CNN.com - Maryland teacher named Teacher of the Year - Apr 25, 2006

CNN.com - Maryland teacher named Teacher of the Year - Apr 25, 2006: "She has Vietnamese, Latino, African, African-American and Haitian students. All but one speak a language other than English. Their school, Broad Acres Elementary in Silver Spring, Maryland, is largely low-income, with 90 percent of students receiving free or reduced meals, and it was at risk of state takeover when Oliver arrived six years ago.

Yet despite the apparent barriers, Oliver has helped boost her students' scores, involved their parents in their education and gotten youngsters engaged in their school."

National Title Goes To Md. Teacher

National Title Goes To Md. Teacher
Kimberly Oliver, a kindergarten teacher at Broad Acres Elementary School in Silver Spring, who has been named the 2006 National Teacher of the Year.

The choice of Oliver, the first educator from Maryland to win the national honor, marks the second year that a Washington-area teacher has won the national competition. The 2005 Teacher of the Year was Jason Kamras, who taught mathematics at John Philip Sousa Middle School in the District.

"It is an honor to serve as the Maryland Teacher of the Year, and now as the National Teacher of the Year, representing the teaching profession," Oliver said in a statement. She said she was "already an advocate for children and teachers" and, "given this unbelievable opportunity, I hope to emphasize the importance of early childhood education."

USATODAY.com - Richer areas more successful in attracting qualified teachers

USATODAY.com - Richer areas more successful in attracting qualified teachers: "WASHINGTON — Public school teachers in the nation's wealthiest communities continue to be more qualified than those in the poorest despite a federal law designed to provide all children equal educational opportunity.

Preliminary data released by the Department of Education show that in 39 states, the chance of finding teachers who know their subjects are better in elementary schools where parents' incomes are highest. The data show that's also the case among middle and high schools in 43 states.

"

CNN.com - Law raises fears of more school segregation - Apr 19, 2006

CNN.com - Law raises fears of more school segregation - Apr 19, 2006: "HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) -- Betty Sternberg is in charge of two school systems. One, scattered throughout the state, is rich and white. The other, isolated in seven large towns, is poor and minority.

Sternberg is the state's education commissioner, and one of her jobs is to unite the two systems so Connecticut can move past its role as defendant in the nation's longest-running desegregation lawsuit. On paper, it wouldn't seem to be that difficult.

No one involved in the lawsuit disagrees with its contention that Connecticut hasn't always given its poor and minority students an education as good as it's given its rich and white students. No one thinks the gap between the two systems is a good thing. And no one wants the disparities to continue.

CNN.com - 'No Child' loophole misses millions of scores - Apr 18, 2006

CNN.com - 'No Child' loophole misses millions of scores - Apr 18, 2006: "AP) -- Laquanya Agnew and Victoria Duncan share a desk, a love of reading and a passion for learning. But because of a loophole in the No Child Left Behind Act, one second-grader's score in Tennessee counts more than the other's.

That is because Laquanya is black, and Victoria is white.

AP: States Omit Minorities' School Scores - Yahoo! News

AP: States Omit Minorities' School Scores - Yahoo! News: "Overall, AP found that about 1.9 million students — or about 1 in every 14 test scores — aren't being counted under the law's racial categories. Minorities are seven times as likely to have their scores excluded as whites, the analysis showed.

Less than 2 percent of white children's scores aren't being counted as a separate category. In contrast, Hispanics and blacks have roughly 10 percent of their scores excluded. More than one-third of Asian scores and nearly half of American Indian scores aren't broken out, AP found.

CNN.com - Omaha school district to split along racial lines - Apr 14, 2006

CNN.com - Omaha school district to split along racial lines - Apr 14, 2006: "LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- In a move decried by some as state-sponsored segregation, the Legislature voted Thursday to divide the Omaha school system into three districts -- one mostly black, one predominantly white and one largely Hispanic.

Grim forecast for young black men - Race in America - MSNBC.com

Grim forecast for young black men - Race in America - MSNBC.com: "At a time when the U.S. economy is on the upswing and more people are finding work, young African American men are falling further behind.

That’s the grim portrait painted by three new and forthcoming books by scholars at Columbia, Georgetown and Princeton universities. The picture isn't new, but the depths of its despair and pathology are."

Concerned Black Men National Convention: "Achieving Excellence is Our Top Priority" — CBM National Organization

Concerned Black Men National Convention: "Achieving Excellence is Our Top Priority" — CBM National Organization: "'ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IS OUR TOP PRIORITY'

REGISTER NOW for the May 2006 CBM Convention! Join us for a weekend of strategy sessions, workshops and seminars, all designed to help our youth develop strong minds, solid character and bright futures. Devising a National Action Plan for 'Closing the Achievement Gap' for African American boys is a top priority. We look forward to seeing you in the Spring!

Use the link to get registration information.

CBM National Organization — CBM National Organization

CBM National Organization — CBM National Organization: "Study Shows Few Grants Given to Minority-Led Non-Profits

For years, CBM and other minority-led nonprofits have complained that our groups have received on average less grant dollars from foundations than other community-based nonprofits. A 2005 study conducted by the Greenlining Foundation shows that the problem is greater than even the critics of traditional nonprofit giving initially believed. Greenlining, a group that supports greater public and private investment in poor and minority communities, found that foundation investment in minority-led nonprofits in America is “negligible.”

"

NPR : Helping Dropouts Break the Cycle of Poverty

NPR : Helping Dropouts Break the Cycle of Poverty: "If you come from a poor family, you are more likely to drop out of high school. And if you drop out and stay out of high school, you are more likely to be poor. In Portland, Ore., one program is designed to break this cycle by helping dropouts finish their education.

"

Area Soon to Be Mostly Minority

Area Soon to Be Mostly Minority: "The minority population in the Washington region will become the majority in well under a decade, a benchmark of the racial and ethnic change that is reconfiguring the area's political, economic and social identity.

Among residents younger than 40, minorities already outnumber whites, and experts say the trends that have driven up those numbers are certain to continue."

Study Shows Increase in Hispanic Entrepreneurship

Study Shows Increase in Hispanic Entrepreneurship: "Hispanics are opening businesses at a rate that is three times faster than the national average, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. There are nearly 1.6 million Hispanic-owned firms in the country, and they generated $222 billion in revenue in 2002.

Nearly one-fourth of those companies opened between 1997 and 2002. The last time the Census Bureau counted in 1997, there were 1.1 million Hispanic-owned businesses and they had revenue of $186 billion."

Educators’ Events at Busboys and Poets

Brought to you by Teaching for Change
at Busboys and Poets
Restaurant/Coffeehouse/Performance Space and Bookstore
2021 14th Street NW Washington, DC


Wednesday, March 29, 2006
6-8 PM
BOOK EVENT: Why We Teach
Sonia Nieto, a distinguished teacher in her own right, has gathered the insights and inspirations of K-12 classroom teachers as they examine how and why they find purpose and value in the work they do. This inspirational book focuses on the quintessential values of teaching by challenging current notions that focus only on accountability, testing, and standardization, and provides a compelling message of hope for public education. Sonia Nieto is Professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture at the School of Education, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and author of many key texts including Affirming Diversity, The Light in Their Eyes, What Keeps Teachers Going?, and most recently, Why We Teach. Nieto will respond to questions about and be available to sign all of these books.



Thursday, April 20, 2006
6:30 PM
BOOK EVENT: We Can't Teach What We Don't Know: White Teachers, Multiracial Schools.
Join author Gary R. Howard to launch the second edition of this bestselling book on culturally responsive teaching. The new edition adds sections on closing the achievement gap and No Child Left Behind. Borrowing from the words of Malcolm X, "We can't teach what we don't know, and we can't lead where we can't go," Gary Howard's book acts on both points. He explains why teachers mustn't fake it, but must acquire the knowledge, skills, and disposition to successfully teach all students. A great book for teacher-candidates and experienced teachers. Carl A. Grant, Professor, University of Wisconsin Madison.


Monday, April 24, 2006
5:30-7:30 PM
BOOK EVENT/VISUAL PRESENTATION: Possible Schools: The Reggio Approach to Urban Education
Ann Lewin-Benham shares invaluable insights from the Reggio Emilia approach to education in the early years. Lewin was the founder and director of the Model Early Learning Center (MELC) in Washington, D.C. — the only school in a U.S. urban area to successfully implement the principles of the Municipal Preschools of Reggio Emilia. Ann Lewin-Benham also ran the Capital Children’s Museum in Washington, DC for twenty years. This is an excellent presentation for early childhood parents and teachers.


All of these events are free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first served. Dinner/refreshments are available to be purchased from the Busboys and Poets menu. Dates of events may be subject to change. Please call Busboys and Poets 202.387.POET for more information or to confirm event schedules.

For many more excellent equity focused professional development opportunities for educators in the DC Metro area and nationally, visit: http://www.teachingforchange.org/Calendar/Conferences/conferences.html or visit Teaching for Change and click on Calendar.

AIDS leaves 9 million orphans in Africa - AIDS - MSNBC.com

AIDS leaves 9 million orphans in Africa - AIDS - MSNBC.com: "Some 9 million children in Africa have lost a mother to AIDS, British charity Save the Children said Monday, calling on donors to sharply increase aid to meet their needs.

“Incredibly, the impact of HIV and AIDS on children is still being ignored,” Save the Children Chief Executive Jasmine Whitbread said in a statement.

The charity said in a report that a lack of testing facilities meant that many mothers, especially in the poorest countries, did not know their HIV status until they were ill and unable to fight off even the simplest infections."

CNN.com - Study: White kids most likely to abuse inhalants - Mar 16, 2006

CNN.com - Study: White kids most likely to abuse inhalants - Mar 16, 2006: "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Kids who try to get high by sniffing glue, lighter fluid and other chemicals are more likely to be white and come from families that make more than double the poverty level, according to a federal study.

The study of inhalant abuse found that about 34 percent of young people between 12- and 17-years-old who tried inhalants for the first time came from families that earned at least 200 to 399 percent more than the federal poverty threshold. About 33 percent came from families that make 400 percent or more of the poverty level."

CNN.com - Shedding light on slavery in the north - Mar 17, 2006

CNN.com - Shedding light on slavery in the north - Mar 17, 2006: "OYSTER BAY, New York (AP) -- A group of mostly white seventh and eighth graders sleepily sauntered into their school library one recent morning, soon to get a surprise awakening about a part of their town's history they never knew existed.

'Did anybody in this room know there were 60 enslaved Africans, people, human beings, buried a mile from here?' Alan Singer, a professor at Hofstra University, asked them. 'Those people have been erased from history. It is as if they never existed.'"

Fairfax's Ailing Poor Waiting

Fairfax's Ailing Poor Waiting: "If you are poor and mentally ill in Fairfax County, it can take you as long as six months to see a therapist. If you need a place in a group home, you could be waiting for years.

Those bleak assessments come from the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, an agency that operates mental health, mental retardation and substance abuse programs for the county on a $149 million budget."

Rejection Slip

Rejection Slip: "t's a time-honored stereotype: the social outcast who ignores the derision of classmates to become a straight-A student, the kid who madly waves his or her hand in a desperate attempt to answer the teacher's every question.

Yet the reality, it seems, is starkly different: Researchers who followed 380 Midwestern children from the ages of 5 to 11 found that those who were chronically rejected by their classmates were more likely to withdraw from school activities and scored lower on standardized tests than their more popular peers."

CNN.com - Stanford: No tuition for low-income students - Mar 16, 2006

CNN.com - Stanford: No tuition for low-income students - Mar 16, 2006: "STANFORD, California (AP) -- Hoping to encourage students scared by rising higher education costs, Stanford University is eliminating tuition for undergraduates from some of the lowest-income families."

Use the link to read the entire article.