So much energy is focused on whats wrong with our public schools and how to fix them that we often lose sight of the extraordinary work occurring in our schools every day, thanks to millions of caring, dedicated professional educators who work hard to ensure every student reaches their potential. In Hello! My Name is Public School and I Have an Image Problem, authors and teachers Leslie Milder and Jane Braddock provide a solution for educators who wish to strengthen public confidence in their public schools. They share commonsense techniques on how schools and their employees can establish themselves as ambassadors who convey a positive message. This book enunciates a step-by-step approach to challenging the unjust criticism and accusations of failure by directing the energies of those who work in our schools to step up as ambassadors for Americas public schools and the children they serve. The authors underscore the power of professional unity and its profoundly positive impact on the profession, and why a culture of brotherhood is an essential element of any successful organization. The forces that weaken public trust and confidence in public education are discussed at length, as well as strategies for restoring public pride, hope, optimism, and confidence in our public schools and in those who dedicate their lives to educating our youth.

Nolan Goodman, star swimmer for Portland High, meets Mia Swarva at a swim meet and thinks he's found his perfect girlfriend. They start dating, things are going well...and then he finds out that Mia was born Mark, and his concept of what constitutes relationships not to mention sexuality goes out the window. However, Mia has that certain something about her, and Nolan does his best to understand as he genuinely cares for her. Their relationship develops after a series of stops and starts, but when Mia is inadvertently outed on a social website, she and Nolan have to run the gamut of emotions as well as deal with the inevitable reaction to her being transgender. It is only then, that Nolan learns the true meaning of commitment.

Be more creative in any setting. Here are nearly 200 practical, relevant, and easy-to-implement teaching strategies that will help engage your students in any classroom setting. Dr. Judith Herrman offers techniques gathered over many years from her own teaching experiences that are adaptable to personal teaching content, meet the needs of a variety of learning styles, and demonstrate innovation in nursing education.

Inside the race to save a great American high school, where making the numbers is only the beginning Being principal was never her dream. Anabel Garza, the young widow of a young cop, got by teaching English to immigrant children, taking college classes at night and raising her son. And Reagan High was no dream assignment. Once famous for its state football championships, educational achievements and award-winning design, the school was a shadow of its former self. “Identified for improvement,” said the federal government. “Academically unacceptable,” said the state. Promising students were fleeing. Test scores were plunging. The education commissioner set a deadline of one year, threatening to close the school for good. But when Anabel took the job - cruising the mall for dropouts, tailoring lessons to the tests, firing a few lazy teachers and supporting the rest – she started something no one expected. As the numbers rose, she set out to re-create the high school she remembered, with plays and dances, yearbooks and clubs, crowded bleachers and teachers who brought books alive. And soon she was not alone. There was Derrick Davis, a star player on the basketball team in the early 1990s, coaching the Raiders toward a chance at the playoffs. There was Candice Kaiser, a science teacher who had left hard partying behind for Christ, drilling her students on chemistry while she drove them to games, tutoring sessions, Bible studies and sometimes even doctors’ appointments. There were JaQuarius Daniels, Ashley Brown and 900 other kids trying to pass the exams, escape the streets and restore the pride of a neighborhood, all while still growing up. Across the country, public schools face the threat of extinction in the numerically ordained churn of the accountability movement. Now, for the first time, we can tally the human cost of rankings and scores. In this powerful rejoinder to the prevailing winds of American education policy, Michael Brick takes us inside the high-pressure world of a school on the brink. Compelling, character-driven narrative journalism, Saving the School pays overdue tribute to the great American high school, and to the people inside.

Three true crime classics of love, murder, and the mob by a Pulitzer Prize finalist who writes with “honest and gritty realism” (Phoenix Gazette). Award-winning author Joan Barthel uncovers the dark secrets behind some of the strangest cases in the history of American crime in these three captivating works of “first-class journalism” (The New York Times). A Death in California: When twice-divorced Beverly Hills socialite Hope Masters fell in love with a handsome advertising executive, she thought her life was finally turning around—until she woke up to find a gun in her mouth and her fiancé dead in the next room. The killer was a new acquaintance who’d been visiting the couple’s Sierra Nevada ranch. Even more bizarre, however, was what happened at the end of the long, nightmarish weekend in which Masters saw everything she cared about destroyed: She began to fall in love with her tormenter. “Superbly documented, brilliantly written. The suspense will keep readers caught to the very last page” (Ann Rule, bestselling author of The Stranger Beside Me). A Death in Canaan: When eighteen-year-old Peter Reilly arrived home from the Teen Center one night to discover his mother lying naked on the bedroom floor with her throat slashed, local police made him their prime suspect. After eight hours of interrogation and a polygraph test, Reilly confessed. But the townspeople of Canaan, Connecticut, couldn’t believe the naïve teenager was capable of such a gruesome crime. With the help of some celebrities, including Mike Nichols and William Styron, the community rallied to the boy’s defense. Barthel’s “riveting” account of this fascinating and frightening case was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize (People). Love or Honor: Police officer Chris Anastos was happily married and satisfied with his work on the NYPD’s anti-crime unit—until he was asked to go undercover to investigate links between the Italian mob and a Greek criminal network in Queens. For five years he moved back and forth between his comfortable home life and a murky, underground world of wise guys, pimps, and thieves. But when he fell in love with the beautiful, raven-haired daughter of a Long Island capo, Anastos faced his gravest threat yet. “For devotees of cop tales and mob lore . . . Tantalizing” (The New York Times Book Review).

"The Day God Asked Me a Question" is a heart warming book that will take you into the depths of one man's struggle with sin, and his ultimate triumph through Jesus Christ. Find out his answer to the question that God asked him.

The Author tells about his growing up in the 1930's and 1940's in a collection of humorous short stories from his early years in Oklahoma to the present. He believes that there is a reason for everything, a positive attitude as he now is battling Parkinson's Disease. His stories are inspirational and fun to read. So, join our Hero, the Kid from Oklahoma, as he spins stories about the people and places he loves, and the things he hates (like Summer Camp). For amusing stories, look no further - say hello to the Kid, and tune into 'Hello from Jupiter.'