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Ask Michael
Business and Operations // December 9, 2009
Q:Under FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), am I required to permit a teacher who takes a leave in the springtime to come back before the end of the semester, even if only three weeks are left in the year/semester? This will disrupt the classroom significantly.
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Your Summer Homework: Guidelines to Creating a Great Employee Handbook
Private School News // December 9, 2009
Probably the last thing you want to think about is your employee handbook. We've talked a lot about them over the past few months, but we wouldn't be doing our jobs if we ignored all the laws that have been altered and enacted in the last year. The simple truth is, handbooks are not only the key means for keeping your employee policies in compliance with the law, they are also your employee's guide to your culture, and to your school's mission. These shouldn't be written by lawyers for lawyers—heavy legalistic language can actually do more damage then good as it can confuse and/or detour employees from reading.
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De-stress ? 10 Fun Things to Do for Free This Summer
Private School News // December 9, 2009
All we have been talking about is the economy and how it's changed the rules for everyone's life. Well, just forget about it for a minute. Here's some simple, fun, free things you can do this summer to make you smile.
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Letting Go of Your Office PC
Private School News // December 9, 2009
Ideally, companies and organizations should upgrade software and hardware to meet new "standards" every five years. And if your school's computers are older, or much older, than that, you probably have the IT staff on speed dial.
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Five More Great Blogs
Private School News // December 9, 2009
The best blog for kid book reviews: A year Of Reading Looking for the latest children's books reviews? Well, this blog has them! Written by two teachers, this site shares thoughts about new publications from a classroom perspective. There's also some links to other book review blogs.
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"I'm a Member, But I Don't Ever Use It."
Private School News // December 9, 2009
Well folks, there lies the biggest problem with social networking. You can't benefit from what you don't utilize—you have to log in every now and again! Before you scroll away, frustrated with "all this new technology" that seems to demand constant attention which you can't imagine squeezing into your already over-booked workday, give us a second to highlight how various sites can benefit your position.
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e-Readers on Campus: What College Students Had to Say
Private School News // December 9, 2009
e-Readers on Campus: What College Students Had to Say The ever-evolving technology world has recently brought the idea of electronic libraries closer to a reality for schools and universities. On the ISM listservs, people are starting to ask about introducing e-readers to students. Since it seems to be of interest, we dug a little into what people are saying about reading and researching on e-reader screens versus "hitting the books" in their campus libraries.
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Yet Another Reason To Be Cautious About Web Browsing—Cyber Suicides
Private School News // December 9, 2009
No matter how hard we try to protect our children, there will always be some form of danger lurking along their path. We can never be careful enough, and this is especially the case when it comes to online safety. Over the years we've seen different trends in online crime. Chat rooms and social sites have been an ongoing topic of discussion. Predators seem to pool in these places, just waiting for an opportunity.
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Protecting Your School From Workers' Compensation Fraud
Private School News // December 9, 2009
Everyone feels awful when an employee is disabled by injury or illness—especially if the injury occurred on the job. Things can get even worse though if your school doesn't have proper injury reporting procedures in place—and worse, still, if you are not vigilant in your communications with your Workers' Compensation insurance provider. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says workers' compensation fraud is a significant contributor to the country's $30 billion insurance scam problem. Here are a few tips for keeping your school from becoming part of this statistic.
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A Basket of Different Colors
Private School News // December 9, 2009
If your school dyes eggs in celebration of the season, here's a tip that won't stain your fingers. (Or your clothes, carpets, or floors either.) Ask students to bring in their one of their dad's old silk ties. Or they can shop at a local thrift store for an old tie. Usually thrift stores ties aren't much more than a dollar or two. Encourage them to bring in one with a vibrant pattern. The more intense the pattern, the better the outcome will be. And you'll want to tell them to make sure the ties are silk.
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