Education changes are underway in many places — possibly including New York City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to use student test scores as one factor in teacher tenure decisions.

The fight with the teachers’ union is expected to be bitter. But Bloomberg makes an excellent point in the closing quote below, as reported by the New York Times:

The city already uses test scores in evaluating the system: to determine teacher and principal bonus pay, to assign the A through F letter grades that schools receive and to decide which schools are shut down for poor performance. The mayor is now putting even more weight behind those scores by using them to decide which teachers should stay and which should go.

The Bloomberg administration contends that it already has the power to use test scores in tenure decisions. But, he said that the Legislature should require all districts in the state to evaluate teachers and principals with “data-driven systems,” one of the factors Education Secretary Arne Duncan will use in deciding which states will receive Race to the Top grants.

The mayor also said the state should allow teacher layoffs based on performance rather than seniority, as they are now.

“The only thing worse than having to lay off teachers would be laying off great teachers instead of failing teachers,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “With a transparent new evaluation system, principals would have the ability to make layoffs based on merit — but only if the State Legislature gives us the authority to do it.”
 

The Indiana Chamber has pointed out during the course of the year that one of the unfortunate aspects of the state unemployment insurance tax increase passed into law in April was the likelihood of higher unemployment. Why? Companies already faced with a still sputtering economy would be forced to lay off more people to pay the additional tax.

Fortunately, in Indiana, a one-year delay in that tax increase has been proposed — and hopefully will pass early in the 2010 General Assembly session. In a recent story, the Associated Press described the problem on a national level. It included an interview with a longtime Indiana Chamber supporter (and former board of directors chairman).

A brief excerpt:

Employers already are squeezed by tight credit, rising health care costs, wary consumers and a higher minimum wage. Now, the surging jobless rate is imposing another cost. It’s forcing higher state taxes on companies to pay for unemployment insurance claims.

• Chuck Ferrar, who owns a liquor store in Annapolis, Md., expects to pay $9,000 in unemployment taxes next year, up from $3,000 this year. Health care costs for his employees will rise by $8,000, or 17.5 percent. "When you start adding this up, it turns into real money," he said. "If I lose an employee through attrition, I will not replace him. You can’t afford to do it."

• Sam Schlosser, owner of Plymouth Foundry Inc. in Plymouth, Ind., said his unemployment tax bill could double next year. Revenue at the family-owned company, which makes iron castings for machine parts, has fallen about 50 percent, he said. In case of higher taxes, his company may have to consider layoffs, he said.

• Marjorie Feldman-Wood, president of Al’s Beverages in East Windsor, Conn., which makes soda fountain syrup, said higher taxes would make pay raises less likely. Connecticut is borrowing from the federal government, and employers fear the state will have to raise taxes soon to repay the loan. "There’s only so much money at the end of the day," she said.

Bruce Meyer, a University of Chicago economics professor, said his studies show that higher unemployment taxes usually lead to lower pay for employees.

And this from the New York Times:

It works like insurance. If the government pays a claim, your rates go up. In fact, if your former employee collects $10,000 in unemployment payments, you can expect to pay close to twice that in increased premiums. At least that’s how it works in my state, Illinois.

And now, thanks to the stimulus package, unemployment insurance has been extended as much as an additional 20 weeks. If you’ve had to lay off 10 people, this could easily result in additional taxes of $10,000, $50,000, or even $100,000. It’s a time bomb that won’t go off until after employers get their contribution-rate increase, but it will go off.

And therein lies the final irony: Even after the economy improves, I’m going to think long and hard before I hire anyone. Thanks to the stimulus package — the stimulus package — the costs, paperwork, and legal exposure associated with hiring employees is on the rise. 

Let’s cut to the chase: As a state, Indiana has ranks 43rd in workforce education level, according to Kauffman State New Economy Index 2007. That simply doesn’t cut it.

So would you like to reduce your training costs, spend less time on training administration or increase your staff’s productivity and skills? The Indiana Chamber and Ready Indiana now have what you’re looking for.

Learn more at www.indianachamber.com/elearn. A limited number of scholarships are also available for businesses with less than 50 people, as well.

Among employees who say their company offers poor or no training, 41% plan to leave within a year. Of those who say their company offers excellent training, only 12% plan to leave. – Louis Harris and Associates poll

"What are these iPods you speak of? Do you grow peas in them?"

If you’re like me, each time you visit Conner Prairie, you end up trying to fool the blacksmith’s apprentice or a shop clerk into offering an anachronistic reply of some sort. And each time, their unbreakable collective savvy sends you home with nary a victory — just an abundance of good times, new knowledge and a mouthful of rock candy. But today we give high praise to the interactive historical museum in Fishers (and Indiana Chamber member) for its own victory in earning the International Association of Amusement Park and Attractions Spirit of Excellence Award for guest services training. Strong work by one of Indiana’s true gems:

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park is among an elite, international group of award winners from the International Association of Amusement Park and Attractions (IAAPA). At this year’s IAAPA Attractions Expo last week in Las Vegas, Conner Prairie was given the Spirit of Excellence award for Best Guest Services Training Program. This award recognizes an IAAPA member-facility that is dedicated to excellence in training.

Conner Prairie won this award for its “Opening Doors to Great Guest Experiences” training resource, which is based on transformative guest research, documented best practices from the attractions industry and information-learning principles. Opening Doors is shared through video analysis of staff/guest interaction, guest feedback, guest motives and learning styles, providing front-line staff with knowledge and skills to facilitate memorable learning experiences. Since implementing Opening Doors in 2003, the average guest visit has extended from three to four hours and Conner Prairie’s attendance has increased by 47.5 percent. Additionally, museums and other attractions in all 50 states and more than a dozen countries have implemented the Conner Prairie training program through a DVD/CD-ROM resource created by the park.

Over the past couple of weeks, the Evansville Courier Press has run several articles on township government. Last weekend, they reported on the Boon Township Trustee in Warrick County who allegedly stole almost $70,000 from township funds (or the taxpayers) over the past two years. If they claim that township government is closest to the people, then familiarity breeds contempt.

Here is an earlier in-depth article on townships.

And here is an editorial.

The services townships provide can easily be more efficiently and effectively offered at the county level.

Seems more than the Butler football team (10-1; Pioneer Football League champs) and basketball team (ranked in the top 10 in the nation) are making good news in November. The school recently announced a new brand and approach for its business school. The school explains:

A new branding effort that includes key messages and a graphic identity for Butler University’s College of Business (COB) is intended to increase visibility and awareness of the College’s real life, real business™ mission which guides its unique approach to business education.

This applied, experiential structure runs throughout the COB curriculum, from freshman year through graduate programs in the form of live cases studies, semester-long research projects with local and international companies, the development of real student-run businesses, executive career mentoring, required internships, and leadership assessment, coaching, and development.

According to COB Dean Chuck Williams, the real life, real business branding effort is directly tied to the COB’s promise to students, parents, and employers to deliver an innovative, experiential business education on top of an already exceptionally strong foundation in business fundamentals.

“Many universities say they offer experiential education because they have a class here or there,” says Williams. “In the COB, it’s present in everything we do.”

The main messages of real life, real business include engaging learning experiences, empowered self-discovery, business relevance and collaborative partnerships. These messages will be integrated and communicated in new marketing materials – recruitment brochures and a new alumni magazine – but will receive the most attention on the new website, www.ButlerRealBusiness.com, in the form of feature stories and videos.

The branding effort is also aimed at increasing awareness of the College’s outreach to the Central Indiana business community, which benefits both the College and businesses, Williams says.

“Real life, real business works because we have businesses partnering with us to bring real life business problems and situations into the classroom. We look forward to sharing the stories of these partnerships and in turn encouraging others to collaborate with us in the future.”

The branding effort was developed by the COB’s marketing director with support from Butler’s University Relations department. Advising the College throughout the process is the College of Business Strategic Marketing Board, a group of 12 local business professionals representing Butler University, Butler Business Accelerator, Eli Lilly and Company, Clarian Health Partners, Compendium Blogware, Pensar Ideas, Forum Credit Union, the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Centaur Gaming and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership.

On Saturday, a 60-39 vote opened the debate on the 2,074-page health care bill in the U.S. Senate. The debate on the amending proposal is slated to last for several (if not more) weeks. CNN reports:

"We do not believe completely restructuring one-sixth of our economy is a good idea at any time," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told CNN. "It is a particularly bad idea when we’re looking at double-digit unemployment."

McConnell and other Republicans call for an incremental approach that they say would reduce the costs of health care without creating new bureaucracy and taxes.

"We think we ought to go step-by-step to improve the system," McConnell said. "The American people are not complaining about the quality of health care. They’re complaining about the cost of health care."

Democrats respond that the Republicans are ignoring millions of Americans who can’t get health insurance.

Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Democrat who was a Republican for most of his long career until changing parties this year, told "Fox News Sunday": "The one option which is not present in my judgment is the option of doing nothing."

"We have the opposition refusing to admit that there’s any problem with health care, refusing to admit that there’s any problem with global warming, refusing to take a stand on the economic crisis," Specter complained about his former party.

The 60-39 Senate vote Saturday to open debate revealed the partisan divide on the issue, and the fragility of the Democratic support. Democrats needed their entire caucus, including two independents, to muster the 60 votes required in the 100-member chamber to overcome a Republican filibuster.

Now several conservative and moderate Democrats say they won’t support a final bill that includes a public insurance option. Republicans unanimously oppose the public option, which means it cannot survive in the chamber without unanimous Democratic support.

"I don’t think anybody feels this bill will pass" in its current form, Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut told NBC’s "Meet the Press." Lieberman voted to start debate on the bill, but reiterated Sunday he would join a Republican filibuster if the public option remains in the proposal when it comes time to end the debate.

See the Indiana Chamber’s view below: