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Many public school authorities hate charter schools. It's not hard to see why.

Charter schools embarrass local public schools because they often do a better job educating children, for less money. For example, in the 1999-2000 school year, Ohio charter schools got $2300 less per pupil in tax funds than local public schools. Charter schools therefore spotlight regular public schools failure to educate students with more tax money at their disposal.

Charter schools also take money away from public schools. Every child that transfers to a charter school makes the child's former public school lose an average of $7500 a year in tax money. This tax money is the life-blood of public schools. It is the source of their power, of their very existence.

Finally, public-school authorities like their monopoly power over our children's education. Charter schools are free from much of the regulations and controls that regular public schools have to put up with. Charter schools therefore threaten the public school monopoly because they introduce a little competition into the system.

So what do angry or frightened local school districts do in response? School authorities often harass charter schools by reducing their funding, denying them access to school equipment or facilities, putting new restrictions on existing charter schools, limiting the number of new schools, or weakening charter-school laws.

They harass charter schools in other ways. For example, they create convoluted application procedures or dont give new-school applicants enough time to process their applications. They also use city agencies, zoning boards, or fire departments to harass the schools with regulations. For example, the Washington DC school district harassed a local charter school with an asbestos removal issue that forced the school to spend over $10 million in renovation costs. Local school districts have an arsenal of regulatory guns with which to harass charter schools, or reduce their numbers.

Teacher unions initially opposed charter schools. However, when charter schools became popular, the unions changed tactics. They now grudgingly give approval to charter schools, on certain conditions. They often push for district control over the schools, collective bargaining for charter-school teachers, or other restrictions.

Some teacher unions have renewed their open opposition to these schools with their usual lawsuits. The Ohio Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit that seeks to declare Ohios charter school laws unconstitutional. Ohios charter schools have been dragged into this lawsuit, thereby forcing them to waste valuable time, money, and resources on legal battles. Teacher unions use such lawsuits to try to stop or slow down the charter school movement. Also, Washington State, and some other states, still have no charter school laws partly because of strong opposition by teacher unions and other interest groups who oppose charter schools.

As a result of this harassment by state education bureaucrats, local school districts, and teacher unions, there are not nearly enough charter schools to fill the demand. There is a constant waiting list for these schools, especially in low-income minority neighborhoods. In the 2001-02 school year, the average charter school enrolled about 242 students. About 69 percent of these schools had waiting lists averaging 166 students per school, or over half the school enrollment.

The over 750,000 students currently enrolled in charter schools may seem like a lot, but that number represents little more than 1.7 percent of the approximately forty-five million children who attend public school each year. Yet charter schools have now been around for over ten years.

As with vouchers, how long will it take, if ever, for charter schools to come to your neighborhood? Fifty years? Parents should consider if they want to wait around this long while their children suffer through twelve years of public school.

Joel Turtel is the author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children."

Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com,
Email: lbooksusa@aol.com,
Phone: 718-447-7348.

Article Copyrighted 2005 by Joel Turtel.
NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtels email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com

If you want to find a great alternative to costly wood floors then try discount laminate flooring. This comes in many different kinds and can work even on the smallest allowance for home improvement. Even though buying flooring can be expensive and installing laminate flooring can seem like a chore, it will all be cheaper than buying wood flooring and the installation is not more difficult. You can find good laminate flooring in the many different brands.

If you want to choose between different types of less expensive wood flooring you can. You can find something to fit any taste or style. You can get an amazing color selection and find textures galore. You can also get a style that will fit from very modern to Early American.

Even though most laminate looks like wood, you can choose something else too. If you want a very wide selection to choose from then you can try faux ceramic tiles for the kitchen, faux marble for the living area, and a wooden look for the den. You can find possibilities to suit all your needs.

You should measure your floors exactly before you start to shop. You need to know exactly how much you need before you by. You should add 10% onto all your measurements so you have a little bit of room to make errors and not worry about not having enough flooring. If you buy more you can lay them down in a certain pattern.

Try shopping online for the best price for your discount flooring. You can get a picture to check out exactly what you are ordering when you go online. Make sure you get everything from one lot number, this will ensure uniformity. If you get different lot numbers you could get flooring that looks a bit different from each other in terms of color. This could really make an impact when you lay it down on the floor.

Once you get your flooring at the door you should look over it for damages, youll want to make sure the edges and corners are not chipped. You might find a few small chips, but you will only notice large ones once you put the floor down. You might have to exchange some of your flooring if you find that it is damaged. You could use some of the damaged pieces if you trim off the edges.

Install your flooring yourself and save some money for your family. You can do it pretty simply and dont need to prepare much. You can put it down over your current floor if it is vinyl or hardwood. You can also put it down over a subfloor made of concrete or wood. You can also lay it down in your basement over that concrete as well. Since the pieces all fit together with ease it shouldnt be hard for you to do it yourself. This is called a floating floor and you could probably have your whole floor down within 2 days! A weekending to new flooring! Go for it!

Linden Walhard pens most often for http://www.insidewoodworking.com a web publication on the topic of discount floors , cheap floors and other themes. His comments on discount laminate flooring can be found on http://www.insidewoodworking.com/flooring/discount_laminate_flooring.html.

Once you have your home office set up and you have the main items in order such as your desk, your ergonomically correct office chair and of course your computer system you may think that you are ready to go. But wait! What about all of the little details that keep your office running smoothly? You will need to hit the closest office supply store and load up on all of the necessary office supplies to keep your home office running.

Before you get carried away at your office supply store, sit down and make a list of the things that you need. A lot of home offices, particularly start ups, operate on a shoestring budget, so do not go crazy at the supply store. It is very easy to blow a couple of hundred dollars on unnecessary supplies. Sit down and look around your office. What do you need to function? What would be nice to have? And what is just frivolous? Make three lists, and take them all to the store with you.

On the first list, you will likely have things such as computer paper, pens, envelopes, a stapler and filing system. On the nice to have list you might have things like colored sticky notes, desk calculators etc. Of course it depends on what type of home business you have. Obviously if you have a book-keeping business you will need a desk top calculator. Everyone's lists will look different depending on each individual business so don't expect to have a "standard" shopping list of items.

When you go to the store be sure to take all of your lists with you because you never know when you will run into a sale and be able to get some items from your nice to have list at a discount.

Remember about some of the little things that you will need. You will want envelopes, and mailing labels to send off invoices and estimates and other correspondence. Be sure to get labels that will fit in your printer. Hi-lighters, erasers, a hole-punch and other small items will become invaluable in the future. You will also want to invest in a filing cabinet and a file system. Folders and hanging files will help keep you organized and more efficient. If you are the type of person that thrives on organization, using an in-out basket will also be a time saver for you.

Bigger items that you will need for your business is a good quality printer (inkjet or laser), a photocopier and a fax machine. You can save money and space by purchasing an all in one unit that offers all of these technologies in one machine. This will likely be your most valuable office supply because you will be able to do so much with it.

Your home office simply won't survive without the right offices supplies. If you're looking for innovative office supplies then check out HomeOfficeBuddy dot com - your source for everything to do with home office design and supply.

In general terms, illiteracy is an inability to use language -- an inability to read, write, listen and speak. Today, it is usually taken to mean being unable to read and write at a level adequate for written communication or at a level that will allow an individual to function at certain levels of society. In the simplest of terms, illiteracy is the opposite of literacy.

In some societies, the standards for what constitute literacy are different from others. For example, some cultures believe that only people with skills such as computers skills and basic numeracy may be considered literate. This takes into account the fact that there are people who can add and subtract, but can't read letters as well as people who can learn to use a computer to a limited extent but may still not be able to read text. One example is Scotland, which defines literacy as: "The ability to read and write and use numeracy, to handle information, to express ideas and opinions, to make decisions and solve problems, as family members, workers, citizens and lifelong learners." That's probably as specific as you can get in defininng what literacy is all about.

On a global level, analysts and policy makers consider illiteracy rates as an important factor in a country's or a region's "human capital," and with good good reason, as it turns out. Based on numerous studies into this area, they conclude that literate people are easier and less expensive to train and have broader job opportunities and access to higher education. In Kerala, India, for example, female and child mortality rates declined dramatically in the 1960s, after girls who had been schooled to literacy in the education reforms after 1948 began to raise families. There are recent findings, however, that raise questions on correlations such as the one listed above, arguing that these may have more to do with the effects of schooling rather than literacy in general.

Illiteracy rates are highest among developing countries, especially those in the South Asian, Arab and Sub-Saharan African regions where illiteracy is prevalent among 40 to 50% of populations. The East Asian and Latin American regions also have relatively high illiteracy rates ranging from 10 to 15%. In contrast, the illiteracy rate in developed countries is only a few percent. However, it is important to note that illiteracy rates vary widely from country to country and often are directly proportionate to a country's wealth or urbanization level, although many other factors play a determining role.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Education, Science, and Employment

Officially the dreaded SAT experimental section is called the variable section. The first section is going to have essays that are 25 minutes long. The essay will then be followed by another six 25 minute sections. There are then two 20 minute sections and one 10 minute section.

One of those multiple choice 25 minute sections is going to be an experimental one. The people who administer the SAT need to test questions for future exams. This is to see if enough people get them right and/or wrong. So they use you as guinea pigs!

Since one of those sections is going to be experimental, it does not count toward your grade. Its very difficult to pick out the experimental section, but Ill give you a little bit of a tip:

If you get to a section that seems really weird or has questions that you havent seen before and its somehow different from the rest, its probably the experimental one. Dont panic. Stay positive. Just tell yourself its the experimental one and move on.

Now, if you get three 25 minute critical reading sections, one of them will have been the experimental one. If you get three 25 minute math sections, one of them will be the experimental one. And if you get two 25 minute writing sections, youll know one of those will be the experimental section.

So its kind of hard to tell which one it is until youre almost finished, but if you get to one thats weird and totally throws you off, dont think Oh my gosh, the whole things going down the tube now! Tell yourself You know what, that one was weird, that one was harder than I expected. Its probably the experimental one. Stay positive. Keep moving. Thats the way you maximize your SAT score.

Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved, ePrep, Inc.

Karl Schellscheidt is a master teacher, private tutor, and proven SAT expert. Karl is a Princeton University graduate with a masters degree in education who has spent over 15 years tutoring students of all ages on standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, and SSAT. Karl began his education career as a private teacher at The Hun School in Princeton, NJ. He has since helped students throughout New Jersey gain admissions to the regions most prestigious universities and private schools. In 2006, Karl launched ePrep.com (www.eprep.com) as free online resource for SAT test prep and college planning with other industry experts.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karl_Schellscheidt

Internet faxing or web faxing has become one of the most popular ways to send and receive faxes over the Internet. As the new technology is found much costlier than the conventional fax messaging system, most consumers are not taking that much interest to use or try the new way of sending and receiving fax. Hence to attract more and more customers, internet fax service providers have come up with free internet fax services. So what about paid internet fax services? Let us see the main difference between free internet fax services and paid internet fax services.

Free internet fax services are provided by fax service providers only to entice the customers and make them know more about the advantages of internet fax services. Free web faxing services have several limitations. And most customers who use free internet fax services will find the paid services worth considering for a monthly cost.

Most web fax service providers who offer free web faxing also have a monthly subscription service which has several added features than the free web faxing service. For example, in free internet faxing service, the customers have certain limitation in sending or receiving fax messages such as only 10 or 20 fax messages per month. Some free fax provider will only permit to receive fax messages. And if the customer need to send fax messages they need to upgrade their free subscription to a paid one.

On the other hand, the paid internet fax service will allow the customers to send and receive as many faxes according to their monthly fee. Some online fax service providers also provide a fixed number of free faxes per month together with the paid subscription service. Of course, in the end of the day a customer will find paid internet fax services much worthy than free online fax services.

Nowadays there are several online fax service companies offering web faxing services. Comparing several internet fax providers and their schemes in detail will help you to select a service provider who offers outstanding web faxing service at affordable rates. Most companies who are looking for new customers will provide free trial offers such as sending and receiving faxes for a period of time to attract the customers. Take your own time in searching and comparing the internet fax service providers before you select any particular service provider. This helps you to find the best deal possible.

Find more about Internet Fax from experts on http://www.LeanderNet.com/Internet_fax/Internet_fax.php

More useful content on LeanderNet - http://www.LeanderNet.com

For todays student, distance learning is an ffordable way to work toward a GED, the best way for an adult to demonstrate the skills of a high school education. But there are a growing number of companies and schools who arent really in the business of education. Instead, theyre in the education business -- their biggest business is selling quick and easy programs or simple online tests that result with worthless transcripts and fake diplomas.

In most cases, the GED -- the term for General Education Development credential -- is the only official diploma that has value and is meaningful for adults who never completed their high school education. There are exceptions. But as a rule most transcripts and diplomas ordered or obtained from online high schools are worthless. Unfortunately, students and adult learners are often misled -- and easily misled -- by these diploma factories or diploma mills. Heres a recent letter from a new GED student, who learned about one education business the hard way:

"I paid $250 and got this paper in the mail, but it didnt help me get a better job. It was a ripoff. It wasnt till my boss told me that I found out it wasnt a real high school. It wasnt even a real high school diploma, just something somebody made on a computer. But it looked like a real school. With a real test.

This students story is typical and more common every day. Many adult learners fall victim to diploma scams, usually paying $200 to $800 in tuition, testing, transcript or diploma fees. But because the school or program isnt accredited, the diploma has no value -- its meaningless. When it comes to employers, job training programs, tech school, community colleges and universities, bogus diplomas are useless.

But a GED credential is useful. For todays 34 to 38 million adults in the US who never graduated from high school, passing the GED test is a pass key to both career and educational opportunities. Approximately 95 percent of employers and 97 percent of US colleges and universities accept the GED because its an official, accredited diploma.

When choosing education, an adult learner's best option is GED prep, whether enrolling in a local class or online preparation program. If online learning or distance learning is the best solution for you, look for a program that includes all the components needed to prepare for the GED test.

Here are some guidelines for choosing a real online GED program provider and avoiding bogus schools or fake diploma scams:

-- The American Council on Education (ACE) has tight guidelines for the GED. The test covers science, social studies, language arts reading and writing, and math including algebra, geometry and data analysis. Find a program that includes all testing areas; avoid any solution or school that doesnt include all test areas or information about test areas and ACE requirements.

-- GED practice tests are available online and are a good way for a student to determine what to study for the test. But the actual GED test cannot be taken online! The test is only given at official test sites. So avoid any company that claims to offer the official GED test or a quick version online.

-- Read the fine print, before you pay -- make sure you understand what the company or school is offering and determine if its worth the price. Is it a worthwhile learning process or just a fake diploma? Will it help you move ahead in your career or education? Will the online GED program or learning solution you choose really prepare you for the GED test? Ask for guidance if youre unsure.

-- Look beyond the company or school; discover what other teachers, students and adult learners are saying. Explore GED and education message boards, online forums or learning communities.

-- Be very cautious in dealing with any company or online high school that offers a diploma or transcript after passing an online test. The GED test is difficult; the test is timed and usually takes more than seven hours. So check out the school with your state Department of Education. Basically, just as the old adage says: If it sounds too good to be true it probably is too good to be true.

Education is about the best investment you can make in yourself. Make sure your investment is a good one, and gives you a return thats worthwhile. The GED credential might be harder to get than a $250 diploma, but you can sure count on it to take you to where you want to go.

For more information about the GED, and free GED resources online: visit http://www.passGED.com.

About The Author
Leonard Williams, an e-learning PassGED instructor with http://www.passGED.com, is also a curriculum specialist who focuses on research and development, implementation and assessment of best-practice learning solutions for adult learners and people with educational challenges. Leonards email is . He welcomes feedback and invites questions from adult learners and instructors. This article may be freely distributed in full, without restriction per Article City requirments and agreements. Questions@passGED.com

It can't be denied that modern medicine has made great strides these last 100 years. However, the old killers are still among us - and getting stronger. That includes infectious diseases like TB and cholera as well as cancers.

This malignant illness affects a number of us every year. We never know when and what it will attack. Anything from the lungs, to the brain, to the prostate can be invaded and overwhelmed by cancer cells. And then there's environmental toxins like asbestos which add to our misery by causing lung cancers and mesothelioma.

Fortunately we are always in search of new ways to treat this deadly disease. With the abundance of cancer information at our fingertips, we can always read to get a better understanding.

Just the sound of the word "cancer" evokes death. But times are changing. We use treatments such as chemotherapy, which hopefully kills off any sign of the illness. With many diseases we often know what we're grappling with, and how to defeat it, however cancer can be sneaky.

In this day and age it is much simpler to learn all you can about cancers. We can, of course, hop on our home computers and quickly locate any and all data on most kinds.

Even though we can't predict our health down the road, there are certainly measures to take in order to prevent this frightening disease. Most of us know that smoking is a major cause of lung cancer. This one is quite simple to prevent. Eating healthy and living well are great defenses against cancer, as well as other illnesses and health problems. (And I hear infrared saunas are great detoxifiers, too).

If you're interested in acquiring cancer information or any other information concerning diseases, jump on the Internet and punch in a few key words. You'll be amazed at all there is available. Although we live in an unpredictable world, we don't have to face it unprepared.

Knowledge is power they say and that includes possessing the best factual data there is about what malignancy is and what to do about it.

For more information in detoxifying infrared saunas and the latest mesothelioma information, see: Saunas and Mesothelioma and Asbestosis.

I've been trying out an eye exercise for vision improvement in my ongoing quest to find effective ways to correct my near-sightedness. It's easy to do, and maybe, just maybe, I won't need to consider lasik eye surgery after all. You can practice this at home, at work or at school.

This vision improvement exercise is affectionately called "Three Cups". (Sounds like some magician's trick doesn't it?) There are three levels to it; I'll just give you the Level 1 exercise here. What it does is improve the focus and coordination of your eyes.

You'll need a diagram of the cups to do this. I'll give you the link to go to the site with the image in a minute.

Follow these steps

1. Find a pen or pencil.

2. Sit in your chair, relaxed of course, so you're 12 to 24 inches from your computer screen at eye level. Don't stare hard the image (of the cups), just be able to make them out.

3. Hold up the pen upright between the two circles (cups) about 1 inch from your screen. Make the tip of the pen the same level as the cups in the diagram.

4. Now, just relax your eyes on the top of the pen or pencil as you slowly move it towards your face. as you do this, you'll start seeing three circles instead of two. Here's the part to pay attention: when you see that the three circles are all the same size and shape, stop the pen.

5. Move your eyes' focus away from the top of the pen to the center circle. If you don't get it the first time, do it a few times. Some people may need a few days to practice. I had a little difficulty to make the center circle "stay" initially.

6. Once you can fix your focus on the center cup, move the pen away while trying to keep your focus. The center circle will become clearer and clearer as you become good at it.

7. Final step and the "magical" part: without your pen this time, look at the two circles and create the center circle as 3-dimensionally as possible.

To get the diagrams for Levels 1,2 and 3 for this exercise go to: http://www.lasik-stories.com/recommends/threecups

Conclusion

Do these eye exercises work? Can they improve your vision so that you become less reliant or have no need for glasses anymore? Eye exercises have worked for many people to different degrees depending on each person's situation. I think it's definitely worth trying. Who doesn't want to be rid of the dependence on glasses and contact lenses?

Louis Zhang is near-sighted and is researching Lasik and other ways to improve his vision. To receive eye-opening facts about your vision, get the free "You CAN Improve Your Vision Naturally" mini-course at Exercise for Vision Improvement

There are many different ways to advertise your corporate on the Internet. Placing banner ads, an selling campaign and skillfully your occupational on industry related forums and message boards are just a few of the popular for Internet promotion. Another Internet advertising approach and advertising a to progress your business. You can use your website in a sum of ways. Some of these ways comprise only if more data about your commercial and the or military you offer, letting likely clientele know how to range you and even selling your products and defense via the website. This article will highlight the of using a to marketplace your professional and will framework some of the ways the website can be beneficial.

One great advantage to using a to fair your corporate on the Internet is that you can corner descriptions and photos of the or service sector your business offers. This is important because many consumers use the Internet when researching products and essential services. Having an online apparition gives your commercial an advantage over the competition because consumers are much more prone to select your products or security forces over the and service jobs offered by your competitors who do not advertise online.

Another advantage to publicizing your professional on a website is you can use the to not only shop but also sell your products directly. Again this can give you an edge over the open competition. Consumers who use the Internet to investigation and motorway facilities are time and again very anxious to make their purchases and they would be more tilting to cliquey a shop or service who offer the break to toehold or service industries online over a dealer or service billpayer who only for buying in a supply or via touchtone phone.

Still extra advantage to using a website to market your occupational is the talent to grasp a large, global consultation. The Internet largely knows no and advertising on a method the corporate owner can extent competitors around the world instead of being incomplete to their common place. Advertising via other moderate such as telly, receiver and the print television is fairly restricted and may only influence potential clients in a rather small environmental area.

Another advantage to using a website to souk your business is the Internet is on hand 24 hours a day around the world. This more or less offers you a storefront which is open 24 a day. While your competitors may be limited to their regular commercial hours, your will enable you to spread your consumers at any hour of the day. This is specifically important for reaching imaginable custom in other time zones and for scope business in your own area who are artlessly too busy to shop for products or expertise like the ones you offer during regular occupational . Many conceivable regulars work long hours and appreciate the capacity to inquiry and shop online after .

One conclusive advantage to using a to arcade your professional is you can actually cause a profit from your website in other ways than through sales to customers. You can also use your to engender income by selling advertising space to other occupational owners who are marketing their own and forces on the Internet. However, care have a duty to be reserved when advertising on your website. First of all you ought to not sell advertising space to complete competitors. This is important because this may basis you to lose possible business if hypothetical public opt to hold consequence or armed services from competitors who advertise on your . An perfect advertiser is one who offers products and rest area which do not directly compete with your own or council services but would be of relevance to your thinkable patrons. You had better also take care not to house too many on your website. This is important because too many advertisements may diminish from your commercial and may origin you to lose probable trade.

John Lau is an Author, Speaker, and Consultant specializing in business management. Visit his blog at Business Management

http://alphabusiness.info