It’s Scholarship Season – Helping Graduates and Preserving Memories
Posted: May 16, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: brentwood, Brentwood High School, George Clooney, Herbert J. Fischman, Herbert J. Fischman Memorial Scholarship, samantha garvey Leave a comment »This week I look forward to attending the Brentwood (N.Y.) High School Awards Night as a presenter of two scholarships in memory of my father, Herbert Fischman, who was a teacher and principal in the school district for 25 years. With this gesture, I will join with many other individuals and groups who together award hundreds of scholarships to Brentwood’s deserving graduates. I suspect that we are all part of a much larger group this spring who will also donate scholarships to high school graduates across the country.
In these difficult economic times, it hardly seems like a $500 or $1,000 scholarship makes a difference, but it does. Many of the students are awarded multiple scholarships, so while most of the individual awards are modest, they can add up — and numerous students receive sizeable support.
But it’s not just about the money. It’s about honoring young people who have
excelled in spite of adversity, and who passionately want a shot at college. One of those Brentwood graduates, Samantha Garvey, made national headlines earlier this year when she was named a semi-finalist in the Intel Science Competition while her family was living in a homeless shelter. She is president of her school’s chapter of the National Honor Society, and has a 3.9 grade point average.
But you don’t need to have Samantha’s resume to receive a scholarship. The more that are available, the more opportunity there is to acknowledge young people who work hard to do their very best, as well as those who exemplify character traits that our communities and country desperately need, such as service and caring.
I have to confess that the scholarship was not my idea. Vicki Novak, a Brentwood graduate who later became president of the Smithtown Council of PTAs, had the council donate the scholarship when my father died in 2005 and I was the administrative liaison to the PTA Council.
It wasn’t until three years ago while writing a book with my husband and brother that a light bulb went off in my head. Our book is about honoring memories and carrying on legacies, and the idea for the scholarship came from two of our interviewees — Nick Clooney, the father of George Clooney and brother of Rosemary Clooney, and Yeou-Cheng Ma, the sister of cellist Yo Yo Ma. Both separately suggested that one of the most accessible ways of honoring a loved one was to establish a scholarship in his or her memory. It was then that I made the commitment to continue the scholarship each year.
While the students are the recipients of the scholarships, attending the assembly and presenting the scholarships has been both cathartic and therapeutic for me. For example, I met retired teachers who worked in my father’s school and who shared with me their reminiscences, as well as their affection and admiration for my dad. In addition, listening to others speak about their loved ones confirmed that dedicating a scholarship, no matter what the amount, helps to keep alive the memory of those who are no longer here.
Since establishing the Herbert J. Fischman Memorial Scholarship, I have met some amazing students, parents, teachers, and principals. Some of the past recipients have sent me thank you notes expressing their appreciation.
One female student wrote:
“It is with great appreciation that I thank you and your family for allowing me to be one of the recipients of the $500 Herbert J. Fischman Memorial Scholarship. Words can’t describe how grateful my family and I are for your help towards my future. In this economy every little bit helps.”
And a young man who was on his way to an Ivy League college wrote the following:
“I would like to thank you for your generosity and support toward my college education. I would also like to pay respect to your father since he did serve in the community for an outstanding 25 years and is most likely respected by former colleagues and students. It still must be tough to cope with this loss since it is just over five years, but I know he still lives through people like you who give back to the community of Brentwood. I am of Mexican and Haitian descent and I will be the first in my family to attend college. I am blessed that I am one of the recipients of your scholarship. I will work hard to keep the spirit of your father alive and I will not let you down.”
In these difficult economic times where discretionary funds are diminishing, a scholarship, no matter how small, can enhance the life of a young person. It also perpetuates the living memory of a loved one.
It’s Scholarship Season – Helping Graduates and Preserving Memories
Posted: May 15, 2012 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, school, Teacher | Tags: brentwood, Brentwood High School, education, long island schools, parenting, scholarship, school, schools, teacher Leave a comment »
This week I look forward to attending the Brentwood (N.Y.) High School Awards Night as a presenter of two scholarships in memory of my father, Herbert Fischman, who was a teacher and principal in the school district for 25 years. With this gesture, I will join with many other individuals and groups who together award hundreds of scholarships to Brentwood’s deserving graduates. I suspect that we are all part of a much larger group this spring who will also donate scholarships to high school graduates across the country.
In these difficult economic times, it hardly seems like a $500 or $1,000 scholarship makes a difference, but it does. Many of the students are awarded multiple scholarships, so while most of the individual awards are modest, they can add up — and numerous students receive sizeable support.
But it’s not just about the money. It’s about honoring young people who have excelled in spite of adversity, and who passionately want a shot at college. One of those Brentwood graduates, Samantha Garvey, made national headlines earlier this year when she was named a semi-finalist in the Intel Science Competition while her family was living in a homeless shelter. She is president of her school’s chapter of the National Honor Society, and has a 3.9 grade point average.
But you don’t need to have Samantha’s resume to receive a scholarship. The more that are available, the more opportunity there is to acknowledge young people who work hard to do their very best, as well as those who exemplify character traits that our communities and country desperately need, such as service and caring. I have to confess that the scholarship was not my idea. Vicki Novak, a Brentwood graduate who later became president of the Smithtown Council of PTAs, had the council donate the scholarship when my father died in 2005 and I was the administrative liaison to the PTA Council.
It wasn’t until three years ago while writing a book with my husband and brother that a light bulb went off in my head. Our book is about honoring memories and carrying on legacies, and the idea for the scholarship came from two of our interviewees — Nick Clooney, the father of George Clooney and brother of Rosemary Clooney, and Yeou-Cheng Ma, the sister of cellist Yo Yo Ma. Both separately suggested that one of the most accessible ways of honoring a loved one was to establish a scholarship in his or her memory. It was then that I made the commitment to continue the scholarship each year.
While the students are the recipients of the scholarships, attending the assembly and presenting the scholarships has been both cathartic and therapeutic for me. For example, I met retired teachers who worked in my father’s school and who shared with me their reminiscences, as well as their affection and admiration for my dad. In addition, listening to others speak about their loved ones confirmed that dedicating a scholarship, no matter what the amount, helps to keep alive the memory of those who are no longer here.
Since establishing the Herbert J. Fischman Memorial Scholarship, I have met some amazing students, parents, teachers, and principals. Some of the past recipients have sent me thank you notes expressing their appreciation.
One female student wrote:
“It is with great appreciation that I thank you and your family for allowing me to be one of the recipients of the $500 Herbert J. Fischman Memorial Scholarship. Words can’t describe how grateful my family and I are for your help towards my future. In this economy every little bit helps.”
And a young man who was on his way to an Ivy League college wrote the following:
“I would like to thank you for your generosity and support toward my college education. I would also like to pay respect to your father since he did serve in the community for an outstanding 25 years and is most likely respected by former colleagues and students. It still must be tough to cope with this loss since it is just over five years, but I know he still lives through people like you who give back to the community of Brentwood.
I am of Mexican and Haitian descent and I will be the first in my family to attend college.
I am blessed that I am one of the recipients of your scholarship. I will work hard to keep the spirit of your father alive and I will not let you down.”
In these difficult economic times where discretionary funds are diminishing, a scholarship, no matter how small, can enhance the life of a young person. It also perpetuates the living memory of a loved one.
Teacher Appreciation Week – A Celebration of Caring
Posted: May 10, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: education, Long Island, port washington, Schreiber High School, teacher appreciation week, Teacher Recognition Day, teachers Leave a comment »This is Teacher Appreciation Week, and for me it evokes a floodgate of thoughts on teaching and learning.
For one thing, Teacher Recognition Day — as the single day dedicated to teachers used to be called – coincided with my first big success at school. I was in the third grade and my teacher was Mrs. Briggs, a large, smiley, cherubic woman who clearly loved her students, their parents – and teaching! She gave us an assignment to write something about Teacher Recognition Day. I whipped up a poem and I could see from Mrs. Briggs’s beaming face that it was a winner. She had me share it with the class, then she shared it with the other teachers – and it was even published in the school newspaper! It’s not at all surprising that my double ambition to be a teacher and a writer began back in the third grade.
Shortly after my poetry success, my father went back to school to become a teacher. He eventually landed a job teaching fourth grade in a school with many disadvantaged children. A number of his students were immigrants and knew very little English. I was fascinated as we sat at the dinner table and he told us how, for example, he had taught Pedro how to say, “I have to go to the bathroom,” in English.
He then proceeded to teach my brother and me how to say it in Spanish. Later as a principal, he was instrumental in bringing a breakfast program into his school because he realized early on that kids couldn’t learn if they were hungry.
My father, as a teacher and as a principal, was my inspiration not only for my own career in education, but for my doctoral dissertation. It studied how caring principals promote a culture that enables children to succeed.
As a lover of current events, politics, and history, I got my Master’s Degree in teaching social studies from Columbia Teachers College. The department faculty there was inspirational and truly excited about teaching. We learned about the inquiry method – where students were given the tools to be social scientists and construct their own knowledge from original sources. Sound familiar? Years later, this same method was dubbed DBQ – Dated Based Questions. I couldn’t wait to try out all the wonderful things my teachers at TC taught me.
I hit the jackpot when I was hired to teach American History and Government at Schreiber High School in Port Washington, NY. My colleagues were on the cutting edge of educational theory and practice; together we brainstormed, discussed, and created our own teaching materials. It was wonderful to teach social studies. But we all knew that we weren’t just teaching a subject; we were teaching young people. To be successful, we needed to know where our students were coming from, and we made it our business to find out. We hung out with students during our free periods, we talked to other teachers and guidance counselors, and we were in touch with parents. The administrators were visible and accessible to students and staff. In other words, we cared about kids.
In my dissertation, I studied principals who promoted an ethos of caring in their schools – principals who consistently went above and beyond to meet the needs of children, and to meet the needs of teachers and parents as well. Not surprisingly, these principals built faculties of caring teachers.
Later, as an administrator, I verified time and again the conclusions of my dissertation. What matters most in schools is a caring environment, which addresses the needs of every child. Those are the schools where students are most successful. All of the current emphasis on standardized testing totally misses the mark. Teachers need to be able to meet the varying needs of their students, and exercise their creativity, judgment, and professional expertise. There is not a magic bullet for education that can be imposed from the outside. Caring teachers, led by caring principals, have been and continue to be the solution.
More than a half-century later, I still remember the poem that I wrote for Teacher Recognition Day, and I am still writing and learning! Thank you to all my teachers and my colleagues!
Teacher Recognition Day
Is for us to recognize,
Our teachers, who in the United States
Are so highly prized.
All the teachers deserve this day
Not just a few
So my dear teachers
May God bless each one of you.
Breaking News that Parents Can Use
Posted: May 2, 2012 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents | Tags: Mary Broderick, Mom Congress, Myrdin Thompson, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Education Association, National Family Engagement Alliance, National School Boards Association, No Child Left Behind, ParentNet® Unplugged, Parents Across America, Race to the Top Leave a comment »Education news has been breaking at such a fast and furious pace that I’m calling your attention to a few important stories you may have missed.
New Organization to Engage Families in Education
First, I’m delighted that my good friend Myrdin Thompson of Louisville, Ky., has been named regional director for the central states in the newly formed National Family Engagement Alliance (NFEA). 
The organization was unveiled this week as part of Parenting Magazine’s Mom Congress Conference in Washington, DC. Gwen Samuel of Meriden, Conn., was appointed as regional director for the eastern and southeast regions and has been an advocate for disenfranchised families.
The organization will provide resources, education and support to engage families, individuals and organizations in schools for the benefit of children. Both women have been recognized for their advocacy and training of parents and education professionals in effective family engagement in education.
While Myrdin was in Washington this week, she was honored as a White House Champion of Change and met with President Barack Obama. He characterized her as “awesome,” which is exactly what she is. Myrdin and I are both part of the blogging team at ParentNet Unplugged, a great group of people dedicated to parent engagement in education.
A few months ago, I featured Myrdin in two consecutive Your Education Doctor blogs because one just wasn’t enough. I called her a Parent Advocate Par Excellence, and I’m thrilled that she will be bringing her experience and expertise to our shared passion of parent engagement in education! To read more about Myrdin, here are my blogs:
Profile of a Parent Advocate Par Excellence
Part 2: Lessons for Parents and the Future of Public Schools
A Letter to the President from School Boards Leader
Standardized tests have recently been on the minds of both parents and children. Last week, Mary Broderick, president of the National School Boards Association, wrote to President Obama urging him to begin a national dialogue on education – not among politicians but educators. 
She asked him to wear his “parent hat” to the endeavor of finding a new direction for public education.
Your daughters, she wrote, “like all of our children and all of our teachers, don’t need more tests designed to identify weaknesses. They need excited, motivated, passionate teachers who feel challenged, supported, and encouraged to try new approaches, who share with their students a learning environment that is limitless. …”
She also decried the focus on standardized testing, saying: “Strict quantitative accountability has never worked for any organization, and it has not worked with No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. … Teachers’ focus on tests is undermining their potential and initiative, making it more difficult to share a love of learning with their students.” Here is the full text of her remarks.
Resolution to Reduce Standardized Testing
Finally, the National Education Association (NEA) has thrown its support behind a resolution calling on federal and state policymakers to reduce standardized test mandates, and to base school accountability on multiple forms of evaluation that will support students and improve schools.
Other supporters include: Parents Across America, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The resolution’s signers have joined with public education advocates Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier to call upon state officials to “reexamine school accountability,” and to develop an evaluation system that reflects the “broad range” of how students learn rather than mandating extensive standardized testing. Click here for the full text of the resolution.
A Test for Parents
Posted: April 24, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: education, parenting, pta, standardized tests Leave a comment »It’s the season for standardized testing, and throughout the country kids of all ages are being subjected to this stressful exercise.
Unfortunately, these tests are being used for very high stakes decisions. For example, in New York, 40 percent (in Florida, 50 percent) of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on test scores. The pitfalls in standardized testing were recently exemplified by a ridiculous question on a New York State about a pineapple racing a hare!
Standardized testing, and its concomitant problems — such as teachers being forced to teach to these tests — is a huge concern in education today. Parents need to keep informed about this as well as many other school issues.
How informed a parent are you? Here’s a pop quiz for parents. There are no trick questions!
1. How would you characterize your relationship to the professionals in your children’s school(s)?
(a) I know the names of my children’s teachers, principal, and central office staff, but do not interact with them.
(b) I have a cordial relationship with them, and am comfortable contacting them about issues or problems.
(c) I resent their salaries and benefits.
(d) I don’t interact with them.
2. How would you describe your involvement in your PTA and district?
(a) I attend PTA and Board of Education meetings and take an active part.
(b) My spouse attends some meetings, talks to the PTA president, and keeps me informed.
(c) I’ve been to a couple, but think these meetings are a waste of time.
(d) I have no idea when meetings are held and never attend them.
3. How do you get information about your school and district?
(a) I check school and district websites on a regular basis.
(b) I read local newspapers and online media, check school and district websites, and speak to teachers, administrators, and Board of Education members.
(c) I am generally too busy to keep informed, but if there’s an issue I speak to my neighbors.
(d) I don’t get involved in politics and have no idea of what’s going on.
4. How involved are you in the 2012-2013 budget process?
(a) I have been following issues in local media, and plan to vote.
(b) I have regularly attended budget and Board of Education meetings.
(c) I haven’t been involved, but I don’t like the excessive spending.
(d) I can’t be bothered and I want to move to North Carolina.
5. How satisfied are you with the quality of education in your school district?
(a) I am very pleased with my children’s teachers, but am concerned about cuts to educational programs.
(b) I moved here because of the district’s reputation, and my children are flourishing.
(c) My taxes are rising and I’m not so sure it’s worth it.
(d) I am dissatisfied and disillusioned.
6. If your child were a victim of bullying in school, what would you do?
(a) I would speak to my child’s teacher and brainstorm solutions and strategies.
(b) I would check the school’s bullying policy, and would ask for a meeting with the teacher, principal, and guidance counselor.
(c) I would complain to my friends.
(d) I would do nothing, and hope that it would stop.
Answer Key:
If you answered mostly a’s and b’s, Congratulations — you are an involved parent!
If your answers were mostly c’s and d’s, it’s time you got more involved in your children’s education. Research indicates that the more parents are involved in their child’s schools, the more successful their child will be.
A child’s best advocate is an informed parent.
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2012/04/the_pineapple_story_questions.html
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It’s About Parenting, NOT Politics!
Posted: April 17, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Ann Romney, Brentwood High School, Hilary Rosen, Mitt Romney, samantha garvey Leave a comment »Hilary Rosen’s ill-chosen comments about Ann Romney’s choice to be a stay at home mom (SAHM) have ignited the 21st century version of the Mommy Wars.
Ann Romney
Alas! I thought those wars had been fought in the 70s, 80s, and 90s and resolved by the turn of the new century. Apparently, they have not, and that both saddens and angers me.Let me begin by stating emphatically that this is not about politics. The debate has bordered on the absurd, and it’s high time that if we insist on beating this subject to death, we focus on parenting — not politics.
At different times in my life, I have been both a SAHM and a working mom. I actually went back to school and back to work because my husband was out of work. With three sons, I found myself leaving at 7 a.m. and often returning after 10 p.m. As I drove from work to school, my neck and shoulders ached from tension and I would wonder if I had time to get a bite to eat before my 6:30 evening class. The exhaustion and stress reminded me of the nine-hour stints I spent every evening as a SAHM rocking, holding, bouncing, and feeding a screeching colicky baby who would not be consoled.
Three sons always seemed to me as many boys as I could handle. I give Mrs. Romney all the credit in the world for apparently successfully raising five (5) sons!
Romney Family
The current conversation revolves too much around money. Although it’s estimated that full-time mothering should yield $112,000 per year in the marketplace, that’s not the point. It’s very easy to say mothering has to do with how much money you have, but it doesn’t. There’s no doubt that being comfortable – or even wealthy — can make your life easier, but it doesn’t make you a better parent.
Changing diapers, wiping noses, cooking and cleaning — and the other mundane tasks — are commonly believed to be the domain of mothers. But there’s a far more important realm that has been totally neglected in this debate. And that’s the social, emotional, and intellectual development of children.
No matter how much household help a mother does or doesn’t have, it is she who conveys the values that she wants her children to live by. Whether a mother is a SAHM or works 16-hour days, she is a role model for her children.
She also needs to be present for her children, and available to communicate with them at all hours of the day and night. She needs to notice little things that may turn into big things, like suspicions of delayed learning or disabilities, or friendlessness.
It’s also my opinion that mothers need to know what’s going on in their children’s schools and to communicate with their teachers. Research indicates that the more parents are involved, the more successful their children will be and the better the schools. James J. Heckman, an economist at the University of Chicago, contends that parenting counts as much or more than income in developing a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school.
Samantha Garvey, an 18-year-old Brentwood, L.I., high school senior was recently named a semi-finalist in the Intel Science Competition while her family was living in a homeless shelter. Her mother, Olga Garvey Coreas, an immigrant from El Salvador, told the Huffington Post’s Latino Voices that parents must be vigilant in encouraging and supporting their children’s education. She pointed out that her husband, Leo, worked nights and that she worked days.
“The fact was that we never left them alone; we were always there to help them with their homework,” she said. “I believe that good communication is the basis for guiding our children.”
Some mothers have no choice but to work full-time. Some mothers choose to stay home. Some mothers work part-time. Good mothering and bad mothering can be found in every socio-economic level and working style. It’s high time that mothers stop attacking each other and focus on what’s most important – raising decent human beings.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/samantha-garvey-intel-science-immigrant_n_1215994.html
Joining the New Blogging Team at ParentNet® Unplugged
Posted: April 11, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: education, parenting, ParentNet® Unplugged, schools Leave a comment »I’m honored to let you know that I have joined the new blogging team at ParentNet® Unplugged, a site that invites parents, educators and community leaders to participate in frank conversations about family engagement in education. 
As you know, parent engagement in education is my passion and I am thrilled to connect with other experts, who share my commitment and interest in exploring and learning about this important subject.
Research indicates that positive family-school-community partnerships promote children’s social, emotional, and academic learning and development. I am joining a distinguished group of professionals and parents, who practice and write about the importance of parent engagement, school-family partnerships, and related issues and concerns.
My article this month is Parent Power: Be Engaged in Your School District’s Budget Process.
Here is a list of recent articles by the members of the blogging team.
School Districts Sound Sour Note to Cut Costs
Posted: April 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alvin Davis, arts education, education, Miramar High School, National Endowment for the Arts Research Report, parenting, U.S. Department of Education 1 Comment »A report this week by the U.S. Department of Education paints a dreary picture of arts education in the nation.
A casualty of budget cuts and an increased emphasis on math and reading, the report noted that fewer public elementary schools are offering visual arts, dance and drama classes. 
Although music classes in most elementary and secondary schools remain constant, they have declined at the country’s poorest schools.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan decried the situation saying, “It is deeply troubling that all students do not have access to arts education today.”
He noted that children who come from disadvantaged families are most impacted by these cuts because their parents cannot afford private music or art lessons. In addition, involvement in the arts may provide motivation to attend school and excel in other areas.
This is doubly disturbing in light of a new National Endowment for the Arts Research Report. It indicated that although high school students on the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder tend to not do as well in school as children from more comfortable families, those who participate in the arts achieve as well or better than their wealthier counterparts. They have higher than average grade point averages, are more active in school activities, and enrolled in four-year colleges at higher rates than their peers who did not participate in the arts.
A report on the CBS Evening News Tuesday reinforced these findings. Band Director Alvin Davis at Miramar High School is Florida’s Teacher of the Year. For four years in a row, 100 percent of his band students have gone on to college; just 10 years ago, the school was listed as failing. Alvin Davis is proof that one music teacher inspiring his students can make a difference. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7404214n&tag=contentMain;contentBody
There are other reasons why arts education is important.
- In a world where children are tethered to technological devices, we desperately need to provide them with vehicles to unleash their imagination and creativity.
- The arts encourage youngsters to see the world in new and inventive ways and to find different ways of solving problems and expressing themselves.
- Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill.
- Arts education can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. According to a 2005 report by the Rand Corporation, the arts “can connect people more deeply to the world and open them to new ways of seeing.”
- In a diverse society, the arts can transcend language and cultural differences, and promote experiences of empathy.
- Arts education teaches ways of thinking unavailable in any other discipline, fostering imagination. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”.
- Creativity is essential in every discipline – medicine, business, technology, science, etc. The world needs creativity to progress. Arts education fosters the creative spirit.
Be sure to tell your school district that arts education must be preserved!
http://www.miller-mccune.com/education/arts-involvement-narrows-student-achievement-gap-40745/
http://www.startribune.com/nation/145804075.html
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March Madness: School Lunch, Pink Slime and National Nutrition Month
Posted: March 28, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: education, healthy lunch, national nutrition month, nutrition, parenting, pink slime, port washington, school lunch Leave a comment »The coincidence of a spate of stories decrying the wide use in school lunches of what critics call “pink slime” 
(ammonia-treated ground beef) appearing during National Nutrition Month got me to thinking about what school children eat for lunch each day.
While healthier eating has become a passionate cause among parents in many districts, it was shocking to recently learn that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to purchase 7 million pounds of ammonia-treated beef for use in school lunch programs. But after a public outcry, the USDA announced that school districts that participate in the government’s school lunch program would be allowed to reject beef containing the “pink slime” filler and select filler-free meat instead.
Several U.S. school systems, such as New York City, said they would change their cafeteria menus when the move takes effect next fall. Others, including Boston, decided to remove the ammonia-treated meat immediately. Just this week, production was halted at three of four plants that manufacture the by-product.
The irony of the “pink slime” fiasco breaking during National Nutrition Month makes the issue all the more troubling. 
Despite years of parents’ lobbying for healthier school meal choices, the USDA was prepared to feed kids meat whose safety was questioned by some microbiologists (other experts contend it is necessary to kill bacteria such as E. coli). On the other hand, Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. I wonder how many parents would choose “pink slime.”
So how does a parent make informed school lunch choices?
There are two ways. One is to keep after your school district to serve healthier options. But keep in mind that the bottom line in food service programs is making a profit. If the healthy options don’t sell, the program will be in the red. A number of districts have instituted healthy lunch programs. An exemplary program is the one in the Port Washington, N.Y. school system. The menu is filled with healthy choices including whole grain pastas, bread, brown rice, baked sweet potato puffs, yogurt, fruit and vegetable salads, turkey, home made soups, tuna, and pita and hummus, to name a few. If your district is not this enlightened, there’s another choice – pack your child’s lunch yourself.
I remember my elementary school lunch. 
My mother invariably packed a sandwich and a piece of fruit – an apple, orange, or pear in the winter, and a peach or plum in the warmer weather. I remember eyeing my classmates’ goodies – Twinkies, Hostess cupcakes, chips and chocolate chip cookies – with envy. I had no idea my mother was so avant-garde!
Nowadays, with insulated lunch bags and more varied offerings, you can make your child’s lunch healthy and appealing. Here are some tips:
- Be aware of food restrictions in your child’s school, e.g. nut allergies, and respect them.
- Fill your child’s lunchbox with colorful foods from all food groups — proteins, fruits & vegetables, and whole grains. Consider items such as hard-boiled eggs, berries, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, carrots and hummus.
- Use whole grain breads and crackers.
- Stay away from foods high in sugar and additives.
- Cut things in cubes, such as chicken, cheese, veggies and melon.
- Remember finger foods and dips if you think your child can handle them.
http://www.portnet.k12.ny.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=40
http://www.eatright.org/NNM/content.aspx?id=5345
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/pink-slime-school-lunch-opt-out_n_1347784.html
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Houses for Change: Kids with homes helping kids without
Posted: March 21, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: charity, education, Family Promise, Houses for Change, Mark Wasserman, parenting, parents Leave a comment »How do you teach kids values, like compassion and charity?
How do you teach kids such practical lessons as the value of money and saving?
Houses for Change does all that — and is fun as well. It is a national campaign started by Mark Wasserman of Boca Raton, Fl., to raise awareness of homelessness and to raise funds to help homeless families. Since its launch at the end of 2010, more than 17,000 kids in over 150 cities have created their own unique Houses for Change collection boxes.
The project was conceived as a result of Wasserman’s volunteering with Family Promise of South Palm Beach County, an interfaith organization that helps homeless families with children become independent again.
“The values kids learn from this project,” said Wasserman, “will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”
Using art supplies and their imagination, children decorate pre-ordered boxes to look like a house. Participants take their boxes home and in the following weeks fill them with loose change. On a selected date, kids bring their filled boxes back to the local sponsoring group for a communal donation to any homeless organization, food bank or related organization.
According to Wasserman, Houses for Change has universal appeal. He noted that it has been adopted as a service learning project by schools and congregations. The decorated boxes have been used at community service days and birthday parties as piggy banks; at churches as Advent, Lenten and collection boxes; and at synagogues as tzedakah (charity) boxes.
Congressman Alcee Hastings recently recognized Wasserman and the Houses for Change Project in a statement on the House floor.
Houses for Change is more than an arts and crafts project, Wasserman notes. “It is an opportunity to teach about charity, homelessness, hunger and social action. It enables kids to realize that if they regularly save their loose change, it will accumulate to a large sum; and if they combine their savings with those of others, it can become a significant charitable donation that will help those in need.”
Houses for Change is sponsored by Family Promise, a non-profit organization that mobilizes communities to help homeless and low-income families. At www.familypromise.org/housesforchange there are details about how to organize this project, great photos of proud kids and parents with their creations, a TV news story, educational materials to download, and an online store to order the inexpensive undecorated boxes.
For more information, contact Chris Kaul, Family Promise Marketing and Public Relations, at ckaul@familypromise.org (908) 273-1100 ext. 43 or Mark Wasserman, Coordinator, at markwboca@gmail.com (561) 699-5116.
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Back-to- School List for Parents: No Trips to Staples Required
Posted: September 2, 2011 Filed under: back to school, Education, Long Island Schools, New York Schools, Parents, Principals, school, school administration, school district, school supplies, Uncategorized | Tags: back to school, parents, school district, school supplies, shopping, student, teacher 1 Comment »The Back-to-School List – I admit I still shudder when I hear it. My most desperate memory was banging on the door of a locked Staples store minutes before 6 p.m. on Labor Day because my son needed a scientific calculator. The staff
insisted it was already six 0’clock and that the store was closed. I begged, but to no avail. Fortunately, we all survived that trauma, purchasing the calculator later in the week. My son went on to graduate from high school and even college, but the memory of that ordeal remains.
The average parent will spend $600 this year per child on school supplies, clothes, backpacks, and sports equipment. And I suspect that many parents will be as intense about their children’s Back-to-School List as I was. Will the correct backpack heighten or lessen a child’s self-esteem, and lead to success? We really don’t know. But what I do know is that preparing your kids for school is only half the battle to ensure a successful school year. Parents, too, have to be prepared, as full partners with the schools. From my perspective, it’s not enough to obsess about the list the school gives you. The list they don’t give you is equally, if not more, important. Here’s my list for parents, one that will serve you and your children well in the coming school year. And no trips to Staples are required!
Top 10 Back-to-School List for Parents
- Know the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of all your children’s teachers, principal, other school administrators, and school nurse.
- Find out if anything that might affect your child has changed since the last school year. With budget cuts, schools have reduced services and personnel, so just don’t assume that everything is the same. Are time schedules the same? Does your child still have bus service? Are there any late buses? Does your school district still offer full-day kindergarten? Is the person you expected to be your child’s teacher still there, or has she been excessed or moved? Does the school have the same principal and assistant principals? Have sports or music or art been reduced?
- Know your school and school district websites, and check them frequently for calendar changes, meeting announcements and minutes, news, policies and procedures, and other information.
- Find out how your school communicates important information with parents and then be alert to those messages. Is it by automated phone message, e-mail blasts, electronically through systems such as Parent Portal, newsletters, snail-mail, or in your kids’ backpacks?
- Keep the school calendar in an accessible area and check it frequently.
- Find out when Meet-the-Teacher evenings are held, and do your best to attend them for each of your children even if they’re seniors in high school. If you can’t attend, contact the teachers to let them know you are an interested and involved parent.
- Know when PTA meetings are held, attend them, and become an active member. This is the single, best way to keep informed and become involved in your children’s schools.
- Know when and where Board of Education meetings are held, attend them, and feel free to voice your opinion during the public participation part of the meeting if you have something important you want to share. You must sign up to speak before the meeting.
- Know the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of the Board of Education members and the District Clerk. In public school districts, trustees are elected by the residents and are usually responsive to their constituents’ opinions and problems.
- Know the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of your superintendent of Schools and other districtwide administrators. If your child has a particular issue, such as a medical problem, food allergy, or learning disability, it’s important to know the name and contact information for the central office administrator in charge of that issue. Although it is always desirable to follow the chain of command, i.e., teacher or school nurse, then principal, sometimes it’s necessary to go to a higher level in advocating for your child. Be proactive and have that information at your fingertips in case it’s needed.
Beware of the Tiger – Parents’ Bill of Rights
Posted: September 6, 2011 Filed under: back to school, bully, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Parents bill of rights, Principals, school, school administration, school complaint, school district, school supplies, Suffolk county schools | Tags: back to school, education, long island schools, parents, principal, pta, school administrator, school district, school supplies, shopping, student, teacher 2 Comments »
When my brother was in fifth grade, he had persistent nightmares about his teacher Mr. X. In his dreams, Mr. X. was a huge tiger that was attempting to devour him. Uncharacteristically, my mother made an appointment with the principal to discuss the matter. I don’t know what transpired during that meeting, but my brother was immediately transferred to another class – and the nightmares stopped.
It was unusual for my mother to complain – about anything. Indeed, 50 years ago it was rare for any parent to voice an opinion about what went on in their children’s schools. Most people had the attitude that the school was always right. This has changed somewhat over time. When my kids were in school, some parents spoke up, but the majority still implicitly trusted their schools. Conventional wisdom was that if you complained, you might be considered a nuisance and this would reflect poorly on your child.
Surprisingly, I still encounter parents who are afraid of retaliation against their child if they have a grievance. Actually, the opposite is true. In my official capacity, I have seen time and again, that the parent who advocates for his or her child gets better results than the parent who remains silent.
As we begin a new school year, the first thing to remember is that you need not be shy when it comes to advocating for your children. It is your right and your responsibility. You know better than anyone that this is your child’s only chance to experience kindergarten or sixth grade or 12th grade. You want your child to have the best possible experience in that particular grade despite budget woes, logistical problems, or personnel issues. Here’s a Parents’ Bill of Rights to help you be a better advocate for your children in school.
Parents’ Bill of Rights
- You have the right to be your children’s best advocate and to expect that their unique and special needs are met by the schools in a safe and supportive learning environment in each grade in each school year.
- You have the right to communicate with your children’s teachers, principal, and school nurse as often as you see fit.
- You have the right to easily access and understand information about your children’s schools, school district, teachers, administrators, facilities, policies, procedures, and programs.
- You have the right to have access to your children’s educational records, information regarding services offered by the schools, and expectations about your children’s instructional programs, grading criteria, attendance, and behavior.
- You have the right to be treated with respect, fairness, and understanding, free of discrimination and prejudice, by all staff, faculty, and administration in your children’s schools and school district.
- You have the right to attend all public meetings, including PTA, Board of Education, and committee meetings.
- You have the right to complain, without fear of retaliation, to teachers, building and district administrators, and Board of Education.
- You have the right to attend Board of Education meetings and address the board during the public audience part of the meeting.
- You have the right to know official complaint procedures within the school, school district, and outside agencies, and to pursue them if necessary, without fear of retaliation.
- You have the right to ensure that your children are learning in safe, healthy, and caring schools, free of discrimination, prejudice, bullying, and harassment, and that their physical, emotional, social, academic, and special needs are met on a daily basis.
How Schools Have Changed Since 9-11
Posted: September 13, 2011 Filed under: back to school, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, school, school district, Suffolk county schools, Uncategorized | Tags: 9/11, 9/11 memorial, education, Long Island, long island schools, Meryl Ain, parents, school, twin towers, Your Education Doctor Leave a comment »As I read and watched the September 11thanniversary coverage, I was brought back to that terrible day which transformed all of us forever.
The World Trade Center
My initial reaction when I learned a plane had hit the first tower was that I would know people who were in the World Trade Center – and I was right. Among the casualties was Andrew Zucker, a 27-year-old lawyer our family had known since he was six-years-old. His mother told me later that after having led members of his law firm to safety, he was going back to help more when the second plane hit and he disappeared. He left behind grieving parents, grandparents, siblings, nieces and nephews, friends – and a pregnant wife.
That child, now almost 10 years old, innocently joined thousands of young and unborn children who lost a parent on 9-11. Not only did that terrible day change the lives of countless children and their families, but it also changed our schools.
At the time, I was working in the central office of the Smithtown Central School District, about 30 miles from Manhattan. Minutes after the first attack, I and the five other members of the superintendent’s cabinet were summoned to the office of Dr. Charles A. Planz, the superintendent of schools, to watch the ghastly events unfolding on TV and to discuss how we should handle the catastrophe. Dr. Planz ordered a lockdown of all schools and each of us was assigned to visit two of the district’s 14 schools.
I found panic as I drove up to the first school. Parents who had rushed to the school to take their children home, had congregated in the lobby waiting for their children to be released to them. Many had come to the school because cell phone service had been knocked out and they wanted to be with their children at this time of national crisis. As I circulated among the parents, one mother was crying and visibly shaken.
“My husband is a New York City firefighter,” she told me.
Only later as events unfolded did I realize the true import of her words – that her husband and other brave first responders had rushed into the burning Twin Towers without a moment’s hesitation, ultimately sacrificing their lives to save others. Her husband was one of several first responders and employees in the towers from the Smithtown community who died saving others on September 11.
9/11 Memorial
So many things changed in our country’s schools after 9-11. Schools became better at communicating with parents through websites and automated phone messaging systems. Character education blossomed. The events of September 11 were taught and commemorated. Security guards and security cameras became commonplace. Policies were written, post-Columbine codes of conduct were amended, and rules were established that were unforgiving of prejudice and threats of any kind.
Time and again as the Hearing Officer in Superintendent’s Disciplinary Hearings, I had to explain to a student and his parents that although he had made what he insisted was an idle threat or even a joke, since Sept. 11 the school district was obligated to take it seriously and impose consequences.
But some things will never change, such as the memory of disbelief and horror that day evokes, the families and friends who lost loved ones in such a horrific way, and the unborn children who are now almost 10 years old. All parents have a basic and enduring instinct to protect and shelter their children from harm. When they send their children to school each day, they have implicit faith that their schools are their trusted partners in that essential endeavor.
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Knowledge Plus Participation Equals Power
Posted: September 15, 2011 Filed under: back to school, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Parents bill of rights, Principals, school, school administration, school complaint, school district, school supplies, Suffolk county schools | Tags: education, Long Island, long island schools, parents teachers, pta, school bus, school transportation, smithtown, transportation Leave a comment »I cannot emphasize enough how much it benefits your child for you to be actively involved in his or her school. Over the years, I have attended countless PTA and Board of Education meetings as a parent, teacher, and administrator, and I will tell you that the prescription for power is knowledge and participation. I have come to understand the crucial role parents play not only in their own children’s education, but in determining the quality of the schools they attend. 
Indeed, research indicates that the more involved parents are, the better the schools. Conversely, when parents are uninvolved, uninformed – or worse – apathetic, their children and their schools suffer.
The current bus situation in the Smithtown School Districtis a perfect case in point of why parents have to be informed and involved. On May 17, 2011, a transportation referendum to reduce busing limits was passed by voters inSmithtown. The minute it was passed there was an outcry from parents that the proposition was confusing: they didn’t know what they were voting for and, worst of all, that they were unaware that a vote on transportation had been scheduled. Parents were up in arms that their children’s safety was being jeopardized and that their lives would be in danger because they would now have to walk to school on streets without sidewalks and cross large thoroughfares where numerous pedestrians have been injured and killed.
Clearly, this debate should have taken place before the vote. But not enough parents were aware – until it was almost too late. After the vote, large numbers of parents began to systematically lobby the Board of Education for a revote. They circulated petitions, discussed the topic at PTA meetings, wrote letters to the board and to the newspapers, and came to board meetings en masse. This impassioned and organized effort had the desired results, and the board scheduled a new vote for September 19. Stay tuned for the results.
There is no question that parents are their children’s best advocates, but parents can’t be effective unless they are informed; they need to play with a full deck. They need the facts, and they need tools and tactics. My mission is to empower parents to better understand and navigate their children’s schools with the insider information, unvarnished truth, and useful strategies I have acquired in the trenches and at the top levels in public and nonpublic schools. I fully understand that each child has only one chance to experience a particular grade in a school. My passion is caring. I wish that all schools would operate from an ethic of caring – understanding and meeting each child’s needs with respect and sensitivity. My goal is to help parents make the schools more accountable for the benefit of their children.
Not Your Mother’s PTA
Posted: September 21, 2011 Filed under: back to school, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Principals, school, school administration, school district, Suffolk county schools | Tags: education, Long Island, long island schools, Nassau County schools, parent teacher association, parent teachers, parents, pta, students, teachers 1 Comment »
Do you think PTA is synonymous with bake sales? Think again — today’s PTA is about a lot more than cupcakes
We know that research indicates that students whose parents are actively involved in their schools have better grades, attendance, behavior, and graduation rates. But PTA membership is a personal investment you make not only for your child, but for yourself too.
Many opportunities await you at your next PTA meeting. Advocating for a worthwhile mission, having a positive impact on your schools, and supporting amazing events for students are the obvious benefits of PTA involvement. But I have also witnessed more subtle perks that may come to active parents.
Here are five things that you might not know about today’s PTA:
1. Volunteer and get access.
Being an active PTA member gives you legitimate reasons to have input and to be in your children’s school during the school day. For example, do you want to have a say in booking a children’s author, a play or a music or science program for your children’s school? Then join your PTA’s cultural arts committee. You will work closely with your principal and teachers to plan enriching events that PTA fundraising supports. As a member of the committee, you will be able to attend programs to assess their success.
By becoming a known quantity to school staff, you will get a birds-eye view of what’s going on and principal, faculty and staff will know you by name. This will come in handy should you ever have a question or concern. Similarly, you may be asked for your perspective as a parent when issues occur. It’s sort of like the classic Peter Sellers movie, Being There. Because you are there, you may become a go-to parent.
2. Contribute and make friends.
You will meet like-minded parents who have children of comparable ages, with whom you will share similar concerns, goals, and hopes for your children. You will form close friendships and you will help one another through the sharing of ideas. If you are new to an area or your first child is starting school, PTA is a good place to meet people.
3. Give and receive much more.
PTA provides you with a wonderful outlet and platform for your passions. For example, if you are passionate about healthy eating, you can join the PTA’s health and wellness committee, and exert influence not only on the school lunch program, but also on classroom practices, such as giving candy for rewards.
If you are a parent of a child with special needs, you are probably already a strong advocate for special education. It is essential that you join SEPTA, Special Education PTA. There you will meet like-minded parents and professionals who will provide you with a support network, cutting edge information and strategies to help your child succeed. You will have the benefit of attending presentations by outside experts. And you will be able to forge positive relationships with district special education administrators, who attend SEPTA meetings. This will give you easy access to these professionals, should you have questions or concerns.
4. Be a player and get the “skinny.”
You will reap enormous benefits if you rise to the highest levels of PTA leadership. If you are the PTA president of your school or a member of your District PTA Council, you will meet with your Superintendent of Schools on a regular basis. He or she will update you on news, issues and problems and ask for your support. If you are a person who likes to be in the know, you will be informed of everything from district accomplishments to drug busts. You will have the information first and will be the one to share it with your members. The superintendent will also solicit your opinion and may ask for you to poll your members on various issues, such as proposed budget cuts.
As a key stakeholder, you may also be asked to serve on interview committees, citizens’ advisory committees, and task forces. The superintendent may also recruit you to help plan district-wide events, and to request that PTA help sponsor them.
5. Hone your skills and show what you can do.
The more you give of yourself and the more you hone your skills, the more valuable you will become to your PTA, your school, your district and community. The seeds you plant may bear fruit in unexpected ways. Is your main job CEO of your household for the foreseeable future? Then why not put your accounting expertise to work as a treasurer? Or use your organizing skills to plan events? Utilizing your background and experience can help close gaps in your resume. Continue to dazzle everyone with your generous contribution of your talent, time and energy, and your volunteer experience could lead to paid employment!
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How Safe Are Our Schools?
Posted: September 23, 2011 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Parents bill of rights, Principals, school, school administration, school district, Suffolk county schools, Uncategorized | Tags: bellmore, bellmore schools, columbine, education, home invasion, Long Island, long island education, long island home invasion, long island school lockdown, long island schools, school safety, school security, schoollockdown, schools Leave a comment »At the time, I thought that I would always remember April 20, 1999, as the day then-First Lady Hillary Clinton visited the school district in which I was working.
I was one of the entourage who escorted her and her staff around the Village School in Syosset, L.I.
The school was packed with media because there were rumors Mrs. Clinton would soon announce she was running for the U.S. Senate from New York. When I got home from work, I settled in to watch what I expected would be wall-to-wall coverage of the visit.
Columbine Memorial, Littleton, Colorado: Photo by David Keyzer (CC)
But it was quickly pre-empted by the horrific news from Littleton, Colorado — the massacre of 12 students and one teacher by two student gunmen before they killed themselves at Columbine High School.
Ever since that day, our notions of school safety have changed. So this week when police sought four men in connection with a home invasion robbery in Bellmore, L.I., they ordered a lockdown of 27 schools in Bellmore, Merrick, Wantagh and Levittown as they pursued the men through residential neighborhoods. The lockdowns went on for hours before the suspects were all apprehended, but not before there was a shootout in front of the Lakeside Elementary School in Merrick.
Anxious parents were advised not to come to the schools and were assured that their children were safe. Although the specter of lockdowns evokes memories of Columbine and subsequent school shootings, it’s important to remember that schools are now required to have comprehensive safety plans.
I remember chairing a large Project SAVE Committee in 2000 when New York State first required districts to have very specific safety plans, which must be tweaked and improved each year. This week when the lockdowns occurred on Long Island’s South Shore, the affected districts used their Websites and automated phone messages to inform parents — tools that were not widely used or available 11 years ago.
But how do you know about your child’s safety? Here are some questions you can ask:
- How does your school communicate with parents in case of a lockdown or safety situation?
- Does your school conduct lockdown drills with its staff? (There is mixed opinion on whether students should participate because it might frighten them.) Is all staff familiar with safety plans, and what to do if there is a threat to safety?
- Do your district and school administrators have ongoing contact with their local police and fire departments?
- Do parents have access to reports that include information about the number of violent or other unsafe incidents at the school?
- Does your school have ways to prevent as well as to respond to crises?
- Are students taught conflict resolution skills?
- How is school safety promoted in your school?
- Are school facilities safe and free of hazards?
- Does your school or district have a Safety Committee?
- Does your child know how to protect his or her personal safety and what to do if he or she is threatened?
It really does “take a village” – to borrow a line from Hillary Clinton — to ensure that our children are safe. Although schools are doing a much better job than they used to, there is always room for improvement. Board of education members, school and district administrators, teachers, staff, students and parents must always be vigilant and act as partners with one another to protect our students and schools. 
The Scourge of Bullying –What’s a Parent to Do?
Posted: September 27, 2011 Filed under: bully, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Parents bill of rights, Principals, school, school administration, school complaint, school district, Suffolk county schools | Tags: bully, bullying, cyber bully, cyberbullying, Long Island, Long Island bully, long island schools, parents, pta, students, teachers Leave a comment »There was national outrage last week over the suicide of Buffalo, N.Y., teen Jamey Rodemeyer, who took his life after more than a year of relentless anti-gay cyber-bullying. 
Even Lady Gaga weighed in by initiating a campaign, Make A Law for Jamey, that would make bullying a hate crime.
Police have opened a criminal investigation into the case, even though there are no anti-bullying laws in New York State. That may change with the announcement this week by State Senator Jeffrey Klein that he plans to introduce legislation to make cyber-bullying a crime. Recently, New Jersey joined several other states in enacting an anti-bullying law. .
Coincidentally, last week the U.S. Department of Education hosted a two-day Second Annual Bullying Prevention Summit to Stop Bullying, demonstrating that bullying is a widespread concern throughout the country.
As an educator and a parent, my heart goes out to the Rodemeyer family and to all who are bullied. It’s a fact that for students to succeed in school, they must feel safe and supported. But bullying happens, even though school officials certainly do not sanction it.
When I dealt with bullying incidents, I remember how painful and frightening it was for the victims. Their main fear was retaliation if they reported that they were bullied.
There are school district policies, administrative regulations and guidelines that spell out the consequences for bullying. But because bullying often takes place during less structured times of the school day – lunch, recess, going to and from class, and on the bus – it is incumbent upon students to report it. Principals, teachers and other school personnel typically take bullying reports very seriously. 
Not so long ago, schools took the position that they were only responsible for what happened at school. If a fight took place on Friday night at the mall, school districts used to say it was not their concern. Now if the impact spills over into the school day and affects students, school districts will take action.
Another game changer has been cyber-bullying. In the last several years, social media has created and enabled a new platform for bullying, and cases are proliferating. As a result, schools must now investigate and impose consequences for cyber-bullying, in addition to face-to-face bullying.
According to cyber-bullying statistics from the i-SAFE Foundation, more than one in three young people have experienced cyber-bullying. Unfortunately, more than half of these students do not tell their parents. Thus, it is crucial for students who are bullied or cyber-bullied to immediately report it to an adult – parent, teacher, administrator or guidance counselor. When bullying is reported, the school will act on it.
Parents should speak with their children about bullying and cyber-bullying to make sure they are not engaging in it. Discuss how hurtful it is, and emphasize that what is online stays online forever. Emphasize that online misbehavior could affect your child’s future. It’s equally important to encourage your children to tell you if they are bullied off or online. Reassure your child and make sure to remind school personnel that retaliation cannot be condoned. Be sure to discuss Internet safety with your children, and monitor what they are doing online.
By all means, parents should inform schools if there is bullying, and join with schools to promote bullying awareness and prevention programs. Remember October is National Bullying Awareness Month.
Here are some resources on bullying from the Learning First Alliance:
- National Parent Teacher Association’s (PTA) Connect for Respect initiative
- National Education Association’s (NEA) Bully Free: It Starts With Me
- American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) “See a Bully, Stop a Bully” initiative
- American Association of School Administrators’ (AASA) Special Edition on Bullying at School and Online initiative
- NASSP’s Bullying Prevention Initiative
- National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) Students on Board initiative
- National Association of State Boards of Education’s (NASBE) resource on State Bullying Laws.
The Hidden Costs of Public Education
Posted: September 30, 2011 Filed under: back to school, bully, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Parents bill of rights, Principals, school, school administration, school complaint, school district, school supplies, Suffolk county schools | Tags: back to school, education, Long Island, long island education, long island schools, parents, pta, school district, school supplies, students, teacher, teachers, Your Education Doctor Leave a comment »About 15 percent of American households were living in poverty last year and that number is increasing as the median household income drops, according to newly released statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.
That means the official poverty rate has reached its highest level since 1993. That translates to a total of 46.2 million people – the largest number since the government began tracking poverty in the 1950s. 
And because the poverty level for a family of four begins with an annual income of less than $22,314, many experts believe that a family of four needs to make twice that to feel secure.
Unemployment is predicted to remain above 9 percent for the foreseeable future, and parents are increasingly concerned about expenses and inflation. In last May’s school budget vote, most districts mindful of taxpayers’ pocketbooks scaled back programs and cut staff to keep tax increases low.
But is public education really free? Just because parents pay taxes doesn’t mean they do not have to contribute to their children’s education. Here are some of the extras parents are typically paying for:
- School Supplies: The average parent spent $600 this year equipping their children with back to school clothing and supplies. Most schools prepared lists of essential school supplies that parents were required to furnish. Depending on the grade of the student, these ranged from notebooks to laptops.
- Tissues: To save district funds, many elementary schools ask parents to send in boxes of tissues and other supplies for use by the entire class.
- School Spirit garments: T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, etc., are popular items at all levels. Students may be asked to wear these for special events at school.
- Musical instruments: purchase or rental
- Sports equipment and uniforms
- Field Trips
- Fundraising: School, PTA, Special Interest, e.g. sports, music, theater.
- Celebrations: birthdays, holidays, special events
What Can Parents Do?
- For back to school, PTAs can contract to provide boxed sets of school supplies by grade at a cost less than shopping for supplies on your own. The school will supply a list of school supplies by grade. For example, Staples does this through http://www.schoolkidz.com. Ask your PTA to investigate this money-saving option.
- Parents can lobby the principal or superintendent of schools and request that fundraising activities be reduced and consolidated. Parents may prefer to write one check for a set amount instead of being compelled into participating in a perpetual round of sales and fundraisers.
- If parents believe that the cost and incidence of field trips are excessive, parents have the right to question school’s field trip practices and ask that guidelines be established to limit frequency, distance, and cost per field trip, e.g. two per grade with a limit of $25. Also, parents should request that they be informed at the beginning of the school year of what their expenses will be for field trips.
- Request that your school limit expectations for children’s birthdays at school.
- Lobby to scale back spirit wear and unnecessary sports paraphernalia, such as sweatshirts and sweat pants. It’s hard to say no when everyone else is buying it and your child wants it too.
- Volunteer with your presence and skills at school and at special events and fundraisers instead of with your pocketbook.
- Parents should know that all schools provide help to families who cannot afford school-associated expenses. Don’t be afraid to ask your principal if you need financial assistance.
Would You Bully Chris Christie?
Posted: October 5, 2011 Filed under: bully, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Parents bill of rights, Principals, school complaint, school district, Suffolk county schools | Tags: bully, bullying, chris chrsities, christie president, cyber bulyying, cyberbullying, david letterman, governor christie, letterman, National Bullying Awareness Month 1 Comment »Concerned that he was being perceived as a bully, TV Host David Letterman recently volunteered to stop his persistent fat jokes about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Letterman’s biting humor is nothing new, but when the charge of bullying was raised he backed off.
To be fair, Letterman has not been alone in targeting Christie. Other comedians, political pundits, and average Americans have also derided Christie’s size.
Chris Christie, New Jersey Governor
Politicians are accustomed to being the butt of jokes – Christie even mentioned it when he announced Tuesday his decision not to run for president — but did the Christie fat bashing cross the line?
The criticism has nothing to do with whether you are or are not a supporter of Gov. Christie. And let’s be real, Chris Christie is a tough, centered guy, who can withstand whatever is dished out. But what do these fat jokes say about us – about our tastes, our values, our society?
As we observe National Bullying Awareness Month, and we ask our children and our schools to prevent bullying, we ought to take a hard look at ourselves too. Are we promoting bullying by repeating and laughing at fat jokes? Are we encouraging bullying by scornful and sarcastic remarks that we make about gays and others? Are we a party to bullying when we don’t step in and say something when we observe it? Are we allowing bullying to fester when we don’t report it to the school?
We know that youngsters learn what they live, and that children, even at a very young age, hear much more than we think they do. They are also very adept at picking up non-verbal cues. What messages are we sending our children? Are we tacitly encouraging them to be bullies?
Most children who are bullied are not as resilient as Chris Christie. When asked about his weight, his standard answer is: “I eat too much.” And few doubt that he is fully capable of destroying the bullies – if he wanted to. Youngsters who are bullied may develop anxiety about seeing the perpetrators at school and elsewhere. Their school performance may be affected and they may shun other activities. They may become depressed, and sadly some even take their own lives as 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer recently did.
Parents, teachers, and school administrators need to be vigilant about bullying. We need to talk to children about both being bullied and about being bullies. But first and foremost, we should be role models for kindness, caring, and understanding.
Current and prospective laws against bullying may be too simplistic to solve the problem. Aren’t we as adults essentially responsible for bullying? The prevention of bullying begins with all of us examining our words and our behavior.
The Week That Was: From SAT to Steve Jobs
Posted: October 11, 2011 Filed under: back to school, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Principals, school, school district, Uncategorized | Tags: Apple Computer, Cheating, education, Long Island, long island schools, parent teacher association, parents, parents teachers, pta, SAT, school, school district, Steve Jobs, students, teacher 1 Comment »
There is a gaping chasm between the values of the high school students involved in the SAT cheating scandal in Great Neck, L.I., and those of Steve Jobs, the genius inventor who died last week at 56.
What messages and what kind of pressure did these young people get that made them abandon common sense, ethics, and the law in the pursuit of stellar SAT scores they believed they were incapable of getting on their own? What beliefs did Jobs have that gave him the confidence to drop out of college and invent products that truly transformed the way that we live, learn, communicate and work?
I suspect the Great Neck teenagers felt pressure to achieve – from their peers and from their parents. They are certainly not alone in succumbing to that pressure. You have only to watch Toddlers and Tiaras to know that parental pressure has no age or geographical boundaries. Does anyone really believe that three-year-olds aspire to be beauty queens and actually enjoy having false eyelashes glued onto their faces?
The high school students who paid someone to take their SATs for them had swallowed a bill of goods that led them to believe that to be successful, they needed to attend a top tier college. Likely, they thought they would forever be defined by the college they attended and their prospects for future success would be set in stone their freshman year. They did not have confidence in their own skills or abilities, believing instead that the top tier schools they attended defined success.
It never occurred to them that they could distinguish themselves at a third tier school, or even that they could transfer from Nassau Community College after two years. Ironically, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, about 775 U.S. colleges and universities – including some first rate schools — are now test optional. Some schools exempt students who meet grade-point average or class rank criteria, while others require SAT scores only for placement purposes.
Contrast the mind-set of these young people with the advice Steve Jobs gave to the graduating class of 2005 at Stanford University:
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
“You’ve got to find what you love.”
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition…”
What can parents learn from these words?
Stop pressuring your children to live up to some ideal standard. If they get a 93% on a test, don’t ask them what happened to the other seven points. If they want to and can get into an Ivy League school on their own power and desire, that’s great. But don’t keep telling them they have to go to Harvard or Yale. And please, don’t make them think they have failed if they can’t reach that goal – just because you want it. There are tens of thousands of high schools in the U.S. and each has one valedictorian and one salutatorian — and all are trying for the same nine top tier schools.
Encourage your children to live their own lives. Don’t pressure them to live out your dreams; let them have their own. Enable them to become the best they are capable of being, not the best your neighbor’s child is capable of being.
Help them find their passion and to pursue it. If they follow their interests, they will not only distinguish themselves but also be true to themselves.
Most of all, children of all ages need unconditional love, ethics and values from their parents. As hard as schools may try, they can’t teach character education without parental agreement and support.
Steve Jobs never finished college. And most successful people didn’t have perfect SAT scores. Without character, commitment, and emotional intelligence it really doesn’t matter where your kids go to school.
It’s Up to Parents to Ensure a Safe Halloween
Posted: October 14, 2011 Filed under: Education, Parents | Tags: halloween, halloween 2011, halloween costume 2011, halloween in school, halloween safety, kids halloween, Long Island, parenting, parents, safe halloween, trick or treat Leave a comment »There’s a nip in the air and pumpkins are everywhere: in patches, on porches, in stores and in schools. It’s hard to ignore the signals that Halloween is fast approaching.
Almost every store has aisles of costumes and candy. Elementary schools plan Halloween parades and high schools organize Safe Halloween festivities for pre-school and elementary school children. But I can’t help think that Halloween is not what it used to be, when armies of little kids combed the streets collecting goody bags from moms who had lovingly assembled them.
That was long before there were objections to Halloween on the grounds that as a religious holiday it shouldn’t be observed in public schools. It was long before we knew sweet treats were taboo — and even dangerous for those with certain food allergies. It was long before deranged people inserted razor blades into candy and sexual predators prowled the streets. And it was long before the latest craze – candy-flavored tobacco in brightly colored packages. Cigarillos, cigars and such smokeless tobacco products as chew, snuff and dissolvable tobacco – considered by many the first step to tobacco addiction — are now vying with Halloween candy for shelf space in convenience stores.
As I recall, we got real about Halloween when schools began recommending that parents bring to school all of the candy their children collected to be x-rayed. When that happened, I thought for sure the holiday was doomed.
But it’s made a great resurgence in recent years. People now adorn their homes with Halloween lights and blow-up pumpkins, witches and scarecrows. It’s a bigger business than ever before.
And yet, Halloween has changed.
First, there are parents who object to Halloween celebrations being held in public schools. With children coming from so many religious and ethnic backgrounds, parents are opposed to celebrating holidays that are not part of their tradition.
On the other hand, it’s probably a good thing that much of the Halloween observance has moved off the streets and into the schools. It’s a lot safer. Every year it seems we get fewer and fewer youngsters trick or treating at our door.
Parents have to decide for themselves if and how their children celebrate Halloween. What do you think? Here are some tips for a safe Halloween.
- If your child has a food issue, make sure you discuss it with the teacher and school nurse ahead of time.
- If you have an objection to a Halloween celebration on religious grounds, make sure you let your principal and teacher know about it well in advance of the holiday.
- Even if you take your children to a Safe Halloween sponsored by your local high school, watch them carefully. It may seem like a very safe environment, but keep in mind that the school gym is full of strangers.
- It’s best to accompany your children if you allow them to trick or treat, including for UNICEF. And of course, discard any treats that are not pre-packaged or look like they have been tampered with.
- Honestly, it’s just a bad idea nowadays for children to go door to door – especially in the dark – to strangers’ homes.
- If you do allow your teenagers to go out, they should go to people they know — and in a group. Make sure they have cell phones with them and that you know their route. You should also stress the importance of obeying laws, respecting private property and not engaging in pranks or vandalism.
- Better yet, encourage your teens to volunteer at a Safe Halloween event at their school.
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To Write or Not to Write – That is the Question?
Posted: October 18, 2011 Filed under: back to school, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, Parents, school, Uncategorized | Tags: caligrophy, cursive, cursive handwriting, education, handwriting, penmanship, print, Today Show Leave a comment »Do you remember third grade penmanship when you were so proud to learn, “script,” distinguishing you as a learner of grown up writing? Well those days may be all but over.
The Today Show’s Jenna Wolfe recently polled third graders in Nashville, Tenn., to see whether they preferred print or cursive writing. The students were unanimous in voting for print. And typing won hands-down over printing.
Forty-six states have now adopted Common Core Standards in an effort to concur on common standards and ultimately common assessments. Cursive writing is a casualty of those standards, having been replaced by the contemporary form of writing — keyboarding. States such as Indiana and Hawaii have begun eliminating cursive writing from the curriculum and others will surely follow suit. Teachers claim there’s just no time in the day to teach it, but I still have mixed feelings about its demise.
There will likely be a benefit for students with illegible handwriting. While teachers have maintained that kids weren’t penalized for poor penmanship that was always hard to prove. So cutting it from the curriculum could help those with challenged handwriting and help to level the playing field. Conversely, writing by hand may be important to cognitive development. Students have different learning styles that include forms of expression. Cursive writing gives young people another avenue to express themselves in an individual, authentic, and creative way.
No one can argue against the value of teaching keyboarding; it’s clearly an essential skill for the 21st century. On the other hand, when children engage in cursive writing there is no machine in between them and their thoughts. They are so tethered to electronic devices nowadays that eliminating cursive writing makes them even more dependent on electronics. And technology is wonderful only when it works. What happens when the computer crashes or the power goes out? 
Cursive writing is faster than printing. It’s an equalizer that doesn’t require expensive equipment. Long before the computer — or even the typewriter — the classics were written in longhand. A contemporary example is that of JK Rowling, the author of the spectacularly successful Harry Potter books. Prior to becoming a bestselling author, she was a struggling single mother who conceived of and wrote her first book entirely by hand.
It really boils down to what we believe is important for students to learn. For example, a computer program can solve mathematical problems, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want students to learn how to do mathematical calculations by themselves. Some people love to write in longhand. Why remove this choice from our children’s repertoire?
As a former history teacher, my heart breaks to think that if students don’t learn cursive writing, they will not know how to read it either. Will they be lost in museums and presidential libraries as they are confronted with the great historical documents written in longhand? How are they going to read and appreciate the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, or even their great grandparents’ letters to one another during World War II?
Finally, I am sad to see just one more manifestation of civility lost from our culture. Writing a note in cursive is an expression of caring and cultivation. Jacqueline Kennedy was known for her thoughtful notes. Are thank you, sympathy and congratulatory notes obsolete? It’s hard to argue that e-mails carry the same emotional impact.
And let’s not forget handwriting analysis, which is still an important tool in criminal investigations and employment screening. The four Today Show anchors – Matt Lauer, Ann Curry, Natalie Morales, and Al Roker – recently had their handwriting analyzed by an expert!
What do you think?
http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/17/8369751-has-cursive-seen-the-writing-on-the-wall
Parent-Teacher Conferences – Do You Need A Bribe?
Posted: October 21, 2011 Filed under: back to school, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Parents bill of rights, Principals, school, school administration, school complaint, school district | Tags: eacher conferences, education, Long Island, long island education, long island schools, parent conferences, parent teacher conference, parent teacher conference bribes, parent teacher meetings, parenting, parents, teachers Leave a comment »It’s the season for parent-teacher conferences and I urge every parent to embrace this opportunity to sit down with your children’s teachers, no matter if your kids are in kindergarten or high school. 
This is your opportunity to find out specifically how your children are doing, and generally what’s going on in their classrooms and in their schools. I have to admit I was a bit disheartened when I recently came across a NEA (National Education Association) article advising teachers of tactics that they might want to use to “lure” parents into attending parent-teacher conferences. I’d be interested in knowing whether you think the parents in your school need to be cajoled into meeting with their children’s teachers, or whether they understand communicating with them is one of the best things they can do to help their kids succeed.
Among the strategies recommended in the article are student-led conferences, in which students actually prepare and participate in the conference. The article said that feedback on this type of conference was “overwhelmingly positive,” and that there is a growing trend to encourage parents to bring their children to conferences. Other teachers had students prepare and present Power Point presentations to show their parents what they were learning. This tactic reportedly ensured record attendance.
Not that there’s anything wrong with involving students and giving them a chance to be present, but I’m not sure that quite fits the definition of a parent-teacher conference. It seems to me the parent-teacher conference is one of the few chances you get to sit down with your kid’s teacher — adult to adult — and discuss what’s best for your child.
Then there were the “bribes” to entice parents to meet with the teachers. These included: extra credit for students whose parents showed up, personal invitations, raffle tickets, a dessert bar, and goody bags. Finally, it was reported that some teachers go on home visits to meet parents who cannot get to the school.
It’s commendable that some teachers go to such lengths to accommodate parents, but I would think parents would prefer to see the teachers’ creative energies going instead to inspiring the students.
The article didn’t mention adjusted hours for working parents, which should be pro forma nowadays in all schools and something that parents should insist upon. Similarly, if your work schedule does not allow you to get to school on a particular day, request an alternate date or a phone conference.
Here are 7 tips for a successful parent-teacher conference:
- Come prepared with questions and take notes. Always ask how you can support your child’s learning at home.
- Don’t be passive. If you have a particular question or concern, don’t be afraid to bring it up. Be specific.
- Discuss your child’s social and emotional development as well as academic performance. Be sure to let the teacher know if there is anything going on at home that may impact your child’s behavior and performance in school, such as divorce, illness in the family, or a new baby.
- If there is a problem, describe how it makes you or your child feel without being defensive or negative. Actively listen to what the teacher says. Come to an agreement about what is best for your child.
- Schedule follow-up meetings or telephone calls to be sure the plan is working.
- Find out how the teacher communicates with parents, e.g., online, newsletters, agendas, etc.
- If you are not satisfied with the conference, you may ask to meet with an administrator.
Try This: The New Parent-Teacher Conference
http://www.nea.org/home/40927.htm#.Tpiih8U_Alo.twitter
Are Schools Getting Too Carried Away with Technology?
Posted: October 25, 2011 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Principals, school, school administration, school district, school supplies, Suffolk county schools | Tags: classroom technology, computers, computers in the clasroom, future classroom, modern classroom, school technology, teaching technology, technology 2 Comments »When my grandmother died in 1978 at almost 90, I thought the technological changes she had experienced in her lifetime would never be duplicated. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Technology is now changing at a dizzying pace, and parents and educators have to decide what’s best for our children. It’s a difficult conundrum with dueling points of view.
On one hand, most schools have embraced technology, spending huge amounts of money on upgrading electronic equipment that soon becomes obsolete. First it was the installation of computer labs, then the purchase of laptops, followed by i-Pads. I admit I drooled when Smart Boards were installed in a district in which I was working as a central office administrator. I secretly wished I could be a high school social studies teacher again, and with the touch of a finger take my students to sites that would propel great class discussions.
But technology should be taken just so far. What is the wisdom of turning cell phones into teaching tools in the classroom? Newsday reports that an Amityville social studies teacher recently asked his 11th graders to use their personal cell phones to text a response to a poll about a presidential speech they had just watched in the classroom. According to the article, this is part of a growing local and national trend.
Many other school districts, however, still bar students from bringing their cell phones and smart phones to school – and for good reason. They have been viewed as a distraction, even a dangerous one. Do we really want students checking their e-mail and texting during class? Do we want them using it to make dates during class, surf their favorite sites on the Web, cheat, or even engage in drug dealing? As much as schools will try to restrict its use in school, some students won’t be able to control themselves.
Even if you argue that most kids won’t engage in such nefarious behavior, whatever happened to raising your hand and having a discussion? Do our children have to be tethered to machines 24/7?
Apparently, some people in the computer industry don’t think so. A recent article in the New York Times pointed out that some of Silicon Valley’s technology leaders send their children to schools without computers! They think it’s easy enough to pick up computer skills, and that what’s really important is great teaching that actively engages kids in learning. Engagement is really the issue. Does technology foster engagement or inhibit it?
In addition, public schools have to consider the cost. Computers in education are here to stay but they need to be used judiciously — always with the goal of fostering student engagement and enabling critical and creative thinking.
If cell phones are now becoming the teaching tool du jour, then what do public schools do with the millions of dollars in computer equipment they bought? With built-in obsolescence, it’s critically important that schools don’t spend mindlessly on the latest cool gadget, only to abandon it for a better one a few years later.
Who is watching the technology store in our public school districts? Every year, superintendents and chief technology officers present a computer budget to the board of education and the public. As we go forward in this difficult economy, there needs to be accountability, research, evidence, and a rationale for future spending on electronic devices. Most of all, schools require a clear vision for how they plan on engaging students in learning – both with and without computers.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/educators-eye-cellphones-as-teaching-tools-1.3249660
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News and Views – What Do You Think?
Posted: October 28, 2011 Filed under: bully, Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Parents bill of rights, school administration, school complaint, school district, school supplies, Suffolk county schools | Tags: check-in app, education paradigms, Facebook restrictions, French schools, homework, Jay Nixon, ketchup ban, lunch program, Matthew Bromberg, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, parental control, private school homework, school lunch, school lunch program, Sir Ken Robinson, teacher bonuses, teacher merit pay Leave a comment »This week the news has been full of education stories of interest to parents. So many, that instead of giving my opinion on one topic, I’ve compiled a list for you of six of the most provocative issues. I’d love to hear your opinion on any or all of these. Please leave your comments on the bottom of the page or tweet me @DrMerylAin.
1. The Today Show reported that French schools have banned ketchup in an effort to promote healthy eating and combat childhood obesity. As anchor Savannah Guthrie pointed out, “First they give us French fries, and then they take away the ketchup!”
Q: How healthy is your child’s lunch program? Is there anything you would like to see banned?
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/why-are-european-schools-banning-ketchup/6g37xqg
2. For parents who are worried about their children’s whereabouts, there’s a new app that makes checking in a game. “Our view is that what makes kids safer is communication and being close to their folks,” said the new iPhone app’s co-creator Matthew Bromberg, “And I don’t want to know where my kid is on the map every single moment. I just want to know what’s going on.”
Q: Do you agree or is this too much control for parents to exert over their children? http://mashable.com/2011/10/19/imok/
3. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon repealed teacher-student Facebook restrictions. The controversial law had limited online chats between teachers and students and some alleged that it threatened free-speech rights.
Q: Do you think students and teachers should be Facebook friends?
http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2011/10/21/463731usteachersonfacebook_ap.html via @educationweek
4. Some elite private schools in New York have reduced the burden of homework on their students.
Q: Do your kids have too much, too little, or the right amount of homework? http://nyti.ms/oWpCn1
5. Idaho schools will tie merit pay to factors such as parent involvement. In some south-central Idaho schools, teacher bonuses will be based on parent participation, including attendance at parent-teacher conferences.
Q: Will this promote or stifle parent-teacher relationships? http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/10/24/464180idteachersmeritpay_ap.html
6. Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned educator and creativity expert, discusses changing education paradigms in a must-see provocative video. He takes on the education establishment, arguing that today’s students are not being properly educated.
Q: Do you agree or disagree? Let’s discuss.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=share
Two Percent Tax Cap Coming to NYS in 2012 – How will it Affect Your School?
Posted: November 2, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cuomo, Governor Andrew Cuomo, school budget, tax cap legislation, taxpayers, two percent tax cap Leave a comment »Late last June, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the two percent tax cap legislation into law in an effort to provide relief to taxpayers. This is the first time New York State has ever had a tax cap on property taxes and its importance as a school issue for parents is huge, although school districts will not confront the issue until they embark upon their budget process in early 2012.
Expect to be hearing and reading a lot about it in the news and from your district this school year. Indeed, a recent New York Times article indicated that local governments, which are also affected by this legislation, are already mounting protests and threatening to override the cap. They are objecting to the restrictions on their spending limits and want to exempt themselves from the new cap, saying they cannot control the growth of property taxes and still provide services and comply with mandates.
The good news for homeowners is that this legislation will limit the amount you pay in school and property taxes. It will become effective during the 2012-2013 school year, and it will prevent school districts and local governments from increasing property taxes by more than two percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.
The bad news is that all New York state school districts are worried about how this legislation will impact their finances. While there are certain exceptions in this legislation, such as allowing the tax levy to be higher for pension contributions required by law, districts are concerned that if state aid does not increase and unfunded mandates (state requirements for which the local districts shoulder the expenses) are not relieved, there will be further erosion to the educational program. During the last budget cycle, many districts reduced programs and staff. Another exception is that districts will be permitted to propose budgets that exceed the cap if 60 percent of voters agree.
Also problematic for school districts is that they must submit their proposed budget to the NYS Comptroller, Commissioner of Education, and Tax Commissioner by March 1. This is about six weeks earlier than most budgets have been finalized in the past so it will likely move up the budget process in most districts. The weak economy, coupled with the tax cap, and now the debt ceiling legislation, will likely engender much debate in school districts this year about cost savings. Be aware that your district can put anything on the table to be cut, including full-day kindergarten, sports, electives, music, busing, and even the closing of schools. You may also be asked to override the tax. Stay informed and keep tuned for tips to help you to advocate for quality education for your children.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/nyregion/cuomo-cap-on-property-taxes-rankles-communities.html
How to Be in the Know if You Can’t Be There
Posted: November 4, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: “The Middle”, Cablevision, Frankie Heck, News12, Newsday, parent teacher association, parents, Patricia Heaton, pta, single parents, teachers Leave a comment »Patricia Heaton, who as Frankie Heck on “The Middle” is intimidated by officials in her children’s schools, recently confessed in a TV interview that she wished she had more time to attend PTA meetings for her own four children but finds it difficult because of her career.
I know and I empathize, both with Patricia Heaton and the many other parents who are stressed and scheduled to the limit. You work full-time and want to be home with your children in the evening; you have a newborn; your husband gets home at 9 p.m.; you’re a single mother. There are so many reasons that parents are unable to attend both daytime and evening meetings.
In a perfect world, all parents would attend PTA and board of education meetings regularly and stay on top of all the school news that way. But we know that doesn’t happen. In fact, I have attended meetings where fewer than 10 parents were present – out of a potential 20,000! Parents who work long hours are not available during the day and may not be inclined to leave home in the evening. So what’s a concerned parent to do?
First, become intimately familiar with your school, school district and PTA Websites. PTA Websites should give you the names of the PTA officers, meeting and event information, and issues for which the PTA is advocating. 
PTA presidents are a great source of information, so keep in touch with him or her if you can’t attend meetings. In many districts, the PTA president meets regularly with the superintendent and has an inside track on the latest developments. PTA presidents consider it their responsibility to share what they know, and are often frustrated that so few parents attend meetings. So be sure to stay in contact with your PTA president.
If school and school district Websites are good – and nowadays many are – they will provide you with a wealth of information that will be easy to navigate. I should warn you that some are not user-friendly, but with some effort you can usually find what you need to know. For example, you should be able to access the names and contact information of all of the important players from teachers to board members. Additionally, you should be able to find important dates, time schedules, meeting information and minutes, policies and procedures, and news.
It is in the area of news that school Websites present a one-sided view, focusing on the accolades and accomplishments that enhance the district’s reputation. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! As the Public Information Officer and PR person in two prestigious Long Island districts, it was my job to spin the news in a positive way — and that’s what you’ll find on your school district Website. It’s the school district’s job to present itself in the best possible light.
As a result, if you want to find out about the burning issues and controversies in your district with all sides represented, learn whether there are local weekly newspapers that cover your schools. They generally send a reporter to every board meeting and write about it. In addition, there may be editorials and letters to the editor that offer other points of view. Some stories rise to the level of coverage by a daily newspaper, such as Newsday, or a TV station, such as Cablevision’s News12. In the last couple of years, the Patch, the AOL-owned hyper-local on-line newspaper, has been covering news in many communities across the country. It presents comprehensive news about the school districts in its coverage area, as well as the opportunity for readers to comment on stories.
Five Essential Tips for Successful Parent-School Communication
Posted: November 9, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: education, parenting, parents, report cards, school communication, schools, teacher, Your Education Doctor Leave a comment »It’s the season for report cards and parent-teacher conferences. It’s also the time when parents may decide to confront problems their children are having in school. Or they may have come to the conclusion that their attempts to communicate with the school have just not been working.
Whether your child’s issues are emotional, physical, social, or academic, it’s not unusual for parents to become emotional and defensive when their children have a problem. One reason why your communication efforts may not be working is that school personnel may feel threatened and attacked by negative criticism. If you’re upset about something your child tells you, don’t jump to conclusions until you hear the other side. Try approaching school personnel in a respectful, calm and non-threatening manner by using an “I” message with the focus on meeting your child’s needs.
- Describe how the problem makes you or your child feel without being defensive. For example, say, “I feel helpless when my child comes home crying and tells me that children are making fun of her,” instead of, “What kind of uncaring teacher are you that you’re allowing all of the children to pick on my child?”
- Actively listen to what the professionals tell you, and then summarize, paraphrase, question, share information and brainstorm solutions. This is preferable to allowing yourself to become so emotional that you don’t listen and resort to yelling.
- Come to an agreement about a solution that meets your child’s needs. Remember it’s not about who is right or wrong. You want your child to be the winner. He’ll be the winner if school and home work cooperatively to help him succeed.
- If you’re still not satisfied, then bring additional people into the discussion. You may want to include your spouse or another relative to support you, and you may ask that the principal or assistant principal and/or the school counselor to join the meeting. Many schools have team meetings, where all the staff members who are involved with your child meet at once. You may ask to attend a team meeting.
- If you have totally exhausted all of the avenues at the school level, contact district administration.
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What Every Parent, Teacher & Child Need to Know About Sexual Harassment in Schools
Posted: November 11, 2011 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, school complaint, school district, Uncategorized | Tags: education, herman cain, parenting, schools, sexual harassment, student rights Leave a comment »In a nationally televised news conference, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain denied sexual harassment allegations against him, claimed one accuser was “troubled,” and could not remember another complainant. Cain himself predicted that his political adversaries would solicit more accusers in the coming days.
It is no longer unusual to pick up a newspaper, go online, or turn on a TV and see politicians, celebrities, clergy – and educators too — being charged with sexual harassment.
Coincidentally, the allegations against Cain surfaced at the same time a national survey by the American Association of University Women found that 48 percent of 1,965 students said they had experienced verbal, physical, or online sexual harassment in the 2010-2011 school year.
But how do we define sexual harassment? It’s actually a little bit tricky. A simple definition of sexual harassment is that it’s any behavior of a sexual nature that’s offensive in the “eye of the beholder.” This means that if a person feels uncomfortable about a gesture, comment or action, it could be defined as sexual harassment.
The legal definition of sexual harassment in schools can be traced to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. This federal law made it illegal to discriminate against students on the basis of their sex, and to forbid unwelcome flirtations, sexual advances, propositions, continual or repeated verbal abuse of a sexual nature, use of sexually degrading words or actions, and the display of sexually suggestive pictures.
Every school district assigns one administrator to be the Title IX Officer. As the Title IX Officer in a large New York school district for more than a decade, it was my responsibility to investigate allegations of sexual harassment brought to my attention by administrators, teachers and parents. I wish I could say that there were no complaints, but each year there were several, involving both students and staff.
Before Title IX came into effect, there was no recourse for individuals – students and staff — who felt uncomfortable with unsolicited sexual behavior or comments. But today we live in a very different world. It’s critically important that parents, students, and staff familiarize themselves with the latest policies and make sure that they are followed.
Sexual harassment may occur from student to student, from teacher to student, from administrator to teacher, from administrator to student, or administrator to administrator. There are two types of sexual harassment that particularly concern us in schools. The first kind is “quid pro quo.” That means that if you do something for me, I’ll repay you with such things as grades, promotion or job advancement. This usually has to do with an unequal power relationship between harasser and the target of harassment, or teacher and student. This is clearly against the law.
The other form of sexual harassment is that of a hostile or offensive environment. This is an environment that allows or encourages repetitive patterns of teasing, innuendoes or jokes of a sexual nature, and interferes with someone’s work or academic performance. This may or may not have to do with an unequal power arrangement, and may be employee to employee, student to student or student to teacher. This is also illegal.
The key with hostile environment complaints is that educators are responsible for this state of affairs whether they see the alleged behavior or not. If they pretend they do not see it and ignore it, they are still responsible. If they brush off or minimize complaints, they can also be held accountable. The most important thing for school personnel to remember is that they are held responsible for behaviors they permit as well as for behaviors they commit.
Parents, students, teachers, and administrators should keep the following points in mind:
• Know Your District Policies and Procedures.
• Sexual harassment is not defined by intention. It is defined by the impact on the target.
• Silence does not imply consent.
• Anything that takes place on e-mail or the Internet is easily traceable and can also form the basis for a sexual harassment complaint.
• Teachers should not be alone with students.
• Teachers and administrators are responsible for what goes on in the school. It is the responsibility of the adults in charge to address behaviors that may contribute to a hostile environment.
• Should you observe something you believe is sexual harassment, report it to a school administrator or the District Title IX Officer. All complaints must be investigated thoroughly and promptly.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/11/09/11harass_ep.h31.html?tkn=SZOFJj9NfrbW/C77Tevw7l65VfrqF1dkZHwo&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1
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School Shorts – Food for Thought
Posted: November 17, 2011 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, Parents, Parents bill of rights, school | Tags: Agriculture Appropriations bill, are lockers obsolete?, Compulsory Attendance Law, education, healthy school lunch, high school lockers, is pizza a vegetable, lockers, Margo Wootan, Nirvi Shah, parenting, parents, school lunch, truancy 1 Comment »With all of the attention focused on the Penn State scandal, three provocative education stories have gotten little attention. All of the issues below are worthy of an in-depth discussion. I’d love to hear your opinion on any or all of these. Please leave your comments on the bottom of the page or tweet me @DrMerylAin.
Is Pizza a Vegetable – What Do You Think?
Education Week recently reported that pizza with tomato sauce would be considered a vegetable in school lunch programs under changes proposed by Congress. 
The Agriculture Appropriations bill approved by a conference committee of House and Senate members would also make other changes to rules about what’s served in school lunch programs. In the Education Week piece by Nirvi Shah, Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the following:
“At a time when child nutrition and childhood obesity are national health concerns, Congress should be supporting the U.S. Department of Agriculture and school efforts to serve healthier school meals, not undermining them. Together the school lunch riders in the agriculture spending bill will protect industry’s ability to keep pizza and French fries on school lunch trays.”
What do you think?
Is Pizza a Vegetable? In School Lunches, Congress Says Yes http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2011/11/pizza_would_be_a_vegetable_in.html
Are High School Lockers Obsolete?
USA TODAY reported that a growing number of US high schools are eliminating lockers. Proponents of lockerless schools contend that new technology, such as iPads, are rendering the need for lockers obsolete. Supporters say removing lockers cuts down on noise and lateness, enhances school safety, and saves money. 
The Madison County, Mississippi School District saved $200,000 by going without lockers in its new high schools. Other schools are removing lockers from older buildings.
Are lockers obsolete or do students still need them?
Hall lockers? Some schools say no – http://USATODAY.com http://usat.ly/vI9KXu
Should Parents Go To Jail if Their Kids Skip School?
Parents in Halifax County, NC may be heading to jail if their children have poor school attendance. The Halifax County court system, three public school systems and county agencies have joined forces in a new initiative called the Tri-District Truancy Procedure to address student attendance issues.
After more than six unexcused absences, a parent or guardian will be notified by mail that they may be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law and may be prosecuted if the absences cannot be justified under the school system’s attendance policy. 
In addition, after more than six unexcused absences, school personnel will work with the student and family to find out the cause of the absences to determine what should be done. If a student has 10 unexcused absences at the discretion of the school principal, the district attorney’s office may be notified in writing, along with the Department of Social Services.
A criminal warrant for school attendance law violation against the parent or guardian will be secured, and the parent or guardian will have to attend a truancy hearing, which could result in a 120-day jail sentence.
School and court officials indicated these new procedures would send a message to parents about their responsibility to make sure their children are in school.
Is this the right message to send to parents?
Courts to punish parents on school attendance issues http://www.rrdailyherald.com/news/courts-to-punish-parents-on-school-attendance-issues/article_da2ff198-0966-11e1-86d9-001cc4c002e0.html
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Thanksgiving – Isn’t it Everyone’s Holiday?
Posted: November 22, 2011 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Parents, Uncategorized | Tags: Barbara Cohen, Caprice Hollins, education, Long Island, Moly's Pilgrim, native americans, parents, pilgrims, Seattle Public Schools, thanksgiving, Tulalip Leave a comment »Isn’t Thanksgiving the best holiday of the year, especially for schoolchildren to celebrate? It fosters gratitude and generosity, values that are often missing in today’s world. 
It encourages young people to count their blessings, to give back, and to engage in community service — such as food and clothing drives — to help those less fortunate. It doesn’t favor one religion or another, like Christmas, a Christian holiday marking the birth of Jesus, or even Halloween, which some won’t observe because of its pagan origins. Finally, it acknowledges that we are a nation of immigrants, and we are comprised of a rich tapestry of cultures, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds.
What could be a better holiday for students to observe, in and out of school? Isn’t Thanksgiving the most unifying day of the year? Not to officials in the Seattle public schools, Washington State’s largest school system. According to Fox News, the district sent letters to teachers and staff saying that Thanksgiving is “a time of mourning” for its Native American students.
The memo, from Caprice Hollins, the district’s director of Equity, Race & Learning Support, included a “debunking” of 11 “myths” about the First Thanksgiving. The list attempted to knock down traditional views of the holiday, including what was served, the motives of the Pilgrims, and the commonly held belief that the holiday was a happy one. Instead, the letter stated that Thanksgiving is a time of mourning for Native Americans. A spokesperson for the district said the letter was an attempt to help students understand history from the perspective of others.
According to Fox News, “one Seattle-area tribe says Thanksgiving is not somber on the reservation but a time to see friends and family, as it is for other Americans.”
The report quoted Daryl Williams of the Tulalip Tribes saying that Northwest tribes celebrate the holiday with turkey and salmon.
“Before the period of bitter and violent relationships between natives and their culturally European counterparts, they worked together to survive,” he said. “The spirit of Thanksgiving, of people working together to help each other, is the spirit I think that needs to grow in this country because this country has gotten very divisive.”
One of my favorite Thanksgiving books when my children were small was Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen, which takes place around the turn of the last century. 
I recently read it again in anticipation of sharing it with my six-year-old granddaughter this Thanksgiving. It could probably use an update to make the third-grade teacher Miss Stickley more proactive against her students’ bullying of Molly, a recent immigrant from Russia. But the message is still a beautiful one – the class finally comes to understand that Molly’s mother is a Pilgrim too. She left her native land for religious freedom, just like the original Pilgrims.
As we observe Thanksgiving in our schools and in our homes, let us focus on the important values the holiday promotes – freedom, gratitude, diversity, and understanding. As role models, we need to be vigilant in teaching our children to focus on what unites us, not on what divides us.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312480,00.html#ixzz1eN2yRcNZ
Sneezing 101: Sickness in Schools
Posted: November 29, 2011 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, Parents, school, Uncategorized | Tags: school, school nurse, sick kids, sick students, sneezing, sneezing 101 Leave a comment »Right before Thanksgiving, I caught a “head cold” from my husband. His cold went away after a week, but mine got worse. I couldn’t sleep, eat, or breathe through my nose. 
I finally went to the doctor, who determined from a blood test that I had developed a bacterial upper respiratory infection, which required an antibiotic. The experience took me back to my three boys’ childhood illnesses, including late night bouts with the croup when they were babies; we would turn on the hot shower and steam up the bathroom as per the doctor’s recommendation. It also brought me back to my own childhood sicknesses, when my mother made me feel cozy and safe as I recovered on the living room couch after the doctor gave me a penicillin shot for tonsillitis.
The experience started me thinking of the difficulty parents have nowadays when their kids get sick. With so many parents working outside the home, the question of when to keep a young child home from school is a challenging one.
It is probably better to err on the side of caution. My daughter-in-law recently asked me to babysit for my four-year-old grandson because he hadn’t slept well and was lethargic. 
That’s a good reason to keep a young child home from school. If a child does not feel well enough to comfortably participate in school activities, he is better off at home.
Most parents know not to send their children to school with fever or a contagious illness. Kids who are vomiting, wheezing, have diarrhea, a rash, or persistent cough do not belong in school. You do not want your child in a compromising and embarrassing position. In addition, she will be sharing her germs with others. No one appreciates that!
Schools are hotbeds of germs. It’s important for children to know to wash their hands often and to cover their mouths when they sneeze. Lately, schools are teaching students to sneeze into the crook of their elbows. The children in this kid-friendly Public Service Video from the Virginia Department of Health describe this method. (http://www.vdh.state.va.us/epidemiology/DiseasePrevention/H1N1/Video/PSAs/Sneezing101.htm)
School nurses encourage seasonal flu vaccinations to prevent flu epidemics in the schools. It is also highly recommended by doctors and nurses that children be vaccinated against communicable diseases. A number of these diseases, including whooping cough, are making a comeback in schools. They are highly dangerous and can be fatal.
As we enter the flu season, encourage your child to exercise good hygiene and get plenty of sleep. Have a contingency plan for your work if your child is home sick. If you don’t, the school nurse is likely to call before the day is over asking you to take your child home. Better to be safe than sorry. Let your child get the loving care he is entitled to, and to quote my grandmother, “He will be a professor a day later.”
School Closing vs. District Consolidation: Which is Better for Your Child’s Education?
Posted: December 2, 2011 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, school, school administration, school complaint, school district | Tags: district consolidation, Dr. John B. King Jr., long island education, long island schools, school consolidation Leave a comment »North Shore, South Shore, all around Long Island there’s talk of school closings to save district’s money in these dire economic times.
Several school systems, including West Islip, North Bellmore, and Smithtown, have already put school-chopping proposals on the table. And more are sure to follow in a weak economy with decreased state aid and a 2 percent budget cap on the horizon for 2012-2013.
Whenever school closings are proposed, parents get upset. For the most part, they are dedicated to their home schools and don’t want their children to be used as pawns in school-shuttering plans. They like their principals and their teachers and the familiarity of their neighborhood schools. But the financial burden is becoming almost insurmountable. So what are districts to do?
Martin R. Cantor, CPA, Ed.D, the director of The Long Island Center for Socio-Economic Policy
And just this week, New York State’s new education commissioner, Dr. John B. King, Jr., agreed with the idea for Long Island and Westchester.
Dr. Cantor, a former director of the Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute at Dowling College, estimates that the 47 school districts in western Suffolk County could save $32 million a year by forming five town-wide systems.
Under his proposal, the merger of dozens of local districts would allow the elimination of the vast majority of school superintendents, business and personnel officials. And he would give principals the power to budget and hire. Although consolidation has been proposed many times in the past, Dr. Cantor believes the time may now be right if parents want to stop the trend of increased class sizes and reduced student services.
Dr. King, on the other hand, is in favor of a more sweeping countywide consolidation.
Dr. John B. King, Jr., New York State’s Education Commissioner
He points to county systems in similar suburbs, such as those in Maryland and Virginia, which have comfortable, well-educated residents.
Merging districts has always been a political hot potato and no one expects school boards and central office administrators to voluntarily give up their power. Yet Dr. Cantor says he is trying to raise awareness that there is an alternative to the yearly decimation of educational programs and services.
By the way, Newsday this week supported the concept of consolidation. It sided with Cantor’s proposal for town-wide district consolidation, saying the commissioner’s proposal was too severe for Long Island. The paper noted the historical hardcore resistance to mergers on Long Island, citing Elwood’s failed attempt last year to find merger partners. But it says the state could offer incentives to make the idea more palatable.
It is up to parents to lead the charge if consolidation is to become a reality. As Newsday put it, “The solution lies in making parents understand that as times get hard and the recently passed tax cap kicks in, the only way to save beloved programs threatened by tight budgets is efficiency. Taxpayers who really want to see kids get the best in education and activities may have to let go of their dedication to tiny schools and tiny districts.
“As money gets tighter, things change. If the other choice is a drop-off in educational offerings, parents and taxpayers should demand that districts look hard at consolidation rather than fight it. Once they do, the process will be halfway home — and everyone will be closer to a more efficient and equitable way to educate our children.”
Dr. Cantor offers some reassurance to parents who are frightened by the prospect of consolidation by emphasizing that it “gives parents control of their local schools; children remain in the schools that the parents moved into the neighborhoods for. Parents will have more say in education because their local principals will be in charge of the budget and student achievement, not isolated administrators. Classes would remain smaller and teachers preserved.”
He added that the factors that would change with consolidation would not impact the students’ school experience but rather are “budget items that have no role in the children’s education; in fact it directs more school budget dollars to the classroom.”
And, Dr. Cantor stressed, “the plan preserves the neighborhood school. Children are not transported to other schools and districts. Nothing changes but better education at lower costs.”
I urge all parents to read Dr. Cantor’s consolidation plan on his website, www.martincantor.com. Click the publication link; the paper is at the bottom of the list.
Become familiar with all of the issues related to this topic. Deep cuts are on the horizon in all districts. Be informed, and decide for yourself what’s best for your children’s education!
NY schools chief eyes consolidation plan http://www.newsday.com/long-island/ny-schools-chief-eyes-consolidation-plan-1.3352428
Albany joins school-consolidation chorus http://www.newsday.com/opinion/albany-joins-school-consolidation-chorus-1.3354740
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Profile of a Parent Advocate Par Excellence
Posted: December 6, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: education, Mom Congress, Myrdin Thompson, parenting, pta 3 Comments »Myrdin Thompson (part 1)
Both educators and parents espouse parent involvement in their children’s schools. Research indicates the more parent involvement, the better the school and the more successful the student. But parents nowadays are so stretched in so many directions that being actively involved is easier said than done. What can we learn from parent role models? Periodically this blog will feature parents who are exemplars of parent advocacy and engagement.
My first profile is of Myrdin Thompson of Louisville, Kentucky, an extraordinary role model whose everyday life revolves around her commitment to education and schools.
Myrdin Thompson
Believe it or not, I met her through twitter (@MyrdinJT)! A delegate to Mom Congress, she is an avid tweeter, who is immersed in education policy, programs, and news. She also attends meetings, participates in teleconferences, and confers regularly with parents, teachers, education officials, and politicians. Her blog, Roots and Wings, www.rootsandwingslibrary.com, discusses her views on parent engagement and education issues.
Married for 19 years and the mother of three (Seth, 13, Jonah,10 and Finn, 6), Myrdin received her BA in English Literature from the University of Arizona and her MA in Renaissance Drama from California State University, Fullerton. She’s worked as a Marketing Director/Volunteer Coordinator at the non-profit Visual Arts Association, as well as an adjunct faculty member teaching English literature at a local community college. For the past nine years she has been a full-time volunteer in the public schools.
How and why did you originally become involved in your child’s school?
Seth started a half-day pre-school program when he was four. I must admit I was reluctant to send him off into the world, so I offered to be a room parent. I didn’t stay every day that he was there, but when I wasn’t helping in the classroom I was volunteering with the PTA. I was fortunate to be able to be a partner in not just his educational experience, but to really help the teachers and work with his classmates.
Within the last nine years I’ve held every position on a PTA board except treasurer! I just never thought I wasn’t supposed to be involved. While I don’t have a degree in education, I have always had a connection with teaching and learning. It just made sense to me to offer my assistance. And thankfully through the years, all my children’s teachers as well as the schools they’ve attended have been very supportive of parent engagement/involvement.
What inspired you to become so active and vocal?
Well, when you are born Woodstock weekend and your parents are both artists, it seems to have been in the DNA! I don’t think there has been a time in my life when I haven’t been active and vocal about something that I passionately believe in. I believe in our public schools. I believe in our teachers, principals, support staff, administrators, school board members. I believe that we all want what is best for the children in our communities, but at times we don’t know how to connect with one another in order to make that happen. I believe that one person can make a change, but that several of us working together on the same goal can make a movement.
How did you get involved on a state/national level?
When I was elected to be the 15th District PTA President, I was responsible for reporting to the Kentucky PTA on activities and initiatives happening in our community. Because our school district is so large (155 schools with a student population of 100,534) our PTA feels it is important to be engaged at not just the local level (by attending the bi-monthly school board meetings and participating in-district and community initiatives), but also to attend education sub-committee meetings at the State Capitol and National PTA Legislative conferences (where we also have the opportunity to visit with our elected officials) as well as National PTA conventions. By attending all of these meetings, events, and workshops, I was able to gain knowledge and a greater insight on how the legislative process works, about how to be a stronger advocate, and how to take the information I had and effectively share it with not just our local school PTA/PTSA leaders, but to all our families and community members.
During my time as the District President (2009-2011) I was named the Parenting Magazine Mom Congress delegate for Kentucky and was recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change.
Mom Congress Seal
These roles have also connected me with other parents from across the nation who are working in their own communities on various initiatives (whether it is the Books Make it Better campaign, advocating for stronger school communities, or healthier school meals). By using my social media sites I have been able to keep my fellow delegates and friends connected with issues such as the recent ESEA hearings in Washington, D.C., how the Common Core State Standards are being (or not being in some instances) implemented, or how Congress recently decided that pizza sauce is a vegetable (I call that one “Tomatogate 2011″).
I also try to connect the people that I know with other groups or organizations that are doing similar work so that everyone can share best practices. I recently stepped down from my leadership roles in PTA (but still am a PTA member at both my children’s schools and at the district and state levels) in order to be more engaged in advocacy with Mom Congress as well as to continue the work I have been doing here in Louisville on behalf of KaBOOM! All the work I do is as a volunteer.
At the end of the day if a parent decides he or she doesn’t want to act on information I’ve provided, I’m okay with that. But I never want someone to say that had they known they would have done something. So I provide the knowledge, the action is up to them.
Describe Mom Congress.
Mom Congress — a parenting initiative with Georgetown University — is here to help you make the changes you want in your local schools and for kids nationwide. Each and everyday I am awestruck by the passion and commitment of an incredible group of women who represent each of the 50 states — and the District of Columbia! Parenting Magazine hosts a “contest” every January, where a mom is encouraged to nominate herself to be a part of this movement. I was selected to be in the inaugural class in 2010 and then invited back in 2011 as the arts advocate (both of my parents, my brother, and all three of my children are artists).
The “action plan for change” that the 2010 class created was featured in both the fall issue of Parenting Magazine as well as in the companion book to the documentary Waiting for Superman. Mom Congress meets at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and affords the moms selected the opportunity to not only connect with one another, but to connect with groups such as Reach Out and Read, Reading is Fundamental, Save our Children, PTA, the Gates Foundation, Kindercare, and Jamie Oliver of Food Revolution (to name a few, it’s quite a long list!). We also have had the opportunity to meet with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and his department staff to better understand the role of the DOE in our nation and to support parent engagement initiatives. For more information, your readers can go to http://www.parenting.com/mom-congress-member-resource-center.
How many hours a week do you spend on research and advocacy and why do you do it?
I just had a conversation with a friend about this! On average it’s a 40-hour work week. Once I drop my children off at school I return home to my “office” and start researching, reading, blogging, tweeting, posting on Facebook, answering emails, making phone calls, attending a conference call, participating in a webinar, attending a community meeting. When I’m not at home (or out and about) doing all that, I try to volunteer at my children’s schools, either by attending a field trip as a chaperone, or by serving on a committee, if needed. I try to keep current with all that is happening, either locally in education, or on a state and federal level (because that does impact our local decision making process) not just for my community, but for my friends who live in other locations as well.
I believe that by connecting parents with the resources and information that is out there, it better enables them in their decision-making processes about education. At times it may not seem that something happening in Connecticut will have a resonance here in Louisville, but often I find that a discussion taking place about what makes a highly qualified teacher (for example) in another state will have some impact on a discussion in my state. As these debates play out on the national level, we must also be aware that there is going to be local impact. I believe that a parent educated about education issues/concerns is better able to make an educated decision. It doesn’t have to be the same decision I make, and we can respectively agree to disagree, but at least he or she has the information needed to make that decision. And, yes, it’s all voluntary!
End of Part 1
Next time: Part 2 – Lessons for Parents and the Future of Public Schools
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Part 2 – Lessons for Parents and the Future of Public Schools
Posted: December 12, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Department of Education, education, Family Engagement in Education, Herman Melville, Mom Congress, Myrdin Thompson, parenting, parenting rights, Senator Rand Paul 3 Comments »The following is a continuation of a profile of Myrdin Thompson – in her own words — a parent advocate/consultant for 
Family Engagement in Education. A delegate to Mom Congress, Myrdin lives in Louisville, Kentucky, but she is a role model for parents everywhere. She is an avid tweeter (@MyrdinJT), and writes a blog about parent engagement and education issues, http://www.rootsandwingslibrary.com/.
What have you learned from your involvement and what is the most important lesson you would like to share with other parents?
So much! But yet I feel that there is so much more to learn! By reading your blog, by participating in a webinar or conference call, by reading a book or article, I sometimes do feel overwhelmed and think, how do I communicate what I know with others so that they can better engage in some way with education in their community? I’ve learned that there are no “un-engaged” parents but “under-engaged” parents. That even if we don’t have the same experiences in education (my children have all had amazing teachers and opportunities, but that isn’t true for friends of mine in the same school) if we acknowledge those experiences as valuable (even if it was negative) then we can work together so that the best is celebrated and the worst is eliminated.
I hope I have learned to be a more active listener. Sometimes when you are passionate about an issue or cause you often fail to “hear” someone else’s message. I also have learned to be more proactive than reactive to issues/concerns. Sometimes you can’t help but react (like when Congress decides pizza sauce is a vegetable) but other times you can be proactive: create a workshop to help other parents, write a blog, participate in a book drive. We can all do something — it doesn’t have to be the same something — but it has to be something.
One of my favorite quotes is by Herman Melville: “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.” I want my children to one day say, “My mom gave her best to a cause, and as an effect we (including their classmates and other students in their school community) were better prepared for college and career, to be more connected with our world, respectful and caring for one another, and always advocating for the very best educational opportunities for everyone.”
Describe your recent visit to Washington, D.C.
Because Mom Congress meets once a year (in May/April), many of us stay connected virtually via twitter or Facebook. Some of us thought that we needed a “mid-term” session to reconnect with one another as well as support all the various projects and causes we are all engaged with. I had contacted with Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s office because I knew that he was going to be in Louisville, KY, presenting a keynote at a Middle Schools conference. Although my request to meet with the secretary was denied (not enough time in his understandably busy schedule) it did facilitate a connection with other Department of Education staff.
Those discussions led to a meeting in Washington, D.C., for any Mom Congress delegates who were able to attend. At the same time the ESEA [Early Assessment and Support Alliance] markup hearings were taking place. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) had stalled the proceedings and asked for another hearing, a hearing which would have parents testify. It was coincidental that the meeting with the DOE was on a Monday and that the next day the hearing was to take place. Although parents didn’t testify at the hearing, several Mom Congress delegates (as well as other parents and students) were in attendance. While I didn’t get a chance to meet with Sen. Paul, I have been able to start a conversation with one of his staffers and hope to meet with him again in January (when we have tentatively scheduled a follow-up meeting with the Department of Education).
What advice would you give parents who are sitting on the fence?
I understand that sometimes we just feel overwhelmed and inundated with information. We get notes and emails from our children’s schools about picture day, fall festival, and field trips. We try to help with homework, even when we don’t understand eighth grade math ourselves. We watch the news, read a blog, attend a meeting or workshop. We hear that school lunches are going to change but we don’t know what that really means. And sometimes we just feel frozen — that there is just TOO MUCH going on to make a difference in any of it, not just on behalf of our own child or children, but for their classmates, their schools, the community. I know. I feel that way too at times. But I have learned the power of five. Five minutes to respond to an action alert or make a phone call. Fifty minutes to read books with or even in front of your kids. Five hours (and not all in a row!) to start and complete a project. And if you get five friends to spend those five minutes, then that has five times the impact as the one call you made.
It isn’t about the big splash in what you do, it’s just about doing something — we all can contribute and every contribution counts. I also know that while sitting on the fence change is happening. It might not be dramatic, it might not show up this year or even the next, but change in education is taking place. So instead of reacting to that change, be a proactive part of the change. Five minutes. That’s about as long as it takes to login to Facebook and post a photo or send a “tweet.” But those five minutes might just change the next five years for your child. Don’t let someone else decide those next five years for you.
Are you pessimistic or optimistic about the future of education?
I am incredibly optimistic. I may not like the direction in which some of the discussion concerning education on a national level goes sometimes, but I am glad that a discussion is taking place and that I can be a part of it. There is an electricity that hasn’t been felt before.
Parents are waking from a long slumber and noticing that while they were sleeping the landscape changed. It may not always be easy, and there are days when I feel like going back to bed and pulling the covers over my head, but then my daughter dances and sings her way into my room, and I know that I am doing this for her. That by challenging the status quo I make it possible for her to perhaps not have to when she is a parent. But if she does, I know what advice I would give her: “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself”(John Dewey) and that every child deserves the very best education and the very best life.
So we can either be adversaries or allies in this process of change, but we must be something because change is here, it is happening, and we can’t go back to bed.
What would you like to see fixed in public schools?
Years of research, data, articles and books have led us to this conclusion: parents actively involved in education make a difference. And that activity doesn’t always have to take place in the school. It is about trusting and respecting that parents are the experts when it comes to raising their children. In addition, it is clear that despite all the wealth of information that is easily accessible by school leadership, it isn’t being used in a productive way. A school community needs to ask all participants (students, parents, teachers, administrators, support staff, community members), “What are we trying to accomplish?” If it is to create a college and career-ready student, then we need to address the inadequacies that currently exist without parceling out blame, address the strengths or assets that currently exist, and move forward together with a shared vision. We need also to acknowledge that parents are an untapped resource and should be used for more than raising funds. Clear, continuous communication is also key. But that communication must be honest and forthright. We are a community of learners, where with mutual support we can achieve goals together which benefit not just the students but all of us.
Education is not just a K-12 or pre-K-college commitment, it is a lifetime endeavor. If we share that belief with one another, creating learning connections and partnerships, we will be able to transform education, one school at a time.
Hope this helps! And by the way, when I speak of parents, I mean family members, legal guardians or other adults acting in a parental role.
For more information from Dr. Meryl Ain, please visit:
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Teachers’ Holiday Gifts – What’s A Parent To Do?
Posted: December 14, 2011 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, New York Schools, Parents, Principals, pta, school, school district, Suffolk county schools, Teacher | Tags: Christmas Gifts for Teachers, Christmas Presents Teachers, long island education, long island schools, parenting, parents, pta, school, School Christmas, Student Teacher Gifts, students, teacher 2 Comments »`Tis the season and everywhere we look there are suggestions for gift giving. No doubt on your list of recipients are your children’s teachers. Newspaper articles, TV spots
, websites and blogs — not to mention catalogs — provide a potpourri of possibilities for teacher gifts. There’s a lot of pressure out there to give your children’s teachers the right gift. So what should that be?
You might want to start by examining your school’s policy on gifting. Some schools set a limit, e.g. $25, some don’t allow it at all, some specify one gift from the entire class, while others say nothing on the subject. Whatever your school’s policy, it’s likely to be ignored by at least some people. My experience has been that parents feel very pressured to give the teacher a gift she/he will appreciate, and worry that no gift could influence the teacher’s perception of their child.
Some parents go all out, while others begrudgingly do the minimum. I will never forget that when I was in first grade my teacher announced to us that Becky had given her the best gift in the class. She had been invited to Becky’s house for lunch and Becky’s father, a dress manufacturer, presented her with a beautiful dress. I remember that I and the other children felt powerless and unworthy as she opened our gifts. Throughout the year I understood implicitly why Becky was the teacher’s pet.
Those days may or may not be gone. There are still some parents who will lavish expensive gifts on teachers, causing others to be resentful. There are some parents who believe teachers don’t need “tips,” and others who simply can’t afford it in these difficult economic times.
Conversely, as a former teacher and administrator, I can safely say that most teachers don’t even want gifts. They truly appreciate a lovely note or card expressing appreciation, or perhaps even a homemade gift or gift card. But while receiving a truckload of extraneous gifts is flattering, they usually don’t know what to do with all the random stuff they get.
Case in point: one year I sent an email to all 1,000 teachers in our district asking for new items that we could use to put together gift baskets for the elderly in the community. I was inundated with “stuff” — unwanted Christmas presents. We recycled the gifts, assembling beautiful baskets wrapped in cellophane and curling ribbon, and made a lot of people happy. It’s amazing how a potholder, dishtowel, and hand lotion can be made to look so good with the proper wrapping!
There are some schools that ask parents to refrain from giving teachers gifts and instead suggest they honor their teachers with a contribution to any number of worthwhile causes. In this way, families can contribute what they are able to afford – or not at all if they are strapped – and the gift is from the entire class. Here are some ideas:
- A gift card to a supermarket or department store for a needy family
- A class collection of non-perishable food items for a local food pantry
- Purchasing holiday gifts for a homeless family
- Providing a holiday dinner for a needy family
- A donation to a charity
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recently suggested several humanitarian organizations, many of which would be appropriate as an educational exercise for students.
For example: donations to CARE can provide school uniforms; contributions to Heifer International provide gifts of livestock and training to help families improve their nutrition and generate income, and Helen Keller International’s ChildSight program screens children for vision problems and provides eyeglasses.
Don’t forget your local charities; it’s meaningful for kids to know they are helping those close to home.
Even if it’s too late to change your school’s culture now, start a discussion now – and maybe things will change next year. Engaging parents and children in choosing the cause and bringing it to fruition will infuse both kids and adults with the true meaning of giving
Happy Holidays!
December Dilemmas
Posted: December 19, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: christmas, education, hannukah, happy holidays, kwanzaa, Long Island, long island schools, obesity, parenting 1 Comment »It’s the holiday season and there are celebrations everywhere – at the office, at home and in the schools.
Happy Holidays
However you celebrate at home or in the office, the notion of what is appropriate and inappropriate in public schools continues to evolve as our communities become more diverse.
When I was a child, Christmas was observed in the schools with Christmas pageants, Christmas concerts, Christmas parties, candy canes and Christmas carols. Children who did not celebrate Christmas felt excluded. A generation later, Hanukkah was given a mention with a Hanukkah song in the holiday concert and perhaps Hanukkah food, such as jelly doughnuts. It was better than nothing, but still not much.
Later, Kwanzaa was included. Whether it was called “holiday festivities” or Christmas, everyone understood that it was basically a Christmas celebration with merely a nod to non-Christian holidays.
Nowadays, students observe so many different winter holidays in our multi-cultural society that schools simply can’t keep up with them all. Rather than being exclusionary, a number of schools have adopted an educational solution to this winter dilemma by having the students share their family traditions with their classmates. In this way, the school or teacher doesn’t put an imprimatur on any one practice. The children explain their customs and share their foods – and it becomes a learning experience.
Did I say “food?” Anyone who has ever worked in a school knows that you can easily gain seven pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas with all the ubiquitous goodies. But sharing food among children has become a real problem. Is the food gluten free, peanut free, animal free, kosher or halal? With medical conditions, such as celiac disease, food allergies and dietary restrictions, it’s not as easy as it used to be to share holiday fare with your classmates. In the past, people just didn’t know any better; now we do!
Add to this the rampant concern about obesity and healthy eating in this country, and we have another dilemma on our hands. Parties bring together students, teachers and parents, and provide a break from the routine. But school parties typically revolve around junk food, such as candy, cookies, cupcakes and chips. As parents across the country lobby for school wellness policies and healthier fare in school cafeterias, the traditional holiday party becomes almost politically incorrect.
With these dilemmas, parents who care have to weigh in. You have to speak up if your child feels uncomfortable or is in danger of having his health or beliefs violated. School officials will listen to your concerns. In one district where I worked, parents rallied against a Christmas pageant in one school. It was replaced by a more ecumenical sharing of traditions.
Recently, one Rockland County teacher went way too far by telling her students that there is no Santa Claus. Parents complained and the teacher called each parent to apologize. Clearly, this teacher had no business imposing her own views and impinging on children’s beliefs.
If your child has a food restriction, let the school know ahead of time. If it’s a matter of healthy eating, are you willing to make an exception for a special occasion – or do you think school parties shouldn’t revolve around junk food? A study in the Journal of Nutrition, Education, and Behavior indicated that when fruit was served along with candy and cookies, children ate it and their total consumption of calories dropped.
If you are a parent who cares passionately about what is served at class parties, form a committee and come up with healthier food alternatives. Additionally, plan fun activities that are not food-related. How about a community service project instead, around which parents and students can unite?
Whatever your individual concerns or beliefs, our public schools are for everyone. Most important at this time and throughout the year is that parents — in partnership with schools — teach children how to respect and celebrate their differences.
Wishing you a happy holiday season and a healthy new year!
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Education News Review of 2011: What will be trending in 2012?
Posted: December 28, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bullying, cyber bullying, education, Long Island, long island schools, parenting, SAT, SAT cheating 1 Comment »1. In a dismal economy, schools made deep cuts into their educational programs in 2011.
• In 2012, look for more cutting, including mid-year cuts. School districts will consider school closings, grade reorganization, and redistricting. Administrative jobs, particularly district-wide positions, will be on the chopping block. Parents will lobby for central administrative cuts, insisting that an extensive and excessive central administration should not be kept at the expense of educational programs impacting their children. Consolidation of school districts, in a way that reduces administration and retains neighborhood schools, will also be seriously explored.
2. High school and college sports were under fire for lack of accountability in insular “old boys’ networks” in 2011. Most notably, the egregious allegations of repeated child abuse by Jerry Sandusky and the cover-up by his superiors heightened awareness of the dangers to children when there is a lack of accountability. On Long Island, a superintendent who had once been a coach was accused of directing a principal to have teachers inflate the grades of a star football player.
• In 2012, look for more uncovering of favoritism and bad behavior on the part of the adults in charge in high school and college sports. There will be an outcry for fairness, watchfulness, and an overhauling of sports programs as well as child abuse reporting laws.
3. Bullying and cyber-bullying were in the news in 2011 because of resulting teen suicide. States, such as New Jersey, passed anti-bullying laws.
• In 2012, look for more serious discussion about bullying and cyber-bullying. The emphasis will be on programs that prevent bullying and what adults – parents, educators, and others – can do in this digital age where online bullying can occur 24/7. Watch also for a serious dialogue of whether legislation is the answer or if creates additional victims.
4. In 2011, SAT student cheating rings were uncovered on Long Island, and teachers were accused of cheating by changing their students’ answers on standardized tests in Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
• In 2012, watch for more cheating scandals. While there will be more arrests to crackdown on cheating, there will also be soul-searching reflections about why students and teachers feel compelled to cheat.
5. Many parochial schools closed their doors and there was increasing fire directed at some charter schools in 2011.
• Look for the impact on already strapped school districts as hundreds of former parochial school students enter the public schools in 2012.
6. In 2011, parents formed unions in places as far-flung as California and New York City. These groups were created to empower parents with a voice in their children’s education.
• Watch for more parent power in 2012. For example, in New York State a 2 percent tax cap will go into effect, forcing districts to look for cost savings unless 60 percent of the voters vote to exceed the cap. Parents in New York and elsewhere are becoming increasingly aware that districts can put anything on the table to be cut, including sacred cows such as full-day kindergarten. Look for your district’s schedule of budget meetings, attend them and speak up! Stay tuned to Your Education Doctor for strategies to help you advocate for quality education for your children!
I wish you a happy, healthy, and successful new year!!!
TV Parents: What Values Do They Convey?
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: education, Long Island, long island schools, parenting, television, TV 2 Comments »During the holiday break, I confess watching a few episodes of TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras, 
a reality show that features actual parents (mostly mothers) preparing and entering their small children in kiddy beauty pageants. The mothers are depicted inflicting on their tiny daughters coaching lessons, spray tans, heavy makeup, false eyelashes and hairpieces – all for the privilege of winning a crown or a small monetary prize for their child’s physical appearance.
It got me thinking about whether TV parents reflect our values or help to shape them. And what, exactly, are the values that we want our schools to teach our children?
Have you seen Robert Young in re-runs as Jim Anderson in Father Knows Best, a popular 1950’s situation comedy?
Jim set standards for his children — Betty, Bud, and Kathy — and constantly differentiated right from wrong.
Or do you remember June Cleaver as the mom in Leave it to Beaver? 
She was always in the kitchen with her shirtwaist dresses and pearls
dispensing milk and cookies, while her husband, Ward, gave their sons,
Wally and Beaver, weekly lectures in the proper way to behave.
The baby-boomer generation and their parents thought these were the perfect families, and while they were glorified lily-white versions of reality, there was no question that the parents’ primary responsibility was to impart values, such as fairness, honesty and caring, to their children. They also sat down as a family for daily meals, during which they discussed the day’s events.
In later decades, the Cunninghams, Howard (Tom Bosley), a hardware store owner, and his stay at home wife, Marion, attempted to set their children and family friend, “the Fonz,” on the right path in Happy Days.
On The Cosby Show, the Huxtables — Cliff (Bill Cosby), a physician, and Clair, a lawyer, African-American parents of five — also modeled and taught the values they wanted their children to live by.
While all these parents were idealized versions of real mothers and fathers, they provided a benchmark against which actual people could measure their actions. And they supported the notion that American parents were the repositories of wisdom, knowledge and integrity, and were supposed to pass these values on to their children.
Fast forward to 2012. We don’t hear too many lectures on ethics from television parents. But we do hear about social and emotional intelligence, and schools’ attempts to teach character education. Values such as respect, kindness, empathy, and giving back are needed more than ever in our society, and there are many programs in our schools that attempt to develop nice human beings and good citizens. But it’s naïve and unrealistic to expect schools to do this alone. Parents are key partners in inculcating values in their children. All the lessons and activities in the world will not succeed without parental support.
What are we learning about values from today’s fictional TV parents? Cam and Mitchell, the same-sex parents of Lily on ABC’s Modern Family, are over-conscientious and ever-present to their daughter’s needs. Being present is key to success and an important value. Parents can’t influence their kids at all if they are not physically, emotionally, and mentally present. This includes: engaging in conversation, attending school and other events, and modeling values.
Frankie Heck, played by Patricia Heaton on ABC’s The Middle, should also be commended for parenting three rather odd children and allowing each of them to be whom they are. Enabling children to discover their own interests, find their purpose and pursue their own dreams is a key to happiness.
In total contrast, the mothers on TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras live vicariously through their children. They spend thousands of dollars to have their daughters — some less than a year old — compete in beauty pageants. It is painful to watch toddlers crying and fighting their mothers as they get them ready to “compete.” Equally disturbing is the intense disappointment of both parent and child when the aspiring mini-beauty queens fail to win a crown. While some of the children say they like to participate, their parents are forcing their own passions on their children! One mother admitted that she had a baby so she could enter her in pageants. Another did not have the daughter she wanted, so her s on is now one of very few boys competing on the pageant circuit.
As we enter the New Year, it’s crucially important for parents to be strong partners with their children’s schools in building character. For better or worse, TV parents, then and now, provide a framework of what and what not to do. Here are some tips for 2012:
• Be role models for honesty, integrity, kindness and caring.
• Let your children know what your standards are in word and in deed.
• Teach your child to respect and celebrate differences.
• Be present for your children, and show up physically, mentally, and emotionally.
• Model the importance of giving to others.
• Eat dinner together as a family.
• Allow your children to discover their own interests, and to find their own purpose.
For more information about Meryl Ain visit:
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http://www.linkedin.com/pub/meryl-ain-ed-d/37/90a/464
MLK Day: Beyond the Anniversary
Posted: January 11, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Atlanta Journal Constitution, Brown v. Board of Education, education, Katherine Schulten, Long Island, long island schools, martin Luther King, Martin Luther King Day, MLK, parenting, Southern Poverty Law Center 1 Comment »We’re well into the 21st century but two recent news items should make us wonder how far we’ve actually come in this, the 83rd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth and the 58th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. 
The first is an article by Katherine Schulten in The New York Times that notes that on last year’s National Assessment of Education Progress exam, only 2 percent of U.S. high school seniors were familiar with the civil rights struggle of the 1950s. Students could not identify the wording from Brown v. Board of Education, the US Supreme Court decision that knocked down the “separate but equal” doctrine in public schools.
Ms. Schulten reported also that after a comprehensive review, the Southern Poverty Law Center concluded that civil rights history is often avoided in schools.
Much more disturbing, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that parents in one Georgia school district were enraged by math worksheets that contained questions about slavery. Among them: “Each tree had 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?” Another: “If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week?”
Parents are demanding an apology as well as diversity training for teachers and administrators.
Parents should be demanding a lot more than that! They should ask about the teacher(s) who gave the test. Where was the sensitivity to the African-American students? They should know the context of the math test. Was this an integration of math and history? If so, were these the best examples that could have been used? They should ask if this was an ad hoc blooper or a carefully crafted piece of the curriculum. Finally, who is responsible for supervising the teachers and the curriculum in the school and district – and where were they?
Both parents and teachers need to be vigilant in preventing prejudice and in celebrating the diverse and tolerant country we say we are. That begins with Martin Luther King Day, but doesn’t end there.
In honor of MLK Day, the NEA called upon teachers to “help students put in perspective Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, his impact on the Civil Rights Movement, and his significance to American culture and history.”
Martin Luther King Day is observed this year on Monday, January 16. As the magazine PTO Today wrote, this day is an opportunity for parent groups to “help focus students’ attention on the civil rights leader and to reinforce his message of racial justice and equal rights.”
In the second decade of the 21st century, students have to know more than anniversaries. The history behind the anniversary tells us who we are as a people and what we aspire to be. The lessons of Dr. King’s life and legacy must go beyond one day in our schools. How the civil rights movement is taught or how Martin Luther King Day is observed, while important, is not the whole story. What is important is that we teach our children that we are a society that respects and celebrates differences.
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/how-do-you-teach-the-civil-rights-movement/
http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/norcross-parents-upset-by-1292851.html
http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/mlk-day.html
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http://www.linkedin.com/pub/meryl-ain-ed-d/37/90a/464
A Plan to End Bullying and Make Schools Kinder and Gentler
Posted: January 17, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: dr. robert goldman, education, Long Island, parenting, parents, suffolk county, taste, victoria ruvolo Leave a comment »A plan that would virtually end school bullying and make school discipline kinder, gentler and more meaningful is being proposed for schools throughout the country.
The man behind this revolutionary concept is Dr. Robert Goldman, a Long Island psychologist/lawyer. 
He is intent on changing the culture of schools based on lessons found in his book, No Room for Vengeance, and his work with the Suffolk County Probation Department.
Goldman’s book, co-authored with Victoria Ruvolo, tells the true story of an incident that took place on the Long Island Expressway in November 2004. A teenager tossed a 20-pound frozen turkey out the rear window of the car he was riding in and it broke the windshield of an oncoming car, hitting and nearly killing Ruvolo, its driver. But instead of going to prison for up to 25 years, the offender, Ryan Cushing, 18, was allowed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree assault at the insistence of Ms. Ruvolo.
As a result of Ruvolo’s compassion, Goldman developed a program of repentance for juveniles, one believed to be the first in the country.
After Cushing entered his plea and was leaving the courtroom — knowing he would be sentenced to only six months in jail, five years probation and one year of community service — he stopped in front of Ruvolo who was standing at the end of a row and hugged her. The two cried openly.
“I’m so thankful that you are doing well,” he whispered to Ruvolo, whose face had to be rebuilt using metal plates and screws in a 10-hour operation.
“You’re such a wonderful person,” he continued, sobbing uncontrollably as others in the courtroom choked back tears. “Never did I intend to hurt anyone, especially someone as special as you. I prayed for you every night; I never meant this to happen.”
“It’s OK, it’s OK,” Ruvolo told him. “I am going to be watching over you now. Just do good with your life.”
Inspired by her compassion and challenge to create a venue where Ryan could do something good with his life, Goldman developed a program called TASTE, an acronym that stands for Thinking errors, Anger management, Social skills and Talking Empathy.
The program in Suffolk County’s juvenile justice program offers young people a chance to apologize to their victim in writing or in person. Goldman, who is now the supervising psychologist in the Probation Department, said that Ryan’s community service required him to address youngsters in the TASTE program. It is for youngsters 12 to 15-years-old who have pleaded guilty to a variety of crimes (including shoplifting, criminal trespass, assault, graffiti and aggravated harassment) and have been sentenced to probation or had their cases adjourned in contemplation of dismissal. Goldman noted that Ryan continued speaking to groups with Ruvolo well after his one-year of community service ended.
The hour-long probation programs — which can range from four to 16 sessions, depending on the needs of each youngster — also involve the participation of the youth’s parents. Goldman and his colleagues at the Probation Department run TASTE, which focuses on teaching the juveniles about self-control.
The key to the program is to have youngsters stop and think of the long-term consequences of their actions before they act.
Now Dr. Goldman wants to bring this program to schools as an alternative to suspension.
“Rather than throwing them out of school, thereby rewarding them for their behavior, I would hold them accountable by putting them through this program and having them make peace with their victim — especially in the case of bullying,” Goldman explained.
This is an intriguing program and one certainly worth considering. As the Hearing Officer in Superintendent’s Disciplinary Hearings for more than a decade, I often felt hamstrung in meting out consequences. New York State law allows only for suspension as a punishment. Counseling, alternative behavior modification programs, and creative solutions can only be recommended, not mandated.
Goldman also wants to give principals more authority — rather than automatically requesting a Superintendent’s Hearing — to impose more than a five-day suspension. He notes that implementing TASTE in schools would give kids — particularly those involved with drugs and similar offenses — along with their parents and school personnel the opportunity to explore why the offense occurred, how the school was impacted, what such behavior does to the community.
“Let the children hear the consequences of their behavior on the school so they can understand,” Dr. Goldman said. “Let them become part of the program, part of the solution. Let them mentor others on the dangers of drugs.”
In addition, Goldman is currently developing a curriculum, based on the TASTE principles that he hopes to implement throughout the country, starting with New York. He says it fulfills the requirements of The Dignity for All Students Act, which will take effect in New York State in July. It was enacted to protect students in public schools from discrimination and harassment. New York joins 11 states, which have already passed similar legislation, including California, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
The Dignity Act protects against all forms of harassment, especially those based on race, color, weight, national origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex. What’s notable about this legislation is that it amends state education law to require schools to incorporate diversity and discrimination awareness and sensitivity training into lessons on civility, citizenship, and character education. Additionally, schools are also required to develop effective responses to harassment and bullying, and to implement strategies to prevent these behaviors.
http://www.nyclu.org/files/OnePager_DASA.pdf
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A TV Shout Out to Special Ed Teachers, Students and Parents!
Posted: January 25, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: A Smile as Big as the Moon, Hallmark, Hallmark Hall of Fame, IQuOLIOC Inc., NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Space and Rocket Center 1 Comment »My cousin Jeanette Martinez, who lives in North Carolina, recently e-mailed me a news item about the appearance later this month of her daughter Jessica on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. What makes this unusual is that Jessica, 25, has Down Syndrome. She, along with several other young people with special needs, will be featured in the movie, A Smile as Big as the Moon, on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 9 p.m. on ABC.
The TV movie starring John Corbett is the inspiring story of how in 1988, Ken Kersjes, a high school football coach and special education teacher, convinced both National Aeronautics and Space Administration and his school district to enable a group of 19 special education students to attend NASA’s Space Camp in Huntsville, AL.
The Hallmark production is based on Kersjes’ 2003 book of the same name. Although Space Camp is a competitive program for talented science students, Kersjes and his colleague, Robynn McKinney, overcame many obstacles to gain authorization to send their students — whose learning disabilities included Tourette’s syndrome, autism, Down Syndrome and dyslexia — to Space Camp.
Jeanette said she learned about the movie when a friend told her that there was going to be a casting call in the area. Initially the director wasn’t looking for young people with special needs, but rather actors to portray them.
“I sent them a picture of Jessica and said that she doesn’t have to act it because she lives it every day,” Jeanette recalled.
Jessica and her Mom were soon called to meet the director, James Sadwith.
“When we were there the director enjoyed meeting us so much that he decided to go a different route and use actual special needs kids instead of just people who acted as though they had special needs,” Jeanette said. “He asked if we knew any other kids who could be a part of it.”
Jessica is a student at the Adult Day Activity program for special needs students at IQuOLIOC Inc. in Jacksonville, NC. Jeanette asked IQuOLIOC owner and director Tammy Cleveland to assist with getting more students, and five classmates were selected to appear in the film.
Cleveland accompanied the six students for a month-long filming in Wilmington, N.C., and at The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. They participated in space flight simulations and received their own space suits, which they were allowed to bring home. Working with the film’s stars, Corbett and Jessica Schram, the young people were able to successfully manage 12 to 14-hour days.
Jeanette said that she hopes the experience will encourage Jessica and others with special needs to pursue their dreams.
“I never acted in anything before but I was happy,” Jessica said.
“It was the experience of a lifetime, and when Jessica came back she said ‘I want to do this again,’” Jeanette recalled. “That tells you how wonderful everyone was. Working with kids in general can be hard and special needs kids can be really difficult, but love and compassion was shown to all of them.”
It’s not easy to be a special education teacher. But Ken Kersjes demonstrates the power of a teacher who believes in his students.
Neither is it easy to be a special education parent, especially when your child has Down Syndrome. Jeanette Martinez exemplifies the power of a parent who believes in her child’s ability to reach for the stars – and succeed. Finally, congratulations to the actual youngsters who participated in Space Camp, and the actors who took up the challenge to faithfully recreate their story.
Be sure to watch!
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/students-99569-movie-needs.html
Answering Parents’ Questions at Long Island Parent Magazine
Posted: February 8, 2012 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools | Tags: Ask the Education Expert, education, Liza Burby, Long Island, Long Island Parent Magazine, parenting 1 Comment »I’m pleased to let you know that beginning this month, I will be a regular
www.liparentonline.com
contributor to Long Island Parent Magazine.
Published by Liza Burby, it is a wonderful resource for parents as it addresses issues of concern to parents on Long Island and beyond.
My first article, What You Need to Know About Your School District Budget, provides tips about how to navigate the budget process in your school districts.
Here are a few tips from the article:
- Know your school district’s budget calendar, which will give you a list of meetings and topics. Check your district’s website for information, and read budget brochures that are mailed to your home. Read the fine print so you will understand if your children’s school experience will be impacted. Keep up with local media reports of budget meetings.
- Know when PTA meetings are held. Your PTA president should have the latest budget information.
- Know when and where Board of Education meetings are held, attend them, and feel free to voice your opinion during the public participation part of the meeting.
- Know the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of the Board of Education members and the District Clerk.
- If you are upset by a proposed cut, you may circulate petitions to the board, discuss the topic at PTA meetings, write letters to the board and to the newspapers, and come to board meetings en masse.
- Make sure you register to vote. Check with the District Clerk for procedures and deadlines if you are not sure if you are registered.
- Remember to vote. If you will be out of town you may request an absentee ballot. Check with the District Clerk for information about absentee ballots, polling places and voting hours.
To read the full article, go to http://liparentonline.com/features3.html.
In addition to the print version, I will be writing a monthly online column, Ask the Education Expert, on the Long Island Parent website. There I will be answering questions submitted by readers. In the current column, I discuss parent concerns related to kindergarten registration and readiness. Take a look at http://liparentonline.com/ask-the-school-expert.html. Email your questions to me at youreducationdoctor@youreducationdoctor.com and check out LI Parent online for the answers each month.
For more information about Your Education Doctor or Meryl Ain, please visit:
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Celebrating Learning, Teaching, and Parenting on Presidents’ Day
Posted: February 14, 2012 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Nassau county schools, Parents | Tags: Bill Clinton, Obama, Oprah, Presidents' Day, samantha garvey, steve bellone, suffolk county 1 Comment »Presidents’ Day always makes me remember my maternal grandfather, who encouraged my brother and me to learn the names of all the US presidents 
and vice presidents when we were still in the early grades. When we got together each week, we would play quiz show, mimicking the popular TV shows of that era. He would give us our assignment the week before and then reward us with pocket change for our correct answers the following week. He also had us learn each of the states and their capitals, as well as difficult spelling words.
My grandfather, who came to this country from Russia at age six, had to leave school at 14 to work as an errand boy to help his family of 10. But he knew the importance of learning. He later secured a plum position at the Post Office and courted and married my grandmother, who was one of 12 children born to immigrants.
My grandmother had graduated from high school, which she attended at night – something that was unusual for her day and station. My grandparents later ran a drug store with a soda fountain and put my mother, their only daughter, through college. When my mother graduated from New York University in 1943, she enlisted in the military after seeing a film about the Nazis. A generation later, my brother and I both received advanced degrees.
Only in America — the land of freedom and opportunity — is such advancement possible. Only in America could an errand boy have a daughter graduate from college and grandchildren earn a doctorate and a law degree. Only in America could individuals from humble origins — such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Lyndon Johnson — become president of the US. Only in America could Oprah Winfrey achieve her 
incredible success. Despite being born into poverty, her grandmother taught her to read when she was three-years-old. Later, when she went to live with her father as a teenager, he made education a priority.
Traditionally, public education in the United States was considered the passport that would level the playing field for the poor and disadvantaged. But an article in last week’s New York Times reported that several research studies indicate that while the racial gap has been shrinking, there is a widening achievement gap between affluent and poor students that is threatening to weaken education’s equalizing effects.
Researchers aren’t certain why, but some hypothesize that affluent children may perform better because their parents spend more time and money in providing them with enriching experiences, such as tutoring, music lessons, and literacy activities. Additionally, they appear to be more involved in their children’s schools. The recession likely has exacerbated this disparity.
But James J. Heckman, an economist at the University of Chicago, contends that parenting counts as much or more than income in developing a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school.
“Early life conditions and how children are stimulated play a very important role,” he said. “The danger is we will revert back to the mindset of the war on poverty, when poverty was just a matter of income, and giving families more would improve the prospects of their children. If people conclude that, it’s a mistake.”
One young person who still believes in the power of education to be the great equalizer is Samantha Garvey, the 18-year-old Brentwood, L.I., high school senior who in January was named a semi-finalist in the Intel Science
Competition while her family was living in a homeless shelter. She is president of her school’s chapter of the National Honor Society, and has a 3.9 grade point average. Her amazing story so captivated the public that Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone arranged for her family to move into a rent-subsidized home.
“My family’s setbacks are a source of motivation. I want to get my family ahead, which is why I do well in school,” Samantha told Newsday.
“My daughter is a blessing,” her mother, Olga Garvey Coreas, an immigrant from El Salvador, told the Huffington Post’s Latino Voices. “I never tire of thanking God for giving her the talent she has. She lives dedicated to her studies — nothing stops her.”
She added that parents must be vigilant in encouraging and supporting their children’s education. She pointed out that her husband, Leo, worked nights and that she worked days.
“The fact was that we never left them alone; we were always there to help them with their homework,” she said. “I believe that good communication is the basis for guiding our children.”
As we observe Presidents’ Day, let’s remember the promise and the possibilities of our country. We must ensure that public education continues to be the great equalizer. But that requires a team. We need more parents like Samantha Garvey’s, who encouraged her to learn despite the odds — enabling their daughter to achieve the unimaginable. We need more teachers like the ones in the Brentwood Public Schools, who embraced and encouraged Samantha, enabling her to shine. Samantha, of course, deserves credit for internalizing her parents’ values and grasping the opportunities her school offered.
There is no substitute for active and involved parents partnering with caring public schools. They are still our country’s best hope for enabling young people to become all they are capable of being.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/new-beginning-for-evicted-li-family-1.3449717?qr=1
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/samantha-garvey-intel-science-immigrant_n_1215994.html
Bad Parenting Gone Viral
Posted: February 23, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Child Protective Services, Facebook, laptop shooting dad, Tommy Jordan, YouTube 1 Comment »It has now been two weeks since Tommy Jordan became famous by shooting his 15-year-old daughter’s laptop and posting the video on YouTube and Facebook. 
His actions came after his daughter Hannah posted a message on her Facebook page complaining that she was tired of picking up after her dad and that she should be paid for her chores.
The video has been viewed 26 million times on YouTube and tens of thousands of times on Facebook. As a parent and an educator, I am incredulous at the overwhelmingly positive response Jordan has received from parents across the country. For example, NBC’s “Today” polled viewers on the incident and reported that 74 percent agreed with Jordan’s actions.
I’m glad that Child Protective Services and the police paid him visits, but it has been alleged that the social worker merely reviewed parenting tips with him and that the police officer congratulated him.
While Jordan believes his daughter has not been hurt or scarred by his public display, a majority of those who participated in a Mashable poll believe Hannah will continue to be resentful.
What’s wrong with Jordan’s actions?
- He is the parent, the adult in the situation. He acted out of anger and rage, which makes him a poor role model.
- He publicly humiliated his daughter, never a good way to start a conversation or teach a lesson.
- He used a GUN! When his anger gets out of control again, what will stop him from shooting a person next time? He apparently made no effort to understand where his daughter was coming from.
- A child of divorce, she had only come to live with him and her stepmother six months ago. Of course, there were issues. Before he resorted to violence, how about a little counseling?
- Teenagers are notoriously rebellious, and often disrespectful. A parent does not teach respect by being disrespectful to his child. Respect is a two-way street. By embarrassing his child in front of the whole world, he cannot expect her to respect him.
- The “when I was your age” argument does not resonate with adolescents. It’s meaningless. Anyway, there was no Facebook, YouTube or laptop when Jordan was Hannah’s age, so maybe he would have had to sit down with his daughter and have a heart-to-heart conversation.
What should Jordan have done in a private conversation with Hannah?
1. He should have used an “I” message with the focus on understanding Hannah’s feelings and expressing his own. He should have said to her: “I have tried to be a good father to you, spending time and money on fixing your laptop, and I feel deeply hurt and insulted that you would complain about me to your friends on Facebook. What were you thinking?”
2. He should have described how and why her Facebook message upset him.
3. He should have actively listened to what she had to say, and then summarized, paraphrased, questioned, and brainstormed solutions with her.
4. He and his daughter might then have come to a solution that met both their needs. It’s not about right or wrong, but about understanding and respect. And if you’re a parent, your job is to help your child learn and grow.
5. If the situation had gone too far — which it likely did — he should have brought additional people into the discussion. Not 26 million YouTube viewers, but a counselor, a clergyperson, or an objective and impartial relative or friend.
Police visit Facebook dad who shot daughter’s laptop – CNET News
URL: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57376595-71/police-visit-facebook-dad-who-shot-daughters-laptop/
Bullied Teen Steps Up to the Plate to Help Other Victims
Posted: February 29, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bullying, education, gun control, guns, Jamie Isaacs, Newsday, parenting, school shooting, school violence, Sen. Jeff Klein 2 Comments »The 17-year-old student suspected this week of shooting to death three classmates and wounding two others in the cafeteria of their Cleveland high school was characterized by some as an outcast and a victim of bullying.
Despite all the safety measures schools have put in place since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 that killed 13 and all of the attention placed on bullying prevention, we have clearly not made enough progress. When parents send their children to school each day, their minimum expectation is that they will be safe. The ways to do that are not simple because they involve multiple fronts, including gun control, parenting, school safety and security, mental health awareness, and of course, bullying prevention. As the unfortunate ramifications of bullying come to the forefront once again, here’s a heartwarming story of one young person, Jamie Isaacs, who is trying to make a difference after being a victim of bullying herself.
- Jamie Isaacs
When adults ponder solutions to the bullying epidemic, they often view young people as a big part of the problem. But LI teen Jamie Isaacs — a victim of bullying herself — is determined to be part of the solution.
Jamie’s journey began when she was a second grade student and was bullied by a classmate at her Lake Grove elementary school. As the years went by, other students joined in, forming an “I Hate Jamie Club.” Members of the club sent Jamie derisive emails and even death threats. Her parents ultimately decided to transfer her to a private school.
Now 15, Jamie has started a foundation, written a book, and is lobbying for stricter laws. She is also in the process of writing and recording a song about her bullying experience and is shooting a music video to accompany the song. Last summer she worked with filmmakers to create a documentary about bullying. Her book, In Jamie’s Words, is her effort to be a voice for other victims of bullying, and to share the strategies she used to persevere.
The Jamie Isaacs Foundation for Anti-Bullying runs a hotline that takes calls from kids who are being bullied. It also presents programs to students, teachers, and administrators to help raise awareness about the signs and effects of bullying. In addition, the foundation assists children and their families to find services and resources to help them overcome the impact of bullying.
According to Newsday, Jamie was recently honored, along with Paige Pless of Albany, by the New York State Senate for their attempts to stop the spread of cyber-bullying.
“I didn’t want what happened to me to ever happen to anyone else,” she told Newsday. She added that it is important for victims not to feel alone.
“That helps them, knowing that there’s someone else out there like them that’s experiencing the same thing.”
Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx) introduced resolutions commending the two teens for fighting against harassment and bullying that occur online.
Last month, Klein introduced a cyber-bullying bill that would expand the crimes of stalking and aggravated harassment by adding engaging in “electronic communication” with minors.
“What we’re seeing now in the digital age is hundreds, hordes of invisible bullies that are hiding behind social media and harassing one another,” Klein told Newsday. “The old adage is that sticks and stones may break your bones but words cannot harm you, I think we’re seeing, unfortunately, that words can kill.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57386080/suspect-idd-in-deadly-ohio-school-shooting/
http://www.jamieisaacsfoundation.org/
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/jamie-isaacs-honored-for-cyberbully-efforts-1.3527514
Kindergarten Redshirting – Smart Strategy or Educational Quackery?
Posted: March 7, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: education, Long Island, parenting, kindergarten, 60 Minutes, CBS, Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers, Morely Safer, Erikson Institute Leave a comment »The practice of parents waiting until their children are 6 to enroll them in kindergarten has become so widespread that CBS’ 60 Minutes has taken note.
Parents who follow this practice told correspondent Morley Safer that it gives their child a competitive advantage over their younger classmates – both academically and on the sports field.
Safer said studies showed that boys are twice as likely to be held back by their parents as girls, whites more than minorities, and rich more than the poor.
The concept is taken from college sports, where athletes will practice with the team for the first year but sit out competition while they get bigger, stronger, and more competitive. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers, he shows that a disproportionate number of successful young hockey players in Canada were born earlier in the year, and the effect continues all the way up to the National Hockey League.
While this approach may work with athletes, the research on kindergarten redshirting, as the practice is called, is mixed. Safer interviewed the author of a recent Canadian study who found that redshirting can yield positive academic outcomes. But other experts disagreed, insisting that academic gains are not sustained in later grades and that there may be an increase in social and behavioral problems when older and bigger students enter puberty. Samuel Meisels, president of Chicago’s Erikson Institute, said that while redshirting may be appropriate for some children, it is “educational quackery.”
Age appropriateness is something I’ve pondered since my mother told me that I had “missed the deadline” for kindergarten by three weeks. I don’t know whether I would have done as well in elementary school if I had not missed the cut-off and started kindergarten a year earlier, but I know that I did well enough to qualify later for the “Special Progress” class in junior high school, which enabled students to complete three years of junior high in two. Terrible idea! I have long believed that essentially skipping eighth grade erased whatever edge I had and wreaked havoc on my self-confidence. But that’s an indictment of being pushed ahead, not being held back.
My two oldest sons have August and October birthdays, while the third was born in March. Did my third child appear to have an advantage when he entered kindergarten? Absolutely! But I don’t know if that was due to his early birthday or being raised in a family with older siblings. Redshirting was not an option back then, but my father, who was an elementary school principal, was of the opinion that early advantages generally equalized by third grade. I have found this to be true.
Redshirting clearly needs more study, but what disturbs me is the motivation behind it. Parents say they are leveling the playing field for their children, but what they are doing is creating an unfair playing field for the other kids who are age appropriate for their grade. And before their children even start school, they are setting up a competition with other students. Kids should be competing with themselves, encouraged to be the best they can be, not constantly looking over their shoulder at others. Schools should also be equipped to differentiate instruction, being able to meet the needs of varying individuals with different learning styles.
Actually, the average age of kindergarten entrants continues to rise, with 37 states now requiring that children be five when they enter kindergarten. The fact that school districts around the country differ widely in their cut-off dates for students entering kindergarten is a source of confusion for parents. Deadlines range from June 1 to December 31, so make sure you know what the date is in your community
The decision of whether or not to hold a child back from kindergarten should be based on the individual youngster’s social, emotional, and academic needs and development, not on a parent-instigated race with other kids. Parents know their children best, and should also take into account what the child will be doing if he/she is not in kindergarten. Here, parents with resources have a clear advantage in providing alternative educational experiences.
Sending your child to kindergarten is an important milestone for you and your child. Here are some ways you can help prepare your child for kindergarten:
- While teachers are happy when children enter kindergarten knowing letters and numbers, they do not want you to drill your child. Kindergarten teachers look for their students to have readiness skills; these are the building blocks that will enable your child to love learning and to succeed in school. You can prepare your child with readiness skills through his/her daily activities.
- Does your child approach learning enthusiastically and is he curious? Is she eager to explore, discover, and ask questions? Point out your child’s surroundings, including flowers, trees, birds, people, etc., and take time to encourage and answer her questions.
- Hand-in-hand with curiosity and discovery go language skills. Help your child build his vocabulary by giving him words and descriptions as he observes and experiences his surroundings. Additionally, activities, such as visits to the beach, park, beach, children’s museum, or zoo, present many opportunities for you to help him develop language skills.
- Kindergarten teachers will be pleased if your child has the ability to listen. Read to your child every day, and engage her by asking questions about the book. Besides nurturing vocabulary and comprehension, reading develops the listening skills necessary in a kindergarten classroom.
- Encouraging your child to take care of himself will prepare him for kindergarten. For example, although it’s easier to hang up your son’s coat yourself, his kindergarten teacher will want your child to do it. She cannot take off the boots and hang up the coats of 25 students. Help your child to become ready for school by teaching him to do such tasks as going to the bathroom himself and washing his hands, and opening up a juice box and putting the straw in. Perhaps if he attends pre-school, he has already mastered these skills.
- Kindergarten is about socialization, so help your child get ready by encouraging him to share, take turns, and understand the rights, space, and feelings of others.
- It’s important for kindergarten students to have good eye-hand coordination. Many kindergarten activities involve coloring, cutting, pasting, and writing with a pencil. Playing with clay or Play-Doh, writing, coloring, painting, pasting, and stringing beads are examples of activities that will get your child ready for kindergarten.
- Kindergarten teachers will teach their students how to write and recognize letter sounds. But they are happy when their students come to school knowing how to count to 10, and know shapes and colors. If your child attends pre-school, this is usually well covered there.
Redshirting: Holding kids back from kindergarten- 60 Minutes – CBS News http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7400898n&tag=contentMain;contentAux
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School Bus Accidents in the News – Are Your Children Safe?
Posted: March 14, 2012 Filed under: Education, Long Island Schools, Parents, school, school administration, School bus, school district, school saftey, Teacher | Tags: education, long island education, parenting, parents, school, school bus, school bus accidents, school transportation, student, transportation Leave a comment »
Three separate school bus accidents on Monday – in Indiana, Washington State, andOhio — have left a student and a bus driver dead, and scores of students injured, some critically. The three crashes have fueled concerns about school bus safety.
In the Indiana accident, the bus was mangled when the driver hit an overpass without braking. In Washington, the bus rolled over after it veered off the road. In Ohio, the bus tipped and then rolled over onto its right side into a ditch.
None of the buses were equipped with passenger seatbelts, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) does not require in larger school buses. But those accidents have now renewed calls for passenger seat belts on all school buses.
Federal law requires seat belts on school buses weighing less than 10,000 pounds, but 80 percent of the nation’s school buses do not fall into this category. Six states – New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Texas and Louisiana – have laws requiring seat belts on all school buses. But just because seat belts are installed, doesn’t guarantee they will be used.
For example, New York leaves the decision of whether the seat belts will be used to local school boards. On the contrary, the Texas law calls for disciplinary action against students who do not use them. California and Florida laws, while requiring seat belts in school buses, state that employees of school districts are not responsible for requiring students to buckle up.
The debate about seat belts on school buses has been going on for years. Despite increasingly strict requirements about helmets for bikers, seat and lap belts, and car and booster seats for children in passenger vehicles, school bus safety has not kept pace. In an ABC News interview, NHTSA spokesperson Lynda Tran said of school buses: “They are safer than their parents’ cars.” But Dr. Phyllis Agran, a pediatrician, told ABC that about 17,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each year from injuries sustained in school bus injuries.
Defenders of the status quo regarding school bus safety contend that statistics are on the side of the 24 million children who take a bus to school each day. But statistics fly out the window if it is your child who is involved in an accident.
Two of my three children were involved in school bus accidents and I have to tell you that although they were minor, it was a chilling experience to be notified that your child has been in a school bus accident. Parents have a right to expect that when they put their children on the school bus in the morning, they will get to and from school safely. They certainly don’t expect serious injuries or worse.
Seat belts have become a hot topic, but I can tell you as a former school administrator that they are not the only bus safety issues. Buses tend to be a “no man’s land” when it comes to supervision. It’s difficult for drivers to steer the bus while at the same time police kids’ behavior. Because there is no adult supervision on the bus other than the driver, school buses are fertile fields for bullying, profanity, fistfights, and other dangerous behavior, such as walking around while the bus is in motion and throwing things.
If the bus driver reports misbehavior to the school, it will be handled with an appropriate consequence. But not all bus drivers take the trouble to write a report. If your child tells you about misbehavior on the bus, take it seriously and report it to your principal or assistant principal. It’s not just annoying – it’s potentially dangerous. Be sure to inquire what steps the school takes to emphasize school bus safety. And make sure you reinforce them at home.
You may also inquire about the supervision of bus drivers. If the school district owns a fleet of buses and the drivers are district employees, they are usually better screened, supervised, and monitored than if the district contracts with a private company for their buses and drivers. If you have reason to believe a bus driver is engaging in dangerous or suspicious behavior, be sure to report it to your school district immediately.
The following bus rules should be emphasized by the school and reinforced by you with your child at home.
- Kids should go directly to their seats. They should remain seated and facing forward for the entire ride.
- Children should speak quietly and make every effort not to distract the driver.
- Students should not throw things on the bus or out the windows, or play with the emergency exits.
- The aisles of the bus should be clear at all times. That means no walking around or placing objects that may cause someone to trip.
- In an emergency, children must listen to the driver and follow instructions.
- Students should never put head, arms or hands out of the window.
- At their stop, children should wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before getting up. They should then walk, not run, to the front door and then exit using the handrail.
