tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69099759316679329352024-10-24T03:44:02.554-07:00Our MessageWelcome to Our Message ... chockfull of news, tips and fun things to know.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-28803304371120805162015-02-26T13:18:00.000-08:002015-02-26T13:18:00.921-08:00Ooops...better late than never!We knew there was something we were forgetting!
Neal Moore, Dauphne Trenholm and Julie Johnson Holt
We haven't updated our blog since, well, everything's changed. And we mean everything.
Our look, for one -- you may have noticed our new logo and colors.
And, most exciting, we've added a new partner and creative director, Neal Moore.
So now First Class is able to take on an even broader Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-24985983418024359952014-10-15T04:30:00.000-07:002014-10-15T04:30:12.748-07:00Debate sparks Common Core discussion
Last night's debate between senatorial candidates generated a spirited discussion about the Common Core on on my Facebook page. It clearly illustrates the amount of confusion and misinformation that's out there. With names removed, here's what was said:
MY ORIGINAL POST: Just one more thing..the Common Core is not a federal curriculum. And it's needed
FRIEND ONE: Why is the common core Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-81082544176322943072014-08-01T06:20:00.002-07:002014-08-01T06:23:13.448-07:00Compelling Education Quote of the Week: More than labels"Our ultimate goal is to get to a point where we are not about putting a label on a teacher but about collecting data and using that data to empower educators to make good decisions about their practices. That will make better opportunities for our students." Ivy Pfeffer, Arkansas Department of Education, quoted in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Context: Arkansas is rolling out a data managementJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-74804250024172776122014-07-25T10:04:00.002-07:002014-07-25T10:39:56.457-07:00Compelling Education Quote of the Week: Research or Advocacy?
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-6422444791443780882014-07-18T12:18:00.002-07:002014-07-18T12:21:02.256-07:00Compelling Education Quote of the Week: Carrot or Stick?"This law is working directly against us. The students who are going to help us get the high school out of academic distress are the kids who are probably going to try to leave, and then we'll never get out. If they
leave...that will make the challenge even greater for us," Dollarway Superintendent Bobby Acklin quoted July 16, 2014, in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Context: Mr. Acklin was Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-17576582764294445602014-06-24T07:49:00.001-07:002014-06-24T07:50:47.612-07:00Get back to nature with PDHere's a great opportunity for an Arkansas teacher shared with us by Arkansas Parks and Tourism...
Buffalo National River is offering an opportunity for one, local teacher
to become a Teacher-Ranger-Teacher (TRT) this summer. The TRT program
is a professional development opportunity for grades 5 -12 teachers to
spend the summer acquiring new skills in experiential learning through a
programJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-44717564887055448322014-06-16T08:27:00.001-07:002014-06-16T08:27:39.643-07:00Can't we create a virtual win-win?As a small business owner, I am more than somewhat sympathetic to the desire local internet providers have to sell services to the school districts in their areas.
BUT (and, just as I typed it, it's a big "but") by putting the needs of the schools and, more importantly, the students first, we're also putting all of Arkansas first.
We can't teach students in a barely digital, 20th-century Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-48512678727648145522014-03-28T14:12:00.000-07:002014-03-28T14:38:37.979-07:00Crisis communication -- don't wait until you're in a crisis to communicateFirst Class Communication has always told our clients that when it comes to crisis communication...
You need to be as honest as you can with what you know
You need to show genuine concern for anyone who has been hurt
You need to say how you're going to make things better in the future -- and then, for Pete's sake, make sure you follow through
So it was reaffirming to hear respected crisis Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-61504530552669925562014-03-19T12:31:00.000-07:002014-03-19T12:31:59.757-07:00Social media success -- it's more than a numbers game
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Courier New";
panose-1:2 7 3 9 2 2 5 2 4 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073711037 9 0 511 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:2;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-74859097728706582652014-03-06T12:02:00.002-08:002014-03-06T12:02:50.579-08:00Making a difference in kids' livesI saw a terrific video on Facebook this morning of a young woman reading a poem she'd written called The Lost Generation. I encourage you to watch it.
The poem is a plea for adults not to write this generation of kids off as a hopelessly lost cause. Instead, she says in a hip-hoppy rhythm, give young people the nurturing and support they need to grow into the people they can and truly want to beJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-10234533265119155592014-02-24T10:37:00.000-08:002014-02-24T10:37:36.825-08:00Speaking Up for the Common CoreAt its last meeting, the Arkansas State Board of Education heard from two students and a teacher -- all from Benton School District and all very articulate -- speaking in favor of the Common Core.
Jessica Herring, a seventh-grade English teacher shared that her favorite part of the document aligning the district's curriculum to the new standards is entitled, "What the Standards Are Not." There Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-36598934105786432552014-02-07T12:16:00.000-08:002014-02-07T12:16:19.020-08:00Check out these cool photosOne of the many talents founding partner Dauphne Trenholm brings to First Class Communication is photography. On the first day of this year, she started her own blog -- Scene from the Hill at www.dauphnetrenholm.com -- with plans to update it with a new photo each day throughout 2014.
All of the photos so far are not at all work-related, and there's some really cool stuff on there. This one is Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-43484145365502548622014-02-03T09:10:00.003-08:002014-02-03T09:13:54.616-08:00Half-truths at best about Common Core
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Courier New";
panose-1:2 7 3 9 2 2 5 2 4 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073711037 9 0 511 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:2;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-20081527273174444952014-01-31T04:15:00.000-08:002014-01-31T05:52:12.200-08:00And the (anti) beat goes on
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Courier New";
panose-1:2 7 3 9 2 2 5 2 4 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073711037 9 0 511 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:2;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-17786125583568712652014-01-27T03:30:00.000-08:002014-01-27T03:30:02.069-08:00Make your presentations pop
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-1411094754133975472014-01-20T04:30:00.000-08:002014-01-20T04:43:21.113-08:00APSRC's PSE Insurance Central gives educators one-stop info sourceIf you've been following the public school employee health insurance
issue, you know it's complicated. And, if you haven't been following it
-- well, you need to start.
The Arkansas Public School Resource Center (APSRC) hired First Class Communication to assist with its PSE Insurance Central, a single repository of information to make it easier for school
district leaders and all public Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-76934994818016857792014-01-15T10:35:00.001-08:002014-01-15T10:36:40.252-08:00STEAM teachers will love Innovation Hub
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073711037 9 0 511 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-69813761736029591052014-01-09T09:00:00.000-08:002014-01-09T09:00:01.992-08:00It's time for a resolutionFor 2014, I resolve to do a better job with this blog.
There. I said it. Now I just have to follow through.
Truly, I think I will because I've made it easier on myself. I'm embarrassed to say, but I jumped into writing this blog two years ago without any proper planning. That's exactly what we at First Class Communication advise our clients NOT to do. It causes us to shudder whenJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0Little Rock, Arkansas34.268415458005165 -92.46093758.7463809580051652 -133.7695315 59.790449958005169 -51.1523435tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-57404386527894101132013-10-03T05:08:00.000-07:002013-10-03T05:08:48.531-07:00Respected Teacher Speaks out on CCSSWe think Kathy Powers is one of the most dynamic teachers in the state.
We first met her when she won the title of Arkansas Teacher of the Year, and we were immediately impressed by two things -- her relationships with her students and her passion for improving learning for ALL students.
During her tenure as Teacher of the Year, she and her husband produced research identifying Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-44683865396916424412013-09-10T05:40:00.001-07:002013-09-10T05:40:54.494-07:00What if we said ALL need college?
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-87755242311725097432013-08-08T12:14:00.001-07:002013-08-08T12:14:32.401-07:00Ugghh...not voucher talk again!In our opinion.
Curtis Coleman addressed Little Rock’s Political Animal’s Club early this morning. Mostly he talked about cutting taxes (though, as you'd expect, not about the elimination of services those cuts would cause). He did, finally, touch on education.He said he was for school choice. Lest you be confused like I was, he wasn’t espousing legally expanding school choice between school Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-70424383626141322922013-07-19T04:22:00.000-07:002013-07-19T04:23:54.872-07:00AAAAGGHHH!!! Anti-Common Core Group Invades ArkansasWe just heard about next week's two-day hearing in front of the House and Senate Education committee apparently starring a new outfit called Arkansas Against Common Core.
But we hadn't heard of a group called Arkansas Against Common Core. So we did a little digging, and, while they may have rounded up a few Arkies to speak, we don't think the organization is Arkansan at all.
For starters, for aJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-22664269734679402612013-07-15T05:54:00.000-07:002013-07-15T05:54:21.152-07:00Putting the relations in media relationsLast week First Class Communication was in Eureka Springs for another great Arkansas Rural Education Association Summer Conference. Bill Abernathy does a fantastic job running the event, and it's always great to be around people -- both school personnel and many of the vendors -- who are working to improve education for Arkansas children.
While there, we presented two sessions to the groupJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-30789416070466247172013-06-17T05:31:00.001-07:002013-06-17T05:31:22.397-07:00Surprises in store at AREAThere'll be golf...great presentations...fellowship with colleagues ... and the Arkansas Association of Rural Educators will name the Superintendents of the Year during its Summer Conference in Eureka Springs July 8-10.
What's more, the organization will honor two scholarship recipients -- Austin Eskola from Magnet Cove and Tyler Blasdel from Yellville -- as well as retiring Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909975931667932935.post-58450305844252464232013-06-14T06:50:00.000-07:002013-06-14T06:50:12.969-07:00Quote of the WeekLove this quote in today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette by Larry Schleicher, the new principal at Little Rock's Hall High School:
"I'm going to challenge students to do things that they have never done before, and I'm going to challenge teachers to do what they have never done before. I promise you every decision we make will be based on data. The answers are in the data, and that data has to be Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134592855675308472noreply@blogger.com0