The Council of Educational Facility Planners

What's in Your Backpack? Follow the Trail

CEFPI — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:13:00 GMT

In a recent article in the Educational Facility Planner, Rick del Monte suggests three essential items for survival in the tough and changing world of campus construction. Integration, sustainability and Building Information Modeling (BIM) are three essential business considerations in the educational facilities marketplace.

Do you agree or are there other tools that you'd like to suggest. Join the conversation and you can access the complete article here.

Five Reasons to Attend Our World Conference & Expo 2009

CEFPI — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:27:00 GMT

5 Reasons Why You Should Attend CEFPI's Annual World Conference & Expo
By John K. Ramsey, CAE
Executive Director/CEO

I am personally inviting you to attend our Annual World Conference & Expo in Washington, DC from September 27-29, 2009. This year’s conference offers great content, exciting networking opportunities and a venue that you’d never want to miss. As much as our conference is global this year, we have excellent sessions that will focus on the economy and its impact on the school building industry. A meticulously crafted program offers you not just the best learning opportunity but plenty of continuing education credits as well from the American Institute of Architects and our Recognized Educational Facility Planner Program (REFP).

Here are 5 top reasons why you should attend our annual World Conference & Expo:

1)We are in Washington, DC., a venue you wouldn't want to miss. Stay tuned to the pulse of the economy and its impact on the school building industry.

2)Our sessions are rich in content, global in scope and are tailored to an audience well-versed in the business of school planning. 

3)Network with attendees who are key decision-makers involved in the $20 billion per year K-12 school building industry.

4)Capitalize on a conducive environment for K-12 education construction!

5)Gain new knowledge about Individual Learning Styles, Sustainability, School Design, Economic Issues, Policymaking and a host of other areas relevant to your business. Earn valuable continuing education credits from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Recognized Educational Facility Planner (REFP) Program.

Attractive offers!

If you are a school district official or a government employee, you will get 50% off our registration fees!

Remember to follow us on Twitter (/cefpiannual2009) and you will be eligible for surprise coupons and discounts! Join our Facebook Group and find out who else is coming to the conference.

Falling Light Poles Create Concern in Schools: Inspect Yours Now!

CEFPI — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:15:00 GMT

By
Kirk D. Kistner
Vice President of Marketing and Business Development
Bartlett Cocke General Contractors
San Antonio, Texas

At approximately 5:30 pm on Friday, March 6, 2009, a 125 foot tall light pole at a high school football stadium in Kyle, Texas fell over and landed on a high school gymnasium. Bartlett Cocke General Contractors was called immediately to assess the situation, remove the fallen light pole off of the gymnasium, clean up the debris and repair the damage.

According to witnesses, the wind conditions at the stadium were strong, but not excessively high. While wind may have had some impact in the light pole failure, the specific cause of the failure is currently under investigation and has not been determined at this time.

After initial observations, it has been reported to us that metal fatigue including rusting and cracking in the light pole directly above the welds at the anchor base plate appeared be the possible cause of the failure, and that the problem appears to be with the light poles and not the concrete foundation and/or anchor bolts, which were observed to be intact. The other existing light poles at the stadium were also observed and reported to show significant rusting and cracking just above the welds at the base plate. These light poles were also removed as a precautionary measure.

Bartlett Cocke General Contractors recognizes the seriousness of this incident and want to prevent future similar light pole failures and the potential for injury. It has been reported to us that similar light pole failures at athletic fields throughout the United States have occurred on multiple occasions and these failures could possibly be related. We are currently in the process of inspecting all athletic light poles installed by our organization over the past 20 years and will implement the observation of athletic light poles into our twelve (12) month walk through for our warranty program.

We are urging all school district facilities personnel to inspect the light poles at your facilities immediately and to maintain some sort of regular observation program so that you can monitor the condition of the light poles. If you observe signs of metal fatigue including rusting and cracking please cordon off the area immediately and consult an engineering professional to determine whether the prompt removal of the pole(s) is warranted.

Related links to articles dealing with this issue:
1) Engineers blame flaw for toppling of Tech light pole.
http://www.articlearchives.com/construction/nonresidential-building/54251-1.html

2) Hays stadium light pole had cracks

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/10/0310poles.html

3) Stadium light falls near parking lot

http://www.midlothian-isd.net/pantherpride/index.html

Disclaimer:
The statements expressed in this blog posting reflect the participants' own views. These statements do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI). Broadcast, posting and dissemination of blogs should not be deemed or construed to constitute the approval of CEFPI, sponsorship, or endorsement of any method, product, service, enterprise, or organization. This blog is intended for general information purposes only. They should be construed as tools that offer information and resources to individual members. In no way do they represent nor constitute professional advice endorsed or approved by CEFPI on any subject matter. The participant should consult with a licensed professional to determine how laws, suggestions, and illustrations apply to specific situations.

Tell us why you value your CEFPI membership

CEFPI — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:32:00 GMT

What's in it for YOU to be part of CEFPI?
We are living in tough but interesting times...and we have a simple question for you: How highly do you value your CEFPI membership? Give us your frank opinion as we are constantly looking for new opportunities and solutions to help you in your professional development. Tell us why you belong to a large, supportive network of diverse professionals involved in building safe and healthy educational facilities for children everywhere. What's in it for YOU to be part of CEFPI? Give us an honest answer!

CEO Blog: Tough Times Need Solid and Responsive Associations

CEFPI — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:26:00 GMT

Tough Times Need Solid and Responsive Associations
CEO Blog: Vol V

By John Ramsey
Executive Director/CEO

CEFPI members around the world are reacting to and bracing for tough economic times now and in the immediate future. So, I encourage you to ask; what can we as an association do for our members and industry during these trying times? President Robertson and the CEFPI Board of Directors are examining this issue right now and we are poised to announce some initiatives and programs that can help CEFPI members navigate through the current and future rough waters.

Now that I have asked you to ask what can your association do, I’ll now ask you to answer this question. Please give us your ideas of how CEFPI can assist its members during hard economic times. I’m confident that our members will be able to respond to these conditions and I assure you that your association will respond to your needs during these times. Economic problems are not new to any of us and I am sure that there is a wealth of knowledge out there that can help our membership prevail in the coming months.

Your opinion: What can we do as an association for our members and industry?

School Districts are Moving Markets: Greentools Conference

CEFPI — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:09:00 GMT

School Districts are Moving Markets
Green Tools Conference, Sacramento
September 12, 2008
School districts are moving markets, according to Kristin Heinen at the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) which just concluded its Greentools conference in Sacramento today. Heinen said it is now a two-way street where school districts and manufacturers share responsibility in building green schools. More and more school districts are now considering high performance schools as an incentive and not an added cost. Some districts would prefer having an audit of the school's high performance features through an independent agency, while others oppose that move. CHPS is now offering free registration for school districts, provided they adhere to certain stipulations and commit to providing an annual report regarding their performance.
A High Performance Resolution Is Important
School boards need to adopt a high performance schools resolution. According to Virginia Hyatt, purchasing director at Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), California, whose board adopted this resolution, it is important as it makes the decision to build green become more visible in the community. This resolution also brings accountability to the forefront and keeps the community well-informed about the progress of building green schools. SMMUSD recently passed a $268 million bond program that included meeting CHPS criteria. Besides CHPS, the school district is also implementing EPA's Tools for Schools (TfS) program. Jim Watts at the San Diego City Schools also expressed the importance of school boards adopting a resolution to implement green schools. His school district, the second largest in California, has adopted CHPS for all schools and sustainability standards were included in a 2008 bond resolution.
From Sarat Pratapchandran at the Green Tools Conference, Sacramento.
Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI)

CEO Blog: Are you coming to San Diego?

CEFPI — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:20:00 GMT

Are you coming to San Diego?
CEO Blog: Vol. IV
By John K. Ramsey, CAE
Executive Director/CEO

Hello, colleagues! Summer is coming to an end but is still sizzling here at the CEFPI Headquarters. Not because we are located in the one of the world’s hottest cities, (Scottsdale, Arizona) but because we are in high gear and operations tempo preparing for an historic CEFPI Annual World Conference and Expo. If you have attended previous CEFPI annual conferences and are coming to San Diego, you are in for a surprise (or two). It will be unlike anything you have ever seen from CEFPI. We started with a blank sheet of paper and built a brand new conference from the ground up. You spoke, and we listened…
One notable change is in the educational program. It was designed and chosen by a committee of members, not staff. It will be packed with relevant state-of-the-industry information that you, the member, asked for and planned! Some other notable changes will include; a change in format for our opening session, an overhauled exposition, new social events, newly designed food functions (I’ll talk about that in a minute), and an overhauled closing event. Over the course of this year we have been asking our members what’s important to a conference and what delivers the most value. We have listened and responded. You will not be disappointed!
In past years we have invested the largest percentage of our resources obtained from registration fees, sponsorships and exhibit fees on food functions. After listening to you, we realized that you are coming for a power packed educational program, not private social events or very early breakfast meetings where so much food is served that sometimes over half has to be thrown out! Will there be food at this year’s conference? Of course, YES! We just want to ensure you that the quality of the program is at the top of the priority list this year – that’s the value you told us you wanted.
Another change this year was to create an incentive to attract a greater number of school district personnel to attend our conference. Again, you spoke and we listened. We cut the price in HALF for those members who work for school districts or other government entities. It’s a risk, but I believe its already paying off. At the time of posting this blog, we have over 70 school districts that will be represented and we haven’t hit our big post Labor Day surge yet. Compare that to the less than 30 – total, we had last year!
In addition to saving food and food costs, we are going as paper-free as possible. We have kept our registration brochure (in our business we call that “the brick”) online, which not only is an exercise in corporate responsibility, but also is a better way to get more information to you. We will be participating in the City of San Diego’s Recycling Program throughout the conference and you will see NO plastic water bottles being served by CEFPI, no petroleum based ribbons on name badges, no paper evaluations (they will be online), and we will try to comply with guidelines set by the “Convene Green Alliance”. Convene Green is an organization that sets sustainability guidelines for association and corporate meetings to keep them as eco-friendly as possible.
So, what do you think of some of the new changes being announced? I look forward to hearing from you! By the way, if you haven’t registered yet, please do so at: www.cefpi.org/sandiego2008 Tell your friends to register too!

The Soft Economy and Its Impact on The School Building Industry

CEFPI — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:27:00 GMT

In our last E-Series entitled "The soft economy and its impact on the school building industry," two leading school district officials critically examined our collective woes. Edwin Van Ginkel at the Los Angeles Unified School District concluded with a thought-provoking question:"Given the current economic climate and housing crisis, will voters support bonds for school construction and renovation?" Brian Mee at Pendergast School District in Phoenix, Arizona, made an interesting point: a slump in the housing market will impact general fund obligations. Access Edwin Van Ginkel's presentation and Brian Mee's presentation here. Join in this conversation and tell us how your school district is adjusting to these economic changes.

CEO Blog: Hey CEFPI, What have you done for me lately?

CEFPI — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:40:00 GMT

Hey CEFPI, What have you done for me lately?
CEO Blog: Vol. III

By John Ramsey, CAE
Executive Director/CEO

A Call to Get Involved

Greetings Colleagues! Sorry for the delay in my (almost) weekly blog, but we’ve been pretty busy at Headquarters these days with our Annual World Conference and Expo right around the corner. The CEFPI Strategic Planning Committee recently completed a series of meetings in Dallas which was one of the best organized and facilitated Strategic Planning sessions I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending. You’ll hear more on that later, but right now I want to push a subject out to you and hear your thoughts on the matter. What value do I get for my membership? If you have never asked this question, you are in the minority. The rest of us will always ask, why join? What do you do for me? What do I get for my hard earned dues dollars that I pay you each year?

All these are extremely valid questions for which you deserve answers. Not just one answer that comes out of an Association Management textbook, but frequent responses that evolve, just as CEFPI and the educational environment industry evolves. Allow me to discuss some of the things we have done over the years, some of the things we are doing now, and highlight some activities that we will do in the future. Here are some of the services we currently provide to individuals:

Education and training -- to meet the current and future needs of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to actively compete in the industry and to make sound business decisions within the educational facilities planning environment. We do this through conferences, Webinars, research, and professional publications.

Networking -- so that you can connect with your colleagues to exchange ideas, concerns, problems, solutions, and other tools that are exchanged through contact with fellow professionals in the industry.

Best Business Practices -- in order to provide you with critical and legitimate resources that validate the multitude of processes that encompass your business operation.

Standards and Recognition -- so you can have an organized and recognized body of knowledge and professional collaboration of individuals who plan, design, equip, and build quality educational facilities (such as the REFP and our SDSU Advanced Certificate programs).

That all sounds great, but is it enough? In the growing world of information flowing at light speed, the answer to that question is “no”. Information is quickly becoming ubiquitous as search engines and digital processing become the dominating force in how we get our information. That gets me back to you, the member. We can package and market information and knowledge in a variety of methods to attract and keep members, but we cannot duplicate the power of the “member”. Members are and continue to be our greatest strength. So, we have to find new ways to satisfy your needs. This involves change -- a very scary word, but a necessity for progress. For one, we are terminating the TTWWADI (That’s The Way We Always Did It) operating method. If we are doing something and we don’t know why we are doing it, its usefulness is long gone -- no matter how good of a purpose it once served. Our members need value, not tradition!

In coming months, you will see the inception of a wide variety of new beginnings that we have actually been working on since last fall. Most of them are technological in nature, but realize that technology is only the tool of delivery. The real value lies in the information that the technology delivers. We have told you about our new communications suite (you are using it right now!) with blogs, e-groups, and soon podcast and vodcasts. Those tools are merely the beginning.

Our upcoming conferences will offer you a 360 degree learning experience; you will see a truly “world” association that offers a knowledge sharing platform for members from different parts of the globe. Our flagship program, School Building Week will promote the unique role of the school as a prime driver for economic growth in communities everywhere. Our legislative efforts will make your voices heard among policy-makers in Washington, D.C and other national and provincial capitals. Not to forget, we will make every effort to be a truly “green” association, which will be reflected at our upcoming conference and expo in San Diego – September 29-Oct 2.

Its great to talk this talk and make everyone feel good about it but it is meaningless without some action. For that we need a competent staff, a number of contractors and consultants, but most importantly, we NEED YOU. You, the member, are the cornerstone of all that is valuable in our association. We need you to get involved. Get involved with your chapter, region, or on an international committee. Staff can provide tool after tool, but without your involvement, input, leadership, and commitment, we have nothing but a small condo office building in Scottsdale (and very soon Washington DC!).

Our mission is to take direction formulated at your strategic planning meeting and implement new programs and services that deliver the information you need, create the networking that is important, and promote the viability of CEFPI in a fashion that is relevant to not only to today’s educational facilities professional, but to the next generation that will continue to be the central force of CEFPI – you, the member. Let us hear your comments. So, stay tuned, for more to come...

State Facility Directors Blog: The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Gears Up to Go National

CEFPI — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:19:00 GMT

CHPS Gears Up to Go National
By Patricia Jatczak, High Performance School Building Program Manager

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Olympia, Washington

CHPS – the Collaborative for High Performance Schools – is a non-profit, membership organization, originally set up to advance high-performance schools in California. As the first organization to offer a road map for green schools, many states looked to CHPS for assistance in setting up their programs. Because of this, and the added benefits collaboration can bring, CHPS is now transitioning to a national organization which will support state agencies and local districts to build and maintain high-performance schools.

While most people know of the CHPS rating system, it is much more than that. States that have discovered the benefits of climate-specific, district-based high performance building criteria in the CHPS model also found support, resources, training materials, technical assistance, an optional verification program, and Best Management Practices materials from CHPS. Going national will help to leverage the resources for high performance schools more effectively. Approximately 200 schools in ten states have built high-performance schools with a version of the CHPS criteria.

Benefits of National CHPS:

A National Core School Program with Regional Flexibility.

Collaboration and partnerships with other organizations dedicated to improving schools.

A cost effective way for K-12 to go green.

Access to the resources and programs being developed by CHPS including: A CHPS for Existing Schools program for performance & operations; A tool for measuring and aggregating the performance of CHPS schools; A green building materials database.
A study of high performance school best practices’ impact on student learning and health.

Optional use of an affordable Verification Program for third-party accountability.

Coordination of cost effective training opportunities for design professional, contractors, and school districts.

A national conference on high-performance schools .

Ability to provide outreach to other states, cities, or school districts on green school design.

Focus on the performance of all school buildings, not just new

An Interim Board has been operating to guide the transition, and the new National Board will be in place by September 2008.

E-Series: Designing Learner-Centered Classrooms

CEFPI — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:56:00 GMT

E-Series: Designing Learner-Centered Classrooms
By Susan M. Rundle & Irene Nigaglioni, AIA, REFP
We just concluded our first E-Series for 2008 on designing classrooms based on individual learning styles. Susan M. Rundle, president of Performance Concepts International (PCI) elaborated on designing classrooms that out-perform conventionally designed classrooms. Learner-centered classrooms blend planning and design skills with teaching skills, each focused on how each individual child learns best.

These classrooms are also quick to adapt to change and can be used for adult learning, after-hour community use and new future learning activities. Irene Nigaglioni, AIA, REFP, partner at PBK Architects, gave several examples of how educational facilities worldwide are adapting to designing spaces that meet the varied needs of its occupants. You can access PDF versions of both presentations here:
Susan Rundle presentation
Irene Nigaglioni presentation
Susan Rundle and Irene Nigaglioni are interested in your feedback so that we can develop this conversation further. Please share your views about designing learner-centered classrooms through this blog.

Membership is Our Strength…So, Shouldn’t We All be Members?

CEFPI — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:21:00 GMT

We are what you are
Membership is Our Strength...So Shouldn't We All be Members?

John K. Ramsey, CAE
Executive Director/CEO

Membership is Our Strength...So Shouldn't We All be Members?
(CEO Blog Vol. III)

I’m sure we have all heard in one variation or another that an association is only as strong as its membership. In my experience, that is a true statement. You can have a strong dedicated staff, a long list of programs and services, a great website, a nice headquarters building, etc. However, without dedicated members, an association is no more than another business where you can purchase something to help you do your job. Now you ask, ‘what does this have to do with the title of this blog?’

In other blog messages, I’ve shared some of my experiences meeting CEFPI members around the world. I’ll share with you an observation that I would like your feedback on. As a relative newcomer to CEFPI, I’ll also share some ideas I have on that observation and hope we can start some good dialog in this week’s blog.
CEFPI is a uniquely structured organization from a membership perspective. We offer school district officials (end users), suppliers, consultants, architects, and other industry partners a full equality that doesn’t exist in a great number of associations.

An observation that I have made in my tenure thus far is that I sometimes see industry representatives who are not CEFPI members (i.e. someone selling a product or service to a member of CEFPI) exhibiting or sponsoring an event at the international, region or chapter conference. We have also experienced a number of membership drops by companies that state they no longer wish to be a member of CEFPI but instead want to join just the chapter or region. My question to you is, should that industry representative and/or the company being represented, be a member of CEFPI in order to use a CEFPI conference as a networking tool for sales and marketing (i.e. sponsorship or exhibits)? My answer would be ‘I think they should’. Here’s why:

CEFPI is much more than a venue in which to sell and buy products and services. The association has name recognition and a brand that is widely recognized and respected within the educational facility industry. Countless hours of quality research, program modeling and development, and professional development have been put into CEFPI during its 87 year history. By who? MEMBERS. Not staff, not contractors, but Members. That is and always will be our strength as an organization.

On a daily basis, the collective intelligence of our membership works hard in creating strong networking opportunities for everyone involved in the school building industry. Therefore, those industry representatives who are selling products and services to you, the member, are reaping invaluable benefits that you have paid for – not just in dues payments, but in the human capital and that has made this organization the great association that it has become.

This year we are practicing what we preach with the programs being offered by the International Headquarters in that potential sponsors and exhibitors who are not members of CEFPI will be given a one year membership when they participate in an event. Of course their sponsorship rate and/or booth will cost a little more, but I firmly believe that if we show these companies the value of CEFPI – not just from a sales perspective, but from an organization dedicated to improving learning environments for children everywhere, we will turn an industry representative into an Industry Partner vested in improving the lives of children everywhere. So, what do you think?

The Case for a Washington DC Office

CEFPI — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:59:00 GMT

John K. Ramsey, CAE
Executive Director/CEO

The Case for a Washington DC Office
CEO Blog (Vol. II)

Upon arriving at my new post as the Executive Director/CEO of CEFPI, I was struck by the fact that we were essentially operating in an environment centered around Scottsdale, AZ. Don’t get me wrong; Scottsdale is a paradise with great golf, seven months of great weather, D-Backs, Suns, Cardinals and much more.

However, a location like Scottsdale, AZ has its challenges for an association like CEFPI that is primarily vested in education and the school building sector. As our US members get ready for a new administration in their capital, I believe it is imperative for us to have a solid presence in DC.
How many times are we called upon by the mainstream media, Congress, private foundations, and international NGO’s to help solve critical problems relating to school facilities? Are we in front of key policy makers? How often do we interact with staff who frame policies relevant to your daily business? Sadly, the answer is very little. The primary reason? We are not connected as well as we should be in the proper circles, channels, and networks.

To make your voices heard, CEFPI needs to have a presence in front of key people and daily education meetings happening in Washington DC. Sometimes, sitting in far away Scottsdale I’ve thought…"If we were in that meeting; or why weren’t we invited to participate?" A presence in DC will also help us develop relationships with our partner organizations, offering us easy access to world leadership bodies such as Embassy Row and the North American EU headquarters, and many private development agencies such as the Pew Foundation. Take a look at where most of our sister associations are located and you’ll find that most of them have a presence in DC or in its periphery.
It is heartening to note that CEFPI President Kirkley and the executive committee have realized that CEFPI may need to reassess its physical location and start building the vital relationships – most of which are headquartered in Washington DC.

With that realization, we have visited with many of you out there and the overwhelming response to this notion has been, at least to me, why are we not in Washington DC already? The issue isn’t entirely simple but I will throw out some factors that may contribute to the conversation. Our current operation is fully staffed with people who reside in the Phoenix area, so a complete move would be extremely expensive, not to mention we would stand to loose some staff. Office space in DC is expensive, but it is comparable to Scottsdale – presently CEFPI owns it’s building. Those are the negatives to the prospect of having a DC office.
Now, the good news. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Technology allows us to instantly communicate to almost anyone in the world in real time in a seamless environment. If you are reading this blog, you already know that. I believe the answer is that we establish a DC presence immediately – not with an office of staff at first, but we find ways to use our assets that we already have (i.e. consultants in the DC area) and show up when we need to. The step after that involves placing a key staff member in DC then ultimately one or two more. The bulk of our operation can remain in Scottsdale with the essential elements, yet to be determined, being located in DC. I’ve actually achieved this very scenario in a prior association that had the same dilemma and after 6 years, they are thriving with a dual operation.
This is the solution I've been giving some CEFPI members, now I'd like to know what you think.

Passage of Bill Marks Our Entry Into Policy Arena

CEFPI — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:27:00 GMT

John K. Ramsey, CAE
Executive Director/CEO

During my recent travels to region conferences, I've been asked by members why we haven’t been active in the policy-making arena in Washington, D.C. The passage of HR 3021, the 21^st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act by a vote of 250-164 on June 4, 2008 marks our entry into this important area. The Bill authorizes $6.4 billion to assist state and local communities with federal grants for energy efficient school modernization and construction projects, and has now moved to the Senate for consideration. This is the first time that we have actively engaged in bi-partisan political activity.

The CEFPI Board of Directors, through the Executive Committee, approved the support of this Bill. After it was learned that attempts were made to make the “green” language in the Bill pertinent to only meeting LEED certification to be eligible to receive the funds, President Kirkley visited with committee staff who authored the bill and voiced concern about the issue. The language now states that "LEED, CHPS, or any state designated equivalent standard" may be used to qualify for federal funding assistance for these programs. We were in good company as AASA, NSBA, PTA, and other allied associations officially signed on to support this initiative. Details about this Bill can be found by inserting the bill number HR 3021 at http://thomas.loc.gov/

Dateline Shanghai: Why did Schools Collapse?

CEFPI — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:33:00 GMT

Thoughts on the May 12th 2008 Earthquake...
By Ray Bordwell, Perkins Eastman

Shanghai, June 2, 2008
I've been working on projects in China for 13 years and am writing this sitting in our Shanghai office where I’ve been listening to stories about the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that on May 12^th devastated Sichuan province in southwestern China. Fortunately, to the best of our knowledge, all of our employees and their families are fine—despite getting quite a scare in the office.
Tremors inside our office building...
Shanghai, which is in a very low earthquake zone and 1000 miles from the epicenter experienced tremors equivalent to a 5.5 earthquake. Our 38^th floor office is said to have swayed about 1 meter.

With the window blinds moving in unison, the entire staff immediately evacuated. It took them 5 minutes to cover the 38floors! The building was subsequently evacuated but soon declared safe. I hope so, I’m sitting in the conference room now! Read entire post at: http://www.cefpi.org/RayBordwell.html

Faulty school construction blamed for childrens' deaths in Chinese quake

CEFPI — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:01:00 GMT

Over 10,000 Chinese school children perished under the rubble of shoddily built schools that couldn't resist the impact of the recent earthquake. Poorly built schools, official neglect and corruption have been blamed as primary reasons for these tragic deaths. Widespread inequality in Chinese society was evident as in some provinces schools for the elite withstood the quake while public schools fell under the rubble. Over 7,000 classrooms were destroyed, most of them taking their occupants along with them. What harm did innocent children do? A detailed story was published in the International Herald Tribune on May 25, 2008, available at: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/25/asia/school.php

React: Lawmakers dissolve Arizona School Facilities Board

CEFPI — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:34:00 GMT

Arizona lawmakers on Wednesday (May 21) voted to dissolve the Arizona School Facilities Board that oversees funding for K-12 public school facilities, citing a variety of concerns including the panel's handling of ventilation problems at a local high school, according to The Arizona Republic. What do you think of this measure? Have you seen this lately in other states and what were the repercussions, if any?

CHPS 2009 Criteria For Review Soon

CEFPI — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:21:00 GMT

The 2009 Edition of the CHPS criteria will soon be out for public review and CHPS is seeking public comment on the updated criteria. The drafts for public comment will be available at: http://www.chps.net/review/2009edition in early June. The comment period is 45 days. Some of the exciting developments for the 2009 Criteria include new credits for designing for deconstruction and adaptability; siting for school gardens; net-zero energy schools; providing safe routes to schools; innovative water management strategies; limits on mercury and other health hazards; and life cycle assessment of building materials.

State regulations and the learning environment

CEFPI — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:52:00 GMT

Our Northeast region just concluded an outstanding conference focusing on state facility regulations and school facility design. We know some of these regulations are helpful to us while some are cumbersome and unnecessary. School planning and design regulations, sustainable design initiatives and school funding and equity issues were key topics that were discussed. If you attended these discussions, please share your thoughts.

Annual conference registration begins; school district employees get reduced rates

CEFPI — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:38:00 GMT

School District Members Get Half Off!
For the first time ever we are offering special rates to school district members who want to attend our annual conference. School district employees will get a 50% off registration fees! Below are the special rates for school district members:

Basic:
Early
Member $325
*Non-member $425 (includes one year free CEFPI membership)
Late (After Aug. 29)
Member $365
*Non-member $465 (includes one year free CEFPI membership)

Full:
Early
Member $365
*Non-member $465 (includes one year free CEFPI membership)
Late (after Aug 29th)
Member $415
*Non-member $515 (includes one year free CEFPI membership)
Register now at: www.cefpi.org/sandiego2008

Education Guru Stephen Heppell to Keynote Annual Conference
This year, we are offering some of the best learning and networking opportunities for you. Our keynote speaker is Stephen Heppell, Europe's foremost education guru.

Listen to Stephen Heppell here:

http://blog.cefpi.org/2008/04/29/countdown-to-our-annual-conference-only-151-days-left.aspx

Or, go to Heppell's blog: http://www.heppell.net/weblog/stephen/