The Never-Ending School Essays - Susquehanna Valley,

The Never-Ending School The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be. Everything is constantly changing, our world, our culture, and our education. The fact that the traditional school calendar may have worked many years ago does not mean that it is the best thing for the younger generations today. Concerned parents, teachers and the government are constantly searching for ways to develop the education of schools in America. That is why I am proposing to make the switch from the traditional school calendar to a year-round education. It would eliminate issues such as overcrowding, the costliness of the traditional calendar, and interrupted education. Year-round education is a modified school calendar that reorganizes the school year to provide more continuous learning by dividing the long summer vacation into shorter, more frequent breaks. It was stated in an article by the NAYRE (National Association for Year Round Education), that at the turn of the century there was over a billion teenagers attending high school. This statistic introduces the question Where are we going to put them all? Well, by implementing the year round systems there are many different possible solutions to this question. One imparticular would be to revise the class schedules. This advantage has made YRE particularly attractive in areas that are experiencing a rapid rise in population. It is most often applied in schools that are hit the hardest by overcrowding. In order for YRE to increase the capacity of a school, it must operate on a multi-track program. This means that the facility embraces three, four or five different calendars, with a portion of stu dents and faculty assigned to each. The instructional blocks and vacation times are staggered so that there is always a group of students on break. It can increase a school's capacity by as much as 33 percent. This advantage has made year-round education particularly attractive in areas that are experiencing a rapid rise in population. Soccorro Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, began its conversion to year-round education in 1991. School officials looked to YRE to assist in accommodating a rapidly rising enrollment. Using a four-track system, they were able to increase the capacity of the most overcrowded schools by one-third. Based on their success, all of the schools in the district switched to some form of a year-round calendar in the next three years. Soccorro administrators and faculty stress that they consider the reorganization of the calendar to have as many economic benefits as well. By not having to build a new school or add on to an existing facility has been for the most part responsible for the yearly increase in the number of schools switching to a year-round calendar over the past decade. The chief reason, however, for converting to a yearround education is to avoid the cost of building a new school. Expenses would be incurred for building design, engineering, construction, and furnishing, as well as for infrastructure reconstruction (streets, sewers, water, utilities, and furniture.) In 1987, a study for the California State Board of Education indicated that it would cost nearly $4 million to build a 24-classroom elementary school (720 students), and more than $6 million to build a secondary school addition to accommodate 720 students. The Oxnard (CA) Unified School District converted to year-round education in 1976. In the 1984-85 school year, its elementary enrollment increased by 644 students. If the district had been on the traditional nine-month calendar, it would have needed an additional school, at a cost of $5 million. It is believed that by converting to year-round education the district saved $16 million in new building costs over a 13-year period. Another example is the Pleasant Valley School District where officials are budgeting $71 million on a building project because classroom space is needed to get their kindergarten kids out of the churches that are currently substituting for their classrooms. That's an important concern, but with the Pleasant Valley Board's wasteful $71 million building program, the kindergarten kids are stuck in the churches for at least two years. However, Implementing year-round schooling now would take the kids out of the churches, and it would do it now, not in two years.

Permian and Cretaceous Mass Extinctions Essays

Permian and Cretaceous Mass Extinctions Essays Permian and Cretaceous Mass Extinctions Essay Permian and Cretaceous Mass Extinctions Essay Assess the different hypotheses put forward for the mass extinctions at the end of the Permian and Cretaceous (KT) Periods. A mass extinction is an event in which at least 25-75% of species in the global environment are eradicated in a short period of time. Where as a regional extinction event is when the extinction is confined to a specific zone. Five mass extinctions have occurred throughout time, two of the most well known of these are the Permian and Cretaceous extinction events. There are several hypotheses that are used to explain the causes of mass extinctions. Climate change, the warming or cooling of global environments over a short period of time, can lead to other occurrences. Shifts in climate can cause extinction by moving or eliminating entire habitats. Global cooling most impacts the tropical areas as in the polar and deep-water flora and fauna have already adapted to cool environments. The major effect of global warning is on the circulation of ocean currents and the reduction of dissolved oxygen in water bodies. Anoxia, no or little dissolved oxygen in the sea, is the major cause of marine extinction. Anoxia is linked to global warming and sea levels rising. Bolide, impact by asteroids or meteorites, can cause several environmental causatums. The dust from the impact can block out sunlight for years, creating permanent a winter, leading to the collapse of ecosystems. With no sunlight, plants cannot photosynthesis, so they will eventually die. Decaying plant and animal life leads to release of noxious gases, lessening the O2 levels in both atmosphere and lithosphere. The bolide impact can cause huge earthquakes and tsunamis. Molten debris raining down after the impact can start wildfires across the globe, further adding to the noxious atmosphere. The release of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide from mega-volcanoes can impact global temperatures, leading to global warming, sea level rises and acid rain. Volcanic eruptions have are commonly located around the times of mass extinctions, and can add to the already stressed environment. The Permian extinction event occurred around 248 million years ago and marks the end of the Paleozoic Era. It is the largest extinction event in history, with approximalty 96% of all life becoming extinct. There are several hypotheses about what caused the Permian extinction, but as much of the evidence about what occurred has been lost over time, it is hard to tell exactly what caused this mass extinction. At the time of the Permian extinction, the earth was joined as the large super-continent Pangea. One theory to account for this extinction is that the earth experienced an ice age for approx 40 000 years, which was followed by an extreme global greenhouse effect. The regression and transgression of fluctuating climate caused rainfall patterns to change. Very few life forms would have been able to withstand the extreme climatic changes. There is evidence supporting this theory in Greenland and Russian rock strata. The fluctuating climate caused a fluctuation of sea levels, with first a fall in levels then with a rise. This rise, so soon after a fall in sea levels would have placed extreme stress on the marine community that was trying to adjust to the already change marine environment. The regression in sea levels exposed organic matter that was decomposed to form large amounts of CO2 causing a drop in oxygen levels and an anoxic marine environment. The large carbon dioxide levels could have contributed to more global warming. Nearing the end of the Permian period there were mass eruptions in the Siberian traps approx 2 million km2. This volcano released massive amounts of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, leading to acid rain and blackout of sunlight. It is thought that this caused the global cooling, and once the eruptions ended, intense global warming cause by the noxious gases released during the eruptions, which lead to the fluctuating sea levels. Much flora and fauna suffered severely because of these environmental issues. There is new evidence indicating that a bolide impact could have occurred near the end of the Permian period. A crater, the Bedout crater, in Australia has been discovered. A bolide impact would have lead to mass death of marine and terrestrial organisms. The force of the impact could have released methane from stored organic matter and large earthquakes. These earthquakes would have triggered the volcanism in the Siberian traps, leading to the release of large amounts of CO2 and sulfur dioxide. These gases combined with methane previously released would have created a noxious atmosphere, combined with climate change that killed a large scale of life. It is most likely that a simultaneous occurrence of the different global environmental changes was responsible for ending the Permian period, and the lives of 96% of species. Each environmental issue is a major geological event, and amplified the other events, leading to catastrophic environmental situation, in which barely any life could survive. The Cretaceous – Tertiary mass extinction, commonly referred to as the KT extinction, occurred 65 million years ago. As the most recant extinction event it is more easily studied as more evidence has been preserved than for the earlier extinctions. This extinction is the most commonly known, as it is the extinction of the dinosaurs, but the smallest scale mass extinction with only 76% of species dying out. Evidence for catastrophism at the KT boundary can be found in a layer of greenish sediment, which is located at different sites all over the world. The sediment makes the divide between the Cretaceous fossils from the newer, evolved Tertiary fossils. This dark sediment contains high concentrations of Iridium, an element only found in the earth’s mantle, or on meteorites. There are two main hypotheses that are used to explain the cause of the KT extinction and the end of the reign of the dinosaurs. The gradualist theory suggests that the KT extinction was caused by a regression of sea levels combined with global climate change caused by volcanism. There is evidence of a large deposit of Basalt located at the Deccan Plateau in India. The release of volcanic gases and ash would lead to climate change and the darkening of the sky. The volcanic ash released into the atmosphere at the time of the eruption, which then settled slowly all over the globe, could have caused the iridium layer mentioned above. However, there is evidence that a bolide impact struck the earth in the Gulf of Mexico, the Chicxulub crater. The theory is known as the catastrophists theory. A bolide impact would explain the high levels of iridium and the shocked quartz, which has also been found throughout the globe in the same layer containing iridium. Shocked quartz is only formed under extremely high pressure, naturally formed in bolide impacts. The quartz contains fractures that show the impact shock. The bolide impact would have cause mega tsunamis and wildfires throughout the world from the molten bits of meteorite raining down on the earth. Tektites have been found in sediments around the Chixulub crater, which provides substantial evidence that a bolide impact did occur there, as tektites are a special type of debris formed from a meteorite impact. Evidence for impact craters is very hard to find as most craters are under the sea. While many support the catastrophists theory for causing the KT extinction, a combination of the gradualist theory, with the final blow coming from a meteorite impact is much more likely, as there has been evidence that the organisms living during the KT period were already dying out, before the mass extinction event occurred ending the reign of the dinosaurs and allowing mammals to reign the earth. Even though some hypotheses are more likely to have caused the coup de grace than others, all evidence would have had an impact in the mass extinction process. Bibliography 1, Hubble, T. (2009). Earth and environmental science: the HSC course. Cambridge University press, Melbourne. 2. Prof Benton, M. (2001). Cassell’s Atlas of Evolution. Andromeda Oxford Limited, Oxfordshire. 3. Palmer, D. (2000). The Atlas of the Prehistoric World. Marshall Publishing Ltd, London. 4. (2010). Disaster down under – Australian impact Craters. [Internet]. Available from: (Accessed 8th May 2011). 5. Goodwin, A. (2001). Paleobiology and biodiversity Research Group: The Permo Triassic Mass Extinction. [Internet]. University of Bristol’s Department of Earth Sciences, UK. Available from: http://palaeo. gly. bris. ac. uk/Palaeofiles/Permian/SiberianTraps. html (Accessed 29th of April). 6. (2011). Discovery earth: Mass Extinctions. [Internet]. Discovery Communications, LLC. Available from: http://dsc. discovery. com/earth/wide-angle/mass-extinctions-timeline. html (Accessed 15th of April).

British Airline Vs Virgin Atlantic

British Airline Vs Virgin Atlantic Strategy is the core of all businesses, organisations and enterprises. It is now being used as an investment tool. The prescriptive school defines strategy as a special course of action, designed and implemented to attain overall objectives. Strategy management plays a vital role in businesses. In fact, the use of strategy in business planning is essential to achieve its objectives and future development (. This research study is an attempt to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. The scope of this investigation is focused on; the implemented cooperate and business strategies that lead both BA and Virgin Atlantic into achieving comparative advantage over one another. British Airways was regarded as the world’s favorite airline according to the Academy of International Business (Undated version) with its main objective to project itself as a global airline. British Airways corporate mission is â€Å"To be the undisputed leader in wor ld travel†. The main aim of BA has always been to grow and develop in the economic sense (Tan reliability; quality of offering Value, service, and price based on differentiation. largest airline and flag carrier of the United Kingdom The second largest long haul airline in the UK and the third largest European carrier over the North Atlantic Aircraft purchases strategy is considered as an industry leader â€Å"benchmark†that influences other carrier’s decisions Airline Partners &Alliances / Franchising – one world partner airlines Innovation technological Company innovative features that distinguishes its name Environmental performance Social and Green (2005) Disposal of services or outsourcing Well-designed organisational structure Strong leadership development programme Management team lead by Richard Branson Appeal to wide variety of customers

Airplane manfacturare problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Airplane manfacturare problem - Essay Example The president has the moral obligation to do what right for the business in order to comply with the going concern principles which means to keep the business operating. There are over a 1000 families of workers that depend on the existence of this corporation. As business strategist he finds a governmental entity in need of the goods the company provides. The company’s product is superior, but sometimes governmental bureaucracy does not award the contract to the best firm. Based on this reality the president has to do whatever it takes to land that contract. He receives information about an influential decision maker for the government that hit some hard times due to a gambling addiction. He offers this man a million dollar to influence the board in order to the land the contract. The president’s action present a violation of ethics because he is taking advantage of a human’s deviant behavior, gambling, in order to capitalize on his weakness to persuade the pers on to perform an illegitimate action that gives his company a competitive advantage. It is sort of like an inside trade on Wall Street, but in this case only there is marketplace and the objective for all players in the game to benefit. To analyze this circumstance the different views of ethics must be consider. Ethics relativism states ethical actions depend on individual, group, tradition, culture and background. Based on this view unless the governmental structure was known for being corrupt and constantly taking bribes the action is unethical. It seems like one governmental official is being singled out, thus the government is not corrupt in general. As far as the company there is no historical data to go on, but it seems like the president has a vigilante mentally in which he believes he is doing something good do to the great benefits that will come out of for all the parties involves. In his relative world his

Research Paper english 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research Paper english 101 - Essay Example To form a union, employees must first discuss the issues that are affecting them privately and in the process lobby for support from the employees. During the private sessions the steps and plan of union creation are developing. The evaluation of the necessary requirements for the union is also addressed in the private meeting in order to sensitize the workers on the possibility of success as well as the challenges that may be met during the whole process. Such analysis will help motivate the employees to join the union being developed. During the private meeting research is conducted on the available unions and there area of operation or coverage. Legal implication and financial implication of the new union must be addressed in order to develop the understanding of the new situation. After research and evaluation of the legal implications of the union, worker can establish an appropriate bargaining unit (ABU). The ABU will facilitate indication of interest. A union can be formed onl y if at least 30% of those interested to submit official documents such as authorization card to show willingness to join the organization (Bradburn 67). The role of this step is to develop necessary support for the legislation process. After the establishment of the Appropriate Bargaining Unit, the committee must be able to obtain certification from the National Labor Relation Board. The certification can only be issued after meeting the necessary requirements for the union to be formed. The certification process ensures that the former union is legal and can protect and address issues of workers’ rights. After the approval from the national legislation, the union must conduct elections to fill the offices and help in defining the role of the leaders. The appointment of the chairman or union organizer will help when negotiations between management and the union is carried out. The chairman of the union organizer will be the representative of the union during the negotiation process thus facilitates the development of harmony between the union and company management. Research questions The following are the research question for the research Are unions important? Do the unions have a future in the changing human resource market? Literature review Unions have been able to help in the fight for workers right over the years with utmost success. The fight for workers’ rights has been remarkably successful because of the involvement of unions and trade unions that facilitate negotiations and give rise to the power of employees. The employee’s ability to succeed in the demands was made possible by the actions of the trade unions. Over the years, these unions have been able to champion for the rights of employees by lobbying for improvement of the work ethics or change in the working conditions of the people. The success of unions in protecting the will of employees Some countries still have powerful trade unions due to the inability of the gover nment to effect the employment and safety laws developed. However, some countries have a better legal system which in turn eliminates the work of unions. America has the best legal framework that covers all the needs of the workers while ensuring that the employer cannot exploit the worker through the creation of a structured legal system. The ability to handle whole issues in employment makes the Unions irrelevant. The current setup ensures that the workers’ rights are protected by the government because laws have been developed that cover all

First Impressions :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can remember the first time that I’ve ever met a white person before. My first time was in sixth grade when I went to Academy school in Glastonbury. Sure I’d seen them in movies, at the stores, and maybe I had a white teacher, but the first time I’d ever interacted with a white person was that year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was an exceptional student then. Too smart for my grade they said. My English teacher in 5th grade, Mrs. Wimberly, told me I needed to get out of the Hartford Public School system. She suggested to my mother that I try out a program called Project Concern. This was a program that brought inner city youth out into suburban schools so as to give equal opportunities for education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My mother applied to this and was informed before the end of my fifth grade school year that I was accepted and would be going to school in Glastonbury. Glastonbury!? Where the heck was that? I didn’t even know such a place existed in my small little world. The farthest I’d ever been was East Hartford or maybe the Westfarms mall, and I just saw those as extensions of Hartford. I was a little worried as to what this experience was going to be like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I told everyone at Annie Fisher, my elementary school in Hartford, the news at the lunch table one day. While unwrapping my lunch from those plastic cases, and opening my carton of low-fat milk I broke the news. Some of the girls at the table began to say, â€Å"Oh we’re gonna miss you Chancellor!† Then the guys chimed in. My one friend, Barry, informed me that I was going to a mostly white school only he put it in other terms, â€Å"Ha ha, you’re going to be going to school with a bunch of crackers!† I’d never heard the term before, but another kid chimed in through mouthfuls of his dry salami sandwich, â€Å"You’re going to a white school!?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was a bit confused. What was this? I was never told I’d be going to school with white people. I’d never in talked to a white person before. They seem like some abstract, far off idea that I could not yet comprehend. I began to get nervous sitting at that lunch table, with my feet sticking to the dried juice on the floor. I asked them, â€Å"What are they like?

Competency Statement Essay

To ensure a well-run, purposeful program that is responsive to participants needs. The observation tool that I have provided for Resource V is used to assess the developmental growth in Discovery Preschool children. It is designed to assist teachers in observing, recording and understanding a child’s skills, knowledge, behavior and accomplishments. It allows both parents and teachers to understand what children know and can do. Assessments are completed every fall, winter and spring with parent-teacher conferences to follow. Parents and teachers use these conferences to discuss the assessment. Observation and documentation are important parts of program management because it allows parents and teachers to discuss what children are learning and understanding. There are five areas that are assessed; physical and motor development, social and emotional development, approaches toward learning, language and communication skills and cognition/ general knowledge. Teachers use these assessments to record progress over time. It allows them to see how each child is developing which area, if any, parents and teachers need of focus more on. It also helps teachers provide developmentally appropriate lessons and materials for the children. I ensure that I am accurately and objectively observing and tracking each child’s developmental and learning progress by providing lesson plans that are developmentally appropriate. The assessment is not completed by testing the children. I use my observations and collect classwork don by the children to assess them. I also constantly interact with the children and set up activities that enable the children to demonstrate specific skills and integrate them into everyday activities. For example, while outside with the children, I will play catch with the children. I will observe if they  can catch, throw, and kick a ball. I also ask them various questions throughout the day like, â€Å"What color is the school bus?† or â€Å"Can you tell me what shape this cracker is?† I record all my observations on index cards and place each one in the child’s portfolio. Assessments are a very important tool for both parents and teachers to monitor a child’s know ledge and development. With this documentation parents and teachers can work together to guide children into becoming well- rounded individuals.