Common Core Shortcomings

Take it from Adam Heenan a Social Studies teacher at Curie High School in Chicago who weighed in regarding the harm that Common Core standards will impose on his students. Adam teaches a course at Curie entitled Financial Literacy. Does anyone, of any age, think that having financial literacy skills is a critical one? The obvious answer is a resounding YES!

Adam has found that the units offered in the course make students aware of the decisions and factors that go into decision-making regarding all sorts of money issues and uses. As Adam says about his course, "Most of my lessons priortize what is relevant to the content and valuable to my students."

The sad truth of the matter is this, according to Mr. Heenan, with regard to the coming high stakes Common Core testing that is on the horizon for the coming school year. "I risk compromising my students' voices in the learning process, which sets students on a path toward disengagement in activities, then classes, and finally school in general."

That, in a nutshell, is exactly the point...we risk losing kids.

Dick

YOU Are Always the Solution

Whether it's helping children-in-need, supporting a cause to end a disease, participating in 5K, or assisting a charitable institution, citizens in this country always seem to be the guiding light.

I've heard many people say something like this regarding children and schools who are short on resources. "It's a shame." Still others lament the deplorable situation by saying "Something ought to be done about it."

This charity (ours, yours)is based on your energy, donations, time spent volunteering, and dedication to keep the flames of optimism burning. I appreciate the fact that many of you are joining us this Saturday to sort supplies for the students in the CPS system and southern suburbs. Because you are willing to take the time to sort, the kids will have many more of the materials they need to be successful.

Schools Count has always relied on you and I want each of you to know that I respect and honor your willingness to give of yourself to our various causes. As stated, YOU are the solution to many of the problems plaguing the tough conditions faced by children who had nothing to do with the dilemmas they face each day.

Thank you,
Dick

New Orleans Schools Now Charterized

The final public neighborhood schools, as we once knew them, in New Orleans will disappear when school starts in the fall. The RSD will now operate charter public schools going forward. This movement has been taking place since Hurricane Katrina came ashore in August 2005.

Like any other 'reform' movement, this one has plenty of critics and advocates. The full impact of this change will not be known for some time in terms of its wide array of effects.

To be clear some of the changes are already viewed as harmful. Yes, a good number of children will have to be bused and a good number of kids won't be walking to and attending school in their neighborhood. Given this dislocation, don't kids yourselves, it will make it that much harder on many parents.

This isn't about NOLA neighborhood schools failing. Our charity worked with many of the RSD public schools and many of them made terrific progress - by any number of measures - over a sustained period of time. So before anyone goes with the argument that "charters yield better results," it ought to be clear that the vast majority of neighborhood schools got the job done.

A sad day :(

Dick

Lockport Bonaza!

Not only did Sarah Steinke and Lockport East come through in a big way with student supplies, the photo indicates the twenty-plus boxes of student materials gathered by Sarah Smith at Lockport Central High School.

Together these two schools came through with over 600 spiral notebooks, 450 folders and 400 binders. Included are dozens of pens, markers, index cards and plenty of loose leaf paper. Quite a donation to say the least!!

Remember, we are sorting all of these supplies next Saturday, June 7th from 9:00 am to noon. Three hours will do the trick!! Meet like minded volunteers, have some fun and support a great cause. Just email me at rich219@comcast.net to let me know of your availability.

Many thanks,
Dick

Lockport and Steinke

Today commences the first of nearly 40, yes 40, school supply pickups this spring. The start of this wonderful recycling effort was started by Lockport East Science Teacher Sarah Steinke. Sarah has long been an advocate of reusing various supplies and stepped to the fore when our charity started looking for public schools who could help us.

Sarah has long collected, sorted and boxed binders, pencils, binders and a whole host of other supplies that she, in turn, provides to our charity so that we can get them in the hands of kids who really need them.

Sarah's work involves other Lockport teachers as well as hundreds of students. It is fair to say that her efforts have provided us with many thousands of dollars of perfectly good supplies that students-in-need so desperately desire and can't go without.

Not only does Sarah spearhead this enormous initiative she has also donated funds to our charity, painted schools, loaded trucks and recently helped secure a grant from the Daughters of the American Revolution. This grant will go a long way towards buying band instruments for John Hay Elementary School in Chicago.

With Sarah and Lockport at our side, Schools Count Corp will continue to be able to support many thousands of students in the years to come. Well done Sarah.

Dick

Viewpoint

Here's my bucket list, in part, for neighborhood schools which have too few resources and a low tax base no matter where they are located in the United States.

- Provide them with the needed nurses and social workers every day of the week
- Make sure that the kids have full access to Music, Home Economics, Physical Education and Art
- See to it that the schools have clean washrooms and toilet paper (No, I'm not kidding)
- School districts should not be firing principals, asst. principals and teachers during the year
- If a school has a program then provide the resources
- Let teachers teach and forget the time spent on standardized testing
- Administrators, and the public at large, should ask for responsible teachers and put less emphasis on accountability
- Quit chastising unions

Just some thoughts about what I hope will be some positive changes in 2014-15.

Dick

As One Year Winds Down...

As this school year's end is fast appproaching, it has given me pause to think about the work of the students and schools we serve as well as the people out there, YOU, who make so much possible. When people are hit with a storm or poverty plenty of people step forward to help and that is a good thing.

But, the longer our volunteers and donors continue to engage in providing assistance to students in need it has become abundantly clear that a one-time stop gap measure is not the solution.

The harm caused by a hurricane or the devastation wrought by tornadoes or the despair caused by poverty doesn't end overnight or in a short period of time. The upcoming summer vacation will provide some respite to those who suffer from any number of perils but it doesn't eliminate the harm done or the cause of problems.

So, as this school year winds down (which is great) it leads me to think about helping kids get off to a good start in August. Yes, school is ending but I can't help but think about getting supplies ready for some eager children with those beaming smiles. The start of another school year will be here in a few months and I am excited about readying our donors and volunteers for the service we provide to many deserving students and teachers.

Dick