星期四, 3月 29, 2018

波士頓公校2019會計年度預算11億美元

Boston School Committee Approves FY19 Boston Public Schools Budget
Unanimous Vote In Favor of $1.1 Billion Allocation
BOSTON — Thursday, March 29, 2018 — Last night, the Boston School Committee passed the fiscal year 2019 (FY19) Boston Public Schools (BPS) budget with a unanimous vote. The $1.109 billion BPS budget marks the largest in City history, and a $48 million increase over last year’s budget.

“This budget is the largest in Boston’s history and represents an investment in our students, our schools, and education in Boston,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “We will always prioritize high-quality education for all our students, and this strong investment will help ensure our young people have the tools they need to succeed.”

Mayor Walsh has increased the BPS budget by $170 million, or 18 percent, over the past five years. During the same time, BPS has continued to achieve its highest four-year high-school graduation rate and more high-ranking Level 1 and 2 schools than ever before.

The FY19 budget features investments in individual school budgets, extended learning time, hiring effective teachers, supports for students experiencing homelessness, and an empowerment program for young men of color, among other vital supports.

“I would like to thank my fellow Boston School Committee members for listening to public feedback and carefully deliberating before taking this important vote,” said Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael Loconto. “The FY19 budget sustains our position as a national leader in urban public education and continues to increase supports for students who need them most.”

The FY19 budget increases funding to individual schools by $40 million, which includes approximately $30 million toward higher teacher salaries and an additional $10 million in further investments.
 
Those additional investments are focused on the district’s highest-need schools and supporting schools in transition due to enrollment shifts. In the FY19 budget, no school will see a financial impact for the first one percent of an enrollment decline. In total, BPS has proposed dedicating $3.4 million to ensure smooth transitions for schools with fluctuating enrollments, including a $1 million reserve to support lower performing schools with declining enrollment.
 
Additionally, using a new formula that measures student need and is in adherence with the BPS Opportunity and Achievement Gaps Policy, BPS will be reallocating $5.8 million in external partnership funding to schools with our highest-need students. The district will also be providing an additional $3 million to schools to assist high-need students.

“BPS students are the leaders of today and tomorrow,” said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. “The proposed budget for next year invests in programs and initiatives meant to support students’ growth, facilitate authentic learning experiences, and help them embark on a successful path in college, career, and life.”

The increased funding from the City comes despite the Governor’s proposed budget that would decrease net state aid to Boston by $17 million. While Mayor Walsh has increased BPS' annual budget by $170 million since taking office, the state’s Chapter 70 funding has only increased by $8 million. The Commonwealth also continues to underfund charter school reimbursements for cities and towns, which under the Governor’s proposed budget translates into $27 million in lost funding in Boston in FY19 alone and more than $100 million over the last five years. The City is bridging this gap and contributing additional resources to strengthen BPS' efforts to provide each of its students a high-quality education in a 21st-century learning environment. 

The approved budget will be submitted to the Boston City Council for final approval later this spring.

Key Initiatives and Programs
 
  • Early Childhood Education: In the last five years, BPS and the City of Boston have increased participation in K1 (pre-K) programs by 725 students, for a total of 2,947 K1 students projected for FY19. BPS has invested $5 million into K1 expansion since 2014, totaling about $22.7 million for next year. BPS oversees a nationally recognized early childhood education program that is child-centric, highly developmental and is shown through research to lead to academic gains for several years, helping close the opportunity and achievement gap.
 
  • Extended Learning Time: In the past three years, 57 schools serving K-8 have extended the school day by 40 minutes, which is the equivalent of adding 20 school days per year. BPS is investing $17.4 million to maintain extended hours at these schools next year. Not only does the additional time allow students more opportunity to learn crucial 21stcentury skills, it provides them time for an array of enrichment opportunities — everything from art and woodworking to robotics and yoga — that research shows bring learning alive by making lessons more relevant for young people.
 
  • Effective Teachers: BPS strongly believes in ensuring high quality teachers are in every classroom. BPS is proud to offer competitive salaries for educators, making them among the highest paid in the country. Approximately $30 million in the FY19 budget will support higher salaries and an additional $8 million will fund benefits. BPS also invests in ongoing retention and training programs, such as the Lynch Leadership Academy, which has aspiring school leaders spend a year learning and leading with our best mentor principals in Boston. Over the past five years, BPS has transformed how teachers are attracted and retained to work for the district, ending a system in which teachers were hired by Central Office, and adopting a process called Early Mutual Consent Hiring, in which school principals, their hiring committees, and the candidates all agree on hiring decisions. Through this process, all hiring begins earlier in the year — typically in March — compared to the traditional school hiring season in June. This has allowed BPS to select from larger and more diverse pools of applicants.
 
  • Excellence for All: BPS is allocating $700,000 to grow the academic-enrichment program Excellence for All for the third year, serving 1,700 students in grades 4-6 at 16 schools and bringing the total allocation to $2.6 million. Excellence for All aims to match the high-quality rigor that many students receive in the Advanced Work Class (AWC) program in an inclusive setting that also provides for enrichment, such as foreign languages and robotics.
 
  • Supports for Students Experiencing Homelessness: For the second year in a row, BPS is providing funding to individual schools to assist students who are experiencing homelessness. The amount will total $1.8 million, which is a $500,000 increase from last year. Schools have discretion over how the funding is used. Some schools have used the funds to hire support staff; while others have expanded clothing closets. The Edison K-8 School in Brighton used the funds to launch a weekend “boost bag” program, which allows students in need to receive a bag of supplemental food on Fridays.
 
  • Becoming a Man: Becoming a Man is a Chicago-based, nationally-recognized program that successfully serves young men of color using school-based group counseling and mentoring to teach valuable life skills. Boston Public Schools is the first district outside of Chicago to adopt this program, which research has shown increases school engagement, social-emotional skills, and graduation rates, while decreasing arrest rates. Now serving four schools in BPS due to a $600,000 philanthropic donation, Becoming a Man will receive an additional $549,000 in the FY19 BPS budget to expand to three more schools.

RAFAEL HERNANDEZ SCHOOL IN ROXBURY had a new playground

MAYOR WALSH, STUDENTS AND FACULTY CELEBRATE RIBBON CUTTING OF NEW PLAYGROUND AT RAFAEL HERNANDEZ SCHOOL IN ROXBURY
New addition to school after fundraising effort from former students
BOSTON - Thursday, March 29, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined students, faculty and staff of the Rafael Hernandez K-8 Dual Language School in Roxbury for a ribbon cutting celebration of their new playground. The playground features a new synthetic turf field, permeable paving that will reduce stormwater runoff, and site improvements for the benefit of all students at the school.

The new playground is made possible thanks to students at the Rafael Hernandez School who advocated for a new schoolyard, built community support, conducted research, met with architects and brought their findings to the city. After meeting with students last April, Mayor Walsh announced that funding for the playground would be included in the city's Imagine Boston 2030 Capital Plan, which set aside $1.25 million for improvements to the playground.

"I was inspired by the initiative students at the Hernandez School took in advocating for a better, more safe playground for all students to enjoy, and am proud that today we see their vision come to life," said Mayor Walsh. "These students had a big idea, and made it happen -- we're all proud of this great job done by our BPS students."

As part of the project, the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) helped install an outdoor classroom to teach students about drainage and how we can improve the health of the Charles River by sending cleaner water into our sewer systems. BWSC has invested $280,700 towards the project.

"I am so proud of our students for learning how to collaborate with one another and advocate for positive change in their school community," said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. "Their efforts will not only make their playtime more fun, but it will benefit future students and the community for years to come."

"It's been incredible to see our students, families, and teachers coming together to help make our school community better for everyone," said Hernandez School Principal Ana Tavares. "This was a truly collaborative effort and a positive lesson that will last a lifetime for these students."

"The community deserves a wonderful playground. We turned this playground into our legacy, and we can look back in the next 15 years and reminisce about what we have accomplished, and how many future kids will be able to enjoy what we worked so hard to do," said student Lorraine Sanchez.

For more information on the project, please visit here.

MAYOR WALSH TO HOST OPEN HOUSE IN ROXBURY

MAYOR WALSH TO HOST OPEN HOUSE IN ROXBURY
Open House being held to help people learn more about city services, capital projects and ongoing programs from the City of Boston
BOSTON - Thursday, March 29, 2018 - On Monday, April 23rd, Mayor Martin J. Walsh will host a City Hall Open House in Roxbury, inviting residents from all across Roxbury and other neighborhoods to learn more about city services, capital projects and ongoing programs from the City of Boston. 

Representatives from various departments will be present including the Boston Planning and Development Agency, the Boston Transportation Department, the Public Works Department, the Parks and Recreation Department, Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Health Commission, and the Office Economic Development and more will be in attendance to answer questions and share resources. 

WHEN:     Monday, April 23, 2018
                 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

WHERE:  BCYF Shelburne Community Center
                 2730 Washington St., Roxbury
WHO:

Representatives from: 
  • Assessing Department
  • BOS:311
  • Boston Fire Department
  • Boston Home Center
  • Boston Housing Authority
  • Boston Planning and Development Agency
  • Boston Police Department
  • Boston Public Health Commission
  • Boston Public Schools
  • Boston Transportation Department
  • Department of Neighborhood Development
  • Imagine Boston 2030
  • Inspectional Services Department
  • Office for Immigrant Advancement
  • Office of Fair Housing and Equity
  • Office of Recovery Service
  • Office of Small Business Development
  • Office of Women's Advancement
  • Parks and Recreation Department
  • Public Works Department

Governor Baker Receives Habitat for Humanity American Dream Award

Governor Baker Receives Habitat for Humanity American Dream Award for Increasing Affordable Housing in Massachusetts


At this year’s Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston American Dream Awards Ceremony, Governor Baker was honored for his work to increase affordable housing options for low-income families.


BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker received the American Dream Award from Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston in recognition of the Baker-Polito Administration’s efforts to create more affordable housing across the Commonwealth.

“Our administration is grateful for the tremendous work that groups like Habitat for Humanity are doing to help bridge the gap between housing demand and housing supply across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “While our administration appreciates this recognition, there is more work to do and I look forward to partnering with the Legislature, local officials and stakeholders to increase housing production in Massachusetts.”

In December, the Baker-Polito Administration unveiled a new Housing Choice Initiative and its accompanying legislation An Act to Promote Housing Choices, which aims to substantially increase and incentivize housing production across the Commonwealth with a goal of creating 135,000 new units by 2025. The administration has also filed a housing bond bill seeking $1.287 billion in additional capital authorization to support development, and is on course to invest $1.1 billion over five years in affordable housing.

科技部長陳良基與教育部次長姚立德主動出擊 攜手率團赴海外攬才


                         (Boston Orange)為延攬國外優秀學術研究人才加入臺灣科研行列,科技部陳良基部長將與教育部姚立德次長親自率團至美國,於當地時間41日至47日,分別在舊金山、洛杉磯、紐約、波士頓四個城市,舉辦四場海外攬才說明會,會中將針對科技部「年輕學者養成計畫」(包含愛因斯坦培植計畫與哥倫布計畫),與教育部「玉山計畫」,向與會的研究學者與新聞媒體進行介紹,以吸引海外優秀學者返國或來臺服務。
                     本次海外攬才陣容堅強,除了陳部長良基與姚次長立德共同領軍外,另包含臺灣十一所頂尖國立大學校長或副校長、研發長,亦加入本次海外攬才的行列,堅定表達為臺灣求才留才的決心,也將為與會學者們提供面對面的交流機會。
                     科技部「年輕學者養成計畫」(Young Scholars Grant)提供相當優渥的補助誘因。其中「愛因斯坦培植計畫」(The Einstein Program)以跳躍思考、勇於創新、大膽逐夢為主軸,鼓勵研究者多元與自由地嘗試各種研究發想,發掘有潛力的新興議題進行探索。本計畫每年將提供50位補助名額,每人每年新臺幣500萬元的多年期計畫補助經費。
                    科技部「哥倫布計畫」(The Columbus Program)則以探索未知、放眼國際、追求卓越為方針,鼓勵研究者投入具有潛力的研究構想,建立跨領域合作團隊,或至國外的研究機構進行交流研究,增進國際視野及影響力,提高我國學者於國際學術社群的能見度。本計畫每年提供30位補助名額,每人每年新臺幣1,000萬元的多年期計畫補助經費。
                    教育部「玉山計畫」(Yushan Project)之「玉山學者方案」,目的在協助各大專校院延攬國際頂尖人才,藉由提供符合國際競爭之薪資待遇,吸引國際人才來臺任教。延攬對象分為「玉山學者」及「玉山青年學者」,經由學校延攬後由聘任學校提出申請。教育部姚次長表示,希望透過此次攬才活動,吸引美國學人來臺任教,促進參與攬才的大學校長親自與國際學者交流互動,並具體說明學校提供優惠措施,增進人才延攬的機會。教育部預計每年將提供100名玉山學者供各校申請,若各校將獲得的玉山學者名額改聘為玉山青年學者,則可以13的比例聘任。
                  「玉山學者」須具10年以上任職於國際一流學術研究機構或知名公司經驗或於所屬學術領域具卓越貢獻,獲選玉山學者除由聘任學校提供本薪外,教育部每年外加薪資最高新臺幣500萬元,ㄧ次核給3年;「玉山青年學者」須符合取得最高學歷十年內,並具有優異產業界工作經驗或學術經歷,除本薪外,教育部每年外加最高新臺幣150萬元薪資,ㄧ次核給5年。教育部將提供每年至多150萬元的行政支援費用,供其聘任祕書或助理,協助其行政工作。
                     陳良基部長表示,此刻正值臺灣科技發展的關鍵時刻,唯有透過長期且充分的研究資源,並鼓勵年輕學者大膽探索、發揮想像力,才能促使我國科學研究產生突破式的創新,讓我國學者在國際學術社群間,取得足夠發言權及影響力,長期而言,對臺灣學術發展有正面的效益。期望透過此次大規模的攬才活動,召募全球優秀年輕人才為臺灣效力,建構充滿無限潛能與創造力的科技臺灣大未來。
              有關「科技部與教育部海外攬才說明會」的詳細內容,請參考以下官網資訊:
第一場  科技部與教育部海外攬才說明會(舊金山場)
日期:10741(星期日) 下午14:00~17:00
地點:舊金山(Hilton San Francisco Airport Bayfront)
第二場  科技部與教育部海外攬才說明會(洛杉磯場)
日期:10743(星期二) 下午17:00~20:00
地點:洛杉磯(CNSI Auditorium, UCLA)
第三場  科技部與教育部海外攬才說明會(紐約場)
日期:10745(星期四) 晚上18:30~21:30
地點:紐約(Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York)
第四場  科技部與教育部海外攬才說明會(波士頓場)
日期:10747(星期六) 早上09:00~12:00
地點:波士頓(MIT Sloan School of Management Building)
(文稿由駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處提供)

AG HEALEY CALLS FOR SHUT DOWN OF INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTIAL COMPETITIVE SUPPLY INDUSTRY TO PROTECT ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS

AG HEALEY CALLS FOR SHUT DOWN OF INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTIAL COMPETITIVE SUPPLY INDUSTRY TO PROTECT ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS
Two-Year Study by AG’s Office Shows Competitive Supply Customers Paid $176.8 Million More; Companies Appear to Have Targeted Low-Income, Minority Neighborhoods in Gateway Cities

BOSTON – Citing aggressive sales tactics, false promises of cheaper electric bills and the targeting of low-income, elderly, and minority residents, Attorney General Maura Healey today issued a report calling for an end to the competitive electricity supply market for individual residential customers in Massachusetts.
AG Healey made the announcement today standing with Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, along with consumer and civil rights advocates. The report found that Massachusetts electric customers who switched to a competitive electric supplier paid $176.8 million more than if they had stayed with their utility company during the two-year period from July 2015 to June 2017.
“Competitive electric suppliers promise big energy savings but are actually burdening customers with hundreds of dollars in extra costs,” said AG Healey. “In two years, Massachusetts residents lost over $176 million to these predatory companies. I’m calling for an end to this industry because that’s the best way to protect our seniors, low-income residents, and minority communities from these persistent scams.”
According to the AG’s report, nearly 500,000 residents in the state receive their electricity from a competitive supplier, but certain communities are particularly hard hit. The report found that 36 percent of low-income households received their electricity from a competitive supplier, double the rate among other customers. The study found that competitive suppliers appear to have targeted low-income and minority residents in many of the state’s gateway cities including Worcester, Springfield, Brockton, Lynn, Lowell, Lawrence, Fall River, Quincy and New Bedford. Participation was greatest in zip codes with the highest percentage of low-income and minority populations.
“Door-to-door competitive electric suppliers have been such a problem in our city that the Quincy Police Department has issued warnings to the public,” said Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch. “For too long, these companies have sold Quincy residents, particularly seniors, a bill of goods. I am proud to join with Attorney General in an effort to stop these scammers.”
“The competitive market for electricity was supposed to lower prices for households in Massachusetts, but for years it has done the opposite," said Jenifer Bosco, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center in Boston. “As the Massachusetts Attorney General has documented in this report, millions of dollars in overcharges have been picked from the pockets of Massachusetts families, especially low-income families, as the result of this failed deregulatory experiment. The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and our Legislature should act now to protect Massachusetts families from further financial harm."

“For far too long, these energy companies have been preying on the city’s vulnerable residents. They send door-to-door salespeople that take advantage of our elderly and non-English speaking residents and sign them up for costly contracts that rob them of hundreds of dollars,” said Marci Pina-ChristianExecutive Director of the Human Relations Commission & Human Services Coordinator for City of New Bedford’s Department of Community Services and Executive Board Member of the New Bedford NAACP. “We stand with the Attorney General in her efforts to stop this scam practice.”
In Massachusetts, residential customers, like commercial and industrial customers, can “shop around” for electricity rates. Customers can choose to get their electric supply from their utility – National Grid or Unitil or Eversource – or from a “competitive supplier.” When customers do not choose a supplier, they receive "basic service" electricity from their utility.  The utilities buy basic service electricity in bulk through a competitive bidding process. Utilities pass the wholesale cost of basic service to customers and are not allowed to earn any profit from basic service rates. Under state law, the Department of Public Utilities reviews utilities' basic service rates but does not review the rates charged to residential customers by competitive suppliers. 
The AG's report found that the average low-income customer enrolled with a competitive supplier paid $231 more than if the customer was receiving their electricity from their utility company. The report found some low-income households lost more than $541 by switching to a competitive supplier.
In the last three years, the AG’s Office has received more than 700 complaints about competitive suppliers engaging in aggressive and deceptive tactics. Complaints include suppliers pretending to be a utility company to induce customers to turn over sensitive information; suppliers harassing customers with repeated calls or home visits; and door-to-door salespeople forcing their way into elderly customers’ homes and refusing to leave without a signed contract. 
As a follow on to the study, the AG’s Office will work with the Legislature, the Department of Public Utilities, the energy industry and civil rights and consumer advocates to close down the market for individual residential competitive electric supply in Massachusetts. The AG's Office does not propose any changes to Massachusetts cities’ and towns' municipal aggregation programs or the markets for commercial and industrial competitive supply.
            Today’s announcement is part of the AG’s ongoing efforts to address unfair and deceptive practices in the competitive electricity supply market, including ongoing investigations into third-party suppliers who violate the state’s consumer protection laws.
Earlier this week, AG Healey announced a $5 million settlement with Viridian Energy, LLC for deceptive marketing and sales tactics that misled residents into contracts with high electric supply rates. The settlement requires the company to pay $4.6 million in restitution to affected customers and an additional $400,000 to the state’s general fund, to offset the cost of the investigation, and to fund future enforcement actions by the AG’s Office against deceptive electric suppliers.
In December 2014, Just Energy agreed to pay $4 million in restitution to over 40,0000 consumers for deceptive marketing and sales, entering consumers into agreements without their consent, and charging costly termination fees.
Any consumer or retailer with concerns about these deceptive marketing practices should file a complaint with the AG’s Office or call the consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400. Consumers with questions can also contact the Consumer Division of the Department of Public Utilities at (877) 886-5066. 
The AG’s report was prepared by the Susan M. Baldwin Consulting firm.
This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Elizabeth Anderson, Joseph Dorfler, Alexander Early, and Elizabeth Mahony, and Deputy Division Chief Nathan Forster, Division Chief Rebecca Tepper, and all of AG Healey’s Energy & Telecommunications Division, along with Energy and Environment Bureau Chief Melissa Hoffer.

哈佛大學錄取率今年創新低 4.5%


(Boston Orange)上哈佛更難啦!根據校方公布數據,哈佛大學的錄取率已低於5%了。
2022年畢業這班,共有42,000多人申請,只有1,962人得到入學許可,錄取率僅只4.5%。去年,哈佛大學共收到39,506份入學申請,錄取率5.2%
哈佛校方拒絕證實該校學生報,The Harvard Crimson週三晚所報導,該校2022年班級的錄取率,創下該校有史以來最低紀錄。
根據哈佛校方的一份聲明,獲得入學許可的學生們,可等到五月一日再做是否入學的決定。
根據哈 佛校方說法,20.3%的獲錄取學生來自中等或低收入家庭,這些學生有資格申請”Pell 獎助金。那是提供給低收入家庭的聯邦補助。今年這比率也創下紀錄。
全美,大約40%的大學部學生或有”Pell獎助金
根據哈佛校方,2022年級班錄取的學生中,約50.1%是女性。比去年的49.3%增加了,其中非洲裔學生約佔15.5%,亞裔佔22.7%,拉丁裔12.2%,美國土著2%,本土夏威夷人4%,國際學生12%
該校網站指出,以2018-2019學年來說,就讀哈佛大學的費用,若不計財務支援和其他獎助,大約在71,650元到76,650元之間。

星期三, 3月 28, 2018

Donors Choose Funds 186 Boston Public Schools Classroom Projects

Donors Choose Funds 186 Boston Public Schools Classroom Projects
Crowdsourcing Website Funds $198K Worth of Projects
BOSTON — Wednesday, March 28, 2018 — Boston Public Schools’ (BPS) teachers got a special surprise today when they learned that all of the open BPS classroom projects on nonprofit crowdsourcing website DonorsChoose.org were instantly funded in full.

Ripple, a San Francisco-based technology company, and its executives, announced that they donated $29 million to fund every classroom request on the site. As part of that surprise funding, 186 projects from 145 BPS teachers were funded, totaling $156,167. Combined with citizen and corporate donations already given, $198,731 in classroom supplies and resources were supported for BPS.

"We are always grateful to organizations that contribute to the education and success of Boston Public School students," said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. "This generous funding made possible by both DonorsChoose.org and Ripple will have a tangible impact on our students and the entire district. We are all very thankful for this generous support."

This is the first time in the 18-year history of DonorsChoose.org that a donor has funded every project on the site. Stephen Colbert revealed the news on Tuesday’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the organization celebrated all of the funded teachers on social media using the hashtag #BestSchoolDay.

"At Ripple, we care about giving back to our community, and we collectively value the importance of quality education in developing the next generation of leaders," said Monica Long, SVP of Marketing at Ripple. "We’re proud to work with DonorsChoose.org to support classroom needs across the country."

"We are awestruck by the generosity of the Ripple team," said Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org. "Our country’s teachers and school leaders work so hard to give their students the best education possible, and we’re excited to recognize and reward their efforts with #BestSchoolDay."

Now that the projects have been funded, the team at DonorsChoose.org will purchase the requested materials and ship them to Boston Public School District schools. Among the projects funded in Boston were:

  • Building Blocks for Creative Pre-K Kids for Colleen Mason’s class at East Boston Early Education Center.
  • Warm Boots for All for Felicia Spencer’s class at Snowden International High School at Copley.
  • Laptops for Little Learners for Adam Hughes’s class at Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School in Roxbury.

"I am extremely excited to receive this unbelievable donation from the Ripple team," said Spencer. "Overnight, I met all four open fundraising goals that I had posted on DonorsChoose.org, including one which was just days away from expiring. I cannot thank Ripple enough for helping to provide my students with materials that will undoubtedly have a positive impact on their lives—both inside and outside the classroom."

"These donations have changed the way I approach speech therapy. I've gone from making do, to dreaming big," said Thomas Shull, a speech-language therapist at both the Snowden and Josiah Quincy Upper School in Chinatown. "I want my students to have every opportunity to reach their potential. DonorsChoose.org has supported my classroom beyond measure."

As new projects appear on DonorsChoose.org, donors can search for projects from the Boston Public Schools by visiting www.donorschoose.org, clicking “Find a classroom to support,” and typing in the local school or teacher name. Teachers can create a new project by visiting www.donorschoose.org/teachers.

史匹堡動漫科幻片"頭號玩家" 今日上映

飾演大刀(Daito)的森崎溫(Win Morisaki)(右),和戲中年僅11歲,
飾演小刀
(Shoto)Philip Zhao

             (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 史蒂芬.史匹柏科幻冒險片”頭號玩家(Ready Player One)”,預定29日在全美正式上映,但27日晚在波士頓廣場AMC戲院試映後,今(28)日已掛牌在大波士頓的三家戲院上映,還有標準,IMAX3D,以及3D等三種版本,供觀眾選擇。
片中主角和大小刀。
這部由華納兄弟等公司製作、發行的影片,由美國著名作者及編劇Ernest Cline的同名小說改編,時間點設在2045年,整個地球因為人口過剩,腐敗,汙染等因素,變得有如廢墟,絕大多數人們為逃避現實,都活在容許自己變成任何型態,身份,稱為綠洲(OASIS)的虛擬宇宙中。
該同名小說曾高居紐約時報暢銷書榜超過100週。
影片海報
這個虛擬宇宙,是由一個在處理個人感情上有缺陷的科技奇才所設計的電子遊戲,並由IOI這家公司在實體世界中經營著。這名科技奇才本人逝去前,設計了一套遊戲中的遊戲,附有三個謎題,每得到一把鑰匙,可以得到一個謎題的解題線索,答對所有三道謎題的人,可以獲得綠洲的控制權。
在虛擬宇宙中的許多人,都為這遊戲瘋狂,不斷參加飆車競賽,以取得鑰匙,但五年過去,卻一直沒人能有進展。
電影主角Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan飾演)卻在遊戲中愛上一同參賽的女機車手後,得到靈感,取得第一把鑰匙,然後陸續和好友合作,經歷風險,取得鑰匙,最終是典型好萊塢式的圓滿結局。
總體而言,這部電影在劇情上並沒有任何張力,故事也並不引人入勝,有些情節的編排,讓人覺得此片想要警世,可是對白及表達,卻不能讓人感動,不過片中充斥特效,幾乎一半是動漫,許多場景美輪美奐,其中有許多內容取材自不同年代的流行文化,在人工智能橫行的現代,倒還是能引人思考人類與機器,或者人工智能的相處,將來到底會是個甚麼場景。
電影結尾,所有人都走出虛擬世界,在現實世界中對談,似乎也意味著人還是不能脫離現實而活。
這部片中拯救"綠洲的五人,兩名白人,一名黑人,兩名亞裔,彷彿也帶有寓意。這兩名亞裔,一為日裔,飾演大刀(Daito)的森崎溫(Win Morisaki),一為在戲中年僅11歲的華裔,飾演小刀(Shoto)Philip Zhao
這部片在波士頓地區有AMC Loews Boston Common, Kerasotes Boston Show Place ICON,以及AMC South Bay Center 12等三家戲院上演。(所有圖片由公關公司提供)

後記: 根據研究公司ComScore Inc.的4月1日估計,這部片在復活節長假期間,拿下4120萬美元票房,成為當週票房冠軍。

文稿內容於4月3日小有修正。

COMPETITIVE ELECTRICITY SUPPLIER TO PAY $5 MILLION OVER CLAIMS OF DECEPTIVE SALES TACTICS, OVERCHARGING RESIDENTS

COMPETITIVE ELECTRICITY SUPPLIER TO PAY $5 MILLION OVER CLAIMS OF DECEPTIVE SALES TACTICS, OVERCHARGING RESIDENTS
Payment Includes Millions in Restitution to Electric Customers

BOSTON – Viridian Energy, LLC, a competitive electricity supplier in Massachusetts, has agreed to pay $5 million to settle allegations of deceptive marketing and sales tactics that lured residents into costly contracts with high electricity rates, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.
In an assurance of discontinuance, filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, the AG’s Office alleges that Viridian Energy, through door-to-door sales, direct mail, and family-and-friend-based “network marketing” engaged in various deceptive and unfair sales tactics. The AG’s Office also alleges that consumers who switched to Viridian ultimately paid more for electricity than if they had stayed with their utility.
“This company sent salespeople to go door-to-door and trick residents into paying much more for their electricity,” AG Healey said. “Our settlement requires Viridian to pay back millions of dollars they owe customers for their deceptive tactics and false promises. We will continue to go after competitive electricity suppliers who violate our laws.”
According to the settlement, Viridian contracted with independent sales agents and instructed them to tell potential customers, including friends and family members, that signing up with the company would save them money over time. In fact, customers paid more than they would have if they had remained with their electric utility company’s basic service.
The AG’s Office also alleges that a third-party marketer hired by Viridian to market and sell its electricity supply door-to-door engaged in widespread misconduct, including falsely promising savings, falsely representing an affiliation with the customer’s utility company, switching customers to Viridian without authorization, and other aggressive marketing tactics. 
Under the terms of the settlement, Viridian will pay a total of $5 million, including $4.6 million to provide restitution to affected customers. The remainder of the payment will go toward: offsetting the cost of the office’s investigation of Viridian; creating a new fund for future enforcement cases the office brings against competitive electric suppliers; and the state’s General Fund.
Viridian also has agreed not to market its electricity supply door-to-door in Massachusetts for the next two years, in addition to making several other changes to its marketing practices.
The AG’s Office has received hundreds of residential consumer complaints concerning the unfair and deceptive conduct of competitive electricity supply companies. AG Healey offers the following tips for residential consumers:
·         Check bills: Consumers should check to make sure that they have not been switched to Viridian or any other supplier without their consent. Consumers still receive bills from their local electric company even if they have been switched to a competitive supplier.  Consumers can find out whether they have been switched to a competitive supplier by seeing if the name of a supplier appears in the “supply charges” or “generation charges” portion of their bill.  

·         Protect personal information: Consumers should treat their electricity account number like their credit card information. An agent has the ability to switch you without your consent if this person gets your name and account number from your electricity bill. 
·         Be cautious of sales tactics: Consumers should be aware that their electric company will not send representatives to consumers’ doors or call them on the phone to talk about electricity supply rates. If a representative contacts consumers about their electricity supply rates, this person most likely works for a competitive supplier.
·         Know your rights: Consumers should not let door-to-door sales persons into their home unless the consumer knows them personally. Consumers should contact local law enforcement authorities if the sales agent refuses to leave or the consumer believes that the sales agent poses a threat to the safety of the consumer or others.
The AG’s Office has returned millions of dollars to Massachusetts customers through its previous actions against competitive energy supplies. In January 2015, Just Energy agreed to pay $4 million in restitution to consumers for deceptive marketing and sales, entering consumers into agreements without their consent, and charging costly termination fees.
Any consumer or retailer with concerns about these deceptive marketing practices should file a complaint with the AG’s Office or call the consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400. Consumers with questions can also contact the Consumer Division of the Department of Public Utilities at (877) 886-5066. 
Viridian cooperated with the AG’s investigation.
This case is being handled by Deputy Division Chief Nathan Forster, Assistant Attorney General Joseph Dorfler, Investigator Kristen Salera, and Division Chief Rebecca Tepper and all of AG Healey’s Energy & Telecommunications Division, along with Energy and Environment Bureau Chief Melissa Hoffer.