In case your child might be a victim....

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has produced a pamphlet entitled, "Just in case... Guidelines in case your child might someday be a victim of sexual exploitation"

You can read the guidelines online and/or order copies of the pamphlet.

You can also use their cyber tip line to submit information.
Their resources for parents and guardians is excellent.

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Sex Offender Registry - Maps

MapSexOffenders.com -
part of Orbizon Inc., a privately owned web development and technology company based in Orem, Utah committed to building interactive, easy to use websites that aid users in a variety of ways. All of our websites are user friendly and provide a vast amount of information in an accessible format.

[TT -Combines State Sex Registry information from 48 states to create maps by city and state and/or zip code of sex offenders in your area. FREE ]
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Sex Offender Registry Web - Sites

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Investigative ProgramsCrimes Against Children
State Sex Offender Registry Web Sites
("Individual FBI Field Offices serve as primary points of contact for persons requesting FBI assistance. For further information about FBI services or to request assistance, please contact a Crimes Against Children Coordinator at your local FBI Field Office.")

United States Department of Justice
National Sex Offender Registry
"The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry, coordinated by the Department of Justice, is a cooperative effort between the state agencies hosting public sexual offender registries and the federal government. This web site is a search tool allowing a user to submit a single national query to obtain information about sex offenders through a number of search options:
By Name
By ZIP Code
By County (if provided by state)
By City/Town (if provided by state)
By State (one or multiple)
National"
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National Report Card

"The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education."

The National Report Card *****
Find out how your state is doing. And then compare to others.
Per-pupil expenditures.
Demographics
Performance (scroll down)
Graphics (to the right) -- Achievement Levels is very useful

State Education Data Profiles
Number of schools, teachers, students and the teacher-student ratio in your state.
How much your state is spending on eduation. Compared to the national average.
School populations, male vs. female.
And other information.

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Center for Education Reform

The Center for Education Reform offers research, resources and talking points on education reform issues including accountability, charter schools and school choice, standards and testing, and more. CER home

Visit their Parent Power

a parent resource for parents seeking better educational opportunities for their kids, providing them valuable information on everything from evaluating curriculum to making sense of school data to initiating a grass roots movement for change.

The ABCs of Teaching is particularly useful.
How to communicate effectively with your child’s teacher.
Talking to your child's teacher, making the most of parent-teacher conferences.
Everything you need to know about teacher quality.
Does certified mean quality?
Questions to ask... keeping good teachers
Getting informed: Knowing how your school operates.
Principals, unions and contracts, the low-down on the PTA

Connect with groups and organizations, how to take charge of your child's education, links, and issues like, Whatever Happened to...Grammar Instruction?!

TT - Our assessment- an organization that cares as much about your child as you do.

AGE OF CONSENT and other terms

Age of Consent
* * * * * Age of Consent, explained - Criminal law, Lawyer Source
Age of Consent, defined - Dictionary by Labor Law Talk
Age of Consent - Wikipedia
Age of Consent - All Experts
Mediaskeptic: Be advised that most Age of Consent sites may not be updated regularly and will not reflect changes in law, nor laws that restrict sex between a teacher and student, nor age differential laws, or other legal restrictions. For instance, the age of consent in Illinois is 17, but it increases to 18 when it involves someone in a position of authority. In North Carolina it is a felony for any teacher to have sex with a student irregardless of the age of the student. Etc.

Minor Laws
Dictionary by Labor Law Talk - - Minor, defined

Statutory Rape
Law.com Law Dictionary - Statutory Rape
Article by an attorney - Statutory Rape: Reporting Myths & Facts

Sexual Predator
Wikipedia - Sexual Predator, defined (in general terms)
Mediaskeptic: Every state defines the term differently. For instance, Florida - "Sexual predators, according to F.S. 775.21, The Florida Sexual Predators Act, are either repeat sexual offenders, sexual offenders who used physical violence, or sexual offenders who preyed on children."
Every state defines the term differently.

State Laws Vary
Georgia Definitions - From a law firm as a public service.
Kansas Definitions - From 'Lectric Law Library
The ultimate resource, of course, is always found in individual State Law Sites as they are the source and updated continuously to reflect current law.
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Choosing Your School Board

From Great Schools.net

How to Choose a School Board Candidate: What Every Voter Should Know

"School board members make up the largest body of elected officials in the United States."

Sections
What is a board of education?
What do they do?
How can I tell if my school board is doing a good job?
How does the school board make decisions?
How's the team spirit?
Is the board's authority well defined?
Does the board understand the community?
What should I look for in a school board candidate?

GreatSchools.net has a whole library of articles for parents and taxpayers.

TT - Best of all, at GreatSchools you can search for schools in your district to see how they are performing and compare them to nearby school districts.