Mostly adults were at the head table of the 10th annual Freedom Fund Gala. But seated next to Irving Superintendent Dana Bedden was a very poised youngster named Journey Woolfolk.
A fifth-grade student at Townsell Elementary School, Journey introduced Bedden, who was the keynote speaker at the Irving-Carrollton Branch NAACP's luncheon.
The new superintendent talked about "Education: A Responsibility of Society."
"We need the courage and heart to do what is right for our children," Bedden said. "We need to reverse the small numbers getting a good education. And reach out to all children."
Following Bedden's address, Ruby Walker presented four awards.Clarence Saunders received the Business Owner of the Year Award.
SHOULD WE increase the number of hours and days students attend school each year?
The proposal has recently gained traction as educators, celebrities and a movie have embraced the concept.
Before his departure last month, former state Education Commissioner Bret Schundler expressed support for extended time, saying it has the potential to increase student achievement, especially in low-income districts. He made his comments at the Robert Treat Academy, one of the most successful charter schools in the state, with both an extended school day and year. And noted Washington, D.C., Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee recently called extended school days and years vital to improving urban student achievement.
Coming soon after the release of the movie “Waiting for Superman,” where Rhee is
I suppose there are fields in which a certain ruthlessness is beneficial to an organization. Corporations based on acquisition, say, or some types of law firms probably need people who are willing to forget about the human cost as they make decisions based on the bottom line. I just can’t make a case for this type of approach benefiting school systems where relationships are such an essential part of the equation. For example, a teacher’s ability to establish a connection with students can make all the difference in transforming a disengaged student into an active and enthusiastic participant in the learning process. We, well, those of us who actually educate, understand that with children, some level of buy-in is important. Kids aren’t as likely to do the work if they don’t somehow feel connected to it, or at least to the teacher asking them to do it. Teachers aren’t all that different from the students in that regard. We also generally prefer to be actively involved in the process of addressing the needs of our students and problem-solving the
was the title of a book about American urban public education. It sits on my shelf, partially read.
My education “shelf” is actually quite short – a quarter of a shelf out of 30 something. There’s Small Schools by Mike and Susan Klonsky (read and reviewed), So Much Reform, So Little Change by Charles Payne, untouched, I really should read it. Pillars of the Republic by Carl Kaestle, great book about the early history of public education in America. Teacher Man, McCourt, unread. Accountability Frankenstein, Sherman Dorn, barely started. Playing for Keeps, Deb Meier et al, skimmed through. The Death and Life of the Great American School System, carried on many a trip, cover still not cracked. Diane Ravitch. An Incar pamphlet in defense of public education in Connecticut that I must have picked up 30 or so years ago. The Pressures of Teaching, a highly readable anthology of short essays by real teachers, edited by Maureen Picard Robins (so ok, I’ve only read a couple of the essays). It’s Not All Flowers and Sausages, by Miss Mimi, adorable, and between the blog and the book I’ve read most of it.
And that’s it. I’m not counting guides to the standards (THE standards? Ha!) Or Ed Psych books, or any of that
Contact: Mike Myslinski, CTA, 408-921-5769; Woodside High Teacher Gregory Gruszynski, 415-264-1798 (cell).
Woodside High teacher Gregory Gruszynski, left, says teachers greatly appreciate the banner effort, which parent Anne Kopf-Sill launched.
In a public show of support for teachers at a San Mateo County school slighted in the flawed “Waiting for Superman” documentary that offers an incomplete picture of public schools, parents at Woodside High School this week put up a huge banner on a fence in front of the high-achieving campus that praises educators.
The defiant banner reads: “Woodside High School Teachers – Man, You’re Super! Thank you for teaching ALL the students in our community!” It’s prominent and hard to miss by drivers on
Woodside High parent Anne Kopf-Sill organized the push for donations for the banner (designed by parent Amber Ramies) over her concerns with all the negative national publicity for Woodside from the emotional film, which tells the stories of a handful of students’ journeys to get into charter schools that use a lottery system to pick students. One of the students fights to avoid Woodside High and ends up in a nearby charter.
Kopf-Sill is not criticizing charters, just the way the film slights the diverse school her two sons attend,
Larry Ferlazzo warns you to be prepared to laugh with tears when watching this video. I find it frightening that someone has turned my last week into animation.
And Ken Robinson has some interesting insights into changing educational paradigms in another one of those clever RSA animations.
Chicago State Senator Ricky Hendon speaks the truth: “I’ve never served with such an idiotic, racist, sexist, homophobic person in my life,” Hendon said before introducing Gov. Quinn. “If you think that the minimum wage needs to be three dollars an hour, vote for Bill Brady. If you think that women have no rights whatsoever, except
HARTFORD, Conn.—The Connecticut vocational trades education program whose earliest schools opened during William Howard Taft's presidency is marking its centennial.
The Connecticut Technical High School System is celebrating its 100th anniversary with activities statewide, including an event Friday in Southington with speeches and awards.
The system currently has 17 high schools, but started in 1910 with trade schools in New Britain and Bridgeport.
Students had eight-hour school days Monday through Saturday, year around. Classes ranged from clockmaking to hat finishing, focusing on businesses
Enter any bookstore today and you will likely see a sign for Mitt Romney's bookNo Apology, The Case for American Greatness. America is great if you're Mitt Romney and he's not about to apologize for how great things are for him. I don't understand why he got to write a book about it.
Go to Google and enter the words "political book deal." You will learn that the inconsequential dropout former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, recently signed another multi-million dollar book deal. You will see that Scott Brown had a been a Senator for about 30 days before getting his own book deal. Mitt Romney has a book deal. Gov. Bobby Jindal has a book deal. President Obama's half-brother George has a book deal. Yes, even Rod Blagojevich has a book deal. On and on and on. Name any politician, no matter how great or awful as a public servant. Chances are, they've got a million-dollar book deal.
I find it interesting that very few politicians actually write the book before they get the deal. I'm not a writer, but I assume that most book writers create their manuscripts in some lonely cottage in New England. Or maybe they are doing research and putting in hours within the tombs of some major library. But if you happen to be a politician, you don't have to have a particularly literary bent. Hell, you don't even have to write the book! They have people for that. You just show up to take the cover art photograph, go home with a check, and wait for the tour schedule. Must be nice to be able to get rich selling something you
Would we give (Disney) an outlet to express his creativity or, better yet, foster it? What would his school day consist of? Would he draw a sketch of Mickey Mouse, only to be ridiculed by his teacher because he should have been practicing his times tables?
I am sure that in today’s high-stakes testing environment, Disney’s creativity would be stifled by countless hours of basic reading instruction. He might not even have an art class due to funding shortfalls and a resulting budget that clearly places the arts at the bottom of the priority list.
Short-sighted administrators reject “critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem solving” as “fluff,” writes
About 50 rain-soaked students and teachers rallied Wednesday outside Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights to call for an end to the tardy and truancy ticketing policy.
Organizers said the system costs families hundreds of dollars and keeps students out of school.
Schools with large Latino populations, such as Roosevelt, have been unfairly targeted by police during early-morning sweeps near campuses, said Manuel Criollo of the Community Rights Campaign, which organized the rally.
He said students are issued tickets of about $250 for first-time offenders, $350 for second-time offenders and $900 for third-time offenders.
If offenders refuse or are unable to pay the fines, they could have their driver's licenses suspended. Many low-income students caught on their way to school are stuck with fines that are a burden to them and their families.
Steve Jobs is not a political guy. Apple Computer, Steve Jobs’s mega-corporation, is not a political company. In fact, Jobs and Apple are about as a-political as they ever could be. Apple does maintain an office in Washington, D.C., employing four lobbyists and providing them with a budget of just under $350,000 per quarter. That staff and budget barely would cover the cost of receptionists and tour guides at Microsoft’s Washington suites.
Despite his aversion to politics, Apple CEO Steve Jobs met yesterday with President Obama, their first face-to-face since a brief encounter during Obama’s 2008 Presidential campaign. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters, “They discussed American competitiveness and education, especially reforms such as the President’s Race to the Top initiative,” According to other reports, Jobs and Obama also discussed energy independence and job-creation, issues close to both of their hearts. Neither the White House nor Apple released further details of their talks, which were characterized as “friendly and productive”
Apple needs support in DC.
Despite its command of new wireless technology and American consumer electronics markets, especiall
(Second of a three-part series this week on innovative schools.)
Press releases are known for accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative in order to mold public opinion. So it came as no surprise when I received news marked for immediate release on Oct. 15 from the Alliance for Excellent Education.
Datelined Washington D.C., the Alliance reported on an MDRC study titled "Transforming the High School Experience: How New York City's New Small Schools Are Boosting Student Achievement and Graduation Rates." MDRC is a nonpartisan research group dedicated to improving programs that affect the poor. The study looked at 21,000 students, nearly half of whom attended small schools and the rest attended larger and older schools.
Despite the title of the study, the release focused almost exclusively on data about graduation rates. There was nothing about standardized test scores
CALIFORNIA, United States—Nimfa and Margaret are both special education teachers who obtained “J1” visas to teach in two different school districts in the United States.
Nimfa’s employer signed a two-year contract for a J1 visa to allow Nimfa to work, teach, and engage in other exchange activities in an elementary public school in Southern California. In the same way, Margaret was able to obtain a J1 visa to teach in a school somewhere in Maryland.
When Margaret’s visa was about to expire, she was able to change her status documents from a J1 visa to an H1B working visa. Nimfa’s employer, however, refused to change her status from J1 to H1B. She was instead asked to go home to the Philippines and obtain her visa at the US embassy in Manila. Nimfa was hesitant to leave the US. She had heard that Margaret was able to obtain a “waiver” allowing her to acquire a professional working visa without going home.
What is this waiver and why is it critical in changing a J1 to an H1B working
