AEA365 Hello, my name is Jayne Corso and I am the Community Manager for AEA. As a community manager, I create weekly posts for AEA’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Although you can share similar content on Facebook and Twitter, your approach should be unique for each channel. Facebook: Hot Tip: Keep it to 80 characters The Facebook character limit is technically 63,206; however, when posting on Facebook, you should try to keep your text within 80 characters. Hot Tip: Don’t just post a link Facebook is a great channel for sharing blog posts or linking to external content, but don’t just post the link. Hot Tip: Use images Facebook posts that use images receive more engagement than posts without images. Twitter: Hot Tip: Keep it simple Twitter has a character limit of 140, but studies have shown that posts that are 120-130 in length receive better engagement. Hot Tip: Grammar is still important Hot Tip: Don’t go crazy with hashtags Good luck crafting your posts! facebook · social media · twitter No tags
MN student testing faces big cuts after lawmakers slash budget Listen Story audio Minnesota students will see big changes in the number of statewide exams they take next school year after the Legislature chopped Minnesota's testing budget in half during the special session. Lawmakers repealed several required high school tests and stopped paying for all juniors to take the ACT college entrance exam, something they had ordered in 2013. This was the first year for those payments. They're gone now, too. Two weeks after lawmakers finished their work, the Minnesota Department of Education is still combing through the education bill to see how the changes ordered by the Legislature will affect statewide assessments. The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment GRAD tests in writing, reading and math will end. Gone as well are the Explore, Plan and Compass ACT tests, exams that helped students plan for college or a career. The MCA tests that students take every year in grades three through eight, and in 10th and 11th grades, will remain in place. Rep. State Sen.
Overstretched school counselors would get state relief under new plan Listen Story audio Rosemount High School counselor Chad Terry helps students plan for college, work through emotional crises and pass their classes. Nearly 500 students depend on him. That's more than 100 students higher than the national average for secondary school counselors. Terry said he's overstretched and can't give students all the support they need. A proposal to fund grants for new support staff cleared its first legislative hurdle Thursday. Districts would match state funding for the first four years. Terry told a state Senate education committee the grants could help "close achievement gaps, educate and train students for jobs that are open now and in the future, and continue to work through the complications of an evolving mental health epidemic in our youth." Minnesota has one of the nation's worst student-to-counselor ratios. • More: Money for student counseling takes a back seat The Woodbury Democrat said her plan is designed as a short-term incentive.
Student support gets boost in Minnesota's supplemental budget School districts will have an opportunity to hire more social workers, counselors and other student support staff with a $12.1 million grant program included in the Legislature's end-of-session spending plan. Sen. Susan Kent, DFL-Woodbury, has pushed for the funding for several years. "The House had a much smaller target than the Senate did for education, and the fact that, I think, in the process of compromise that ours is pretty close to intact — I think it sends an important signal about how much this is valued," Kent said. Education experts say support staff can be critical to keeping students at risk of dropping out of school on track for graduation. • Related: Without support, Minnesota students left behind at graduation Dayton has yet to sign the supplemental funding bill that contains the student support money, but indicated several weeks ago that he wanted it included in the plan for spending the state's budget surplus. Sen.
Money for student counseling takes a back seat Listen Story audio Lots of young, enthusiastic people want to be school counselors in Minnesota. Test scores and graduation data show there's plenty of need for the kind of support counselors provide. Without the intervention of counselors and other support staff, students can get off track for graduation, end up dropping out and find themselves with few options for employment. "Kids can't perform as well academically if they've got some social and behavioral issues that aren't taken care of," said Lauren Salonek, a graduate student in Minnesota State University Mankato's counseling program. • Related: Without support, Minnesota students left behind at graduation But compared to schools in other states, Minnesota schools don't hire many people like Salonek. School counselor-to-student ratios nationwide, 2014 MPR News graphic | Source: National Center for Education Statistics via American School Counselor Association He thinks Minnesota has put the issue on a back burner. State Sen.
Without support, Minnesota students left behind at graduation When Xavier Simmons walked into class in high school, he'd turn his desk backwards, put his head down and go to sleep. He failed four classes his freshman year. Nobody called him on it, he said — not his mother, not his teachers, not his counselors. He dropped out the next year. "I didn't think of it as a big deal," Simmons said. • More: Xavier's story One might say Simmons, now 27 and lacking a high school diploma, got what he deserved. In the end, Simmons, who is African-American, was free to flounder in a state where students of color have some of the lowest graduation rates in the nation. Students like Simmons get knocked off track for a complex mix of reasons. Abysmal graduation rates for minority students have not only rattled education officials, but are worrying policymakers and civic leaders over the implications for Minnesota's economy. Many schools here and elsewhere have improved their graduation rates in part by following a simple formula of early intervention. So, what gives?
Why Squatting Hurts Your Knees It’s a concept that other strength coaches and I try to get across to our clients. There is a proper way to squat that won’t cause harm—and then there is every other way. Unfortunately, I rarely see them executed the proper way. Let’s get one thing straight about squat form, though: There is always going to be some forward movement of the knees when squatting. That said, allowing your knees to excessively move forward so that your heels come off the ground can get you into trouble. I see this happen a lot. And that’s important, because your hips are a larger, more prominent joint than your knees. If squatting hurts your knees—and you’re not suffering from an injury—it’s because you’re making your knees do more of the work than the hips. Box squats also keep guys honest with their squat depth. Here’s how to do it: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. In order to master the pattern, repitition is key. If you liked this, you'll love The Anarchy Workout—a high-intensity fitness plan from Men's Health.
untitled Predicting which questions will be asked during an interview is difficult for job candidates. Sure, there are common questions that interviewers ask to start the conversation, like "Why do you want this job?" But those questions are about the candidate's story, a key part of the narrative but not the purpose for the interview. Hiring committees are really most interested in what's best for their institutions. Candidates can better prepare for interviews if they anticipate what institutions generally want to know about them. Then they can volley a response to any question in that direction. Are You Innovative? "I love to hear what excites the candidates about the work," said R. Can You Relate to Others? Dinkins, who prefers the term "core organizational skills" instead of soft skills, says that successful hires who possess these skills are good listeners, avoid knee-jerk reactions, and look to the root cause of issues and problems through an objective lens.