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	<title>Crucians In Focus &#187; Education</title>
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	<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com</link>
	<description>&#34;We knew the job was dangerous when we took it.&#34;</description>
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		<title>Note To STX Teachers: You Want Your Raise? Maybe After The Election&#8230;Maybe</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2010/10/06/note-to-stx-teachers-you-want-your-raise-maybe-after-the-election-maybe/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2010/10/06/note-to-stx-teachers-you-want-your-raise-maybe-after-the-election-maybe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2010 02:24:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Election 2010]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=8534</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So here’s how this is going to work. About a week after the Democratic primary election, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Debra Gottlieb met with the ever invisible Commissioner of Education Dr. Laverne Terry. During this meeting she and Gottlieb discussed and agreed to a “revised” schedule for implementation of salary increases for the Territory’s teachers in fiscal 2011. Apparently the “revision” was okay with the Commissioner (who last we checked was making $110k plus perks to be the “Invisible Woman&#8221;) and on September 23, Gottlieb dashed off a letter to St. Croix Federation of Teachers President James Howell. In that letter, he was informed that the funds for the teachers’ salary increases would be alloted in December, 2010. Well how about that – a month after the election and just in time for Christmas…unless… You see the letter goes on to say that it’s not a sure thing, and that “if there is any deviation from this plan, you will be informed as soon as I am aware of any impediments to the payment process.” Impediments? What impediments? The funds for these increases were approved in the marathon session held recently by the Legislature and the fiscal [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Who Is Counseling Them?</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2010/04/22/who-is-counseling-them/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2010/04/22/who-is-counseling-them/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:27:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=5331</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Editorial by Ivan Butcher II I am by no means of a legal mind, but I am reasonable. I have received feedback on my position on, Who is a Virgin Islander Section of the Constitutional Draft. I thought that this new perspective  was a very strong point for consideration, but only for a moment. Since this is a legal matter, here is my take on the issue of Ancestral Native Rights.  Plaintiff:  Rights vs. Defense:  Reality  Plaintiff: The United States has 11 Territories that they have Treaties and Laws that honor and protect ancestral lands, customs and traditions of the indigenous people. Therefore, those same rights and protections should be granted to the Ancestral Natives of the Virgin Islands.  Defense:   What first came to mind is that the enslaved peoples of Africa, Asia and Europe are not Indigenous to the Caribbean. Those other Territories like the Virgin Islands were inhabited by Indigenous people before being Possessed. Those Virgin Islanders, who are descendents of the enslaved were not indigenous to the Virgin Islands.  To make a comparison, to the indigenous people of the other Territories and those enslaved people of the Virgin Islands, is a stretch of definition.  This is a clear case of Reparations, for Denmark&#8217;s injustice inflicted [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>46</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Education Spends $25 Million for Summer School/After School Programs &#8211; But Don&#8217;t Tell Anyone!</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2010/03/16/education-spends-24-million-for-summer-schooltutors-but-dont-tell-anyone/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2010/03/16/education-spends-24-million-for-summer-schooltutors-but-dont-tell-anyone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:29:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=4574</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We’re going to tell you about these massive Education contracts, but you’ve got to promise not to tell. That’s one of the provisions of the agreements between the Virgin Islands Department of Education and Learn It Systems, LLC, the Baltimore, MD, firm that is executing a contract worth $25 million for  summer school, tutorial and after school programs for the children of the Virgin Islands beginning in July 2007 and ending in August, 2011. In a section called “Publicity” Learn It stipulates “No publicity, including press releases, bulletins, or articles in any public medium concerning this Contract, its terms, execution or implementation or results can be released without written approval of the Government.” (Learn It Contract Feb. 2008, page 14, attached)  Really?  So this company, which according to the link below, was only established in 2007 (the same year they began services in the VI), and lists annual revenue of $1 million, scores a $25 million contract to spend public educational funds in the VI and doesn’t want terms, conditions or results made public? And the Department of Education agreed to it. So just keep this to yourselves, ok? The first contract, signed February 19, 2008 by Governor John P. deJongh, Jr., is for [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>50</slash:comments>
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		<title>Kurrisa Vialet Wins Crucians In Focus Scholarship Essay Contest</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/06/28/kurrisa-vialet-wins-crucians-in-focus-scholarship-essay-contest/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/06/28/kurrisa-vialet-wins-crucians-in-focus-scholarship-essay-contest/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:22:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=503</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Crucians In Focus (CIF) is pleased to announce that St. Croix Educational Complex graduate Kurrissa Vialet has won the Crucians In Focus Scholarship Essay Contest. Kurrissa will receive $5,000 to be used toward her education at the University of South Florida. Students were asked to compose a five-page essay on the life of President Barack Obama and discuss how the leadership characteristics he possesses can be used to help them be successful in their academic pursuits and ultimately assist them as future leaders in the Virgin Islands. Essays were evaluated on: 1. The quality of the writing of the essay, including correct use of the language and the composition of the document; 2. The degree to which the essay followed the essay topic, and; 3. The strength of the correlation the writer made between Obama’s leadership characteristics and their quest for success academically and as future leaders of the Virgin Islands. Congratulations to Kurrissa and her parents, Kurt and Wanda Vialet. Her winning essay is posted on our website at cruciansinfocus.com. CIF would also like to thank our judges The Honorable Senator Nellie O’Reilly and Attorney Vince Colianni, and our donors O’Reilly, Colianni, Attorney Jerry Groner and Attorney Derek M. [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Our Children Deserve Better</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/06/03/our-children-deserve-better/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/06/03/our-children-deserve-better/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:42:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Youth & Elderly]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=324</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We hope you&#8217;re not having a meal, because these pictures will put you off food for sure. These are the filthy bathrooms at St. Croix Central High School, shown in photos taken within the past three days. Participants in the recent All-Star Basketball tournament held here were forced to use these facilities &#8211; that is after they spent their time in the gymnasium dodging the rats. And some of your children go to school here every day. How many deadlines have passed to get this done? How can we expect our children to learn in these putrid conditions? Unsanitary conditions are part of what is standing in the way of accreditation for this school. Here&#8217;s our question &#8211; Why does Middle States have to tell us that our schools should be clean? Share on Facebook]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/06/03/our-children-deserve-better/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>24</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Scholarship Essay Competition</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/02/22/scholarship-essay-competition/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/02/22/scholarship-essay-competition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:26:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Publisher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/02/22/scholarship-essay-competition/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Crucians In Focus is sponsoring its first Scholarship Essay Competition. We believe that identifying and supporting our future leaders is as important as keeping a watchful eye on our current public officials. Through this competition we will give deserving students a chance to earn a $5,000 scholarship to use to defray the high cost of their college education. Students will be asked to compose a five-page essay on the life of Barack Obama and discuss how the leadership characteristics he possesses can be used to help them be successful in their academic pursuits and ultimately assist them as future leaders in the Virgin Islands. Participants must be high school seniors in good standing who have been accepted at an accredited college or university. Proof of acceptance will be required before the award is presented. Applications are available at the administrative offices at Central High School and the St. Croix Educational Complex. All entries should be typed and submitted via email to CruzansInFocus@yahoo.com by Friday, May 22, 2009. Click here to view and/or print the Scholarship Entry Form (Microsoft Word document) Share on Facebook]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/02/22/scholarship-essay-competition/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Advancing Our Educational System</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/07/26/advancing-our-educational-system/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/07/26/advancing-our-educational-system/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:39:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Publisher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/07/26/advancing-our-educational-system/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was in the States this week and everywhere I looked I saw the way technology has been woven into the basic activities of daily life. There’s virtually nothing you can’t do online. You travel on an e-ticket, reserve the rental car ahead of time to avoid the lines, all on your pc or, more likely, a cell phone that accesses the internet. You find your destination using the GPS in the car and check into the hotel on a kiosk in the lobby. But the thing that struck me the most was watching the kids who have grown up in this internet age and can’t imagine things any other way. Instant and text messaging have almost replaced conversation. Social networking through sites like Facebook and MySpace have created cyber communities that connect our children to information and knowledge we couldn’t have conceived of just a few years ago. Their world is being shaped by exposure to people, places and things far beyond their communities and their futures hold limitless potential. More critically, technology had changed the way they learn in the educational system. Laptops have replaced books in their backpacks and assignments are often given and completed on line. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/07/26/advancing-our-educational-system/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Are the children really our priority?</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2007/12/10/are-the-children-really-our-priority/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2007/12/10/are-the-children-really-our-priority/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:16:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Publisher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://act6905.com/2007/12/10/are-the-children-really-our-priority/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While children in the territory, especially young men, drop out of school in large numbers, our elected officials continue to tell us that the children of the Virgin Islanders are their priority. Apparently this was the case on December 7th when our Legislature passed Bill # 27-0142, an act authorizing the Governor to establish a partnership with Lincoln Technical Institute to build a post-secondary technical school in the Virgin Islands. In this legislation, our senators, in their infinite &#8216;love for the children&#8217;, decided to give away the farm to yet another &#8216;investor&#8217; while, at the same time, shortchanging the children of the Virgin Islands. The 27th Legislature voted 10-4 to grant Lincoln Technical Institute 30 years of tax exemptions, including exemption from property taxes on the 20 acres of land that our Government will lease to them for a mere $1/year, and up to $6m/year in subsidies, all in exchange for a $30m investment to build a technical school in the territory. This giveaway comes at a time when our elected officials tell hard working Virgin Islanders to anticipate paying both 2006 &#38; 2007 property tax bills in one fiscal year (FY 2008), to include a $10m increase, for a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2007/12/10/are-the-children-really-our-priority/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Governor, &#8220;Together We Can&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2007/10/18/governor-together-we-can/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2007/10/18/governor-together-we-can/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:35:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Publisher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://act6905.com/2007/10/18/governor-together-we-can/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is an invitation to Governor John deJongh to provide the Virgin Islands public with the qualifications he is seeking in a Commissioner of Education. Kindly submit all qualifications to us so we can engage the public in the process of searching for candidates to promptly fill the post. We agree that &#8220;Together We Can&#8221; and &#8220;Together We Will&#8221; assist you in locating qualified candidates. Share on Facebook]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2007/10/18/governor-together-we-can/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Confidential&#8217; agreements and lucrative buyouts</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2007/10/17/confidential-agreements-and-lucrative-buyouts/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2007/10/17/confidential-agreements-and-lucrative-buyouts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:30:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Publisher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://act6905.com/2007/10/17/confidential-agreements-and-lucrative-buyouts/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Governor&#8217;s &#8216;release&#8217; of Dr. Spampinato&#8217;s &#8216;confidential agreement&#8217; with the Pittsburgh Public School District has raised more questions than it has answered. The following articles will likely make you question the truthfulness of recent public statements and remind you of Act 6905: &#8212;&#8212;- From the Virgin Islands Daily News &#8220;The agreement distributed to the senators&#8217; offices on Tuesday is identical to an agreement obtained by Daily News reporters doing research before Spampinato was officially nominated in August. The Daily News first obtained the agreement and a press release explaining it after contacting the school district&#8217;s spokesperson.&#8221; Located at http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=17616049 &#8212;&#8212;- From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review &#8220;District Solicitor Ira Weiss warned board members complaining of the secrecy shrouding the move not to question it because of undisclosed legal concerns.&#8221; Located at http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_513976.html &#8212;&#8212;- From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette &#8220;The agreement ending Lynn Spampinato&#8217;s employment with the Pittsburgh Public Schools offers no insight into her abrupt departure and was written so as to minimize the taxpayers&#8217; chances of learning what went wrong. The school board approved the agreement with Dr. Spampinato and announced key details last week. The school district released a copy of the agreement yesterday, after board President Bill Isler signed it.&#8221; [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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