OBTA News You Can Use
The Spring Edition of the Beacon is available!
See it on the Publications page.
From Matt White:
Registration for this summer's series of the
Please visit the
As personal finance literacy becomes even more critical, this academy is certain to be beneficial for all attendees.
| 2008 AU Schedule.pdf |
State Licensure Fees to Rise March 1 - Renew now to avoid hike
The State Board of Education Feb. 12 passed a resolution to raise licensure renewal fees from $12 per year to $40 per year effective March 1. The proposal passes 15-2 with board members Deb Cain and John Bender voting against the hike.
The renewal of a five-year license that previously cost $60 will now cost $200. The new fee structure also requires an additional fee of $20 per license for multiple licensures. For example, licensure for a person with a teaching license for middle school ($200) and an administrator's license (+$20) and a high school history license (+$20), would cost $240.
The Insurance Education Foundation provided a grant that will allow up to 35 teachers to attend the institute for FREE! The grant pays for the course tuition, and required materials, plus the teacher's room and board for the on-campus component. The program is open to middle school or high school teachers who teach insurance either as a specific course or as a part of another subject such as business, driver's education, economics, health, mathematics, or family and consumer sciences.
Teachers will be provided with the tools needed for understanding all forms of insurance, how the industry works, and what insurance careers are available. The program will be taught using a blended-learning approach that will include an online and on-campus component.
Online Component: Access materials anytime after May 5, 2008
On-Campus Component: June 23-27, 2008
Visit the Web site at www.bsu.edu/distance/insurance to learn more. Deadline to submit the Intent to Register form is April 2, 2008. Space is limited!
School of Extended Education
Ball State University
Carmichael Hall
Muncie, IN 47306
1-800-872-0369 (phone)
(765) 285-7161 (fax)
Email: distance@bsu.edu
Web Site: www.bsu.edu/distance
The Winter 2008 Beacon has been posted on the Publications page.
From Rob O'Donnell:
Hello Again Business Teachers,
I just received an email from a business teacher who attended the personal finance workshop this past summer and the importance of business teachers to attend. She told me that there were about 30
people in attendance and only 1 or 2 business teachers. The rest of
the teachers were family and consumer science and social studies
teachers. I also heard this from one of the teachers of the
programs. These workshops are promoted from Richard Cordray's office
and I don't want it to be known that business teachers are not attending as much as others. I know many of us may think that we may
not need to attend because already know this information because this
already our content area. We have been teaching this information for
years. Below is her email to me:
I attended what I think was the very first Personal Finance Workshop
held by Richard Cordray's office through Wright State University in
June. A couple of comments:
The free materials are wonderful!!! We each went home with a full
plastic file box of useful stuff! They even included a couple of
CD's/DVD's that are worth $100 each if you buy them. There were a
lot of new websites that I haven't even had time to review yet. Some
materials were better than others depending on the grade level you
teach but I give them an "A" for effort in collecting the goodies for us. The grad credit (through WSU) involved reviewing the materials
given to us and writing up two lesson plans utilizing the materials.
Now, on the down side: Out of a class of probably about 50 - 60
educators, I think I was the only one in business represented. The
majority of the class was made up of Family Consumer Science teachers
and Social Studies teachers. This is scary!!! I will say that we
are much, much, much better prepared to teach this material.
Actually, the workshop was a bit boring because you had to listen to
all the presenters teach their topic (for example, saving and
investing, credit, identity theft, insurance). I already have that knowledge, I just wanted to dig into the free stuff! But the
questions that were asked from the other subject area teachers make
me realize how unprepared these departments really are. One woman
wanted to know what the difference was between a bank and a credit
union. She also assumed she probably has a fantastic credit rating
because she doesn't even own a credit card! (She actually paid for
the class using a money order). There were a number of crazy
questions when we got to insurance, bankruptcy, and identity theft. I say all this not to put them down because I know these teachers are
experts in their particular field. The danger is in having them jump
on this and losing this critically important class from the business
curriculum. I encourage everyone who can, to go to this FREE
workshop and then bring this energy to your district to show you have
the best expertise to handle this new requirement!
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