Many people have reservations about the importance of pre-kindergarten education. This was clearly manifest in 2006 when the California legislature unsuccessfully attempted to pass a law that would make pre-school education mandatory for all children. Many Californians did not agree with the importance of using tax payer funds to fund mandatory pre-school programs, including parents desiring to educate their children themselves. Read More

Simply put, ethics involves learning what is right or wrong, and then doing the right thing — but “the right thing” is not nearly as straightforward as conveyed in a great deal of business ethics literature. Most ethical dilemmas in the workplace are not simply a matter of “Should Bob steal from Jack?” or “Should Jack lie to his boss?”

(Many ethicists assert there’s always a right thing to do based on moral principle, and others believe the right thing to do depends on the situation — ultimately it’s up to the individual.) Many philosophers consider ethics to be the “science of conduct.” Twin Cities consultants Doug Wallace and John Pekel (of the Twin Cities-based Fulcrum Group; 651-714-9033; e-mail at jonpekel@atti.com) explain that ethics includes the fundamental ground rules by which we live our lives. Philosophers have been discussing ethics for at least 2500 years, since the time of Socrates and Plato. Many ethicists consider emerging ethical beliefs to be “state of the art” legal matters, i.e., what becomes an ethical guideline today is often translated to a law, regulation or rule tomorrow. Values which guide how we ought to behave are considered moral values, e.g., values such as respect, honesty, fairness, responsibility, etc. Statements around how these values are applied are sometimes called moral or ethical principles. Read More

NGO stands for “non-governmental organization” and its function can vary widely from service organizations to human-rights advocacy and relief groups. Defined as “an international organization that is not founded by an international treaty” by the United Nations, NGOs work to benefit communities from the local to international levels. 

NGOs not only serve as checks-and-balances for government and governmental watchdogs but are crucial cogs in wider governmental initiatives such as relief response to a natural disaster. Without NGOs’ long history of rallying communities and creating initiatives around the world, famine, poverty, and disease would be a much bigger issue for the world than it already is. Read More

Whether you are a new or experienced teacher you most likely have been exposed to about a million teaching strategies. It’s important to note that your classroom is your domain, and it’s up to you on how you want to apply the teaching strategies that suit your students learning style, as well as your teaching style. With that said, here are a few essential core teaching strategies that will help make you a great teacher. Read More

The sociology of education is a diverse and vibrant subfield that features theory and research focused on how education as a social institution is affected by and affects other social institutions and the social structure overall, and how various social forces shape the policies, practices, and outcomes of schooling.

While education is typically viewed in most societies as a pathway to personal development, success, and social mobility, and as a cornerstone of democracy, sociologists who study education take a critical view of these assumptions to study how the institution actually operates within society. They consider what other social functions education might have, like for example socialization into gender and class roles, and what other social outcomes contemporary educational institutions might produce, like reproducing class and racial hierarchies, among others. Read More

According to the non-profit Tax Foundation, the average effective income tax rate for all U.S. households is 18.1%. That is lower than the highest marginal rate paid by most year-round workers, (at least 25% for any individual with an adjusted gross income of more than $36,901)—but it also doesn’t capture the full picture. For the typical tax payer, state and local taxes on income, purchases and real estate can be almost as burdensome as federal income tax. Read More

Life insurance is one of those things that just about everyone needs but far too few people actually have. It’s easy to put off purchasing a policy when you’re young and relatively healthy. But the longer you wait, the greater the chances of something happening before you get yourself coverage. Maybe buying life insurance been on your to-do list for a while but you haven’t gotten around to it yet. Check out these 10 reasons why you can’t afford to wait any longer. Read More

Investing intimidates a lot of people. There are a lot of options, and it can be hard to figure out which investments are right for your portfolio. This guide walks you through 10 of the most common types of investment and explains why you may want to consider including them in your portfolio. If you’re serious about investing, it might make sense to find a financial advisor to guide you. SmartAsset can help you find the right advisor for you with our free financial advisor matching service. Read More

529 Plans by State

529 college savings plans serve as tax-advantaged vehicles that allow you to invest in your child’s future college education. Think of them as 401(k) plans for education. Simply put, you are contributing funds to a professionally managed investment portfolio that you can tap down the road. As you invest, your earnings grow tax-free. You can also withdraw your money any time without penalty as long as you use it to fund qualified higher education expenses like tuition and mandatory school fees at eligible institutions. Today, all states and Washington, D.C. sponsor at least one 529 college savings plan. Some states provide additional tax benefits by letting you make tax-deductible contributions up to certain limits. Read More