Education Director Notes: Education Plan

Johan Dawson Shazad
The hood council wants me to create a report of my goals for the students and school.



Chose school colors and mascot
We need to chose 2-3 school colors and a mascot, apples are not very intimidating. Something to build school pride.



Chose an extracurricular for students
Should have at least one school sponsered extracurricular that students would enjoy and participate in. Sports teams are hard to do unless we travel to compete, maybe a club of some sort.


Students learn average of one skill a day
Should students focus on specializing and learning particular skills (ie level 8 or higher on skills test in 1 or 2 skills) or leave school with broad knowledge (ie leve 3 and higher on skills tests in 5 or more skills)

Medical Centre Note-Health Insurance

I report to the Community Director and one of her objectives is to research health insurance options. Thus this assignment falls to me. I've looked at other hoods to see how thier health insurance works and if health insurance is a neccessary part of Apple Valley life.



The fundamental concept of insurance is that it balances costs across a large, random sample of sims. Apple Valley is a small sample of sims and in addition, medical costs are low in the hood and sims do not utilize the medical centre as often except for prescriptions. Also, there has not been a need for expensive procedures such as surgeries and intensive testing.


Current Medical Fees
Broken Limb $1,500 (0)
IVF Treatment $5,000 (1)
Induced Labor $2,500 (1)
Consulation with Doctor $100 (0)
Plastic Surgery/per part $3,000 (0)
Prescription Medicine $450 (4)
to be added
Rehabilitation Services/per simday $500 (0)
Midwifery Services (including pre-natal care, delivery, 1st check-up) $1000 (0)

There are numerous health care options, I would recommend a non-profit hood funded/managed healthcare system. This can be accomplished by having an additional tax for each household (say about $50-$100/simweek). This would currently provide about $900-$1800 a simweek for the healthcare bank. This money can be used to reduce the cost of services for residents that use it during the simweek. However, this would require more thought and planning.


Due to the lack of need for a health insurance and amount of difficulty in creating such a program, I recommend that the topic be shelved until next simweek to see if any changes have been noted in the hood and the health of the residents. Until then, residents can use the options currently available to them (installment plans, welfare assistance application, healthy living).

The Next Generation

I haven't spoken with Elda in a while, I know that she has been working hard as a science teacher downtown and also part-time with the AVSA. I doubt that she will be able to become an inventor-not only does she lack the desire, but she lacks the drive. What's going on? Will the next generation not aspire to downtown jobs, only working for local businesses? What about technical jobs-will there not be any?

Finances

Things are better-our mortgage was refinanced and the job at the bank was taken...actually the current cashier from the Apple Valley Gift Shop took the job, now there's an opening for that...I don't know about that, I would have to restock as well as do the register, plus the pay may not be that much better-at least here, there's free coffee and dessert. Silas-the barista (or is it baristo?) left. He moved to another hood-he was also my neighbor and we carpooled to work together. I might sell the car, I could walk to work...maybe. I told Cassandra that if she wants to continue to stay at home, she might have to start a small garden or something to save money. Maybe she could get a job at the flower shop. Even if it's part-time, that would help.

We're Off!!!!

Fiona and I are off to university!!! I can't wait! We both got accepted and we have scholarships, mom said that we will do well. Fiona has it already mapped out-she wants to major in political science, me...well, I'm not sure yet...I rather have some pratical skills-maybe cashiering or sales or restocking. I don't want to own a business, but I wouldn't mind working for a local business...I wonder what mom would say.

Hood Council Note: Financial Director Update

Update on Plans-need to start thinking about new set of plans now that the new deal is signed.

Local businesses and associated laws

• Establish a program for New Small Business Owners:
  Give new business owners $1000-$3000 credit towards purchase of a community lot.
  Help business owners network with other small business owners in other hoods, perhaps the resurgance of the Small Business Conference.

Implement taxes and welfare support

• Establish a program for Mortgage Loans:
  Borrower must provide at least 10% down paymentLoans must be paid off within 42 simdays (six simweeks) Payments will be daily.


• Increase rental fees:
  Increase rental fees on the Starr Grey Townhomes (two-2 unit townhomes on McIntosh) due to promixity to main strip.


• Change tax structure:
  Instead of $750/simweek per residental lot, increase it to $750/simweek per family. Removes loophole where families in multi-family housing paid less in taxes than other residents.

Manage the local real estates and architectural planning of the hood

• Decrease number of multi-family units from 10 to 4


• Build mixed income housing area:


• Renovate Pavilion


• Build Celebration Park II


• Revamp Celebration Park I


• Combine Celebration Park I and II


• Expand Modern Sculpture Park


• Renovate The Core

Errors!!!

Aghhh, for some reason The Herendez Art Gallery's lot was defined as buggy. I don't want to believe in curses, but this has happened to the gallery's lot on multiple occasions since the OFB deal. Aghhh! We had to sell the lot back to the hood-they demolish it and then we brought the land and rebuilt. Thankfully they sold it to us as a discount, but hassle nevertheless. I'm getting too old for this...when will I join my lady loves?