Massachusetts Schools Go 1:1

I am not sure if anyone actually keeps these numbers, but according to a recent panel discussion I attended on “Learning in a 1:1 Environment,” nearly every school district is “somewhere along the spectrum of a 1:1 environment.”

The occasion of that claim was the Technology Director Event, sponsored by the Massachusetts Educational Technology Administrators Association (METAA), at Regis College. The theme for the day was “Professional Development:  How do we deliver quality professional development that helps us create compelling learning environments that make full use of the digital tools available to our students and educators.”

(See my complete blog on the topic at www.educationalit.com)

Linking Total Compensation to Performance

Many workforce experts expect this to be the year that the economy finally turns around. That means more jobs, of course. But for many organizations, it also means making up for lost wages and benefits. After all, employees in many industries and at all levels have been asked to do more, and often for little or no additional reward.

Still, budgets are tight, and companies need to get the maximum productivity possible. That is driving an increased focus on total compensation management programs.

(See my complete article on the topic in the May/June issue of Compensation & Benefits Review: The Journal of Total Compensation Strategies)

Act NOW: 2012 is the Year of the Corporate Bond

Forget the 50^th movie anniversary of Ian Fleming’s famous British spy – 2012 will be better remembered as the year of the corporate bond. 

As of mid-October, market data reveals that $1.182 trillion worth of corporate bonds had already been issued by public companies in 2012. That sets a record high, and marked only the third time that bond issuance has topped $1 trillion in a given year. The last time was in 2009, with the then-record of $1.03 trillion.

 

(see my complete article in the November issue of AFP Exchange)