NEA Education Insider: August 5, 2010

NEA Education Insider: August 5, 2010

You did it!  The Senate has passed legislation to save over 138,000 education jobs!  On August 5, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 61-39.  This victory for educators, students, and our nation was a direct result of your calls, letters, e-mails and personal visits to Senators.  Thank you for your incredible efforts!

See how your Senator voted on this important bill.

Thank Senators who voted yes, and express your disappointment to those who voted against saving education jobs.

We are in the final stretch now.  The House of Representatives will return to Washington, DC for a special session to vote on the Senate-passed bill.  The vote is scheduled for Tuesday, August 10.  The House has already passed an education jobs bill, but because the Senate bill uses different "offsets" to pay for the jobs fund, the House must now pass it.

Urge your House members to pass this urgent legislation.

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NEA Government Relations
202-822-7300
http://www.nea.org/lac

1201 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Education is ‘civil-rights issue of our generation,’ cabinet official tells NAACP

Calling education "the civil rights issue of our generation," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently issued a national challenge for whole communities to get involved in improving public education. "The only way to achieve equality in society is to achieve it in the classroom," Duncan told NAACP delegates meeting in Kansas City for the group’s annual convention. (Read more @ National Alliance of Black School Educators)

Rural School Districts Headed by African American Superintendents Hit Hard by Number Weighting

Ninety-three high-poverty rural school districts headed by African-American superintendents received almost $8.2 million less Title I funding in school year 2008-09 than they would have received if the formula for distributing these funds did not contain a provision that favors large districts over small districts. (Read more @ Forumula Fairness Campaign)

BLACK PROFESSOR PROMISES TO PAY STUDENTS FOR BAD GRADES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2010

CONTACT:
Kathy McCavanagh
RealWorld University, LLC
Day Phone: 888-576-2377
Night Phone: 850-212-0227

BLACK PROFESSOR PROMISES TO PAY STUDENTS FOR BAD GRADES

Award-winning Speaker, Author, & Professor – Joe Martin, Ed.D.

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) — National award-winning speaker and author, Professor Joe Martin, claims schools pay him literally thousands of dollars each year for one reason only, "Because I help struggling students ace college. Period." However, the over 550,000+ students who’ve attended Professor Martin’s lectures in the past know his presentation is anything but common, as he promises to pay students $100 for any course in which they receive a "C" or lower after hearing or reading his message called, "Tricks of the Grade: Street-Smart Strategies for Acing College."

Martin, who’s based out of Tallahassee, Fla., is a product of his own message. He grew up in one of toughest inner city ghettos in Miami, Fla., the son of a 16-year old, single mom who was also a high school dropout and abusive alcoholic. However, at the age of 24, Martin made history by becoming the youngest professor ever hired to teach in a tenured-earning position in the state of Florida.

"After I graduated from high school, going to college wasn’t even an option," Martin recalls. "My standardized test scores were so low that I was told I wouldn’t even be allowed to ‘drive’ by a college, let alone get accepted into one. I laugh now, but hearing those comments at age 17 was very demoralizing."

In spite of being told he wouldn’t succeed in college, Martin persisted in pursuing his college degree, ultimately was voted "Student of the Year" at his university (The University of West Florida), and graduating at the top of his class by the age of 20. Martin credits his academic success to 10 strategies he calls the "Tricks of the Grade."

His book and eCourse, "Tricks of the Grade: Street-smart Strategies for Acing College," is popular among college students across the country. Although Martin doesn’t offer his book in bookstores, he has sold thousands of his books and eCourses through his web site and at his live lectures. He currently boasts a client list of well over 750 colleges and universities.

"Joe’s ‘Tricks of the Grade’ workshop was an absolute hit on our campus," says Katherine Titus-Becker, the student activities director at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. "Several students have commented about how they were using the techniques he taught them. They (students) said they’re achieving grades they once thought were unreachable."

The success of his book and lectures have garnered Professor Martin national recognition. According to Eric Lambert, the executive director of the Association for Programming Campus Activities (APCA), "Joe is one of the hottest speakers on the college market. Wherever he goes, he literally changes lives." APCA honored Martin as their national "Campus Speaker of the Year," as voted by college students across the country.

To find out more information about Professor Martin’s "Tricks of the Grade" presentation, his book and eCourse, or to schedule an interview with him to discuss his tips and strategies, just visit: www.ProfessorMartin.com or www.TricksoftheGrade.com, or call toll free 888-576-2377.

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Consultant will lay out plan for ‘controlled choice’ in Wake schools – Source: WRAL

Raleigh, N.C. — Amid a raging debate over community-based schools in the Wake County Public School System, a consultant out of Massachusetts says he might have an option that can help give parents more choices in their children’s education without creating high-poverty schools. (Read more @ WRAL)

See related:

Wake County Public Schools

Fear of ‘resegregation’ fuels unrest in N.C. – Source: Rocky Mount Telegram (Different Opinions Good Article)

RALEIGH — In the annals of desegregation, Raleigh is barely a footnote.

Integration came relatively peacefully to the North Carolina capital. There was no “stand in the schoolhouse door,” no need of National Guard escorts or even a federal court order.

Nearly 50 years passed — mostly uneventfully, at least until a new school board majority was elected last year on a platform supporting community schools. (Read more @ The Rocky Mount Telegram)

See related:

Wake County Public Schools

BREAKING NEWS – NC NAACP Pres. Rev. Barber and Wake School Board member John Tedesco both appear on CNN Thursday morning

BREAKING NEWS – NC NAACP Pres. Rev. Barber and Wake School Board member John Tedesco both appear on CNN Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Barber was on the Ed Show on MSNBC this evening! Spread the word!

Note: Thanks Cash Michaels for sharing.

See related:

Wake County Public Schools

School Resegregation In Wake County, State NAACP President And Others Arrested. But What Is The Real Issue?

Both sides of the argument of promoting neighborhood schools vs keeping them diverse sounds good depending on who you ask. But the problem is, do everyone on both sides understand the real issue?

It is my opinion that folks just don’t get it. First to black folks do you remember when there were all black schools? Do you remember not having all the resources that white schools had? Do you remember getting the books and etc. that came from the white schools? But inspite of all of this black folks seemed to make a way and were some very smart people. I wonder if we were just born smart by nature. I say this especially since so many black folks did not finish school but were very successful. But now we know education is a must so black folks must go through the educational system in order to be considered a productive citizen of these United States. Remember they didn’t want us to be able to read but now you are almost considered a criminal if you can’t read.

To the white folks do you remember having all the resources that you needed to get an education that enabled you to go on and get all the good jobs? Just look around today at who are in the majority when it comes to management on a national level. Yes black folks are getting there but slowly. In my opinion it will be even slower if school districts take the approach that Wake County Public Schools have taken.

Yes in the idea world be one black, brown, white and/or other sending your child to a neighborhood school sounds like the right and best thing to do. Well I agree if the resources such as funding and etc. will be distributed equally. But the question is, will it?

So many times we forget that we need to make things simple so that everyday folks can get it. You see folks who are involved get it but the majority of the parents/others do not get it when they see it pop up on the news and hear others talking about it without the real issues being talked about.

I challenge the NAACP and all progressive thinking folks black, brown, white and other to stress what could happen to neighborhood schools. I do not think the message is being stressed to everyday people what is at stake in Wake County that will move on to other counties across the nation. The only thing everyone see is a bunch of folks going to jail because they are disrupting a meeting because they are creating (chaos), that they do not want to follow protocol and the real issue of why they are doing what they are doing is one of the best kept secrets.

Maybe I don’t get it.

Curmilus Dancy II
A Grassroots Effective Community Activist
A Life Fully Paid Member NAACP

See related:

Wake County Public Schools

 

Clip From Atlanta’s Booker T. Washington High School 2010 Graduation, Yes What A Testimony

Don’t know if you have seen this, but of you have not, it’s worth your time.  Jim

Please share. What a testimony!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey,

Thought you might like this one!  What an accomplished young man!

This is a clip from Atlanta’s Booker T. Washington High School 2010 graduation. The first male Valedictorian in 10 years.   
Sons, grandsons, nephews, godchildren, or neighbors. . . . . . This is proof that we have no excuses . . . . we have to keep fighting to grow our  manchildren into the great men that live inside of them. 
http://www.apsk12.org/media/VIDEO_PAGES/BTW_Val2010.html <http://www.apsk12.org/media/VIDEO_PAGES/BTW_Val2010.html>

Thanks Jim Clingman @ www.blackonomics.com for sharing.

Note: Yes we can, boys and men. We can be all of that and then some.

"High Poverty Schools’ Impact on Our Children’s Achievement" Forum

Thurs., June 17, 7-8:30PM, "High Poverty Schools’ Impact on Our Children’s Achievement" forum, Martin Street Baptist Church’s Johnson Building, 1001 E. Martin Street, Raleigh. Details in this flier (disregard 1001 State Street address on the flier). Call 231-9057 to register.

School Issues: How Do We Deal With Parents?

1.  How do we deal with children whose parents that are not real parents?

2.  How do we deal with parents who are not involved with their children education but goes to work, church and mingle with others who are involved in their children’s education?

3.   At what point do the school system step in and do something with the children who are disrupting the class?

4.   I would love to see a survey done to show how many children that are acting out in class whose parents are not real parents.

5.   At what point and time do the community and the church get involve with the children that we know that do not have real parents?

6.  At what point do the retired educators and other retirees help with dealing with school issues?

7.  Do you as an individual deal with issues involving children that you feel need addressing?

Note: The above questions came to mind while listening to FM 92.1 Morning Show with Bob Barnes.

A teacher called in and talked about:

1.  Dropout rates

2.  Age of teacher

3.  Age of parents

4.  Church involvement

5.  Crack cocaine has messed up our communities. Children are now raising themselves.

The teacher said she just don’t know how we can get it back on track.

Why We Must Fire Bad Teachers – Source: Black Power

The relative decline of American education at the elementary- and high-school levels has long been a national embarrassment as well as a threat to the nation’s future. Once upon a time, American students tested better than any other students in the world. Now, ranked against European schoolchildren, America does about as well as Lithuania, behind at least 10 other nations. Within the United States, the achievement gap between white students and poor and minority students stubbornly persists—and as the population of disadvantaged students grows, overall scores continue to sag. (Read more @ Black Power)

Note: This article is right on point. I love it. I see this in Edgecombe County in North Carolina.

Excerpts from the article:

*  Nothing, then, is more important than hiring good teachers and firing bad ones. But here is the rub. Although many teachers are caring and selfless, teaching in public schools has not always attracted the best and the brightest. There once was a time when teaching (along with nursing) was one of the few jobs not denied to women and minorities. But with social progress, many talented women and minorities chose other and more highly compensated fields. One recent review of the evidence by McKinsey & Co., the management consulting firm, showed that most schoolteachers are recruited from the bottom third of college-bound high-school students. (Finland takes the top 10 percent.)

* Over time, inner-city schools, in particular, succumbed to a defeatist mindset. The problem is not the teachers, went the thinking—it’s the parents (or absence of parents); it’s society with all its distractions and pathologies; it’s the kids themselves. Not much can be done, really, except to keep the assembly line moving through “social promotion,” regardless of academic performance, and hope the students graduate (only about 60 percent of blacks and Hispanics finish high school). Or so went the conventional wisdom in school superintendents’ offices from Newark to L.A. By 1992, “there was such a dramatic achievement gap in the United States, far larger than in other countries, between socioeconomic classes and races,” says Kate Walsh, president of the National Council on Teacher Quality. “It was a scandal of monumental proportions, that there were two distinct school systems in the U.S., one for the middle class and one for the poor.”

OpEdNews: The Texas Board of Education: America’s Taliban – Source: OpEdNews

Who are these educational experts, deciding what will be in the textbooks that more than half of America’s school children learn from? The list is composed of clowns. But, if clowns are supposed to be funny, this group is Freddy Krugerish terrifying. (Read more @ OpEdNews)

Students Versus Senators
As long as we’re going to dump most of our money into wars and the military and Wall Street and health insurance bailouts, students are going to have to go into debt to afford college. But it would cost the students less and the government less, if private companies were not permitted to act as middlemen profiting off public loans to students. (Read more @ OpEdNews)

“Save Our Black Boys” Closing the Achievement Gap For African American Boys in Grades K-12

Greetings and Holiday Wishes for an Incredible New Year,

If you are community oriented and pro-education for all children, then you are aware of the continuing learning achievement gap amongst African American boys in relation to other groups of students. I am spearheading an upcoming opportunity for teachers to participate in a full day workshop geared specifically toward improving the achievement levels of African American male students. An evening workshop from 7pm -9pm will follow specifically for parents, guardians, community leadership, elected officials, law enforcement, pastors, youth workers. I ask that parents not bring to children/youth to this session. Please share info and plan to attend. Please RSVP by email or calling the number on the flyer by January 15th. Seating capacity is limited.

Looking forward to hearing from you and working together to improve academic excellence for all children, that none be left behind!!! Peace and Blessings!!!! …And justice for all!!

Jackie McClean
Instep Dropout Prevention Coordinator/Coach
JMCLEAN@hcs.k12.nc.us

Note: If you would like to see the actual flyer please contact Jackie or you may email me @ thedcn@embarqmail.com

We Are Always Talking About Our Children Go Away And Don’t Come Back But Check Out What beGlobal Founder Is Doing

Quenesha McNair is one who I had the privilege of working with in little old Pinetops NC when she was in the group called (A.A.I.R.) Adolescence Against Irresponsible Recreation. This was a children’s group with their own officers. However we the adults were the overseer of the group and we were called (P.A.I.R.) People Against Irresponsible Recreation where by I served as an officer. We more than likely went with that name because all of us at that time were not parents.

Quenesha is different from many of those who have gone away and has not come back to give back. She is different also because she is not an athlete and is not a millionaire. She is a business person and she is reaching out to the children trying to get them to be productive and professional in high school before entering into the real world. She want them to understand that in order to be successful in whatever career path they chooses that they must understand that they first must go through high school and that it makes a difference how they carry themselves.

Because of Quenesha passion for children see what she is trying to do in the Rocky Mount area for some much needed children who have lost their mothers. Folks it is not about the women and how they lived but all about the children. These children need some love because they have lost a precious jewel and a part of life that nothing and no one no matter how much we give will ever take the place of their lost.

Quenesha resides in the Maryland area and is the founder of beGlobal. She is not only doing things in her hometown but she is doing things globally.

So what are we doing to help support one of our own? Some of us can help out monetarily and in other ways. Those can’t help out in any way at the moment can help out by encouraging Quenesha by picking up the phone and/or sending her an email and just let her know you appreciate what she is doing.

Since I operate out of pocket The DCN is limited to what it can do however I will be making a monetary donation in 2010.

See related:

Quenesha McNair founder beGlobal