Credit Card Watch

Answer to the question: Do you think you should be able to give your child’s teacher a “report card”?

‘B’sMomma’ asks a great question so I thought I’d post it here with an answer – enjoy:

I think it should be common practice for the parents (and possibly even the students) to be able to “grade” a teacher’s performance periodically thoughout the year.This way the teacher and his/her superiors would be able to evaluate their performance. The good teachers would receive credit where credit is due. And if there is an area in which the teacher leaves something to be desired that could be addressed as well.Great points, Des!

Answer: i don’t think a grade is useful, but i do think a chance for commentary would be. obviously i don’t think it should be the only factor in evaluations, but i think it makes sense for it to be *a* factor, and at the very least i think it should be something that a teacher has access to for professional development reasons when deciding what they can do better the following year.it’s pretty patronizing to think that parents and students can’t give meaningful input on the quality of the education the kids are getting, and it’s a little silly that education is one of the only fields in which “customer feedback” pretty much is given no weight whatsoever in employee evaluations.only one of my kids’ teachers has ever asked for that kind of feedback and i doubt it’s coincidence that she’s one of the best teachers my kids have ever had. my husband is a college professor and his raise/tenure was in part determined by student evaluations.

Tagged:Parenting

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Virgin Money Cards Offer Consumers Different Credit Options

Consumers today have begun to realize that signing up for a credit card isn’t the easy process of just a few years ago. You once got dozens of offers in your mailbox each month that just required a signature for approval. Today, credit card companies such as Virgin Money are very careful about the customers to whom they give credit. As a consumer, you also must be a savvy credit shopper, looking for a card that meets your needs without negatively impacting your credit score. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to find the card that’s a good fit.

There are different types of credit cards designed for various financial situations. A balance transfer card allows you to move a credit balance from a card with a higher interest rate to another card that carries a lower rate. A retail credit allows you to make purchases in a store or online. Most retail cards offer a low interest rate that may be permanent or part of an introductory promotion. Virgin Money provides a combination card that offers low introductory rates for both balance transfers and retail shopping.  They also offer a very helpful credit cards help guide.   A rewards card gives you money or points when you use it. Finally, a charity card rewards you when you use it by donating money to a designated charity.

Anytime you apply for a card such as the Virgin Money card, the company pulls your credit report and looks at your credit score. You should take a look at your credit score before applying any credit card. A higher score makes you eligible for more cards with better terms. If you apply for several different cards indiscriminately, the increased activity appears on your credit report and negatively affects your score. Once you’ve accessed your score, you can visit websites that list cards available for consumers with scores ranging from “excellent” to “bad”.

Then you need to think about the way in which you plan to use the card. If you have other credit balances that need to be paid off, you should look for a low balance transfer rate. If you’re planning to make some large purchases or take a special trip soon, a card with a very low introductory interest rate may be best for you. It’s important to check on any annual fees as well as the fees for late payments or going over your card limit. If you use your Virgin Money card carefully, you’ll find that it offers you convenience and security when you buy goods or transfer balances.

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