By Janice Miller, chairman
City of Fairfax School Board
jmiller@fairfaxva.gov
At our last School Board Work Session on February 22, we were privileged to hear a presentation about “Best Practices for Teaching and Learning,” by Fairfax County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Peter Noonan and his colleague, Kim Dockery, the FCPS Assistant Superintendent for Special Services.
In this issue of Close-Up Online, we begin with an interesting Q&A between Mr. Noonan and Superintendent Ann Monday as they discuss how teachers can best build relationships and engage students.
As part of the discussion, Mrs. Monday also talks with Marcy Miller, the former Director of Student Services at Fairfax High, who shares information from the American School Counselor Association on the framework used by our school counseling programs.
Further below you’ll find information from our four City School principals who explain how school counselors and other support staff at their schools are an essential part of the academic team.
Enjoy this issue! It’s filled with insightful information about what makes schools work best. The School Board agrees this approach is critical for student success.
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If you are turning 65, don’t be surprised if you can’t get all the information you need to understand how to apply, what benefits you will receive, and a myriad of other questions you are likely to have. It’s a complicated process, and one that we spend much time explaining to our clients. Here’s a primer to get you started.
Medicare Part A — Most people will be eligible for Medicare Part A on the day that they turn 65. This is the program you have been paying Medicare tax on over the years. It covers hospitalization, which is now a free service for you, and you should receive notification about the benefit three months prior to your 65th birthday.
Medicare Part B — Another benefit, which covers physician fees, is part of the Medicare plan called Part B. There is a fee associated with this benefit, and depending on your income level and the date you enroll, this will range between $110 to $353 per month. The challenge with Medicare is that there are gaps in coverage leaving the insured with deductibles, significant out-of-pocket expenses and no prescription drug coverage.
Medigap Policies — Luckily, there is private insurance to address the shortcomings of Medicare A and B. These are called Medigap policies, and the cost ranges from about $170 to $250 per month. These plans will cover medical fees only.
Medicare Part D — This covers the cost of prescription drugs. Again there is a fee to be paid, which ranges from $30 to $80 per month. Because Medigap coverage provides different plans, it is important to sit down and talk about medical needs before selecting a plan.
Have more questions? Don’t hesitate to call or send us an email: scott@golden-cohen.com.
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Are you feeling productive? If not, you aren’t alone. As we begin 2010, more and more of my clients are reporting that they are overworked, stressed, and they fear that soon their productivity will suffer.
But consider this: Just last November, in a Wall Street Journal article entitled, “Productivity Soared in Third Quarter,” reporters John Hilsenrath and Luca Di Leo wrote:
The Labor Department said the output per hour of nonfarm workers rose at an annual rate of 9.5% in the quarter, more than four times the average productivity growth rate of the past quarter-century. When taken together with the second quarter’s 6.9% rise, it was the strongest productivity growth rate over a six-month period since 1961. Click here to read the entire article.
Amazing, right? Statistically speaking, the US workforce is actually more productive than it has been in years — despite the rash of layoffs and workforce reductions we saw in 2009.
So here’s my question: Can fewer workers produce more output, and sustain it? If so, what toll will it take on their health, their lives, and ultimately their companies — not just today, but in the future?
Click here to view this month’s Anti-Burnout Guide!
And click here to buy a copy of this great Burnout poster.
Wishing you much warmth and calm.
Best regards, Alice
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Why Some Small Businesses Are Surviving the Recession
Thanks to being snowed in by the Blizzard of February 2010, we’ve had time to think back on our business and plan ahead for the rest of the year. Taking this long-term perspective is important for any small business, and it’s something we have done since founding our firm in 1992.
In looking back, we realized that the root of our business was in doing what no one else wanted to do — working with small businesses to implement their health insurance plans. The competition was not intense, at least not initially, and it enabled us to build a substantial business servicing the under-served.
This turned out to be a very good business model for us, as no single client could impact our bottom line in a meaningful way. And it provided great stability — something that every business needs.
As we look around at other firms faltering in the current recession, we realize that other factors have also fed our success: we aggressively look for new clients, we advocate for all of our clients’ rights, and we do not overspend.
Over the years we have also run “fire drills” to simulate what we would do if certain events occurred. And some tough decisions were made early in the game. We could have established a business that spent money on things that do not help our clients, such as a sexier office with a fancy DC address and other big ticket purchases — but we did not. As a result, we are profitable and continue to recalculate and position ourselves for success.
Being prepared, and running a lean and mean business, is our simple secret to success. It’s also how we live our personal lives. And we take pride and joy in sharing those secrets with our colleagues and other small business owners.
From all of us at Golden & Cohen, here’s to your good health!
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By Janice Miller, chairman
City of Fairfax School Board
jmiller@fairfaxva.gov
In the February issue of Close-Up Online, we focus on the development of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in the City Schools, and the impact that this program has on student achievement.
At the City School Board’s January Work Session, Dr. Terri Breeden, FCPS Assistant Superintendent for Professional Learning and Accountability, explained: “A professional learning community is when people work together collaboratively to continuously improve student and adult learning. The fundamental purpose is to focus on learning rather than teaching”.
I found that definition particularly interesting, because it summed up what we’ve known for years: PLCs help teachers do their jobs better.
Click here to read the entire issue.
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By Janice Miller, chairman
jmiller@fairfaxva.gov
When Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jack Dale presented the FY 2011 budget earlier this month, few were surprised to see the dramatic cuts. We have been hearing for months that next year’s budget will be worse than this year’s – and it looks like this prediction was right.
So in our newsletter this month, our City Schools Superintendent Ann Monday will provide us with an overview of the cuts we’ll likely see next year. You’ll also read about the impact of the potential cuts from the four principals who run the City of Fairfax schools. Simply scroll down for that information.
Before you do, I’d like to share some of the thoughts that FCPS’ Dr. Dale wants the community to know:
- The proposed budget of $2.3 billion includes $104.8 million in program cuts and cost avoidances and $3.4 million in increased and new fees. The cuts and fees reflected community and employee feedback, as well as School Board priorities.
These cuts will have a long-term and far-reaching impact on maintaining our high student achievement and excellence for which FCPS is widely known and respected.
- This is not a budget based on FCPS’ actual needs. That budget would require a $248.4 million transfer from the county. It is a budget based on the fiscal realities of dismal local and state economic conditions.
- Without a needs-based budget, we face: decreasing student achievement, diminishing academic excellence, losing high caliber teachers, eliminating innovative programs, not meeting individual student needs, tarnishing FCPS’ reputation, and negatively impacting business relocations.
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If you are feeling stressed at this very moment, raise your hand. I’m guessing that if you are a “Type A” personality, as many leaders are, your hand — at least metaphorically — is up.
Now take a deep breath and relax because a new study published in the January issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests “One Type A Characteristic Lowers Stress.” — Read that article here.
Here’s how: Taina Hintsa and her colleagues at the University of Helsinki analyzed the relationship between Type A behavior and work stress in 752 Finnish workers. They broke Type A behavior into four areas — leadership, aggression, being “hard-driving,” and eagerness-energy.
Although these characteristics were linked to “effort-reward imbalance” — a key contributor to work stress—executives who scored high in terms of their leadership skills actually had lower work stress. And the reason seems obvious once you hear it. Researchers found that leaders have both high work effort and high work reward. They also believe that leaders have high job control and that that may help alleviate work stress.
So I encourage you to embrace your leadership skills and lower your stress level. My bet is that when you do, it’ll not only lower your own stress — but will improve the work environment for everyone in your office.
Read on in this month’s newsletter to learn about our work with the Lincoln Leadership Academy, how President Lincoln has become a fan of Twitter, and mark your calendar for some upcoming important dates.
Here’s to a great 2010!
Steven B. Wiley, president & founder
The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg, www.lincolnleadershipinstitute.com
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Happy New Year! Three weeks into 2010, we find the health care debate in a new, but still unclear, place – especially with the win on Tuesday of Republican candidate Scott Brown in Massachusetts, who beat Democrat Martha Coakley in Tuesday’s special election for the former Senate seat of longtime statesman, Edward M. Kennedy.
We have to agree with the pundits. This marks a critical turning point in the year-long debate about health care reform.
Of course, no one knows exactly what will happen next because the issues are so complex and volatile – including the public option, how to pay for the reform, who pays for the reform, the question of abortion, exchanges, “big” personalities and potential backlash from voters.
From our point of view, it seems that the Democrats have isolated themselves from the Republicans in order to craft a compromise bill between the House and Senate. The hope was to have a bill to the President before the State of the Union address, but with the election of Scott Brown that seems highly unlikely.
What is likely is that the process will be delayed even more and eventually presented as a scaled down version of either bill that has been presented thus far. We will keep you posted as the debate continues.
For now, we invite you to read the interesting articles in this issue of our monthly newsletter:
- Four Ways to Slash Health Care Costs in 2010 by Scott Golden
- ARRA COBRA Subsidy Has Been Extended by Jack Cohen
- Keep those New Year’s Resolutions Injury-Free by Dr. Greg Swistak
- How to Successfully Manage Conflict in the Workplace by Anne Lee
- And in the second chapter of their new book, “You Gotta Laugh: Life in the Trenches of the Health Care Business,” Stephanie Cohen and Scott Golden discuss The Importance of Continuity of Care
From all of us at Golden & Cohen, here’s to your health in 2010!
Stephanie Cohen, CEO, stephanie@golden-cohen.com
Scott Golden, CFO, scott@golden-cohen.com
Jack Cohen, COO, jack@golden-cohen.com
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By Alice Waagen, president and founder
www.workforcelearning.com
In the last issue of Workforce Learning, I focused on how organizations can prepare for the growth cycle ahead in our recovering economy and offered three scenarios for how the recovery may play out. In the weeks since, I’ve done a more analytic survey and asked nearly 150 professionals from more than a dozen different DC-based organizations: “What will you do differently once the economic recovery seems to stabilize?”
A number of themes emerged in the conversations. Clearly, the dependent relationship people have had with their employers has been severely challenged during the last 12 months. In fact, large, seemingly stable organizations like county governments have been implementing forced furloughs and reductions in workforce. The old belief that large organizations offer stable future economic growth is all but gone.
But here is what raised an eyebrow. The number of people who expressed a desire to go out on their own and start their own business was staggering. This may seem counterintuitive, especially after months of economic strife. But the impetus to start ones own business is not economic – it is to gain a better control of their future. Certainly, when you are an entrepreneur, your success and failure resides on your own actions and tactics, not the actions of management far removed from your sphere of influence.
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Happy holidays from all of us here at the Lincoln Leadership Institute! Gettysburg is looking very festive these days—especially when it’s iced with our first snowfalls of the year.
The holiday season is truly one of joy. In fact, this idea of “what is joy,” has been on my mind lately—not only as we get ready to celebrate the holidays, but also as it correlates to the workplace.
What does joy have to do with the workplace—especially this year, when so many organizations have struggled with our challenging economy? According to a recent Gallup Healthways survey of 100,000 Americans, joy has everything to do with happiness in the workplace for business owners out-rank 10 other occupations in overall wellbeing. Leaders, in fact, say they have lower stress levels and better physical health than those in other occupations.
One possible explanation, according to Harvard professor and blogger Rosabeth Moss Kanter, is that “autonomy, influence and a sense of meaning” are all key ingredients in helping us to find joy at work. She writes “supervisors are better–off than the supervised, and entrepreneurs are the best-off of all.” While we can’t all be entrepreneurs, she suggests we can all act as leaders and project “autonomy, influence and a sense of meaning.”
I couldn’t agree more! I’m a big believer in the idea that exhibiting leadership skills is the surest route to joy at work. What a concept: Leadership can bring joy to the workplace.
Kanter offers a David Letterman style Top 10 list to find joy at work. Why not give it a try? Incorporate joy into your leadership practice. I’d love to hear the results – drop us a line at info@lincolnleadershipinstitue.com and let us know how you have shared the joy!
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!
Steven B. Wiley, president and founder
Lincoln Leadership Institute
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