Teachers; New Bankruptcy Regulations; The New Film "Capote"
Teachers
Larry Mantle discusses a number of issues facing teachers, including recruitment, retention, training, tenure, and pay. What makes a good teacher? Larry talks with Rafe Esquith, a teacher at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School (located in one of the poorest neighborhoods of central Los Angeles) and author of "There Are No Shortcuts;" Patricia Rucker, Instruction and Professional Development Specialist with the California Teachers Association; Professor Stella Erbes, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and Coordinator of Secondary Education at Pepperdine University-Seaver College; and David McCabe, Education Program Coordinator at Pasadena City College.
New Bankruptcy Regulations
A major revamping of U.S. bankruptcy law took effect Monday, making it harder for consumers, and possibly businesses, to write off debt. The new law makes it tougher for those filing for personal bankruptcy to liquidate, and anyone wanting to file will have to undergo credit counseling and produce documents including tax returns, pay stubs, and statements from their creditors. Changes in the bankruptcy law were prompted by concerns that surging personal bankruptcies were taking a toll on businesses by leaving retailers, banks and credit card firms in the lurch after consumer insolvencies. Lawmakers also inserted several changes into the business bankruptcy code, aiming to shorten the reorganization process and give more clout to creditors in court. Consumer advocates, critical of the new law, say that it will disproportionately harm middle and lower income people who declare bankruptcy because of job loss or high medical bills. Larry Mantle talks with bankruptcy experts Kenneth Klee, professor of law at UCLA School of Law and expert in bankruptcy law, and Jerry Flanagan, Health Care Policy Director at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
The New Film "Capote"
Larry Mantle talks with actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, star of the new film Capote, and with the film's director Bennett Miller about this film that provides a glimpse into the life of writer Truman Capote.