NEW --- Guidance for the distribution
of stimulus funds to states is now up on the Department website (www.ed.gov).
3 New
Hearings, Meetings, Etc.
1 New Other
Information
New Job
Opportunities
Join in the contest
to rename the No Child Left Behind Act (the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965) by going to EDUWONK – www.eduwonk.com.
Already over 400 names have been submitted.
GET Information
on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
·
Guidance for the distribution of stimulus funds to states
is now up on the Department website (www.ed.gov).
·
The Education
Recovery and Reinvestment Center (http://www.learningpt.org/recovery/
) provides a one-stop shop for educators and policymakers to help
them track developments and find current information on the ARRA. Has
side by side that is useful.
·
Web resource page for states and LEAs on the best ideas
on school modernization. - http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/modernization
·
White House information on the
stimulus package – go to:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/White-House-Releases-State-by-State-Numbers-American-Recovery-and-Reinvestment-Act-to-Save-or-Create-35-Million-Jobs/
·
The
ESEA Title I LEA Allocations of AARA funds are live on the web at http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/titlei/fy09recovery/index.html.
·
The Department has created a specific ARRA web page (http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/),
where additional information on the act will be posted as it becomes
available. In addition, the Recovery.gov
web site (http://www.recovery.gov/)
is now live. The mission of this site is three-fold: education (explain
the ARRA), transparency (show how, when, and where ARRA money is spent), and
accountability (furnish data that will allow citizens to evaluate the act's
progress and provide feedback).
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_reports&docid=f:hr016.111.pdf
Appropriations:
The Senate continues
to debate today HR 1105 The Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009. A
continuing resolution was passed by both the Senate and the House, and signed
by the President through March 11.
Floor
Action:
Committee Action:
Legislation
Introduced:
HR 1378
(Lowey, New York) introduced to direct the Secretary of Health and Human
Services in consultation with the Secretary of Education to develop guidelines
to be used on a voluntary basis to develop plans to manage the risk of food
allergies and anaphylaxis shock in schools and early childhood programs, and to
establish school based allergy management grants.
THIS WEEK
Today,
Monday, March 9-10, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS)
Spring Conference – Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. School administrators and school board
members from across the country will come to Washington, DC to participate in
issue-based and grasstops/grassroots advocacy workshops concerning the Impact
Aid Program, the second oldest elementary and secondary education program
administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Participants will also
meet with their Congressional delegation on Capitol Hill and with U.S.
Department of Education officials. Further information about the Impact
Aid Program and NAFIS can be found on the NAFIS website located at www.nafisdc.org
NEW
– Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10, The
National Education Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National
Association of Manufacturers, and a cadre of new states will announce why
and how they will support the “Tough Choices or Tough Times”
education reform report in the Zenger Room at the National Press Club at 9:30
AM. The author of the report, the New Commission on the Skills of the
American Workforce (www.skillscommission.org),
previously announced the first set of states to implement its recommendations would
be Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Utah. The reform initiative includes
instructional systems based on the highest international standards in addition
to revamping the high school-college transition and other needed
reforms.
Tomorrow,
Tuesday, March 10 --
Join the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) and other national thought-leaders at a
summit on “Leveraging the Power of Data to improve Education”
to: Discuss the integral role of data to the national education
improvement agenda and how the newly available stimulus funds can be used to improve
student achievement and close achievement gaps; Celebrate state progress
in building longitudinal data systems; Explore remaining challenges to
the growth and use of these systems; and Highlight and discuss the state
and federal role in addressing next generation issues to ensure the use of
these new data systems. Speakers include: The Honorable Arne Duncan, U.S.
Secretary of Education; The Honorable Edward G. Rendell,
Governor of Pennsylvania; The Honorable George Miller, Chairman,
House Committee on Education & Labor; Michael Casserly, Executive
Director, Council of the Great City Schools; Michael Cohen,
President of Achieve, Inc.; Kati Haycock, President of The
Education Trust; Ken James, Arkansas Commissioner of
Education; Dane Linn, Education Division Director of the National
Governors Association Center for Best Practices; Reggie Robinson,
President & CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents; Stefanie Sanford,
Deputy Director of U.S. Advocacy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and
Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director of the Council of Chief State School
Officers. To be held from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the
Mayflower Hotel located at 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC. A
reception immediately follows in the East Room at 5:30 p.m. Registration
required -- please visit www.DataQualityCampaign.org
to register today! For more information, please contact Erica Wiggins at Erica@DataQualityCampaign.org.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10 in Austin, Texas, the Consortium for School
Networking (CoSN), in
an effort to have a global conversation, will focus its 8th Annual
International Symposium on the theme, Does
Web 2.0 Belong in Schools? Policy Issues and Leadership Challenges.
The daylong Symposium will take place during CoSN's 14th Annual K-12 School
Networking Conference (See below). The Symposium will draw upon work being done
in a CoSN project being funded by the MacArthur Foundation titled,
"Schools and Participatory Culture: Overcoming Policy and Leadership
Barriers." Steven Berlin Johnson, author of Everything Bad is Good for You: How
Web 2.0 and Popular Culture is Actually Making us Smarter, will
deliver closing keynote remarks focused on the title of his best-selling book,
and will explore the implications of his thesis for our schools.
Additional information on the Symposium agenda and panelists can be found
online at the official Web site for CoSN's 14th Annual K-12 School Networking
Conference: www.k12schoolnetworking.com/2009
Tomorrow,
Tuesday – Thursday, March 10-12, 2009 -- CoSN Annual Conference: Leadership,
Policy & Innovation In Collaborative World. The
Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) announced that bestselling authors Don
Tapscott, Clayton Christianson and Michael Horn will deliver keynote addresses
at its 14th Annual K-12 School Networking Conference at the Hilton Austin Hotel
in Austin, TX. Opening keynoter Don Tapscott is a thought leader on the
strategic value and impact of information technology and the Net Generation
that has Grown Up Digital.
In a follow-up to his seminal work Growing
Up Digital, his new book Grown
Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing the World revisits
the Net Generation as the eldest of its members turns 30, enters the workforce
and marketplace, and establishes their roles as life-long learners and
contributors to society. Closing keynote speakers Clayton M. Christensen and
Michael B. Horn are co-authors of Disrupting
Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns.
Their keynote explores why "can't schools customize their teaching?"
The current education system, "designed for standardization," must by
its nature ignore the individual needs of each student. The answer to this
problem, according to Christianson and Horn, is "disruptive
innovation," a principle introduced (and initially applied to business) by
Christensen, a Harvard Business School Professor, in The Innovator's Dilemma.
The idea is that an audience in need will benefit from even a faulty
opportunity to fulfill that need; in education, the demand for individual
instruction could be met through infinitely customizable online computer-based
instruction.
Thursday,
March 12, the House Committee on the Budget (Spratt, South Carolina) will hold
a hearing on the proposed FY 10 budget for the US Department of Education
at 10 AM in 210 Cannon and Secretary Duncan is scheduled to testify.
NEW –
March 12, the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities (McCarthy, New
York) of the House Committee on Education and Labor, and the Subcommittee on
Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security of the House Committee on the Judiciary
will hold a joint hearing on Lost Educational Opportunities in Alternative
Settings at 10 AM in 2175 Rayburn. Witness list at http://edlabor.house.gov.
NEW –
March 14 – 17, Council of Great City Schools Legislative/Policy
Conference at the Washington Marriott Hotel.
NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND
March
17, Technology-Supported Writing Interventions,
Join Dr. Peterson-Karlan of Illinois State University as he
discusses evidence-based tools for supporting and improving
the planning, organization, drafting, editing, and revising
skills of students who struggle to write. Space is limited – Go
to: http://www.cited.org/webinars.html to register Note: February's
sessions on Accessible Instructional Materials are full. The recording
will be available in the Archive following
the webinar for those who were unable to register.
March 18-21, National Youth Leadership
Council invites you to attend the 20th Annual National Service-Learning
Conference (NSLC) at the Nashville Convention Center. The conference is the largest
gathering of youths and practitioners involved in the service-learning
movement, drawing attendees from across the United States and at least 20 other
countries each year. Through three days of general sessions, featured forums,
and service-learning projects, the conference engages participants in local,
national, and global issues that service-learning addresses. It provides
networking opportunities with service-learning leaders through more than 150
experiential workshops, receptions, and informal meetings. For more
information go to www.nylc.org
Tuesday,
March 24, Next SEE FORUM,
Building a Foundation for the Future: A Discussion on the Latest Research
on Elementary School Math Curricula.
According
to recent research, many American children begin school lacking strong
mathematics skills, and these deficits often continue to grow, especially for
children
from lower socio-economic backgrounds. These findings, and the need to
educate students for 21st century jobs, highlight the importance of
knowing
how
to effectively teach mathematics to our children beginning in the early
grades. The Scientific Evidence in Education (SEE) Forums will
host an
interactive
discussion to review the latest findings on elementary school math
curricula and discuss the current research base. The forum will focus on the
recent
findings of the Institute of Education Sciences’ large-scale study, Achievement
Effects of Four Early Elementary School Math Curricula, which
investigates
the achievement results for first graders in 39 schools using four popular
elementary school math curricula: Investigations in Number, Data, and
Space;
Math Expressions; Saxon Math; and Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley
Mathematics. Panelists: Roberto Agodini, Senior Economist,
Mathematica
Policy Research, Inc. and Study Director and Principal
Investigator; Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Director of the
Division of Research on Learning in Formal and
Informal Settings, National Science
Foundation; Jim Lewis, Director of the Center for Science, Mathematics,
and Computer Education, University of Nebraska-
Lincoln; and Moderator: Rebecca Herman, Director of the SEE Forums and
Managing Research Analyst, American Institutes for Research. To be
held from
12:30
to 1:45 PM (Lunch served at Noon) at the National Press Club. Please RSVP for
this event at http://www.seeforums.org/registration.aspx
NEW -- Tuesday, March 24,
An Army of Great Teachers?
Today’s
most successful K–12 schools have a voracious appetite for talent.
Indeed, successful charter school networks—like KIPP and Achievement
First—are perhaps most notable for their ability to create a “no
excuses” culture staffed with talented, passionate, and hard-working
recruits. Given that the nation’s public schools employ more than 3.3
million teachers, reform strategies based on these successful models quickly
run into questions about how many superstar teachers can be found and how long they
will teach. In short, the very strategies that have fueled the success of some
of America’s most admired schools may not be feasible nationwide. Such
issues are particularly relevant in light of the Obama administration’s
new Innovation Fund, intended to support efforts to replicate these successful
ventures. Teachers may be the most important element of an effective school,
but must K–12 improvement wait on the ability of schools or systems to
recruit, nurture, and retain outstanding teachers? Can reformers and
practitioners devise ways to increase this pool of talent or devise highly
effective school models that are less reliant on standout teachers? What do
these human capital challenges mean for charter schooling, district reformers,
and teacher education? AEI’s director of education policy studies Frederick
M. Hess will moderate a discussion among distinguished panelists: Norman
Atkins, the founder and CEO of Teacher U at Hunter College; Kaya
Henderson, deputy chancellor for human capital and community relations for
the District of Columbia Public Schools; Katherine K. Merseth, director
of teacher education at Harvard University and author of Inside Urban Charter Schools:
Promising Practices and Strategies in Five High-Performing Schools (Harvard Education
Press, 2009); and Steven F. Wilson, the founder and CEO of Ascend
Learning Inc. and author of a recent
AEI working paper on human capital in charter schooling. To be held
at AEI, 1150
Seventeenth Street, N.W., 12th floor from 3:30 to 5 PM. To
attend RSVP to: ww.aei.org/event1895
Tuesday,
March 24, 2009
–Release of the National Speak Up 2008 Data Findings - hear how
K-12 students, parents, teachers and school principals think their schools
should spend stimulus dollars to improve learning. Project
Tomorrow will release its findings from Speak Up 2008 at a Capitol Hill
briefing sponsored by Reps. Mike Ross, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Ruben Hinojosa
and Mark Kirk. The agenda will feature a presentation of key data
findings from the Speak Up 2008 National Research Project by Project
Tomorrow’s CEO, Julie Evans, other speakers commenting on the data
findings, and an interactive panel discussion with high school students who
participated in the Speak Up surveys, including students from Australia who are
joining us to provide an international perspective. The release and
briefing will be from NOON to 1:30 PM (lunch provided) in B-339 Rayburn. Learn
more @ www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speakup_congress.html.
Please rsvp to: rsvp@tomorrow.org. For more
information about Speak Up and this event, please contact: Laurie Smith,
Project Tomorrow, lsmith@tomorrow.org,
949-609-4660 x17. In Fall 2008, Project Tomorrow, the national
education nonprofit organization that facilitates the annual Speak Up online
surveys, collected the views of over 335,000 K-12 students, parents, teachers
and principals from all 50 states to learn:
§
How
education technology is being used in America’s schools today – and
how students and parents believe technology could be better used to improve
student achievement
§
What
emerging technologies our students, teachers and principals need to be
successful
§
What
are parents’ concerns about internet safety and technology use at school
§
How
would students and parents leverage broadband access at home for educational
purposes
§
Whether
our schools are doing a good job preparing students to compete for 21st
century STEM jobs
§
How
should schools use the stimulus dollars to create 21st century classrooms
and schools
§
What
students would like to tell President Obama about improving education for all
students
Thursday,
March 26, Accelerating Latino Student Success in Higher Education. Excelencia in Education will host
a breakfast briefing and showcase to honor the 2008 Examples of Excelencia: programs
and institutional departments demonstrating evidence of accelerating Latino
success in higher education. The briefing will include an update on the status
of achievement for Latino students in higher education and a discussion of the
work being done by the 2008 Examples of Excelencia
to enhance America's competitiveness by improving outcomes for the nation's
fastest-growing student population. Speakers include: Michelle
Gilliard, Senior Director, The Wal-Mart Foundation; Deborah Santiago, Vice
President for Policy and Research, Excelencia
in Education; Representatives
from 2008 Examples of Excelencia
programs:
Bilingual Nursing Fellows Program, South Mountain Community College, AZ;
Bachelor of Architecture Program, Woodbury University, Burbank, CA;
Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate Internship Program, The University
of Texas at Austin, TX; and Moderated by Sarita Brown, President, Excelencia in
Education. To be held from 8:30 to 10 AM in 2168 Rayburn, Gold
Room. RSVP to attend: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1726/t/2861/event/index.jsp?event_KEY=47737
Thursday, March 26, The National
Council on Teacher Quality will hold a conference entitled Help or Hindrance? The Impact of
Teacher Roles, Rules and Rights on Teacher Quality. It features five original papers, presented as part of a
competition to make the best use of NCTQ's database on collective bargaining
rules and regulations. Judging the papers will be Steven Adamowski (Hartford
Superintendent), Jane Hannaway (Urban Institute), Eric Hanushek (Hoover
Institution), Susan Moore Johnson (Harvard University), Eugenia
Kemble (Albert Shanker Institute), and Donald Langenberg (Chancellor
Emeritus, University of Maryland). For more information and registration go
to: http://www.nctq.org/tr3/conference/
New
Information -- Friday, March 27, Pedro Noguera and Wendy Puriefoy will host a
joint forum on Capitol Hill entitled:
Education and Economic Renewal: A Broader and Bolder Approach to School
Reform. It will feature nationally acclaimed leaders in
business, education, government. They will discuss how educational policy
should interact with efforts to promote economic development, community
empowerment and child well-being. Confirmed presenters are Ohio Governor
Ted Strickland; David Wyss, Chief Economist, Standard and Poor’s; Dennis
Maple, President of Aramark Education, and Randi Weingarten, President of the
American Federation of Teachers. Confirmed responders are Montgomery County
Superintendent of Schools Jerry Weast; and Rudy Crew former NYC School
Chancellor and Superintendent in Miami Dade (currently teaching at the
University of Southern California). This is an open Policy Forum to RSVP or
additional information contact La Ruth Gray at 212-998-5137 or email her at laruth.gray@nyu.edu. The forum will
be held from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM in Rayburn (Room to be announced this week.)
April 1-3 (Denver, Colorado), Urban Teacher
Partnership (UTP)* 2nd Annual Summit -- Great Teachers for Our City
Schools: A National Summit on Recruiting, Preparing and Retaining Quality
Urban Teachers. A
call for presentations in the areas of Teacher Preparation, Teacher Recruitment
and Teacher Retention with a deadline of January 9, 2009. Go to http://www.mscd.edu/~utp/.
You can also register on this website. Focus of the
conference is to provide an opportunity for leaders of state and local P-16
partnerships, urban district teachers and administrators, college and
university faculty and administrators, researchers, and education policy
analysts from around the country to share promising practices, discuss current
knowledge, and strengthen our local and national commitment to quality teachers
and student achievement in urban and high-needs schools. For additional
information, contact Isabella Muturi Sauve at the Urban Teacher Partnership,
Metropolitan State College of Denver, at 303-352-4956 or isauve@mscd.edu
April 2-4 (New Orleans), National Afterschool
Association Convention, Web Site: http://www.naaconvention.org
April 16-17, the annual National Conference
on Summer Learning in Chicago, Illinois. This is the only
national conference dedicated to summer learning, and learn how to build,
strengthen and expand summer programs. For information and
conference registration go to: http://www.summerlearning.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=105&Itemid=427
April 16-18, Big Picture Learning’s
Annual Meeting, “Schools, Innovation and Influence: Transforming
Education, One Student at a Time,” in Providence, Rhode Island.
For more information and registration go to: www.bigpicture.org.
April
17-18, 2009, Increasing Student Achievement: Using Data to Lead Change, Spring
2009 K-12 Leadership Institute, Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines in La Jolla,
California.
Presented by Johns Hopkins University School of Education’s Center for
Data-Driven Reform in Education. Please join leading education
researchers and district and school leaders at a two-day institute to: * Learn
to use your school’s data in a continuous improvement process; * Examine
why using research-proven interventions are your best bet for school
improvement; * Step through a process of continuous improvement, from goal
setting to selecting interventions; * Bring your school’s data to engage
in an evidence-based process that’s customized for you; and * Network
with other district and school leaders.
On-line
registration is available at: http://www.cddre.org/institute.html
April 17-19, The National
Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) will hold its 9th Annual National
Teacher Advancement Program (TAP)™ Conference at the Westin Bonaventure
Hotel & Suites in Los Angeles, California. The National TAP Conference will be held in conjunction
with the Milken National Education Conference (NEC)—an annual gathering
to welcome the newest class of Milken Educator Award recipients and distinguished
representatives from academia, government, business and the community
to discuss solutions to America’s biggest challenges in education.
The theme of this year's conference is Comprehensive Teacher Quality Reform: Policy and Practice
for a New Era. Participants will include more
than 600 school-based practitioners implementing TAP's comprehensive teacher
quality reforms. More information and registration at www.talentedteachers.org.
April 22-24, American
Association of School Administrators' Legislative Advocacy Conference. This is the major federal legislative event of the year for
school system leaders! Learn more at http://www.aasa.org/conferences/iMisEventDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=10860
Monday,
April 27 – Friday, May 1, School Building Week 2009 presented by the
Council of Educational Facility Planners International. School Building Week 2009 features a
weeklong celebration of school facilities. Reinforcing the connection between
school facilities and student learning, School Building Week provides an
opportunity to increase public awareness of the importance of well-planned,
healthy, high performance, safe and sustainable schools that enhance student
performance and contribute to community vitality. It is a time when
schools and school districts may engage in activities and celebrations that
channel students, parents, legislators and other affected constituencies to consider
the role the school building plays in the educational process and in the
current and future vitality of their communities. Each community values
its schools in a manner unique to its local educational needs and curriculum
focus. Today we have an opportunity to create effective learning
environments that reflect the community’s unique assets as well as its
needs; serve as a resource of education, health and human services to students
and neighborhood members alike; and strengthen community life. Every day
of the week has a different theme: Monday, April 27 - Healthy Schools
Day; Tuesday, April 28 - Historic Schools Day; Wednesday,
April 29 - Senior Citizens in Schools Day and School of the Future National
Jury; Thursday, April 30- Schools as Centers of Community Day and School
Building Week Reception and Awards Ceremony; and Friday, May 1 - School
Building Day. Please
visit www.cefpi.org/sbw
for more specifics or contact
Barbara Worth, barb@cefpi.org for further
information. More on School Building Week in Other Information.
April
30 – May 2, Education Writers Association Annual Meeting to be held at
the Madison Hotel in Washington, DC. More information to follow. Speakers and
registration information will be posted at www.ewa.org
and http://www.ewa.org/desktopdefault.aspx?page_id=118&resource_id=4003
May
13-14, SIF Association End-User Meeting in Atlanta. This meeting
brings together educators and policymakers from across educational
organizations to share best practices, participate in hands-on workshops and
learn from other state departments of education and school districts in their
implementations of SIF. Please visit www.sifassociation.org or contact Lisa
Marks, lmarks@sifassociation, for additional information.
May 28,
American Enterprise Institute present an all-day forum entitled: Educational
Innovation and Philadelphia's School of the Future. Grand claims about the transformative power of technology
in education are common, yet decades of high school redesign have yielded mixed
results. One of the most widely touted efforts to tackle these challenges has
been the School of the Future in the Philadelphia School District, created in
2006 through a partnership with the Microsoft Corporation. This $63 million
school incorporated new technologies in areas such as data and curriculum
management, virtual simulations and mentoring, and personalized instruction
intended to fundamentally change how students learn in high school. National
Public Radio touted the school as “the next big thing,” and
Education Week described it as “a new high-tech school [that is]
strutting its stuff.” AEI and Microsoft have assembled a
select team of analysts to explore how this pioneering effort is unfolding on
the ground and the lessons it holds for the use of technology and high school
redesign. New research will examine key elements of the School of the
Future—including its genesis, design, flaws, and implications—and
what it can teach about broader questions regarding educational innovation,
public-private partnerships, and the integration of technology in the
classroom. At this AEI conference, researchers will present their findings, and
an array of discussants will respond. To be held from 9:00
a.m.–3:45 p.m. at 1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., the Wohlstetter
Conference Center, Twelfth Floor. To attend RSVP to: www.aei.org/event1865. For more
information, contact Thomas Gift at thomas.gift@aei.org
or 202.862.5822.
June 21-24, 2009, 9th Annual National Charter
Schools Conference -- “Charter Schools:
Leading Change in Public Education” being held in
Washington
D.C; You can register for the meeting online by going to http://www.nationalcharterconference.org. If you have
questions write or call: veriavs@gmail.com OR call (954) 481-8960.
June
21-26, 2009, 14th Special Education Law Symposium - Balancing Change and
Continuity will be
held on the campus at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. You can
register online by going to http://www.lehigh.edu/education/law. If you
have questions write or call: tlp205@lehigh.edu or 610.758.3226.
July 7-9 – National Meeting
on 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, Nashville,
Tennessee. More information to follow.
NEW – July 9-11, The
Asia Society’s Partnership for Global Learning is hosting “Putting
the World into World-Class Education A National Forum for Policymakers and Practitioners”
is being held at the Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia. Join
teachers, leaders and policymakers from across K-16 education to share best
practices, build partnerships, and advance policies to ensure that all students
are prepared for work and citizenship in the global 21st century. For more information on this event or the
Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning, please visit www.asiasociety.org/pgl.
Fall 2009, the next ETS Achievement Gap Symposium
will be held on the topic of out-of-school learning and its impact on academic
achievement.
More information to follow.
September
15-17, The National College Access Network (NCAN) invites you to submit
proposals for breakout sessions at its Annual Conference to be held this fall. Please forward this opportunity
widely to your colleagues, associates and organizational members. If you would
like more information on how to be a presenter at our 2009 Annual Conference, the
NCAN homepage for more information -- http://www.collegeaccess.org/
Session Proposal deadline is Friday, March 20! Please visit www.collegeaccess.org/callforproposals.
The Annual Conference will take place at the Hilton San Francisco. Online
registration is coming soon!
Other Information
·
NEW -- Living Literacy: A Cycle of Text to Life and
Life to Text by
Elliot
Washor, Charles Mojkowski, and Deborah Foster appears in the March issue of Phi
Delta Kappan or find the
entire article at: http://www.bigpicture.org/2009/03/living-literacy-a-cycle-of-text-to-life-and-life-to-text/
·
Nominations are being accepted for the 2009 Harold W.
McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. This year's award will recognize three
individuals who address the connection of education and innovation in one of
three broad categories: PK-12-focused school and community programs, teacher
training and professional development, and policy at all levels of
government. The deadline for nominations (which can be completed online)
is March 20. Recipients will be honored at a dinner in New York
City this fall and will each receive $25,000. FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE GO TO http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/prize/
·
School Building Week features a weeklong celebration of
school facilities.
Reinforcing the connection between school facilities and student learning,
School Building Week provides an opportunity to increase public awareness of
the importance of well-planned, healthy, high performance, safe and sustainable
schools that enhance student performance and contribute to community
vitality. The School of the Future Student Design Competition is the
centerpiece of School Building Week and illustrates the kind of creativity
students bring to the planning and design process. The competition challenges
middle school students to design or redesign their schools to enhance learning,
conserve resources, be environmentally responsive and engage the surrounding
community. The multi-disciplinary solution requires students to
follow a planning process from the concept phase to the completion of a formal
school building design project. The first-place regional winning teams
travel to Washington, DC for the final jury process, awards ceremony and cash
prizes.
·
Downtown Office Space Available:
Bernstein Strategy’s office suite will have one or two offices available
to sublet as of April 1, 2009. Each available office comes equipped with
phone, Internet and satellite television connections. Tech support is available
to support your computer needs. All suite occupants will have access to
our suite's fully furnished conference room and kitchen/workroom
facilities. Additionally, our fax machine, printer and copier could also
be at your disposal. Our building is well located -- on 18th Street
between I and K Streets on -- and directly across the street from the
Farragut West Metro. In-building parking is available. The building itself has
a concierge and security. Please contact Jon
Bernstein at jbernstein@jbernsteinstrategy.com if
you are interested in the space.
Job
Opportunities
·
College Summit Director of Public Policy -- College Summit, a
nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to increasing the college and career
success of the nation’s low-income students, seeks an experienced, entrepreneurial
Director of Public Policy to spearhead the organization’s policy
goals. College Summit’s vision is that one day, all students in
America will experience high school not as a destination, but as a
“launchpad” to their college and career success. Central to
achieving that vision is the advancement of public policies that encourage high
schools to foster college-going culture for all students, and to increase the
number of students who graduate college-ready, and successfully enroll in
well-matched colleges where they are poised to succeed. Responsibilities
of the Director of Public Policy will be expected to: (1) Cultivate strong
bipartisan relationships with Congress, the Administration, the Department of
Education, and leading national education policy organizations and foundations;
(2) Facilitate a coalition of organizations to improve the availability of
college enrollment and persistence data by high schools across the nation; (3)
Cultivate a business community coalition that supports and actively advocates
for making college-going a reward measure of high schools; (4) Write compelling
strategic communications to advance the policy agenda among key constituencies,
including media; (5) Oversee the research and serve as lead writer of College
Summit’s annual white paper promoting the nation’s progress towards
fostering “launchpad” high schools; (6) Build advocacy skills among
College Summit’s local sites; (7) Work with
Congressional representatives and staff on relevant and emerging legislation;
(8)Manage one direct report; and grow the team over a three-year
period.; and (9) Monitor and provide analysis of federal and
state legislation and regulations on education policy to ensure College
Summit’s participation is strategic and effective. Qualifications:
(1) Five to seven years
of experience working for or with members of Congress; (2) Proven track record
of advancing a policy agenda directly with the federal government and through
strategic collaborations.; (3) Exceptional writing, oral communication,
presentation and research skills; (4) Experience managing a team effectively
and cultivating talent; (5) Relevant experience in K-12 and/or higher education
policy at the national and/or state level; (6) Passion for and commitment to
College Summit’s mission; (7) Mature individual with ability to drive
agenda forward by building strong partnerships with diverse groups of
constituents; (8) Flexible and innovative thinker with the ability to excel in
a fast paced environment; (9) Strategic, analytical approach combined with
professionalism and charisma; (10) Ability to engage and inspire a wide range
of audiences; and (11) Strong organizational skills, including outstanding
attention to detail. Salary & Benefits: Salary is competitive
and commensurate with experience, and includes excellent benefits. To
Apply: Please email a compelling cover letter and resume to Human
Assets Department at jobs@collegesummit.org.
·
The Mind Trust (www.themindtrust.org)
is now accepting applications for its third cohort of Education Entrepreneur
Fellows.
The Fellowship, a nationally unique incubator for transformative education
ventures, offers promising education entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop
and launch their break-the-mold education ventures and the support necessary
for success. Fellows receive an annual salary of $90,000 for two years,
benefits, and a $20,000 stipend for travel and professional development.
Interested candidates may apply online at www.themindtrust.org.
Statements of Intent are due July 31, 2009. Fellowships will be
awarded by November 20, 2009. Attached please find a job description
and profiles of The Mind Trust’s current fellows. For more
information, please visit our website at www.themindtrust.org
or contact us at fellowship@themindtrust.org
or 317-822-8102. The Mind Trust’s mission is to
dramatically improve public education for underserved students by empowering
education entrepreneurs to develop or expand transformative education
initiatives.
·
The
Pew Charitable Trust-- Pew Center on the States is in search of a
Project Director to join the Make Voting Work Initiative within the Pew Center
on the States. The
initiative, Make Voting Work seeks to develop and pursue an ambitious agenda to
modernize the means by which we administer our elections by advancing policies,
practices and technologies that address critical aspects against which any
election system should be measured. The Associate, Make Voting Work will
help design and implement research and analysis for the initiaive, coordinate
convenings, manage special projects, maintain internal and external
communications and support other programmatic investments and budget
activities. A Bachelor's degree is required and Master's is preferred. One to
three years of relevant professional experience conducting research and policy
analysis and strong MS Office skills are required. This position is approved
through December 2009 with the possibility of renewal depending on the
initiative's program success, board approval and continued funding. The
position is based in Washington, D.C. For a complete job description and
additional information go to: http://intranet-pct.icims.com/jobs/1665/job.
·
Citizen Schools , Campus Director, New York City --
This is an instructional leadership and management role for individuals with at
least two years of highly successful teaching in a low-income environment,
ideally with students in the middle grades. Charged with the
management of a campus site serving about 100 middle-school students,
Campus Directors are responsible for the supervision and coaching of 5-7
professional educators, as well as recruiting, selecting, and supervising
approximately 30 volunteers from the local community. Campus Directors are also
responsible for budget management, event planning, and have the opportunity to
lead an annual fundraising campaign. While not required, fluency in Spanish
will be highly advantageous in this role. Successful Campus Directors are
well-positioned for more senior leadership roles in national non-profits,
charter management organizations, school districts, and also the private
sector. Interested applicants should apply immediately by submitting a resume
and detailed cover letter using the link below. Applicants will be reviewed
on a rolling basis. The start date for this position will be in June
2009. To apply go to: http://tbe.taleo.net/NA6/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=CITIZENSCHOOLS&cws=1&rid=193
·
Director, Government
Relations for the National Association of State Boards of Education in
Alexandria, VA.
The Director of Government Relations, working in close partnership with the
NASBE leadership team and members of the NASBE Governmental Affairs Committee,
leads federal advocacy efforts on behalf of state boards of education. To be
successful, the Director must be pro-active, high-energy, and able to develop
strong bipartisan relationships with the staff and Members of Congress, the
Administration, and relevant education advocacy organizations and coalitions.
The position requires a strong membership service ethic, including steady
coordination and frequent communication with the NASBE membership. Success of
the position will be judged by the visibility of the public policy priorities
of NASBE and state boards of education, the improvement of NASBE advocacy
tactics and tools, and the improvement and strengthening of relationships
across the political spectrum. The Director of Government Relations
position is intended to further the aims of NASBE and its members as follows
(in order of importance): (1) Manage all NASBE federal government relations
initiatives, including staffing the NASBE Government Affairs Committee
(comprised of state board of education members from across the nation);
representing NASBE on coalitions, advisory groups, alliances, and related
groups; and keeping NASBE leadership and membership informed in a timely manner
of pending issues; (2) Lead the development and implementation of an annual
legislative and regulatory advocacy strategy. Achieve solid knowledge of the
work of NASBE and state boards of education and facilitate contacts between
NASBE leadership and members and the Administration and the Congress so that
policy goals can be achieved; (3) Keep abreast of and report on all relevant
federal legislative and regulatory activities and appropriations and analyze
the impact of such proposals; (4) Create written summaries, briefs, testimony,
correspondence, and related documents supporting the NASBE advocacy agenda and
keep key members and constituencies informed; (5) Organize and manage the
annual Washington, DC-based NASBE Legislative Conference; (6) Support other
major NASBE member activities as needed, including the annual conference, study
group and committee meetings, and policy-focused NASBE programmatic work; (7)
Work closely and collaboratively with the Executive Director, the Deputy Executive
Director, and other NASBE staff to contribute to the short and long term
planning, development, and operation of NASBE; and (8) Participate in ad hoc
duties at the discretion of the Executive Director and Deputy Executive
Director. Qualified applicants will bring: (a) Relevant experience in
K-12 education advocacy at the national and/or state-level, preferably
including 5-7+ years of Capitol Hill, association, or advocacy experience; (b)
Strong strategic focus with a proven track record of developing and
implementing complex public policy and legislative advocacy programs; (c)
Exceptional member service orientation and skills, including a willingness to
embrace a member-centric association culture; (d) Superior collaborative and
interpersonal skills; proven ability to work on a bipartisan basis; (e) An
ability to synthesize complex information into focused public policy materials
and to quickly grasp policy issues affecting public education; (f) Strong
written and oral communication and presentation skills – and ability to
juggle multiple tasks and work under tight time-lines; (g) bachelor’s
degree required; Master’s degree, with concentration in public policy,
education policy, or related field preferred. Please send cover letter
and resume to: Director, Government Relations Position, NASBE, 277 S Washington
St., Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22314, Or via e-mail: employment@nasbe.org. Salary
$75-80,000.
·
Managing Director, Collaborative Communications Group, Washington,
DC.
The Managing Director will lead an internal review process, in close
collaboration with the Partners and Leadership Team, to develop an integrated
plan to support growth and best performance and to achieve the Company’s
goals and to address new priorities. S/he will work with the leadership team to
assure that the outcomes of operations achieve the Company’s strategic
programmatic goals, and to strengthen internal management and team building,
that enhance productivity and performance. S/he will implement new models of
operation, as necessary, and facilitate required cultural changes. The Managing
Director is expected to build on and reinforce a culture of accountability,
productivity, and teamwork. The Managing Director will be responsible for
the day-to-day management of the Company to ensure that the planning, execution
and administration of all projects, initiatives, shared services and systems
are in alignment and are highly functioning. The Partners and Managing Director
will work together on organizational strategy and update each other on external
trends and internal operational issues. The Managing Director will assure that
the Company’s leadership team has full access to all of the information
and circumstances necessary for effective oversight of the Company. The
position will also collaborate and support the leadership team’s efforts
to concentrate on market and business development, institutional strategy, team
identification and capacity building, and forming external relationships to
bolster the Company’s positioning and growth strategies. firm with a business development and impact focus, and a
passionate commitment to the mission and purpose of public education. The
Managing Director should care deeply about making a measurable and sustainable
difference in the lives of the people working in and served by this
organization, and about strengthening the quality of public education and
community life. S/he should possess the confidence, knowledge, and wisdom
to work effectively and creatively toward Collaborative’s goals.
Candidates should have proficiency in management, organization development,
implementation and measurement, communications, human resources, and budgeting
and finance. Candidates should have the ability to align operations and systems
in pursuit of overall institutional goals and to manage a complex, diverse
organization in a progressive, entrepreneurial and consistent manner. The
ability to attract, assess, and retain the best staff available is crucial.
Candidates must have a keen grasp of the major political, economic, social, and
cultural issues facing public education today. The Managing Director must have
the skills to assure that Collaborative’s strategy is highly responsive
to the changing external landscape and to opportunities to bring about positive
change. The Managing Director must have superior presentation of written
and oral communications skills. Resumes
and cover letters will be reviewed as received. They may be submitted, in
confidence, via email or mail. Kris Kurtenbach, Collaborative Communications
Group, Inc., 1029 Vermont Ave., NW, Ninth Floor, Washington, DC, 20005 or Kurtenbach@collaborativecommunications.com.
. Contact information: info@collaborativecommunications.com
·
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) in
Washington is seeking a new Director of Research and Evaluation. Go to www.ihep.org for information on the Institute.
Apply at drre@ihep.org. No closing
date.
·
The University of Southern California’s Rossier
School of Education Invites applications for The Katzman/Ernst Chair in
Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Innovation. This individual will
serve as a catalyst for transforming education, the Rossier School of Education
(RSOE) plans to create a center that will reinvent what it means to be a school
in the 21st century. The center will focus on innovations that
will look radically different from the status quo in terms of the boundaries
between school, home and community; the utilization of diverse types of
personnel and technology; the structure of schooling (e.g. calendar, grades);
and the physical environment in which schooling takes place, to name just a few
examples. It also will (a) rethink curriculum, for K-12 students and for those
who will teach them, and (b) make effective use of technology for innovative
teaching and learning. This, an unprecedented position within a school of
education. The individual recruited for this important position will
be an intellectual leader and an entrepreneur in information technologies,
including advanced electronic media, telecommunications and related satellite
technology. He or she will be able to identify and implement programs and
projects at the national level to improve elementary and post-elementary
education. This person will be a visionary leader who will convene and
lead a group of multidisciplinary scholars — from across the USC campus
and beyond, and from such fields as business, engineering, cinematic arts,
communication. As well, she or he will establish a collaborative
network of education providers in a range of settings and roles, from public
and charter school operators to leaders in for-profit educational-services
companies. This position is to begin August 15, 2008, if possible. Applicants
should send a CV, a cover letter outlining qualifications, experience and
career goals, and the names of three references. They should be addressed
to Associate Dean Rodney Goodyear c/o Cecilia Olmos, Administrative Services
Coordinator, Office of the Associate Dean for Faculty, Rossier School of
Education, University of Southern California, Waite Phillips Hall 1100, Los
Angeles, CA, 90089-0031. Review of applications will begin
05/15/2008 and continue until the positions are filled.
·
Project Director, Home Visiting,
The Pew Charitable Trusts -- The Pew Charitable Trusts has begun a search for
the Project Director, Home Visiting Project, in the Pew Center on the States, a
division of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The Pew Center on the States
(PCS) works to advance state polices that serve the public interest. The
project director could start immediately and will be in place for an initial 18
months through March 2010, with the potential for renewal pending the success
of the initial stage and board decisions on continued support for an additional
3 1/2 years. The successful candidate will be responsible for
implementing the home visiting strategy and accountable for accomplishing its
goals, supervising project staff and managing the day to day
administration of the initiative. The ideal candidate will have a minimum
of 10 years of experience that demonstrates a high level of understanding of
early childhood policy, including working with state policy makers,
researchers, advocates and other stakeholders. Excellent knowledge of the
current trends, principal theories, leading thinkers, evidence base, major
concerns and climate for change in the field also required.
Bachelor’s degree is required, and an advanced degree in public
policy or other relevant field is preferred. The position is located in
Washington, D.C. and is open until filled. Pew offers a competitive
salary and excellent benefits package including four weeks vacation, a generous
401(k) plan and flexible benefit options. For application instructions and to view the full job description
candidates are invited to visit the Careers@Pew page on our Web site at www.pewtrusts.org.
·
e-Luminate Group has two jobs:
1.
Seeking an experienced, energetic
PR professional to join our team as a Senior Account Executive. Candidates must have 5-7 years
experience developing strategic communications plans, leading accounts,
managing client relationships and delivering solid results. The ideal
candidate is a self-starter who has superior critical thinking skills,
exercises good judgment, is a creative, ‘out-of the-box’ thinker,
and has excellent writing and interpersonal skills. Must be a
self-starter and multi-tasker, have excellent communications skills and work
well in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. e-Luminate Group is a
leading education consulting firm, and our Marketing Communications team is
growing! Our team has a powerful combination of industry expertise,
marketing-savvy and PR know-how. We represent some of the most well-known
companies in the education arena. Requirements: Bachelors degree in
Journalism, Communications, PR or related field. Agency experience preferred!
Salary is commensurate with experience; includes attractive benefits
package. For more
information, please visit our Web site: www.e-luminategroup.com. How to apply: Please submit
resumes to: jobs@eluminategroup.com. Applicants should send a detailed cover letter describing their profile
and include a resume. References will be required.
2.
Seeking an experienced, energetic
PR professional to join our team as an Account Supervisor. Candidates
must have strong managerial experience and a successful track record of
managing accounts, leading teams and delivering solid results. As Account
Supervisor, you will cultivate and manage relationships with clients,
participate in business development and support organizational initiatives. The
ideal candidate is a self-starter who has superior critical thinking skills,
exercises good judgment, is a creative, ‘out-of the-box’ thinker,
and has excellent writing and interpersonal skills. Must work well in a
fast-paced, collaborative environment. Qualifications: Bachelors degree in Journalism,
communications, PR or related field, a minimum of 7 years of
PR/Marketing/Communications experience, self-starter and highly motivated,
ability to balance strategy with execution, outstanding organization skills,
creative and pragmatic thinker, excellent communication and presentation
skills, and ability to multitask effectively in a fast-paced environment. Please submit
resumes to: jobs@eluminategroup.com. Applicants should
send a detailed cover letter describing their profile and include a resume.
References will be required.
·
The National Association of
Secondary School Principals (NASSP) seeks an individual to be a Director of
Public Relations, an important member of the team responsible for
advancing the association’s advocacy agenda, and help to support the
“national voice” of the organization. Position requires serving as
public information and media contact; responding to media inquiries; working
with reporters and media representatives to generate news stories that meet
organization’s mission. The job requires the individual to have a
bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field.
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