Page 6 The Skanner June 7, 2017
News
The Trump Administration Takes on
Obama’s Education Law
P
resident
Donald
Trump and Educa-
tion Secretary Bet-
sy DeVos continue
to make misleading state-
ments about Common
Core State Standards,
muddying the waters for
school districts working
to implement the Every
Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA).
President
Barack
Obama signed ESSA into
law on December 10,
2015, reauthorizing the
landmark
Elementary
and Secondary Educa-
tion Act (ESEA). Accord-
ing to the U.S. Depart-
ment of Education, ESSA
includes provisions de-
signed to advance equity
in education by uphold-
ing critical protections
for America's disadvan-
taged and high-need stu-
dents; requires that all
students in America be
to high academic stan-
dards that will prepare
them to succeed in col-
lege and careers; helps
to support and grow
local
innovations—in-
cluding evidence-based
GAGE SKIDMORE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
By Freddie Allen (NNPA
Newswire Managing Ed.)
Education Secretary Betsy
DeVos said that ESSA does away
with the notion of Common
Core. That’s not true. In this
photo, DeVos speaks at the 2017
Conservative Political Action
Conference (CPAC) in National
Harbor, Maryland.
and place-based inter-
ventions developed by
local leaders and educa-
tors; ensures that vital
information is provided
to educators, families,
students, and commu-
nities through annual
statewide assessments
that measure students'
progress toward those
high standards; and sus-
tains and expands this
administration's historic
investments in increas-
ing access to high-quality
preschool.
The law does not, how-
ever, eliminate CCSS.
The Los Angeles Times
reported, that President
Trump said that he want-
ed to get rid of Common
Core, during a recent
town hall with business
leaders.
“Common Core to me,
we have to end it," said
Trump. "We have to
bring education local."
Last year, as the Re-
publican
presidential
nominee, the reality TV
star even proposed get-
ting rid of the Education
Department altogether,
according to Breitbart.
com. During an inter-
view with Sean Hannity
on Fox News, Trump said
that the Department of
Education “can be large-
ly eliminated.”
Education Week re-
ported that DeVos told a
Michigan radio host that
ESSA “effectively does
away ‘with the notion of
the Common Core.’” She
later went on Fox News
and made the same false
claim.
Read the rest of this story at
TheSkanner.com
The Traveler’s Dilemma: Traveling
Without Your Pet
By Jasmine Streeter, DVM
Special to The Skanner News
L
et’s talk travel! It’s been 12 hours
since I returned from Cuba. I
spent five nights and six days vis-
iting the beautiful cities of Hava-
na, Trinidad and Veradero. The peo-
ple were welcoming and treated us
like family. I was surprised by Cuba’s
diversity and many shades of mela-
nin. We all looked alike until we be-
gan speaking our respective languag-
es. It is truly an amazing place that I
highly recommend visiting.
Traveling with your pet can be fun,
but there are times when you are itch-
ing to beat the heat at a human-only
resort or unable to bring your pet.
With so many options — including
drop-in pet-sitters, dog walkers and
extended-stay boarding — there is no
shortage of people to watch your little
fur balls.
Preparing not only for your trip but
also your pet’s change of routine will
be more enjoyable and lead to less hic-
cups on your road or flight to bliss.
Start early booking a boarding visit
for your pet. Reservations fill quickly,
especially during summer and major
holidays. If you are hiring a sitter,
book and confirm your dates three to
four weeks in advance. This will give
you time to read reviews of potential
sitters and give them the chance to
visit your animal and become accli-
mated. No one wants to meet a pet for
the first time on the day they are to be-
gin sitting without the owner present.
It will be stressful to the pet and also
the sitter.
Keep it simple. Have everything or-
ganized and labeled before you leave.
Label and place food in a visible area
so no one has to search for your pet’s
food. Write out the quantity your pet
should receive and leave the measur-
ing device near or in the food bin so it
Dr. Jasmine Streeter, Veternarian, with Sheba
is easily accessible. Leave medication
on a kitchen counter in plain view
with a label or sheet of paper near-
by explaining how, when and what
amount of pills, drops or ointment
to give. I always physically show the
caregivers how I apply the medica-
tion and allow them to try so that I can
answer any questions they have while
I’m present. Never trust them to fig-
ure it out on their own; it is far better
to be overprepared than underpre-
pared.
Prepare for the worst. Nine out of 10
times your pet will be fine while you
are away, but you need to make sure
your caregiver is ready for emergen-
cies. Leave your contact information,
emergency contact information (such
as friends or neighbors) and contact
information for a veterinary clinic or
hospital, as well as a mini-first aid kit
(including tweezers, triple antibiot-
ic ointment, gauze, antiseptic wipes,
etc.) nearby. Agree and write out a
monetary amount you are willing to
spend on your pet if they become ill.
It will save you time, money, surpris-
es and a headache when you return if
this is spelled out before the trip.
With the summer upon us, I know
there are many excursions that await.
Wishing you and your pet a wonder-
ful vacation season. Happy travels!
Send your pet questions to drjas-
mine@theskanner.com.