Pongo Teen Writing Project on KING5 News

Pongo Friends,

BRILLIANT news! This Thursday, March 1, KING5 News in Seattle is airing a 7-minute (!) story about  the Pongo Teen Writing Project in juvenile detention. It features youth, Pongo volunteers, and a supervisor from detention. The story occurs during the 5 pm news, at about 5:45.

Set in the dramatic context of detention, the story is all about the youth and the Pongo writing process. It doesn't make light of the crimes that brought the teens to detention, but it focuses on the childhood traumas that burden these teens, and the role of Pongo writing in healing.

I was very happy to work with the award-winning team of reporter John Sharify and photojournalist Doug Burgess. Their story is sensitive, insightful, and artistic. I believe it's a very special production!

You can look for the Pongo story on the KING5 web site right after the Thursday broadcast. I hope you'll have a chance to check out the story on TV or the web, and I hope you'll forward the link to friends and colleagues.

FYI, Pongo is in its 16th year, and has provided therapeutic writing to youth in King County juvie since 1998. Overall, we've worked with 5,500 distressed youth (in homeless shelters, the state psych hospital, and other sites, as well as detention), published 13 books of youth poetry, given away 13,000 copies of our books, and talked to over 10,000 people in the community about the poetry and lives of abused and neglected youth. Pongo's latest book, "There Had to Have Been Someone," is our 8th book from juvie.

Please visit our web site, which includes 50 interactive writing activities for youth, as well as resources for counselors and teachers.

Groups consider trying to put charter-school initiative on ballot

Groups consider trying to put charter-school initiative on ballot:

Via The Seattle Times: Education

As prospects for a bill allowing charter schools dims in the Washington Legislature, some in the so-called "education reform" movement are considering compromise options or again asking the voters about it.

Radical School Reform Idea Spreads, With Messy Fights in Tow

Radical School Reform Idea Spreads, With Messy Fights in Tow:

Via Racewire.org: The Colorline's Blog on Race and Politics

On two coasts, furious debates are brewing over a controversial new school reform policy aimed at leveraging the power of parents to improve struggling schools. The parent trigger, as it's called, invites furious debate wherever it goes. But it's not going away anytime soon.

In Florida, state lawmakers have moved quickly to approve a Parent Empowerment Law. HB 1191, which passed out of committee last week, is headed to the Florida House floor soon. Meanwhile parents in the small town of Adelanto, Calif., are dealing with the fallout after they exercised California's first-in-the-nation parent trigger law, and had their petition to overhaul a local elementary school rejected. It is just the second time the law has been exercised in the country, and the second time the effort has been thwarted.

Yet, a veritable movement is spreading to replicate the model beyond California. The concept is seemingly simple. Often called parent empowerment laws, they grant parents the ability to petition to restructure their child's failing school if more than half of the parents at a school sign on to the change. Proponents of the law say it taps into a key community that's been all too often locked out of the process in school reform--parents.

"What I believe this bill does, in a very powerful way, is give those parents a stronger, more meaningful voice in the process," Florida Republican Rep. Michael Bileca, who is sponsoring HB 1191, told TCPalm.

Yet, critics of the law argue that it is being supported by a network of conservative lawmakers with ties to private interests that stand to profit off of the restructuring of poor-performing schools in low-income communities of color. They also contend that because parents are allowed to choose from a menu of reform options that includes a charter school takeover, these laws are simply ways to fast-track the infiltration of charter schools into the public school system.

"The problem is you are taking a valuable asset, our school, which was bought and paid for by the taxpayers, and handing that property to a charter management company," said Linda Kobert, cofounder of Fund Education Now, a network of Florida parent organizations which is fighting the parent trigger law.

"There is no mechanism for the public to get that asset back. There is no guarantee that the charter school is going to perform any better, and in fact research shows that charter schools are no better than traditional public schools."

Critics also say that they have concerns about parents' political power being exploited by powerful political interests--that parent trigger laws enable astroturfing more than actual grassroots movements.

But lawmakers have worked to address those concerns, said Linda Serrato, a spokesperson for Parent Revolution, the California-based nonprofit that is the major national force pushing parent trigger bills across the country.

According to Serrato, the California bill's backers did heavy lifting to incorporate the concerns of Democratic lawmakers. In Florida, the bill has split along cleanly partisan lines.

Meanwhile, in Adelanto, Calif., parents at Desert Trails Elementary School who pulled the trigger on their failing school last month are facing a crushing setback as their effort, exuberant at first, has quickly turned sour.

Last week, the Adelanto school board rejected parents' petition to overhaul the school. The board said that even though the petition seemed initially to garner 70 percent of Desert Trails' parents' signatures, organizers failed to collect enough legitimate signatures to take control of the school.

Parents had turned in two petitions: one calling for in-district reforms and a second that called for the creation a parent-managed charter school, in the event that the first attempt at negotiation fell through. But since the newly formed, pro-trigger Desert Trails Parent Union filed these petitions, a bitter controversy has erupted in the small town. One contingent of parents in Adelanto insists that they are not interested in a charter school. Others who signed the petitions say that the two-pronged strategy confused them. The Parent Union now has 60 days to review the disputed signatures and re-file their petition, according to Serrato.

"We will ultimately prevail because the law is on our side, the regulations are on our side, and justice is on our side," said Doreen Diaz, a Desert Trails parent who's organized others around the parent trigger. She said that her group remains undeterred by the school board's decision. "We only get one chance to give our kids the education they deserve. We have no choice but to succeed."

Parent triggers promise frustrated parents a fast-track to salvation for their kids' failing schools, but attempts at exercising the law have thus far left schools and communities anything but saved. In Adelanto and in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton, which also exercised the parent trigger last year, parent reformers have faced a similar experience: an excited group of well-organized, Parent Revolution-supported parents file their petitions, only to have the change challenged by the local community, including fellow parents.

The initial excitement around these campaigns has given way to confusion, and disagreement over the correct way to overhaul a failing school. Nonetheless, states like Arizona, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and New York are gearing up for or are knee-deep in similar proposals to pass their own laws.

A representative for Rep. Bileca's office said timing around Florida's HB 1191 is uncertain. The bill could arrive on the House floor any day within the next three weeks.

Safe Routes to School Overview Webinar

For those interested in the Safe Routes to School Program--Here's a webinar oppo...:

Via King County Food and Fitness Initiative's Facebook Wall

For those interested in the Safe Routes to School Program--Here's a webinar opportunity for March 1st! https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/525058344


Safe Routes to School Overview Webinar
www1.gotomeeting.com
To those interested in the Safe Routes to School Program: WSDOT today released a “call for projects” for our Safe Routes to School program. The goals of the Safe Routes to School grants are to increase the number of children walking and biking to school where it is safe, and if it’s not safe, work to make it safer...

Seattle full-day kindergarten fees to increase 15%

Seattle full-day kindergarten fees to increase 15%:

Via The Seattle Times: Education

Tuition is expected to rise by 15 percent, to $2,720 per year, as part of a gradual plan to eliminate the district's subsidy of the program.

Safe Routes to School VISTA position in Southeast Seattle

Safe Routes to School VISTA position in Southeast Seattle:
Via Mayor McGinn

How did you get to school when you were growing up? Did you walk (uphill both ways)? Growing up in the Spokane Valley, I mostly walked to school with my older sister and brother. I remember every step of the way to and from school–which kids lived on the route, different trees, fields, houses, people, sidewalks, streets, and a lot more.

Getting to school can be tougher for kids in Seattle. It’s not always an easy journey. Barriers to getting to school sometimes include having to take care of a family member, transportation problems, or other issues that can make it hard to get to school safely and on time.

Because how much school you miss correlates directly to how successful you’ll be later in school and in life, we created the Be Here, Get There campaign to increase attendance in Seattle Public Schools.

We heard from Aki Kurose Middle School that transportation was one of the reasons that their students miss school. In order to help the community address this problem, the Mayor’s Office and the Seattle Department of Transportation have been able to secure a VISTA volunteer position to help kids get to and from school in a safe and active way — following a Safe Routes to School model.

This position is a year-long opportunity, and we hope that you or someone you know is a great fit and has passion for work like this. In addition to Aki Kurose, partnerships and collaboration will also occur with other Southeast Seattle Schools.

See the full job description and take note that applications are due February 29th.

Photo by: Jen Nance

How Contextual Constraints Affect Low-Income Working Parents' Child Care Choices

How Contextual Constraints Affect Low-Income Working Parents' Child Care Choices:

Via Urban Institute: Children and Youth

A multiyear qualitative study describes how low-income parents view their supply of child care, how they learn about their options, and barriers to access. Common impediments include nonstandard schedules, inflexible employers, and unreliable transportation. Challenges are even more intense for immigrants, parents lacking English proficiency, and parents of infants and of children with special needs. Head Start can't enroll enough children to meet demand, and though many families qualify for child care assistance, CCDF spending is capped. Enhancing investment in these resources would help low-income working families get the higher quality and more stable care children need.

Full report: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412511-How-Contextual-Constraints-Affect-Low-Income-Working-Parents-Child-Care-Choices.pdf?RSSFeed=UI_ChildrenandYouth.xml

Teacher's Union Leader Mary Lindquist On Improving State Education

Teacher's Union Leader Mary Lindquist On Improving State Education:

Via The Conversation Newsletter

Monday, February 27 at 12:00 p.m. on "The Conversation"

Mary Lindquist is the executive director of the state's largest teacher's union, the Washington Education Association. She joins us to talk about the contentious debate in Washington state over teacher evaluations and charter schools. We'll also take a closer look at the state budget and K–12 education funding in 2012.

Online-education group sues over state budge cuts

Online-education group sues over state budge cuts:

Via Seattle Times: Education

By Stephanie Kim

Seattle Times Olympia bureau

OLYMPIA — An online-learning coalition has filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming that budget cuts have hit alternative-education programs harder than traditional schools, violating the state constitution.

Members of the Washington Families for Online Learning filed the lawsuit in King County Superior Court this week.

It alleges that lawmakers last year cut Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) programs, which includes K-12 online education offered by dozens of school districts, an average 15 percent more than traditional schools.

They said a state Supreme Court decision issued last month reinforced their decision to sue. The court ruled that the state is failing to meet its constitutional duty to provide a basic education to all the state's children.

"We were singled out because all public schools and districts took the same cut, but they targeted students in ALE programs, like online schools [by cutting more]," said Gigi Talcott, coordinator for Washington Families for Online Learning.

The Office of Superintendent for Public Instruction declined to comment.

Legislators have cut about $1.8 billion from K-12 for the 2011-13 biennium. Traditional public schools were also hit with cuts, including a 1.9 percent reduction in teacher salaries, a 3 percent reduction in school administrative staff and the suspension of Initiative 728, which reduced K-4 classes in 2000.

Previously traditional public schools and online schools received about $5,000 per student per academic year in funding; now, online schools receive an average of $4,250 per student — 15 percent less.

The cut is expected to save the state about $6 million.

The state now has about 9,000 full-time equivalent students enrolled in online schools. More than 50 school districts statewide offer online school programs, including Federal Way, Tacoma, Olympia and Spokane.

A Volunteer Reader Night Abuzz with Learning, Sharing and Connecting!

A Volunteer Reader Night Abuzz with Learning, Sharing and Connecting!:

Via United Way of King County Blog

Last evening (February 16th) the Volunteer Reader Program’s first ever educational and social gathering met with resounding success! A wide range of more than 20 Volunteer Readers representing 13 of our 32 different sites came together over soup and salad to meet each other, share experiences, trade tips, and learn from a panel of librarians and preschool educators. Our five panelists shared wonderful books and materials as well as their insight and knowledge gained from years of experience.

“Am I really making a difference?” Volunteer Readers have asked repeatedly since the Program’s inception five years ago. “Yes and we see it so clearly!” answered our panelists. Reading one hour per week makes a meaningful difference in a child’s life. Many children are in the classroom for 4 to 10 hours a day, not receiving the one-on-one attention they crave from their hardworking teachers. By volunteering your time, you are helping children succeed in school and in life.

Another common question we hear is: “How can a Volunteer Reader help an English language learner understand, enjoy or engage with a story?” Our panelists suggested:

• Read short books with a few words on the page


• Use books without words (Chalk is a favorite)


• Use books with lots of illustrations


• Ask the teacher to teach you a few words in the child’s language


• Read books with words from the child’s native language; if your pronunciation is incorrect, they will LOVE the chance to correct you!

The room was abuzz from start to finish with people connecting, learning, problem solving, laughing, and sharing the joy and importance of interacting with and supporting young children on their journey to becoming readers. We were thrilled to offer this opportunity to thank our passionately dedicated Volunteer Readers and continue to learn about early literacy!

The Pedagogy of Privatism

The Pedagogy of Privatism:

Via www.YoungerWorld.com

This is the last I am going to write about charter schools for the time being. Earlier this month I wrote that "Charter schools are destroying democracy"; in 2009, I suggested that schools be "Public or nothing at all"; and in 2007, I compared charters to the nefarious Blackwater Corporation. With this post, I think I've said all I need to until someone asks me more.

Introducing the pedagogy of privatism

Charter schools across the United States today demonstrate the wholesale abandonment of public schools, both in their publicly and privately funded forms. This presents a unique conundrum to radical educators and advocates, who want nothing more than to radically reinvent public schools, but do not want to privatize learning. Unfortunately, this challenged minority is learning that privatized education through charters is the grandest hope. But research and experience has shown us that charters do not succeed in reinventing schools. They do succeed in segregating students-of-opportunity from those without opportunity. They do succeed in formalizing second-class status for students who are not selectively chosen to attend them. They do succeed in further eroding Public confidence in the public school system. For these reasons alone I stand against their siphoning dollars from the public schools where they do take students.

I do not have a blind allegiance to public schools. I do believe democracy is the only governance structure that works in our world today, and I am absolutely committed to ensuring that all people everywhere have every single mechanism available to ensure their complete integration into democratic life. I do know public schools are routinely failing low income people and people of color, too. I absolutely refuse to believe that the commodification of learning vis-à-vis charter schools is anyway to rectify the injustices routinely thrust upon them.

As critical agents within this democratic society we must radically, fully, and completely engage throughout every mechanism for social change that furthers democracy- not for the sake of social change, but for the sake of democracy. Destroying public schools by forwarding privitization through charters doesn't forward democracy.

My personal investment

As many of you know, I professionally and personally commit my resources and action to challenge the oppression within public schools today. For me right now that means volunteering in public schools, organizing students, teaching teachers anti-oppression, and challenging administrative malaise at every corner. It means that I write emails and letters to elected officials, and challenge every school administrator I know (and I know more than a few). It means that I routinely lose business because I upset educators and administrators with the charge of taking action rather than assuage their guilty consciouses. I am actively engaged in the struggle to create a more effective public school system for every student every day, and I will not give up on democracy, on public schools, or on reinventing public schools through democratic action.

(Note that I'm not dogging private schooling here, or homeschooling, or unschooling. Anyone can do that, always. Every student should have the right to drop out at any point they want to, as well, and the government should have options for their learning and living, as well. There is further work that extends beyond public schools, and I'm the first to admit that.)

Collective hope

Everyone should engage to their full extent, no matter what that is. We must hold public schools accountable for the erroneous, hurtful, and misguided actions many take in the name of our democracy. We must keep elected officials accountable through democratic action. We must not give up on democracy, or public schools, or public funding for public education.

This country's market economy insists in individual economic mobility. We currently have a common mechanism to ensure the ability of all residents to excel, and that mechanism is public schools. It has failed, surely, to achieve the goal of mobilizing economic growth. Worst still, it actually and actively disenfranchises the mobility of low income people and people of color. However, support for our publicly-paid for, publicly-relied upon public education system needs to exist in order to ensure we can rally support for radically transforming the system so that succeeding generations can experience economic mobility in the future.

Since the establishment of the US there has been a constant battle of privatists versus The People. They learned to use corporatism to forward their agenda; we use popular insurrection to secure our positions. Unfortunately, privatists have learned to manipulate popular insurrection to their advantage. Giving up on public schools reinforces privatists' positions, showing them their agenda to manipulate popular insurrection works. This gives them blatant control over our governance and society, and carte blanche over so-called "democracy." We aren't there yet, but will be soon. It's too bad so many people are inadvertently contributing to that agenda.

Written by Adam Fletcher for CommonAction Consulting. It was originally posted at YoungerWorld.org. Contact us for more information by emailing info@commonaction.org or calling +1 (360)489-9680.

Here Are Easy Ways to Have Tough Talks With Kids About Race

Here Are Easy Ways to Have Tough Talks With Kids About Race:

Via Racewire.Org: the Colorlines Blog on Race and Politics

How do you talk to kids about race? It's a difficult conversation that's even tough for most adults to have in a sensible manner. But it's become increasingly important to equip kids with the tools and the language to talk about race and try to make sense of the world around them.

I talked to Jaime-Jin Lewis, Executive Director of Border Crossers, an education equity non-profit in Manhattan made up of a growing group of elementary school educators who are deeply concerned with the issue of racial justice in our education system. She tells us, "Race is not the only lens teachers should have when they step into a classroom, but if it's not a lens, then they're missing something.

Tell me about the work of Border Crossers.

We were founded eleven years ago out of the awareness that, despite the growing diversity that New York City boasts, we house the third most segregated school system. Approximately 90 percent of students of color in New York City attend schools with less than three percent majority, majority being white.

While it is not always the case, students within underserved socioeconomic backgrounds, usually students of color, are isolated in low-performing schools with fewer opportunities for academic success. A system like this also impedes children's development of the social skills and competencies necessary to be participatory global citizens.

What is the importance of discussing race with these students early on?

In the US, many people think that by talking about race and racism, we create racialized thinking. But what studies show is that students recognize race and are often not provided with the language or the space to talk about it in their schools or in their homes.

Racism is perpetuated in schools through policies and pedagogies, and also through the ways we speak and don't speak about race, class and power. Our work at Border Crossers interrupts patterns of racial injustice in schools by helping teachers develop tools for talking about race and providing curriculum for students to explore their lived experience of race and class borders.

What types of biases do children to children develop early on?

Race is a central part of every human being's lived experiences, and it starts from birth. Infants notice skin color differences as young as six months. Children develop the ability to recognize racial differences, label those differences and categorize themselves within a racial group as toddlers. Children usually develop racial orientation, which are positive and negative attitudes towards members of a certain race, by first grade. Three year olds, when shown pictures of other children, usually selected same race children as who they'd want as friends. When given cards with pictures of people to sort any way they wanted, 13 percent of six year olds sorted by gender, but 68 percent sorted by race.

While those biases exist, children of color also internalize a white bias. Several studies have shown this. Most famously, the doll study first performed in the 1940's by Kenneth and Mamie Clark, psychologists who, when they presented children with different dolls, students both black and white, expressed a white bias.

How can lesson plans make room for inspiring conversations and connections for children from traditionally marginalized communities?

A technique that we borrow and adapt for younger kids from the organization Facing History and Ourselves is to use history and current events. Many of these issues are things that we as a society are told to shield children against. Facing History uses the terms "upstanders" and "bystanders." So we can say, "Let's take a look at this scenario and find the bystander, someone who knows in their heart something is wrong and doesn't take action, and who's an upstander, someone who knows something is wrong and takes action on it...And sometimes bad things happen to upstanders too."

And teaching that type of lesson can be tough, but there's no research that shows it damages children. In fact, there's research that shows that that empowers and engages them in the world around them. We want them to start having connections to people and principles that are upstanding.

Many children now are dealing first-hand with scary immigration issues, others see it on the news. How can educators talk about these issues in the classroom?

Teachers have to inform themselves about issues in the communities they stand in. Acknowledging these tough issues as they come up and not silencing students' questions or comments is a first and very important step. It's tough, and sometimes feels counterintuitive to have these conversations with children, because they deal with topics we try to shield young children against.

Ignoring or silencing tough conversations sends the message that this topic is off limits and doesn't allow the child engage in a deeper understanding of their world. If you don't have an answer, it's ok to acknowledge that, look for answers together or do the research and follow up.

How would we advise elementary school teachers to talk about the importance of not using the i-word?

Teachers can't advocate for something they don't understand, so we encourage them to first of all inform themselves and model vocabulary that will provide a good foundation for students to continue the conversation. The i-word sounds like it's borrowed from children's language, so it makes it more natural to talk about and explain that it's not a word we use. And it's not about one conversation, it's talking about it over time and seizing teachable moments.

Teachers can move the conversation to action by challenging children to become change-makers. Ask, "What can we do about this?" Empower children to realize that they can do something right now to help create change. Watch Drop the I-Word youtube videos, Sam's video is a good one. And show movies that facilitate the conversation about immigration and immigrants, like "An American Tail."

For more about Border Crossers' ABC's of how to talk to children about differences go here.

Not Just Words On The Page

Via United Way of King County. Follow link for full story.

Not Just Words On The Page:

Josh believes in consistency. Accordingly, even as a busy father of two kids under age 10, he has been reading to children at Little Eagles Child Development Center since April 2009.

Josh learned about the Volunteer Reader Program during an informational lunch at his workplace, Expeditors. During college, he read as a volunteer at the YWCA, and wanted to return to volunteering. His love of reading combined with his prior experience lends itself well to his participation in the Volunteer Reader Program. When reading, he makes sure to provide context for each story and to pause in order to explain words the small pupils may not have heard before. He remarks that, “they are probably picking up on that at a pretty incredible rate given where they are in their development.”

While every child develops at his/her own speed, Josh is observing who is struggling with language or who has trouble playing with other children. He believes one-on-one reading time is an opportunity to help build the children’s self-esteem. Josh adeptly alters how he reads with different kids: for example, he has a “deal” with a little boy that after reading one book, they play with Legos. When reading with one particular little girl, Josh knows it has to be a princess book. As he reads, the children are eager to share: “that happened to me! We did that on vacation! I’ve been there!”

A voracious reader himself when he was a child, Josh uses varying voice inflections and enthusiasm to make reading come alive for the children at Little Eagles so that “it’s not just words on the page.” Books aren’t just words printed on a set of pages for Josh, and he ensures that reading isn’t just words on the page for the little eagles.

Dorn to Apply for No Child Left Behind Waiver

Via OSPI Communications. Follow link for full story.

Dorn to Apply for No Child Left Behind Waiver: State Superintendent Randy Dorn announced today that he would apply for a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind sanctions.

Teacher-evaluation bill clears state Senate

Via Seattle Times. Follow link for full story.

Teacher-evaluation bill clears state Senate: The measure, which now goes to the House, says teachers must be evaluated on eight measures, including improvement in student learning.

Washington to apply for waiver to No Child Left Behind law

Via Seattle Times. Follow link for full story.

Washington to apply for waiver to No Child Left Behind law: The federal law expects every child in the nation to be at grade level in math and reading by 2014. If granted a waiver, Washington state would gain more leeway in reaching the goals it set for itself.

Technology grants available for civic engagement and broadband adoption

Technology grants available for civic engagement and broadband adoption

from Mayor McGinn by Words: April Thomas, Pictures: Jen Nance

The City of Seattle is enlisting community organizations in the effort to help close the digital divide in Seattle, especially for vulnerable residents. Technology Matching Fund grants up to $20,000 are available for projects that meet goals for increasing online civic engagement, technology access and adoption, internet and digital media skills, or community building.

These grants will help teens learn about technology and get engaged in community activism

“This grant program exists to support the strong and diverse community of people in Seattle who use technology to help others,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “I look forward to seeing the work that this fund will help make possible.”

Applications will be accepted online from February 29 through April 3, 2012.

“The Technology Matching Fund grant program is an inclusive program exemplifying the City’s commitment to Race and Social Justice by providing resources and technology access to all of our residents. 2012 will be the fifteen year of the program and it continues to be a critical partnership with the community by empowering residents with technology skills to find jobs and helping neighborhoods develop online public safety networks,” said Councilmember Bruce Harrell.

Two free workshops will help applicants learn more about the application process, grant
requirements and what makes a successful application. Meetings will be held on Thursday, March 1, 10:30 a.m. to noon, at Solid Ground, 1501 N. 45^th St. in Seattle and on Saturday, March 3, 10:30 a.m. to noon, at Delridge Community Center, 4501 Delridge Way SW. Interested groups may download grant applications and guidelines at www.seattle.gov/tech/tmf or contact Delia Burke at (206) 233-2751 or delia.burke@seattle.gov.

Last year 23 organizations received a total of $320,000 in grant funds, which are being matched with in community contributions, including volunteer labor, professional services and donated equipment and software. A list of grantees and a map of their locations is available online.

Grant applicants must state whether their project will meet technology literacy and access goals or civic engagement goals. The Ethiopian Community Mutual Association received a $17,000 grant to improve technology literacy by upgrading their resource center with state-of-the art desktop and laptop computers and software that provided Ethiopians and Ethiopian-Americans with English and Amharic learning resources, homework help, job and Internet skills. The Rainier Beach Community Empowerment Coalition received $10,000 to teach young people like sophomore Christen Blackwell how to blog, text and shoot photos to cover community forums on a wide range of issues, from schools to safety to environment, and to encourage others to get involved.

Every four years the city of Seattle conducts a survey and reports on technology access and adoption among Seattle residents. The most recent survey was done in 2009 and can be found at www.seattle.gov/tech/indicators/.

Tacoma withdraws offer to Lowell principal under investigation

Via Seattle Times. Follow link for full story.

Tacoma withdraws offer to Lowell principal under investigation: Tacoma Schools apparently did not know about an ongoing special investigation into Gregory King over personnel conflicts at Lowell Elementary until a Seattle Times article about King's move to Tacoma mentioned it.

Bellevue College adds a third bachelor's degree program

Via Seattle Times. Follow link for full story.

Bellevue College adds a third bachelor's degree program: The new, four-year degree is in health-care technology and management at Bellevue College.

10 states gain waivers from 'No Child Left Behind' law

Via Seattle Times. Follow link for full story.

10 states gain waivers from 'No Child Left Behind' law: Some questioned if schools would be getting a pass on aggressively helping poor and minority children, those the No Child Left Behind law was primarily designed to help.

State AP Scores, Participation Rates Continue Rise

Via OSPI. Follow link for full story.

State AP Scores, Participation Rates Continue Rise: Washington students are taking and passing more Advanced Placement exams, according to a national report released today.

Arts Education: May be Underfunded but Not to be Overlooked

Arts Education: May be Underfunded but Not to be Overlooked

from SOWA Live (So Alive!)

 

by Virginia Eader, School's Out Washington MSW Student Intern

 

I have two greatest memories from high school. First, the time I spent in Drama Club: exploring different personas, emotions, and expressions in order to communicate and tell stories. I developed such a bond with the other kids involved and I remember my drama teacher spending countless hours afterschool (probably unpaid and probably spending his own money on supplies) in order to provide us with such an opportunity. 

 

My other greatest memory is the time I spent as an outdoor camp counselor to 5^th graders. In addition to exploring nature, this involved participating in and teaching campfire songs, silly dances and skits, and hands-on arts and crafts activities. In these moments I learned more about myself than I have ever had at that age. These opportunities allowed me to explore my own identity, self expression, creativity, in addition to a great deal of other skills: teamwork, social skills, critical thinking, problem solving, public speaking, engaged learning, risk-taking, and leadership, to name a few. To think of never having had the option to participate in creative learning at that age, I would probably be a different person today.

 

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a community roundtable discussion on arts education. What a great way to spend a few hours on a normally dull week night. The space was full of a diverse group of arts education advocates- teachers, teaching artists, non-profit leaders, art therapists, youth workers, and artists of various media.

 

One of the participants hit the nail on the head when they said, “Without arts education, we are short changing our young people.”

 

The reality exists that arts education and creative expression within our education system  is slowly on its way to becoming something of the past. In the world of standardized testing, there is little room for creativity. It is up to us as afterschool and youth development professionals to be strong advocates not just for quality education, but for quality education that encompasses diverse modes of learning.

 

The arts have become a luxury in the public school system. Schools in low-income neighborhoods are lucky to have the opportunity to participate in the opportunities I had as a youth. If we want to address the opportunity gap that exists in our state, equal access to arts education is one place to start. While we all feel the pressure of shrinking budgets, we can use our own creative minds (go figure!) to build community/school/neighborhood partnerships to ensure that young people have opportunities to explore their creative brilliance.

Finally, as another participant pointed out, “We need to move away from ‘Arts Education’ as separate from ‘Education’.” It needs to become an integrated piece of Education as a whole.

 

Arts Education Resources:

• Arts Corps
• Art with Heart
• Arts Education Resources
• National Art Education Association
• Washington State Arts Commission
• The Washington Art Consortium
• Access Washington- Arts and Culture
• For Seattle folks, Thursday Feb 16^th arts education panel discussion with Mayor Mike McGinn and Seattle Public Schools Interim Superintendent Susan Enfield.
• Lastly, I’d like to share this inspiring and well-humored Ted Talks Video presenting a case for arts education. If you have 20 minutes to spare, I recommend.

Contact me for further information.  Share your favorite resources in the comments section below.

College Bound scholarship program could face test as more apply

Via Seattle Times. Follow link for full story.

College Bound scholarship program could face test as more apply: The new College Bound Scholarship program helps pay for college for low-income students, but its supporters worry that the money may run dry.

Democrats' dispute on charter schools stalls state education bills

Via Seattle Times. Follow link for full story.

Democrats' dispute on charter schools stalls state education bills: Two bills to reshape Washington's education system stalled in committee Friday creating something of a standoff between supporters and education committee chairwoman Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell.

Youth Kicking Butt in 2012

Youth Kicking Butt in 2012 (for Brad)

from http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fcommonaction.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault by Adam Fletcher Sasse

 

Across the United States there are a number of innovative youth leadership programs that excite me. I get to interact with them sometimes, and other times I merely study them, read about them, or just hear about them from my friends and colleagues in the field.

For just over a decade, I've been working to support an decentralized movement of young people and adults working around the world. This movement has many different guises, including youth-led activism, youth voice, youth mainstreaming, youth engagement, intergenerational partnerships, and youth empowerment. All of them include youth leadership, in all its myriad forms. Another thing they do is center on transforming the roles of young people throughout society, and that has been my main interest, action that actively evolves society.

One of my favorite organizations for early 2012 is the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition. PESC is an entirely youth-led and youth-run organization. They work statewide on issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth. Comprised of leaders from youth-led LGBTQ organizations across Pennsylvania, PESC works in schools and nonprofits to raise LGBTQ young people on the radar. Learn more about them at http://pennsec.org/.

Another is School Girls Unite. Wendy Lesko is one of my favorite people in the world. After a long career focused on national advocacy for youth action, she began actively supporting a group of young women in her city in Maryland. School Girls Unite was formed as an organization of students and young women leaders in the United States and in Mali. They quickly became focused on working to advance the U.N. Millennium Development Goals related to gender equality and universal basic education, as well as child marriage prevention and other human rights issues. In late 2011, they succeeded in getting the United Nations to declare that October 11, 2012 will be the first International Day of the Girl Child. Learn more about them at http://dayofthegirl.org/.

Catalyst Miami came storming onto Miami's youth leadership scene this year with the launch of the SoundOut Youth Action Curriculum. I have provided more than 35 hours of training for facilitators of this program, which works in a diverse high school in the city to deliver the capacity-building service learning program for students. Catalyst has tied the program together with their well-established programs focused on parent leadership and children's leadership, and is seeing excellent results. Find some information at http://commonaction.blogspot.com/2011/10/classroom-characteristics-supporting.html.

The indefatigable Joshua Gorman is behind Generation WakeUp. A global campaign to ignite a generation of young people to bring forth a thriving, just, sustainable world, the organization facilitates powerful training workshops across the country, networking thousands of young people to change the world. Learn more about them at http://www.generationwakingup.org/.

A local organization, the Seattle Young People's Project (SYPP) is a youth-led, adult-supported, social justice organization that empowers young people (ages 13-18) to express themselves and take action on the issues that affect their lives. They've always been a cutting edge model, and this year has been exemplary. Learn more at http://sypp.org/.

Through 2010 and '11, the US Department of Education ran a suave youth engagement program under the deft hand of Alberto Retana. With his guidance, the agency engaged with thousands of young people across the U.S., and actual students were positioned in places of direct consultation to the Secretary of Education and even the President. While Alberto left the agency late last year, the program is continuing on. Its best to learn about it on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/ED-Youth-Voices/136786839692361?sk=wall.

Honorable mentions in the "2 Kewl 4 School" category PUEBLO, or People United for a Better Oakland, which conducted a powerful youth-led study of high school students in Oakland in 2011 regarding their perceptions of police. The survey is provoking serious conversations in the city about improvement. Information is at http://www.peopleunited.org/cspa/. Another is Students Speak Out, a social network working both online and offline for students influence policy conversations by co-defining public problems and co-creating solutions. They're after my heart. You can learn more about them at http://www.citizing.org/studentsspeakout/. Also, a big shout-out to Vote 17 Lowell, a youth-led initiative to lower the voting age in Lowell, Massachusetts's municipal elections to 17 years old. The Vote 17 campaign is unlike any similar past or current bill as it calls for the initiative to appear on Lowell's local election ballot after full State House approval. Teen organizers are asking that the state legislature allow the voters of Lowell to decide on an issue that has already received full support from all levels of Lowell's city government and its statehouse delegation. They made huge in 2011, and I'm looking forward to seeing them storm forward in the future. They're online at http://vote17lowell.tumblr.com/.

Me discussing youth kicking butt wouldn't be right if I didn't give props to adults who are actively allying with young people to get the good work done. I want to start by giving mad respect to the Perrin Family Foundation in Connecticut. For more than a few years now they've been focused on providing real dollars to youth voice programs across their state that are doing cool, cool things. Check out their strategy at http://www.perrinfamilyfoundation.org/strategy.html. They've also been blogging about it, and getting the word out is a significant part of the work. I really like their blog, which is at http://perrinfamilyfoundation.blogspot.com/. (You may have read my recent blog, Foundations Fail Youth By Design. Perrin is completely not included in this analysis.)

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the King County Youth Engagement Practitioners Cadre. Funded by the Seattle Youth Engagement Zone, I'm partnering with a coalition in Seattle called SOAR to facilitate this learning community for 22 youth engagement experts from across the county. We're working together to share what we know, figure out what we don't, and shore up the capability of King County to support substantive youth leadership work far into the future. It rawks.

Worth mentioning, too, is Jessica Taft's book, Rebel Girls: Youth Activism and Social Change Across the Americas. Although it came out in 2010, it really impacted their field in 2011. It tells the powerful story of young women, uniquely positioned agents of social change.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are literally THOUSANDS of butt-kicking examples of young people changing the world right now all across the country, not to mention the MILLIONS of youth around the world who are doing it. AND IT IS WORKING! This is only a small survey of what I remembered quickly and off the top of my head. Please respond and tell me what I have missed!

Props to all young people of color and low-income youth struggling for leadership, power, and justice across the United States and around the world. I stand with you. Much love to the adult allies who support them. I have great respect for every young person who is deeply committed to changing the world, no matter what their background is. Everyone can be engaged, and that is right. Adults working in partnership with these young people, please keep doing what you do. Finally, here's a reminder to anyone who has read this far: Get engaged in yourself, first, and seek to engage other people after that. Never the reverse. Learn more.

Written by Adam Fletcher for CommonAction Consulting. It was originally posted at YoungerWorld.org. Contact us for more information by emailing info@commonaction.org or calling +1 (360)489-9680.

Time for some professional development? 9 trainings & events for Volunteer Managers

Time for some professional development? 9 trainings & events for Volunteer Managers:

Via United Way of King County. Follow link for full story.

Whether you’re looking to grow your volunteer management skillset, learn how to more strategically engage volunteers at your organization, or you just want to get together with other volunteer management professionals, there are a number of great trainings and networking events coming up in the next few months!

February 9th “Leveraging Volunteer Engagement to Accomplish Your Mission” 8:30-10:30am Cost: $25 Details and Registration

February 22^nd VAN (Volunteer Administrators Network) Professional Gathering @ Noel House in Seattle. Free

February 24^th 2012 Volunteer Manager’s Summit in Bellevue. Free

March 6th Strategic Job Design: Designing Volunteer Roles for Impact! 9:00am-1:00pm $45 Details and Registration

March 8th “Board Centered Leadership” 8:30-11:30am Cost: $40 Details and Registration

March 28^th VAN (Volunteer Administrators Network) Professional Gathering @ Pacific Science Center in Seattle. Free

April 3rd & 17th “Effective Volunteer Management 101″ 9:00am-4:30pm Cost: $170 Details and Registration

June: 2012 VAN (Volunteer Administrators Network) Conference. Exact date TBD

Monthly: #NPFace: A meetup for Seattle area nonprofits to share social media best practices. Next meetup is at The Diller Room on 1st and University downtown Seattle from 5 – 7 pm on Thursday February 23^rd Free

Have we missed anything? Email us at volunteer@uwkc.org if you have trainings or events to add to this list!

Younger World - New Workshops Available!

New Workshops Available!

from http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fcommonaction.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault by Adam Fletcher Sasse

 

New Workshops Available for 2012!

Are you looking for powerful learning opportunities for your organization or community?

Do you want to engage deeper, more powerfully, and more effectively than ever before?

Hi, Adam here. As the founder and president of CommonAction, I am glad to report that we are available for booking throughout 2012! With a dynamic, responsive, and engaging team of consultants and trainers, we are ready to assist you and your community this year. 

Here are some comments people have shared for my past presentations: 

Adam Fletcher facilitating in November 2011.

"One of the most gifted, principled visionaries today, Adam empowers people of all ages and backgrounds to pursue authentic engagement in all sectors of society." - Wendy Lesko, author of Youth: The 26% Solution

"We continue to receive positive comments about how instructive and entertaining you were! Your work in the area of youth engagement is so critical, and we are fortunate for your commitment and your leadership." - Elaine Matthews, senior vice president, North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center

Our team at CommonAction is available to travel to communities across the United States and Canada to provide hands-on, practical, and powerful speeches and workshops. Our activities are customized for each community we visit and each topic we cover. Here are some examples:

• The Human Engagement Academy 
• Finding Your Heartspace—The Engine of Personal Engagement
• Transforming the Roles of Young People Throughout Society 
• Six Steps to Social Change
• Our Only Hope: The Future of Community
• Student Engagement: Frameworks for Learning Passion through Partnership 

Here's a list of our past clients, and here are some photos and recommendations from our past events. Contact me today for more information about what CommonAction can do for YOU.

Contact us!

Adam Fletcher

(360) 489-9680

adam@commonaction.org

 

Written by Adam Fletcher for CommonAction Consulting. It was originally posted at YoungerWorld.org. Contact us for more information by emailing info@commonaction.org or calling +1 (360)489-9680.