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Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps or JROTC
JROTC offers valuable lessons in leadership, character-building and citizenship. Here's a look at the various JROTC programs out there together with a look at the pros and cons of the program.
Wikimedia.commons.org, public domain/PH3 Victoria A. Tullock, USN

I was disappointed to read the story in the New York Times about abuse in an Army JROTC program. Why? Because I've always thought very highly of the program available in over 1700 public and private high schools. I will further disclaim that my eldest daughter was in the ROTC program in college. So, I know first-hand that it is well-run for the most part. The JROTC does an immense amount of good for young people at the high school level.

What is JROTC?

Congress established the JROTC or Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1916. Each branch of the services has its own distinctive JROTC program. However, they all have the altruistic-sounding mission "To Motivate Young People to be Better Citizens."

The U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) is one of the largest character development and citizenship programs for youth in the world. Source: JROTC

Some people think that JROTC is a recruiting program for the military. But it is not. Indeed, most JROTC participants do not join the military after graduating from high school. Nor are they required to do so. On the other hand, the college-level ROTC programs do require their participants to sign up for a tour of duty after graduating from college. Simply put, the JROTC aims to develop leadership skills in its participants while ROTC prepares its members for the military.

This video explains what JROTC is.

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Teaching: Contract Renewal

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Teaching: Contract Renewal
Most teaching contracts are year-to-year, or longer if you're eligible. Here are some suggestions for safeguarding your employment.

The reality of being a public school teacher is that you will have to face an annual deadline called the contract renewal. If you are doing a good job, this yearly rite should not present any problems. The district will notify you that it is renewing your contract, and that will be that.

But what if things are not going well? You're unhappy. You sense that things are not going well. Perhaps you have even received a written communication indicating that things are not going well. What to do? If there is no resolution to whatever issues are at the root of your mutual unhappiness, the best solution for all concerned is probably apparent: finish the year and part company on the best possible terms. After all, you will need the district to give you as good a reference as possible.

In any case, let's look at the renewal process from the district's point of view. Why then should we renew your contract?

This video looks at the pros and cons of signing a new teaching contract.

Give me lots of reasons why we should do so.

We hired you in good faith. You interviewed well and seemed enthusiastic about teaching here. Your transcripts and references were sound, and everything checked out. Consequently, we had great expectations.

For the most part, you have not let us down. Your lesson plans are well thought out. You

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School Safety: Shootings

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School Safety: Shootings
Teachers and parents must be prepared for anything that impacts the safety of our young people.

As I began my research for this article on school shootings, I thought it best to look at the history of shootings in American schools. I expected the timeline to cover the 19th and 20th centuries, but I wasn't prepared to discover that the first shootings dated back to the 1700s. First, read K12 Academics' History of School Shootings in the United States. That article covers from colonial days through to 2010. Then, to take us up to 2015 read Maria Esther Hammack's A Brief History of Mass Shootings. Reporting in the New York Times, Christine Hauser's article A Partial List Of Mass Shootings In 2022 chronicles the first five months of 2022. Having documented shootings, let us look at what you and I can do to keep our children safe in schools at every level.

Inspired by past school shooters, some perpetrators are seeking fame and notoriety. However, most school shooters are motivated by a generalized anger. Their path to violence involves self-hate and despair turned outward at the world, and our research finds they often communicate their intent to do harm in advance as a final, desperate cry for help. The key to stopping these tragedies is for society to be alert to these warning signs and act on them immediately. from What we know about mass school shootings in the US – and the

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Post-Pandemic Tips for Public School Parents and Students

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Post-Pandemic Tips for Public School Parents and Students
The 2020-21 school year was unlike any other and hopefully not one we’ll repeat anytime soon. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the face of America’s public education system and we’re still seeing the effects. In this article, we’ll explore the impact of the pandemic on America’s public schools, see how they responded, and talk about some tips for returning to in-person education this fall.

After a year and a half struggling to survive a global pandemic, the world is finally starting to get back to normal. Though challenges brought by the rising Delta variant still exist, many schools are planning to return to in-person instruction in the coming fall. This news comes as a welcome relief to parents who have had to juggle supervising their child’s remote education while continuing to work their own jobs.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic left no one unaffected, it exacerbated a number of existing issues within the public school system and created some new challenges. Returning to school in the fall of 2021 won’t be smooth sailing and parents had better start preparing themselves (and their children) now to ensure as seamless a transition as possible.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on public school systems and talk about what the future holds. We’ll also provide helpful tips for students, parents, and educators as they anticipate their return to school in the fall.

Impact of the Pandemic on Public Schools

In March of 2020, the World Health Organization declared the spread of COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. Being in the middle of their second semester, schools across the country (and around the world) were sent scrambling to make adjustments. Many schools closed for in-person instruction entirely, switching to virtual learning, and many parents withdrew their children from schools entirely in favor of teaching them at home.

In a March

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The Current State of Special Education in the U.S.

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The Current State of Special Education in the U.S.
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world on its head. The effects of the global pandemic will be felt for years to come, though maybe more so in certain populations. Here’s what you need to know about the current state of special education in the United States.

The term “special” is typically used to describe something that is better or greater than the average. In terms of education, however, the term is often used to describe students who are different or differently abled. Special education focuses on helping children with disabilities learn and, just as every student is different, so are the various approaches to special education.

Parents and teachers have always had their work cut out for them when it comes to educating and caring for special needs students, but the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges that may last for years to come. In this article, we’ll discuss the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on special education and provide useful information for both parents and teachers.

What is Special Education?

The term “special education” generally refers to a set of services provided to students who have unique learning needs. In terms of federal law, according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), however, special education is defined as: “Specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.”

In order to qualify for special education services, students must have an identified disability that affects their ability to learn. Eligible disabilities may include the following:

  • Intellectual disabilities
  • Speech or language impairment
  • Hearing impairment
  • Visual impairment
  • Serious emotional disturbance
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Orthopedic impairments
  • Autism spectrum disorder
  • Developmental delay
  • Specific learning disabilities

Federal law requires schools to provide an appropriate education for all of their students with disabilities, regardless their disability

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