on the other side of the Pacific, the U2713HM has been marked up at 50,000 yen and is available starting today.

Update: Dell has now announced pricing for the US. This UltraSharp slab will set you back just shy of 800 bucks. Visit the source to get your order in.

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Dell debuts new 27-inch U2713HM monitor: its first AH-IPS panel, $799 (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 03:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDell Japan (translated), Dell  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/08/dell-debuts-new-27-inch-u2713hm-monitor-its-first-ah-ips-panel/

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CC Standards for Mathematical Practice: Analyzing Key Information ...

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The Common Core for Math is a two-dimensional construct. Its first dimension is the content students are to learn; its second dimension is how students are to learn it.?The Common Core?s authors have organized it in this two-dimensional fashion because they understand that students learn mathematics by practicing it ? by doing it repeatedly in different ways and with many variations in initial conditions, strategies, levels of reasoning, and available information. The Common Core?s authors have organized its mathematics elements around the positive idea that mathematics has a culture of accomplishment that favors a set of habits.

The first general habit on the list ? the first Standard for Mathematical Practice ? is: ?Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.? This is actually a heading that covers thirteen different specific habits, which I identified?here. In this post, I?ll address the third of these: ?Students analyze [given facts], constraints, relationships, and goals.?

This is the first explicit reference to a higher-level cognitive domain in the Common Core Standard for Mathematical Practice. It opens up a huge can of worms: how do we analyze facts, constraints, relationships, and goals?

Analysis has a several meanings in science and mathematics. My favorite words can reveal their meanings in their etymologies: analysis is one of my favorite words.

The root word of ?analysis? is ?lysis?, which in Greek means to loosen. The normal use of the word is to describe a process or the result of a process where the various parts of a single thing are ?loosened? from each other: we look at the parts of a thing to learn more about it. This is a key distinction.

If you?ve read enough of my posts, you are probably aware of my fondness for the fantasy fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien. One of my favorite lines in his?The Lord of the Rings?comes from the wizard character Gandalf, during a futile argument with another wizard, Saruman, in which he says ?He who breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom.? It is important in applying this word?s genuine meaning to the analysis of physical things that we maintain the integrity of the system or thing that we study. We have to distinguish between breaking or destroying something to learn about it and disassembling it in such a way that we can restore its integrity. This also spurs a good ethical debate about our methods of securing samples for study in life science.

When we apply this action concept to an abstract discipline like mathematics, however, we can be more direct in our plan of attack, because there is no doubt that we can and will reassemble the parts of our problems in order to assure that our answers are sensible and correct. In analyzing math problems, we need to identify the various pieces of information that a problem provides and organize them in a clear and useful way.

Useful ways of organizing information depend on the nature of the problem. Here are some ways of organizing pieces of information in ways that might help us conduct effective analysis:

1.?Ranking according to importance.
2. Ranking according to relative magnitudes.
3. Constructing a timeline.
4. Constructing a two-dimensional map.
5. Constructing a three-dimensional map.
6. Constructing a flowchart.
7. Ranking according to centrality in a concept map or Venn Diagram.
8. Establishing a table based on a verbal model or algebraic formula and assigning data to rows and columns based on the relations we perceive.

There are certainly more ways to do this: we should teach several if not all of these to students and encourage them to develop their own methods of visualizing the relationships among various pieces of information in a problem. Remember that no two students learn the same thing in exactly the same way, and that, in a classroom where students collaborate and reflect together on their thought processes ? practicing a shared and external brand of metacognition ? every student benefits from pooling ideas during the learning process.

Note, too, that when problems that we must analyze come from a textbook or worksheet, students? reading skills are absolutely crucial to this step; if we present the problem orally, then listening skills are essential. If a student suffers from poor reading comprehension or listening skills for any reason, then that student is at a decisive disadvantage. We should all be quite familiar by now with multiple intelligences theory: the intelligence that supports student success in dealing with written math problems is linguistic intelligence, because the act of producing an analysis of the information in a written or spoken word problem is linguistic in every way that matters. Reading comprehension, fluency of every type, vocabulary, and a very sound appreciation of the impact of grammar, punctuation, and delivery on the meaning of communication are necessary skills for this kind of problem.

If our assessment relies too heavily on media and situations that only invoke linguistic intelligence, such as equivalent audio and text, then we?re not providing authentic assessment: we should try to do better in this department if we really want to see the Common Core deliver on its ambitions. Scientists, engineers, and researchers don?t face problems that come from the ?Problems? section of a textbook assignment. No one reads a new problem to them periodically so that they can work on it. Someone determines that there is a problem and commission data collection solution from these kinds of professionals.

Rarely if ever will a scientist, researcher, or engineer begin the problem-solving process with sufficient information to solve anything: occasionally it will seem to them that they begin with very little information, if any at all. These professionals gather the data they need for their work using sophisticated instruments, their senses, and their experiences. It is this ability to take an ill-defined situation or problem and secure the necessary information to make the product meaningful that is most crucial to research and innovation. This is one of the crucial keys to success for innovators trying to make new things and make old things better.

It?s silly to call word problems ?real-world? problems, because we never encounter the problems we must solve in adult professional life in that form. We?ll gather evidence from interviews, experiments, observations, research, conversations with colleagues, and our reflections on our own experiences ? including the expertise we developed in school. Where?s the textbook that puts students through all that to do a problem? A few seconds? reflection should also guide you to the conclusion that the tests our students take to gain admission to colleges and universities are completely inauthentic: the ACT and SAT math sections are full of exercises and novelty problems, making them challenging to finish in the allotted time, but in no way are those ?real-world? problems. I won?t even deign to mention the various state NCLB tests.

To get students to analyze information from problems in ways that will support deep and durable learning of both math content and various processes of analysis, we must at some point make the tasks they do more authentic. This was one of the primary motivations for the development of the Common Core.?If we can make our tasks authentic and engaging, we will see students analyzing information in many ways; if we can engage them in collaboration with peers or with us that includes debating the comparative advantages of different analytic methods, then we can foster metacognition.

Note that, in the context of a word problem that students read, we can nearly reduce the analysis process to a note-taking process. This isn?t going to help our students become good analyzers. If we can get students to do the authentic version of this, we once again have provided the answer to ?Why do we have to study math?? Recall that we have already developed one answer, the cultivation of the virtuous habit of perseverance. This post provides a second answer: ?to learn how to create and share analyses of information.?

I am, as my more frequent readers have surely noticed, in the habit of railing against industrial and bureaucratic notions when we foolishly apply them to education. We can find one of the phenomena that irritate teachers most about the industrial-bureaucratic ideas that have invaded education in recent years?in a?clich?: ?paralysis by analysis.? I?m not sure we can teach our students very many strategies for constructive problem-solving action that are more important than this: when we reach a circular process or a dead end in analyzing word-problem information, then we must restart the entire process and change aspects of our approach that we believe led the previous attempt off course.

Analyzing facts, constraints, relationships, and goals is a complex behavior for us to teach. Mathematics has its own culture which favors those who develop certain habits, and analyzing has a subculture which also favors certain habits. Chief among these is the ability to match the information to a standard model or to a new kind of model that we create for the given problem. If we can engage students in authentic problems that combine analytic practice with sophisticated methods of collecting information, then we will help them make tremendous progress in developing metacognitive habits and learning to work in the higher cognitive domains.

Lege, explora, cogita. Quaere verum.

?

Source: http://mikepoliquin.com/2012/08/08/cc-standards-for-mathematical-practice-analyzing-key-information/

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A followup on alternative certification for teachers: exhibits of note ...

On Wednesday, this space carried a story reporting that a year and a half after the passage of a law that would allow teachers who learned their trade in nontraditional training programs in other states to secure Minnesota licenses, the Minnesota Board of Teaching has yet to implement the process.

As a result, a cadre of high-performing charter schools serving the state?s neediest students is struggling to fill open teaching positions, and experienced teachers with solid track records elsewhere can?t take the jobs.

Today, we?re following up with a handful of exhibits of note, starting with a July 26 letter [PDF] from Minnesota Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius to the board outlining several concerns.

?As you know, this was a high priority for both Gov. [Mark] Dayton and the Legislature as a strategy to attract highly qualified mid-career professionals to address shortages in high need areas, help close achievement gaps and diversify our teaching corps,? it states. ?I understand developing this approval process is a complex and lengthy endeavor; however, more than one year later it is still unclear how the BOT is moving forward to ensure its success. ... If the Department can assist you in finalizing work in this area, we stand ready.?

Next, we?re posting a copy of the application for a temporary license [DOC] the principal and teachers quoted in our story had to fill out to get the variance. It?s interesting to note that it not only requires the signature of the head of the local bargaining unit but also spells out specific venues in which ads for traditionally licensed candidates must have been placed.

Finally, you can get an applicant?s-eye view of the process from the following e-mail exchange between one of the frustrated teachers quoted in the story ? who made her r?sum? available for perusal [PDF] ? and licensing authorities.

[Advisory to comment-thread haters and others who might want to blast one or the other of the correspondents: We?ve edited the exchange to take out information that would facilitate harassing communications. Please also note that the MDE official in question doesn?t make the rules and should not be taken to task for doing her job, which is to comply with the rules she?s been given.]

April 8, 2010

Dear Kathryn Spotts:

Your application for a Minnesota license has been received and reviewed.?

Please be aware Minnesota does not have reciprocity with any state/country for teacher licensure.?Programs completed in other states and/or countries other than Minnesota are contingent on meeting the provisions of Minnesota Rule 8710.0400.?I have attached a link to this rule:? https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/?id=8710.0400

In order to qualify for a full-time standard Minnesota license in Elementary Education for grades K-6 and Social Studies for grades 5-8, we must receive evidence that you meet the standards based on Minnesota Rule 8710.2000 Standards of Effective Practice for Teachers and Minnesota Rule 8710.3200 Teachers of Elementary and Minnesota Rule 8710.3330 Middle Level Endorsement License for Teachers of Social Studies.? I have attached a link to these rules for your reference: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/?id=8710.2000; https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/?id=8710.3200; https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/?id=8710.3330

Based on a review of the submitted materials, it appears you have completed an alternative route for licensure through New Jersey?s Provisional Teacher Program (PTP).?We are unable to determine if the content of this program is equivalent to a Minnesota approved program as the transcripts have not been submitted. Minnesota does need transcripts and possibly the program requirements or additional information to determine if the alternative program is equivalent to a Minnesota approved program.

Minnesota requires methods in Science, Math, Art, Music, Social Studies, Physical Education, Reading, Children?s Literature and Health for the Elementary Education teaching license. I reviewed the materials submitted and I cannot find any of these methods specifically listed. Minnesota also requires supervised student teaching.

You are encouraged to contact a Minnesota college to review your previous coursework and determine what additional coursework may be required to obtain a Minnesota license in the area of Elementary Education for grades K-6 and Social Studies for grades 5-8.? You may find a listing of Minnesota approved programs via the internet at http://mtqm.mnteachered.org.? This site allows you to narrow your search according to your specific needs.

You may qualify for a Limited Full-Time license by submitting the signed District Verification form for this type of licensure.?I have attached the form for this license for your convenience.? This limited license is valid for any licensure area in which you hold at least a minor in.

I have also included a form for a Limited Short-Call substitute teaching license. This license would allow you to teach in any classroom for no more then 15 consecutive days on the same assignment.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly.

Debby Odell, MN Department of Education, Educator Licensing

From: Kathryn Spotts
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 7:46 AM
To: Odell, Debby (MDE)
Subject: Reapplicant for MN Licensure - File Folder #452801

Ms. Odell,

I'm curious about the policies for reapplying for licensure.? I will be applying with passing scores from the relevant K-6 tests, under the provision outlined in the alt cert bill (copied below).

Are reapplicants expected to resubmit all materials?? For instance, I'm wondering if I need to get fingerprinted again, supply transcripts again, and pay the processing fee.?Thanks for your help.

Kathryn

On Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 9:34 AM, Odell, Debby (MDE) wrote:

Hi Kathryn ?

Minnesota does not issue a license based on passing our required state testing.? You need to also have completed a state approved licensure program (standard or alternative) that is essentially equivalent to a Minnesota approved program for the same area.?

Our records show you applied in 2010 and were sent out information at that time regarding the program you completed out-of-state was not equivalent to a Minnesota approved program.? Passing our state required testing would not change this review.

Debby Odell

From: Kathryn Spotts
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 10:02 AM
To: Odell, Debby (MDE)
Subject: Re: Reapplicant for MN Licensure - File Folder #452801

Hi there,

I completed New Jersey's state-approved alternative certification program.? I'm in a bind because it does not issue transcripts, which means that even though it is equivalent to a Minnesota-approved program, New Jersey doesn't issue the evidence that Minnesota needs.? I'm worried that my opportunities are limited here because of the two states' conflicting bureaucratic policies.

Regardless, I will be teaching next year at Hiawatha Leadership Academy, and I would like to reapply so that my case can be reviewed again under the alt cert bill language.? Can you please let me know what the requirements are for reapplicants?

Thanks,

Kathryn

?

From: Odell, Debby (MDE)
Date: Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Subject: RE: Reapplicant for MN Licensure - File Folder #452801
To: Kathryn Spotts

Hi Kathryn ?

The alternative licensure bill authorized the Minnesota Board of Teaching to approve alternative licensure programs in Minnesota.? The Board of Teaching has not completed the approval process for this yet.? I have attached information for your review.

Unless you have completed additional coursework for review, I don?t recommend re-applying for a full-time standard license as the review will remain the same.

You can follow the options available which were listed in the letter sent to you previously (dated April 8, 2010).

Thanks,

Debby Odell

Source: http://www.minnpost.com/learning-curve/2012/08/followup-alternative-certification-teachers-exhibits-note

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