Author Archives: Janet McMonagle

Teach for America

Teach for America is one method of recruiting teachers to work in some of the toughest schools in the United States. A part of Americorp, founded in 1989, Teach for America recruits college graduates who otherwise would not consider a career in teaching. Currently, 3500 corp members are teaching in over 1000 schools. There are over 10,000 alumni of the program. College seniors and recent college grads are encouraged to apply. After completing a rigorous application process, prospective teachers are given training in teaching techniques, literacy training, instructional planning, classroom management, and diversity issues. The training period is brief, but … Continue reading →

Buyer Agency, Seller Agency, and Disclosed Dual Agency in Real Estate

When you work with a Realtor, there are several ways you can be represented in a transaction. These are known as types of agency, since you are hiring someone to represent your interests, and be your agent. An agent who represents only the buyer in a transaction is the buyer’s agent. Some agents only represent buyers, and this type of representation is known as exclusive buyer agency. The availability of agents that only represent buyers varies from market to market. Whether or not they are exclusive buyer agents, those who have recognized professional specialization beyond the minimal standards often have … Continue reading →

Commissions and negotiability

It’s negotiable. You are about to list your property for sale with a realtor. You ask “what is your commission?” The answer you get is “It’s negotiable”. Now what? The realtor is not dodging your question. It really is negotiable. It is against their ethics to tell you that a certain percentage is “the going rate”. There are strict guidelines for realtors to follow concerning price fixing and anti trust laws. I have seen commission agreements between 2% and 10%. In my area, full service realtors generally operate between 5% and 7%. I have seen a few 10% listings for … Continue reading →

Your Fico Score, Your Mortgage, Your Landlord

Your FICO score is the three digit number that is the result of reports of your credit history. FICO is an acronym for the Fair Isaac Corporation, the company which developed the system for calculating the score based on your borrowing activity. Increasingly, this has become a very important number for anyone not only buying a home, but renting one as well. The FICO scores of prospective job applicants are also checked by some employers. When applying for a mortgage, the FICO score determines what types of loans and rates you are eligible for. If you have a low score … Continue reading →

Coming Full Circle – a Report on England’s National Curriculum

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers, the third largest teacher’s union in Britain, wants standardized testing abolished for students under the age of 16. A study of 50 schools concluded last spring that national literacy and mathematics standards had been raised. The government says that the tests are “integral” to continuing efforts to improve education. The ATL believes that over testing has damaged the confidence of students with lesser abilites. The ATL reports that teachers believe the tests of 7, 11, and 14 year olds have “gone too far”. They report a perception that teachers are evaluated less on the … Continue reading →

When You Need an Appraisal of Your Home

You probably get solicitations in the mail from Realtors all the time, offering you a “free Market Analysis of your home”. The Realtor is offering to tell you the current market price if you were to sell now – and they hope you will be impressed by their knowledge and list your house with them! If you are looking for a realtor, or just need to have your expectations regarding the market value of your home confirmed for your personal planning, this is a very good way to judge the value of your home in the current market. A market … Continue reading →

Corporal Punishment in Schools

How many incidents of corporal punishment were there in your school district in 2003? If you would like to find out how many and what schools, take a look at what the Office for Civil Rights at Ed.gov has to offer you for statistics. In the 22 states where some form of corporal punishment is legal in schools in the United States, black students are disproportionately on the receiving end of the stick. They comprise 17% of all students in the United States, but receive 38% of all paddlings. Some states have limited bans, others allow a policy to be … Continue reading →

Sexual Abuse by Teachers

Teachers who take sexual liberties with students are increasingly featured in the news media. The cases that seem to attract the most attention involve oung, pretty, female teachers who seduce pubescent boys. And of course, when NBC Dateline airs one of the To Catch a Predator series, it always is very shocking to see them catch male sixth grade or high school teachers, or others who work with young people by profession. How do schools protect our children from abuse by trusted professionals? And how does this happen, anyway? In many states, teachers who have been convicted of any sex … Continue reading →

Extreme Home Makeover – the Accessible Edition

Ever wonder what it is like to have a town featured in a reality show? Well, the town where I live, Bergenfield New Jersey, found out recently when Extreme Home Makeover performed their radical miracle for a family of visually impaired people. If you thought it isn’t possible to really build a good house in two weeks, guess what? You’re wrong. It is beautiful, sturdy, and the local building inspectors (a pretty tough bunch) are very pleased with the quality. The design and production team works with military precision, round the clock. Day and night. They do not do a … Continue reading →

School Choice and the New Mayor of Newark New Jersey

Recently the city of Newark New Jersey elected a new mayor for the first time in 20 years. Cory Booker is young, a Stanford educated Rhodes scholar, and a democrat who wants to reform the city’s schools. Mr Booker has crossed party lines with some of his ideas, most notably with his position on vouchers. Booker has said that he favors “any kid of choice programs that are targeted toward poor children who are trapped in failing schools”. He views vouchers as one tool that can be used to solve some serious problems. Vouchers are just one tool to be … Continue reading →