Welcome to TishTrek - THE JOB BLOG!
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis said, "If you bungle raising (your) children, nothing else matters very much." The same standard applies to our country... For decades we have bungled raising America's children in Bruce Springteen's backyard and beyond... In my view, it means our generation and New Jersey has failed these kids.
How could this happen in Asbury Park, NJ - a sleepy oceanfront community located just miles from the epicenter of one of the most affluent markets in the world? How could this happen in the iconic town where Springsteen's glory days began at the famous Stone Pony?!
I'm posting this blog for the 17 & 18 year old kids who literally cannot write for themselves... and who find themselves frozen and failing in the dysfunction of a mandatory educational system that has not lived up to the values, tenets and commitments of our U.S. society. No winners here - everyone is at fault except the innocent students who are relying on our generation to right what went wrong.
For too many years, the vitriolic debates have raged on between school administrators and government agencies; between unions and politicians; and they have left parents from statistically 'good' school districts deaf to the desperate cries and blind to the tears of parents in the 'at risk' districts from Washington, DC to Camden, NJ to Newark, NJ to Detroit to my beloved New Orleans... At this point, all the adults engaged in the contrived 'philosophy of failure' war need to stop.
To put this demand in context, allow me to start with a long-overdue apology to the students, parents and teachers associated with the Asbury Park High School System: I'm so sorry.
Here are the devastating and disturbing facts as they were reported by the NJ Department of Education on 10/27/10 in the Asbury Park Press for the 2008-2009 school year: This wake up call from America's high school students in Asbury Park is heart breaking...
1) 72% of its students failed the High School Proficiency Assessment in language arts
2) 86.1% failed the math portion
3) After three tries, ONLY 34.9% were able to pass the HSPA
4) Average SAT scores are 325 in math and 330 in verbal
5) In 2008-2009, the total cost spent per pupil per year = $21,177
6) In 2009-2010, the total cost per pupil per per year = $26,782, (Updated this Blog Post with Opinion Page Data from the The Asbury Park Press, May 2nd, 2011)
On April 27th 2011, the fate of more of our kids came into focus as the Associated Press reported data from U.S. Census figures:
"Among adults in the United States 25 and older, only 10.6 million U.S. women & 10.5 million men have master's degrees or higher. Measured by shares, that's about 10.2 percent of all U.S. woman have advanced degrees compared to 10.9 percent of men.**"
** Please Note: Women still trail men in professional sub-categories such as business, science and engineering.
"When it comes to achieving a bachelor's degree, roughly only 20.1 million U.S. women and 18.7 million men have reached that goal." That means that only 38.8 million out of 350 million people in the United States have accomplished the educational requirements in a bachelor's program." What do these facts say about the current curriculum requirements and government mandates; and all the fancy teaching tools, technologies, processes and methodologies we refuse to change?
Hundreds of billions of U.S. tax dollars have been invested in both statistically 'good' and 'bad' schools every year for decades... so how can it be that a whopping 311,200,000 of our citizens completed no 4 year post-secondary education programs at all? Maybe we have to rethink what we are preparing (prepping) these kids for in high school during these valuable years they can never get back?
Not every child aspires to go to college and that's fine when it's their choice and/or if they have the skills to opt for an entrepreneurial path. But we're not talking about having 'choices' today. We're talking about stubborn adults and people in charge whose refusal to change created the very systemic environmnet that has left too many kids unfairly locked in a savage system of failure. Given these facts, why on earth are all the so-called 'good' K-12 school districts cheerfully patting themselves on the back so hard? Answer: They avoid statistics they don't want to be measured on.
FACT: The public screams they don't want U.S. jobs moving overseas at the same time POST-high school failure rates continue to sky-rocket for districts across the nation. I've been a global recruiter for two decades and I know first hand that this fact is undermining the U.S. talent pool and at a minimum it will take more than a generation for our nation to recover from what we've done to ourselves.
It's wrong that as soon as college acceptance letters arrive @ high school guidance departments,'another group' of students become 'somehow' immediately unaccounted for. I call them the lost generation of the 'high potential / privileged kids' who just drop out of college & out of sight.
I've witnessed helicopter parents drop off the face of the earth from the exhaustion brought on by 'their' own behaviors during those high school years, while K-12 school districts simply desert these tweeners in droves** (**the teens operating be'tween' high school & adulthood) for fear they'll drag some school statistic or magnet success factor down.
What this means is that no one is capturing the challenges or solving the unique problems facing these young people who started out with 'promise' & 'privilege." Find me one professional in any high school who is studying why high school alumni are dropping out of colleges in record numbers?
Let's use my dart board management approach to guess the answers we can't get from school administrators: What happened to 'our' kids? 1) Couldn't manage college level course-work despite the A's in high school? 2) Mom stopped writing the research papers? 3) Parents lost jobs/got divorced/ whatever... which crippled the financial & emotional landscape of the family? 4)Simple time management challenges? 4) The school choice/culture didn't work out? 5)Too much alcohol or extra-curricular fun without understanding these behaviors will undermine the best scholastic & athletic effort? 6) Home sick? 7) Can't make Dean's List to give parent's bragging rights? 8) A mental health issue or crisis that came out of nowhere? 9) Lost confidence or footing in this new environment?
Whatever the issues, what are the answers for change? Perhaps we can create a "High School-to-Life Transition Office" in high school guidance departments so kids can go back where they were educated and comfortable to get advice on how to find on-campus solutions to resolve college challenges like all the managable issues listed above. "Favorite" teachers & respected D.A.R.E. officers often casually fill this role for the kids who were more outgoing and connected to faculty during their high school years, so the idea has roots in a path some kids already take to get help.
The thinking is that because local taxpayers pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the education of residents for the first 13 years, it would be helpful for the country to know what the Return-on-the-taxpayer-Inventment turned out to be by the time students reached their 3rd year 'out' of high school. If we identify the issues, we have a chance at adopting approaches to benefit the next generation of kids we are responsible for educating.
I believe if we focus on what it is this young group of citizens is facing, we can help them by educating & coaching them more thoroughly on the pitfalls of college life that most students can survive if they have the skills & knowledge necessary to fight back. But forget this idea because no one has had the courage or stomach to own the grim 'tweener drop-out rate' in our nation's history and that's why so few people know that the only 11.09% of U.S. citizens possess a Bachelor's degree.
Good gosh - now we have to discuss the 12 million-plus immigrants unaccounted for in the recent U.S. Census; those who arrived in the country creatively and with language barriers. How are we going to get the necessary life skills and knowledge to their kids so they can thrive successfully into adulthood in their new country?
Obviously these courageous 'at risk' kids use the power of prayer to drown out the screams demanding they return to their countries of origin. The Foodtown in Red Bank NJ will confirm that their fresh flower supply is often sold out & depleted daily by Mexican Day Laborers and their beautiful children who purchase the flowers to lay them with reverence at the foot of a statue as they pray to the Virgin Mary. Children praying in any language on our soil cannot be left out of the education loop just because adults haven't figured out solutions to the adult issues of our time.
The obscene funding for repeat failure in Asbury Park - that is the $21,177 per student X 13 years in K-12 years equals $275,301 in tax dollars spent per child. If it's a family with 4 children, this city spends $1,101,204 to educate this one family. How did we get to this place where no one is accountable for these statistics when our nation has a giant 'vested' & 'financial' interest in making sure that each & every child can read by the time we're done funding them?
Would it be better to use the $275K per student to assign one tutor per family in high risk areas to make darn sure they are leaving high school with marketable skills and the potential to succeed? In the face of decades of repeat failure in Jersey City, NJ - The idea of charter schools began with one grandmother's belief that perhaps students should be allowed to leverage 'community tax dollars' designated for them to opt for an 'alternative path' to education. The hope was that it would lead to a college degree or vocational certification program; and/or that at a minimum these students would leave high school with the credentials to take care of themselves and their families by the age of 20. I'm routing for grandma!
U.S. taxpayer money already supports a two-tiered system for secondary education comprised of magnet and comprehensive high schools. The idea was to create schools which offer a select group of students a high-quality education often combined with a specialized education in arts, sciences or technology. Students have to pass entrance exams to attend. Though they are located in the same socio-economic areas, magnet high schools dramatically outperform comprehensive high schools in all measurable academic indicators including state assessments, college acceptance and drop-out rates. To achieve these goals, states have been redistributing tax dollars from the local sending districts for years.
The quality of most magnet schools are great. But explain to me how a system of alternative schooling and the distribution of tax dollars designated for a child across district lines is okay for gifted students, but a system someone is willing to create is NOT okay for 'at risk' kids who need to be saved from the failure rates in Asbury Park, Jersey City & Camden?
Many of the magnet high school programs do not serve second-language learners, so these students must attend comprehensive high schools. When the comprehensive school has a 40 year past-performance history of failure, and busing those kids out to any sending district is resisted & blocked by all the usual suspects, it's obvious why parents would seek comfort and results in an 'alternative' route & environment that could include the prospect of a Charter School.
Should we turn to our State Universities for help? Maybe they should get the tax dollars we set aside for high school students starting in junior and senior year. The goal would be for kids to leave HS 'somewhat' college-trained and on-track for an Associate's Degree or technical vocation. I continue my mantra as a global recruiter: If kids can't read or add or spell, there are few jobs they will ever qualify for.
For the kids who 'want to' or 'must' move to paying jobs right out of high school, the Dept of Education could partner with Home Depot, professional offices, Lowe's, banks, Wal-Mart, McDonald's, health clubs and other local small businesses to help those who aren't college bound. Why can't we create BIGGER Tax Credit Programs for companies that participate in educating our kids during high school; or reward companies that offer college tuition reimbursement to those high school students who become full time employees,(Details about incredible corporate tuition programs are in an earlier blog post, but shhh - the high schools don't explain these FINANCIAL options to kids or parents either. We don't want to ruin a pre-set statistic that gives the district Magnet School status).
Perhaps we can give kids "DeVry Tech School-like" vocational credits for participating in the partnership with companies designed to transfer knowledge on how to use computers beyond texting, run cash registers, count money, make cash deposits, cook or serve food, paint houses, work in medical facilities, call centers, packaging plants, banking centers, whatever...
As I mentioned, my recruiting teams have been hiring America's young adults in Corporate America for 25 years and too many have arrived clueless about rudimentary skills and tasks. So I'm asking you to do DO ANYTHING we can think of so all 'our' youth leave school believing they can do something if the traditional scholastic route has failed or is not an option.
There has to be some brave leaders somewhere in this country with the skills, competencies, educational credentials and business experience who can show us how to save this new generation of children from the terrible fate we banished them to?
You see, my daughter graduated from a comprehensive high school in a statistically 'great' district in New Jersey surrounded by teachers & mentors who supported and challenged her. She graduated with a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University in three years because teachers inspired her to push herself, (it had nothing to do with my husband and me). As she marched into her first job in NYC in 2010, it was great day for my kid and our family... but what about all the other kids and their families?
I'm disappointed and ashamed that so little has been done to help the children in Asbury Park who are less than 10 miles up the road from me.
My generation did this, so I apologize to all the students living in the shadow of Bruce Springsteen's backyard and across this nation...
I know many of you can't read this blog, but I give my word that I will participate in forward-thinking ideas & solutions to help you and your friends succeed.
I promise.
With respect & hope,
TishTrek
Quote of the Day by John F. Kennedy: "Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation."
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Zap Group Recruits TishTrek as Global Business Development Officer
Welcome to TishTrek - THE JOB BLOG!
If you want to create jobs, then believe in start-up companies AGAIN. I took the plunge and it feels just terrific!
I'm pleased to report that TishTrek was recruited by Zap Group LLC. This week, I accepted a position as Global Business Development Officer. I am an equity partner and I'm honored to announce that I was elected to the Zap Advisory Board. It was a great week!
The Zap Group is our NEW privately held start-up technology company being launched on May 1st!
As the 10th Anniversary of 9-11 approaches, I'm proud to partner with revered global business & technology leaders to introduce market offerings, products & services dedicated to homeland security and public safety. Our goal is to leverage our combined talents to contribute to the health, welfare and safety of future generations.
Zap's focus on security, surveillence & safety gives us the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in the fundamental shift from reacting and responding to events to anticipating and preventing them. We have developed a revolutionary way to identify targets, security breaches, suspicious persons or objects and we have created an extraordinary means to get real-time data to responders, to prevent or mitigate disasaters, catch violaters or terrorists or provide information to warfighters on the ground, air or sea.
Our software is proprietary technology developed by our team utilizing our own resources; we already have several fully issued United States Patents with several additional patents pending. Our developers have already successfully delivered some of the most advanced technology inventions of our time.
Our market capabilities are far reaching. We have already inspired the interest of law enforcement, information technology, media, public transportation, retail, and maritime operations worldwide. Value propositions dedicated to the military and other government agencies, as well as institutions such as universities, schools and municipalities are in-process.
Zap solutions are software, application and content based, and are NOT intended to require redesign of display screens, hardware, control keys or keyboards. Our "apps" have templates to work with various types of devices. In this manner we will offer 'universal' applications and internet-related access, independent of particular types of devices.
TishTrek will introduce the Zap Group Team and our solutions at the Union League Club in NYC on Wednesday, June 29th! Here we go... More details will arrive soon.
Best regards,
TishTrek
If you want to create jobs, then believe in start-up companies AGAIN. I took the plunge and it feels just terrific!
I'm pleased to report that TishTrek was recruited by Zap Group LLC. This week, I accepted a position as Global Business Development Officer. I am an equity partner and I'm honored to announce that I was elected to the Zap Advisory Board. It was a great week!
The Zap Group is our NEW privately held start-up technology company being launched on May 1st!
As the 10th Anniversary of 9-11 approaches, I'm proud to partner with revered global business & technology leaders to introduce market offerings, products & services dedicated to homeland security and public safety. Our goal is to leverage our combined talents to contribute to the health, welfare and safety of future generations.
Zap's focus on security, surveillence & safety gives us the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in the fundamental shift from reacting and responding to events to anticipating and preventing them. We have developed a revolutionary way to identify targets, security breaches, suspicious persons or objects and we have created an extraordinary means to get real-time data to responders, to prevent or mitigate disasaters, catch violaters or terrorists or provide information to warfighters on the ground, air or sea.
Our software is proprietary technology developed by our team utilizing our own resources; we already have several fully issued United States Patents with several additional patents pending. Our developers have already successfully delivered some of the most advanced technology inventions of our time.
Our market capabilities are far reaching. We have already inspired the interest of law enforcement, information technology, media, public transportation, retail, and maritime operations worldwide. Value propositions dedicated to the military and other government agencies, as well as institutions such as universities, schools and municipalities are in-process.
Zap solutions are software, application and content based, and are NOT intended to require redesign of display screens, hardware, control keys or keyboards. Our "apps" have templates to work with various types of devices. In this manner we will offer 'universal' applications and internet-related access, independent of particular types of devices.
TishTrek will introduce the Zap Group Team and our solutions at the Union League Club in NYC on Wednesday, June 29th! Here we go... More details will arrive soon.
Best regards,
TishTrek
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Confessions from a Hard Working Dad
Welcome to TishTrek - THE JOB BLOG.
So you landed your dream job, what exactly do you know about compensation in Corporate America? And what do you plan to do with your money once your company starts paying you?
An employment expert who was a business partner for many years spent 18 years working with several of the global financial firms that faltered in 2007 & later failed in 2008. Before he took his own life inside his Boynton Beach home one December day, he spoke with riveting candor about 'consequences' as we continued our work together as professionals.
As he navigated frustration and disappointment, he asserted the following:
"I secured a master's degree from a great university and for 18 years I left my home destined for work in NYC before 6 a.m.; never returning until after 8 p.m. In the end - all of my money and my family's dreams were tied up in the affluence & success of great companies I helped build and honestly thought I would retire comfortably from. I was loyal and dedicated to all my clients because I was inspired by my work and I felt so proud and blessed to be part of great organizations where people treated each other like family."
"It's all still unbelievable to me. When these companies failed without warning in September 2008, the invoices stopped being paid so paychecks & bonuses stopped immediately; the stock options & restricted stock (aka: our kid's college fund) that I had enjoyed as part of my all-in compensation for over 14 years were worthless; my 401K plan evaporated before my eyes and I still had bills, bills, bills and mortgage(s)... All this as our family's COBRA Benefits immediately demanded payments of $1300 per month."
He continued...
"My incredible wife spent most of these years raising our wonderful kids and supporting our community with the dollars of our partnership. The hardship of our circumstances and the embarrassment of our financial crash downward has already caused our partnership and relationship to spiral in the same direction.
Our kids are still at ages tracking towards their adult dreams just like we'd always planned. My second oldest child had to leave the university she loved during her sophomore year as we filed for bankruptcy. To the amazement of everyone who knew us and who admired my work ethic, our family simply ran out of money and credit options because we were too financially over-extended to be unemployed for more than a few months."
"The short-sell of our two homes in South Jersey and Boca Raton, Florida earlier in the year was the low-point. It was a painful and devastating experience for the entire family (especially my kids...) as we left the town that had embraced us with so many special times & memories. We had to move away from familiar faces and friends just to start living within our means."
Emphatically, he continued...
"I wish I could get all the wasted money back. I would give anything to put the $40,000 back in the bank that we used for that built-in swimming pool added in 2006. At age 41, I would not have moved from our comfortable and beautiful home that was almost paid off to that waterfront property that we recently had to give up; I'd give anything to erase the ridiculous home improvements that were financed off the equity and inflated value of both homes over many years - we're talking $100's of thousands of dollars. What was I thinking?"
"I'd give anything to get back the value of the stock options & restricted stock awards that I received for high-end performance that helped achieve corporate goals and that took me away from family more times than I want to remember. I was slow, calculating and always conservative about exercising my stock plans because that money - those corporate rewards - were dedicated solely to the college expenses of my four kids. You see - we had a plan, but it failed because all my eggs were in one basket. One of our kids was lucky enough to finish four years of college before our personal crash; but the last three - our two other daughters and 17 year old son were not so lucky. When the company failed, the value of these financial vehicles went to ZERO."
"I can only say I'm sorry because companies come and go... After so many companies I was tied to failed, the worst part was becoming the victim of my own purchase and credit decisions. As I looked in the mirror, I was forced to realize that a lot of what I did was based on how I wanted our family to be perceived in our social circles and communities in NYC, NJ and Florida. My past-performance history in this regard highlights house-obsessed decisions and the acquisition of material goods that did not put our kids first."
"My only hope now is to get back in the game. I need to rebuild my businesses or find a new job as soon as possible so I can show my kids how a person truly can rebuild & recover from past mistakes."
As he worked to rebuild, unexpectedly his own father died of natural causes... adding a personal hardship to an already tough year.
The new job never came. The Palm Beach Post published an 18 word Death Notice of his passing in December, 2008. He was 43 years old.
A New York Jewish Community Center would publish a single line of condolences to members of his family in a congregation's newsletter in February, 2009.
He was a successful businessman until - in his own eyes - he wasn't anymore. He spent 60 hours a week at the office for over 20 years helping to build up the companies he worked for, believed in and supported like a champion. But... as we all know - the economy changed.
In those circles where people are too often measured by the size of their home, their last paycheck or donation, some of the best people on the planet can expect nothing more than a short 18 word Death Notice.
At age 43, he had already painfully figured that out and he took it hard.
With respect,
TishTrek
Thought of the day: "Those who love and accept you unconditionally, don't care where you live or what you buy. The people who matter most are only focused on 'who' you really are; and above all - they hope you love and accept them back."
So you landed your dream job, what exactly do you know about compensation in Corporate America? And what do you plan to do with your money once your company starts paying you?
An employment expert who was a business partner for many years spent 18 years working with several of the global financial firms that faltered in 2007 & later failed in 2008. Before he took his own life inside his Boynton Beach home one December day, he spoke with riveting candor about 'consequences' as we continued our work together as professionals.
As he navigated frustration and disappointment, he asserted the following:
"I secured a master's degree from a great university and for 18 years I left my home destined for work in NYC before 6 a.m.; never returning until after 8 p.m. In the end - all of my money and my family's dreams were tied up in the affluence & success of great companies I helped build and honestly thought I would retire comfortably from. I was loyal and dedicated to all my clients because I was inspired by my work and I felt so proud and blessed to be part of great organizations where people treated each other like family."
"It's all still unbelievable to me. When these companies failed without warning in September 2008, the invoices stopped being paid so paychecks & bonuses stopped immediately; the stock options & restricted stock (aka: our kid's college fund) that I had enjoyed as part of my all-in compensation for over 14 years were worthless; my 401K plan evaporated before my eyes and I still had bills, bills, bills and mortgage(s)... All this as our family's COBRA Benefits immediately demanded payments of $1300 per month."
He continued...
"My incredible wife spent most of these years raising our wonderful kids and supporting our community with the dollars of our partnership. The hardship of our circumstances and the embarrassment of our financial crash downward has already caused our partnership and relationship to spiral in the same direction.
Our kids are still at ages tracking towards their adult dreams just like we'd always planned. My second oldest child had to leave the university she loved during her sophomore year as we filed for bankruptcy. To the amazement of everyone who knew us and who admired my work ethic, our family simply ran out of money and credit options because we were too financially over-extended to be unemployed for more than a few months."
"The short-sell of our two homes in South Jersey and Boca Raton, Florida earlier in the year was the low-point. It was a painful and devastating experience for the entire family (especially my kids...) as we left the town that had embraced us with so many special times & memories. We had to move away from familiar faces and friends just to start living within our means."
Emphatically, he continued...
"I wish I could get all the wasted money back. I would give anything to put the $40,000 back in the bank that we used for that built-in swimming pool added in 2006. At age 41, I would not have moved from our comfortable and beautiful home that was almost paid off to that waterfront property that we recently had to give up; I'd give anything to erase the ridiculous home improvements that were financed off the equity and inflated value of both homes over many years - we're talking $100's of thousands of dollars. What was I thinking?"
"I'd give anything to get back the value of the stock options & restricted stock awards that I received for high-end performance that helped achieve corporate goals and that took me away from family more times than I want to remember. I was slow, calculating and always conservative about exercising my stock plans because that money - those corporate rewards - were dedicated solely to the college expenses of my four kids. You see - we had a plan, but it failed because all my eggs were in one basket. One of our kids was lucky enough to finish four years of college before our personal crash; but the last three - our two other daughters and 17 year old son were not so lucky. When the company failed, the value of these financial vehicles went to ZERO."
"I can only say I'm sorry because companies come and go... After so many companies I was tied to failed, the worst part was becoming the victim of my own purchase and credit decisions. As I looked in the mirror, I was forced to realize that a lot of what I did was based on how I wanted our family to be perceived in our social circles and communities in NYC, NJ and Florida. My past-performance history in this regard highlights house-obsessed decisions and the acquisition of material goods that did not put our kids first."
"My only hope now is to get back in the game. I need to rebuild my businesses or find a new job as soon as possible so I can show my kids how a person truly can rebuild & recover from past mistakes."
As he worked to rebuild, unexpectedly his own father died of natural causes... adding a personal hardship to an already tough year.
The new job never came. The Palm Beach Post published an 18 word Death Notice of his passing in December, 2008. He was 43 years old.
A New York Jewish Community Center would publish a single line of condolences to members of his family in a congregation's newsletter in February, 2009.
He was a successful businessman until - in his own eyes - he wasn't anymore. He spent 60 hours a week at the office for over 20 years helping to build up the companies he worked for, believed in and supported like a champion. But... as we all know - the economy changed.
In those circles where people are too often measured by the size of their home, their last paycheck or donation, some of the best people on the planet can expect nothing more than a short 18 word Death Notice.
At age 43, he had already painfully figured that out and he took it hard.
With respect,
TishTrek
Thought of the day: "Those who love and accept you unconditionally, don't care where you live or what you buy. The people who matter most are only focused on 'who' you really are; and above all - they hope you love and accept them back."
Monday, April 18, 2011
College Costs: ON-THE-JOB Tip!
Welcome to TishTrek - THE JOB BLOG!
Yes - for those high school seniors in the throws of figuring out if you and your family can afford to send you away to 'that' four year university or college of your dreams, I want to remind you AGAIN of the important information below.
It's high school graduation season and there are many options that can help you chase your dreams beyond the usual route or plans!!! Do your research and re-read my the Blog Post below!
My father-in-law - who was a professor @ the College of Staten Island for 30 years - always stated that the Acquisition-of-Knowledge should NOT be viewed as something you do for four quick years after high school; he believed it should be a 'lifetime commitment!' Some would say, nice thought, but how can anyone afford to do such a thing?
What most high school students and many parents don't realize is that for more than 40 years a large percentage of corporations have offered varied forms of Tuition Reimbursement Programs. Check out the terrific plan sample highlighted below.
Here is an actual Tuition Program straight from a corporate benefit handbook:
• To qualify for the Tuition Reimbursement Program, schools have to be accredited colleges or accredited graduate schools.
• Employees must receive a C- or better, or a Pass if pass/fail basis. For CLEP exams, you must receive a passing grade and show proof of college credit acceptance from the academic institution for which you are applying for college credit.
• Employees need to have received a performance rating of at least 3 – “Strong” rating or better on the last performance review for undergraduate and graduate courses to be reimbursed under the Tuition Reimbursement Program
• The Tuition Reimbursement Program pays 100% of tuition costs for full-time employees and 75% of tuition costs for part-time employees (not including amounts covered by other sources; such as grants, scholarships, etc.) for approved courses
• There's a maximum annual benefit of $5,250 per calendar year for undergraduate courses, and $12,000 per calendar year for graduate courses or a combination of graduate and undergraduate courses. Fees for CLEP exams are included in these limits. All reimbursement costs are the responsibility of each individual department; however, budget restraints cannot be used to deny reimbursements.
High schools don't tell kids about corporate tuition reimbursement programs because most school districts are graded & earn points when they are ranked across the state on how many kids immediately track out of high school and go directly to college.
The sad fact is: Many 18 year old kids are simply not ready, prepared or even have a clue as to what they want to do for their rest of their lives @ this juncture in their life. Aside from that, too many families figure out that they simply do not have the means to participate in funding their children's college dreams, so... For gosh sakes - Let corporations help!
Make no mistake, it's important for kids to spend some part of their high school years gaining skills & experiences that will help them secure the entry-level positions they will need to survive and thrive.
All adults should be screaming from the roof tops that these kids should not leave high school without doing some combo of the following: Make sure you have a basic understanding of math-for-life & accounting. Learn how to type on a keyboard beyond 'LOL' and 'How r u?'; take business writing courses; learn as many computer programs for business as possible; and sharpen your presentation skills!
Finally, take any course or become involved in any extra-curricular program that builds confidence and communication skills. Every year, high school students should be working on enhancing their face-to-the-client skills! Most entry-level opportunities and all high end executive positions require skills and competencies in all these critical areas.
Those who complete their education while getting ON-THE-JOB experience & training actually show up at the job interview with a real competitive edge. Aside from that fact, it is always impressive to employers to find out that a person who wanted to improve him/herself by increasing their knowledge and credentials was willing to execute those requirements on their own time and around the responsibilities of their job. This highly motivated person has already demonstrated a track record of excellent time management skills which helped balance two priorities! Is that you?
Best regards,
TishTrek
Quote of the Day: "If you leveraged an option to get someone else to pay for college costs - Congratulations! You belong at the head of the class!"
Yes - for those high school seniors in the throws of figuring out if you and your family can afford to send you away to 'that' four year university or college of your dreams, I want to remind you AGAIN of the important information below.
It's high school graduation season and there are many options that can help you chase your dreams beyond the usual route or plans!!! Do your research and re-read my the Blog Post below!
My father-in-law - who was a professor @ the College of Staten Island for 30 years - always stated that the Acquisition-of-Knowledge should NOT be viewed as something you do for four quick years after high school; he believed it should be a 'lifetime commitment!' Some would say, nice thought, but how can anyone afford to do such a thing?
What most high school students and many parents don't realize is that for more than 40 years a large percentage of corporations have offered varied forms of Tuition Reimbursement Programs. Check out the terrific plan sample highlighted below.
Here is an actual Tuition Program straight from a corporate benefit handbook:
• To qualify for the Tuition Reimbursement Program, schools have to be accredited colleges or accredited graduate schools.
• Employees must receive a C- or better, or a Pass if pass/fail basis. For CLEP exams, you must receive a passing grade and show proof of college credit acceptance from the academic institution for which you are applying for college credit.
• Employees need to have received a performance rating of at least 3 – “Strong” rating or better on the last performance review for undergraduate and graduate courses to be reimbursed under the Tuition Reimbursement Program
• The Tuition Reimbursement Program pays 100% of tuition costs for full-time employees and 75% of tuition costs for part-time employees (not including amounts covered by other sources; such as grants, scholarships, etc.) for approved courses
• There's a maximum annual benefit of $5,250 per calendar year for undergraduate courses, and $12,000 per calendar year for graduate courses or a combination of graduate and undergraduate courses. Fees for CLEP exams are included in these limits. All reimbursement costs are the responsibility of each individual department; however, budget restraints cannot be used to deny reimbursements.
High schools don't tell kids about corporate tuition reimbursement programs because most school districts are graded & earn points when they are ranked across the state on how many kids immediately track out of high school and go directly to college.
The sad fact is: Many 18 year old kids are simply not ready, prepared or even have a clue as to what they want to do for their rest of their lives @ this juncture in their life. Aside from that, too many families figure out that they simply do not have the means to participate in funding their children's college dreams, so... For gosh sakes - Let corporations help!
Make no mistake, it's important for kids to spend some part of their high school years gaining skills & experiences that will help them secure the entry-level positions they will need to survive and thrive.
All adults should be screaming from the roof tops that these kids should not leave high school without doing some combo of the following: Make sure you have a basic understanding of math-for-life & accounting. Learn how to type on a keyboard beyond 'LOL' and 'How r u?'; take business writing courses; learn as many computer programs for business as possible; and sharpen your presentation skills!
Finally, take any course or become involved in any extra-curricular program that builds confidence and communication skills. Every year, high school students should be working on enhancing their face-to-the-client skills! Most entry-level opportunities and all high end executive positions require skills and competencies in all these critical areas.
Those who complete their education while getting ON-THE-JOB experience & training actually show up at the job interview with a real competitive edge. Aside from that fact, it is always impressive to employers to find out that a person who wanted to improve him/herself by increasing their knowledge and credentials was willing to execute those requirements on their own time and around the responsibilities of their job. This highly motivated person has already demonstrated a track record of excellent time management skills which helped balance two priorities! Is that you?
Best regards,
TishTrek
Quote of the Day: "If you leveraged an option to get someone else to pay for college costs - Congratulations! You belong at the head of the class!"
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Hank Greenberg: A Bronze Star Vindication
TishTrek - The JOB BLOG!
James Freeman's book review in the Wall Street Journal this week is a 'must' read!
TishTrek comments on Mr. Freeman's critique of Roddy Boyd's book, "Fatal Risk," which documents the real story behind the intentional ouster of former CEO Hank Greenberg and the destruction of American International Group, Inc., (AIG).
The book is a page turner! See my letter to the Wall Street Journal below.
-TishTrek
----- Original Message -----
From: Tish Ferguson
To: wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
Cc: james.freeman@wsj.com
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011 5:35 AM
Subject: Eliot Spitzer's Assisted Suicide of AIG = Hank's Bronze Star Vindication!
Dear Editor,
James Freeman's critique of Roddy Boyd's "Fatal Risk" (Bookshelf, April 5th) reads like The Murder on the Orient Express. There's someone powerful connected to the destruction of AIG lurking in every car including some of Eliot Spitzer's former colleagues at Paul, Weiss et al who lined up to give the proverbial trainman on-going cover to secure their seats in first class while Mr. Spitzer collected his fare for that trip to the governor's office.
Agatha Christie wrote, “The whistle means that help is near," so kudos to Mr. Boyd for following the stench and blowing a whistle. It's clear former AIG CEO Maurice "Hank" Greenberg was 'pushed' out by Mr. Spitzer and by all 'those' who helped mostly because over twenty of the most powerful corporate counter-parties in the world and high net worth clients tied to AIG's financial-products subsidiary were desperate to funnel 100% of their contrived risk through someone else's company.
For decades, CEO Greenberg's weekly risk management and accountability meetings across all businesses kept the focus on shareholder interests and successfully rooted out AIG employees determined to do the company harm. Those of us who worked for Mr. Greenberg's Executive Team know - as a matter of fact and principle - that AIG managers on the inside together with their counter-parties and lawyers on the outside could not have pulled off their three year subprime-mortgage binge nor could they have collusively infested the financial system with such a high level of intentional deception off the back of AIG without getting Mr. Greenberg out of the way in 2005.
We can expect some fascinating sequels to "Fatal Risk" once the world deciphers the 700,000 pages of AIG documents and deposition testimony from those faceless Spitzer witnesses who intentionally destroyed The House that Hank Built for personal profit. In the meantime, Mr. Spitzer arrogantly uses his Ashley Dupre-Client #9 cover at CNN as a salacious deflection tactic to divert public attention from his role as the political thug who ousted Mr. Greenberg when the financial stakes of his supporters required the assisted suicide of AIG.
You see, the whistle means that a Bronze Star vindication of the honorable Hank Greenberg is near.
Respectfully submitted,
TishTrek
Former AIG Manager, Professional Staffing
& Executive Recruiter
72 Wall Street, NYC location, Feb 1997 - Jan 2000
James Freeman's book review in the Wall Street Journal this week is a 'must' read!
TishTrek comments on Mr. Freeman's critique of Roddy Boyd's book, "Fatal Risk," which documents the real story behind the intentional ouster of former CEO Hank Greenberg and the destruction of American International Group, Inc., (AIG).
The book is a page turner! See my letter to the Wall Street Journal below.
-TishTrek
----- Original Message -----
From: Tish Ferguson
To: wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
Cc: james.freeman@wsj.com
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011 5:35 AM
Subject: Eliot Spitzer's Assisted Suicide of AIG = Hank's Bronze Star Vindication!
Dear Editor,
James Freeman's critique of Roddy Boyd's "Fatal Risk" (Bookshelf, April 5th) reads like The Murder on the Orient Express. There's someone powerful connected to the destruction of AIG lurking in every car including some of Eliot Spitzer's former colleagues at Paul, Weiss et al who lined up to give the proverbial trainman on-going cover to secure their seats in first class while Mr. Spitzer collected his fare for that trip to the governor's office.
Agatha Christie wrote, “The whistle means that help is near," so kudos to Mr. Boyd for following the stench and blowing a whistle. It's clear former AIG CEO Maurice "Hank" Greenberg was 'pushed' out by Mr. Spitzer and by all 'those' who helped mostly because over twenty of the most powerful corporate counter-parties in the world and high net worth clients tied to AIG's financial-products subsidiary were desperate to funnel 100% of their contrived risk through someone else's company.
For decades, CEO Greenberg's weekly risk management and accountability meetings across all businesses kept the focus on shareholder interests and successfully rooted out AIG employees determined to do the company harm. Those of us who worked for Mr. Greenberg's Executive Team know - as a matter of fact and principle - that AIG managers on the inside together with their counter-parties and lawyers on the outside could not have pulled off their three year subprime-mortgage binge nor could they have collusively infested the financial system with such a high level of intentional deception off the back of AIG without getting Mr. Greenberg out of the way in 2005.
We can expect some fascinating sequels to "Fatal Risk" once the world deciphers the 700,000 pages of AIG documents and deposition testimony from those faceless Spitzer witnesses who intentionally destroyed The House that Hank Built for personal profit. In the meantime, Mr. Spitzer arrogantly uses his Ashley Dupre-Client #9 cover at CNN as a salacious deflection tactic to divert public attention from his role as the political thug who ousted Mr. Greenberg when the financial stakes of his supporters required the assisted suicide of AIG.
You see, the whistle means that a Bronze Star vindication of the honorable Hank Greenberg is near.
Respectfully submitted,
TishTrek
Former AIG Manager, Professional Staffing
& Executive Recruiter
72 Wall Street, NYC location, Feb 1997 - Jan 2000
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