Promising News for Next School Year

           There is some good news for the upcoming school year that could impact instruction and student engagement.  The first announcement came from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).  On June 19^th, LAUSD announced that it would give every student an iPad.  As the second largest school district in the country with over 640,000 students in K-12, LAUSD will utilize electronic textbooks through an app provided by Pearson, a publishing company[i].

            The second announcement came from Microsoft.  Today (June 25^th), Microsoft announced it has developed “Bing for Schools.”  Bing for Schools is a free search engine specifically designed for K-12 students.  Bing for Schools will filter out all adult content, beef up privacy protection, remove all advertisements, and add learning features that promote digital literacy.  Additionally, Bing for Schools will offer students’ hotspots to help students explore investigate and explore new topics and provide short lesson plans to encourage students to use Bing to find answers to different questions[ii]. 

            The announcement of these new educational initiatives could be the foundation to bringing public education into the digital age.  If LAUSD is successful in their move from paper textbooks to digital textbooks and they are to able to prove through data, their digital textbook program has shown gains in academic achievement, student engagement (graduation) and decreases in suspensions and school leavers, districts across the country will follow the lead of LAUSD.  Also, the barrier of costs will be removed in favor of the positive data.

            As for Bing for Schools, this search engine could revolutionize this search engine could revolutionize instruction and the motivation to complete homework.  Bing for Schools gives teachers the opportunity to provide instruction in “real” time.  Teachers would be able to discuss curriculum topics by providing web links which provide visual, auditory information via a tactile process of an electronic device.  Additionally, the additions to Bing for Schools will allow students to explore beyond the curriculum topic in a safe environment free of inappropriate content.

            It will be very interesting what the next school year will hold for these two new educational initiatives.  If these initiatives meet or exceed their potential, school districts across the country may have the blueprint to moving into the digital textbook age.

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[i] http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130619_ap_latogiveeverystudentanipad30morder.html

[ii] http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57590713-75/microsoft-to-send-bing-to-school-this-year/

When Schools Close

            There have been a number of people who have asked me my opinion about all of the school closings across the country.  As an eternal optimist, I always look at the “silver lining” in things, be it good or bad.  However, when it comes to school closings, my opinions are split down the middle.

            The pessimist side does not like the loss for tradition.  There are some schools that are a century old.  There are some schools that have unique traditions; some who have famous alumni, while some are noted for the number of students who served their country in two world wars.  Even though these schools are far from what they used to be, the educational historian in me hates to see the loss of historical memory when schools closed. Once these schools close, they are forgotten, erased from our collective memory.  With the exception of a few souls who understand that closing a school is the loss of historical memory that can never be regained, many keep their school alive through oral tradition by recalling stories with classmates and school rivals.

            The pessimist side also believes, the closing of school is the final nail in the coffin that is public education.  As schools are closing, many are being cannibalized by charter schools and for profit schools.  These schools are allowed to create their own admissions criteria and they do not have to follow state and federal mandates that public schools are required to follow as it pertains to students with disabilities and English language learners.  Therefore, unlike public schools, these non public entities do not have to accept anyone who comes to their door.  These non-public entities also siphon off the talented students from public schools while sending back the students they don’t want back to public schools.  What we are witnessing is the creation of a multi-tiered that potentially widen the achievement gap between the “have and have not’s.”

            The optimist side believes this is an opportunity for districts to become for efficient and fiscally responsible.  The closing of schools would allow districts to consolidate buildings with low enrollment, and rid itself of dilapidated/antiquated properties.  The savings from the consolidation and sale of closing properties should put a dent and possibly alleviate debt and provide additional resources to the remaining schools.

            The optimist side also believes that this unprecedented event of school closings on a national level has garnered national attention.  Since it appears that every district in the country is considering or implementing school closings, people are paying attention to which schools are being closed, the decision process that led to specific schools being closed and which neighborhoods and groups are being affected by the closing of schools.  Evidence of this is seen in the rise of litigation by parents, teachers and civil rights groups and the involvement of young people who are exercising their right through protest.

            With the attention public education is receiving, this opportunity should be used to address the short comings of the curriculum and address the engagement problem by students, teachers, parents and administrators.

As an optimist, I hope the closing of schools creates a renaissance in our schools.

Please Bring Rodrigo Home

I came across a wonderful story about a bright and well liked fourth grader who along with his family was recently deported.  What is wonderful about this story is that the student’s classmates have taken action to bring him back.  This is the story of Rodrigo.

Rodrigo was a student at Jefferson Elementary in Berkeley, California.  Before the start of his fourth grade school year, the family was deported due to his parents expired tourist visa.  Rodrigo had been enrolled at Jefferson Elementary since kindergarten and has been with the same group of classmates with each grade promotion.  Rodrigo was well liked by his classmates and he reads above his grade level.  When the fourth grade teacher broke the news to Rodrigo’s classmates that Rodrigo and his family had been deported, his classmates decided this was not fair and they began to campaign to bring “ bring Rodrigo home[i].”

The idea to bring Rodrigo home was conceived by two of his classmates.  The twin brothers and the rest of the class took their case to the Berkeley City Council, started a grassroots campaign and they wrote a letter to President Obama.  This summer, several of the fourth graders hope to travel to DC to lobby for bringing Rodrigo home[ii].

This wonderful story demonstrates that no matter what age you are, it is never too early or too late to get involved with helping your neighbor.  These young children have taken the purest form of protest by fighting for what they feel is right.  These young children have not been tainted by racial bias or unfounded fear of what will happen if “too many of those people” come here to experience the American Dream.  These young children do not care about political affiliations and power brokers who seek to influence their beliefs, these young children care about a friend who was taken from them. A friend who they believe:

“shouldn’t have to wait five years…because that’s

 a long time to be away from your friends[iii].”

Sadly, this story did not garner national attention.  The lessons these young children are teaching everyone about friendship and inclusiveness is something to be admired.  I hope the voices of these young children will invigorate the stale dialogue that surrounds the debate on immigration by reminding us there are innocent children whose only memory of a home has been in the US are paying the cost for the fear and hatred of adults. 

Please Bring Rodrigo Home

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[i] http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57588412/fourth-graders-rally-to-bring-deported-classmate-home/

[ii] ibid

[iii] ibid

Getting Beyond Chips and Sugary Drinks

            Each morning I see young people coming out of the corner stores, gas stations, and from street vendors with a bag of chips and a sugary drink in their hand on their way to school. 

            My first thought when I see this is where is the adult who is supposed to make sure the child has something to eat before they leave for school.  Reality reminds me there are some young people who are raising themselves due to a working parent or absent parent.  I am also reminded that grandparents are not what they used to be. 

            My second thought is with the healthy initiative campaign from our First Lady, Michelle Obama.  Why isn’t the message reaching the young people?  Mrs. Obama has toured the country and has been on all of the popular young adults shows speaking about making healthy food choices.  I understand the 50 cent bag of chips and $1.00 sugary drink is cheaper than purchasing fruit or yogurt, especially if a young person has a little bit of money to spend on lunch and possibly dinner.

            My final thought was how can our schools help young people make healthy choices?  How can schools help young people get the nutritional value they need in order to focus and not crash from the sugar high of breakfast?  Although most schools have a school breakfast and lunch program, a majority of the time the food is not good, holds little nutritional value and there still remains a stigma attached to those who receive school meals.

            I believe schools should get back in the business of teaching young people Home Economics.  We should use Home Economics to show young adults how make healthy choices, understanding the nutritional value of food, how to eat healthy on a small budget, and how to cook meals that can be eaten over several days.  Additionally, young people will learn valuable skills that will be useful in their adult lives.

If done correctly, schools can partner with national grocery store chains to have food donated, partner with hospitals to have nutritionist do workshops on making king health choices, developing a healthy lifestyle and discuss diabetes, obesity and other aliments that result from poor eating habits.  Schools can also partner with advocacy organizations to develop urban gardens on school grounds and in the community.  By bringing back Home Economics, schools are developing the next generation of advocates to continue the fight for making healthy choices.

If we want young adults to move beyond choosing chips and sugary drinks, we have to provide them with a setting where they can learn alternatives and make healthier choices.