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Articles by James Toscano
Florida Tort Reform and Negligent Security Liability: New Requirements for Multifamily Property Owners | JD Supra
Aimed at combatting lawsuit abuse, Florida’s recently passed tort reform bill (HB 837/SB 236) makes dramatic changes to the state’s justice system, including negligent security cases against owners and operators of “multifamily residential property.” HB 837 creates a presumption against liability for the owner or operator of a multifamily residential property that substantially implements certain security measures on the property where the criminal actor is not an employee or the owner or...
The Trials and Challenges That the Next Wave of Students Will Face - The EvoLLLution
Robert Bruno | Director of the Labor Education Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Employers want their workers to be prepared for the workforce, armed with certain skills, of course. The hard skills they learned in college or university are key to their success, but the soft skills developed along the way may hold more weight than once thought. The EvoLLLution (Evo): What can institutions do to better prepare students about to enter the workforce?
Letter: Community should support its teachers
When I was in school I remember two contentious teacher strikes. I remember sitting in the State Street School cafeteria waiting for the buses to come back because the teachers did not show up. My mother was very angry, saying, “Those teachers should be happy with what they get and go back to work!” She held bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and mathematics. I was and still am confused by her disdain of teachers. She never lived to see her son become one.
Letter: Community should support its teachers
When I was in school I remember two contentious teacher strikes. I remember sitting in the State Street School cafeteria waiting for the buses to come back because the teachers did not show up. My mother was very angry, saying, “Those teachers should be happy with what they get and go back to work!” She held bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and mathematics. I was and still am confused by her disdain of teachers. She never lived to see her son become one.
Rejiggering Higher Education - The EvoLLLution
As institutions look to move forward post pandemic, it’s important to understand your learner and staff needs to create a more holistic community. The pandemic caused a lot disruption and an enrollment cliff has loomed over higher education for some time. Institutions are left scrambling to find ways to survive and thrive in this new era.
James Toscano column: Performance should be a prerequisite for college funds
James Toscano column: Performance should be a prerequisite for college funds Dwayne Carpenter By James Toscano An article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch last month focused on a new report from the left-of-center think tank, Education Reform Now, which pointed out that some of Virginia’s wealthiest universities, like the College of William & Mary, are the most unfriendly to students of Virginia families with the least means.
Creating Collaboration Across the Institution to Meet Modern Learner Demands - The EvoLLLution
Traditional structures within higher ed need an upgrade. Modern learners expect an experience that is flexible and accessible and PCE divisions can help the broad institution deliver on this mission. On this week’s episode of Illumination by Modern Campus, we look at the traditional structure institutions have been using for decades and how they need to adapt in order to survive and thrive in this rapidly evolving new shift in higher education.
Contrary To James Fallows’ Lament, Political Coverage Really Is Better This Time Around
The Thinker by Auguste Rodin Fredrik Rubensson Strictly speaking, there is nothing actually wrong in James Fallows’ 4,000-word takedown of the political press, which has been the talk of liberal Twitter since it was published by The Atlantic earlier this month.
Judge Invalidates Firing Of Holyoke Soldiers' Home Boss
An American flag flies at half-mast outside the Holyoke Soldiers' Home on April 29, 2020 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images By Associated Press September 22, 2020 HOLYOKE, Mass. (AP) — A judge has ruled that Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration wrongfully fired the head of a home for aging veterans where nearly 80 people sickened with the coronavirus have died.
It’s Time For Consumer Rights For College Tuition
Are tuition payers getting a square deal? Mauro Grigollo / Cultura RF via Getty Images New England is famous for its private non-profit colleges with several of the top 100 colleges located here. But in face of the health and economic crisis our nation is experiencing, many of these well-heeled institutions have turned a deaf ear to the concerns of students and their families.
James Toscano column: Making college more affordable
Demonstrating its commitment to ease the cost of a college degree, the General Assembly has adopted a budget that holds the promise of almost $80 million in tuition relief for Virginia’s students and their families. The budget compromise now heads to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, and will allocate specific amounts to each university and the Virginia community college system in exchange for a decision to hold tuition flat for the 2020-21 academic year.
Counterpoint: UNC Board of Governors and trustees must embrace more accountability
When the UNC Board of Governors waded into a political debate with a resolution calling on elected leaders to adopt the state budget to wiggle free state higher education funds, it had some North Carolinians wondering whether the board had overstepped its bounds by taking sides.
Examining the good and the bad so far with the Celtics
PA Are we having fun yet? Yes. The answer is yes. OK, we’re only four games into the season. It’s important to not get too ahead of ourselves here, and a lot can and will change over an 82-game season. But because it’s so early on, we’re all still making comparisons to last year’s team – and if Wednesday night’s comeback win over the Bucks is any indication of this year’s team, they’re a lot different than they were one season ago. And that’s not just a good thing, but a great thing.
The Voices We’re Not Hearing in Public Higher Ed
One of America's great traditions is citizen participation in public decision-making. From New England-style town meetings to inviting public comment on proposed regulations, when citizens who will have to live with the consequences of governmental decisions are involved in making them, discussions are more well-rounded and, ultimately, solutions are more considerate of their needs.
Bucks - Celtics Game 4 preview: Jayson Tatum Marcus Smart will be key
BET Maybe you’ve only caught glimpses of the Celtics-Bucks series. Or maybe you’ve been glued to it all. Depending on what you’ve seen would greatly sway your opinion on just how impressive the C’s have been. In a Game 1 blowout win, they all of a sudden looked like the favorite out of the East . . . and then they were blown out in Game 2. Game 3 – at home – started off OK, before going off the rails in the second half.
Dau and Toscano column: Something's wrong in higher education: skyrocketing college costs must come down
By James Dau and James Toscano Together, we represent what we might safely call different points on a demographic spectrum. One of us stands for students who, in many cases, are just beginning new chapters in their lives, determined to earn an affordable college degree that can be a solid foundation for personal accomplishments and future successes. The other speaks for Virginia’s women and men who have spent years at work. By now, many have also become parents and grandparents.
Toscano: Misplaced spending priorities in Virginia higher ed
Toscano is president of Partners for College Affordability & Public Trust in Washington, D.C. Once a year, we get to peek behind the salary curtain. . . and what we’ve seen just might say something about why a college degree costs so much. According to information from Virginia’s Department of Human Resource Management, the biggest state paychecks go to folks who work at one of our public colleges and universities, which has never been a real surprise.
Toscano: Misplaced spending priorities in Virginia higher ed
Toscano is president of Partners for College Affordability & Public Trust in Washington, D.C. Once a year, we get to peek behind the salary curtain. . . and what we’ve seen just might say something about why a college degree costs so much. According to information from Virginia’s Department of Human Resource Management, the biggest state paychecks go to folks who work at one of our public colleges and universities, which has never been a real surprise.
Does social media help the government-citizen relationship? Depends who you ask
Depending where you live, maybe you follow your local transportation department on Twitter for construction updates. Or maybe you watch Periscope videos of city council sessions, or read live blogs of public school board meetings. Around the world, governments and citizens are engaging on social media. For instance, the town government in Jun, Spain has famously ditched its traditional approach to municipal customer service and replaced it with Twitter interactions.
Opinion | An open-source solution for soaring college costs
Much has been made in recent years about the ever-increasing cost of higher education. Those concerns often — and with good reason — are directed at the high tuition and fees charged by many institutions. But tuition and fees are merely a part of an undergraduate student’s budget. The College Board reports that four-year university students living on campus spend an average of $1,250 a year on books and supplies.
Celtics need Garden version of Terry Rozier in Game 5
In many ways, Terry Rozier is this year’s Boston Celtics team personified. He’s taken the opportunity presented to him due to injuries to his teammates and really run with it, proving a good amount of people wrong along the way. Rozier went from a relatively unknown guard in the NBA to one that many now feel can start on NBA teams today - and there are a number of playoff games that would prove that point.
Underdog Celtics ready to take on LeBron, Cavs in Game 2
To say that the last two playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers have been ugly for the Celtics would be an understatement. They were swept in the first round of the 2015 playoffs, and lost in five games last year, though all four of their losses were by double-digits including a 44-point loss and 33-point loss both at home. So yeah, Sunday's Game 1 win in Boston over the Cavs was a deep breath of fresh air.
Al Horford has become the Kevin Garnett for this Celtics team
Gordon Hayward went down – and without one of their superstars, the Celtics kept winning. Daniel Theis and Marcus Smart went down – and without a big part of their depth, the Celtics kept winning. And then Kyrie Irving went down, and just when you (very justifiably so) thought losing Hayward and Irving for the year would do them in for good – the Celtics kept winning.
Injury to Celtics Kyrie Irving gets real but young players step up
BOSTON - Kyrie Irving was smiling ear to ear as Russell Westbrook's long three-pointer missed the mark at the final buzzer. The Boston Celtics came from behind to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night, 100-99. But Irving was smiling from the C's bench, as he missed his fourth straight game with left knee soreness, something that has been bothering him at various points throughout the season.
Celtics Jayson Tatum has built up a ton of trust in Year 1
When the Celtics traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Philadelphia 76ers and proceeded to draft Jayson Tatum at No. 3, the move was met with some skepticism. Armchair scouts wondered if the Celtics would regret passing up on point guard Markelle Fultz, a player many most likely didn't see much of during his one year at the University of Washington.
James Toscano column: On college costs, Virginia voters need to be heard
Last September, a statewide Mason-Dixon poll of voters contained a question that, until now, was not released.The question was simple: How should the cost to attend Virginia’s public colleges and universities be addressed?So were the answers.
Jaguars Patriots: Jags named Sacksonville for a reason
That the New England Patriots are in the AFC Championship is not much of a surprise. That the Jacksonville Jaguars are as well? OK, that's a surprise. But as the NFL season comes down to four remaining teams, the Jaguars are by far the least likely of the bunch to make it this far, with the Eagles and Vikings representing the NFC. Consider that prior to this season, the Jaguars had finished 5th-worst or lower in every season since 2011.
Titans playmakers could cause problems for Patriots
Psst… there’s an AFC Divisional Round game this weekend, and the Patriots are playing in it. You may have forgotten, as basically all the talk around New England has been surrounding the either very real or much exaggerated drama between Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Patriots bending but not breaking as NFL playoffs loom
The Patriots are in the drivers seat for the top seed in the AFC Well, that depends on who you talk to. The guy at Dunkins in Charlestown will tell you why it was a catch and then stumble through the rule explanation. Outside of New England, though, they're singing a different tune. A whiny tune, but one that doesn't end with "dood" anyways. It's unfortunate that such a competitive and entertaining game is overshadowed by another "catch rule", but really, it doesn't have to be this way.
Steelers licking chops with Tom Brady Patriots in funk
It's safe to say that Monday's game in Miami did not go anywhere near according to plan for the New England Patriots. And while Bill Belichick (true to form immediately after a loss) did not have much to say, there really wasn't much he had to say. The team's play spoke for itself. And that was led by Tom Brady, who could only muster up 233 passing yards, one touchdown, and a 59.5 passer rating. He threw two interceptions and the Patriots failed to convert a single third down.
Patriots thriving in NFL because of the play of non-stars
The Patriots have new faces come up big week-in and week-out Another AFC East matchup, another win for the New England Patriots. Last weekend it was the Bills up in Buffalo. Next Monday it should be the Dolphins down in Miami, though if any AFC East matchup has given the Patriots trouble over the years, it’s been the Dolphins in Miami. But it’s not so much that the Patriots continue to win games, especially over the AFC East.
Patriots dominance in AFC East has been astonishing
The Pats are well on their way to yet another division crown Tom Brady and the Patriots are 2-0 against the AFC East so far this season. Getty Images It was more of the same in the AFC East when the Patriots and Dolphins met Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. A mostly one-sided game went the Patriots’ way as New England improved to 9-2 on the season, meaning they now have 17 straight winning seasons to their name.
For Patriots November is winning time
The Pats are beginning to peak with the playoffs just over a month away When it comes to football, Patriots fans have plenty to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. With Week 11 in the books, the Patriots yet again proved to the NFL world that they are a cut above, manhandling the Raiders south of the border in Mexico City, 33-8. With high altitude on the horizon for that game, Bill Belichick elected to keep his team in Colorado Springs after the win in Denver to prepare for the Raiders.
Patriots have look of a special group all of a sudden
Bill Belichick and the Patriots have always prided themselves on having one of the strongest special teams units in the NFL. Year after year you’ll hear Belichick stress the importance of “being strong in all three phases of the game – offense, defense, and special teams.” Tom Brady has been handling the offensive side of things just fine for quite some time, and while the defense has been less consistent over those years, it usually seems to show up when needed most.
Red zone production must increase for Patriots
If it seems like the bye week always comes at a perfect time for a respective football team, it’s because it does. With the physical toll these players take on a weekly basis, the bumps and bruises add up quickly. That’s certainly the case with the Patriots as they’ve already lost a couple key players for the season, and try to manage the injuries of others along the way.
Patriots defense suddenly looking as stout as ever
It was the rematch everyone had been waiting for between last year’s two Super Bowl teams, the Patriots and the Falcons. While the outcome was still the same – a Patriots win – the way in which the Pats and Falcons got to that point was much different than it was in Super Bowl LI. There was no historic, improbable comeback needed by the Patriots Sunday night in Foxboro. Not even close. The Falcons never led, and as the game went on, never threatened to make things interesting.
What gives with the Patriots secondary?
We might not have even seen the worst out of this group yet Malcolm Butler and the Patriots secondary have not played up to expectations so far this season. Getty Images We’re now a quarter of the way through the season, which means we can at least begin to get an understanding of a team’s strengths and weaknesses. For the Patriots, those strengths and weaknesses have been fairly consistent. Through four games, the defense has allowed 1,827 yards.
Patriots QB Tom Brady is throwing football deeper and better than ever
Brady is far from a dink and dunk quarterback at 40-years-old Tom Brady is fired up to be going long at age 40. Getty Images If you caught the Patriots' 36-33 win over the Texans Sunday afternoon, there's a good chance you dropped an F-bomb or two towards the Pats defense. But as he's done time after time throughout his Hall-of-Fame career, Brady took over with one final drive to make things right - and he did.
Patriots defense can be dominant moving forward, against Texans
After Week 1’s performance against the Chiefs, many were left wondering which part of the ball to be more concerned about — the offense or defense? The Pats scored 30 points by halftime in New Orleans in Week 2, just the 11th time in team history they’ve done that. So, once again, the demise of the 40-year-old Brady appears to have been greatly exaggerated. Most of us probably could have guessed it would turn out that way. But what about the defense?
Patriots position preview: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett
Our final installment of the Patriots training camp positional breakdown ends with a position that has virtually no questions surrounding who the starter will be. It's the quarterback position, and the team's starter is 40 years old and in the best shape of his life. What's left to say about Tom Brady that hasn't already been said about God? OK, maybe that's a little stretch, but the fact is Brady is a god to Patriots fans . . . and perhaps the devil to fans of every other NFL team.
Patriots position preview: Offensive line no longer a weakness
When it comes to offensive lines, it's not always about experience. Take the Patriots offensive line, for example. In last year's regular season, the Patriots ranked 28th in the NFL in experience, which is based on the combined career starts for the two guards, two tackles, and center on the offensive line with the most starts in the current season. The number of starts for those players on the Patriots was 181. The team that ranked first was the Atlanta Falcons, with 481.
Patriots defensive line preview: Trey Flowers leads the way
The Pats D-line is bigger and better than ever There is plenty of roster turnover in the NFL on a year-to-year basis. With the physicality of the sport, free agency, and a long training camp that aims to ensure the best 53 players out of 90 make the team, players come and go. And certainly that is the case for players on the defensive line in New England. New England lost Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard to free agency, two defensive ends who made their mark in their short time with the Patriots.
Patriots position preview: Safeties - Devin McCourty front and center
The addition of Stephon Gilmore at the corner should help the entire Pats secondary The New England Patriots look to have one of the top secondaries in the NFL during the 2017-18 season. We've already gone over the cornerback position, which features studs Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore, but it doesn't end there when it comes to defending the pass. The safety position is another strength for New England, and one that should continue to excel in 2017.
Rob Gronkowski, Dwayne Allen Lead Stacked Patriots TE Unit
When the Patriots won their fifth Super Bowl last season, they did so without perhaps their most important offensive player (not named Tom Brady) in history. Rob Gronkowski’s injury-filled 2016-17 season is a thing of the past, and the hope is that it will stay that way, as the man simply known as “Gronk” showed up to Patriots training camp this year without any known limitations, according to Bill Belichick.
Patriots LB preview: Donta Hightower leads the way
We know that the Patriots are sitting pretty at the cornerback position, and that's going to make things difficult for opposing quarterbacks. But it doesn't just end there - which is a good thing, because it wouldn't take long for teams to gameplan around a player or two in the passing game. Patrolling the middle of the field is another must for this Patriots defense, and luckily they appear to have the personnel to do so.
Patriots RB preview: Will Dion Lewis be cut?
As Tom Brady connects over the top with Brandin Cooks in training camp, it's easy to overlook the running backs. But the truth is that the running game has been hugely important to the Patriots. You only have to go back to last season to see that while yes, the offense does revolve around Brady, the team needs a balanced attack to remain effective. Consider this: In 2016, the Patriots attempted 29.5 rushes per game, which was fourth most in the NFL.
Patriots training camp: Which WR will make the 2017 roster?
We’re almost through the calm in the sports world before the storm, but for Patriots fans what a beautiful and glorious storm it should be. Football is around the corner and that means the New England Patriots are set to defend their title once again, fresh off their 34-28 Super Bowl LI win over the Atlanta Falcons. And believe it or not, the Patriots are considered to be a better team going into this season than they were last season.
The Fine Print - Summer 2017 - Litigation
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3 things to watch for in Celtics - Cavs Game 5
For the first half of Tuesday's Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics picked up where they left off in Game 3 in quieting LeBron James. In fact, they completely silenced him midway through the second quarter, as James picked up not one, not two, not three, but four personal fouls with over six minutes remaining in the second quarter. James took a seat with Boston up 10 points in the quarter. And when the horn sounded at the end of the first half? Boston led by . . . 10 points.
3 things to watch for as Celtics face Cavaliers in Game 4
When the Celtics dropped Game 1 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, there was some disappointment, but not much surprise. But when they had their doors blown off in a historically lopsided Game 2? Yeah, that was bad. Embarrassing is probably the word that comes to mind when thinking back on that Game 2 loss (at home, too). The LeBron James-led Cavs were on a completely different level than the Celts, and all everybody could do was watch and hope the Cavs didn't win by 50. They ended up winning by 44.
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