Demanding Quality Public Education In Tough Economic Times: What Voters Want from Elected Leaders

Four years ago, Public Education Network launched an annual public opinion survey that focuses on defining what Americans value about public education and what voters want their elected leaders to do to raise achievement for all children. This effort, conducted in partnership with Education Week since 2001, has consistently demonstrated that quality public education remains a core American value even at a time of increased threats to our national security and at a time of deep budget crises in all states.The results of this year's survey demonstrate that education remains a top priority for voters despite concerns over a conflict with Iraq, the threat of international terrorism, rising medical insurance costs, and growing unemployment. Republicans and Democrats alike rated education above health care, national security, Social Security, and job creation. And even those who have serious misgivings about the newly implemented No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) consider education the most important issue our nation faces today

Individual Differences in Cyber Security

A survey of IT professionals suggested that despite technological advancement and organizational procedures to prevent cyber-attacks, users are still the weakest link in cyber security (Crossler, 2013). This suggests it is important to discover what individual differences may cause a user to be more or less vulnerable to cyber security threats. Cyber security knowledge has been shown to lead to increased learning and proactive cyber security behavior (CSB). Self-efficacy has been shown to be a strong predictor of a user’s intended behavior. Traits such as neuroticism have been shown to negatively influence cyber security knowledge and self-efficacy, which may hinder CSB. In discovering what individual traits may predict CSB, users and designers may be able to implement solutions to improve CSB. In this study, 183 undergraduate students at San José State University completed an online survey. Students completed surveys of self-efficacy in information security, and cyber security behavioral intention, as well as a personality inventory and a semantic cyber security knowledge quiz. Correlational analyses were conducted to test hypotheses related to individual traits expected to predict CSB. Results included a negative relationship between neuroticism and self-efficacy and a positive relationship between self-efficacy and CSB. Overall, the results support the conclusion that individual differences can predict self-efficacy and intention to engage in CSB. Future research is needed to investigate whether CSB is influenced by traits such as neuroticism, if CSB can be improved through video games, and which are the causal directions of these effects

No. 08: The Urban Food System of Windhoek, Namibia

The surprisingly high rate of supermarket patronage in low-income areas of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital and largest city, is at odds with conventional wisdom that supermarkets in African cities are primarily patronized by middle and high-income residents and therefore target their neighbourhoods. What is happening in Namibia and other Southern African countries that make supermarkets so much more accessible to the urban poor? What are they buying at supermarkets and how frequently do they shop there? Further, what is the impact of supermarket expansion on informal food vendors? This report, which presents the findings of the South African Supermarkets in Growing African Cities project research in 2016-2017 in Windhoek, looks at the evidence and tries to answer these questions and others. The research and policy debate on the relationship between the supermarket revolution and food security is also discussed. Here, the issues include whether supermarket supply chains and procurement practices mitigate rural food insecurity through providing new market opportunities for smallholder farmers; the impact of supermarkets on the food security and consumption patterns of residents of African cities; and the relationship between supermarket expansion and governance of the food system, particularly at the local level

No. 26: The Supermarket Revolution and Food Security in Namibia

The surprisingly high rate of supermarket patronage in low-income areas of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital and largest city, is at odds with conventional wisdom that supermarkets in African cities are primarily patronized by middle and high-income residents and therefore target their neighbourhoods. What is happening in Namibia and other Southern African countries that make supermarkets so much more accessible to the urban poor? What are they buying at supermarkets and how frequently do they shop there? Further, what is the impact of supermarket expansion on informal food vendors? This report, which presents the findings from the South African Supermarkets in Growing African Cities project research in 2016-2017 in Windhoek, looks at the evidence and tries to answer these questions and others. The research and policy debate on the relationship between the supermarket revolution and food security is also discussed. Here, the issues include whether supermarket supply chains and procurement practices mitigate rural food insecurity through providing new market opportunities for smallholder farmers; the impact of supermarkets on the food security and consumption patterns of residents of African cities; and the relationship between supermarket expansion and governance of the food system, particularly at the local level

The Organizational Model for Workplace Security

The definition of workplace violence is a “any act of harassment (including sexual harassment), intimidation, threat, rape or homicide that takes place at a victim’s place of employment.” When the statistics for workplace violence are looked at, it is easily understood why workplace security is rapidly becoming a problem for many organizations. The situation that provokes workplace violence does not necessarily have to start in the workplace or and the act of violence does not necessarily have to happen in the workplace for organizations to be concerned. Many organizations are just learning that violence can occur anywhere at anytime and they must be prepared to cope with the situation. This means they must take a look at their preparedness and decide what they need to do to not only increase preparedness but also to understand what procedures they do day to day that might affect a potentially violent situation. Organizations need to ask tough questions as to their hiring procedures, termination procedures, and security procedures. In today’s society, this increases from the aspect of global terrorism and how well are they prepared for the potential of a terrorist attack. Security in the workplace will continue to be a concern but by following specific procedures and processes the risk of a situation happening can be significantly reduced.workplace violence, workplace security, organizational security, domestic violence, spillover violence, workplace threats, violence prevention, employee violence

The Organizational Model for Workplace Security

The definition of workplace violence is a “any act of harassment (including sexual harassment), intimidation, threat, rape or homicide that takes place at a victim’s place of employment.” When the statistics for workplace violence are looked at, it is easily understood why workplace security is rapidly becoming a problem for many organizations. The situation that provokes workplace violence does not necessarily have to start in the workplace or and the act of violence does not necessarily have to happen in the workplace for organizations to be concerned. Many organizations are just learning that violence can occur anywhere at anytime and they must be prepared to cope with the situation. This means they must take a look at their preparedness and decide what they need to do to not only increase preparedness but also to understand what procedures they do day to day that might affect a potentially violent situation. Organizations need to ask tough questions as to their hiring procedures, termination procedures, and security procedures. In today’s society, this increases from the aspect of global terrorism and how well are they prepared for the potential of a terrorist attack. Security in the workplace will continue to be a concern but by following specific procedures and processes the risk of a situation happening can be significantly reduced.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39914/3/wp529.pd

Food Security Analysis and Policies for Transition Countries

This article explores the characteristics of food security in the context of economies in transition. These special characteristics derive from the “legacies†of socialist systems, both economy-wide ones and others specific to the agriculture and the food sector. Food insecurity in transition countries is considered predominantly “transitoryâ€, while social safety nets dating back to the socialist years provide some cushion. Market failures and other institutional constraints are prevalent, inhibiting the process towards improvement of the food security situation. Conflict takes a heavy toll in terms of hunger and malnutrition in economies in transition and macro level factors are at work to determine food security outcomes. At the same time, socialist legacies determine differences in food security outcomes between transition and developing countries beyond what would be explained by income differences.Food security, poverty, malnutrition, transition countries, agriculture, agricultural policy, safety nets, Food Security and Poverty,