
House approves mammoth annual defense policy billCHICAGO , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of nearly 200,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and medical students in the U.S., more than 20 states and cities across the nation are observing December 2024 as Osteopathic Medicine Month. This designation recognizes the 150 th anniversary of osteopathic medicine, which applies a distinctive philosophy and approach to caring for patients in all areas of medicine, including primary care, surgery and specialty fields. DOs are fully licensed physicians who are trained to provide comprehensive care with a focus on preventive medicine and whole-person wellness. DOs hold some of the most distinguished positions in medicine today, caring for the U.S. President, overseeing the NASA medical team and leading some of the nation's top-ranked hospitals and health systems. The profession is one of the fastest-growing in health care, making up more than 10% of physicians and 28% of medical students in the U.S. Earlier this month, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a congratulatory letter to the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, recognizing the osteopathic profession's tremendous contributions to health care during the past 150 years. "As you celebrate this milestone anniversary, it is my hope that you are filled with pride in all the progress the osteopathic medical community has achieved—from pioneering medical discoveries to improving the health and well-being of Americans across the nation and so much more," the letter states. To date, more than 20 state and city leaders have issued proclamations declaring December 2024 as Osteopathic Medicine Month, including Alabama , Idaho , Illinois , Iowa , Michigan , Montana , Ohio , Oklahoma , Virginia , and West Virginia . "This remarkable achievement not only honors the rich history of our profession but also highlights the profound role of osteopathic medicine in health care today," said American Osteopathic Association President Teresa A. Hubka , DO, FACOOG (Dist). "Through patient-centered care and a commitment to understanding the root causes of illness, osteopathic physicians are shaping the future of medicine." For more information, visit www.osteopathic.org . About the AOA The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 197,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; serves as the primary certifying body for DOs; and is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools. To learn more about DOs and the osteopathic philosophy of medicine, visit www.FindaDO.org . SOURCE American Osteopathic Association
An article penned by the Prime Minister for The Mail on Sunday explains that the Labour Government intends to “crack down” on people "gaming the system" when claiming benefits in a bid to slash £137 billion spent on welfare. Starmer wrote: “In the coming months, Mail on Sunday readers will see even more sweeping changes. Because make no mistake, we will get to grips with the bulging benefits bill blighting our society.” Speaking exclusively to The National, Scottish Greens social justice spokesperson Maggie Chapman blasted the plans: “Starmer's comments are vile and show just how out of touch the Labour Party is with the working class. READ MORE: Labour to 'crack down' on benefit fraud with bank account access “Thousands of families across Scotland are struggling to choose between heating and eating this winter due to 14 years of Tory economic mismanagement and a new wave of ghastly austerity under Labour. “Bullying and diminishing the least well-off in society is not actually tackling poverty, it just entrenches the stigma. We urgently need to tackle the root cause of poverty in the UK, and that can’t be done without action to close the wealth gap between the ultra-rich and the working class.” We previously exclusively reported that charities reject the Prime Minister’s proposed slashing of welfare. Gordon Macdonald SNP MSP for the Edinburgh Pentlands told The National that: “The fact that the Prime Minister has used a pledge in the Mail on Sunday to deliver this message suggests he is more concerned with political posturing than he is with improving the UK’s welfare system. He added: “Rather than demonising some of societies most vulnerable people, the UK Government should focus its efforts on investing in our people and public services to create a fairer society for everyone.” Even the Scottish Conservatives take issue with the plans, with Shadow cabinet secretary for social security Liz Smith telling The National: “In Labour’s record £40 billion tax-raising budget, there were no detailed plans for welfare reform. “Instead, there was a broken promise on national insurance which will cost many jobs and make it much harder to get people back into work.” This comes as Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall prepares to announce a set of measures to "get Britain working" on Tuesday, after it was forecasted that more than four million people in the UK will be claiming long-term sickness benefits by 2030.California Sen. Alex Padilla urges Biden administration to protect immigrants before Trump takes office
A Department of Homeland Security agent who the FBI says conspired with another agent to sell an illicit drug known as “bath salts” pleaded not guilty to a drug distribution conspiracy charge Friday in federal court. A grand jury in Salt Lake City brought the criminal charge against Special Agent David Cole of the Homeland Security Investigations unit earlier this week. The indictment alleges that Cole abused his position as a federal law enforcement agent to obtain and sell drugs for profit. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Cole took drugs that had been seized as evidence, telling colleagues he was using them for legitimate investigations, and instead sold them to a confidential informant who resold the drugs for profit on the streets of Utah , according to the indictment. The informant, who has a lengthy criminal history, had been recruited by federal agents to work for them upon his release from prison. But in addition to conducting controlled buys from suspected drug dealers as directed by investigators, the informant said he was compelled by Cole and another agent to also engage in illegal sales. The investigation began after the informant’s defense attorney contacted the U.S. Attorney in Utah in October to report that agents had required him to engage in potentially illegal acts dating from last spring to early December. Details of drug sales offered by the informant were confirmed through surveillance and other sources, the FBI said. Cole and the second agent — identified in court documents only as “Person A” — profited up to $300,000 from the illegal scheme, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case. FBI spokesperson Sandra Barker said Friday that “Person A” had not been arrested or charged, but the investigation was ongoing. Cole, 50, of South Jordan, Utah, entered the courtroom Friday handcuffed and hunched over, wearing a white and gray, striped jumpsuit. U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead accepted Cole's not guilty plea and scheduled a trial for the week of Feb. 24. Federal officials say Cole’s indictment sends a message that officers who break the law and undermine the public’s trust in law enforcement will be prosecuted. “A drug dealer who carries a badge is still a drug dealer — and one who has violated an oath to uphold the law and protect the public,” said Nicole Argentieri, head of the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "No one is above the law.” Special Agent Shohini Sinha, who leads the FBI's Salt Lake City field office, said Cole’s alleged actions helped fuel an already devastating drug crisis. Ingestion of synthetic bath salts, also known as Alpha-PVP or cathinone, can lead to bizarre behavior such as paranoia and extreme strength, according to authorities who say it’s similar to methamphetamine, cocaine or ecstasy. They are unrelated to actual bathing products. Cole’s attorney, Alexander Ramos, has declined to directly address the criminal allegations but said his client has a strong reputation within the federal law enforcement community. Ramos did not immediately respond Friday to emails seeking comment on the not guilty plea. The Homeland Security Investigations department where Cole worked conducts federal criminal investigations into the illegal movement of people, goods, money, weapons, drugs and sensitive technology into, out of and across the U.S. Cole and the second agent had their credentials suspended but have not been fired, according to court documents.
MIAMI , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami is proud to announce the completion of its highly anticipated renovations, redefining luxury and sophistication in the heart of South Beach at 1600 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Designed by Lang & Schwander to embody the vibrant energy and upscale charm of Miami , the updates include newly reimagined rooms and suites, check-in lobby, inclusivity spaces, from food and beverage and communal lounge areas that celebrate the hotel's commitment to connecting guests to the pulse of the city. Elevated Rooms and Suites The newly renovated 105 guest rooms and suites blend modern design with thoughtful functionality. Each space is adorned with sleek furnishings, neutral tones, and vibrant accents inspired by Miami's art scene. Enhanced amenities include plush bedding, state-of-the-art technology, and expansive windows offering stunning views of South Beach's iconic skyline and coastline. Enhanced Check-In Lobby and Inclusivity Spaces Guests are greeted with an upgraded check-in lobby on the third floor that exudes warmth and style. Featuring contemporary decor and comfortable seating, the space serves as an inviting prelude to their South Beach experience. Communal areas have also been reimagined to foster connection, offering vibrant social spaces. From a chic full bar serving classic and unique cocktails, to indoor communal lounge area to serene outdoor terraces, Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami provides the perfect setting to connect and recharge with fellow travelers. Unparalleled Amenities Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami continues to deliver exceptional amenities that cater to modern travelers. Guests can enjoy: An outdoor pool with cabanas and panoramic ocean views. Complimentary bike rentals. Access to waterfront umbrellas. Beachfront access, just steps away from the hotel. Destination dining at the hotel's on-site restaurant, Deck Sixteen. Convenient access to the convention center, vibrant culinary scene, nightlife, shopping, and cultural landmarks. The WOOFTOP, a pup-friendly designated area located on the third floor. "Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami has always been envisioned as a destination where the vibrant spirit of South Beach meets unparalleled hospitality. Our recent renovations mark the next chapter in our dedication to elevating guest experiences and showcasing the beauty and culture of Miami Beach ," said Robert Finvarb , Founder of Robert Finvarb Companies. Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami serves as the ultimate launchpad for adventure, offering guests access to the city's finest attractions, including Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road Mall, and the Art Deco Historic District. About Hyatt Centric Hyatt Centric is a brand of full-service lifestyle hotels located in prime destinations. Created to connect guests to the heart of the action, Hyatt Centric hotels are thoughtfully designed to enable exploration and discovery so they never miss a moment of adventure. Each hotel offers social spaces to connect with others in the lobby, meanwhile the bar and restaurant are local hot spots where great conversations, locally inspired food and signature cocktails can be enjoyed. Streamlined modern rooms focus on delivering everything guests want and nothing they don't. A passionately engaged team is there to provide local expertise on the best food, nightlife and activities the destination has to offer. For more information, please visit hyattcentric.com . Follow @HyattCentric on Facebook and Instagram , and tag photos with #HyattCentric. About Robert Finvarb Companies Hyatt Centric is a brand of full-service lifestyle hotels located in prime destinations. Created to connect guests to the heart of the action, Hyatt Centric hotels are thoughtfully designed to enable exploration and discovery so they never miss a moment of adventure. Each hotel offers social spaces to connect with others in the lobby, meanwhile the bar and restaurant are local hot spots where great conversations, locally inspired food and signature cocktails can be enjoyed. Streamlined modern rooms focus on delivering everything guests want and nothing they don't. A passionately engaged team is there to provide local expertise on the best food, nightlife and activities the destination has to offer. For more information, please visit hyattcentric.com . Follow @HyattCentric on Facebook and Instagram , and tag photos with #HyattCentric. About Robert Finvarb Companies Robert Finvarb Companies (RFC) is a private real estate investment and development company based in Miami, Florida . Robert Finvarb , founder of the company, started his development career in 2002. Since then, RFC has developed nineteen hotels containing an excess of 3,500 guestrooms that operate under various Marriott and Hyatt brands and are located in seven states and the District of Columbia . RFC has a reputation for developing high-quality assets and possesses a track record of success in all market cycles. As a private company, the principals invest their own equity in all projects and are personally involved in all phases of development and operations. For more than 20 years, RFC has carefully cultivated its reputation of excellence in the hospitality industry. RFC's team of development and lodging specialists have a wide-ranging expertise in real estate and capital markets that is applied in identifying accretive investment opportunities to maximize the financial performance of such projects. CONTACT: Jacqueline Mercado Hyatt Hotels Corporation + 1 786 578 6886 [email protected] SOURCE Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami
Chuck Woolery , whose game-show hosting career included tenures at Wheel of Fortune and Love Connection , has died at age 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s friend and podcast cohost, shared the news on X on Saturday. “It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away,” Young wrote. “Life will not be the same without him. RIP, brother.” Young told TMZ he was at Woolery’s home in Texas when the former TV host reported not feeling well and went to lie down. When Young checked in later, Woolery was having trouble breathing, and despite a 911 call, Woolery died shortly thereafter. Woolery was born on March 16, 1941, in Ashland, Kentucky, to a business owner and a homemaker, according to The Hollywood Reporter . After stints at the University of Kentucky, in the U.S. Navy, and at Morehead State University, Woolery moved to Nashville to start a music career. He and singer Elkin “Bubba” Fowler formed the psychedelic pop duo The Avant-Garde, and their song “Naturally Stoned” peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. Lorimar Television/ Everett Collection A singing performance on The Merv Griffin Show led Woolery to audition for a new game show, originally titled Shopper’s Bazaar , that Merv Griffin was developing at the time. After some tinkering, Wheel of Fortune debuted on NBC on January 6, 1975. Griffin earned a Daytime Emmy for his Wheel work and hosted the show until 1981, when a salary dispute led producers to replace him with Pat Sajak . More from this section ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Turns 40, But Do You Remember the Other Versions? Woolery moved on with a job hosting the syndicated dating game show Love Connection from 1983 to 1994, pulling in 4.5 million viewers a day at one point. He also emceed the game show Scrabble from 1984 to 1990, and between the two shows, he was earning $1 million a year by 1986, as People reported at the time. Woolery also hosted the game show Greed on Fox from 1999 to 2000 and Lingo on Game Show Network from 2002 to 2007. In recent years, Woolery stoked controversy with his political views, posting a tweet that sparked antisemitism accusations in 2017 and then claiming in 2020 that “everyone [was] lying” about the coronavirus pandemic , as Newsweek reported. He also argued that minorities didn’t need civil rights, according to the Associated Press . Woolery was married four times, and his ex-wives included actor Jo Ann Pflug. He had eight children and stepchildren, per THR . More Headlines: Chuck Woolery Dies: Former ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Love Connection’ Host Was 83 Will Ryan Eggold Return for ‘Cross’ Season 2? Chad Duell Leaving ‘General Hospital’: ‘This Wasn’t an Easy Decision for Me’ ‘The White Lotus’: Everything We Know About a Possible Season 4 ‘Brilliant Minds’ Scoop on ‘Terrifying’ Cliffhanger, Plus What’s Next With Carol’s Patient?
Article content Buddy, an eight-month-old mixed-breed, is definitely a handful. Recommended Videos The pooch — surrendered by his owner to the Toronto Humane Society in October — is endowed with “puppy energy.” “He was temporarily adopted for a week and then returned,” said THS spokesperson Lucas Solowey. “Nothing to do with him, but because the new owner had a personal situation, so it didn’t work out.” Still, those in a suitable home will need to be up for Buddy’s energy. “He just has a lot puppy energy — he’s an adorable, unruly puppy,” said Solowey. “Bring him to the dog park. Or if you have a backyard, play games, play fetch, just enjoy his puppy time, and make the most of it,” he added. “A lot of people love puppy energy. It’s only for a certain period of time. You just have to be able to keep up with the energy.” Buddy is also still growing — he’ll get “quite a bit bigger” — so there’s that to take into account, too. “I would probably advise his prospective adopters to enroll in a foundation training class that covers the basics, especially when you have a puppy,” said Solowey. Recommended video THS offers such a class for $156 with a 15% discount once a shelter animal is adopted. Solowey said Buddy would be good with other animals but cautioned there will be a need to “take it slow,” adding, “make sure he’s a good fit with other pets. But he’s just a sweet puppy, so I think he would do well in different situations.” As for small children in the home, Solowey said he would be fine, but to “make sure he doesn’t have any aggressive behaviour.” Anyone interested in adopting Buddy can visit www.torontohumanesociety.com , to start the adoption process. — UPDATE: Vanha, a one-year-old female chihuahua-mix from October’s Forever Friend column, was adopted.
Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed after Wall Street slips, led by tech giantsTwins tender contracts to all arbitration-eligible players; reach terms with threeFifa today confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup, underlining the Gulf kingdom’s growing influence in world sport despite criticism of the country’s human rights record. At the same time, a virtual Congress of world football’s governing body confirmed that Morocco, Spain and Portugal will be joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup, in which three games will also be played in South America. The Saudi bid was waved through by acclamation during the meeting of Fifa’s 211 national member associations, with no rivals standing in its way. “It is a proud day, a day of celebration, a day that we invite the entire world to Saudi Arabia,” said Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal al Saud, the Saudi Minister of Sports. “We intend to have an extraordinary version of the World Cup in our kingdom.” However, there was immediate condemnation from rights groups who insisted that handing the organisation of the tournament to the country puts the lives of construction workers at risk and “marks a moment of great danger”. Fifa had invoked its principle of rotating the World Cup between continents, which meant only bids from Asia or Oceania were welcome for 2034. The unprecedented organisation of the 2030 tournament will involve three continental confederations in Europe, Africa and South America, while the next World Cup in 2026 -- the first involving 48 teams - will take place across North America. Controversially, the body gave potential bidders barely a month last year to submit candidacies, and Australia and Indonesia quickly abandoned their interest. That left Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate, clearing the way for the World Cup to return to the Gulf region so soon after Qatar hosted in 2022. The kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been using sport for some time to amass influence and improve its global image -- critics, though, say he is effectively “sportswashing” by diverting attention from Saudi Arabia’s rights record. Introducing the hosts for the next two editions of the @FIFAWorldCup ! 🏆 Morocco, Portugal and Spain will host in 2030, with centenary celebration matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Four years later, Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA World Cup 2034TM. pic.twitter.com/WdOEdNEVxH December 11, 2024 The awarding of the World Cup to Saudi will make the issue of human rights a major talking point again, just as it was two years ago. “We are inclusive and we are non-discriminatory, and we want to obtain positive social impact,” Fifa president Gianni Infantino said in closing remarks. “We are of course aware of critics and fears, and I fully trust our hosts to address all open points from this process and deliver a Fifa World Cup which meets expectations.” He added that “social improvements and positive human rights impacts” are “responsibilities of hosting a World Cup.” Rights groups highlight mass executions in Saudi Arabia and allegations of torture, as well as restrictions on women under the conservative country’s male guardianship system. Free expression is severely restricted too. Fifa’s decision to award the tournament to Saudi Arabia “despite the well-known and severe risks to residents, migrant workers and visiting fans alike, marks a moment of great danger,” Amnesty International and 20 other organisations said in a joint statement. “Based on clear evidence to date, FIFA knows workers will be exploited and even die without fundamental reforms in Saudi Arabia, and yet has chosen to press ahead regardless,” said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport. The 2030 tournament will mark a century since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay, and as a result the unrivalled joint bid by Morocco, Spain and Portugal will also see the South American nation handed one game along with Argentina and Paraguay. Fifa confirmed over a year ago that the joint proposal led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal was the sole contender for 2030, with all other potential candidacies having fallen by the wayside. Four South American countries launched a joint bid in 2019, convinced that the centenary World Cup should entirely take place on the same continent where it all began. Meanwhile, Morocco replaced Ukraine as a partner for Spain and Portugal, while South America agreed to step aside in exchange for hosting three games. Following these “centenary celebrations” in the southern hemisphere winter, the six teams involved will cross the Atlantic to play the rest of the tournament. Spain, which hosted the 1982 World Cup, should be the centrepiece as it boasts 11 of the 20 proposed stadiums. Morocco - after failing on five previous occasions to be awarded the staging of the tournament - will become the second African nation to host the competition after South Africa in 2010. Potential venues for the July 21 final include the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and Barcelona’s renovated Camp Nou as well as the planned Hassan II stadium between Casablanca and Rabat, set to boast a capacity of 115,000.
Titans kicker Nick Folk dealing with soreness so Tennessee added insurance
Former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah has already found a new program in Duke, while Mississippi State's Michael Van Buren Jr., Wisconsin's Braedyn Locke and Cal’s Fernando Mendoza are exploring changes of their own in the transfer portal . Mensah, a redshirt freshman with three years of eligibility remaining, told ESPN on Wednesday he has transferred to Duke. He attended the Blue Devils men's basketball game against Incarnate Word on Tuesday night. The Blue Devils (9-3) will face Mississippi in the Gator Bowl, but without 2024 starting quarterback Maalik Murphy and backup Grayson Loftis, who also entered the portal. Mensah, viewed as one of the top players in the portal, threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns and completed 65.9% of his passes. He led the Green Wave to a 9-4 record and the American Athletic Conference championship game, where they lost 35-14 to Army. Tulane will play Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl on Sunday. Van Buren, Mendoza and Locke announced on social media they had entered the portal. Van Buren started eight games as a true freshmen for the Bulldogs. He threw for 1,886 yards on 55% passing with 16 total touchdowns and seven interceptions for the Bulldogs (2-10, 0-8 Southeastern Conference). He took over as the starter when Blake Shapen suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a 45-28 loss to Florida on Sept. 21. Shapen has said he plans to return next season. Van Buren, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound passer from St. Frances Academy in Maryland, had two 300-yard performances for the Bulldogs, including 306 yards and three touchdown passes in a 41-31 road loss against Georgia. Mendoza threw for 3,004 yards in 2024 with 16 TDs, six interceptions and a 68.7 completion percentage. “For the sake of my football future this is the decision I have reached,” he posted. Locke passed for 1,936 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for Wisconsin this season. He said he will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next school. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballWhether it's staying on top of course curriculums or stopping teens from vaping in the bathrooms, being a teacher today is no easy feat. With kids facing record-high anxiety levels , technology taking over classrooms, and public education caught in political crossfire, it’s a nonstop rollercoaster of stress. Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, the challenges are impossible to ignore. To vent some of their frustrations with the difficulties of teaching today, southpawfa took to the r/teachers community on Reddit to ask other educators a simple but loaded question: "What is the most unpopular opinion you have regarding teaching today?" Their responses give a raw, unfiltered glimpse into how fed-up teachers are these days. 1. "School does not need to constantly be fun and engaging, and engagement is certainly not a cure for disruptive behavior." — Lillypad1219 "I agree! I am NOT your child's cruise director!" — Necessary-Clerk4411 2. "99% of the problems in education can, and should, be fixed at home." — UniqueUsername82D "Bad parenting is a huge part of the problems in schools. Our team calls these students PICs — Parent Impaired Children." — Safe-Swing2250 "I agree. But we only work with the kids, and we're often all they've got. So unless you've got a plan to eliminate poverty, make all healthcare (including mental healthcare) free and easily accessible, extend mass transit to levels never seen before in the US, and increase wages, education is not going to be fixed in the home." — AluminumLinoleum 3. "Some kids need to be held back! I have kids that can’t read! I teach high school!" — SpartanS040 4. "Boredom is important; it helps you reflect on yourself, your life choices, and your future decisions. This notion of entertaining the children to engage them in learning is just to excuse their apathy. I'm a teacher, not a clown." — OkTurn8201 "It also allows you to practice self-regulation and delayed gratification — things that kids today struggle with due to the activities and content marketed to them." — Miss-Tiq "There was a time when we would be so bored out of our minds that we would create our means of entertainment to escape it. Boredom fosters creativity. Constant (electronic) entertainment pacifies an idle mind and leads it to dysfunction." — ScalarBoy 5. "We need to start teaching honest American history at a younger age. Warts and all. Students shouldn't have to wait until late high school to see primary source documents for the first time or to find out what happened when Columbus arrived in the Americas." "Children ARE AWARE of the world they live in. Middle schoolers are exposed to gruesome and hateful things online, and they need to know the context of it in our culture and history. Keeping the violence of slavery, colonization, etc. a secret only creates apathetic adults who think that their actions and beliefs don't have broader impacts." — OppositePea5974 6. "I don't believe in automatically passing students due to age. I believe students should only pass by skill when they show they have proficiency in the skills required for the next level of instruction." — southpawfa 7. "Sports don't belong in the education system; they belong in the township. STEM and art competitions are much more acceptable as high school extracurriculars." — opeboyal "Sports shouldn't be associated with a school or used to get scholarships. The word is scholarship, not athlete-ship." — ZealousidealCup2958 8. "Our administrators give us a hard time if the students are 'compliant' but not 'engaged.' Basically, if everyone is doing their work, but they don't seem to be enjoying themselves, then we're told we're not doing a good enough job. Doing something simply because you were told to or want to get a good grade isn't enough." "For the record, I try hard to engage my classes. I just hate that it's become an expectation." — slowsunslumber 9. "Make them memorize. There is value in memorizing facts. Spelling. Stories. Etc." — Rocknrollpeakedin74 "I keep telling the kids. It's a multiplication table. It's the same every time you look at it. Yes, you need to understand the concept of multiplication, but also just memorize the table. It's never going to change!" — imjusdoinmyjob 10. "Direct instruction is more necessary than some school districts think. When small groups can end up being more work (for the teacher) than they’re worth." — Huge_Fig_1109 11. "I hate the push for small groups in districts without the resources to have effective small groups." — tournamentdecides 12. "Mine will actually be unpopular: It's not our job to teach character. It's our job to provide a safe environment free of bullying. It's our job to be good role models. This involves interventions, but actively intervening in the natural social learning that occurs at school age slows the evolution that comes naturally. I think kids are being worse today due to rebelling against schools trying to tell them how to feel and what to believe." — FluidRefrigerator424 13. "We should be teaching for real life, not college. Academia is not real life; in many ways, it's quite the opposite. When students graduate high school, they should be armed and ready to function wholly on their own, no matter which path they take." "We also need to stop pushing for college and start pushing for the trades, or our infrastructure is going to collapse within a generation or two." — Gray-Jedi-Dad 14. "I think that 'inclusion' means the district doesn’t want to, or can’t, pay for higher levels of service." — TheCheshireCatCan 15. "We need to move back to pen and paper more for general work and limit technology. The ease of Googling the answers is ruining critical thinking skills and inferencing." — missfit98 "Handwriting notes and answers on worksheets has been proven time and again to aid retention." — Sorry-Rain-1311 16. "Before Covid, I was a big proponent of technology in the classroom. The reasoning is that we are in a tech-driven world, and students need to know how to use it. Post-Covid, I sing the opposite tune. The tech is way too distracting. There is too much fun stuff on the internet to keep kids engaged in a lesson on it. They get bored with it if it is used too often. They learn better with paper and pencil." "I now use the Chromebooks pretty sparingly, only to read the story (our 'textbook' is only in electronic format, which I hate) and research for a project." — honeybadgergrrl 17. "I think teachers should be able to turn off the internet in their classrooms." — CretaceousLDune 18. "Repetition is boring but it helps to develop memory. Some of my high school kids' prerequisite knowledge is embarrassing. Basic facts and skills are underdeveloped and neglected." — OkTurn8201 "This is also true in the world of instrumental music education. Do you want to get good at the trumpet? Get in the practice room and practice your scales. Certainly, some people find scales engaging, but they aren't engaging for the average person. And that's okay. Repetition, repetition, repetition. There's not much else that'll make up for it." — SubtracticusFinch 19. "Not requiring students to turn in reasonable assignments on time, with a HARD deadline, is robbing them of their opportunity to develop vital time management skills. Not having these skills will cause problems later in life if they do not gain them somewhere else." — MarionberryWeary4444 20. "We educators need to bring back some form of tracking (meaning placing students into groups based on ability level). Having high-performing students in the same room with students reading 4 years below grade level is a huge disservice to both. There would have to be flexibility and the ability to move up and down as needed, but seventh graders reading at a first-grade level need space to catch up." — brewmistry 21. "No school should be 1:1 with technology. Personal laptops should no longer be in schools. They're distracting. Students aren't learning basic computer skills or how to take notes. They rely on online programs that hinder actual learning." — BeachBumHarmony 22. "We never should have stopped teaching students how to write in cursive (script). We also should never have stopped teaching kids how to type." — bkrugby78 23. "Test retakes do more harm to the profession than good. I'm talking at the middle and high school levels. It irks me when a student is about to turn in a test and asks if they can retake it." — flatteringhippo 24. "Standards have gotten too high. New kindergarten levels were not required until second grade or higher. This has resulted in academics being forced on children before they are developmentally mature enough to take in so much information. We complain that 5-year-olds can't sit through all-day instruction, forgetting that when many of us older folks were 5, kindergarten looked MUCH different, and we weren't expecting to learn core academics all day." "Since kindergarten is no longer about learning social skills and norms, play, and basic emergent academics, Pre-K should be free and available to all students." — Workout4cake "Our kindergarteners just completed their Narrative Writing final in November. They were expected to (three months into kindergarten!) use simple grammar correctly and write details about how characters felt in their stories. Yet, before starting Kindergarten in August, most of my students had never even tried phonetically spelling words." — OppositePea5974 25. "Arts classes are not a place to just dump kids because they got booted from other classes. Especially if it's a class that requires performance and judged evaluations." — eagledog 26. "Very unpopular opinion: Secondary teachers should stop giving grades for work other than assessments. Put accountability for learning on them and let them know it is their choice to learn the content so that they can pass. Give them feedback on their work, but stop giving grades to bait them into doing work they are supposed to do to get the job done." "Adults are not graded for every move they make toward completing their assigned projects. We have to exercise responsibility, delayed gratification, time, and resource management to get the job done, and we do so because the results of 'test day' fall squarely on our shoulders alone, and we suffer enormous consequences when we mess that up. Now, these students think it is my job to get them to do work and will only read, write, take notes, or even show up if I grade them. And because of this, they also think it's my job to get them to learn, and don't even remotely understand that I am here only to teach (aka bring the horse to water). Plus, they (understandably) hate busy work--give them study or practice time instead. Stop wearing ourselves thin and only provide constructive feedback until test day." — AquaFlame7 Do you agree with these teachers' unpopular opinions? Share your education hot takes in the comments or anonymously via this form ! Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.International Seaways, Inc. (NYSE:INSW) Stake Boosted by KBC Group NV