Since President Obama introduced his Race to the Top education initiative, states have been scrambling to rewrite their laws to qualify for a share of more than $4 billion in federal grant money. According to the results of a survey released on Tuesday by the Center on Education Policy, 41 of the 50 states plan to apply for funds.Foremost among those jockeying for a large cut of the payout is Michigan-a state that’s come to be synonymous with economic ruin. Earlier this year, Governor Jennifer Granholm announced that the state’s schools budget would be slashed by more than $200 million. According to the Chicago Tribune, when enacted this winter the shortfall will likely result in a number of cuts, including layoffs, which will add to the state’s nation-leading unemployment rate of more than 15 percent.Michigan is hoping a check from Race to the Top of up to $400 million can help fill its funding gap as early as April. The AP reports that the state senate has been busy this week working to green-light various changes to Michigan’s education system: among them, creating more charter schools, designing a methodology to address failing schools, instituting a merit-based assessments for teachers, and adding alternate paths to its teacher certification process. Bills addressing all four areas will soon be in front of its house of representatives.Among the many alterations Michigan is considering, one of the stickiest involves rolling back a law that forbids public schools from beginning their school years before Labor Day, a provision passed in 2005 to benefit the state’s tourism and agriculture industries. The issue pits Democrats looking to make the Michigan school system appear more dedicated to time spent on instruction (and thus more attractive to the Obama administration) against Republicans protecting the state’s business interests. Race to the Top’s rules do not mandate changing a school system’s start date, so many in the state see it as a superfluous gesture of ingratiation.Granholm, who, according to the Detroit Free Press, has used uncommon force in calling for these changes to be made in time for the Race to the Top deadline in mid-January, says the next three weeks will be critical to determining if the state will qualify for the funds.It would be plain mean to root against the ball bouncing Michigan’s way for a change. But with such sweeping changes being made in such a short period of time, is anyone concerned about how well the Michigan school system will operate in the short-term, even if they hit pay dirt in the Race to the Top?
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Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
The online community came through in a big way.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Otis knew before they did. Canva Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
This article originally appeared last year.
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14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
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Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
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A man asked how to be less scary to women and the Internet prescribed quality, empathetic tips
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