Education

I found this amazing video called Did you know?. It started as a powerpoint presentation given in a High School faculty meeting in 2006. Since then its estimated that its been seen by over 5 million online viewers. You can learn more about it at the Shift Happens wiki. This video is extremely powerful and speaks well to the challenges of education, work, and information in the 21st century.

So much so I felt my elected officials must see it. So I emailed it to the Chapel Hill Town Coucil, Mayor, and Manager and asked for their feedback. I really want to know what they think about this. I also want to know what you think. To get this conversation going and our minds moving I ask that you watch this video. (Its about 9 minutes) When you're done please leave your comments bellow. Here are a few questions that i'd like to read your answers to.

• What are your initial reactions to what you saw in the presentation?
• What kind of training will we need to move forward?
• What do we think it means to prepare students for the 21st century? What skills do students need to survive and thrive in this new era?

I read in the Carrboro Citizen (who is kicking ass with coverage of Rogers Road, by the way) that Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools have a survey for the public to help inform their strategic plan.

... school officials have created an online survey for community members to respond to three questions:

* What is the one area in which the district needs to improve in order to be considered a highly successful, forward-thinking school district?
* What is the greatest external challenge facing the district?
* What is the greatest internal challenge facing the district?

The survey has been emailed to parents and staff members and is available at www.chccs.k12.nc.us.
- The Carrboro Citizen: School brief: Strategic plan meeting, 9/27/07

But I can't find the link on their web site. Anyone know how to access it?

Finances are not my specialty, but I think a transfer tax is an OK way to raise money from the thing that costs us: growth. I think it would also make sense to have a higher rate or additional impact fees for new development, though.

The Orange County commissioners decided Tuesday that more discussion is needed before voting on whether to put a transfer tax question on the ballot in the upcoming election.

"I think we're all trying to get up to speed on what the legislature did," Chairman Moses Carey Jr. said.

In the last legislative session, the General Assembly voted to allow counties the option of adding a quarter-cent sales tax increase or a 0.4 percent tax on land transfers. Either way, local voters would have to approve the additional tax in a referendum.