School Your Kids

Spring break, college... the FUTURE

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:22:00 +0000

Angela Short

For some families, it may already seem as if spring break is in the distant past. But for others – specifically, those who participated in The Indiana Partnerships Center’s college tours – spring break represents the future.

That’s because several dozen young people and their families spent their breaks contemplating an exciting future in college and beyond.

This was the third year that the center provided college tours, and I had the privilege of leading the trips to five Indiana campuses. Throughout the week, the energy and excitement from the parents and the students was amazing.

We got an early start Monday, March 28. Very early. Fifty-four participants boarded a bus at 6:45 a.m. and headed to Vincennes University. Students guided us on a tour and engaged the group in a panel discussion about college life. Admissions and the financial department made presentations. Our families asked good questions to support their students. Lunch was provided and each student was given a T-shirt. The families were thrilled with the reception the school provided.

It was a hectic day, but we were reenergized when we returned to Indianapolis and were greeted by a WTHR-Channel 13 news crew, who interviewed families about their experiences.

The next day, the families gathered at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where we were met by Indianapolis Star reporter Will Higgins. He interviewed parents and students about the college tours, and the families discussed the importance of parents’ involvement. Once the tour got underway, the families were pleased with the personal attention provided by the folks at IUPUI.

On Wednesday, 43 participants headed to Anderson University, where admissions staff discussed the educational opportunities that a small college – this one with a Christian perspective – can provide. Several students guided us on a tour. Next we headed to Ball State University in Muncie, where several student ambassadors showcased the campus and its academic offerings and offered tips on how to make a successful transition into college. The adults were rewarded with BSU T-shirts after the presentation, but the real reward, they said, was how appreciated and empowered they felt.

Last but not least, we met at the Ivy Tech Community College campus in Indianapolis. This tour included an opportunity for families to meet with professors and engage in conversation about study skills needed to prepare for college.

Throughout the week, many families expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to visit college campuses. One father, who had not gone to college, told me that the colleges really seemed to care and made him feel comfortable about leaving his daughter there. A mother said she felt confident that the colleges would take care of her daughter. A grandmother discussed her fears about letting her grandchildren leave home but said that the tours made her feel supported. The students shared their excitement of the possibilities of leaving home to gain independence and knowledge that can lead to a better life.

Overall, this was a wonderful opportunity for all who participated in the college tours – including me. Parents, did you participate in the center’s tours or make a college visit on your own? I hope you’ll share your experiences here and explain why those who couldn’t join us this year should mark their calendars for next spring break.

by Angela Short

The Indiana Partnerships Center encourages and enables parents to engage with their child's school, to the mutual benefit of the child and the school. The center, which serves all of Indiana, is one of 62 Parental Information Resource Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.

Educational Legislation: Let's talk "vouchers"

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:43:00 +0000

Jackie Garvey

For many years we've heard arguments for and against school vouchers. Now it appears Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels will get this legislation passed as part of his education reform agenda.

In this context, the term "vouchers" means that taxpayer money will be used for families of legislature-established income levels to pay tuition at private or parochial schools. The idea is to give choice to families who can't afford schools other than traditional and charter public schools.

Let's take a look at the major components of this legislation (there have been many changes and compromises following the House Democrats' protest/walkout to Illinois, and changes may continue):

- From June 2011 through June 2013, 22,500 scholarships will be awarded in grades one-12
- Students in grades one to eight may receive scholarships up to $4,500
- Scholarships will based on family income that cannot exceed 150 percent of the amount required for the student to qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program
- Schools must be state accredited and give ISTEP+
- Scholarships will be suspended at poor-performing nonpublic schools
- Taxpayers who donate to organizations that grant school scholarships can take tax credits.

The pros and cons are many.

Proponents say vouchers will level the education playing field for all students and will empower parents to ensure that their children have the same opportunities as those from more affluent families. They also think the competition will force poorly performing public schools to improve or close.

Critics say this legislation will siphon money away from financially strapped public schools. They worry it will stymie efforts to improve public schools and some argue that providing money to faith-based schools is a violation of the separation of church and state.

What do you think? If your child attends public school, would you seek a voucher so he or she could go to a private school? If you'd rather keep him in public school, how do you expect the environment to change if vouchers are available?

Maybe your child attends nonpublic school. What are your thoughts on vouchers? We want to hear from you.

Best regards,

by Jackie Garvey

Educations Woes: Is it the parents, school or the teachers?

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:40:00 +0000

A recent Indianapolis Star “Our Children, Our City” article headline infuriated me.

The headline – “THE PROBLEM IS PARENTS” – reportedly is a direct quote from a teacher.

It is understandable why this teacher would want to redirect the blame. As legislative bills that include merit pay for teachers are debated, hard working, dedicated teachers feel they are unfairly blamed for unsuccessful students. But to put blanket blame on parents is as wrong as placing the blanket blame on educators.

Yes, some, maybe many, parents are struggling. They struggle with challenges of day-to-day living, which affects parenting. I am executive director of the Indiana Partnerships Center. The IPC and several other local not-for-profits have been working hard to help and teach parents how to become partners with schools in the education of their children. We also work with schools to help schools effectively partner with parents. Sometimes the biggest challenge is understanding one another’s perspectives and not judging each other. We all want our children to be successful, healthy and ready for meaningful work and careers.

Two weeks ago, IPC, the Marion County Commission on Youth and the Indiana Youth Institute sponsored what we believe was a fresh, fun, informative and educational workshop for parents.

A panel of experts along with nearly 100 parents addressed the following questions in small groups. The only rule was that participants could not talk about their personal problems. They had to come at the questions from a more global perspective or at least a school-wide perspective.

Here are the questions. We’d love to read your answers to them. The information we collect will be used to inform our work and improve our programming.

How can schools more effectively communicate to families the ways to help students graduate on time and continue with post-secondary education?
What can principals do to create a welcoming environment for families?
What can parents do to partner with schools that would result in better attendance and overall achievement and attainment for our children?
What are policies and practices at your school that help students’ overall success? I.e.: discipline, attendance, homework, parent/teacher conferences?

Parents, we know raising children is the hardest yet most worthwhile journey you will ever take. Please let us know how to help as you navigate through your children’s education journey.

Sincerely,

by Jackie Garvey

The Indiana Partnerships Center encourages and enables parents to engage with their child’s school, to the mutual benefit of the child and the school. The center, which serves all of Indiana, is one of 62 Parental Information Resource Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.

The pursuit of the perfect college: About a mother and daughter

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:39:00 +0000

It was rainy and miserable, unseasonably cold. And then there was that desiccated squirrel corpse lying on the sidewalk.

Not pleasant conditions, of course, but were they sufficient reason to strike a campus from my daughter’s list of prospective colleges? Apparently so.

At first, I thought my daughter was hasty in nixing that institution so early in her college search. But I soon realized that sometimes intangible feelings are reason enough to whittle down the list in pursuit of the perfect college fit.

We visited a lot of campuses during her quest. The trips proved to be fun family outings. Sometimes we happened to be in the area of a school and figured, “why not?” In fact, we were on a planned visit to one campus when we learned about another just an hour away, and it was the second one that ended up high on her list.

That school, however, didn’t pass the Facebook test. Again, I wondered if she were rejecting it too easily. But she explained that she had joined a Facebook group of high school seniors who had been accepted by the school, and after a lot of conversations she realized that their interests did not jibe with hers.

Still another school sounded perfect for her when she researched it online. But when we visited, she found little to like. The classes were too big, the campus too impersonal.

She ultimately chose another college that we had visited on that same cold, rainy day. In her mind, the campus shone despite the overcast weather. Now, almost three-quarters of the way through her undergraduate education, she remains thrilled with her choice, enthusiastically ensconced on a campus where she sensed then – and feels today – that she belongs.

In fact, she’s a tour guide there, happily helping prospective students and their families decide if her beloved college is right for them.

Are you planning to make college visits soon? (Contact Angela Short at 205-2595 to learn more about The Indiana Partnerships Center’s trips for teens and their parents to Vincennes University Monday; Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis Tuesday; Anderson College and Ball State University Wednesday; and Ivy Tech Community College Thursday.)

When you go, encourage your teen to research prospective schools online, where he can learn about academics, the campus’s characteristics, requirements and expected test scores. And when you and your teen head out on college visits, keep an open mind about his feelings about the campuses. Even if his reasons seem arbitrary for keeping one on the list while rejecting another, your teen is more likely to succeed in college if he chooses a campus where he feels that he fits in and he wants to live for four important learning years.

Maybe you’ve already made some college visits. If so, share your experiences here.

by Mary Dieter

An expert's take on the new Child Care Regulations bill: Pros & Cons

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:10:00 +0000

Over the past few weeks there have been several comments and articles discussing the pros and cons of the Child Care Regulations being proposed in Senate Bill 56/ House Bill 1226. The strongest and loudest comments we’ve heard are focused on the separation of Church and State.

Senate Bill 56/House Bill 1226 standardizes basic health and safety requirements for all child care providers. Examples include ensuring all caregivers are at least eighteen (18) years old. It makes certain that all staff is trained in Universal Precautions and First Aid, with at least one CPR trained person on site. It also requires facilities have fire detection equipment.

At some point, individuals and groups should turn the focus back to the most important piece of the legislation, the safety of our children. The bill, as it is currently written, proposes changes to ensure safety for our youngest citizens, the ones who can not speak for themselves, and are taken care of in child care facilities daily. They need our support to make certain they are cared for in a safe and loving environment. I think this fact of the bill has been lost.

As part of my role of Early Childhood Coordinator for the Indiana PIRC, I have been blessed to work with several Child Care Ministries around Indiana. These programs have taken many steps to make sure children in their care are safe and well cared for every day. They have already taken many, if not most, of the steps outlined in the proposed bill. This is supported by the fact that we are not hearing from the Unlicensed Registered Child Care Ministries in opposition of the bill.

Take a moment to look at the proposed changes in SB56/HB1226 using this grid of the health and safety requirements. As a parent of three teenage boys, I honestly was surprised by the items that I thought would have already been in place at all child care centers. As parents, we look for a center were our child is happy, safe and well cared for while we are at work. We would not think to ask if everyone in the center is over 18 and not using illegal substances.

Remember parents, legislation can only go so far. We must be the front line advocates for our precious boys and girls.

For more information about Indiana Senate Bill 56/ House Bill 1226/ Child Care Regulations, Download this PDF.

by Lynn Silvey

Breaking Barriers: School through the eyes of a Spanish speaking immigrant

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:06:00 +0000

Evelyn Garcia

I came to the United States when I was 21 years old. I came to finish my bachelor’s degree in business administration. I had gone to English school back in El Salvador since I was six years old, but when I set foot in this country I realized how little I knew. It was a shock to me to find out that even though I had gone to school and learned English, to actually live here – to eat, breathe and dream English – was a whole different ball game.

Through the years I became more comfortable with the language and lost my fear of it. This experience makes me think of all these kids who come to the United States with no knowledge whatsoever of the language when they enroll in school. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to try to learn a subject such as history or science while not understanding the language in which it is taught and how hard it must be to take a test in that language.

My fear always was that I was not understanding the question right. I would read it over and over again, thinking, is this really what the teacher is asking? Imagine if one day all your teachers started talking in Spanish or Vietnamese or Chinese; would you be able to understand? I am glad that I found understanding from my teachers and my classmates. They were always willing to help me understand the questions and have the patience that allowed me to get comfortable enough that I could do my homework, take tests and not doubt my ability to learn.

I think is remarkable to see kids for whom English is a new language not only learning subjects at school but learning them as they learn the language. I truly believe that the support that I received from my parents, my teachers and my classmates helped me overcome the barrier of the language. So if you are struggling with the language or if your kids are, keep trying, keep pushing, keep learning. I know it is hard and sometimes it feels like you will never learn, but the reality is we never stop learning and that is the beauty of the challenge. I am still learning, I am still asking questions. Learn what you need to learn today; tomorrow you will learn some more.

What do you think? Have you ever experienced something like this? Have you ever gone to another country and felt lost because you couldn’t speak the language? How can we help and encourage these students? Let’s hear your experiences and ideas.

by Evelyn Garcia

An expert breaks down ISTEP+ and "Test Anxiety"This is a must read for parents.

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:40:00 +0000

Jerrell Cassady

We all experience anxiety – and anxiety does play a positive role in our lives. For more than 100 years, psychologists have recognized that some level of arousal or anxiety is needed to spark motivation to perform at our best.

Feeling nervous before a big meeting, presentation or athletic contest helps us to energize and focus our attention on the task. However, too much anxiety has a negative influence, drawing our attention away from performing well and focusing on the anxiety itself. Such is the case with academic anxieties.

Academic anxiety is a new concept, proposed in the past year as a way to help us consider the anxiety that learners experience in academic settings.

Common examples are math anxiety, science anxiety, computer anxiety and, of course, test anxiety. One way Test anxiety affects performance by pulling our attention away from the test and turning it toward the worry, tension or fear imposed by the test. Sometimes we avoid the test – including studying for it – in an attempt to alleviate the anxiety we feel. In both situations, the end result is obvious: we don’t do as well as we could if we weren’t distracted.

So . . . ISTEP+. Feel anxious yet? The term alone raises heart rates of children, teachers and parents around Indiana. When I was in high school in the 1980s, ISTEP was just being introduced and the level of tension about it was much like a standard classroom test. That is, some did not worry about it and just did their thing; and some paid it no attention, making patterns out of their bubble sheets, marking C for all the answers or sleeping; and some kids were anxious and uneasy about the mere presence of a test. There are always a few in a room who fit in the latter group. Our research at Ball State University shows that they suffer even when the test will not be scored and used in grades. The mere existence of a test sparks the anxiety.

Today, we have a whole different situation. ISTEP+ is now a “high-stakes” test in every sense of the term. Student scores can affect school credentials (even school closure and may eventually affect teacher pay and employment. That’s a lot of pressure tied to a test. My work, however, focuses on how to help learners cope with test anxiety.

Tips to make sure our kids do their best on ISTEP+:

Help your child see that ISTEP+ (or any test) should be taken seriously, but it is not life and death. Encourage him to get “up” for the test, but not see it as something that will ruin his life if he doesn’t do great.
If your child expresses concern over the test, build her confidence by reminding her of how well she has done on other things. If she did well on ISTEP+ last year, remind her of that. If she has improved in an area of academics, point that out.
Help your child prepare for the test – not in the ways you normally think. I don’t recommend a “cram session” before your third grader runs out the door for ISTEP+. But I do recommend that he get a good night’s rest, have a healthy breakfast and doesn’t carry any “baggage” to school with him before the test.
Reward your child’s positive attitude or performance. I don’t recommend raising anxiety unnecessarily with discussions about the big-picture effects of ISTEP+ scores, but it is useful to let her know that you value when she does her best. The reward, like all things, depends on the child. Recognize her effort, improvement over last year, meeting a certain standard or strength in a particular area of the assessment. You won’t know outcomes right away so, particularly with younger children, reward their attitudes and positive behavior during the testing week itself.

by Jerrell Cassady

For more information on this topic visit:

- AcademicAnxiety.org

- On Facebook

Social Media: Should teachers be able to express their voices as well?

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:22:00 +0000

You may have read about the Pennsylvania teacher who got in trouble for blogging about her students. Natalie Munroe didn’t identify the school or any of the personalities about whom she wrote, but her school has suspended her.

Some observers, including many teachers, are crying “foul!” They say Munroe’s First Amendment rights have been violated by the suspension.

I haven’t read her blog, so I have mixed feelings about that specific situation. But with blogging becoming more and more popular, I think it’s wise for all of us to consider some of the issues her situation raises.

First, though some people view blogs as personal journals or letters, they’re not. They’re public forums that are, theoretically, available to millions of people. (Most of us bloggers wish we could reach just a small fraction of that!) Anyone who writes a blog with the notion that the comments are somehow kept private among a select audience of like-minded individuals is naïve.

In fact, provocative content like Munroe’s – calling her students “lazy whiners” – spreads faster than the proverbial wildfire. That’s the nature of the Internet – and of humans.

To me, it’s just unwise to make public comments that could affect one’s relationship with her employer or her customers – students and parents. Munroe may not have identified anyone, but students, parents, other teachers and others in the community surely know her and her school, so it’s disingenuous to contend that no one would feel wounded. If anything, her comments about unidentified people painted all of her students with a broad brush, so even the most conscientious student may feel targeted.

Most people know it’s unwise to criticize one’s employer in a public forum; we recognize that, if word gets back that we’ve bad-mouthed the company’s president, our careers may suffer. There’s even a cliché to describe the situation – biting the hand that feeds us. Consequently, we willingly forfeit some of our First Amendment right to free speech so that we can remain gainfully employed.

That’s not to say that, in the appropriate forum and with the appropriate manner, our employer would not value constructive criticism. The same goes for Munroe’s school; perhaps her thoughts would have been taken more seriously – and she would have caused less of a stir – had she expressed them in a less mean-spirited way and in a more constructive forum. Maybe she would have found a legion of fans if she had offered a thoughtful blog entry that expressed concern for students’ behavior and study habits and offered constructive solutions.

What do you think? Should teachers blog about their schools or students? Are they being held to stricter standards than people in other careers? Have Munroe’s First Amendment rights been violated? Let us know your thoughts.

Sincerely,

by Jackie Garvey

Bullying: What should the parents do?

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:18:00 +0000

If you’ve ever suspected that your child has been bullied – or has bullied another child – you’ll want to read the Indiana Partnerships Center’s January newsletter.

Read the January Newsletter

We were struck by the onslaught of news stories about bullying, including the horrible news last fall that two boys in Central Indiana – one 14, the other 15 – hanged themselves after having been harassed at their schools.

So we decided to offer parents some insight into the issue of bullying, including the perspectives of two students who have been bullied; a mother whose child was bullied; a therapist who works with victims and their families; and a school official.

It’s hard to say if bullying is more common today than when we parents were in school. Most of us remember when the “cool kids” picked on the “nerds,” when some athletes had to endure a rite of passage to be accepted by their teams. But there is a new twist – cyber bullying, which means bullying via the Internet or cell phones – that subjects victims to relentless, 24/7, widespread and anonymous bullying. For some, such as the two Central Indiana boys, bullying becomes too much to bear. They take the ultimate way out, and create the ultimate tragedy for their loved ones.

One of the simplest yet most profound messages conveyed through the interviews conducted for our newsletter is that we can reduce, even eliminate, bullying if we teach our children to be kind. If a mother witnesses her young son being cruel to a playmate, she should ask him how he would feel if the roles were reversed. A child who learns empathy at an early age is less likely to bully in middle school and beyond.

In addition to the stories, our newsletter also offers links to online resources that go into greater depth about the issue. A particularly valuable one is the opportunity to take a bullying quiz created by the Josephson Institute on Ethics that will help you determine if you are doing all you can to prevent your child from being a victim or being a bully.

The Josephson Institute gave us permission to use its quiz for our members. If you’d like to take it, go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PGMXVGJ or, for a Spanish version, to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6ZMK2NS.

You may score your own results to see if you’re promoting healthy social relationships for your child. We hope to get sufficient results to share them with the Josephson Institute for its continued research on bullying.

What has your child’s experience been with bullying? Has your child’s school responded appropriately? Weigh in on the issue here.

by Jackie Garvey

Do Daniels' Education Points Do the Job?

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:08:00 +0000

OK, readers, it’s time for you to weigh in, and I’m not talking about your New Year’s resolution. I’m talking about Gov. Mitch Daniels’ resolution to reform Indiana education.

In his State of the State address, the governor said he “can’t wait for education reforms.” But are his ideas the best for Indiana students, families and schools? I am heartened that education is front and center on the governor’s agenda, but plenty of debate and discussion are needed during the next few months.

Gov. Daniels asked legislators to do the following:

Give parents more voice and choice by increasing the number of public charter schools, now about 60, in the state.
Allow low-income children to take taxpayer-supplied school dollars to private schools. This voucher plan has been long debated in Indiana. Charter schools grew out of this debate.
Give merit pay to teachers who are performing best. Teacher evaluations would be based in part on student performance.
Give school boards more flexibility by repealing some mandates.
Give students who graduate high school in less than four years the money that the state would have paid for their education in the senior year. That money could be used only for additional education.

Readers, we are interested in hearing the pros and cons of each proposal. Have you, like the governor, waited long enough for education reforms? Is this the time? Or as state Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, said in response to the speech, “does the governor want to dismantle public education?”

Always remember one thing: you have a voice. Let it be heard here and be sure to let your legislators know your opinions. You can call or e-mail them or even look them up on social media outlets.

We look forward to this discussion.

by Jackie Garvey

Good news about the 2010 graduation rates!

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:35:00 +0000

By Jackie Garvey

It was too bad that the announcement about 2010 graduation rates came right before Christmas. You may have been too distracted to hear the good news.

It bears repeating: the graduation rate for young people in Indiana in May 2010 was 84.1 percent, up 2.6 percentage points over 2009.

That in itself is noteworthy. But particularly gratifying is that young people who traditionally have been disadvantaged in school – members of racial minorities and youths who come from poor families – made the biggest strides.

According to the Indiana Department of Education, the rates for African-American and Hispanic students, those with limited English proficiency and those who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches each increased more than 6 percentage points from 2009 to 2010.

In the state’s largest school district, Indianapolis Public Schools, which has a large percentage of minority students, rates at several schools increased substantially. Arsenal Technical High School’s rate, for example, increased 10 percentage points in one year. Arlington’s rate went from 48 percent in 2008 to 59.7 percent in 2009 to 66.4 percent in 2010. And George Washington Community, with a rate of just 47 percent in 2009, reached 68.4 percent last spring.

It’s easiest to quantify the change with those statistics, but it’s exciting to realize that those percentage points represent real young people who, by graduating from high school, are less likely to be unemployed, poor, incarcerated or single mothers than they would have been had they dropped out of school.

There are lots of reasons for the changes and they probably vary by school district, maybe even by school. It’s my sense, however, that change is coming because more and more people – including you, because you’re reading this – recognize that we cannot and must not throw our kids away. We cannot and must not consign them to sad, unfulfilled, difficult lives.

We can and must do everything in our power to provide them with the solid foundation on which they can build. Every day, I see parents who recognize this duty and step up to it.

Did your child’s school post a higher graduation rate in 2010 than in 2009? What do you think made the difference? If your school’s rate declined, was that just a quirk, or has something gone awry? Post your thoughts here.

There is a problem: Is it the school or the parents?

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:40:00 +0000

Sixty-eight percent of respondents in a recent poll blamed parents for problems in America’s education system. More people faulted parents in the Associated Press-Stanford University Poll than teachers, teachers’ unions, school administrators or government.

Mothers (72 percent) were more likely than fathers (61 percent) to blame parents; conservatives were more likely than moderates or liberals to do so.

I realize that the respondents were prompted by the poll to place blame on someone. And maybe there’s some value in any poll or study or other vehicle that draws attention to education and the role that we all play in ensuring our children learn.

But we have to stop the blame game. It’s not productive. In fact, it’s counterproductive; at the very least, it discourages people and makes them defensive and, at worst, it angers people and causes them to point fingers all the more.

Instead of blaming other parents – because it’s against human nature to consider that we may be part of the problem – it would be more productive for each of us to take a look in the mirror and ask, “What can I do to advance the education of my child and other children?”

And instead of paying attention to a poll that may identify a problem but fails to offer a solution, let’s recall a 2008 report by Civic Enterprises, a Washington D.C. nonprofit organization. It found that the a huge majority of parents deemed it important for them to be involved in their children’s high school education, but that most parents of children in low-performing schools thought those schools did a poor job of involving parents.

The importance of parental involvement in schools is becoming clearer and clearer. Those of us who have the wherewithal to step up must not only become engaged with our children’s schools, but also must insist that the schools live up to their responsibility to engage other parents who may not feel empowered to speak up or become involved.

Enough of the blame game. Let’s stand up for each other and for our children.

by Jackie Garvey

Michelle Rhee, the answer to education reform?

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:25:00 +0000

Have you seen the documentary Waiting for ‘Superman'? It’s a movie that advocates for national public education reform through several means, including eliminating the inequities in many families’ ability to access high-performing schools for their children. It also tackles the controversy of whether or not teacher unions are protecting ineffective teachers. For example, Waiting for ‘Superman’ promotes the addition of more publicly funded, controversial charter schools that are allowed to function similar to private schools.

It also profiles the now former chancellor of Washington D.C. schools, Michelle Rhee. In 2007, the educator blew into her position like a firestorm and promised huge, immediate change for one of the worst school districts in the nation. She professed to not care whether she was liked; she only wanted to get the job done. She had complete support from Mayor Adrian Fenty.

Amid some anger and outrage, Rhee closed 12 schools, fired hundreds of teachers and administrators and began to see test scores go up. Now her mission is to reform education across the nation. She quit her job and admits Mayor Fenty probably lost his seat due to her unpopularity. On the flip side, governors and companies coast to coast begged her to come help them.

Instead, Rhee has started her own foundation called Studentsfirst, www.studentsfirst.org. She hopes a million people will become members of her website and she pledges to raise $1 billion the first year for education. She says StudentsFirst will support great teachers and fight against “ineffective instructional programs and bureaucracy.”

In a Newsweek cover story, Rhee says, “we’ll support and endorse school-board candidates and politicians . . . who want to enact policies around our legislative agenda.”

She says – again – that this will be no popularity contest. Rhee says she will not shy away from conflict and hopes her supporters won’t either.

Readers, what do you think? Could Rhee launch a real reform effort that will give all children an equal opportunity for a high-quality education? Or is she going about this incorrectly by “taking no prisoners,” as the saying goes?

Let the discussion begin!

Jackie

P.S. Look for the next blog entry to see newly released data on how Hoosier children are performing.

The Indiana Partnerships Center encourages and enables parents to engage with their child’s school, to the mutual benefit of the child and school. The center, which serves all of Indiana, is one of 62 Parental Information Resource Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement.

Parents: Speak up, advocate for change

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:11:00 +0000

There’s good news and there’s bad news in recent educational happenings in Indiana and beyond.

Indiana children scored higher on standardized tests last year, according to data released recently by the Indiana Department of Education. More students graduated too; the rate reached 81.5 percent in 2009, up 3.7 percentage points over the previous year’s rate. (http://www.doe.in.gov/news/2010/01-January/GraduationRateImproves.html)

Schools performed better too; 101 schools graduated 90 percent or more of their students in four years. And in the fifth year in which schools were rated on whether they had achieved “adequate yearly progress,” 38 percent of schools made exemplary progress, 8 percent made commendable progress and 27 percent made what the department calls academic progress. Three hundred nineteen – 18 percent of all schools – have made adequate yearly progress in each year that they’ve been rated, 233, or 13 percent, have missed just one year. (http://www.doe.in.gov/news/2010/11-November/ayppl221.html)

Then there’s the bad news.

One hundred forty-six schools – 8 percent of the total – have failed to make adequate yearly progress in each of the five years. Twenty-six of them failed in more than half of the categories in which they were assessed. Most of the latter schools – 88 percent – were located in high-poverty urban areas (46 percent were in Central Indiana and 23 percent were in Northwest Indiana).

What’s more, about 23,000 Indiana youths did not graduate with their class in 2009.

The news gets bleaker. The Program for International Student Achievement recently released data on testing of students in 60 countries. Students in six countries had higher average scores in reading literacy than U.S. students. Those in 13 countries scored higher than the U.S. in science. And the youths of 17 other countries had higher math scores than students in the largest, most powerful nation on the planet.

So why does this matter? And what can parents do? We need to speak up, to advocate for local, state and federal agendas on education policy and funding.

I want to know what you think. What do you think must happen in our schools to improve the overall education of our children? In particular, how can we ensure that our schools hire and retain effective teachers? And how can we ensure that our schools provide the 21st-century skills and knowledge that our children need to graduate on time and to prepare them for college or trade school training that will lead to successful careers?

Jackie

A Time for Teacher Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:39:00 +0000

It was a dilemma several years ago, when my own children were in school, and it continues to be: what, if any, gift to give teachers for the holidays.

A friend of mine recently mentioned that in her children’s school, buying the “perfect” gift for teachers has become somewhat of a competition among parents. Students love to see the look of appreciation on the faces of their favorite teachers. But has it become more than that for parents? Are families giving gifts to keep up with the Joneses and perhaps buying a little favor for our kids? Or are we doing it for the right reason: to show true appreciation for the hard-working professionals who have such a tremendous responsibility for our children?

Assuming the best intentions for everyone, here are a few suggestions to avoid a competition:

Take up a class $$$ collection and buy a gift card for teachers at an education-supply store or book store. I would suggest that no specific amount of money be requested from parents.
Ask the teacher if he/she has a specific need for the classroom.
Ask each child to write a personalized note to the teacher to be included with the class gift.
Include all the students’ names regardless of their family’s ability to chip in for the gift.
Don’t buy religious or holiday-specific gifts. Keep in mind that teachers come from different cultural and religious backgrounds, and thus celebrate different holidays. Make it just a gift of appreciation.

And here is another dilemma my friend raises. For how many teachers and school personnel do you buy? Students have several teachers, some of whom may be forgotten. What about the art, music and gym teachers, bus drivers, lunchroom helpers and classroom aides?

What do you do? Let’s use this opportunity to discuss your ideas.

Regards,

Jackie

Going Year Round

noreply@blogger.com (WCP Online) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:30:00 +0000

By Jackie Garvey

The Indianapolis Public School district is joining with an estimated 3,000 other public schools nationwide who’ve moved to a year-round calendar. That’s a little less than 10 percent of all schools but the trend is inching upwards.

Year-round means many things to many school districts. For some, it means additional days are added to the typical 180 day school year. Summer vacation is reduced to a month or less but breaks throughout the year are longer.

For IPS, the initial plan is to stay with 180 days a year. Summer vacation will be reduced from 10 weeks to 8. Students and faculty will have two weeks off in October, one week off for Thanksgiving, two weeks off for winter break in December/January and two weeks off in the spring.

Within those breaks, opportunities for remediation and enrichment are expected to be offered.

The primary reason most school districts give (IPS included) for changing the calendar is so that during a shorter summer break, students have less time to forget what they learned during the school year. We know it’s true that many children’s families do not have the resources to provide camps and vacations for summer learning experiences during the time away from school.

Yes, we also know that many families have legitimate concerns about childcare, transportation, vacation time and such. But since this is a done-deal, I would like to hear some thoughts and stories from families who’ve been engaged in year-round school. Perhaps you could share with other parents and guardians how you have adjusted. What changes did you make? How did you cope? What advice can you share? What are some advantages you’ve experienced?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Jackie