“New York Times reporter Mirta Ojito melds the personal with the political in a moving account of her family’s departure from Cuba.” —People In... this unforgettable memoir, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Mirta Ojito travels back twenty-five years to the event that brought her and 125,000 of her fellow Cubans to America: the 1980 mass exodus known as the Mariel boatlift. As she tracks down the long-forgotten individuals whose singular actions that year profoundly affected thousands on both sides of the Florida straits, she offers a mesmerizing glimpse behind Cuba’s iron curtain—and recalls the reality of being a sixteen-year-old torn between her family’s thirst for freedom and a revolution that demanded absolute loyalty. Recounting an immensely important chapter in the ever-evolving relationship between America and its neighbor to the south, Finding Mañana is a major triumph by one of our finest journalists. “In this wonderful memoir, Ojito ransoms herself from the seductions of nostalgia and reclaims instead the beleageured Cuba of her childhood.” —The New York Times

What a headache lawyers and the law can be when you re trying to run a K-12 school or a district or just teach in the classroom. When can you just... use old-fashioned common sense and wing it ? When must you call the attorney before you say a word? Who knows? Is there any place at all where others threats of calling the lawyer don t unblissfully intrude? So we asked a lawyer, and picked the best: Brian Schwartz, who speaks nationwide, practices law, teaches others at college, and is the associate director and general counsel to the Illinois Principals Association. The kindest favor? Brian writes about the law in easy-to-understand English! Our contention is that there is a huge middle ground between the law and administrative leadership and on-the-spot (or long-range) problem-solving. But how and where do we find it? And what does it look like? So we brought in the best K-12 administrator we could find: Jim Burgett, who has been chosen both Illinois Superintendent of the Year and Illinois Administrator of the Year, was a Blue Ribbon Award winner, and has written three popular books: Teachers Change Lives 24/7, What Every Superintendent Needs to Know, and The Perfect School. We figured that knowing the law is only half the answer. That blending it with common sense and applying it with prudence and love completes the process of solving and preventing problems. This book, Finding Middle Ground in K-12 Education: Balancing Best Practices and the Law, is the result! Finally, we asked Jim and Brian to discuss a dozen of the most serious everyday administrative topics, and begged them, please, to keep their text practical and usable, give us believable examples and maybe slip in some appropriate humor too! What were the topics they addressed? How to Keep Yourself Legally Safe Student Free Speech and Due Process Rights Search and Seizure Student Discipline for Off-Campus Conduct Educational Issues Regarding Homeschool Students Safeguarding Student Privacy and Records Teacher, Administrator, and Board Member Rights and Responsibilities Dealing with Divorce, Difficult Parents, and Other Family Issues Managing Money and Student Activity Accounts Accommodating Gay, Transsexual, and Other Minority Student Populations Technology and the Schoolhouse Mix in 18 case studies and this book is a must for every educator's and school board member's reference shelf! As you will read, Brian has a masterful way of making complex laws understandable, and Jim has a gifted hand in creating win-win solutions. We also dare you not to break out laughing every few pages. What do others say about Finding Middle Ground in K-12 Education? ... a great book...outstanding resource for all teachers and administrators. Dr. Brad Colwell, President-Elect, Education Law Association ... should be required reading for all ed leadership law classes--practical and relevant. Jason Leahy, Executive Director, Illinois Principals Association ... a welcome addition to the professional libraries of administrators, teachers, and parents. Charles J. Russo, J.D., Ed.D., Panzer Chair in Education and Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Dayton. ... a must for school administrators desks. Dr. Michael Johnson, Education Director, Illinois Association of School Boards The Middle Ground is that hallowed ground between leadership and school law. Here s a map that helps you find it when help is most needed!

Finding Mrs. Warnecke tells the inspiring story of Cindi Rigsbee, a three-time Teacher of the Year, and Barbara Warnecke, the first-grade teacher who... had a profound and lasting impact on Cindi's life. Cindi, an insecure child who craved positive attention, started her first-grade year with a teacher who was emotionally abusive and played favorites in the classroom. Two months into the school year, her principal came into the classroom and announced that half the students were being moved to another classroom--a dank, windowless basement room, with a young and inexperienced teacher. This change turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to Cindi. Her new teacher, Mrs. Warnecke, made learning come alive for her students. She went overboard caring for each child, made her classroom "magical," and encouraged students to pursue their dreams. Although Cindi was reluctant to explore her creativity as a student, Mrs. Warnecke encouraged her to read and write poetry, which became a lifelong passion. The two kept in touch for several years but lost track of each other when Mrs. Warnecke moved out of state. Cindi spent many years trying to reconnect so she could thank Mrs. Warnecke for making such a difference in her life, but to no avail. Eventually Cindi became a teacher herself, and thirty years later she has taught more than 2,000 children and been named Teacher of the Year for her home state. She later came to realize that all those years she wasn't really trying to track down Barbara Warnecke, but rather, she was trying to "find Mrs. Warnecke" within herself.In Fall 2008 Cindi and Barbara were reunited on Good Morning America; the show's producers had tracked Barbara down and brought both women on-set for a tearful reunion. Barbara was floored at this attention--she had no idea she could have made such an impact on a former student's life. As Cindi travels around talking with new and veteran educators, she is always approached by audience members who are moved to tears and want to share the story of the "Mrs. Warnecke" in their own lives. Finding Mrs. Warnecke not only tells the story of this teacher who made a lifelong impact on her students, it illustrates the importance of the teacher/student relationship in the classroom, and offers principles for other teachers to follow to make a positive impact in their own classrooms.

In a semi-autobiographical debut novel that is at turns poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, John Son conveys the uniqueness and universality of a... Korean-American childhood.Jin-Han begins his story with his first memory, when at age two he loses his hat to a sudden gust of wind. While he never finds that particular hat, his search for his "hat"--his identity--coincides with his family's search for their place in America. Struggles in Korea, losses during the Korean War, and the decision to leave behind loved ones to create a better future in a new, foreign place are all a part of Jin-Han's wise, funny story. But at the heart of this insightful novel is his coming of age and a growing awareness of others' perceptions of him.

Since emerging as a discipline in the middle of the eighteenth century, natural history has been at the heart of the life sciences. It gave rise to the... major organizing theory of life—evolution—and continues to be a vital science with impressive practical value. Central to advanced work in ecology, agriculture, medicine, and environmental science, natural history also attracts enormous popular interest.In Finding Order in Nature Paul Farber traces the development of the naturalist tradition since the Enlightenment and considers its relationship to other research areas in the life sciences. Written for the general reader and student alike, the volume explores the adventures of early naturalists, the ideas that lay behind classification systems, the development of museums and zoos, and the range of motives that led collectors to collect. Farber also explores the importance of sociocultural contexts, institutional settings, and government funding in the story of this durable discipline."The quest for insight into the order of nature leads naturalists beyond classification to the creation of general theories that explain the living world. Those naturalists who focus on the order of nature inquire about the ecological relationships among organisms and also among organisms and their surrounding environments. They ask fundamental questions of evolution, about how change actually occurs over short and long periods of time. Many naturalists are drawn, consequently, to deeper philosophical and ethical issues: What is the extent of our ability to understand nature? And, understanding nature, will we be able to preserve it? Naturalists question the meaning of the order they discover and ponder our moral responsibility for it."—from the Introduction

Shines a practical light on the spiritual disciplines that have been in use since the time of Abraham. In a sense, every day of our lives is labor. ... It is questionable if you can ever be exactly the same person waking up on two consecutive days. How are spiritual sojourners to cope with the constant change? Many are beginning to explore the ancient Christian spiritual practices that have been in use for centuries, everything from fixed-hour prayer to fasting to sincere observance of the Sabbath. What is causing this hunger for deeper spirituality? Brian McLaren guides us on this quest for an explanation of these spiritual practices, many of which go all the way back to Abraham and the establishment of Israel. In the midst of contemporary Christianity, we discover the beauty of these ancient disciplines and the transformation through Christ that each can provide. Why have certain spiritual disciplines been in use for centuries and why is it important? It is questionable if one can ever be exactly the same person waking up on two consecutive days. How are spiritual sojourners to cope with the constant change? Many are beginning to explore the ancient Christian spiritual practices, such as fixed-hour prayer, fasting and sincere observance of the Sabbath. What is causing this hunger for deeper spirituality? Brian McLaren guides us on this quest for an explanation of these spiritual practices, many of which go all the way back to Abraham and the establishment of Israel. In the midst of contemporary Christianity, we discover the beauty of these disciplines and the transformation through Christ that each can provide.

 Why have certain spiritual disciplines been in use for centuries, and why are they so important? It is questionable if one can ever be exactly the... same person waking up on two consecutive days. How are spiritual sojourners to cope with the constant change? Many are beginning to explore the ancient Christian spiritual practices, such as fixed-hour prayer, fasting and sincere observance of the Sabbath. What is causing this hunger for deeper spirituality? Brian McLaren guides us on this quest for an explanation of these spiritual practices, many of which go all the way back to Abraham and the establishment of Israel. In the midst of contemporary Christianity, we discover the beauty of these disciplines and the transformation through Christ that each can provide. Includes foreword by Phyllis Tickle and leads into seven additional titles, The Ancient Practices, a classic series featuring some of the leading writers on spirituality in the world today.

Written in an intimate, personal style, Finding Our Way Home draws on powerful insights from psychology, Christian spirituality, and theology to explore... the human longing for home, a spiritual place as much as a physical place where we are at peace with ourselves and with God. Mark McMinn considers the different aspects of home as a spiritual metaphor—the environment we grew up in as well as the challenges of living well within our present realities. In doing so, he addresses the yearning for a spiritual center, a deeper relationship with God, and peace in our lives.

Though management expert Margaret J. Wheatley works with a broad variety of clients, from Fortune 100 CEOs to ministers, she points out that they all... struggle to maintain integrity, humanity, and effectiveness in a relentlessly fast-paced, technology-driven world. Credited with establishing a fundamentally new approach to leadership based on living systems theory, or, as she puts it, "how Life organizes", Wheatley shares her first-ever compendium of essays about her real-world experiences helping clients introduce more authentic, life-affirming practices into their organizations. Essays cover a wide scope of topics including leadership strategies, raising children in turbulent times, and the role of communities in the lives of organizations. "Finding Our Way" is filled with practical advice on applying the ideas in Wheatley's groundbreaking books and has particular relevance for managers and leaders who are trying to run their organizations in more progressive, egalitarian, and effective ways.

Finding Out introduces readers to lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) studies. Unlike most books on LGBT, this textbook combines original material... with esteemed journal articles. Chapter introductions, written by the authors, place current research findings in a clear context. Finding Out reviews the history of same-sex relationships and gender variance from ancient Greece to the present yet goes beyond a historical account to provide an in-depth examination of LGBT culture and society.   Key Features ·         Includes chapter introductions that gives students a useful context for each research article Connects chapter topics to one another with Lambda Links, which help facilitate analysis and discussionDirects readers to relevant studies and information with “Find Out More” boxes in each chapter“I am most impressed by this book’s blend of comprehensive scope with approachable, intelligent presentation. It provides material valuable for both students new to the field and those taking more advanced courses without excluding either group on the basis of approach or diction.  … I just love this book!” –Sarah-Hope Parmeter University of California, Santa Cruz   “This text will give me a way to teach LGBT issues as central – that is, NOT as tangents, as add-ons, as side issues, but as a central area of inquiry. … This text is by far the best thing I have seen, and it is heads and shoulders above any other possibilities...” – Mary Armstrong, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoIntended Audience This core text is designed for Introduction to Sexuality Studies as well as other undergraduate courses that include LGBT topics. Anyone interested in the history, culture, and society of LGBT will find this book an informative resource.

In Finding Sanctuary Abbot Christopher Jamison, host of the BBC television series The Monastery, suggests the 1,500 year-old teachings of St. Benedict... offer insights for everyday life--for those who are religious and for those simply searching for spiritual guidance. By integrating modern realities and the wisdom of St. Benedict's Rule, monasteries continue to be places of sanctuary today. This book explains how people living outside of monasteries can also achieve that sanctuary, along with peace and insight.

** COMPLETELY UNAUTHORIZED **  In this eclectic anthology of essays, former cast member Jewel Staite, "Kaylee," philosopher Lyle Zynda, sex therapist... Joy Davidson, and noted science fiction and fantasy authors Mercedes Lackey, David Gerrold, and Lawrence Watt-Evans contribute to a clever and insightful analysis of the short-lived cult hit Firefly. From What went wrong with the pilot? to What's right about Reavers? and how the correspondence between the show's creator Joss Whedon and the network executives might have actually played out, the writers interrogate the show's complexity and speculate about what might have been if the show Firefly had not been cancelled.

''This book is an essential supplement for everyone who saw the movie Waiting for Superman. It makes clear that education improvement is more complex,... and requires more change in policy and practice, than Superman ever envisioned. It is a roadmap for more comprehensive transformation of education.''--Michael W. Kirst, Emeritus Professor of Education, Stanford University''No one who hopes to participant in and contribute to the contemporary conversation about better teachers, better schools, and better learning for students can afford to pass up this collection. It is a book for educators, but more than that it is a book for all who care about our young people and our nation's tomorrow.''--Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, President Emeritus, The George Washington University and university professor of public service''Using Waiting for Superman as their foil, Swail and a cadre of national education experts argue for more comprehensive education reform efforts that prepare young people for the rapidly changing demands of today's economy and society. This collection, drawing on the authors' years of experience in education reform and policy, challenges the ideas highlighted in Waiting for Superman and instead maps out reform strategies that will push our thinking into new realms.''--Betsy Brand, Executive Director, American Youth Policy Forum''Finding Superman brings together a who's who of education reformers to probe the challenges and opportunities of educational quality in American public education. This volume shows that there are no simple solutions, no magic bullets that will fix our schools. Instead, the real Supermen (and women) can be found everywhere--in the poorest public schools, in charters, and in the homes of the very children whose success will determine our collective future as a nation.''--Jamie P. Merisotis, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lumina FoundationIn Finding Superman, some of the most prominent educational thinkers of our time examine the pressing issues of educational equity and excellence brought to light in Davis Guggenheim's popular documentary, Waiting for Superman. The film's portrayal of urban public schools as uniform failures and charter schools as the only viable alternative for our nation's youth demands a closer look. Across the chapters of this important book, the contributors reveal the film's untold stories. These include the many public schools that are doing an excellent job of educating students, as well as the many charter schools that are doing no better than most public schools, despite their monetary advantages.With chapters from educational luminaries that include Milton Chen, Linda Darling-Hammond, Dan Domenech, Ben Levin, Arthur Levine, Ann Lieberman, John Merrow, Diane Ravitch, Peter Smith, and Watson Scott Swail, Finding Superman demands a new perspective from readers on a topic of urgent importance to all of us. Achieving excellent schools for all children is not an easy task. As these authors remind us, it requires a more balanced dialogue and a fuller range of evidence to realize truly lasting change.

Practical and easy-to-use, this text effectively introduces different sources of information and how to use them. Its unique format is meant to... increase the user's awareness of available health-related references and to help the user understand techniques involved in undertaking a literature search. Such knowledge aids in demystifying the jargon associated with computer-based research and helps readers carry out searches efficiently and effectively.The material in this text, including exercises, tips, and questions, is practical, helping the user with issues they actually need help with.Generous number of illustrations helps to shed light on the more difficult topics.Content meets an important need in an efficient way, so that practitioners do not have to spend a lot of time reading about it.Information provided directly relates the health care practice.Authors are active researchers, so they are well aware of the common problems and commonly asked questions.