Contact: Camille Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.Nine Mississippi State College of Education graduates are being recognized as outstanding teacher interns for the fall 2019 semester.

Nominated by their classroom mentor teachers, the award honorees are selected based on their resourcefulness, initiative and effectiveness. They also have demonstrated outstanding teaching performance, professionalism and a high level of commitment to the teaching profession, while completing their teaching interns at various public school systems throughout Mississippi and beyond.

All fall graduates, the honorees include (by hometown):

CANTON, GeorgiaRachel Morley, an elementary education/middle school major, completed her teaching internship in the Louisville Municipal School District at Louisville Elementary.

CARTHAGEBrooke OMalley Stuart, a secondary education/English major, completed her teaching internship in the Scott County School District at Sebastopol Attendance Center and Scott Central Attendance Center.

CONEHATTATaylor Fulkerson, an elementary education/middle school major, completed her teaching internship in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District at Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary.

CORINTHHeather Marie Pannell, an elementary education/middle school major, completed her teaching internship in the Corinth School District at Corinth Elementary.

DALLAS, TexasZara Mishler, an elementary education/middle school major, completed her teaching internship in the Frisco Independent School District at Clark Middle School in Frisco, Texas.

FAIRHOPE, AlabamaZoey Gibson, a special education major, completed her teaching internship in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District at Armstrong Middle School and Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary.

HOULKAJ.T. Washington, a kinesiology/physical education and coaching major, completed his teaching internship in the Houston School District at Houston Upper Elementary and Houston Middle School.

HOUSTONSydney Ramirez, a music education/vocal major, completed her teaching internship in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District at Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary and Starkville High School.

KILNJadyn Saucier, a special education major, completed her teaching internship in the West Point Consolidated School District at South Side Elementary and West Point High School.

Established in 1903, MSUs College of Education is home to six academic departments, one research unit and numerous service units. For more about the college, visit http://www.educ.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippis leading university, available online at http://www.msstate.edu.

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MSU College of Education recognizes outstanding teacher interns - Mississippi State Newsroom

Todays regional news: Reflections on Putins career; an anguishing prisoner swap; more legal trouble for Hungarys MOL; Sputnik out of Estonia; and Polish education policy. 2 January 2020

It Was 20 Years Ago Today ...

The anniversary of Vladimir Putins stunning accession to the Russian presidency is prompting plenty of retrospectives. On New Years Eve 1999, Russias increasingly erratic President Boris Yeltsin told the nation he was resigning so that political rookie Putin, only recently named prime minister, could take power. Ahead of the March 2000 elections which returned him for a full term, Putin delivered a powerful message: Russians have had no sense of stability for the past 10 years. We hope to return this feeling, he said, Moscow-based journalist and author Marc Bennetts writes for Politico. During his first two terms especially, he seemed capable of delivering. The economy provided the stage for some of his greatest successes. Inflation began a decade-long fall and trade ballooned as the energy sector flourished, according to an RFE/RL data report. Putins approval ratings hovered between 70 and 80 percent throughout his first two terms, before sinking as the 2008 financial crisis set in but never falling below the mid-60s then shot to record highs after Russias intervention in Ukraine. On the down side, the Russian population continued to shrink and life expectancy for both men and women fell during his first term, although it has since recovered. Mens expected lifespan has increased by seven years since Putin took office, RFE says. According to Al Jazeera, critics respond that Putin and his allies failed to address Russia's most fundamental problems its dependence on energy exports, plummeting birth rates and industrial production, brain drain, an HIV/AIDS epidemic, and corruption.

Controversy Hits Ukraine Prisoner Swap

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy defended his difficult decision to include members of the now-disbanded Berkut police unit in a New Years prisoner swap with separatists. "If we hadnt exchanged Berkut fighters, we would not have returned our people living people," Zelenskiy told reporters after greeting released prisoners in Kyiv on 29 December, RFE writes. In the swap, agreed at last months meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany, separatists handed over 76 prisoners, and the government freed 124 prisoners, among them five Berkut officers charged with shooting unarmed demonstrators during the 2014 Euromaidan uprising against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. The swap included two RFE contributors held by separatists since 2017. As the Kyiv Post reports, joy over the return of prisoners, some held for almost five years in the separatist Donbas region, was tempered by anger at Zelenskiys decision to free the Berkut officers. The country has to return its heroes but not at the price of diminishing the values for which these heroes fought, said Oleg Sentsov, the filmmaker who was freed from a Russian jail as part of a prisoner exchange in September.

Bribery Convictions for Hungarian Businessman, Former Croatian PM

The strained relations between Hungarys MOL energy group and the Croatian state hit a new low yesterday, as a Croatian court convicted MOL chief executive and chairman Zsolt Hernadi of bribery. Former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader - previously sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison for accepting a bribe from MOL as the company acquired almost 50 percent of Croatian oil company INA - had his sentence cut to six years for health reasons, Court president Ivan Turudic said, Reuters reports. The verdicts are not final and can be appealed. MOL released a statement denouncing the courts baseless accusations, Hungary Today reports, and noted a Budapest courts refusal to execute a European arrest warrant for Hernadi on concerns that his right to a fair trial in Croatia might be infringed. Sanader, who served from 2003 to 2009, has been tried or convicted of a raft of crimes, from war profiteering to siphoning off state funds.

Sputnik Shutters Estonian Bureau as Sanctions Bite

Russias Sputnik news agency announced yesterday it was closing its Estonian bureau after pressure from the authorities. The state-controlled agency said its 35 staff in Tallinn had resigned, The Moscow Times reports. Estonian authorities last fall froze the bureaus assets and said the bureau would have to leave its rented offices by the end of February, and in December warned that its staff could be prosecuted on the basis of EU sanctions against Russia. Russian state-controlled media have come under pressure in the Baltics in recent years. In May, Lithuania expelled the chief editor of Sputniks local bureau to Latvia, where he holds citizenship, and banned him from re-entering Lithuania for five years. Dmitry Kiselyov, the head of Sputniks parent media group Rossiya Segodnya, is on the EUs list of individuals subject to sanctions for violating Ukraines territorial integrity, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports. Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told ERR that Estonias actions against Sputnik were financial sanctions only. The authorities have not taken measures against the portals media content, he said.

PiS Education Policy Comes Under Renewed Criticism

Polands ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) began reconstructing the primary and secondary education system three years ago, in part to reverse changes it said were undermining traditional educational values. Now, a parent group plans to file a collective lawsuit against the state for damaging the prospects of its children, Balkan Insight writes. The nationalist governments most dramatic change was the elimination of gymnasia, academically-oriented three-year schools introduced in 1999 as a step between primary and high school. PiS cited cases of aggression and misbehavior among gymnasia students as proof that the institutions were dysfunctional, Balkan Insight says. In their place, the government brought back eight-year primary schools. The introduction of gymnasia had also been controversial, but by the 2010s, excellent results on the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) student skills tests convinced many the new system was working, Wojciech Kosc wrote for TOL. The parents opposed to PiSs educational policies also say high schools are now overcrowded as they try to accommodate both the last crop of gymnasia students and those coming directly from primary school.

Compiled by Ky Krauthamer

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Around the Bloc - 2 January - Transitions Online

Caldwell University in Essex County has agreed to pay the United States more than $4.8 million to resolve its role in a scheme to defraud a federal education benefit program for veterans, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced Friday.

"Caldwell University tried to hoodwink the Department of Veterans Affairs and, worse, veterans themselves, by claiming to offer online classes developed and provided by Caldwell that were in fact marked-up offerings by an online correspondence school, Carpenito said in a statement. "Our veterans should never be treated this way, and we will continue to work to ensure that they receive all of the benefits that they deserve as a result of their service to the country.

Under a deal marketed by Ed4Mil, a Pennsylvania-based company, veterans could use their Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition benefits to enroll in online courses offered by Caldwell, authorities said. The bill was designed specifically to help veterans who served in the armed forces following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The online classes were not offered by Caldwell University or taught by the universitys staff, according to court documents. Instead, they were low-cost correspondence courses that were not eligible for the GI Bill.

But Caldwell University submitted false claims for payment for the courses to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from Jan. 1, 2011 through Aug. 8, 2013, Carpenito said. The agency administers the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Three people previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to the scheme, federal prosecutors said.

Lisa DiBisceglie, the former associate dean of the office of external partnerships at Caldwell, and Helen Sechrist, a former employee of Ed4Mil, pleaded guilty in 2017 in federal court in Newark to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The womens guilty pleas followed the indictment of David Alvey, 40, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the founder and president of Ed4Mil, one year earlier.

Alvey was sentenced on June 4, 2018, to five years in prison and DiBisceglie and Sechrist were each sentenced on June 5, 2018, to three years of probation, according to the statement. The trio were also ordered to pay $24 million in restitution.

Ed4Mil falsely claimed on government applications that the classes offered to the veterans were approved Caldwell classes and not correspondence courses taught by an online company, according to court documents.

The government was charged between $4,500 and $26,000 per course, instead of the $600 to $1,000 per course the correspondence company charged for the same classes, federal prosecutors said.

The $24 million in tuition benefits collected through the GI Bill was allegedly paid to Caldwell University, which then turned over between 85 percent and 90 percent of the money to Ed4Mil, according to court documents.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

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N.J. university will pay millions for role in defrauding government program for veterans - NJ.com

Despite the controversies in Maszlee Maliks tenure, a large number of Malaysians have banded together to urge Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to reinstate him as education minister.

Maszlee publicly resigned from his post on Thursday (Jan 2), after consultation with the PM.

Just hours after the announcement, an online petition on change.org titled Keep YB Maszlee Malik as Minister of Education Malaysia was started by a netizen identified only as Tuah Kencana.

In less than 24 hours, it had already garnered 297,977 signatures.

According to a translation by the Malay Mail, Tuah wrote in the petition that Maszlees contributions and efforts were shadowed by unfavourable reportssensationalised by parties with a vested interest.

The decision to resign is a huge loss to the nation, the petitioner wrote. Representing community groups, we request that YB Prime Minister, as the foremost statesman, to reinstate Maszlee Malik to shoulder responsibilities as Malaysias education minister.

The petition reportedly had an initial target of 75,000 signatures, but this was later increased to 500,000, after it crossed the 100,000 mark at 9pm on Thursday, and then the 200,000 mark an hour later.

Possible replacements for Maszlee

In a separate report, Malay Mail also cited sources as saying that former Umno minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed andBersatu secretary-general Datuk Marzuki Yahaya were both likely replacements for Maszlee.

Mustapa was also said to be Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysias favourite candidate, Malay Mail reported.

Maszlee, who was appointed education minister in 2018,wasreported by The Staras saying in a media conference that he was subject to public criticism over issues that were played up, despite the successes his ministry had.

I have been seen to be the cause of many crises, including the Jawi calligraphy issue, Internet at schools and the free breakfast programme.

However, I believe I have placed a foundation and a clear framework for the ministry to follow, The Star reported him as saying.

Meanwhile, The Star quoted Prime Minister Dr Mahathir as saying that he was thankful for Maszlees service, and will announce his successor soon.

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Less than a day after resigning, almost 300,000 people have petitioned for Maszlee to return as Education Minister - Business Insider

FILE - In this May 20, 2013 file photo, graduates pose for photographs during commencement at Yale ... [+] University in New Haven, Conn. There's still plenty of pomp and circumstance, inspiring words from lofty speakers and tossing tassels, but today's college graduation ceremonies include many a contemporary twist. In 1984, according to some estimates, only half of graduates had debt from college loans, averaging about $2,000. Now, two-thirds of recent bachelor's degree recipients have outstanding student loans, with an average debt of about $27,000, according to a Pew Research Center report. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

As 2020 dawns, here a few items from education, higher education and education technology that are moving, and moving enough to develop into trends for next year and beyond. It is less a prediction list than a dont be too surprised if list.

Less Transparency in LMS

Investors and shareholders are negotiating a proposed sale of Canvas, the market leader in learning management systems (LMS) the integrated online platforms that manage classroom and college activities for teachers, students and administrators. A private equity interest wants to take over the public company, making it private.

If that sale happens, the top three LMS companies, controlling 80% of the multi-billion dollar market, will be private. Blackboard, the second-leading provider with about 31% share, went from public to private when it was bought by an equity fund in 2011.

Since these investment houses arent dumb the proposed Canvas sale is reportedly worth $2 billion we can assume theres profit to be made in the LMS game. And since private investors disclose less than public ones, schools, especially public and non-profit schools, will have to decide how comfortable they are feeding an increasingly murky, speculative market. So, dont be surprised if college boards and presidents start asking more questions about these private investors and start shifting to more open source options or move to cut out the middleman entirely and launch their own, proprietary LMS systems.

Campus Tech Will Get Even More Creepy

This year, we started to see stories about what campus education technology can do track were on campus students are or are not, for example. And thats just the start.

Systems exist already that can track where a student is on campus and alert them, and school leaders, if theyre spending too much time in the cafeteria, for example. Connected campus tech can and will try to remind students to review specific materials while theyre already in the library or give them turn by turn directions to the four of their classmates congregating in a study room.

Existing systems can also scan the faces of students while theyre in class, assess their eye movements and alert the teacher when a student is losing interest, producing engagement scores for both students and teachers.

If they dont already, schools will soon know how much a student studied, where, with whom and how much they paid attention in class. Information like that can help schools prevent falling behind, dropouts and more serious consequences. So, dont be surprised if tech companies convince some schools to quietly pilot these technologies, raising fierce objections from just about everyone or so we should hope.

The Beginning of the End of For-Profits

Its been a bad year for for-profit colleges. More high-profile closures, more fines and settlements for fraud, continued bad outcomes and accelerating, deep declines in enrollments. In that climate, several for-profits sought exits. But those exits havent been clear.

For-profit Kaplan University sold itself to public Purdue University for one dollar and a healthy management deal. But the early returns show the venture losing money, likely poisoning the well for similar public or non-profit buyouts, even for a dollar.

Other for-profits have tried to convince the IRS they are actually non-profit schools by selling the school to a non-profit company they own, then hiring themselves to manage the school. But recently, the Department of Education ruled that was not going to work and ordered one school to stop calling itself a non-profit. So that cynical exit is cluttered too.

With dwindling exit options, continued bad press and a drag on online education, 2020 looks dark and dank for the for-profits. With a presidential election that could replace Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the patron saint of for-profit colleges, 2021 and beyond could be even worse. So, dont be surprised if the remaining for-profit colleges simply wind down or radically shift their business models to lightly regulated overseas education or workforce training and get out of the accredited degree market altogether.

Online Education Limits

Colleges have been living on online education milking it for profit margins to pay their bills and using it eek out enrollment growth in an otherwise flat or falling pool of perspective students. And while online learning is still growing, its slowing down. Online enrollment growth is below 2% annually now.

Added to slowing growth is that online students are increasingly taking online programs from schools closer and closer to home. In 2019, 67% of online college students enroll at schools within 50 miles of their residence, that number was 44% in 2012. That localization means a school with online programs based in New Mexico, as an example, is increasingly less likely to attract students from elsewhere, but more likely to get their local share.

Third, and related, the number of adult learners going to school continues to slide. Enrollments by students older than 24 were down nearly 3% in 2019 and its been in decline since 2011. Since older students tend to favor online learning settings that fit their life and career demands, fewer of them means fewer potential online students.

So, dont be surprised if online programs start to lose their luster as growth engines for schools. They probably wont fade just yet but the slow down, declining pool and increased local competition may reduce their investment appeal, slowing them down even further.

Coding/Tech Skill Models Go to College

It was not too long ago that coding and software bootcamps the short, highly intensive learn-to-code technology programs were the rage of education, the new model for fast, career-ready education. They sprang up like weeds. Many have closed, pivoted or are still searching for funding formulae that work.

That does not mean the education is bad, the model of a stand-alone, for-profit coding camp was. This year, new models emerged. For example, MakeSchool, which started as a college replacement because computer science degrees didnt teach many skills relevant to their careers, has now partnered with an accredited college to offer a Bachelors Degree in computer science.

Thats not a failure, thats smart because colleges have valuable things coding camps never did alternative revenue streams, existing students, community credibility, brand awareness and rent-free teaching space. And coding camps had an up-to-date sexiness that colleges were thought to lack. So, dont be surprised if bootcamps continue to diminish as colleges completely co-opt their programs through partnerships or white label providers like GreenFig.

Those trends feel like safe bets for 2020 but, obviously, no one knows. Less safe bets but still plausible developments for 2020 include the major college cheating scandal-in-waiting and more states moving to make college free. Implausible ones, like the public realizing that student debt is not a crisis, seem too far-fetched to even imagine. But by any neutral definition, 2019 we a very eventful year in education, 2020 looks to be no different.

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Dont Be Surprised If These Five Things Happen In Education In 2020 - Forbes

January 02, 2020 03:00 ET | Source: ChildCare Education Institute

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Duluth, GA, Jan. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), an online child care training provider dedicated exclusively to the early care and education workforce, offersCUR125: Loose Parts: Incorporating Found Objects and Open-Ended Materials into the Classroom as a no-cost trial course to new CCEI users January 1-31, 2020.

AccordingtoLisaDalyandMiriamBeloglovsky,authorsofthebookLoose Parts: Inspiring Play in Young Children, loose partsarealluring, beautiful, found objects and materials that children can move, manipulate, control, and change while they play. Hereareafewadditionalfeaturesoflooseparts:

Open-ended loose parts, such as items from nature, have multiple outcomes. They can become anything the child wants them to be. Loose parts can be combined with traditional learning materials to promote a wide variety of developmental skills. The versatility of loose parts provides children with endless ways to create. Combining loose part materials will expand the learning possibilities of these experiences.

Theuseofloosepartscansupportchildrenintheirphysical development both in large motor skills (the way they use their arms and legs) and fine motor skills (hands and fingers). Teachers can help children progress in these skills by giving them plentiful opportunities to use different equipment and materials. Providing materials that require a child to practice their pincer grasp or adding tree stumps to your outside area gives children a chance to explore new materials and build on physical skills.

Children prefer materials that give them the opportunity to be creative, be curious and be independent. One of the most effective ways to encourage this is to incorporate materials in your classroom that support children's natural curiosity. In this course, participants will explore theory, implementation and ways to include loose parts into their curriculum in developmentally appropriate ways. After this course, participants will have the tools and strategies to embark on their own loose parts journey that will benefit children's learning on all levels.

ECE professionals will benefit from the content of this course as they deepen their understanding of the benefits of loose parts exploration in early learning environments, says Maria C. Taylor, President and CEO of CCEI. By implementing loose parts exploration in the classroom, teachers will be adding another curriculum and child engagement strategy to their practice. Children will also benefit from these open ended experiences as they strengthen their creativity, problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities.

CUR125: Loose Parts: Incorporating Found Objects and Open-Ended Materials into the Classroom to is a two-hour, intermediate-level course and grants 0.2 IACET CEU upon successful completion. Current CCEI users with active, unlimited annual subscriptions can register for professional development courses at no additional cost when logged in to their CCEI account. Users without subscriptions can purchase child care training courses as block hours through CCEI online enrollment.

For more information, visit http://www.cceionline.edu or call 1.800.499.9907, prompt 3, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST

ChildCare Education Institute, LLC

ChildCare Education Institute, a division of Excelligence Learning Corporation, provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings, including preschool centers, family child care, prekindergarten classrooms, nanny care, online daycare training and more. Over 150 English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start Requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard training provider, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

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ChildCare Education Institute Offers No-Cost Online Course on Loose Parts: Incorporating Found Objects and Open-Ended Materials into the Classroom -...

You can wager on anything in Las Vegas. Well, almost. I have yet to see the over/under on whether the State Board of Education will pass the next LCAP revision. Thats why I created my own currency, the Fenster redeemable in EdSource swag if we open an online store. For now, Fensters are only worth bragging rights on my annual predictions column.

A year ago, I invited you to fill out your own bet sheet. Its time to bring it out of the safe deposit box and look to the end of the column for how you did.

Meanwhile, lets get to work on 2020. The prediction scale ranges from 1 to 5 Fensters, with 1meaning no chance and 5 meaning highly likely.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is feeling the big squeeze. Grassroots community groups, unions like the California Teachers Association, and city and school officials are pressing him to back their initiative, Schools and Communities First, which likely will qualify for the November ballot. The split-roll initiative would amend Proposition 13s property tax restrictions to increase taxes on commercial and business properties but not on homeowners. About 40 percent of the $12 billion it would generate would go to K-12 and community colleges.

Newsom has acknowledged that K-12 and early ed need more money. Hes for overall tax reform, too. But hes been silent about this initiative, which is polling with under 50 percent support among California voters.

Some possibilities.

The dodge: Hell avoid making a decision.

Likelihood that Newsom will put index fingers to ears and say Next question when asked about it:

The compromise: Some education advocates are calling on Newsom to cut a deal with the Legislature and Prop. 13 reformers to put a different tax plan on the ballot. It will take arduous work to get an agreement.

Likelihood that Newsom will try and succeed in putting an alternative tax on the ballot:

The delay: The California School Boards Association is vowing to put an income tax increase on the 2022 ballot. Newsom could say hell build a consensus for tax reform then, coinciding with his re-election campaign, assuming he chooses to run again.

Likelihood hell say 2022 will be the year for a new tax:

A reluctant yes: This is not mutually exclusive to the delay. And he wont be blamed if the split-roll initiative loses.

Likelihood Newsom will support the split roll but not campaign for it:

There is a tax increase that Newsom is behind, a $15 billion school construction bond to benefit K-12, community colleges, California State University and University of California on the March 3 ballot. Newsom negotiated the terms, which will target more state aid to rural and low-wealth districts, and it will appear as Prop. 13 by quirk of circumstance. Though also flagging in the latest poll, prospects will brighten with the support of Newsom and key business groups.

Likelihood that the construction bond will pass:

With worries about a recession this year dimming, Newsom should have several billion more in Proposition 98 funding for K-12 and community colleges. Last year, he committed nearly all ongoing increases to the Local Control Funding Formula. He then used one-time General Fund spending to provide billions in short-term pension cost relief and invest in early education. Education advocates applauded.

Likelihood that Newsom will reprise last years hits, with at least an additional billion in short-term pension help and tens of millions in increases for child-care and preschool funding:

Likelihood that Newsom will provide hundreds of millions of additional money for special education:

Likelihood that Newsom will funnel significant money to improve the teaching of math and science. This is more of a hope than a prediction, but continuing stagnant test scores and vast achievement gaps, despite the promise of new math standards, demand state attention. I dont know the form it will take and Newsom wont call it categorical funding but it will (or should) happen in the May revision:

Last year, there were high-profile strikes in Los Angeles and Oakland, with a wildcat strike in Sacramento. No big-district walkouts are on the horizon, but tensions are high in many of the states nearly 1,000 school districts. Striking teachers will reinforce the CTAs call for more education funding.

Likelihood of five or more teacher strikes this year:

In an audit last fall, State Auditor Elaine Howle criticized school districts for either not clearly accounting for or misusing state funding targeted for low-income, foster and English learner students. She called for significantly tighter rules for spending and transparency under the Local Control Funding Formula.

Likelihood that Newsom will negotiate a bill to make it significantly easier to track and compare districts supplemental and concentration spending for high-needs students:

In 2019, Newsom negotiated a rewrite of the charter school law that will give school districts more power to reject charter schools without eviscerating the sector, as charter school backers feared. The compromise quieted the charter war in Sacramento, but like the celebrated but short-lived Christmas Truce of 1914, it will ferociously resume on the local front, in battles over the election of school boards and county board of education trustees. As usual, all eyes will be on Los Angeles Unified.

Likelihood that teachers unions and charter school donors will spend record amounts on school board elections in 2020:

Within the next few months, a faculty committee will recommend whether the University of California should stop requiring applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. Opponents of the college admissions tests, like UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, argue they compound the difficulties that low-income, African-American and Hispanic applicants face in getting into UC.

Likelihood that UC will drop the requirement and study whether the states Smarter Balanced tests can be used as an admissions factor instead:

Early this year, the California State University trustees will decide whether to require applicants to have taken an additional, fourth year of math or a course using quantitative skills, like a lab or computer science. Strong opposition remains, despite plan revisions that would push back the implementation date, exempt high schools that dont offer enough courses and permit less rigorous courses like personal finance.

Likelihood that CSU will adopt the proposal:

Task forces and studies for years have called for reforming Californias complicated system of serving students with disabilities. Newsom took initial steps last year, funding preschool special ed and college grants for special ed teachers. This year, hell announce a multi-year effort to fully remake the system.

Likelihood that special education will be Newsoms top K-12 priority this year:

Who will win Californias presidential primary March 3? It could easily be Pete Sanders, Joe Yang or Elizabeth Klobuchar. In other words, I have no idea. Nonetheless, likelihood that Biden will edge out Warren:

Heres the score for 2019: The late George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, once said, Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing.

Excuse me while I puff out my chest: By my own low expectations, I did great in 2019.

Predictions were rated on the familiar scale of 1 to 5 Fensters.

Charter schools

As predicted, it was a momentous year, with a full rewrite of the states charter school law.

Likelihood that open meetings, public records and conflict of interest requirements will pass (an easy bet).

Likelihood the Legislature would curb the right of charter schools to appeal a charter denial. (Wrong: The ability to appeal to county offices of education was preserved.)

Likelihood the Legislature would eliminate additional appeals to the state board. (Not eliminated but significantly pared back.)

Likelihood that either a moratorium on charter schools or a bill allowing a district to weigh the potential financial impact of charter schools would pass. (Yes: A big win for teachers unions and school districts)

Teachers strikes

Likelihood that Los Angeles Unified and United Teachers Los Angeles would settle before a scheduled strike on Jan. 10. (Easy call; they didnt.)

Likelihood a strike in L.A. Unified would last until the Martin Luther King holiday on Jan. 21. (On the money; they settled a day later)

Likelihood that teachers in a half-dozen or more districts in California also would strike this year. (By our count, L.A. Unified, Oakland Unified, New Haven Unified, West Sonoma County Union High School District and a short wildcat strike in Sacramento City Unified make five.)

School construction

Likelihood of a pre-K to community college construction bond on the 2020 ballot. (Right: Prop. 13 will be on March ballot with CSU, UC thrown in.)

Likelihood the bond will include significant revisions in the state allocation system. (Wrong: Gov. Newsom demanded and got the changes.)

11th-grade testing

Likelihood Gov. Newsom would sign a bill allowing SAT or ACT in place of state Smarter Balanced tests (Wrong: He vetoed it.)

Public Pensions

Likelihood that the California Supreme Court would chip away at grandfathered pension benefits for current workers. (Court skirted the issue in a narrow decision.)

School funding

Likelihood that Newsom will allocate only the minimum amount of funding for K-12 and community colleges under Proposition 98 (Wrong: He went beyond the minimum with more than $3 billion for pension relief and scholarships for new teachers in high-demand subjects.)

Higher taxes

Likelihood that education groups and sponsors of an initiative to raise property taxes on business and commercial properties would negotiate a measure for the 2020 ballot. (It didnt happen in 2019 but its still possible in early 2020 see new predictions.)

Universal preschool

Likelihood that Newsom would lay out a multi-year plan for state-subsidized preschool for all low-income children. (Close enough: funding for 10,000 more slots and money for a master plan.)

Movement on data

Likelihood that in 2019, Newsom and legislative leaders create a timeline and a plan for a statewide data system. (Yes, they did.)

Free community college tuition

Likelihood that Newsom would include enough funding to provide a second year of free tuition to community colleges. (Basically, yes, for taking a full course load.)

Exit Betsy DeVos

Likelihood that DeVos will quit in 2019. (Often belittled in the press, largely ignored by the president, she persists.)

Originally posted here:
California education issues to watch in 2020 and predictions of what will happen - EdSource

China Online Education Group (NYSE:COE) and Learning Tree International (OTCMKTS:LTRE) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and earnings.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for China Online Education Group and Learning Tree International, as reported by MarketBeat.

Risk and Volatility

China Online Education Group has a beta of 0.76, meaning that its share price is 24% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Learning Tree International has a beta of 0.31, meaning that its share price is 69% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares China Online Education Group and Learning Tree Internationals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

7.2% of China Online Education Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 7.5% of Learning Tree International shares are owned by institutional investors. 57.7% of Learning Tree International shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares China Online Education Group and Learning Tree Internationals gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Learning Tree International has lower revenue, but higher earnings than China Online Education Group.

Summary

Learning Tree International beats China Online Education Group on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About China Online Education Group

China Online Education Group, through its subsidiaries, provides online English language education services to students in the People's Republic of China and the Philippines. It operates online and mobile education platforms that enable students to take live interactive English lessons with international foreign teachers. The company's flagship courses include Classic English and Classic English Junior for the development of English communication skills. It also offers American Academy and Small Class courses; 51 Talk New Concept English course; and various specialty courses, such as Business English, IELTS Speaking, Free-talk, Interview English, Travel English, and Daily English for situation-based English education and test preparation needs. China Online Education Group was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

About Learning Tree International

Learning Tree International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, markets, and delivers a library of instructor-led classroom courses for professional development needs of information technology (IT) professionals and managers worldwide. It offers education and training courses across a range of technical and management disciplines, such as operating systems, databases, computer networks, cyber and network security, Web development, programming languages, software engineering, open source applications, project management, business skills, leadership, and professional development. The company also provides courses through its proprietary live online learning platform, Learning Tree AnyWare that allow individuals at any location to participate online in instructor-led classes conducted live in its Education Centers, at customer locations, or at other facilities; and workforce optimization solutions to support an IT organization's life-cycle of workforce development needs. As of September 29, 2018, its library of instructor-led courses comprised 299 instructor-led course titles, including 181 multi-day IT course titles, 82 multi-day management course titles, and 36 one-day course titles. The company markets and sells its course offerings through direct and electronic mail, telemarketing, and field sales channels. It serves national and multinational companies, government organizations, and small and medium-size companies. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Learning Tree International, Inc. is a subsidiary of The Kevin Ross Gruneich Legacy Trust.

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China Online Education Group (NYSE:COE) vs. Learning Tree International (NYSE:LTRE) Head to Head Comparison - Riverton Roll

The Sioux nickname was retired in 2012 after a decades-long fight over the name.

The nickname change was a defining part of the decade for UND, a part of an era filled with change and some contention.

By the time June 2012 came and went North Dakotans voted that it was time to move on from the Fighting Sioux name and onto something new. It wouldnt be the end of the fight, though.

In July 2015, a committee tasked with finding UNDs next nickname eliminated the option for the school to play without a nickname. The decision sparked ire and drew protests. Former UND President Robert Kelley said he would reconsider the decision amid public uproar but, ultimately, didn't include it in the vote.

Later that year the five names -- the Fighting Hawks, Nodaks, North Stars, Roughriders and Sundogs -- were put out for a vote, with Fighting Hawks ultimately winning and a new logo being unveiled in June 2016.

But the transition hasnt been easy.

The nickname change was painful for many on campus and continues to be a sore spot for some donors, UND Alumni Association & Foundation CEO DeAnna Carlson Zink said in a recent interview reflecting on the decade.

Thoughts on the topic are wide and varying, she said, noting she doesnt want to speak for all alumni on the subject.

I think weve come quite a good way, she said. We have some alumni who have embraced the new name fully and some that probably never will embrace it. Then we have those in between that understand why we are where we are and yet love the history of the Fighting Sioux nickname.

Carlson Zink said, as the foundations development officers are out on the road, they dont hear as much about the nickname change as they did a few years ago, but theyre always open to having the discussion, if need be.

Its not a s big of a topic as it was at the start of the decade, she said. Its really kind of quieted down.

Mark Kennedy era lasts just three years: Former UND President Mark Kennedys time came and went quickly for the university. Kennedy, who began the position on July 1, 2016, had a tenure filled with controversy and some success. The former president dealt with severe budget cuts during his first legislative session in 2017. Later that year he would also help introduce a new strategic plan for the university, which it continues to use even after his departure earlier this spring.

Kennedy is now the president of the University of Colorado system.

Kennedy was a polarizing figure for many in the community. High-profile donor Kris Engelstad McGarry, trustee of the Engelstad Family Foundation, publicly stated the Engelstad Foundation would not give any direct funds to the university so long as Kennedy was president. The two had a public feud in 2018. Others, meanwhile, praised him for his work on UNDs strategic plan.

Former UND President Mark Kennedy answers questions during a 2016 meeting with the Grand Forks Herald Editorial Board. Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald

Masses of faculty removed amid budget cuts: Amid declining state revenues, UND saw significant cuts during the past decade.

Between 2014 and 2017, the university had shed about 600 workers, the Herald reported in 2017.

Falling state revenues ahead of the 2017 legislative session led to a systemwide cut of about $212 million for the 2017-19 biennium -- a 25% drop in appropriated dollars from an adjusted total of general fund spending through the previous two-year budget period.

UND's portion was about $32 million, a cut that led to an across-campus budget contraction of 12%.

UND institutes new strategic plan: UND added a new strategic plan in 2017. The five-year, UND plan will help steer the university over the next few years.

The goals include providing a strong undergraduate liberal arts foundation, increasing graduation and retention rates, delivering a variety of enrollment opportunities for students, becoming a high-level research institution, becoming more inclusive, meeting the educational needs for veterans and military personnel and engaging alumni.

UND cuts womens hockey, swimming programs: In March 2017, amid a sizable drop in state funding, UND cut its womens hockey program and its mens and womens swimming and diving teams.

"This was a difficult decision," former UND Athletic Director Brian Faison said at the time. "It's a sad day when opportunities for our student-athletes are reduced. The university is going through campus-wide, state-mandated budget cuts. As a part of the university, we needed to do what is in the long-term, best interests of the university, as well as the best interests of the athletic department."

The elimination of the womens hockey program sent shock waves through the region, the Herald reported.

UND had a dozen Olympians in the teams history, including prominent Grand Forks natives and twin sisters Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux.

A discrimination lawsuit about the elimination of the womens hockey program was filed against the North Dakota University System in 2018 and dismissed in 2019.

Monique Lamoureux is greeted by girls hockey players in Grand Forks at the Ralph Engelstad Arena as she and her twin sister, Jocelyne, celebrate with the community after arriving back with gold medals from the recent Olympics. photo by Eric Hylden/Forum News Service

Enrollment hits an all-time high, then drops: Enrollment hit an all-time high at UND in 2012 with more than 15,200 students. Since then, enrollment has been declining slightly, following a nationwide trend.

UNDs fall 2019 enrollment was about 13,580, which is down from fall 2018.

Meloney Linder, UND vice president for marketing and communications, previously told the Herald that the university was not surprised by the slight drop in enrollment. Two years ago the university changed the number of required credits for students to take, from 125 to 120. Linder said university officials knew that would impact the number of enrolled students at UND and had budgeted for the change.

Online enrollment climbs: While on-campus enrollment has taken a hit over the past few years, UND is doing well in its online enrollment.

Online enrollment has changed the higher education landscape, Jeff Holm, UNDs vice provost for online education and strategic planning, said in a Herald interview in June 2019.

No longer can you be content to compete for students and draw students and attract students from your local region, Holm said.

UND leads the region for online-exclusive students with more than 3,500 students enrolled in online-only courses throughout the country. Thousands of on-campus students are also taking online classes.

Campus construction: In an effort to reduce the universitys deferred maintenance mountain, several campus buildings have been torn down in the past decade.

UNDs long-standing student union was torn down in 2019. Students voted near the end of 2018 to build a new $80 million Memorial Union.

Much of University Avenue also was rebuilt in 2019 with new crosswalks and other areas being constructed

Additionally, the university, thanks to help from the North Dakota Legislature, built a new School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

A rendering, provided by UND, illustrates what the new Memorial Union would look like.

Fundraising hits an all-time high: Donations to the UND Alumni Association & Foundation reached an all-time high in 2019, amid much change and controversy at the university.

The foundation raised $67.7 million at the end of the 2019 fiscal year.

The record is nearly twice the amount brought in the previous year. The previous record was $49.9 million set in fiscal year 2011.

Of that money, $20 million was donated by Werner and Colleen Nistler for a new business school.

The couple donated the lead gift of $20 million toward the construction of the new building on the UND campus. The project is estimated to cost $70 million. The North Dakota Legislature earlier this year voted to match the Nistlers' $20 million donation if the university was able to raise the additional money.

Werner Nistler earned an accounting degree from UND in 1968. He is founder and chairman of Touchmark, which owns 14 full-service senior living communities in 10 states and one Canadian province. Colleen Nistler is the vice chairperson. The company is based in Oregon. The couple live in the Portland area.

DeAnna Carlson Zink, UND Alumni Association & Foundation CEOEric Hylden / Forum News Service

New UND president Andrew Armacost named: With the departure of Kennedy in the spring of 2019, it was time for the State Board of Higher Education to find the next president of the university.

The State Board of Higher Education chose Andrew Armacost on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Armacost, former dean of the faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy, will be the 13th leader of the university.

Nick Hacker, chair of the State Board of Higher Education, selected Armacost because of his deep passion for service and love for students.

As you listened and read about him (you learned he) is someone who is a real, true servant leader, Hacker said. I really look forward to seeing his leadership style here.

The boards decision was praised across campus.

Armacost will begin his duties on June 1. His annual salary is $369,800.

Newly named UND president Andrew Armacost answers questions Tuesday, Dec. 3, following the announcement at UND's Energy and Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks. Photo by Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald

Defining the Decade schedule

Editor's note: This is the seventh in a series of headlining stories from the past decade.

Already online: Herald reporter Ann Bailey recaps the top agriculture stories of the decade, including the recent historic losses as farmers left massive numbers of crops in the fields due to adverse weather.

Already online: Herald journalist Pamela Knudson highlights the issues the Grand Forks school district has faced in the past 10 years, including a revitalization in arts facilities and a look at school building needs.

Already online: Grand Forks business writer Adam Kurtz tabulates the area's top financial and economic moments and noting the positive impacts created by Grand Sky.

Already online: Herald photographer Eric Hylden shares the top photos of decade, and Brad Dokken takes aim at the top 10 stories in the outdoors.

Already online: Herald reporter Hannah Shirley turns the key on crime and courts, highlighting the impacts of opioids and gun violence

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 1: Community editor Sydney Mook chooses the UND stories of the decade, and the Herald's sports department kicks off its top 10 stories.

THURSDAY, Jan. 2: Grand Forks reporter Joe Bowen looks at the top issues for Grand Forks.

FRIDAY, Jan. 3: Reporter Sam Easter puts the spotlight on East Grand Forks, including the closing of Whitey's.

See more here:
Defining a Decade: UND's nickname change is Herald's top UND story of past 10 years - Grand Forks Herald

An extensive analysis of the Online Education Market strategy of the leading companies in the precision of import/export consumption, supply and demand figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. The report starts by an introduction about the company profiling and a comprehensive review about the strategy concept and the tools that can be used to assess and analyze strategy. It also analyzes the companys strategy in the light of Porters Value Chain, Porters Five Forces, SWOT analysis, and recommendation on Balanced Scorecard for supply chain analysis considering few players like The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Think & Learn Private Limited, Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Tamil Virtual Academy, Medvarsity Online Limited etc.

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Summary

Indian online education market

Online education or e-learning refers to a learning system based primarily on formalised teaching with the help of electronic resources such as computers and internet services. Improvement in internet connectivity and digitization are facilitating the growth of the online education market in India. This type of education is delivered in various ways, which include online courses, massive open online courses (MOOCs), hybrid or blended courses and certification courses among others.

Corporate tie-ups help in the co-creation of industry certified content, which has helped to increase the acceptance of online education among the target user base. Currently, students and professionals (especially IT) are the chief patrons taking up various online education courses. Improved internet connectivity and digital payment options, coupled with the introduction of new learning methodologies such as blended learning and flipped learning is driving the growth of the online education market in India.

Market segmentation

The online education market in India is segmented by category into primary and secondary supplemental education, test preparation, reskilling and online certifications, higher education, and language and casual learning. Test preparation market is expected to be the largest growing segment due to the increase in the number of students opting for competitive exams such as engineering medical exams, and also due to rise in the number of exams for working professionals such as bank probationary officer (PO), union public service commission (UPSC), common admission test (CAT) and graduate management admission test (GMAT) among others. It is segmented by type into vocational education, learning management system (LMS) and virtual schools.

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Key growth factors

Lower infrastructure cost coupled with larger student base leverages economies of scale and lower cost. Online skill enhancement courses are far cheaper than offline alternatives, due to the availability of several free courses. (MOOCs) provide free online courses to different universities, such as Harvard University, Berkeley University of California, Boston University and so on, on key subjects such as computer science, data science, business and management, which are available for anyone to enrol themselves

Increase in disposable income is egging the young population to enhance their skills for higher growth. The young population with high aspirations but lower income is a good target market for online education. Further, the acceptability of online channels is also higher in the younger demographic

Threats and key players

Familiarity with offline education system poses a major barrier for online education. Online education is still considered a second class citizen in the education system, and thus, its recognition is limited to institutions of service. Limited availability of internet in remote locations act as a barrier to growth

The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Think & Learn Private Limited, Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Tamil Virtual Academy, Medvarsity Online Limited, Vedantu Innovations Private Limited, AEON Learning Private Limited, are some of the major players operating in the online education market in India

What is covered in the report?

1. Overview of the online education market

2. Historical, current and forecasted market size data for the online education market (2016 to 2023)

3. Qualitative analysis of the online education market and its segments, by category (primary and secondary supplemental education, test preparation, reskilling and online certifications, higher education and language and casual learning) and by type (vocational education, learning management system, virtual schools)

4. Qualitative analysis of the major drivers and challenges affecting the market

5. Analysis of the competitive landscape and profiles of major players operating in the market

6. Key recent developments associated with the online education market in India

Why buy?

1. Get a broad understanding of the online education market in India, the dynamics of the market and current state of the sector

2. Strategize marketing, market entry, market expansion and other business plans by understanding the factors driving growth in the market

3. Be informed regarding the key developments in the online education market in India

4. Understand major competitors business strategies and market dynamics and respond accordingly to benefit from the market

Customizations Available

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Chapter 1: Executive Summary

Chapter 2: Socio-economic indicators

Chapter 3: Introduction

3.1. Online education market definition and structure

Chapter 4: Online education market in India overview

4.1. Online education market size and growth forecast value-wise

4.2. Online education market- user base and growth forecast

Chapter 5: Online education market in India segmentation

5.1. Category-wise

5.1.1. Primary and secondary supplemental education market size and growth forecast value-wise

5.1.2. Test preparation market size and growth forecast value-wise

5.1.3. Reskilling and online certifications market size and growth

.Continued

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Excellent Result in Online Education Market in India, Grab the Opportunity - News Cast Report