-- Posted Wednesday, 19 November 2008 | Digg This Article | Source: GoldSeek.com
Rick’s Picks
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
“Phenomenally accurate forecasts
What’s the one factor most likely to boost the performance of students at grade schools and highs schools around the world? Is it small class size? Lavish spending per student? A supportive home environment? All of those things undoubtedly help raise students’ scores on standardized tests, but the correct answer may surprise you: The students who perform best are those who were taught by teachers who themselves were top students. And this could prove to be one of the great benefits that comes with economic hard times, since the pool of potential teachers even now is beginning to swell with overachievers whose intended job path will have been blocked at least temporarily by the severe downturn in the economy.
Not that every prospective MBA is likely to head into teaching. Some who were expecting to become investment bankers may stray no further from the MBA track than a job in corporate finance. But given the fact that college business schools are still churning out many thousands of graduates for whom there will be precious few business jobs on Main Street, let alone on Wall Street, it would seem all but certain that at least some of them will wind up in teaching. The same is likely to hold true for government employees, who are about to experience a wave of layoffs more severe than any since the Great Depression.
Schools are likely to feel the cutbacks as well, but most districts can be expected to do their utmost to preserve the status quo, such as it is. Teachers’ salaries are unlikely to rise, but even so, the traditional perks and benefits that come with the job – including excellent health benefits, extravagant stretches of time off, and work weeks much shorter than in the business world – are bound to attract an especially strong pool of applicants in hard times. And, who knows? If schools start loosening up on certification requirements so that talented applicants from other fields can move into teaching, the profession might eventually come to enjoy the kind of respect it has always gotten in most other countries.
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Last Class in 2008
Because the November 5-6 Hidden Pivot Seminar was full, we will be offering the class again on December 3-4 for $1150. The fee includes entry to weekly tutorial sessions for an entire year. For more information, click here.
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Information and commentary contained herein comes from sources believed to be reliable, but this cannot be guaranteed. Past performance should not be construed as an indicator of future results, so let the buyer beware. Rick's Picks does not provide investment advice to individuals, nor act as an investment advisor, nor individually advocate the purchase or sale of any security or investment. From time to time, its editor may hold positions in issues referred to in this service, and he may alter or augment them at any time. Investments recommended herein should be made only after consulting with your investment advisor, and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company. Rick's Picks reserves the right to use e-mail endorsements and/or profit claims from its subscribers for marketing purposes. All names will be kept anonymous and only subscribers’ initials will be used unless express written permission has been granted to the contrary. All Contents © 2008, Rick Ackerman. All Rights Reserved. www.rickackerman.com
-- Posted Wednesday, 19 November 2008 | Digg This Article | Source: GoldSeek.com