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In this post, I want to share some of the best resources I've discovered for earning while traveling full-time. If you have any questions or comments at the end of this post, I'd love to hear from you! It's always nice to discuss my passion - living in new and different ways - and I also like making new friends!
Keep in mind, these are the ways I plan to earn and these are the ways I've researched so far, but there are plenty of out-of-the-box ways of making money that I may have yet to discover. If you're thinking about going on a journey of long-term travel, research, talk to people and figure out what will make you the happiest! In the meantime, here are some great ideas I've found on how to make money while traveling full-time.
Resources For Making Money While Traveling
You often see blog posts on travel websites about "freelancing" or "building a remote business." What you don't often read about are the nuts and bolts for how to do that, and in taking this journey for myself, I've discovered that it would be really helpful if someone could give you the actual tools for beginning to freelance.
Here's my (abbreviated) story: I went to law school, practiced law, became a writer for a little while because writing was always a passion of mine that I didn't think I could realistically pursue, then went back to practicing law. This journey has made me realize that I should pursue my passion, and for me, writing is it. But I didn't know where to begin. With a little bit of research - voila - I found Upwork. Upwork is the product of a merger between two former freelancing sites - Elance and oDesk. What this means is that Upwork is now the number one freelancing site in the world. And - spoiler alert - it's amazing! I tried freelancing many years ago, on Elance, and absolutely hated it. Upwork's platform is much better, the clientele is much better, the interface is much better and overall - the website is an incredible way to make a living, on your own terms.
The economy -- and the world -- are changing, and with so many millennials deciding that they don't want to be chained to their 9-to-5, the "gig" economy has been booming. In my mind, "gig" economy is a terrible term for what it really is -- a new economy where you can make your own rules, set your own hours, do what you love, and still make a living.
Here's the important takeaway I want you to remember about Upwork: it's not just for freelance writing. Let me say that one more time, because it's worth repeating: Upwork is not just for freelance writing. If you're thinking about traveling full-time, Upwork is definitely a resource you want to check out. Here are just some of the things you can do on Upwork - remotely, on your own time, and building the business you want: website design, game development, video production, lawyering (yep!), data entry, virtual assistant work, paralegal work, research, transcription, search engine optimization, social media, engineering, data mining, customer service, accounting, human resources and so much more. Although we traditionally think of "freelancing" for writers or photographers, the world has changed and now, if you can build it, the freelancing will come.
If you are at all thinking about a new lifestyle, I would encourage you to hop on to Upwork.com to see what you might want to do. If you have a profession you want to continue, chances are, Upwork will let you. If you have no idea where you could begin but think you might be able to write some emails or organize some things, maybe virtual assisting or administrative work is for you. The point is, to make a change, you must start somewhere and Upwork is a great place for that.
2. Make and sell a product
Etsy isn't just for crafty hipsters anymore. Making a product, or series of products, that are unique and in demand can be a great way to make money without having to be in an office. And Etsy isn't the only marketplace: you could try clothing design with a Cafe Press store, or even Handmade at Amazon.
The benefit of creating your own good and selling is that if it's what you love to do, you'll be happy doing it while traveling full-time. One thing to consider is how you'll be able to ship your good once you start traveling abroad very frequently, but there are logistical companies that can help with this.
An old faithful that has been around for a long-time: teaching English abroad. Many people look at this as a first option, because there are several established programs for doing so, and a lot of travelers have done it with a lot of success. It can also be a great way to get to know locals and take your time getting to know a new city.
If you don't mind kids, becoming an au pair might be a great option. Au pairs generally move abroad to live with a family and take care of their children full-time. Sure - it won't be the "fly by the seat of your pants" type of travel you may be looking for, but it will provide you with a place to stay, a family, and a new experience in a new location.
Becoming an au pair definitely isn't for everyone, because of the commitment involved as well as the childcare, but if it's up your alley, it could be a great way to get an "in" to visit new destinations.
5. Work in the resort/hospitality/cruise/tour industry
If you want to bounce from place to place, getting a job in the resort or hospitality industry may be for you. Often times, these positions are seasonal, allowing you the opportunity to constantly be discovering new places.
You can also work on a cruise ship or work as a tour guide. These positions can be tough work and long hours, but for those willing to do it, they can also be great learning experiences. The point is, if you want to travel and even work in the travel industry, there are some great ways to do it.
I have a travel blog, it's called The LITMO Life. You may have read it. And a lot of people think you can make money from blogging. That's sort of true.
You don't make money from the act of blogging itself - I started my blog so that I could share things I've learned, and meet new people who also love travel, and because I'm a writer at heart. But you can make money around blogging. What do I mean by that? Well, a lot of times, having a well-built blog can be a good resume builder if you are trying to write for a big organization. You can also put paid ads on your blog (but likely won't make too much from there).
You can also host sponsored content on your blog - this is probably one of the best ways to make money from blogging. Essentially, after you've built up a bit of a following, different organizations will pay you to put content on your blog related to their product or service.
Blogging isn't normally a primary method of income while traveling, but it can be a good income boost if you spend time and energy developing it.
Affiliate marketing is another great way to make money from blogging, but I'm putting it in it's own separate category because you don't have to be a blogger to be a good affiliate marketer (but it helps).
What is affiliate marketing? Well, it's basically partnering with a seller of goods to promote their product in some way, and if people buy through your special link, you get a bit of money. It's not as difficult as it sounds: Amazon has a popular affiliate program (of which I am a member), as do a few other big organizations.
So, you don't actually have to have a blog for affiliate marketing - but it obviously helps. You can promote your links through Facebook or Twitter, but having a big following and a large readership is important for this kind of money-making.
If you're the type that likes to share your story visually, creating a YouTube channel and monetizing the content can be a good way to try to make money on the road. This, like blogging or affiliate marketing, requires spending a lot of time and energy making your channel great (I'm learning along the way). Monetization is obviously an effective strategy only if you have, once again, a large following.
It is, however, easier to make a decent income on YouTube than from, say, click-based ads on blogs, but you do need to really have a passion for it to ensure that it shows in your videos.
As you can see, if you really want to change your life to begin traveling full-time - it's a completely viable option! It will require some sweat and hard work, but everything great in life often does.
It would be best to go in with a clear head and an open mind: don't rely only on one source of income at first (I plan to do a combination of the things I've listed here) and be prepared to do anything. Also, realize that making money from online sources will require time and effort - you won't be able to just put up a blog and have millions of followers overnight - you'll have to work at it! Know that you'll likely face some tough times, and it won't be all smooth sailing, but in the end, if traveling full-time is something you really want to do, it will certainly be worth it!
Follow Anjali's journey on her blog, The LITMO Life, and her YouTube Channel. And if you have any thoughts or suggestions for her on traveling the world, please reach out!
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Elspeth Reeve at The New Republic laid out how a group of mostly female fans have become bloggers, then in turn become the most knowledgeable people in the game. The "gymternet" is a network of sites and social media streams that connect people to the type of coverage they want if they're more than channel-flipping viewers. In many cases, fans are frustrated with the casual sexism big network coverage comes with:
When a gymnast was injured right before the 2008 Olympics, for example, NBC commentator Al Trautwig said, "It's like having a tear in your wedding dress right before you walk down the aisle." At the 2012 Games, he described Russian gymnasts as "divas" who are "temperamental" and exhibit "petulance to criticism."
A podcast called GymCastic by Orange County fan Jessica O'Beirne, who works as a librarian, has been pulling big names since its inception:
Her very first guest was NBC commentator Tim Daggett, who was well aware that his network is unpopular among gymnastics junkies. "When you see a broadcast on television," Daggett confessed, "it's not being put together for a group like you guys. … NBC is a huge corporation, and it's a business, and they're trying to make money." The way to do that, he said, is to pick "the most dramatic stories out there" and tell them over and over again, "because it's what the casual viewer wants."
O'Beirne and other "amateur" reporters like her want more, and are thus taken more seriously by people involved in the actual sport. Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney went on GymCastic to announce her retirement from gymnastics, and felt comfortable enough to relate another anecdote about her experience as a female athlete. She said she was threatened by her coaches after she broke her toe; they told her, "Don't limp; smile, make sure you just look like you're fine... Because that's the only way you're going to stay on this team."
Another popular site actually titled The Gymternet was begun by Laura Hopkins, who had previously worked in a law firm and has now been hired by NBC as a gymnastics researcher for their digital broadcast team in Rio for the Games.
She told Reeve that her success came from the network of women and parents of upcoming gymnasts who saw what she was doing. Soon The Gymternet developed into a site that "breaks news and provides injury reports, live blogs and analysis of competitions, interviews with elite gymnasts, and critiques of leotard fashion."
Anecdotes like Maroney's about smiling through her pain are less and less acceptably relegated to the shadows: the audience for gymnastics coverage won't settle for it. You can and should read the rest of Reeves article here.
Image via Getty.
Perhaps the most surprising event of Day Two at Red Hat Summit 2016 was a live wedding, which was hosted during one of the conference keynotes. Stu Miniman (@stu) and Brian Gracely (@bgracely), cohosts of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, said neither had seen such an event at a tech conference. Miniman thought it spoke to both the couple's dedication to each other and to the tech industry.
In addition to witnessing spontaneous nupitals, theCUBE cohosts interviewed Red Hat Innovation award winners from Bombay Stock Exchange, Ltd. and Amadeus Data Processing GmbH. Both organizations are running open source and containers as mission critical, Gracely observed. Amadeus is utilizing OpenShift, and Miniman stated the "emerging tech is stablizing."
Miniman also said, "Today, all containers are Linux." And Gracely commented that Red Hat, Inc. is "in the lead" when it comes to containers.
Bold demos from Red HatRed Hat has put on "bold tech demonstrations" during Day Two, declared Gracely. One of the Red Hat security team members quipped that they are at "Schrödinger's container: It is alive or is it dead?" recalled Miniman.
Gracely remarked that Red Hat is one of the only companies operating purely on open source and making money. While AWS may be serving companies that are looking to get out of the IT business, Red Hat is offering a more blended story that allows for still owning technologies.
For Day Three of Red Hat Summit, look for Microsoft news and much more.
Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE's coverage of the Red Hat Summit.
Photo by SiliconANGLEBook lovers: Listen up.
If you have a summer job, what better way to spend your money than on some new summer reads?And if you're still looking for a summertime gig, what better job for a book fiend than your local bookstore?
Regardless of your predicament, here are the top five reads on my summer list and the only tip you'll need to get that bookstore job (so you can spend more money on books).
Book buys: 1. 'On the Road' by Jack KerouacOn the Road is a '50s classic about the counterculture — think jazz, drugs and more — that makes hipsters seem as straight as Baby Boomers. It's also renowned for being written on a 120-foot typewriter scroll. Tap into this literary classic when you're poolside or biding time on the plane.
"Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road."
2. 'Hyperbole and a Half' by Allie BroshBorn from an eponymous online blog, Hyperbole and a Half is unpretentious and hilarious. A journey through the ups and downs of Millennial life, its short stories are both relatable and totally unique.
"Тo me, the future doesn't seem real. It's just this magical place where I can put my responsibilities so that I don't have to be scared while hurtling toward failure at eight hundred miles per hour."
3. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip PullmanRemember the days before dense college texts were all you knew? Shamelessly slip back into the Young Adult genre with this fantasy adventure tale. Even if you've seen The Golden Compass movie, you're going to want to read the first book, and its sequels. Cozy up with a tale of unknown realms, otherworldly magic, glittering cities, and talking animals.
"We are all subject to the fates. But we must act as if we are not, or die of despair."
4. Century Trilogy by Ken FollettThis trilogy is an epic with family scandal, politics, and war — which, if you're anything like me, sounds like the perfect literary storm. The first book follows five families in the years of WWI and the Russian Revolution from battlefield to bedroom and riches to rags. Beware: It's close to 1,000 pages, so make sure you've got downtime to get addicted!
"A baby was like a revolution, Grigori thought: you could start one, but you could not control how it would turn out."
5. 'Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty' by Ramona AusubelEmpty bank accounts. Goods taken for granted now gone. A familial fall from grace. An end to stability. Sons and Daughters is this summer's much-raved about new release, and with good reason. Pick this up if you want an imaginative read with a dash of drama and some deep insight on wealth and class in America.
"The long-ago earning of that money — slaves, cotton, rum — and the spending of it, were done. The money had lived its own life, like a relative."
BookRiot has written up a handy little guide listing five tips to help you get that summertime book store job. From getting your foot in the door, to writing the perfect cover letter – make sure you read up before you apply to your local literary hub.
Julia Arciga is a student at George Washington University and a USA TODAY College correspondent.
book, job, Julia Arciga, Summer, summer reads, News
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Pure greed. Let's get this one out of the way first. There are people who set out on a health care career purely for the paycheck from the very beginning. They never had any delusions about helping people and they never will. These people are rare and difficult to identify as they do not wear their greed as a badge of honor, but they do exist. Personally, I feel they have sorely missed the mark, given the intelligence and effort required to survive an American medical education, they could have done really well for themselves in finance or investing: think Michael Burry.
Commercial pressure. No matter what your work setting, there will always be pressure to produce financially, especially in the environment of seemingly constantly declining reimbursements. At a minimum, you are going to be expected to generate enough revenue to cover your own salary and benefits. Anything over that is just gravy. It is easy to see why a generous serving of commercial pressure, either from your employer or your partners, can help tilt your focus toward the paycheck.
Lack of job satisfaction. When we started as bright-eyed medical students, we all imagined a version of medicine that is much rosier than its actual practice. That optimism gets slowly beaten out of us by every drug seeker and every patient with a factitious disorder. When you start to doubt whether you are helping the sick and needy, then it becomes easy to view medicine as "just another job." It probably isn't a coincidence that the specialty with the highest burnout rate is the one that sees the most drug-seeking patients.
Medical-legal pressure. Every bad outcome that led to a lawsuit changes us. And we slowly develop a rigid business relationship with patients based solely on risks and benefits rather than the compassion we once felt. To give you an example, when I was asked by a patient whether she can get a copy of her arthrogram report, I asked her to contact the medical records department in the afternoon. Only later did I realize I could have just gotten her phone number and called her myself after reading out the arthrogram! Now I had no fear of being sued whatsoever, but the system was set up in a way that I did not even think of such a simple solution.
Templates. Electronic medical records (EMR) has done a lot of good for medicine. Increased efficiency, sharing, data aggregation and analysis. But EMR also brought templates, and templates make it easy to not care. Don't get me wrong – I love templates and use them every day. But think of how many perfect H&Ps came from the orthopedist who you know for a fact doesn't carry a stethoscope. Templates alone don't make you not care, but they sure make it easy.
Lack of meaningful wealth or knowledge to attain it. This is the most important factor, and unfortunately is one that many physicians lack. Let's face it, money is a necessity in modern life. You need it for food, shelter, education, transportation, pretty much everything. Some call it "financial independence," but when you have meaningful wealth, you lessen the financial imperative to practice medicine and give yourself the freedom to focus on the things that drove you to become a healer in the first place. Those physicians who are focused on the paycheck are often financially strapped despite their high incomes. Therefore, they fall prey to all of the other factors listed above and become trapped in the rat race like so many other non-physicians.
These are just some personal observations I have from dealing with physicians who seemingly care more about the paycheck than the patient. While I still judge them harshly, I now have some understanding of how they became who they are. What do you think?
"Future Proof, MD" is a radiology resident who blogs at Future Proof M.D.
Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Having freedom in your schedule is a beautiful thing, but it can also be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you have superior flexibility. On the other, you have a lot of planning to do — and that can be simply overwhelming. Many financial advisers like myself have to juggle marketing, administrative work, portfolio management, client meetings and more.
I reached out to a few to get their tips on how they plan their day to make the money – and I included a few of my own. Financial adviser or not, you're sure to benefit from their advice.
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1. Choose Your Top Three Most Important TasksGrant Bledsoe, CFA, CFP(R), a Portland financial planner and blogger at AbovetheCanopy.us, says, "I try to list out my top three most important to-dos the night before. That way, when I get to the office in the morning, I can refer to my list and get right to work. If I don't, I'll waste time on emails, ESPN and surfing the web."
He adds, "I also try to limit the list to no more than three tasks. I'm far less likely to finish longer to-do lists, and the sense of accomplishment I get when it's done helps keep me motivated."
There seem to be two main takeaways from Bledsoe's advice: Focus on a few of the most important tasks and do so early in the day.
2. Categorize Your Tasks to Achieve BalancePeter Huminski, AWMA, a wealth adviser in North Carolina and blogger at ThoriumWealth.com/blog, says, "I try to block out at least 90 minutes everyday to work on prospecting for new clients. Sometimes it's in the morning, and other times it's in the afternoon, but I try to move a relationship closer to becoming a client during that block of time."
Here, Huminski points out that prospecting is an important part of earning more money. It's true that one can get caught up in the administrative tasks so much that they forget to think about the future of their business.
He adds, "I also break my daily tasks list into business development or administrative. For every administrative task I do, I will do one off the business development list. This gives me balance between the two most important parts of my business or any business."
Labelling your tasks and making sure to work on each category equally, assuming they are both important, will help you focus on the present and the future of your business.
While you're at it, make sure to look for some ways to save money. This is an important part of the future of your business. If you can cut some expenses, you'll save a lot over the long-term and have more money to put to better use.
3. Don't Forget Creativity & Good Customer ServiceJoe Carbone, Jr., CFP(R), a wealth adviser and blogger at WealthManagementfortheRealWorld.com, says, "I use my morning as my creative time. I use this time to work on new marketing ideas, different investment strategies, reach out to prospects, etc."
If your creativity peaks in the morning, you may want to use that time for your most creative activities. While you may or may not define these activities as your most important, creativity is a critical ingredient in making more money.
Carbone goes on to say "I also make sure my current clients are being treated with the utmost care and customer service throughout the day. They are the lifeline of my practice. What good is attracting new prospects and clients if my retention is 70%? Not to mention I would be failing them on my promise to take care of their financial world."
Improving your customer service is a great way to increase your chances of making more money. People want to be taken care of, and if you don't take care of them, they'll probably look for service elsewhere.
4. Focus on Things That Allow You to Make Money QuicklyYes, there is such a thing as a quick buck. It's not always the best route to take, especially over the long-term, but it will help you get out of a bind. Look at some ways to make money fast and do try them in your spare time or try one early in the day. Whether you're looking to raise some money to put toward advertising or buying new equipment you need to run a better business, there's always an idea or two that will work.
5. Delegate TasksThere are probably a few key tasks you do to make your money, and you're good at them. There might also be several other tasks you do that have to get done but don't really result in more money. Consider the second type of tasks. Are any of these the kind you can delegate to others? Perhaps you need some content edited. Instead of doing that yourself, find an editor to help you out. Maybe you need some web design. Again, delegate that to someone who can get the job done.
It can be a little scary to delegate tasks to others, especially if you're new to it. You don't have to dive in head first. Instead, pick one or two tasks that don't require a lot of responsibility, and offload those to other people.
Final ThoughtsIf you're not used to planning your day before you begin, it may take some time to get the hang of it. Going from putting out fires to organized, efficient money-making isn't something you learn overnight. Consider taking the tips from this article and try them out. (You can monitor your financial goals, like building a good credit score, each month on Credit.com.)
More Money-Saving Reads:Image: g-stockstudio
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Dr. Allene Magill is executive director of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, a 91,000 member independent educator association. PAGE is Georgia's largest educator advocacy group.
A two-time superintendent of the year, Magill served as superintendent in Dalton, Forsyth and Paulding. In this column, she questions why Gov. Nathan Deal wants to change Georgia's constitution to give the state the power to take over failing schools. She opposes his push to create a state-run Opportunity School District.
Expect to hear more about the Opportunity School District as the November referendum draws nearer. Last week, the Newton County Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the Opportunity School District.
By Dr. Allene Magill
Voters go to the polls this November to decide whether the Georgia constitution should be amended to allow Gov. Nathan Deal's office to create the Opportunity School District. This state takeover of struggling, high poverty schools uses scores from the College and Career Readiness Performance Index to justify the power grab.
The CCRPI derives its scores primarily from student performance on standardized tests. If you've been paying attention the past couple of years – and especially the past few months – Georgia's experience with standardized testing administration earns low marks for reliability. And, low test scores and "failing" schools more clearly reflect the lack of resources in their communities and the poverty level of students and families than the effort of educators.
The Department of Education waived the use of this spring's Milestones tests in grades 3, 5 and 8 for student promotion and retention decisions by local districts. Districts were also given the flexibility whether to retest students who performed poorly on the tests. Most districts reported they would not take the time or make the effort to retest.
Additionally, due to the adoption of Milestones for the 2014-2015 school year and the problems with the 2015-2016 test administration, scores will not be used to produce a Teacher Effectiveness Measure (TEM) or Leader Effectiveness Measure score for educator evaluations under TKES or LKES until at least the 2019-2020 school year. One has to wonder if the scores cannot be used for student promotion and retention decisions or for educator evaluations, then how can they possibly be valid and reliable enough to seize control of schools from a community and locally elected school board.
Decisions founded in results from standardized test scores increasingly are coming under scrutiny. Test scores – long regarded as objective measures – are losing their status as the cornerstone measurement for all things in education. The problems with testing are many. While many consider issues raised by educators or advocacy groups as "whining" to avoid accountability, the groundswell of testing opt-out proponents from students and parents has gained traction.
The growing movement is based on the negative effects of high stakes testing on students, their instruction and the educators who teach them. The voices aligned against high stakes testing are myriad and diverse. The outcry during the 2016 legislative session came from students, parents, the Georgia PTA, educators and every major education organization in Georgia.
Georgia's legislators heard the concerns loud and clear. In unusual bipartisan cooperation the General Assembly unanimously passed Senate Bill 364 which significantly reduced the use of standardized tests in educator evaluations and dropped the requirement of using Student Learning Objectives for teachers of non-tested grades and content. Another bill that specifically offered testing opt-out provisions made it to the governor's desk where it was vetoed.
The desire to further diminish the reliance of important decisions for students, schools, educators and districts and the governor's vetoes of bills that advanced that cause will fuel even stronger reaction and advocacy in the 2017 session.
The CCRPI was written as a waiver to allow the state Department of Education and Georgia's schools relief from the overly burdensome and unrealistic expectations of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Congress finally agreed in December to a rewrite of NCLB called the Every Student Succeeds Act, which provided extensive relief to the most onerous requirements for testing and educator evaluation tied to testing. CCRPI is based on old federal law and the state will either adjust to meet ESSA or be scrapped and new state guidelines will be written specifically for ESSA.
Yet, Georgians will be asked to amend the constitution to allow the state to take over local schools based on a potentially outdated achievement matrix and unreliable test data.
Even if you are willing to accept that the tests are reliable indicators of performance and the CCRPI is the best measure of effectiveness, one still has to question why the state needs yet another method to control local schools. The state Department of Education already possesses the power to force change on under-performing schools designated as focus or priority schools.
So, if the state already has a lever to effect change in these schools from a constitutionally empowered agency with an elected leader (the Georgia Department of Education), why does another branch of government seek to override it? Why would a governor want to wrest control from local boards of education and communities? It's a motivation as old as mankind: power, control and money.
The Governor's Office through the OSD superintendent will have the power to take over schools, facilities and resources and will have the ability to redirect those resources to for-profit corporations to operate the schools as charters without all of the overhead and capital costs that the local board must fund. A superintendent appointed by the governor and managing up to 100 schools from an office in Atlanta cannot be expected to do any better in turning these schools around than the experienced educators who are on site and working with teams from the district and school to analyze the issues and determine strategic interventions.
That's especially true if nothing is done to address community issues that leave children and families without the resources or ability to make education a priority. And, contrary to the narrative from OSD proponents, a close examination of the CCRPI data from 2012 to 2014 shows that the OSD-eligible schools as a group showed greater student growth during that three-year period than their "high achieving" counterparts and greater growth than many of the other schools within the state.
OSD-eligible schools are almost entirely composed of poor, minority students: more than 90 percent participate in the free and reduced lunch program and 95 percent are either black or Hispanic. In contrast, the high achieving schools have less than a third of students on free and reduced lunch and only about 25 percent are black or Hispanic.
So, again, as I say to audiences across our state, schools that many consider to be low achieving according to a benchmark are only reflective of the economic and resource challenges of their communities. And, further, educators in these schools are doing incredible work with students who are making significant progress from where they begin but still have far to go. Rather than punish the educators doing the hard work in difficult-to-teach circumstances, our state should do all it can to boost these schools and their communities in partnership with local boards of education instead of through takeover.
The idea of an Opportunity School District only makes sense when viewed from the "opportunities" it provides those who will benefit from wresting power and resources from local communities. It certainly makes no sense for children, communities, educators or local boards of education.
Vote NO on OSD in November.
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We will send the script to your PayPal email within few hours,Please add FullContentRSS@gmail.com to your email contact.Q. I have two kids and one of them is refusing my help for college bills. I have probably half of what he needs in a 529 plan. His sibling also has a plan. Should I change this sibling to be the beneficiary or should I wait in case he changes his mind?— Mom
A. College is a very expensive proposition, and we're wondering how your son plans to pay for it all.
Depending on the answer to that question and the expected cost of college for each of your children, you may want to wait before you make a move.
Changing beneficiaries on a 529 plan is not a hard thing to do, but you can take some time to decide if it's the right thing to do, said Bill Connington of Connington Wealth Management in Paramus, New Jersey.
He said most plans will allow you to change beneficiaries with a form, and depending on the plan, you may have to pay an administration fee.
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As a rule, Connington said, changing the beneficiary of an account can result in a gift or worse. But with a 529 plan, the account owner can change the beneficiary without tax consequences if the new beneficiary is a member of the family of the old beneficiary.
A member of the family is defined in IRS Code Section 529, but includes, among others, siblings, decedents, parents and cousins.
So for you, it seems there wouldn't be tax consequences if you make the beneficiary change among siblings.
"If the new beneficiary is not a member of the family, the change will be treated as a non-qualified distribution and the earnings portion of the account will be subject to income tax and a 10% penalty," he said.
But back to your son's decision.
You should try to sit down and run some numbers with him. See what kinds of scholarships or grants he can expect, but then take a close look at the costs of borrowing. Look at how student loans will accumulate over time, what the monthly payment is likely to be upon graduation and how this will impact your son's budget after college.
He may change his mind when you run the numbers together.
[Editor's note: Keep in mind there are limits on how much a student can borrow in federal education loans, and getting private student loans often requires having good credit or a co-signer with good credit. Taking on student loan debt can also have a significant impact on your future credit health, so it's smart to keep an eye on your credit before you borrow and as you're paying off education debt. As part of your regular credit checkup, you can see two of your credit scores for free each month on Credit.com.]
More on Student Loans:Image: Cathy Yeulet
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