01 May 2012

Braley Statement on Obama Plan to Stop Deceptive Practices by Educational Institutions that Target Veterans

By Jeff Giertz

Obama will issue executive order tomorrow in Georgia

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement in response to the White House's pending executive order that will target aggressive and deceptive targeting of service members, veterans, and their families by educational institutions that are abusing federal student loan programs:

"After fighting our nation's wars, our veterans shouldn't have to fight exploitative institutions looking to make a quick buck on the backs of taxpayers.  Cracking down on deceptive practices by these bad apple educational institutions is needed to stafeguard taxpayers' dollars and to keep our veterans from being taken advantage of."

 

More detail on the Obama administration announcement follows:

 

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

April 26, 2012

We Can't Wait: President Obama Takes Action to Stop Deceptive and Misleading Practices by Educational Institutions that Target Veterans, Service Members and their Families

 

On Friday, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will visit Fort Stewart in Georgia where the President will sign an Executive Order to help ensure all of America's service members, veterans, spouses, and other family members have the information they need to make informed educational decisions and are protected from aggressive and deceptive targeting by educational institutions. We have a sacred trust with those who serve and protect our nation. It's a commitment that begins at enlistment, and it must never end.  That's why President Obama is committed to ensuring veterans and service members have the chance to get a college education and can find work when they return from service.

Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill became law, there have been reports of aggressive and deceptive targeting of service members, veterans, and their families by educational institutions, particularly for-profit career colleges. For example, some institutions have recruited veterans with serious brain injuries and emotional vulnerabilities without providing academic support and counseling; encouraged service members, veterans, and their families to take out costly institutional loans rather than encouraging them to apply for Federal student aid first; engaged in misleading recruiting practices on military installations; and have not disclosed meaningful information that allows potential students to determine whether the institution has a good record of graduating service members, veterans, and their families and positioning them for success in the workforce.

Members of Congress have introduced legislation to address these issues, but the Administration believes we must do all we can administratively to protect veterans from these deceptive practices by improving the quality of information and services that these schools must provide.  These steps will help ensure that Federal military and veteran education dollars are well spent. Today's Executive Order will apply to a variety of military and veteran education benefits, including the GI Bill, Tuition Assistance Program, and Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Program (MyCAA).

Today's Executive Order will:

  • Help Ensure Military and Veteran Students Have the Information They Need: The Executive Order will require that colleges provide more transparent information about their outcomes and financial aid options for students, which will help ensure that students are aware of the true cost and likelihood of completion prior to enrolling. According to the Senate HELP Committee, of the ten educational institutions collecting the most Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits between 2009 and 2011, eight were for-profit schools. Six of these schools had bachelor student withdrawal rates above 50 percent.  The Executive Order will require that the Know Before You Owe financial aid form, developed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Department of Education (ED), is made available to every college student that participates in the Department of Defense's (DoD) Tuition Assistance program (nearly 2,000 schools). The Executive Order will also direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to encourage all schools?roughly 6,000 in total?participating in the GI Bill program to provide the Know Before You Owe form.  This form provides students with critical information on tuition and fees, the availability of federal financial aid, estimated student loan debt upon graduation, and information about student outcomes like graduation rates. Further, the Executive Order will require that students are provided additional critical information, including school performance information over time, consumer protection information, and key financial aid documents, prior to the use of their benefits through the eBenefits portal.  The VA will publically post on their website if schools who receive GI Bill benefits agree to adhere to the Executive Order.
  • Keep Bad Actors Off of Military Installations: There have been numerous reports of some institutions of higher education aggressively and inappropriately targeting military students.  The Executive Order will require the Department of Defense to set forth rules for how educational institutions gain access to military installations in the first place, so that service members are not targeted by institutions known for a history of poor behavior in recruiting and marketing practices.
  • Crack Down on Improper Online Recruiting Practices: The Executive Order will direct the VA to initiate a process to register the term "GI Bill," so that external websites and programs are not deceptively and fraudulently marketing educational services and benefits to program beneficiaries. For instance, some companies have set up websites that suggest that veterans' benefits are only available at a subset of schools.  The websites are also set up to resemble official government sites, and are marketed heavily at military installations and at separating service members.
  • Provide Veterans with a Complaint System: The Executive Order will require VA, DoD, and ED, in consultation with the CFPB and Department of Justice, to create a centralized complaint system for students receiving military and veterans' educational benefits. Currently, when military and veteran students feel that their school has acted fraudulently, they have no centralized system to file complaints, and federal agencies often lack access to information that will allow for follow-up enforcement or regulatory actions.
  • Improve Support Services for Service Members and Veterans: The Executive Order will require that colleges participating in the military and veterans education benefit programs do more to meet the needs of military and veteran students by providing clear educational plans for students, academic and financial aid counseling services with staff that are familiar with the VA and DoD programs, and the ability of service members to more easily re-enroll and/or receive a refund if they must leave school for service-related reasons.

 

  • Provide Students with Better Data on Educational Institutions: The Executive Order will require DoD, VA, and Ed to develop improved student outcome measures, such as completion rates for veterans, and a plan for collecting this data, which will be made available on Ed's College Navigator website. Currently, retention and completion rates cannot be broken down by veteran or service member status.  Given the unique educational needs of veterans, active-duty service members, and their family members, it is important to provide them with a more accurate picture of what success looks like for students like them. The Executive Order will also require better reporting on the extent to which colleges rely on various types of federal benefits for operational support.

 

  • Strengthen Enforcement of Student Protections: The Executive Order will require that VA and DoD strengthen the enforcement and compliance functions of the VA and DoD, so that, working in conjunction with the Department of Education, DOJ, and the CFPB, agencies (including law enforcement agencies with responsibility over fraud investigations) can effectively act on complaints of improper activity.
# # #
30 Apr 2012

Rivermont Collegiate 3rd Quarter Honor Roll

By Rachel Chamberlain

Please join us in congratulating these outstanding Middle and Upper School students at Rivermont Collegiate who have achieved honor roll status for the 3rd quarter, 2011-12.

 

**Middle School (Grades 6-8) High Honors**

All grades B+ or higher (B or higher for courses designated as Upper School level)

Sarah Bowman

Perapa Chotiprasidhi

Giavanna Eckhardt

Shivani Ganesh

Emily Goodman

Hannah Hansen

Isabella Holland

Megan Lindle

Naina Ninan

Rose Moran

Benjamin Nordick

Manasa Pagadala

Emilia Porubcin

Alexander Skillin

Collin Smith

Klaus Storl-Desmond

Marta Storl-Desmond

Sophia Xiao

**Middle School (Grades 6-8) Honors**

All grades B- or higher (C+ or higher for courses designated as Upper School level)

Spencer Brown

Hema Chimpidi

Christian Elliott

Kenton Fee

Samuel Knupp

Bailey Mangan

Alexis Shaheen

Harrison Qu

Jacob Vaughn

Aviana Zahara

 

**Upper School (Grades 9-12) Headmaster's List**

3.85 - 4.00 GPA

Adam Dada

Pavane Gorrepati

Summer Lawrence

Christine Mbakwe

Victoria Mbakwe

Grace Moran

Matthew Newsome

Meghana Pagadala

Michal Porubcin

Shravya Pothula

Kelsey Qu

Darsani Reddy

Suhas Seshadri

Ashish Tadepalli

Loring Telleen

 

**Upper School (Grades 9-12) Distinction**

3.50 - 3.84 GPA

Rebecca Cupp

Amanda McVey

Hayley Moran

Meghana Yerrapothu

 

**Upper School (Grades 9-12) Merit**

3.00 - 3.49 GPA

Vishal Bobba

Karanveer Gill

Ryan Howell

Alejandra Martinez

Ramya Prabhu

 

Rivermont Collegiate is the Quad Cities' only private, independent, nonsectarian, multicultural college-prep school for students in preschool through twelfth grade.

- END -
30 Apr 2012

Jordan Catholic School Third Quarter Honor Roll

By Janine A. H. Parr
30 Apr 2012

THE MOLINE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES THIRTEEN ELEMENTARY VAN ARSDALE AWARDS

By Linda Martin
Thirteen Moline elementary school students have been chosen to receive an award from
the Hazel F. Van Arsdale Memorial Scholarship Fund administered through The Moline
Foundation.

The 13 elementary students are: Megan Pittington, Hannah Evans, Anna Riggins,
Yolanda Vargas, Symone Willey, James Sheese, Brianna Turner, Autumn
Glass, Jassaniah Leeson, Isabel Raya, Nick O'Donnell, Josephine Trenary and Justyn
Appleby.

The fund was started in honor and memory of Hazel F. Van Arsdale to perpetuate the
importance of music in elementary and secondary education. The fund supports two
types of annual awards. One award is given to selected elementary students, and one
scholarship is given to a high school senior. The 13 elementary students were chosen
by an individual school committee made up of teachers and music professionals through
The Moline Foundation.

Hazel Van Arsdale was a public school teacher for 36 years. She was known for her
strict, but fun, manner of bringing music into the classroom. She made sure all of her
students knew every verse of all of our patriotic hymns, and wanted them to strengthen
their music interest beyond elementary school. A fund was established and is now
administered through The Moline Foundation's scholarship program.

Founded in 1953, The Moline Foundation is a community-based, non-profit organization
which provides grants to health, human services, education, community development,
the arts, and other charitable organizations which benefit the citizens of the Quad City
region. The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts and has a
current endowment fund of approximately $17 million. For more information contact
Executive Director Joy Boruff at (309) 736-3800 or visit The Moline Foundation Web site
at www.molinefoundation.org.

-30-
30 Apr 2012

Established Businesses For Sale

By Chris Barnard

Established Businesses For Sale

Banquet & Reception Hall with a Year of Advanced Bookings
Established corporate banquet hall and wedding reception business with modern facilities, ample parking, seats 600+, very large prep kitchen convertible to full service kitchen, dance floor, new restrooms, sound system, furniture, dish ware, full service bar with walkin and cabinet coolers, and more. Eastern Iowa location, includes 9,500 sf reception hall and land. Thirteen years successful history, includes over 50 advance bookings through early 2013, plus room for 30+ additional bookings in 2012.
Seller willing to finance portion of acquisition for qualified new owner.
Quiet Market Leader
Established corporate food service and retail business, with locations in Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities. Located on major traffic corridors. Established agreements with regional employers for daily delivery. Quiet market leader for twenty-eight years, with two owners and proprietary recipes. Does not require onsite operator to perform successfully. On site owner guarantees even higher profits. Potential to include real estate.
Conventional Financing or Cash at Closing.

Chiropractic Clinic, Patients, Equipment & Building
Quad Cities chiropractor with twenty five year successful practice and 6,000 patient customer base is retiring.  This opportunity includes 1800+ SF building, 4800+ SF lot with ample parking and large upstairs apartment.Clinic can accommodate up to two chiropractors, and has two adjusting rooms with tables, x-ray machine, office furniture and filing cabinets.  Paper and electronic patient records. Retiring chiropractor will assist in transition and purchase includes accounts receivable.  A new owner can pay for the acquisition costs of this great practice and real estate in twenty four months. Living on site only advances the profitability.
Priced to sell - Conventional Financing or Cash at Closing

Contact Chris Barnard at 563-343-5300 or cbarnard@marigoldresources.com for more details.
Visit www.MarigoldResources.com for more information.
25 Apr 2012

Simon applauds House committee for passing math bill

By Kara Beach

Bill authorizes state to recommend content, teaching methods for each year of high school

 

SPRINGFIELD - April 25, 2012. Illinois middle and high schools are one step closer to accessing statewide math curricula thanks to a bill supported by Lt. Governor Sheila Simon that passed the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee unanimously today.

 

SB 3244, which passed 22-0, authorizes the Illinois State Board of Education to design curriculum models that detail content and teaching techniques for middle and high school math standards. Schools could opt to follow the state-recommended scope and sequence of study for math and math equivalent courses through a student's final year of high school, or continue to follow local curricula.

 

The bill does not change high school graduation requirements in math; however the state could adjust the requirement - by mandating more time or a competency test, for example - if it finds that students who use the state curriculum perform better than those that do not. The new curriculum will be available for the 2013-14 school year, with analysis to come four years later, according to the bill.

 

"Students learn locally, but they compete globally," Simon said. "Employers and colleges are telling us that too many of our students are not competing in math. This bill will provide educators across the state, in all zip codes, the tools they need to prepare their students for college and career math."

 

In 2011, 58 percent of high school graduates did not meet the math college readiness benchmark, according to ACT. More than one-third of recent high school graduates who transitioned as full-time community college freshmen between 2006-08 enrolled in at least one remedial math course, according to the Illinois Community College Board. Students who enroll in remedial courses are more likely to drop out or graduate late.

 

Simon said the optional statewide curriculum moves away from simply requiring "seat time" to promoting use of that time wisely, with the ultimate goal of making students more employable and reducing expensive and time-consuming remedial math needs in higher education. The state curriculum could be most helpful to teachers in districts that lack curriculum directors or that rely on textbook manufacturers that claim their materials are aligned with state standards.

 

The bill passed out of the Senate 50-1 in March and now moves to the House for a vote.

 

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25 Apr 2012

Charter School Student Participation Grows By 76 Percent in Just 5 Years

By Stephanie Grisham
Advocates Prepare to Celebrate Success of Public Charters During National Charter Schools Week, May 6-12, 2012

Washington, D.C - The number of students attending public charter schools across the country has grown by an estimated 76 percent in the last five school years, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS).

As parents, teachers and students from across the country prepare to celebrate National Charter Schools Week next month (May 6-12, 2012), advocates are recognizing the tremendous advancements in public charter schooling that have laid a new, bipartisan foundation for education reform in America.

Student enrollment in public charter schools grew from 1,165,200 students in 2006-2007 to an estimated 2,035,261 in 2011-2012. Over the same period, the number of public charter schools grew by 41 percent - from 3,999 to 5,627 - with an expected 521 new public charter schools opening in the 2011-2012 school year alone.

"Support for public charter schools transcends party lines and ideological backgrounds, with more Americans now realizing the extraordinary opportunities that public charter schools provide to children, communities, and our country," said Ursula Wright, interim president and CEO of NAPCS. "Yet despite the significant growth experienced in recent years, demand for charter schools in our country far outpaces the number of seats available to students in these schools."

Next month, thousands of participants will celebrate National Charter Schools Week with special events and activities at schools across the country. The awareness generated by these events will compliment local advocacy efforts like seeking improvements to laws that would allow for the creation of new charter schools, equitable funding for charter schools when compared to traditional district schools and increased access to unused or under-utilized public school buildings.

In just 20 years, the public charter school movement has reached 41 states and the District of Columbia by enacting charter school laws. (The nine states that do not have charter school laws are Alabama, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.) Maine passed its first charter school law in the summer of 2011. There are now approximately 5,600 public charter schools enrolling what is estimated to be more than two million students nationwide. Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that are allowed to be more innovative while being held for accountable for improved student achievement. These figures were compiled based on data from state departments of education and state charter school support organizations and resource centers.

For more information about public charter schools, or about National Charter Schools Week, visit the website of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools at www.publiccharters.org.

###

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit our website at www.publiccharters.org.
25 Apr 2012

Simon to testify in support of math bill

By Justin Stofferahn

SPRINGFIELD - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will testify Wednesday morning in support of SB 3244 before the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. The bill creates optional state math curricula that extends from middle school through the final year of high school, and aims to boost college and career readiness. In 2011, 58 percent of Illinois high school graduates did not meet the math college readiness benchmark, according to ACT.

 

TIME: 9 a.m.

DATE: Wednesday, April 25

PLACE: Room 114, State Capitol, Springfield

 

###
25 Apr 2012

On Eve of Obama Visit, Loebsack Urges Action on Bill to Prevent Doubling of Student Loan Rates

By Joe Hand

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today urged the House Republican leadership to swiftly bring up and pass legislation that will prevent student loan interest rates from doubling, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, on July 1st.  Loebsack is a cosponsor of H.R. 3826, which would ensure the increase does not occur.  If the increase were to go into effect, the average student borrower would have to pay an additional $1000.  Loebsack is a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, which has jurisdiction over this legislation.

"With tuition rising rapidly and far too many Iowans struggling to make ends meet, middle-class families are finding it more and more difficult to pay for college. I strongly believe that every student deserves the opportunity to attend college if they wish to pursue higher education," wrote Loebsack.  "I grew up in poverty, and I would not have had the opportunity to attend college without financial assistance. It is extremely important that we work to address student loan interest rates because without Congressional action, 7 million low- and middle-income families will be subject to a $6 billion interest rate hike."

As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Loebsack has championed numerous pieces of legislation to increase access to higher education, including:

  • College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) Loebsack helped craft and pass this legislation, which makes college more affordable and accessible for all Iowans by increasing the maximum Pell Grant scholarship and expanding eligibility;
  • Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, H.R. 3221 Loebsack was a cosponsor of this bill, which will save American taxpayers $61 billion by making the student loan process more efficient.  The bill further expanded the maximum Pell Grant available from $5,550 in 2010 to $5,975 in 2017, granting Iowa students more than $291 million for higher education. This bill was the largest single investment in student aid in America's history, and will make college more accessible, transform the way student loan programs operate and strengthens community colleges.

A copy of the letter Loebsack sent to the House Speaker and the Chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee can be seen here.

###
25 Apr 2012

Governor Quinn Announces New School Construction Project

By Leslie Wertheimer

Erie Elementary Charter School Expands Educational Opportunities for Low-Income Students

CHICAGO - April 24, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today continued his commitment to improving education in Illinois by joining students, parents, advocates and community leaders to break ground on an addition to Erie Elementary Charter School (EECS). The state is providing $12 million in Illinois Jobs Now! capital funds to build the addition, which will help the school expand its innovative curriculum and its use of technology to improve learning.

"We must invest in 21st century facilities that will help provide our children with a 21st century education," Governor Quinn said. "Supporting early education and elementary schools will increase students' success in the future and help them realize their full potential, which paves the way for economic growth."

Erie Elementary Charter School (EECS) opened in 2005 with 80 students in kindergarten through 1st grade. Its programs were based on the strong foundation of the nationally-accredited preschool program at the Erie Neighborhood House, which has been serving and educating Chicago's low-income immigrant population since 1870. It has since expanded to serve students in grades K-5, and today's announcement will increase its capacity to serve more than 400 low-income or disadvantaged students in grades K-8.

"Erie Elementary Charter School hopes to close the achievement gap by providing high quality, bilingual education that puts students on the path to success in secondary and higher education," said EECS Principal Velia Soto. "We are grateful for the state's support of these critical efforts to offer a quality education for our students."

The new 16,000 square-foot addition will mean more classroom space for art, music and parent education, as well as extracurricular activities. The building will also host a new gymnasium, a computer lab and expanded staff office and administration space. The facility will also be compliant with the American's with Disabilities Act and include environmentally safe and efficient processes necessary to quality for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification.

"Education plays a key role in our ability to develop and maintain a workforce that is prepared to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy," said DCEO Director David Vaught. "This funding will help ensure more Illinois children have access to a quality educational environment and facilities that will give them a leg up and prepare them for the future."

In his proposed budget, Governor Quinn reiterated his commitment to education, jobs and economic growth by maintaining funding for K-12 and higher education, increasing early childhood funding by $20 million, and calling for a $50 million increase for the state Monetary Award Program (MAP), which provides college scholarships for needy students. Governor Quinn also recently announced $623 million in Illinois Jobs Now! capital funding to help dozens of school districts statewide make critical repairs, additions and technology updates to classrooms. Combined with local dollars, the funding will allow school districts to complete projects totaling more than $1.2 billion.

To ensure the continuation of the state's capital plan and projects like these, which are putting hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents back to work, Governor Quinn has proposed necessary changes to stabilize and restructure the state's pension and Medicaid programs after decades of fiscal mismanagement. The proposals outline up to $85 billion in savings from changes to the pension system (based on current actuarial assumptions), and $2.7 billion in savings from restructuring Medicaid. These changes will lead to greater certainty in Illinois' business climate and help respond to serious concerns from the ratings' agencies. The billions of dollars saved through these reforms are key to the state's ability to ensure that critical capital improvement and road safety projects in Illinois are able to move forward.

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