RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 7/ 17 (link source)
Washington — U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today discussed a better way forward on Title IX enforcement with students and faculty at George Mason University. In her remarks, the Secretary laid out the problems with the current failed system and the need to establish a regulatory framework that serves all students.
The following are key excerpts from the Secretary's prepared remarks:
Let me be clear at the outset: acts of sexual misconduct are reprehensible, disgusting, and unacceptable. They are acts of cowardice and personal weakness, often thinly disguised as strength and power. ...
One assault is one too many. One aggressive act of harassment is one too many. One person denied due process is one too many. ...
There is no way to avoid the devastating reality of campus sexual misconduct: lives have been lost. Lives of victims. And lives of the accused. ...
We need to remember that we're not just talking about faceless "cases." We are talking about people's lives. Everything we do must recognize this before anything else. ...
[T]he truth is that the system established by the prior administration has failed too many students. Survivors, victims of a lack of due process and campus administrators have all told me that the current approach does a disservice to everyone involved.
The current failed system left one student to fend for herself at a university disciplinary hearing. Without any legal training whatsoever, she had to prepare an opening statement, fix exhibits and find witnesses.
"I don't think it's the rape that makes the person a victim," the student told a reporter. She said it is the failure of the system that turns a survivor into a victim. ...
Washington's push to require schools to establish these quasi-legal structures to address sexual misconduct comes up short for far too many students. The current system hasn't won widespread support, nor has it inspired confidence in its so-called judgments. ...
Survivors aren't well-served when they are re-traumatized with appeal after appeal because the failed system failed the accused. And no student should be forced to sue their way to due process. ...
For too long, rather than engage the public on controversial issues, the Department's Office for Civil Rights has issued letters from the desks of un-elected and un-accountable political appointees. ...
Instead of working with schools on behalf of students, the prior administration weaponized the Office for Civil Rights to work against schools and against students. ...The era of "rule by letter" is over.
Through intimidation and coercion, the failed system has clearly pushed schools to overreach. With the heavy hand of Washington tipping the balance of her scale, the sad reality is that Lady Justice is not blind on campuses today. ...
Every survivor of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously. Every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined.
These are non-negotiable principles. ...
A better way means that due process is not an abstract legal principle only discussed in lecture halls. Due process is the foundation of any system of justice that seeks a fair outcome. Due process either protects everyone, or it protects no one.
The notion that a school must diminish due process rights to better serve the "victim" only creates more victims. ...
In order to ensure that America's schools employ clear, equitable, just and fair procedures that inspire trust and confidence, we will launch a notice-and-comment process to incorporate the insights of all parties in developing a better way.
We will seek public feedback and combine institutional knowledge, professional expertise and the experiences of students to replace the current approach with a workable, effective and fair system. ...
This is not about letting institutions off the hook. They still have important work to do.
A survivor told me that she is tired of feeling like the burden of ensuring her school addresses Title IX falls on her shoulders.
She is right. The burden is not hers, nor is it any student's burden. ...
The truth is: we must do better... for each other and with each other.
US EDUCATION DEPT. BLOG: 3 FAFSA Deadlines You Need to Be Aware of
BLOG POST 9/ 7/ 17 (link source)
Ah, deadlines. The sworn enemy of students across the nation. When you’re busy with classes, extracurricular activities, and a social life in whatever time you’ve got left, it’s easy to lose track and let due dates start whooshing by. All of a sudden, your 10-page term paper is due in an hour, and you’re only on page 5 (with the help of 26-point type and triple line spacing). We get it.
Nevertheless, we’re here to point out a few critical deadlines that you really shouldn’t miss: those to do with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. By submitting your FAFSA form late, you might be forfeiting big money that can help you pay for college.
1. The College Deadline
The first type of deadline comes from colleges themselves, and—spoiler alert—it’s typically pretty early. These deadlines vary from school to school, but they usually come well before the academic year starts. If you’re applying to multiple colleges, be sure to look up each school’s FAFSA deadline and apply by the earliest one.
Many of these FAFSA due dates are priority deadlines. This means that you need to get your FAFSA form in by that date to be considered for the most money. Many colleges have this date clearly marked on their financial aid pages. If you can’t find it, you can always call the school’s financial aid office.
If you’re worried about gathering information to complete the FAFSA form in time to meet this deadline, don’t be. You can apply as early as Oct. 1 (instead of Jan. 1 as you may have done in the past). This earlier submission date will give you more time to complete the FAFSA form before college deadlines approach, which means more time to compare schools. You’ll use earlier (2016) tax information, so there’s no need for estimates.
Didn’t think it could get any easier? The earlier launch date coincides with many college application deadlines, so go ahead and apply for schools and for federal aid at the same time. If you haven’t figured out where you’re applying yet, don’t worry! You can still submit the FAFSA form. Just add any school you’re considering, even if you’re not sure whether you’ll apply or be accepted. You can always add or remove schools later.
2. The State Deadline
The second deadline is determined by your home state. Starting on Oct.1, you can check your state’s deadline here. Some states have hard deadlines and other states have suggested deadlines to make sure you get priority consideration for college money. There’s also a group of states that offer first-come, first-served financial aid. If your state’s deadline is “As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2017,” you should get your FAFSA form submitted ASAP. Many of these states award financial aid funds only until they run out, so the sooner you apply, the better your chances.
3. The Federal Deadline
This last deadline comes from us, the U.S. Department of Education, aka the FAFSA folks. Our only time constraint is that each year’s FAFSA form becomes unavailable on June 30 at the end of the academic year it applies to.
That means that the 2018–19 FAFSA form (which will be available on Oct. 1, 2017) will disappear from fafsa.gov on June 30, 2019, because that’s the end of the 2018–19 school year. That’s right; you can technically go through your entire year at college before accessing the FAFSA form. However, a few federal student aid programs have limited funds, so be sure to apply as soon as you can. Also, as we said, earlier deadlines from states and colleges make waiting a bad idea.
Why so many deadlines?
All these entities award their financial aid money differently and at different times. What they all have in common, though, is that they use the FAFSA form to assess eligibility for their aid programs. So when a college wants to get its aid squared away before the academic year starts, it needs your FAFSA form to make that happen. If you want in on that college money, you need to help the college out by getting your information in by its deadline. The same goes for state aid programs. Additionally, many outside scholarship programs need to see your FAFSA info before they will consider your application. If you’re applying for scholarships, you need to stay on top of those deadlines, too.
What happens if I miss the deadlines?
Don’t miss the deadlines. Plan to get your FAFSA form in by the earliest of all the deadlines for your best crack at college money. By missing deadlines, you take yourself out of the running for money you might otherwise get. Some states and colleges continue awarding aid to FAFSA latecomers, but your chances get much slimmer, and the payout is often less if you do get aid. It’s just better not to miss the deadlines.
If you miss the end-of-June federal deadline, you’re no longer eligible to submit that year’s FAFSA form. Did we mention not to miss the deadlines?
Across the board, the motto really is “the sooner the better.” So turn in your FAFSA form and that term paper as soon as possible (without the 26-point type). Apply by the earliest deadline. Get your FAFSA form done today!
From the UN NEWS CENTER: On International Day, UN promotes online literacy in digital world (link source)
8 September 2017 – New technologies open opportunities to improve lives and connect globally, but they can also marginalize those who are illiterate and lack other essential skills needed to navigate them, a senior United Nations official today said, highlighting that some 750 million adults worldwide are not literate.
“Traditionally, literacy has been considered a set of reading, writing and counting skills applied in a certain context. Digitally-mediated knowledge societies are changing what it means to be literate, calling for new and higher-level literacy skills,” said the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, in her message for International Literacy Day.
Marked annually on 8 September, the International Day this year is devoted to better understanding the type of literacy required in a digital world to build more inclusive, equitable and sustainable societies.
In Paris, opening the International Conference on International Literacy Day, Ms. Bokova today said that technologies must be more accessible and work for people.
“First, they must be inclusive, bridging gaps, not deepening them. Second, they must be underpinned by respect for human rights and dignity. All this gives rise to new questions about the meaning of literacy today,” she said.
Also speaking at the event, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, who is the UNESCO Special Envoy on Literacy for Development, emphasized that literacy in today’s world is at the heart of social participation and engagement.
“There is no inclusiveness if we leave behind 750 million people who lack the basic literacy skills to participate in today’s digital world,” she said. “There is no social cohesion if we allow young people to develop feelings of exclusion and lack of self-confidence.”
Most people who are illiterate around the world – more than 60 per cent – are women, according to UNESCO figures.
As part of this year’s events, UNESCO awarded its annual Confucius Prize for Literacy to The Citizens Foundation, a Pakistani literacy programme with an online platform for women and out-of-school girls. In 2016, the programme enrolled 14,020 girls and women, of whom nearly 80 per cent completed the curricula, per information on the winning organization. Local communities run nearly all of the Foundation’s 1,440 school units in the poorest slums and villages in the country.
The other winners this year are from Canada, Colombia, Jordan and South Africa.
NEWS FROM NASA...
NASA Television Coverage Set for Next International Space Station Crew LaunchPRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 7/ 17 (link source)
Two NASA astronauts are among the three crew members poised to launch for a five-month stay aboard the International Space Station, and NASA Television will provide extensive coverage of their prelaunch activities, launch and their arrival on their orbital outpost.
Expedition 53-54 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:17 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 12 (3:17 a.m. Baikonur time on Sept. 13) aboard the Soyuz MS-06 spacecraft. Launch coverage will begin at 4:15 p.m. on NASA Television and the agency’s website. A full complement of video of the crew’s prelaunch activities in Baikonur will air on NASA TV in the days preceding launch.
After their launch, the trio will travel on a fast-track, six-hour path to the space station, where they are expected to dock at 10:57 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12. NASA TV coverage of docking will begin at 10:15 p.m.
Hatches between the Soyuz and the space station will open at about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13. The arriving crew will be welcomed on board by Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA and Flight Engineers Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of the ESA (European Space Agency). NASA TV coverage of the hatch opening and welcoming ceremonies will begin at 12 a.m. Sept. 13.
The crew members of Expedition 53-54 will continue work on hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard the International Space Station, humanity’s only permanently occupied microgravity laboratory.
WORLD AND NATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
FROM THE UN NEWS CENTER
Abuse, exploitation and trafficking 'stark reality' for migrant children trying to reach Europe – UN report
12 September 2017 – More than 75 per cent of migrant and refugee children trying to reach Europe via the Central Mediterranean route face appalling levels of abuse, exploitation and trafficking, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, calling on the continent to establish safe and regular pathways for migration.
Security Council approves toughest resolution yet against DPR Korea
11 September 2017 – The Security Council today unanimously agreed to impose tighter sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), imposing limits on oil exports, banning the country's textile imports and access to gas liquids, and more closely inspecting cargo ships going in and out of its ports.
NATIONAL
Draining the swamp: Hard-hit Everglades town mops up after Irma
EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. (Reuters) - As Hurricane Irma raged through Everglades City, a tiny fishing village in a vast alligator-infested swamp, Howie Grimm hunkered down inside his house with his 88-year-old mother, a useless cell phone and a new job title.
Hawaii urges U.S. top court not to lift Trump refugee ban curbs
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The state of Hawaii on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court not to lift curbs imposed by a lower court on President Donald Trump’s ban on most refugees entering the United States.
Daily Bible Verse: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:4 NKJV
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