One thing I used to find where we wanted to live was Greatschools (www.greatschools.org) They base their ratings on standardized tests and parent input. I think it's better then nothing. What also is interesting is that teachers WANT to work at Ithan and the other schools in the Radnor School District-even though they pay quite a bit less money then the school district next door (Lower Merion School District).
In Philadelphia proper there are a lot of charter schools-some good, some average and some poor. Many of them are 'culturally diverse', meaning they teach a particular culture (unlike Gabriella which though the students were mainly Hispanic taught the 3 Rs plus English). I think that schools should concentrate on EDUCATING children more and LESS on celebrating cultural diversity, because good grades and a degree are more important to a future employer then that.
I am a broadcast engineer with over 30 years of experience.
IBOC is a true joke. It's the FIRST broadcast service ever authorized by the FCC that actually CAUSES interference-mostly to your NEIGHBORS above and below you on the dial! IBOC is also an FCC sanctioned PRIVATELY owned system that costs broadcasters over $25K in upfront licensing fees-and then more in continuing royalty payments.
What most of us want (broadcast engineers) is for the FCC to authorize TV channels 5 and 6 for a dedicated digital radio band using DRM. Low band VHF is the WORST place for Digital Television (it goes in order UHF channels 20-40, UHF channels 14-20, UHF channels 40-51 , VHF channels 7-13 and finally VHF channels 2-6). Right now there are about 25 DTV stations on channels 5 and 6 in the entire country-and it's been proven that EVERY ONE can be accomodated on UHF (To accomodate the station in Philadelphia on channel 6, a station in Reading, PA would have to move to a different UHF channel and give Philly its current channel, OR Philadelphia can move to channel 3 if they insist on staying on low band VHF-a BAD idea!).
If the FCC got off their ever widening ASS and did this, every AM station that wanted a digital FM could have one-with enough left over for every FM station too-AND a nationwide FM frequency for the National Weather Service/Homeland Security to operate on!
This joke of a bill assumes you are guilty and punishes you until YOU prove yourself innocent-at THEIR timetable of course!
The RIAA can target anyone they want-the judge says: "yup yup yup" and POOF! you are out of business!
Of course you can have the order lifted-right? Let's see...your appeal date is is scheduled for six months from now-until then you REMAIN out of business! What do you mean you don't have enough money to operate without any business that long? TOO BAD!!!!.
Every day...every single day I see another one of these-taking away freedoms from PEOPLE and giving them to CORPORATIONS! We truly ARE fast becoming the Corporate States of America!!
I hope that you sued that company into the ground for a crack like that!
The moon is made of green cheese. -- John Heywood