A glitch in guidelines is threatening the existence of a comprehensive family literacy program. We understand that literacy is critical, that early intervention is a good investment and that ongoing support is important. Here’s an organization trying to make a difference. They need help reaching congressional leaders regarding this glitch in order to apply for the grant.
New York City has an interesting, relatively new program to cultivate leadership and high caliber professionals. We need leadership and administrators whose employment has more merit than simply more time. It looks like there are some imperfections, and as is true with all school reform efforts - it doesn’t work for all situations. But there are some signs of progress, and hopefully more to come as the program and its graduates mature.
This Report, by the Aspen Institute provides some good points about how to recruit, support and develop the best quality teachers. The model is… Singapore. Interesting.
Key points include high standards and professional (rather than self) selectivity, as well as strategic use of financial resources, including throughout the teacher education process/ college and ongoing career development and long term professional investment throughout the course of a career.
See here and here for some blogger insights.
UPDATE: More analysis.
From To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. One of my all-time favorite pieces of literature:
“One more thing, gentlemen, before I quit. Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal, a phrase that the Yankees and the distaff side of the Executive branch in Washington are fond of hurling at us. There is a tendency in this year of grace, 1935, for certain people to use this phrase out of context, to satisfy all conditions. The most ridiculous example I can think of is that the people who run public education promote the stupid and idle along with the industrious- because all men are created equal, educators will gravely tell you, the children left behind suffer terrible feelings of inferiority. We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe - some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they’re born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others - some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men.
But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal- there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution gentlemen, is a court. It can be the Supreme Court of the United States or the humblest J.P. court in the land, or this honorable court which you serve. Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.”
The City of Newburgh (and here) is a study in urban challenges. It has great architecture, the waterfront, and a vibrant, diverse community. It also struggles with poverty, lacks jobs and affordable housing issues. The community is eligible for and receives substantial and recurring grant dollars from a variety of sources to fund revitalization efforts. (more…)
This economy has turned some attention to mechanical craftsmanship, a viable economic endeavor. To what end are we encouraging our children who are particularly adept at working with their hands, who would do well to work for themselves, to pursue such options? How well are our schools able to link to apprenticeships? Most tradesmanship as such has become the responsibilities of BOCES vocational training, but there are many other opportunities to integrate such skills into other academic paths, and encourage people to pursue the career path and appropriate education to that end.
The good news is that many school budgets passed this year, including all of Ulster County. The dilemma is that there are still significant changes that need to be made to our school budgets for next year. A local opinion here.
