“Administrative Professionals Day will mark its 60th anniversary on April 25, 2012. Over those decades, the job of an administrative professional has changed dramatically thanks to new tools, techniques and seismic shifts in the economy and culture itself. But admins have remained the steady center of efficiency through it all, helping ensure that jobs get done right, on time and under budget. Admins are one of the engines of business, particularly in a complex economy. In a world that demands the accurate and speedy movement of digital information, admins are masters of data. And they do this while maintaining their more traditional role as the gatekeepers for many customers, clients and employees. Quite simply, admins are the pulse of the office.”

(from the International Association of Administrative Professionals site: http://www.iaap-hq.org/events/apw)

Have you said, “Thank you!”, yet?

• Visit http://www.iaap-hq.org/events/apw to learn more about Administrative Professionals Week and the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfischer/2012/01/25/want-innovation-hire-for-skills-not-attitude

Our answer: “Why not hire for both?”

With a holistic pre-employment testing approach you can test the whole person including their job related hard skills, soft skills (interpersonal competence) and personality.

As organizations begin to look at their job applicants in a more “holistic” manner, they realize that these applicants are really much more than the mere sum of their abilities. They are, in fact, a combination of skill, ability, knowledge, desire, attitude, personality, and much more. The key to selecting the right ones is to be able to tap into the applicant and gain a “holistic” view of who they are and how hiring them may potentially affect the organization.

If you’re interested in reading more about this, take a look at these two links:

• http://www.opac.com/testing-key-aspects
• http://www.ournexthire.com/skills-ability-testing/nursing-assessments-a-holistic-approach

California School Personnel Commissioners Association (CSPCA) Conference
January 27-28, 2012
San Diego, CA

Western and California Business Education Association (WBEA/CBEA) Joint Conference
February 18, 2012
Newport Beach, CA

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” the last speech given by Martin Luther King,  was shared in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968. The next day King was assassinated. Here’s an excerpt:

Something is happening in Memphis; something is happening in our world. And you know, if I were standing at the beginning of time, with the possibility of taking a kind of general and panoramic view of the whole of human history up to now, and the Almighty said to me, “Martin Luther King, which age would you like to live in?” I would take my mental flight by Egypt…Greece…Roman Empire…the Renaissance…I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating President by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn’t stop there…Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, “If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the 20th century, I will be happy.” from “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” by Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I Have a Dream”, perhaps King’s most well known speech,  was delivered in Washington, DC,  August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King was there participating in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The March and “I Have a Dream” were instrumental in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Here’s a portion of his inspirational words:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! from “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.

[Audio and Full Text of "I Have a Dream"]

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, our office will be closed on Monday, January 16.

Thank you, Carlo!

Our office will be closed on Monday, December 26th and January 2nd.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a truly happy New Year!

Running is fun!

“Every time Andrew ran past me, he would give me & his mom a ‘thumbs up’.
It was very cute, ” commented Adam.

Several of us were pleased to participate in the school’s jog-a-thon, too. No…we didn’t run, but we gave pledges on behalf of Andrew. We were happy to support both Andrew and a local elementary school.

By the way, Andrew finished with 8 laps – we figure that’s close to 2 miles!  Way to go, Andrew!

 www.MoneyInstructor.com

“Teach and learn basic money skills, personal finance, money management, business education, career, life skills and more with lesson plans, worksheets, and interactive lessons including counting money, coins and bills, spending, saving, investing, check writing and checking, budgeting, basic economics and finance lessons. Tools and information to help educators teach money and money management, business, the economy, and investing.” 
-from MoneyInstructor.com 

Microsoft in Education -Teacher Resources

“Find lesson plans, free tools, training, and other information for teachers to make the best use of technology in the classroom.”
-from Microsoft in Education

Poynter News University

“Free self-directed and paid online courses on writing, grammar, journalism, multimedia storytelling, and more.”

What online resource would you add to the list?