There area a number of stories here that I am commenting on. My comments are published in bold type.
Admittedly my comments take the issue to 100% coverage of the children entering kindergarten and A network of design and focus by the elementary pricipal as the leader of this effort is expected because the law has vested the principal in the result.
Two Reports on State Coordination of Early Education Systems ReleasedThe Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the National Governor’s Association (NGA) have both released important papers on school readiness and pre-kindergarten in the 21st Century. The CLASP report "All Together Now: State Experiences in Using Community-Based Child Care to Deliver Pre-Kindergarten", describes the emergence of the mixed delivery model and its significance to the future of early childhood education. The NGA Task Force on School Readiness final report “Building the Foundation for Bright Futures” identifies actions that governors can take to support families, schools and students. Pre-K Now recommends both of these insightful publications.
This story is an example of how the students who are ready to learn are held back by those who are not. Besides the obvious issue of the principal not being in control of the schools destiny, and the district not being aware that positions are not being used as intended.
A beleaguered Chicago-area teacher and her 36 kindergartners Since the beginning of the year, McNair Elementary kindergarten teacher Jessica Shaw has consistently complained to her bosses, the union and her local school council that her class of 36 5-year-olds is far too big. School system officials blame the school principal for misusing her resources, while the school leader counters she hasn't been given enough teachers. Chicago Tribune (free registration) (1/25)
But............................When the group must improve performance from it's past demonstrated, it had better consider what real changes exist in the inputs and what will the most experienced teachers do differently. Real improvments made today may not stay in place tommorrow, without changes in the verbal, sight, physical, and the thinking enviroments. This is not easy work, turnover is a killer of progress. Tom Wolfgram 2-11-05
Missouri lowers proficiency targets on state tests On Friday, Missouri dropped its 2005 proficiency targets for student achievement on state tests from 38.8% to 26.6% in communication arts and from 31.1% to 17.5% in math. Administrators had worried that the old targets, which represented a substantial jump from the previous year's goals, would be unattainable. The Kansas City Star (Mo.) (free registration) (1/22)
States seek NCLB waivers As states this year face higher targets for adequate yearly progress, many are expected to seek waivers of testing rules and other relief from the law's mandates. They hope Education Secretary Margaret Spellings meant it when, during her Senate confirmation hearings, she pledged to work with states to carry out NCLB in a "sensible and workable" way. Education Week (free registration) (2/2)
This is the example of what costs we do not want to incur until we do the right early reading skills building first-- If we don't do first things first we build costs into the system that are justified on our managment mistakes, not the core needs of the children. Tom Wolfgram 2-11-05
Universal mental health screening for children prompts controversy To the alarm of some conservatives, home-schoolers and others, a president-appointed commission on mental health in its July 2003 report fell just short of recommending that every American child be screened for mental-health problems. Commission Chairman Michael Hogan says giving children an annual checkup of their mental and emotional well-being "might be the right thing to do," especially for adolescents. The Christian Science Monitor (1/20)
This is a very solid site on the issues but does not go so far as to insist on 100% ready to read going into kindergarten. And Princicpals in charge of networks to see that it gets done. When will we go the distance to actually win the game? In 5 years, In 20 years? I question our ability to find the right mountain to climb. Tom Wolfgram 2-11-05
Closing the racial gap begins with good ideas: NCLB may be flawed, but, as NEA Today's cover story indicates, the law is spurring educators in five communities around the U.S. to seek new ways to boost minority achievement, with encouraging results. NEA Today (Jan 2005)
In the end the schools and the communities are one. We should not wait for the predicted end to prove this to ourselves. Principal Networks into the community to be sure the children are ready to read is just common sense. Does it go far enough? It is the effective citizen base who pays a cost at some point for the child that disengages, the stakeholders include the effective citizens.. Tom Wolfgram 2-11-05
In St. Louis, few parents leave failing schools Although many St. Louis-area schools failed to meet academic goals for two straight years, only 148 students out of the nearly 11,823 children eligible at three districts exercised their right under NCLB to transfer to better-performing campuses. Parents who decided not to move their children express confidence in their local school's ability to improve, or downplay the use of testing data as a measure of school excellence. St. Louis Business Journal (1/10)
Myrtle Beach Sun News (SC)Putting parents in charge not good policyReid Johnson01-31-05The S.C. public schools' biggest problem is the lack of preparation many parents provide to their preschool children. Now those same parents should decide where their children's precious educational funds should be spent? Absolutely not!Click here for full article.
I would disagree that it should cost more than $2,500 per child per year to be ready to read and have basic social skills if the perscription delivered by a normal adult was directly designed to that requirement. This is exactly how it is done in many families that are effective. It is time for the experts to justify costs for more than that! Because, kindergarten teachers will say give me ready to read and behavior and I will be in a new world. We have no idea what the new world looks like because we are not in it. --- YET--- Tom Wolfgram 2-11-05
Tallahassee Democrat (FL)Sign up for what?Opinion02-02-05The money the state will provide is probably insufficient to provide quality education, instead of baby-sitting. Providers know it costs more than $2,500 per student to hire college-trained teachers who would work with the children enough hours per day to really teach them, to offer the high-quality environment, and to offer transportation, just as public school busing is available for K-12.Click here for full article Boca Raton News (FL)Faith-based monies influence Palm Beach CountySean Salai02-01-05The local director of Head Start, a national group that provides for the needs of low-income families and preschool children, said President Bush's initiative had lent both credibility and funding to her group. She said eight of Head Start's local faith-based childcare centers received $2 million from the initiative for the current fiscal year, which ends in September.Click here for full article. The Boston Globe (MA)Preschool as Cash CowEditorial01-31-05Belfield created an economic model for Strategies for Children, a local advocacy group. In this plan, the state would create 43,000 new preschool spots and upgrade the quality of 13,000 existing spots. Access would be universal, not just for low-income children. The total cost: $578 million. The total benefit: $680 million, yielding what the study calls "positive economic returns."Click here for full article. The benefits are clear. Study after study has proven preschool to be a good return on our investment, with each dollar yielding dividends many times over. But this is about more than just dollars and cents. It's about doing what's right for our children.
-- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen New Haven Register (CT)I had a $1.2 billion budget hole to close and I closed it'Governor Jodie Rell (CT)02-09-05Another priority I have set is early childhood education. It is at the core of our efforts to address the achievement gap. And the correlation between the achievement gap and the preparation gap is profound. My budget sets aside $5.5 million for an innovative early childhood pilot program for new public/private partnerships. It funds 1,000 new early childhood slots and provides for training to implement nationally recognized preschool curricula.Click here for full article
States do not have a choice but to go get Federal Title I money for preschool because it is first things first, doing things right the first time. It can be admininisted by the State Supplemental Education process as easy as not. The whole NCLB Title I program has a segment for early literacy called Early Reading First. We pay our state leaders to work with these NCLB funds and not waste them, or let them sit in a bank. Tom Wolfgram 2-11-05
Idaho Statesman (ID) Funding woes put preschool in jeopardyBill Roberts01-31-05The reason: The Boise district can't use federal money it was counting on to run the program because the state doesn't put money into preschools.Click here for full article.
THE ULTIMATE COMPETITION, schools face the same drain in revenue as failing businesses. Ultimately the requirments will need to be met, or the children will be moved to online schools just like stores and banks have been able to move consumers. This is a whole new creator of winners and lossers for education. I saw were Marshall Feilds web site has discontinued to function under its acquisition by the May Companies and it is costing millions in lost sales and jobs, no doubt. This is tricky economic footing. It will be tricky education footing. But some will say the education can't be any worse if the requirements are not being met. What is the risk?
Popular Colorado online school struggles academically The Branson Online School, headquartered in a hardscrabble Colorado desert town, is enjoying financial success and exploding enrollment. Yet some superintendents worry the school is wooing away their students, along with associated state funding, and believe its program is too loosely run. The New York Times (free registration) (2/9)
Oregon gears up for first online charter school Next fall, Oregon will launch its first statewide virtual public charter school, which will serve K -9 students in the Willamette Valley town of Scio. The school board is expected to approve a contract to allow the Baltimore-based for-profit Connections Academy to operate the school. The Oregonian (Portland) (2/7)
Yes- and understand the preperation of a child age 3-6 is a one-on-one gift given from one adult to one child. Sometimes the gift is given with no dollar cost within the family, but when the gift is not given there is a large proven training cost. The gift of time is alway required, so some get the gift and others do not and it is no fault of the childs. If we look at it as a gift, we can get past the government distraction, the government has never been any good at giving gifts, why start now? Gift/Investment. Call it a private gift for a public return! Tom Wolfgram 2-11-05
"We become very concerned when talk about the achievement gap does not include talk about the preparation gap. We all agree preschool is a significant way to close that gap." -- Rosemary Coyle, President, Connecticut Education Association
Lansing State Journal (MI)Text of Granholm's State of the State address - Part 2Governor Jennifer Granholm (MI)02-08-05Many of Michigan's leading businesses and foundations have come to see the money we spend on early childhood education as one of the best investments we can make in Michigan's future. By establishing the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, we will boost that investment and make sure it pays off for our state.Click here for full article
If the money is not spent on the bottom half of the bottom half (the poorest of the poor) why would one expect an improvement overall. But When the following happens for 100% of the children entering a kindergarten class there is no question the teacher and principal and proficiency will be at a different plane. How to do that? Will you help me test this? See http://ulticharnetwork.blogspot.com
From that Blogspot
The effective citizens with the power are being asked to share it with this program. It starts by sending the message that opportunity is there for the taking if the child does not fall behind in the acquisition of literacy skills. Also,· One-on-one gift required, it is not government work.· Education science has defined the literacy gap that needs to be filled.· One-size-fits-one means early literacy is achieved one child at a time, but the prescription for its achievement is varied to meet the requirement, by the initiative of the giver.Freedom of speech (the power) is based on literacy, and all the other messages of civility make sense in this context. When the powerful give opportunity in the USA, they are doing it with an expectation of undefined growth, but expected peace and security.
Under the banner of being ready to read English going into kindergarten there are:
· Sounds recognition of the English letters
· Writing skills
· Three letter word reading skills
· Listening skills (comprehension) to understand the words of a 6 year old (in English).
There are at least four sets of messages that are appropriate for children age 3-6. Children receive messages by listening to stories that adults read or tell. We have story lists available covering the following messages. Honesty, Friendship, Work, Respect Be positive, Be playing, Be smart, Be growing Be playful, Be positive, Be growing, Be helping Be honest, Be sharing, Be excited, Be happy Be fair, Be listening, Be working, Be working Be happy, Be helping, Be humble, Be polite Be trusted, Be smiling, Help yourself, Be Listening
The following is for Reference:
"You don't need to call a rally. You don't need to own a newspaper. You don't need to be a big name. You need insights and views that are shared by others,'' said Larry Jacobs, political science professor at the University of Minnesota. "It's democratizing because the barriers to communication have fallen.'' Minnesotans are leaders in using the Internet to get involved in politics, said Steven Clift, who started the Minnesota E-Democracy Web site, which runs a St. Paul and Minneapolis online issues forum inviting public discourse on political issues affecting the Twin Cities. "People have the opportunity when they want to check their opinion with others in a way that wasn't possible before,'' Clift said. "While that's empowering for many, it isn't often very civil.''
PR NewswireNo Child Left Behind Receives High Marks at Business Roundtable ForumBusiness Roundtable02-10-05Kennedy called for greater investment in math and science to "meet the challenge of globalization." He also said he wanted to work with the Administration in the area of early education, citing research on the importance of child development from birth through age five.Click here for full article
Nashville Tennessean (TN)Bright chapter for childrenOpinion02-11-05The program founded by country singer Dolly Parton that provides books for children from birth to age 5 continues to grow. Thus far, 37 counties in Tennessee have joined the program, with others planning to get on board. Tennessee last year became the first state to engage the program as a statewide opportunity, and it can be found in communities in nearly 40 states. Click here for full article
posted by Tom at 3:17 PM
|
0 comments
