Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast

PEN Weekly NewsBlast for April 6, 2007

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BIRTHRIGHT: MAKING COLLEGE ACCESS COMMONPLACE FOR ALL
All across the U.S. this spring, students are making graduation plans. Their institutions will soon send names to be printed on diplomas. According to the Census Bureau, a diploma really matters. On the average, during an adult's working life, college graduates earn nearly one million dollars more than those who only finish high school. They will be more engaged as citizens, will contribute much more to the general good through their taxes and philanthropic efforts, and be less reliant on government services. Moreover, they also enjoy a higher quality of life, putting aside more savings, enjoying more leisure time and career flexibility. In this month's Carnegie Perspectives, Ray Bacchetti puts all these statistics into a much more personal context. He reminds us how recently access to college became commonplace for so many Americans. In a moving account, he tells the story of his family's educational experiences over three generations. Bacchetti reminds us that access to higher education is one of the blessings that every American should expect as a birthright, not a special privilege. As we continue to be a nation of immigrants, those doors must remain open. In past years, government invested heavily in the education of youth, whereas today most support comes in the form of loans.

SOLDIER & SON REUNITED IN SURPRISE SCHOOL VISIT
This emotional video clip shows navy officer Bill Hawes home from a seven-month tour in Iraq, surprising his six-year-old son in his school classroom. His son jumps up, crying, and runs into his father's arms. Elisa Hahn reports for KING-TV (Seattle). The short video clip of a young boy in tears may become somewhat iconic as far as representing the war in Iraq here at home -- an amazing spontaneous moment of joy and sorrow in one family's story.

EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
A new volume from The Future of Children focuses on improving the quality of teachers as a critical move towards closing the achievement gap. Accompanying the journal is an executive summary and a policy brief. The volume concludes that good teachers make a difference. According to the 15 leading scholars who contributed to the journal, the most promising way to improve teacher quality is to broaden entry requirements, identify and promote effective teachers, provide additional pay to successful teachers who work in challenging schools, and promote meaningful professional development. Strengthening the teacher workforce is not a one-time policy initiative. The editors argue that ongoing flexibility will be needed for schools to implement these reforms. Education policy in individual districts, and in the nation as a whole, would be well served if reform initiatives were designed from the outset with credible evaluation elements.

PORTLAND SCHOOLS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $850,000 IN GRANTS
Portland Schools Foundation, a local education fund, is excited to announce grant awards of more than $850,000 in grants to Portland, Ore., public schools and their partners. Awards were distributed to 45 schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools, charter schools, and alternative programs. These grants were funded through the Equity Fund and the First Octave Fund managed by the Schools Foundation. The Equity Fund, by school board policy, is supported by one-third as a result of funds raised by individual school foundations. The fund is designed to help schools close the achievement gap. This year, local school foundation parents and community members raised a record $842,000 for this fund. As parent leader and Schools Foundation board member Amy Carlsen Kohnstamm said, "It's fantastic that we're able to raise money for our own school, but it's a privilege to support other schools through the grant program." In the past ten years, the Portland Schools Foundation has invested more than $4.5 million to close the achievement gap and improve teaching and learning, particularly in high-poverty schools. In school after school, teachers and principals have made extraordinary progress: elementary school achievement has climbed and the achievement gap has narrowed. Today, with the dedicated effort of principals, teachers, and parents, 85 percent of elementary students are meeting standards in reading and 87 percent in math. To learn more about the grants, call (503) 234-5404 or visit the above link.

TONI MORRISON: THE JOURNEY TO SCHOOL INTEGRATION
Part history, part current events, and part imagination, Toni Morrison’s look at school desegregation in the 1950s and the civil rights movement that followed is all about people: those who put themselves on the line to correct unfairness, challenge accepted values, and change the way things were, as well as all of us who benefit from those changes today. The photographs and spare text invite us to put ourselves into this era of change and understand how it felt. They challenge us to ask ourselves how it still feels. And they remind us to remember. "Remember: The Journey to School Integration" introduces a period of recent American history to upper elementary and middle school students, and this guide provides ideas for exploring the period through discussion, research, "trial experiences," examination of primary source material, and written and oral projects. Click below to view a moving and informative four-part video of images from the book and hear Ms. Morrison discussing her inspiration for creating the book. Also available are lesson plans for teachers.

ADDRESSING DEGRADING TREATMENT & ABUSIVE DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS
A report by the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI) shows that middle and high school students in New York City and Los Angeles are frequently ignored and mistreated in their classrooms, and subjected to harsh discipline policies that punish, exclude and criminalize students. The report uses a human rights framework to document the use of suspensions, law enforcement and other punitive disciplinary strategies that ignore students’ educational and emotional needs. Schools with the most repressive policies are overwhelmingly under-resourced, overcrowded and primarily attended by low-income students of color. The report calls on the Department of Education in New York City and the Los Angeles Unified School District to take a holistic approach to school climate and safety by reducing overcrowding, increasing resources for teachers, and guaranteeing the participation of students and parents. Schools should view discipline and the teaching of behavioral skills as an essential part of education and prioritize counseling and mediation. The criminalization of discipline and use of police in schools must stop. Students interviewed reported that they are mistreated, ignored and discouraged from learning in the classroom. Half stated that their teachers sometimes or most of the time say things that humiliate or insult them, such as calling them stupid or ugly, or telling them they "belong in the ghetto." Schools impose excessive suspensions for minor infractions, including being late to school, getting into arguments with students, or even giving a teacher "a look," that add up to significant losses in learning. Two-thirds of students reported they never, rarely or only sometimes feel safe with the presence of police, while one-third felt threatened, many referring to the sight of loaded guns. Students reported that police have used excessive force, including "slamming" students to the ground and spraying mace. Teachers reported that police have removed students from their classroom, sometimes humiliating them in front of the class. Teachers complained about losing the ability to provide input into disciplinary actions or exercise discretion to help individual students with problems.

CHILDREN LACK A CONSISTENTLY RICH, SUPPORTIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE The typical child in the U.S. stands only a 1-in-14 chance of having a consistently rich, supportive elementary school experience, say researchers who looked at what happens daily in thousands of classrooms. The findings, published today in the weekly journal Science, take teachers to task for spending too much time on basic reading and math skills and not enough on problem solving, reasoning, science and social studies. They also suggest that U.S. education focuses too much on teacher qualifications and not enough on teachers being engaging and supportive. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, educational researchers spent thousands of hours in more than 2,500 first-, third- and fifth-grade classrooms, tracking kids through elementary school. It is among the largest studies done of U.S. classrooms, producing a detailed look at the typical kid's day. The researchers found a few bright spots, reports Greg Toppo in USA Today. Kids use time well, for one. But they found just as many signs that classrooms can be dull, bleak places where kids don't get a lot of teacher feedback or face time. For example, fifth-graders spent 91.2 percent of class time in their seats listening to a teacher or working alone, and only 7 percent working in small groups, which foster social skills and critical thinking. Findings were similar in first and third grades.

NCLB LETTERS TO CONGRESS PROJECT
Right now the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is working on language for the re-authorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. This is a good time to express your thoughts and concerns to your elected leaders. One way to do this is through the "No Child Left Behind Letters to Congress Project" on-line at FaithfulAmerica.org. There you will find 10 letters – 10 distinct opportunities for you to weigh in on the pending reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. The letters will be sent electronically according to your zip code to your two senators and your Congressional representative. In each letter there is a place, right in the middle, for you to insert your own story. Please use these opportunities to share how NCLB is affecting your child, or a teacher you know, or your own school, or your community. Each of these letters lifts up one of "Ten Moral Concerns in the Implementation of No Child Left Behind," a statement released by the National Council of Churches last year. Please take this opportunity to tell your own truth to your elected officials.

MODERN-DAY 3Rs: RULES, RULES, RULES
A culture of control has high school campuses in an ever-tightening grip, many students say, extending beyond the long-standing restrictions on provocative clothing, cellphone use and classtime bathroom visits. Akin to the omnipresent "helicopter parents," these students say, are helicopter administrators who home in on their smallest moves, no matter how guileless or mundane. Some administrators acknowledge that the list of rules meant to ban, limit or deter potentially inappropriate or dangerous actions is steadily growing. But teenagers, nothing if not skilled in the art of asserting their adulthood, say the accumulation of these little laws can be the most frustrating part of their high school experience. They feel micromanaged and nitpicked at every turn, reports Ian Shapira for the Washington Post. The rules are especially maddening when one school prohibits something that another allows. Or when the rules contradict themselves and students can't tell which one they should obey.

FIVE REASONS FOR SUPPORTING TEACHER INDUCTION & MENTORING PROGRAMS
Districts spend thousands of dollars to recruit, hire, and train new teachers. Then, after a year or two, they have to repeat the process because those same teachers have left their jobs. How much does this cost? In terms of money, it’s been estimated that each teacher who is recruited, trained, and lost can cost districts up to $50,000. Disruptions in teaching and learning and negative effects on morale are among other costs that can be even more devastating, writes Hal Portner in American School Board Journal. One proven way to improve teacher retention as well as the quality of teaching and learning is through the provision and support of a comprehensive, coherent, and sustained induction and mentoring program. This article in the American School Board Journal proffers five compelling reasons to support induction and mentoring programs, and suggests decisive actions that school boards can take to that end.

ENGAGING THE PUBLIC TO GET EVERYBODY READY FOR SCHOOL
For communities dealing with contentious problems, public officials wrestling with tough policy choices or organizations faced with an apathetic or angry public, public engagement offers a means to:

To further these aims, Public Agenda had released a new discussion guide called, "Everybody Ready for School," focusing on the best ways to ensure high-quality pre-school and other school readiness programs for children. Choicework Guides support dialogue and deliberation on a wide variety of issues. They have been used by thousands of citizens looking to gain perspective on public issues. With the support of the Graustein Memorial Fund, Public Agenda created video and print discussion materials for use in community conversations nationwide. The materials are already being used in Connecticut to help communities engage on this critical education issue.

SLOW TO REBOOT: SCHOOLS RUNNING OUT OF FUNDS TO UPGRADE COMPUTERS
Some Massachusetts classrooms still have decade-old computers that can take up to 10 minutes to boot up. In Natick, a growing number of students are bringing their own laptops, because the district does not have enough modern machines to run the latest software. And in Boston, it is teachers who are bringing their own laptops to school to sidestep the system's unreliable equipment. A decade after schools across the state pushed to get computers into classrooms, many districts are limping along the information superhighway. Their machines, or the wiring and other infrastructure in their buildings are obsolete. Other districts have modernized equipment but lack the specialists to train teachers to use the latest technology and show them how to weave it into everyday lessons. And the legion of personal laptops showing up in schools is creating nightmares for technology directors, who worry about computer viruses spreading to their buildings' secure networks, reports Kay Lazar in The Boston Globe. With tight budgets, impending teacher layoffs, and voter resistance to tax increases, many communities face dim prospects for keeping pace with rapidly changing technology.

FIVE TIPS FOR NEW TEACHER SUCCESS
Is teacher retention an issue in your school or district? Do you recruit or retain? Teacher retention should be a process, not a program. It is far better to retain a savable teacher than to train new ones year after year. With national attention focused on the number of teachers that will be needed over the next decade, schools need to take personal ownership of supporting and developing their new educators. Knowing that teacher quality is the greatest predictor of student success means that support for new teachers should be a critical component in all school improvement plans. Here are five tips from Lynn F. Howard to support new teacher success:

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"Recognizing Outstanding Youth Activism"
The Earth Island Institute Brower Youth Award recognizes young people for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and social justice advocacy. Maximum Award: $3,000. Eligibility: youth ages of 13-22. Deadline: May 15, 2007.

"Cultivating Youth Social Entrepreneurs"
YouthActionNet Fellows are social entrepreneurs who participate in a week-long capacity building workshop in Washington, DC. A key focus of the workshop is facilitating peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities. Eligibility: youth aged 18 - 29. Maximum Award: $500. Deadline: May 15, 2007.

"History Channel Save Our History Grant Program"
The History Channel Save Our History Grant Program inspires youth to become the preservationists in their communities. Museums, historic sites, historical societies, preservation organizations, libraries, and archives are invited to partner with a local school or youth group and apply for funding to help preserve the history of their communities. Maximum Award: $10,000. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) history organizations. Deadline: June 1, 2007.

"Grants for Direct Services to Young Children"
Mattel Children's Foundation Grants program award organizations with a mission that focuses on the direct service of children ages zero to 12 years. Organizations or programs must show creative and/or innovative methods to address locally defined needs directly impacting children. Maximum Award: $20,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations that benefit children. Deadline: June 15, 2007.

For a detailed listing of EXISTING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES (updated each week), visit:
http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp

QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"Public education is the most important civic endeavor a democracy can undertake. Democracy's success -- indeed its very survival -- depends on a well-educated citizenry. Public education is the institution that equips us with the knowledge and skill we need to cope with the complex issues that confront us as families, as neighbors, as a nation, and as world citizens. Public education prepares future generations of leaders in all human endeavors and helps us to unlock the secrets of science and technology that explore new human and geographic frontiers. It shapes the art and literature that lifts our spirits.’"

 - Wendy D. Puriefoy, president, Public Education Network

"Education is irreversible. Once you've tasted the pleasure and hard work of learning, the joy of knowledge, you cannot thereafter imagine yourself without it. You're different, and so will your children be. After World War II our country made education a birthright. This happened not because the older generation wanted to make a noble gesture toward the younger. Rather, it was because we had learned and now, 50 years later, know in our bones that the education of any enriches all.’"

 - Ray Bacchetti, Scholar-in-Residence & Project Co-Director, Foundations & Education Project, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

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