Congratulations Washington State Educators!
The Report Card on American Education: A State by State Analysis, 1976-2001 published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) ranks Washington State NUMBER TWO in academic performance in the nation. Wisconsin, followed by Washington, Minnesota, and Iowa, had the top performing public elementary and secondary schools in the nation, as measured by several standardized tests. Washington, which ranked eighth last year, jumped six spots to number two. The study covers two generations of students, 1976-2001, and grades each state using over a hundred measures of educational resources and achievement.
Key educational statistics (1999-2000) cited included:
Expenditure per Pupil: $6,528 (National Average: $6,627)
Change in Expenditures
per pupil (1979-80 to 1990-00) -12.1% (National Average: 22.6%)
Pupil/Teacher Ratio: 20.0 (National Average 16.6)
Average Annual Salary of
Instructional Staff $43,024 (National Average $43,768)
According to the report, Washington State's academic achievement actually rose while at the same time expenditures per pupil declined. Washington's educators are to be applauded for their excellent work despite diminishing resources! To view the entire report, go to http://www.alec.org/meSWFiles/pdf/Education_Report_card.pdf.
President Bush's Thanksgiving Proclamation Post 9-11
President Bush's Thanksgiving Proclamation of 2001 reminded citizens that the Thanksgiving holiday is not merely a history lesson about Pilgrims, but about satisfying the inner urge to give thanks. Some excerpts include:
"Americans of every belief and heritage give thanks to God for the many blessings we enjoy as a free, faithful, and fair-minded land."
"In thankfulness and humility, we acknowledge, especially now, our dependence on One greater than ourselves. On this day of Thanksgiving, let our thanksgiving be revealed in the compassionate support we render to our fellow citizens . . . May Almighty God, who is our refuge and our strength in this time of trouble, watch over our homeland, protect us, and grant us patience, resolve, and wisdom in all that is to come."
"I encourage Americans to assemble in their homes, places of worship, or community centers to reinforce ties of family and community, express our profound thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and reach out in true gratitude and friendship to our friends around the world."
See http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/11/20011116-3.html for the entire proclamation.
Free Fall and Thanksgiving Clip Art Online
Go to this website for free Thanksgiving clip art: http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/thanks/clipart.html
Go to this website for free fall clip art and icons: http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/fall/icon.html
Health Education/Condoms Report
According to the Medical Institute for Sexual Health (MISH), The 2000 NIH Report (National Institute for Health's balanced and comprehensive analysis on the efficacy of condoms) revealed that not all STDs are alike. MISH states, "Depending on the particular STD, condoms offer varying degrees of risk reduction. For example, when used consistently and correctly, condoms can significantly reduce the risk of HIV infection (which is deadly and incurable), but they don't eliminate it. On the other hand, there is no evidence that condoms reduce the risk of HPV infection whatsoever. (HPV can lead to cervical cancer, which kills more women every year than AIDS.)
To obtain the 35-page report, "Sex, Condoms and STDs: What We Now Know," contact MISH at 800-892-9484. Those who request this $10 report will also receive MISH's free quarterly Sexual Health Update. Visit MISH online at http://www.medinstitute.org/.
How do we prepare students to sustain democratic ideals?
