Orlando Schools… Magnets, Mufflers And More

Every school district must strive for excellence. Orlando Schools are no exception. From Magnet Schools to new bus mufflers, from backpacks to free or reduced lunches, the Orlando Schools system is working to continuously improve itself.

BACKPACKS: The S.T.A.R.S. program (Supplies To Assist Our Students) is the only program that provides backpacks and basic school supplies to elementary, middle and high school students in Orlando Public Schools in West Orange County. Students will have the tools they need the first day of school. The goal of S.T.A.R.S. is to coordinate community based and individual efforts to efficiently and effectively assist Orlando Schools students in need so every child who needs a backpack gets one.

FREE/REDUCED LUNCHES: The Orlando Schools district is accepting applications from families who want to qualify for free or reduced-price meals for their children.

Applications are available at all schools. Orlando Schools families must complete the application and return it to the school their child will attend. For more than one child, one application may be used for all, and it may be returned to any school one of the children will attend. To qualify, families must be at 200% below the poverty level.

MAGNET SCHOOLS: Magnet programs have been established at Orlando Schools elementary, middle and high schools to provide an opportunity for students to engage in intensive study in specific areas. Orlando Schools magnet programs offer the opportunity for students to discover their talents and explore their interests while focusing on strong academic excellence. The programs are designated to attract students from across the district with transportation provided for elementary and middle school students, who reside in specified areas.

Orlando Schools grades 9-12 magnet programs provide unique personalized learning communities. These programs of study are aimed at increasing student achievement and permit a student to focus on interest, talents or career goals. Middle and elementary magnet programs in Orlando Schools provide students with the opportunity to participate in challenging experiences that engage them in learning.

MUFFLERS: An ambitious attempt across the nation to remove nasty and lethal ingredients from diesel exhaust has taken aim at the tailpipes of Orlando Schools buses. The original mufflers on 90 buses have been replaced in recent weeks with a type that incinerates a portion of pollutants. That's good for students, motorists and pedestrians who breathe fumes from those buses. Dirty diesel exhaust has been linked to illnesses such as bronchitis, asthma and cancer. Environmental improvements for other school buses will come gradually because of cost and the long lives of diesel engines.

Nearly 1,300 school buses serving Orlando Schools still don't have the devices, called "diesel-oxidation catalysts," which cost about $1,000 each.

"I wish we could get more," said Steve Huckeba, senior administrator of Orlando Schools system operations. "[but] We can't take education dollars to do that."

Orlando Schools are able to count on enough funding to replace about 10 percent of its fleet each year. Even at that rate, a lot of relatively dirty buses will remain on the road for a long time.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit Orlando Public Schools

The Master of Business Administration: Is the MBA Worth the Time, Effort, and Cost?

MBA Enrollment Trends
The number of MBA degrees conferred annually has seen explosive growth over the last few decades, going from under 5,000 MBAs in 1960 to more than 100,000 MBAs in 2000. Enrollment is also influenced by the economy, and as the economy turns toward a downturn, both recent grads and displaced workers head back to earn their MBAs.

Because of the growing number of graduate business programs that confer more and more MBA degrees, the degree itself is not as special or highly-valued as in the past. An MBA alone will not be the magic key to the door of career and job-hunting success.

Ideal Time to Get MBA
When is the best time to enroll in an MBA program? The obvious answer is to enroll at a point in your career when the MBA is necessary to take your career to the next level, but the choice is never that simple.

For the college undergrad, the biggest question you need to ask yourself is why -- why are you interested in going straight through and getting your MBA right after your bachelor's degree? The top-ranked programs will not even admit you if you don’t have at least several years of experience, and a freshly minted MBA with little or no job experience is often in a much tougher job hunt than a recent college grad with little or no job experience.

For the job-seeker, the question about getting your MBA involves how as much as when. Will you keep working while earning your MBA in a part-time program or do you have the financial resources to quit your job and return to school full-time? Will your current employer help finance your MBA? Do you need the MBA as part of a career change -- and if so, how are you going to do it?

Finally, there is the question of the economy. Some people think it's a good hedge to get an MBA during an economic slowdown -- a safe haven -- rather than face the tough job market; however, when the economy is bad, even having an MBA is no guarantee of obtaining a lucrative job offer. The best advice? Talk to recruiters and MBA career placement counselors -- and read the current trends in magazines such as Business Week, Success, U.S. News and World Report.

Types of MBA
One of the questions you'll need to answer is whether you are interested in a general MBA, which is often shorter in duration, or a specialized MBA, which may take longer but make you more marketable.

Regardless of the type of MBA, the core topics you'll encounter include:

Accounting

Quantitative analysis

Economics

Marketing

Organizational behavior

Specialized MBAs offer more advanced study in a particular area of business (such as marketing) or a particular industry (such as higher education).

Finally, you'll need to determine the value of the "name" of the program you are considering. If you are searching for a big push that fast tracks your career, snagging an MBA from one of the top schools in the country may be the ticket. But, if you're looking to simply get ahead and move your careers along, don't discount the many MBA programs that are unranked but that offer you the degree and value you need. (See the link for Business Week, below, which is one of several organizations that rank MBA programs.)

MBA Costs -- and Returns
According to one salary guide, an MBA is worth about $10-30,000 a year over a bachelor’s degree, but the salary increase you could see may be much less -- or much more. Factors that can affect your salary include:

• whether you stay with your current employer or seek a job with a new employer.
• the amount of relevant experience you have for the job you are seeking.
• the reputation of the graduate school you attended.
• the type of job you are seeking -- and the level of supply/demand for workers.
• the industries where you are seeking a job.
• the location of the jobs you are seeking.

But don't forget to factor in the costs as well, with the average cost of graduate study leading to an MBA at about $30,000. Tuition is about $50,000 at Wake Forest University, one of the premier MBA programs, while closer to $12,000 at my school, Stetson University.

What an MBA Can Do for Your Career
If you're looking for the MBA to help you get into the executive suite, it may be just the ticket you need. According to a study by Accountemps, a global temporary staffing service for accounting and finance professionals, 80 percent of executives responding to the survey said that a graduate degree in business is still important to reach senior management ranks within most companies.

And there is growing evidence that having an MBA not only gives you more leverage in dictating new job titles and salary, but also gives you leverage in achieving a better balance between work (read: fewer hours working) and life outside work.

by
quintcareers.com

Online MBA Degree Basics

What You Need to Know ?

How are online MBA programs different from traditional MBA programs?

Distance learning and traditional MBA programs generally share a similar type of curriculum and can be considered equally difficult (depending, of course, on the particular school). Instead of spending hours in class, online MBA students are expected to dedicate their time to studying independently.

Online curriculum generally consists of lectures, readings, assignments, and participation in online discussions. Some programs also offer multimedia components such as video lectures, podcasting, and videoconferencing. Online MBA students from some programs are expected to physically attend a certain number of courses or workshops in order to acquire residency hours. Required tests can usually be taken with proctors in your own community. Online MBA students don’t spend less time studying than their traditional student counterparts. But, they are given the power to fit their school hours into their own schedules.

How much will it cost to earn an online MBA degree?

One online MBA degree can had for $10,000, another for $100,000. The cost of tuition varies substantially from college to college. Pricey doesn’t necessarily mean better (although some of the more expensive schools have some of the best reputations). Your employer may be willing to pay for part or all of your educational expenses, particularly if he or she thinks you’ll be sticking with the company. You may also be awarded grants, receive institutional or private scholarships, or qualify for financial aid.

How long does it take to earn an MBA online?

The time it takes to finish an online MBA degree varies according to the school and the specialization. Some intensive MBA programs can be finished in as few as nine months. Other programs can take up to four years. Adding specializations to a degree can take even longer. Some schools allow students greater flexibility to work at their own pace while others require that students adhere to more demanding deadlines.


Why do people earn online MBAs?

Online MBA students come from all walks of life. Many distance learning students are mid-career when they decide to get another degree. Older professionals with jobs and family responsibilities often find the flexibility of online programs to be a good fit. Some online students are looking for a career change but still want to maintain their current job until they get their MBA. Others are already working in business and earn their degree in order to be eligible for job promotions.

US MBA program rankings

Top US MBA program ranking

1 Stanford University (CA)
2 Harvard University (MA)
3 Northwestern University (Kellogg) (IL)
4 University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
6 Columbia University (NY)
7 University of California - Berkeley (Haas)
8 Duke University (Fuqua) (NC)
9 University of Chicago
10 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
11 Dartmouth College (Tuck) (NH)
12 New York University (Stern)
12 University of California - Los Angeles (Anderson)
12 Yale University (CT)
15 University of Virginia (Darden)
16 Cornell University (Johnson) (NY)
17 Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
18 University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)
18 University of Texas - Austin (McCombs)
20 Indiana University - Bloomington (Kelley)
21 University of Southern California (Marshall)
22 Georgetown University (McDonough) (DC)
23 Emory University (Goizueta) (GA)
23 Ohio State University (Fisher)
23 Purdue University - West Lafayette (Krannert) (IN)
26 University of Rochester (Simon) (NY)
26 Vanderbilt University (Owen) (TN)
26 Washington University in St. Louis (Olin)
29 University of Maryland - College Park (Smith)
30 Michigan State University (Broad)
30 University of Arizona (Eller)
30 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (Carlson)
33 Arizona State University - Main Campus
33 University of Notre Dame (IN)
35 Georgia Institute of Technology (DuPree)
35 Penn State University - University Park (Smeal)
35 Rice University (Jones) (TX)
35 Southern Methodist University (Cox) (TX)
35 University of Iowa (Tippie)
35 University of Wisconsin - Madison
41 Boston College (Carroll)
41 University of California - Davis
41 University of Washington
44 Brigham Young University (Marriott) (UT)
45 Texas A&M University - College Station (Mays)
45 Tulane University (Freeman) (LA)
45 University of California - Irvine
45 University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
45 Wake Forest University (Babcock) (NC)
50 Babson College (Olin) (MA)
50 University of Florida (Warrington)
50 University of Georgia (Terry)
50 University of Pittsburgh (Katz)



source : careerdynamo.com

How to Choose the Right MBA Abroad

Today, an MBA is the most prestigious qualification in the world. It offers the potential for talented young professionals to place themselves in the shop window for the most prestigious and highest paying recruiters in the world.
MBA qualification helps those who want to change careers; it helps in understanding the model of business how to be runned? MBA is not just another degree to add to your cv but a learning experience which will stay for life.

Some of the points to keep in mind when selecting an MBA degree are:
- International reputation
- Reputation locally
- Flexibility and convenience
- Areas of specialization

A reputation internationally helps a student to migrate across countries, establish a high end network, Believe me, when I say this that is what differentiates a local MBA university and an internationally recognised one is the network of peers. The peers who tend to give you an exposure of different cities across world, give you the insights of different markets and avenues to opt for. The peers with whom you could partner and create a venture of your own, giving your ideas a right channel to be invested in. You would be having a class of say 200 coming from around 40 countries, this surely gives you a different prospective about businesses across globe.
Don't just join a b-school because it's ranked no 1. The question is would you survive there? Have you been before hand in such environment where you can cope up pressure? The word slogging would be very much known to readers if they have already passed out from this rigorous study or else please do find the correct meaning of the word slogging from the dictionary because it would be a very important one for the next phase of life. If you are doing MBA in say U.K being 1 year or U.S being 2 years generally, you will have work on 24/7 basis so again the flexibility tends to play a pivotal role.

Return on investment should be a criterion that has to be kept in mind while applying to different universities. Check out the alumni's try questioning them, see how the university has placed their students, you should look at a career benefit and your own uplifment in regards with intellectual and peer growth.

Area of Specialisation has to be kept in mind when searching for MBA. A university might be ranked 1 but that doesn't mean your area of specialisation is taught best there. An example would be if you opt for finance than Wharton (Univ of Pennsylvania) is the best but if you think marketing is what you love than London Business School is where you would like to go. Try to understand which university offers what course best for you.
Quality of faculty is again a very important aspect to consider. Try to search out faculty research in giving to the industry original research influences the prestige it acquires in the industry.

by
Bhavin Mehta,
BMS Mithibai College, Mumbai,
Aspiring for MBA Education Abroad.
http://www.coolavenues.com/mbasp/bhavin_1.php