PreK-12 Ed


A Man of Vision, Integrity, and Passion

Paul Abramson, president of Stanton Leggett & Associates and Education Industry Analyst for School Planning & Management and College Planning & Management magazines, was selected as the 2008 Planner of the Year by the Council of Educational Fa

Top Five Tips for Bird Control

There are ways to eliminate pest birds without harming them. Following are the five steps you should follow when addressing this problem.

'Must-Have' Technologies

Classroom technologies have often also been a double edged sword. They've enhanced learning in some ways, but by connecting teacher and students to a machine instead of directly to each other, they run the risk of diminishing the direct personal interacti

A Look at the Higher Education Platforms of Barack Obama and John McCain

With the 2008 presidential election coming to a close in a few days, both candidates have spent some time solidifying and explaining their education platforms. This month, we'll take a closer look at what the presidential candidates have set forward as th

Online Learning and Technology in the K-12 Classroom

One of the fastest changing aspects of teaching is the technology used to do it. Teachers have moved from using chalk and blackboards to offering online course material and interactive whiteboards. This month, we spoke with Dan Badea, EETT administrator w

Prepared for the Worst

From severe weather to acts of violence, schools across the nation are forced to deal with a variety of emergencies each year. One basic element of an emergency plan is communication, knowing how to get the right information to the right people at the rig

As the Baby Boomers Retire: Preparing to Fill the Open Positions

According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, in the 2006-16 decade, "total employment is projected to increase by 15.6 million jobs, or 10 percent, slightly less than the 15.9 million jobs, or 12 percent, during the 1996-2006 decade. This slowdown in the gr

Mature Citizens Can Make or Break the Best of Plans

Every now and then, a public project runs into an environmental issue or two when it comes to planning. And the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) folks are ever-present, but very often can be appeased if not satisfied with compromise and assurances that address

Electronic Access Control for Modern-Day Schools

Access control was once a big-city concern, but today, even areas with few foreseeable problems are taking the initiative ahead of time. Prevention and deterrence are the keys to protecting our most valuable asset — our children and young people.

No Child Left Inside: New Legislation for K-12 Environmental Education

On Sept. 18, 2008 the U.S. House of Representatives passed The No Child Left Inside Act of 2008, H.R. 3036, which was sponsored by John P. Sarbanes (D-MD) and co-sponsored by 64 others. The act is intended to support local and statewide efforts to expand

Boiler Retrofits Help Increase Efficiency, Lower Energy Bills

Schools across America are facing tight budgets, with escalating energy bills a substantial factor in these budgets. Boilers account for one-third of those energy bills. Older boilers typically have efficiency rates up to 77 percent, but with the retrofit

Where Does All the Dirt Go?

Floor covering in schools continues to generate discussion as to what may be best suited for students susceptible to respiratory challenges. Recognizing the trend toward dwindling budgets being allocated to school maintenance and operations, floor coverin

Window Restoration

If you spend a few minutes observing the advertisements in any of today's media forums, you'll surely witness the touting of a product being new and better. But is new always better? When it comes to aging windows, new replacements don't al

The Importance of Participatory Planning

Planning, designing, and constructing a new school are formidable tasks. Garnering the necessary support to fund these projects may be an even bigger task. What can districts do to improve their chances of success? Make sure that ALL stakeholders are invo

Understanding, Detecting, and Preventing Fraud

Fraud happens. Sometimes it's big and involves business relationships outside the organization; other times it's small and deeply hidden within the detailed processes of the daily operations. The areas of risk for fraud are diverse, and it most

The Three "D"s of Integration

A more recent hot topic in the school security is "integration." Just consult Google, and you will find that the term "security integration" brings approximately 19,700,000 results! Why such a popular topic? Integration seeks to bridge

Nature's Classroom

The idea of using natural landscaping has been evolving in the corporate and even college campus development industries for the last five to 10 years as companies and institutions have discovered that a native landscape can be attractive while also reinfo

Staying in Touch

As technology becomes more important in K-12 education, you're not only planning for the needs of today, but also trying to predict the needs of tomorrow. The days are long gone when "technology in the schools" meant a few computers in the

Let's Make Better Choices This Time

There is no question that the current gas crisis of 2008 will also have an effect on the economy, school budgets, operations, and design. If I had one wish, it would be that we learned from our past. Hopefully, this time we will do more than come up with

A Quick Look at the Presidential Candidates' Education Platforms

Election season is in full swing, with party conventions around the corner and nightly news analysis of the candidates' talking points. While being an informed voter is easier than before with instant access to information through the Internet, often

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