Numerology Class

I'm sorry but this just is NOT signs of a recovering economy ... or a growing/thriving educational system ....

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Price of an Education

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Dallas School Board
Pay Teachers To Quit
(62 or older, 10 yrs service)
gives leaving teachers $10,000 bonus
total cost: $7Million

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Spending Per Pupil (Wisconsin)
Doubled in last 10 yrs - thru 2008
Test scores went down

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Spend more per pupil
compared to other countries
which do better on scores

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National Economic Growth

$$$$$$$$$$$

Last Quarter Growth numbers revised
DOWN to 2.8%
not 3.2% originally reported

$$$$$$$$$$$

Comsumer Spending
Up 4.1% last quarter
fastest since 2006

$$$$$$$$$$$

Government Spending
DOWN 1.5% last qtr

$$$$$$$$$$

New Home Sales
322,000 (2010)
LOWEST in 47 yrs

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Monthly Numbers

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Consumer Confidence (FEB2011)
Highest level in 3 yrs

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Big Ticket Items (January)
Dropped most in 2 yrs

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Durable Goods Orders (January)
[w/o transportation]

DOWN 3.6%

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Pre-Owned Home Sales (January)
UP 2.7%

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Median Pre-Owned Home Cost
DOWN 5.7%
$158,800

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New Home Sales (January)
DOWN 12.6%

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Median New Home Cost (January)
DOWN 2%
$230,600

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First-Time Home Buyers
29% of Homes (January 2011)
nearly 1/3 of homes sold (historically, more likely to default)

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Weekly Updates

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Weekly Jobless Claims
DOWN 22,000
391,000

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30-yr FIXED Rate Mortgage
below 5%
4.95% (Freddie Mac)
[5.05% 1 yr ago]

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