Last month we wrote an article claiming that the swine flu hype was finally calming down. Here in the states, the chatter has all but ceased. But now specialists are claiming that the fall might revive the swine flu—and that it might come back with a vengeance, being stronger and more far-reaching than it was this spring.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn—if you're not a member of at least one of these online communities, what are you waiting for? Social networking is the place to be! Join a "group," become a "fan," or support a "cause"—and have others join your school's group, or become a fan of your page. If your school has a monthly newsletter, these sites make great platforms to offer additional information to your reader. They also allow your readers to interact with your materials, which is what most readers are looking for—especially if your newsletter is delivered by e-mail.

A group long term disability coverage policy is a powerful ally in your efforts to attract and keep the best faculty and staff. LTD is an essential component of your benefits package for two reasons—it protects employees' income, and it protects the school's fiscal health.

As the new school year began this year, Business Managers were busy chatting on the ISM listserv about payroll services. Because our mission behind creating each issue of our monthly e-letters is to help address and resolve the concerns and issues that are most relevant to you as Business Officers, we've sorted through the main issues and advice offered by the list serv participants and—combining it with our consultants' direct experience on payroll matters—are pleased to offer the following for your consideration as you explore potential payroll options.

On March 31, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the outdoor air of 62 schools in 22 states will now be tested for toxic air contaminants.

The ever-evolving technology world has recently brought the idea of electronic libraries closer to a reality for schools and universities. On the ISM listservs, people are starting to ask about introducing e-Readers to students. Since it seems to be of interest, we dug a little into what people are saying about reading and researching on e-Reader screens versus "hitting the books" in their campus libraries.

A recent "USA Today Snapshots ®" reported on the types of recognition people in the workplace prefer, based on a survey of 388 administrative professionals conducted by the online community OfficeArrow™

A recent report from the not-for-profit, nonpartisan National Council on Teacher Quality showed that many states' laws and regulations discourage promising new teachers from remaining in the profession, while doing little to identify and council out ineffective teachers. The report found that states:

Tony Danza, the TV actor who played a none-too-bright cab driver on "Taxi" and a baseball-player-turned-housekeeper on "Who's the Boss?" is teaching 10th grade English this fall in a Philadelphia inner-city school.

Last month, The Journal of Gerontology published its most recent findings about the benefits of having senior citizens volunteer in school classrooms. After following Experience Corps volunteers—a group of paid volunteers that consists primarily of African-American women age 60 and older—over a period of years, researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that students who interact with the Experience Corps volunteers showed significant gains in reading comprehension when compared to students in control classrooms.