These ‘SweetPeas’ Are Trying To Reverse The Black Literacy Trend, One Book At A Time

These ‘SweetPeas’ Are Trying To Reverse The Black Literacy Trend, One Book At A Time

This revolution will be televised – or at least streamed online.

And make no mistake: When you’re dealing with a group of pre-teen Black girls encouraging each other to read and write stories that portray positive images of people who look like themselves, it is nothing short of a revolution.

And that’s where the SweetPeas come in.

Started in earnest as a labor of love by a career educator and new author, the growing literary collective of young Black and brown readers and authors who take to Instagram to review books for and about people of color has accomplished its mission, and then some. Oh, and did we mention they are absolutely adorable?

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School counselors keep kids on track. Why are they first to be cut?

School counselors keep kids on track. Why are they first to be cut?

Editor’s note: This story on school counselors is part of Map to the Middle Class, a Hechinger Report series exploring how schools can prepare young people for the good middle-class jobs of the future.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Mariano Almanza was overwhelmed. With an English paper due at the end of the week, an anatomy packet to complete, and an ever-growing pile of math assignments, the 18-year-old was at a breaking point.

“It was just an insane amount of work; I couldn’t handle it and the stress level was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced,” Almanza said. “I left class and came straight to Miss Mack and just burst out crying,” he added.

Miss Mack, as she is known to students at Coronado High School, is Colleen McElvogue, one of the school’s six counselors and the chairperson of its counseling department.

“Miss Mack looked at me and said: ‘Don’t worry, we’re going to get through this.’ I stayed in her office for a whole class hour and we just talked through everything,” Almanza recalled. “Since my parents didn’t get much education, it’s hard to talk to them about my schoolwork and applying to college, or how to plan my time and get everything done. But Miss Mack, I can come to her for just about anything…”

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Is Silicon Valley Standardizing ‘Personalized’ Learning? – Education Week

Is Silicon Valley Standardizing ‘Personalized’ Learning? – Education Week

Education Week logoWith more than 2 billion monthly active users worldwide, Facebook has an effective monopoly on digital news and information distribution. Any troubling behavior on the site has the power to affect many lives. The recent case of Cambridge Analytica’s mining of Facebook data for political means is an invasion of personal privacy on a whole new level. But Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s seemingly helpful support of technology-driven personalized education represents a different kind of monopolizing threat that we shouldn’t overlook.

Personalized learning, or tailoring curricula and instruction to students’ academic needs and personal interests, seems to mean a lot to Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan—at least according to their investment moves. More than two years ago, they announced plans to invest hundreds of millions annually in whole-child personalized learning through their limited-liability company, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Just this month, they gave $14 million to support schools in Chicago, both public and private. And they recently teamed up with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fund and develop a host of “state of the art” education initiatives, including personalizing math instruction.

Read full article here, may require subscription to ED Week

Can Districts Use the SAT or ACT for School Accountability Without  State OK?

Can Districts Use the SAT or ACT for School Accountability Without State OK?

Education Week logoDo districts need state permission to take advantage of new ESSA flexibility to substitute a nationally recognized, college-entrance exam (like the SAT or ACT) instead of the state test for high-school accountability purposes?

The short answer: Yup.

The longer answer: ESSA does indeed allow districts to use a college-entrance test instead of the state test for high school accountability. But the state has to be OK with it. Districts can’t just do this on their own, without the state’s approval.

This guidance, from the U.S. Department of Education, makes that crystal clear: “A state has discretion as to whether it will offer its [local education agencies] this flexibility.”

And at least one district, Long Beach,Calif. has sought its state’s permission to use the SAT instead of the state test and was told no dice.

In general, states have been reluctant to offer districts this flexibility.

Read the entire article here. May require and Education Week subscription. 

COMMENTARY: School Choice Not the Right Choice for All Students

COMMENTARY: School Choice Not the Right Choice for All Students

By Dr. Elizabeth Primas

When the best educators in America traveled to Washington, D.C. for a series of events celebrating innovation in the classroom and to share best practices in K-12 education, they let officials at the Department of Education and the White House know exactly how they felt about the Trump Administration’s current push for school choice programs.

According to edchoice.org, school choice programs allow, “public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that best fit their needs—whether that’s to a public school, private school, charter school, home school.”

In April 2018, the Department of Education (ED) hosted the “Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s Drum Major Legacy: Innovative Pathways to Success” celebration; the event was sponsored by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans in collaboration with the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

The Education Department’s MLK Legacy event honored individuals who perform extraordinary acts of service in their communities, specifically those individuals who support high-quality education for children of color. Many of the awardees work with parents or community groups that provide primary care for children; some even provide educational support services outside of the traditional public school model.

School choice became a hot topic during the event, as several attendees were visibly disgruntled at the mention of the controversial approach.

The Trump Administration has proposed to decrease funding to authorized investments for public schools while increasing funding opportunities for school choice programs and private school vouchers. Ninety percent of children in America attend public schools. Increased funding to school choice programs, while reducing funding to public schools is a strategy that leaves behind our most vulnerable students.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has repeatedly said that she’s committed to uphold the intentions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the education law signed by President Barack Obama. However, the prioritization of school choice programs in the proposed FY2019 budget contradicts one of the original intentions of the law: to promote equity and increase access to high-quality education for all students. Furthermore, prioritization of school choice isolates homeless children, migrant children, youth in foster care and children from military families. In fact, ESSA requires that school districts report student outcomes for these groups for the very first time.

The 2018 Teacher of the Year awardees echoed similar concerns during their annual White House visit in April. The top teachers in the country reported that they did not approve of funding private schools at the expense of their most vulnerable, at-risk students.

Every child should be entitled to high-quality education in the United States of America. Every neighborhood school should be equipped to provide high-quality courses and curriculum. Every student should have highly-qualified teachers and a menu of extra-curricular activities to choose from. Until the administration prioritizes the equitable improvement of all schools, their verbal commitment to uphold the original intent of ESSA is just another “alternative fact.”

Learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act at nnpa.org/essa.

Dr. Elizabeth Primas is an educator, who spent more than 40 years working towards improving education for children of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. Dr. Primas is the program manager for the NNPA’s Every Student Succeeds Act Public Awareness Campaign. Follow Dr. Primas on Twitter @ElizabethPrima3.

Formative Instructional Practice – Using the Results and Data Are What Matters

Formative Instructional Practice – Using the Results and Data Are What Matters

In a post about teaching techniques, Maryellen Weimer cautioned readers about loving techniques for the wrong reasons. When I talk about formative assessment or formative instructional practice, I do share information about strategies and techniques to use that support the pedagogy. But for me, formative assessment goes far beyond the use of strategies and is more about a way of being in the classroom. It is about the engagement of both the teacher and the learners in gathering the evidence of learning to see where “they” (the entire classroom learning team) are in relation to the learning target or goals and using that evidence to make adjustments (on-the-fly) to both learning and teaching to get closer to where the members of the team want or need to be.

Dr. Weimer shares that…

…a collection of techniques has got to be monitored and managed, and that requires a lot more sophisticated skills than those needed to acquire a collection. Even a good technique doesn’t work well for all teachers all the time. There are no cure-all solutions that function effectively with all kinds of content and for all kinds of students. No technique is going to be implemented equally well by all teachers. Our thinking about what a technique can accomplish needs to be a bit less optimistic.

I couldn’t agree more. Over the past 15 years, I have watched teachers embrace the idea of formative assessment, become more mindful of strategies they were using, gather strategies to add to their toolkit, and work hard in their classrooms to implement and integrate those strategies. Where efforts sometimes fall short is in using the results and data gathered from using the strategies.

As part of a process, planning when to use formative assessment within a lesson is valuable, as is being able to use a formative instructional strategy in-the-moment – both of which take practice. The key is using the results and teaching students to use the results. Eliciting and gathering evidence of learning is work for both the teacher and the learners. It is the use of the data that make it formative. Let’s talk about three ideas to consider when it comes to making the use of the data formative.

  1. The use of formative assessment has to be such that the data collected allows the teacher to differentiate the levels of understanding among the learners.
  2. Both learners and teachers need to be able to use the results to see what the level of understanding actually is, and when the learner can make adjustments independently or may need assistance.
  3. When the learner’s understanding is deep enough, the skills and knowledge transfer to new situations. The evidence gathered should provide information about that transfer. This data gathered and used formatively informs the decisions learners and teachers make regarding next steps…

Read the full article here.

Almost All Michigan Parents Highly Value a College Education, but only about Half are Saving for One, Survey Finds

Almost All Michigan Parents Highly Value a College Education, but only about Half are Saving for One, Survey Finds

Although an overwhelming majority of Michigan parents view a college education as an investment in their child’s future, only about half are currently saving for higher education expenses, a first-of-its-kind survey by the Michigan Education Trust (MET) found.

The study also discovered significant differences in savings rates and knowledge about college savings vehicles among the various regions of the state, with parents in Michigan’s southern half more likely to have a college savings plan than those in the northern portions.

MET – the 529 prepaid tuition plan managed by the Michigan Department of Treasury – undertook the survey to gain deeper understanding into Michigan families’ needs and possible roadblocks to saving for college.

The survey results were released today during a news conference at the state Capitol in Lansing. Also during the event, MET announced a partnership with the Michigan Association of State Universities, in which the association will help promote the importance of saving for college among the alumni of its members – Michigan’s 15 public universities.

The news conference – which also featured state Treasurer Nick Khouri and House Minority Leader Sam Singh, D-East Lansing – was staged in conjunction with 529 Day, observed annually on May 29 to raise awareness of 529 plans, tax-advantaged college savings vehicles named after the section of the Internal Revenue Code that allowed for their creation. Also, Gov. Rick Snyder issued a proclamation recognizing May 29 as Michigan’s 529 Day to encourage saving for college and show appreciation for MET’s 30th anniversary as a 529 prepaid tuition plan.

“There’s a lot of research on saving for college on a national level, but detailed information specific to Michigan families – the people we serve – isn’t readily available,” MET Executive Director Robin Lott said of the reasoning behind undertaking the polling. “While we had anecdotal and other evidence about residents’ saving habits, knowledge and concerns, we were surprised by some of the findings in our statistically valid sampling of Michigan parents.

“The results from this first-of-its-kind survey will help us determine how we can better meet Michigan families’ college savings needs.”

The online survey, based on 742 responses from Michigan residents age 18 or older who have children under 18 living at home, has a margin of error of 3.6 percent.

It aimed to gauge awareness of 529 college savings plans, such as MET and the Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP); perceptions related to saving for college; the value placed on saving for college; barriers parents face in accumulating college savings; and strategies parents use to reduce college costs.

The survey found that 91 percent of Michigan parents view college as an investment in their children’s future and that 77 percent are willing to stretch themselves financially to ensure they can attend college.

But it also discovered that only 54 percent of the state’s parents are saving for college, which is less than the 57 percent nationwide average as determined by Sallie Mae’s “How America Saves for College 2016” report.

The highest percentage of savers – 56 percent – is found in Southeast Michigan. Both South-central and West Michigan have college savings rates of 53 percent. The Saginaw Bay region and Northern Michigan – including the Upper Peninsula – have the lowest rates of college savings, each at 47 percent.

But even parents who are savers expect their savings to cover only 30 percent of their child’s total college education costs, the survey found. Other primary sources of paying for college expenses, in the order most cited, were scholarships, parent income at the time the child is enrolled in college, federal or state financial aid or grants, and children’s student loans.

Furthermore, awareness of 529 college savings plans such as MET also varies by region, with South-central and Southeast Michigan having greatest familiarity with them at around 50 percent, followed by the Saginaw Bay region at 41 percent, West Michigan at 36 percent and Northern Michigan at 25 percent.

Additional findings from the MET survey include:

  • Of those who are saving, half started when their oldest child was between 0 and 3 years old, and 8 in 10 had started saving by the time their oldest child was 10.
  • Also among savers, 55 percent are using a traditional bank savings account to accumulate college savings.
  • The leading reason for not saving for college is not having enough money, which was cited by 6 in 10 of nonsavers.
  • Among nonsavers, 57 percent say they feel “overwhelmed” about saving for college, compared with 37 percent of savers.
  • Relatively few parents believe they will not need college savings (5 percent) or that financial aid or scholarships will be enough to cover costs (11 percent).

“MET’s survey findings track those from a recent Michigan Association of State Universities poll showing Michigan parents place a high value on obtaining a college degree that can lead to a better-paying job and more rewarding career,” said Bob Murphy, director of university relations and policy for the Michigan Association of State Universities. “But the results also make clear that government, at both the federal and state levels, needs to encourage savings and assisting parents, grandparents, friends and businesses in helping students meet their higher education goals.”

Beyond teaming with the Michigan Association of State Universities, MET is staging several events throughout its 30th anniversary year to highlight the importance of saving for college. For example, its “How We MET” campaign features the stories of families whom MET over the years has helped achieve their college dreams. Also, MET this year will award a total of $30,000 worth of prepaid tuition to 10 Michigan families through its How We MET Sweepstakes drawings.

“Trying to set money aside for a student’s college fund is an important concern for every busy parent,” said Rep. Singh, who was joined during the news conference by his wife, Kerry Ebersole, and infant son, Remy, to promote the new MESP account they opened after his birth last year.

“One of the best aspects of Michigan’s 529 plans, aside from their affordability and tax advantages, is the fact that anyone can contribute money to them – including other family members and friends,” said Rep. Singh, who added the couple is now exploring the option of opening a MET account that combines the benefits of both programs.

MET, MESP and MI 529 Advisor Plan (MAP), Michigan’s three Section 529 college savings programs, offer Michigan taxpayers a state income tax deduction on contributions and potential tax-free growth on earnings if account proceeds are used to pay for qualified higher education expenses. More information about MET is available at SETwithMET.com or 800-MET-4-KID (800-638-4543).

State Restrictions on School Choice Earn Betsy DeVos’ Ire – Education Week

State Restrictions on School Choice Earn Betsy DeVos’ Ire – Education Week

Education Week logoU.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has had difficulty selling her school choice agenda in Washington, railed against state constitutional prohibitions on public funds going to faith-based institutions, in a recent speech to a Roman Catholic organization.

The target of DeVos’ wrath: so-called “Blaine” amendments to state constitutions that prohibit public funds from being used for religious purposes. DeVos said those amendments, many of which originated in the late 1800s, began as “bigoted” against Catholics.

“These Blaine provisions prohibit taxpayer funding of ‘sectarian’—a euphemism at that time for ‘Catholic’—activities, even when they serve the public good,” DeVos said, according to prepared remarks of the speech to the Alfred E. Smith Foundation, which is affiliated with the Archdiocese of New York. “Activities like addiction recovery, hospice care, or—the amendments’ primary target—parochial education.”

Those amendments are still on the books in 37 states, DeVos said in her May 16 address. And though she didn’t mention it in her speech, that includes her home state of Michigan. Back in 2000, DeVos helped lead an effort to change the state’s constitution to allow for school vouchers. It failed.

Read the entire article here. May require a subscription to Education Week.

7 Suggestions for Better School Discipline – Education Week

7 Suggestions for Better School Discipline – Education Week

It seems pretty likely that the Trump administration will revise or rescind an Obama-era directive intended to address racial disparities in school disciplinary actions. The “Dear Colleague” letter in question, issued by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice in 2014, has been the subject of much debate of late. It stated that school districts could be investigated and found guilty of violating students’ civil rights when doling out punishments, even if the discipline policies were race-neutral and implemented in even-handed ways (in other words, even if there was no evidence of discriminatory treatment of students).

Yet, the latest federal discipline data, released earlier this month, show that African-American students continue to be disciplined at higher rates than white students. While U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos held roundtable meetings with lawmakers in April to hear debates about the guidance from both sides, there is no timeline for the administration’s final decision.

But school discipline reform did not begin with President Barack Obama, and it won’t end with President Donald Trump. Efforts for change have been gaining steam for years, which legislatures and school boards have increasingly codified into laws and practices at state and local levels.

Read the entire article here. May require a subscription to Education Week.

Black Public Media Gets $40,000 NEA Grant

Black Public Media Gets $40,000 NEA Grant

NEW YORK – The Harlem-based media arts organization Black Public Media (BPM) has been awarded an Art Works grant of $40,000 by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The allocation, one of more than $80 million in approved grants by National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu as part of the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018, will help fund BPM’s signature public television series, AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange.

Art Works is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.

“The variety and quality of these projects speaks to the wealth of creativity and diversity in our country,” said Chu. “Through the work of organizations such as Black Public Media in New York, NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are.”

“NEA’s support for the AfroPoP series reinforces our belief that authentic stories about the African Diaspora are important to keeping the American public informed and engaged about diversity of the African-American and global African experience,” said BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz.

For 10 years AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange has been bringing stories about people of African descent around the world to television. Produced by Black Public Media and distributed by American Public Television (APT), AfroPoP is the nation’s only public television series of documentaries on contemporary life, art and culture across the African Diaspora.

Hosts of the series have included Idris Elba, Anika Noni Rose, Gabourey Sidibe, Wyatt Cenac, Anthony Mackie, Yaya DaCosta, Jussie Smollett, Nikki Beharie and Nicholas L. Ashe.

For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news. For more information on Black Public Media, visit www.blackpublicmedia.org, or follow it on Twitter @BLKPublicMedia or on Facebook.

About Black Public Media:

Black Public Media (BPM), formerly the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), is committed to enriching our democracy by educating, enlightening, empowering and engaging the American public. The nonprofit supports diverse voices by developing, producing and distributing innovative media about the Black experience and by investing in visionary content makers. BPM provides quality content for public media outlets, including, among others, PBS and PBS.org and BlackPublicMedia.org, as well as other platforms, while training and mentoring the next generation of Black filmmakers. Founded in 1979, BPM produces the AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange documentary series and manages the 360 Incubator + Fund, a funding and training initiative designed to accelerate the production of important Black serial and interactive content.

About The National Endowment For The Arts:

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America.

For more information, visit www.arts.gov.

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