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Review: ‘The Teachers’ shows crisis in America’s schools

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

“The Teachers,” by Alexandra Robbins (Dutton) The message of “The Teachers” comes into clear focus long before the final words of this 344-page dissection of what’s wrong with American public education, seen principally through the eyes, ears and experiences of three teachers in different areas of the nation. Author Alexandra Robbins also interviewed hundreds of other teachers and many of their voices are here, too.Robbins paints a portrait of public schools across the land where many, if not most of the educational support systems are crumbling or under attack.Teachers are among the most altruistic and dedicated of professionals but they are leaving the classrooms by the thousands.Here are the challenges the teachers cite:— Pay and benefits significantly trail other professions. Moreover, many come to teaching carrying student debt that will burden their lives for decades. Robbins notes that teachers are five times more likely to take a second job than other professions.— Resources...

Professors begin indefinite general strike at Université Laval

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

QUEBEC — An indefinite general strike is underway at Quebec City’s Université Laval, where nearly 1,300 professors are off the job.The unionized professors went on strike today after a negotiation blitz between management and their union did not result in a new contract.The most recent collective agreement expired on Dec. 1, and the union has made a number of demands including equitable distribution of positions, better administrative supports, better work-life balance and workload management.The union members voted 94.5 per cent in favour of a strike mandate during a meeting on March 2, when nearly three-quarters of members were present.The university has posted on its website a list of courses and activities that will be affected by the strike. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2023.The Canadian Press

Police: $26K in stolen baby formula found in suspects’ car

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Two men caught shoplifting at a grocery store in Georgia had an estimated $26,000 worth of baby formula in their car, according to police.Police in Cartersville caught the men walking out of a Publix store north of Atlanta with backpacks filled with cans of formula, news outlets reported. Officers searching their car found 662 more cans of formula inside, police Lt. Greg Sparacio said.“We believe right now that they have hit several locations, Publix, Kroger, Walmart and more in just over a course of a couple of days,” Sparacio said.The men were jailed in Bartow County on charges of shoplifting, felony theft by receiving, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. They had a 16-year-old girl with them when they were arrested Thursday. It was not immediately known if the men had attorneys representing them. The February 2021 shutdown of a large baby formula factory and recall of many of its products because of contamination concerns helped trigger a nati...

Biden angers climate activists by approving controversial oil, gas project in Alaska

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden, a vocal champion of combating climate change, is angering environmental allies by approving a controversial oil and gas project in Alaska. The Willow project, as it’s known, will allow energy giant ConocoPhillips to develop three drill sites in Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope region. The Department of the Interior is framing today’s announcement as “substantially” reducing the scope of the project, which originally called for five well sites. The decision also requires ConocoPhillips to relinquish drilling rights on roughly 275 square kilometres of land in the region, known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. That hasn’t quelled criticism from climate activists who consider the project a “carbon bomb” that could produce 300 million tonnes of pollution and foster fossil fuel dependence. Sierra Club executive director Ben Jealous says it’s impossible to overstate the negative impact ...

Ole Miss hires former Texas coach Chris Beard

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi has hired Chris Beard as its basketball coach five weeks after his firing from Texas following a domestic violence arrest.The Rebels announced Beard’s hiring on Monday and will introduce him Tuesday in a public event at the SBJ Pavilion. Beard is a four-time conference coach of the year and was AP’s national coach of the year in 2019.But his two-year tenure at alma mater Texas ended abruptly in January, though felony domestic charges were ultimately dismissed on Feb. 15. A prosecutor said his office determined that the charge of assault by strangulation/suffocation-family violence could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.Texas suspended Beard after his Dec. 12 arrest and fired him three weeks later when Texas officials told Beard’s attorney he was “unfit” to lead the program. Beard was arrested when his fiancée, Randi Trew, called 911 and told officers that Beard strangled, bit and hit her during a confrontation in his home.She later...

New England, upstate New York, bracing for winter storm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

Parts of New England, upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, and northern New Jersey were bracing Monday for a winter storm that could drop more than 12 inches (30 centimeters) of heavy, wet snow.The National Weather Service says the storm was supposed to begin late Monday and last into Wednesday.The storm was also expected to bring high winds, and power outages were possible. Utilities across the region say they will have crews ready to respond. Snowfall in the western part of Massachusetts could exceed 18 inches (45 centimeters), but along the coast where the storm is expected to begin as rain, the snow totals could be 3 or 4 inches (7.5 centimeters to 10 centimeters), Bill Simpson, a spokesman for the National Weather Service in Norton, Massachusetts, said. “I’m not quite sure of the exact track,” Simpson said. “That makes all the difference in the world.”A winter storm warning was due to take effect Monday evening and last through Wednesday morning for pa...

Manitoba opens access to death certificates of children at residential schools

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government has signed an agreement to open access to death certificates of Indigenous children who died at residential schools. The agreement allows the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to request the documents from the provincial Vital Statistics Branch and build a fuller understanding of what happened at the schools.Stephanie Scoot, the centre’s executive director, says every bit of information about former students helps show the truth. Grand Chief Cathy Merrick of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says it’s important for people to learn and talk about the children who attended the schools. Government Services Minister James Teitsma says the memorandum responds to one of the calls to action in the report from the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission eight years ago. An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools over a century in Canada, and the commission’s report detailed that many experienced a...

Bears to sign linebacker T.J. Edwards, reports say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

LAKE FOREST - To start free agency, the Bears are adding to their defense with a player with local ties. Per numerous reports, the first from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Bears will sign former Eagles linebacker and Lake Villa native T.J. Edwards to a three-year, $19.5 million deal.The Bears were able to begin negotiating with players who will become unrestricted free agents on Monday morning but cannot officially sign the players until the start of the new league year on Wednesday. Edwards is expected to be a starter at middle linebacker as he takes a lead role on the defense and is the likely long-term replacement for Roquan Smith, who was traded to the Ravens last season. He could play alongside another Chicago area native who also played at Wisconsin - Lake Zurich's Jack Sanborn.A former standout at Lakes Community High School, Edwards just completed his fourth season in the NFL with the Eagles, helping the team to the NFC Championship this past season. In 61 career regu...

'Gender equity' across Chicago's city workforce

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot plans to announce changes for the city's employees at a Monday morning press conference.Details of the announcement have not been provided as of this article's writing. A press release from Lightfoot's office states "Mayor Lightfoot will join community and City leaders for announcements related to gender equity across the City workforce." Biden tells U.S. to have confidence in banks after collapse The event is scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. from the mayor's press briefing room.This story will be updated - check back later for additional details.

Chris Beard hired at Ole Miss 2 months after Texas firing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video is of Texas basketball's reaction to earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.(KXAN) — Former Texas Longhorns basketball coach Chris Beard has a new head coaching job just two months after he was fired at Texas.Beard was officially named the head basketball coach at the University of Mississippi Monday morning, the school announced. SCHEDULE: How to watch/stream the NCAA Tournament Beard was fired by UT after he was arrested and accused of domestic violence in December.Beard was charged with assault by strangulation/suffocation – family violence, a third-degree felony, after being accused of choking and hitting his fiancée.UT initially suspended Beard while it conducted an investigation into the situation. On Jan. 5, the school announced it had fired Beard. The termination letter from UT claims Beard was fired “for cause.”In late December, Beard's fiancee Randi Trew released a statement through her attorney, stating she didn't want to pr...