Parental Engagement with PGCPS

Mrs. Kimberly K. Parker, discusses NOTE TO SELF: GIVE MORE

2012-01-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

NOTE TO SELF: GIVE MORE

For nearly 27 years I’ve consistently kept a journal. At times my only confidant in the wee hours of the morning, the empty pages struggle to capture dislodged thoughts. There are neither limits nor boundaries to restrict my scribbling of elation, pity, or “What in the world am I going to cook for dinner tonight?” In the end, room is made for clarity sake; I feel lighter and capable of taking on the day.

I find great solace in journaling in my closet…literally. I just can’t wait to sit on the pillow located behind the door and extend my legs over my shoes and sneakers. Now and again, I’ll begin by revisiting what I’ve written in the past. Page after page reports how I’ve grown or where I’m stagnant. Both my accomplishments and dreams deferred serves as a guide for next steps and inspire me to always seek change from within.

I have noticed a common thread laced throughout my scribbling of late. My note to self is simply to give more. Far be it from me to mislead you into thinking I am rolling in material possessions and that my bank accounts can support such a charge. On the contrary, in the past three years my family has experienced employment terminations, an up-side-down mortgage, college tuition, and the insatiable palates of three growing children. In spite of that, my desire to give more greets me every waking morning.

Giving has been germane to my existence for as long as I can remember. Some think I exercise this principle to a fault. Others ask the question, “Well, what have they done for you lately?” But, I’m not dismayed. There is great satisfaction in blessing others and knowing that small acts of kindness enhances lives. In fact, I’m just paying it forward because both strangers and relatives alike consistently give to me and my family.

Excitedly I anticipate the opportunities to give more in unlimited fashion! Whether it’s doing hair for my girlfriend who has four daughters, teaching children how to write effectively, blogging more for this great parental engagement network, or springing a new recipe on my family, there’s no stopping me. I will take heed to my note to self. I will give more.

Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). To date, she has written three books and has helped nine children between the ages of nine and nineteen write and publish books of their own. Leave a comment about this blog below and visit Kimberly’s website at www.writingmomma.com. Once there, sign up to receive her monthly newsletter. In return, Kimberly will give you a collection of her inspirational postcards “Keep It Moving with Kimberly!” while supplies last. Kimberly is a professional writer, author, publisher, and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

Overview and 3A Framework; Organizing for Effective Parent Engagement

2012-01-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Boost Student Performance with Literacy Programs Buck Lodge Middle School (BLMS) has the largest Hispanic students in Prince Georges County Public Schools in Maryland. This translates to the highest concentration of second language learners. After reviewing scores on the Maryland State Assessments, the school decided to focus on increasing student’s reading scores. In partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium, Inc. and the Tellin’ Stories Project of Teaching for Change the school staff reached out to families and involved them in literacy activities, 25 Book Reading Challenge, and school events to help enforce the importance of literacy both at home and school. The results were:

Over 300 students met the 25 Book Challenge
50 students read over 50 books
Overall student reading scores went up by 7.7%
Hispanic student scores increased by 12.1%
LEP scores increased by 19.3%

Special Education student scores went up by 11.2% in 2009 from the previous year

The act of engaging families in this school-wide effort led parents to feel empowered and increased their ability to monitor and support learning at home. This engagement did not only pertain to an increase in reading outcomes, but also an increase in family participation at school events, decision-making, advocacy and volunteerism.

For more information email Susan Shaffer, President of Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium, Inc. at mailto:sshaffer@maec.org or visit http://www.americaspromise.org/Resources/ParentEngagement/Community-Examples.aspx

Announcements from around Prince George's County, MD and Beyond

2011-12-15T12:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

In this message you will find announcements about:

· Prince George’s County Planning Department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) public meeting on December 13, 2011 to discuss the Purple Line Light Rail Transit (TONIGHT @ 6:30 PM)

· 2011 Holiday Basketball Camp - Lake Arbor Community Center – December 27, 2011 – December 30, 2011 (information below & flyer attached)

· Ardmore Elementary School’s Request for Judges for their Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Science Fair on January 19, 2012 . Judge attendance confirmation needed by January 6, 2012. (see letter attached for details & contact information)

· Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet ($) on January 15, 2012 with keynote speaker: Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. (flyer with ticket information attached)

· SPEAK! Oratory League 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratory Competition on January 16, 2012 (flyer attached)

· The 17th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast will be held on Monday, January 16, 2012. with keynote speaker: Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown

· Maryland State Department of Education Press Release: MARYLAND PARENT INVOLVEMENT MATTERS AWARD PROGRAM ISSUES CALL FOR 2012 NOMINATIONS. Nominations must be postmarked by January 31, 2012.

· The American Society of Interior Designers Foundation’s (ASID) announcement of 2012 scholarships and awards. All applications are due by March 12, 2012. (Scroll down for further information)

Governor O’Malley Appoints Nakia Ngwala to Maryland Citizens Review Board for Children

2011-12-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

Springdale, MD December 13, 2011: Governor Martin O’Malley appointed Nakia T. Ngwala as a member of the Prince George’s County Citizens’ Review Board for Children Number Seven for a term of four years from July 1, 2011.

The Citizen Review Board for Children (CRBC) reviews cases of children in foster care to evaluate what progress has been made towards their permanent placement. Cases are reviewed in pursuant to priorities established by the Prince George's County Department of Social Services and the State Citizens Review Board for Children and contained in a memorandum of agreement. For each child reviewed, a recommendation is sent to the County Department of Social Services and the local juvenile court. With concurrence of the Social Services Administration, the State Board may establish categories of foster children for whom a satisfactory permanent arrangement has been made and who may be exempt from local review. The children’s legislative action committee (CLAC) is the legislative committee under the authority of State Board charged with implementing CRBC’s legislative agenda.

Each local review board has seven members. They are appointed by the Governor to four-year terms in accordance with Code Family Law Article, secs. 5-540 through 5-547.

Nakia T. Ngwala is a public servant and a published columnist who has written subjects on economic development and education. Her articles have been published in The Sentinel, the Gazette, the Bowie-Blade, and the Baltimore Sun newspapers. She is one of the pioneers who pushed for the creation of a Preschool Task Force in Prince George’s County. She is the former President of the Ardmore-Springdale Civic Association (ASCA); Chair of the Bellehaven Action Plan Committee; Member of the United States 2010 Census Complete Count Committee in Prince George’s County; Enterprise Woods Community Liaison for the Art in Public Places, Public Art Project Advisory Committee, Prince George’s County; Committee Member/Community Liaison for the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System Steering Committee. She currently serves as Chair of the Civic Engagement Committee for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Prince George’s County. She lives in Springdale with husband Mayi Ngwala and their two sons.

For more information about CRBC, please visit http://dhr.maryland.gov/crbc.

Schwartz selected as senior vice president by national association

2011-12-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2011 -- Schwartz selected as senior vice president by national association

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As community colleges work to develop a national road map to guide their work into a new era of change and work to answer President Obama's call to raise college graduation rates, they will need skilled leadership and support. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has selected Dr. Gail M. Schwartz as senior vice president for academic, innovation and student success to help lead that effort.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111215/DC23114)

"I am thrilled to assume this role during this extraordinarily exciting time for community colleges," said Schwartz. "I look forward to working with President Bumphus, the 21st Century Commission and the association's membership, as we work toward meeting the President's 2020 completion goal."

Schwartz comes to AACC from the U.S. Department of Education, where she has served as senior advisor for community colleges since 2006 within the Office of Vocational and Adult Education. She crafted a vision for the department's community college outreach and led efforts on student access, completion and retention issues.

She also served as director of the Division of Academic and Technical Education at the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education. She administered the $1.1 billion Carl D. Perkins Career & Technical Education State Grant Program. She also served as the director of the Discretionary Programs and Innovation Group, as director of the New American High Schools Initiative and director of the Office of Correctional Education.

From 1983-1990, Schwartz served as project director and faculty at George Washington University, where she designed graduate-level teacher training curriculum, taught graduate level courses, coordinated interdisciplinary programs and managed federal grants.

She worked as the training and staff development coordinator for the District of Columbia Department of Human Services Youth Services Administration and as diagnostic team coordinator and instructor. She also worked as vocational development coordinator for Prince George's County Maryland Public Schools.

Schwartz earned a doctorate in education in 1989 and a master of arts degree in special education in 1983 from George Washington University. She earned her bachelor of science degree at Ohio State University.

AACC President and CEO Walter G. Bumphus, who assumed leadership of the association last January, says the addition to his senior leadership team reflects the growing importance and visibility of community colleges. "Community colleges are increasingly regarded as central players in U.S. economic recovery and global competitiveness. Dr. Schwartz understands our colleges and will bring solid experience and dynamic leadership to our work."

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Association of Community Colleges is the leading advocacy organization representing close to 1,200 community, junior and technical colleges nationwide. Community colleges are the largest sector of higher education, enrolling more than 13 million credit and non-credit students each year. To learn more about the AACC, visit www.aacc.nche.edu

SOURCE American Association of Community Colleges

Obama, Family Attend 'Christmas In Washington'

2011-12-13T10:10:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON -- The Obamas celebrated the holiday season with musical stars Justin Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice and the Band Perry at the 30th annual "Christmas in Washington" concert Sunday night.

President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, daughters Malia and Sasha, and mother-in-law Marian Robinson attended the concert to benefit the Children's National Medical Center.

The concert of Christmas carols and songs_ which took place at the National Building Museum_ was hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien.

In honor of the "season to celebrate miracles," Obama spoke about the story of Jesus' birth during his brief remarks to the crowd.

He said the story of Jesus Christ has changed the world by teaching basic values such as loving one another, helping and serving the less fortunate, forgiving, drawing closer to family, being grateful and keeping faith.

"Those are values that are shared by all faiths," Obama said. "So tonight let us all rededicate ourselves to each other, and in that spirit, from my family to yours: Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, God bless you all, and God bless the United States of America."

Before the concert, the Obamas greeted patients of the children's medical center dressed as elves and presented them with a basket of children's books. Obama playfully struggled to lift the basket and asked the elves to help him place it under a Christmas tree.

Other entertainers included the United States Naval Academy Glee Club, Washington Youth Choir, American Family Choir, United States Army Band Herald Trumpets, Ian Fraser and the Christmas in Washington Orchestra.

The concert will air Friday on TNT.

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS)

2011-12-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

Prince George's County Public Schools recently announced their e-alert enrollment has reached 70,000. We are encouraging all members of the network who have not enrolled in PGCPS' e-alert program to do so quickly. This is a great way to stay informed.

Below, find the information regarding how to enroll.

communications@pgcps.org

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) announced today a record-high enrollment of 69,868 in its new e-Alert system. The enrollment campaign goal was 50,000 by Jan. 1. However, as a result of an aggressive marketing campaign, the school district easily surpassed the goal. The e-Alert system made its official debut in November.

Parents, students, employees and community members can get real-time information by clicking on the PGCPS Alerts button on the school system’s website (www.pgcps.org). Alerts can be sent to a cell phone or an email address.

“Our number one priority is the safety of our students,” said Superintendent of Schools William R. Hite Jr. “This system allows us to communicate emergency information faster and keep the public informed about the latest events taking place in our school district.”
For more information about this topic, visit www.pgcps.org.

The Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award

2011-12-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

The Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award

Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award Program Issues Call For 2012 Nominations

The Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award (PIMA) program is the first of its kind in the nation to shine a spotlight on parents and those with legal responsibility for a child who have had a positive impact on public schools and to encourage all parents to get involved in whatever way they can. The slogan is Choose Your Seat, Get Involved.

Shawna Capotosto Named 2011 Statewide Winner Of Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award

Video: 2011 Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award, May 20, 2011
The 2011 Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award celebrates parents from across the state who give their time and effort to better schools. See the winners from each district across Maryland at the gala in Anne Arundel County, and celebrate the statewide honoree, Shawna Capotosto from Frederick County!

2011 Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award Semifinalists

Contact Information

Maryland State Department of Education
Division of Student, Family, and School Services
Program Improvement and Family Support Branch

200 West Baltimore Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

Phone:

410-767-0286

SPEAK! seeking 2nd-college level orators to honor the legacy of Dr. King at oratory competition

2011-12-08T11:18:00.001-08:00

Nonprofit Public Speaking Organization to Host 2012 Student Oratory Competition in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

BOWIE, MD – SPEAK! MD Oratory League, Inc. is challenging area students from VA, MD and DC in grades 2 through college to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by presenting excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches (Grades 2-5) and original oratory based on grade appropriate pre-selected questions (Grades 6 - college). Orators will participate in the second annual Dr. MLK Oratory Competition on Monday, January 16, 2012 at the Publick Playhouse in Cheverly, MD at 1 p.m.

Community/business leaders have volunteered to judge the orator’s presentations. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners at each level – elementary, middle school, high school and college - will earn cash awards sponsored by Paper Tiger of Alexandria, VA, The Links of Prince Georges County, MD, Attorney Vanessa Scott of Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP of Washington, DC, and Frontline Security Services of Landover, MD.
We are grateful to have Mrs. Edith Johnson, Vice President of E.M. Johnson and Associates, an architectural firm in Washington, DC serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the SPEAK! 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratory Competition – the premier event for young people to honor the legacy of Dr. King.

To learn more about SPEAK! MD Oratory League, Inc., please, call 1-877-773-2530 or visit the SPEAK! website at www.mdoratoryleague.org.

REGISTRATION is open NOW at www.mdoratoryleague.org.
WE challenge the community to be a supportive audience for our young orators. Tickets to this event may also be purchased online. SPEAK!, SPEAK!, SPEAK!

The Importance of Parental Engagement for Student Success

2011-12-05T21:55:00.001-08:00

The African American Father

2011-12-05T21:52:00.000-08:00

THE ART OF LETTING GO

2011-12-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

Hi. My name is Kimberly and I am a helicopter mom.

Hi, Kimberly.

By definition, a helicopter mom is a parent who hovers over her children and becomes too involved in their lives. I confess: this revelation was no surprise. What was surprising, however, is how hovering over my children has made them dependent on me in ways where independence is the norm. As the product of a stay-at-home mom, it was my destiny to follow suit. So for close to ten years, I basked in that position; when I returned to the workforce, I witnessed my enabling.

Recently over breakfast with my family, we engaged in our usual round table discussion. After taking care of business about school, calendar events, and chores, the dialogue shifted and each child had their say. While my daughter mapped out her wish list of places to go, people to see, and things to do, my sons honestly shared that I was “doing too much.”

That expression is the most common of vernacular amongst our youth today. “Doing too much” has different contextual meanings. The following are all such examples:

· Becoming a flash mob of one in an aisle at Target as I sing Fame and my children look the other way;

· Tickling my son while he’s trying to play the Wii;

· Spotting a French speaking security guard in the grocery store, telling him my son speaks

French, too, and encouraging the two to converse.

Simply put, my sons craved just a little space. They needed me to trust my expectations will be met without the consistent reminders laced with frustration. They wanted to spread their wings and fly, not have them clipped. So, I obliged and for seven consecutive days I stopped “doing too much.”

Letting go, albeit briefly, was truly an art. It required me to relax, relate, and release so my sons could…breathe. The move was so spontaneous it left me with very little time to give my game plan thought. Yet, I kept moving forward and developed my approach around these three important components:

1. Believe. Every decision begins with a thought. I had to believe I was capable of letting go. I had to believe that, even if they found themselves at a cross roads, they would employ their internal GPS and navigate themselves accurately.
2. Trust. By hovering over my children, I demonstrated a certain lack of trust. All things considered, the tasks assigned were not foreign. They’ve demonstrated responsibility in the past. Why not trust them to go forth in like manner?
3. Shift. Less hovering equates with more time on my hands. My newfound freedom caused me to shift my attention to tasks I’ve left incomplete. I even managed to get in much needed “Mom-me” time. I never knew a 2005 movie could be so good!

The insight I gained is too numerous to name. So, let’s just say this helicopter mom has landed.

Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). On December 10, 2011, she is hosting a workshop on effective essay writing at People’s Community Church in Washington, DC. Visit http://www.writingmomma.com/ a click on the “Writing Program” tab for more information. Kimberly is a ghostwriter, author, publisher, and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan weighs in on supercommittee failure: School programs at risk

2011-11-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

By Aaron Foley | MLive.com

The failure of the here today, gone tomorrow congressional supercommittee could lead to drastic cuts to education programs nationwide, according to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

This week, the bipartisan supercommittee -- formally known as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction -- announced that it had failed to combat the country's $15 trillion debt.

"I join the President in his disappointment that the supercommittee has failed to reach a final deal," Duncan said in a statement. "We must reduce America's debt. But we must do so in a thoughtful and deliberate way that protects national priorities like education at such a critical time. Because the supercommittee failed to live up to its responsibility, education programs that affect young Americans across the country now face across-the-board cuts.

"We need to ensure that every child has access to a good teacher and a high quality public education, and that students who want to pursue a college degree can count on federal loans and grants to help them achieve their dreams," he added. "That requires Congress to do some important work in the coming weeks and to show some real leadership. I stand ready to work with them, and I know the President does as well."

Men Make a Difference Day

2011-11-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

Men Make a Difference Day

Posted on October 10, 2011

By: Martina Bex

This has nothing to do with World Languages, but I want to share it with you because it is fantastic!!

Today, our school celebrated Men Make A Difference Day. This is a day created by Dr. Michael A. Robinson, CEO of Forest of the Rain Productions. According to Dr. Robinson, the goal of the day is to create parental engagement among men. There is some good information about this event on this page on EventBrite. Our school is always looking for new ways to engage our students’ families, so we are so thankful for this excellent idea!

Our students were encouraged to invite their fathers (or another important male figure–grandfather, uncle, neighbor, etc.) to school with them for the morning. Any man that wanted to participate had to sign a contract that said that he would be at school for the morning of 10/10/11, would attend one parent/teacher conference, and several other things that I have forgotten (one might have been helping with homework or attending a sporting/music event with his child). I’m not sure what our final participation was, but it was so many that we ran out of room in the breakfast room that we had prepared!

The men were served breakfast (a delicious breakfast with bacon that smelled up the entire school, torturing my pregnant nose!) during first period, and then attended their child’s second period class with their son or daughter. They also had a photo taken together during the breakfast which they were able to pick up before they left for the morning. I had 10 dads in my second period class of 32 students!! How awesome is that! It was so much fun to watch the kids watch their dads try to follow along and participate, and it was great exposure for World Languages–I made sure to plan today as a storytelling day What an excellent way for dads to have insight into the challenges that their children face at school, and for their children to see how much they mean to their dads that they would spend a morning with them and commit to spending more time investing in their education in the future.

I would encourage you to organize some celebration of Men Make a Difference Day for your school next year! It works well for our school because we have class on Columbus Day, but if you are among the lucky ones to have a day off, perhaps you can celebrate it at another time.

Kimberly K. Parker: THE POWER OF ONE WORD

2011-11-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Time was of the essence this morning as I prepared for work. I knew that in order to make it out of the house chop-chop (quickly, right away), I had to pick up the pace. There was literally not a moment to spare because tardiness brings about a bit of anxiety (uneasiness, concern).

It took me a moment to accept my outfit. Although I was not convinced I chose the right two-piece for the day, I gave myself a big “high-five” and celebrated the final touches. I smiled, looked in the mirror, pointed to myself and said, “You’re not going to be late today, Queen!”

Just as I turned to exit the bathroom, there stood my baby boy, Kalonji. It was obvious he had just arisen (got up, awakened); he appeared to be a bit transfixed (motionless, awe struck). I could not tell if he was partially sleep, in a heavy day dream, or asking himself, “What is Momma wearing today?” Before I had an opportunity to inquire (ask, investigate) if he was well, he simply said “Wow!” as he took note of my jewelry matching my outfit.

What a nice way to enhance my day…especially since I had second thoughts about my attire just moments before. With just one word, Kalonji added a little bit more pep to my step. I gave him a tight hug, grabbed my purse, and made my way out of the house. Oh — did I mention I arrived to work on time? Sometimes, all it takes is just one word to put a smile on a persons face. If I may, I’d like to offer a list of words…from A to Z…that is laced with lots of power:

Awesome
Beautiful
Courageous
Dynamite
Excellent
Fabulous
Grand
Helpful
Ingenious
Jubilant
Kind
Lovable
Magnificent Nice
Outstanding
Pretty
Quintessential
Radiant
Sweet
Terrific
Unique
Vivacious
Wonderful
Xenodochial
Yes
Zestful

What one word will you choose to add a little pep to someone’s step? I’d really like to know. Let’s keep it moving and make their day!

Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). This past summer, her company published three books for young authors age nine to nineteen! This fall, she will host “Write On!” an eight week writing program for youth and she is currently looking for a few young writers who want to participate. Visit www.writingmomma.com for more information. Kimberly is a ghostwriter, author and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

PGCPS has introduced its e-alert system

2011-11-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

PGCPS has introduced its e-alert system as a way to enhance communication to its staff, community members and more importantly parents and family. The staff of Parental Engagement with PGCPS appalaud the efforts of the BOE to improve communication between home, community and schools.

The new systems will provide emergency alerts, newsletters and information regarding upcoming events and activities to all who sign up.

To sign up, visit www.pgcps.org and click the PGCPS Alerts Text and Email button.

For more information, contact senior web specialist Max Pugh at 301-952-6002 or mpugh@pgcps.org.

Change to funding formula gives principals spending power

2011-11-13T21:20:00.000-08:00

By: Lisa Gartner

Principals in Prince George's County Public Schools set the course for their campuses -- but only have say over 2 percent of the school's budget. That figure would jump to 50 percent under a proposal from Superintendent William Hite.The primary goal of the new plan is to "weight" funding coming from central office to schools, based on at-risk populations and high-need classrooms. But another prong allows principals, once they receive these weighted funds, much more discretion over how to spend them. They can't paint the walls hot pink or cut vegetables from the school menu, but principals could make decisions about whether to beef up the English department or hire more math instructors.Traditionally, county schools have received central-office dollars based on student enrollment and staffing ratios.

PGCPS 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year Spotlighted in Black Enterprise

2011-11-11T23:58:00.000-08:00

Greetings Engaged Parents and Dedicated Educators,

“Education is the great equalizer” (I. McPhail, 2001).

Perhaps no greater words have been spoken with regards to the value, importance, and significance of education. However, the great equalizer that Dr. Irving McPhail reference is now facing a myriad of challenges. One looming challenge is the state of the teaching profession, more specifically the number of males entering teaching. There has been a major emphasis on the shortage of African American male teachers. As you know, Forest Of The Rain Productions has been a leading voice on the importance of increasing the number of African American male teachers. Thus the impetus for our national initiative Men Make A Difference Day, our radio discussions and our television interviews with seminal researchers in the area of male teacher recruitment.

The African American male teacher makes up less than 2% of the teaching profession. While increasing the African American male teachers will not end all that ails the educational systems across America, their presence can send a message to all young learners that teaching is profession worthy of your consideration.

There is a great article on the state of education and the need to create a new type of teaching workforce. The article features Mr. Will Thomas, PGCPS 2009-2010 “Teacher of the Year”. Mr. Thomas’ article appears in the November edition of Black Enterprise. Please read and enjoy.

If you are interesting in more information regarding the need for African American male teachers, please visit the links below.

Two Thinkers: The Importance of the African American Male Teacher
http://www.yudu.com/item/details/354142/Living-Education-eMagazine-Vol.--1
Dr. Ivory Toldson, Howard University
Dr. Roy Jones, Clemson University

African American Men in the Classroom
http://vimeo.com/29640207

2nd Annual Thanksgiving Basket Outreach

2011-11-11T23:51:00.001-08:00

2nd Annual Thanksgiving Basket Outreach

Parent Engagement: A Paradigm Shift

2011-11-11T23:42:00.000-08:00

By Stephen Sawchuk on November 1, 2011

Can you improve parental involvement by making engagement with parents part of a teacher's formal duties? A handful of districts are giving it a try in Idaho, according to an interesting story from the Associated Press.

To comply with a new state law, every district had to implement a differentiated pay plan this school year. Many are using guidelines created by the state, AP reports, including consideration of value-added test information.

But several districts, especially in rural locations, are also basing the performance bonuses on whether the teacher engages meaningfully with his or her students' parents.

The plan in Challis, Idaho, requires teachers to make one "general" contact, like a note sent home, and one "personal" contact, in which a parent is informed about how his or her child is performing, over a three-month period.

The state teachers' union is a bit concerned, noting that parental involvement can be limited by factors outside of teachers' control. It opposes the merit-pay program in general.

Parent Engagement: A Paradigm Shift

2011-11-11T23:28:00.000-08:00

Written By

Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Ph.D.

Georgia has proclaimed November as Parent Engagement Month and Nov. 17 as National Parent Engagement Day. Pre-K director and parent involvement coordinator Debby Gilliam says it is important for parents to play an active role in their child’s success in school.

“The parent engage- ment program aims to get parents, schools, families and communities working together to create meaningful partnerships that ultimately lead to significant gains across the board in student achievement,” she said. “We’re looking for parents to join our team.”For information on parent engagement at Pike County schools, call Gilliam at 770-567-4769. Go to gadoe.org and click “Parent Engagement” to find information and tips for staying engaged in your child’s education.For the whole story, read the Nov. 9 print/e-edition of the Pike County Journal Reporter.To subscribe, click here.

Tweet Report

2011-11-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

Parental Engagement with PGCPS present Tweet Report: A snapshot of what is being said about parental engagement, Prince George’s County Public Schools and the state of Maryland as it relates to education.

PG Politics @pgpolitics retweeted to 1,079 followers:
I am not sure if it is a violation of the law to take campaign funds from a person who later gets a contract and there was no bid process

pgcpsparents Parents and PGCPS
a study recently released states Prince George's teachers are overpaid. I am not sure I agree with that, you cannot over pay a teacher

pgcpsparents Parents and PGCPS
parental intervention is a more important factor than income and family structure (Jasso, 2007).

What Is School Reform?

2011-10-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

According to Project Appleseed, a Parents Advocating Challenging Education (PACE) located in St. Louis, Missouri.

School reform is......

Many schools in the United States are in the process of education reform. Changes in school policy are being considered as economic, social, and technological forces make new demands on what students need to know to be successful. This page explains some of the major aspects of education reform and offers parents guidelines for personal involvement. Parent participation is an important part of successful education reform--a process that will affect both parent and child.

Obama Announces Help for Student Loan Borrowers

2011-10-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama recalled his struggles with student loan debt as he unveiled a plan Wednesday that could give millions of young people some relief on their payments. Speaking at the University of Colorado Denver, Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle, together owed more than $120,000 in law school debt that took nearly a decade to pay off. He said that sometimes he'd have to make monthly payments to multiple lenders, and the debt meant they were not only paying for their own degrees but saving for their daughters' college funds simultaneously.

"I've been in your shoes. We did not come from a wealthy family," Obama said to cheers. Obama said it's never been more important to get a college education, but it's also never been more expensive. Obama said his plan will help not just individuals, but the nation, because graduates will have more money to spend on things like buying homes. "Our economy needs it right now and your future could use a boost right now," Obama said.

Obama's plan will accelerate a measure passed by Congress that reduces the maximum required payment on student loans from 15 percent of discretionary income annually to 10 percent. He will put it into effect in 2012, instead of 2014. In addition, the White House says the remaining debt would be forgiven after 20 years, instead of 25. About 1.6 million borrowers could be affected. He will also allow borrowers who have a loan from the Federal Family Education Loan Program and a direct loan from the government to consolidate them into one. The consolidated loan would carry an interest rate of up to a half percentage point less than before. This could affect 5.8 million borrowers.

Student loans are the No. 2 source of household debt. The president's announcement came on the same day as a new report on tuition costs from the College Board. It showed that average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose $631 this fall, or 8.3 percent, compared with a year ago. Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high.

Student loan debt is a common concern voiced by Occupy Wall Street protesters. Obama's plan could help him shore up re-election support among young voters, an important voting bloc in his 2008 election. But, it might not ease all their fears. Anna Van Pelt, 24, a graduate student in public health at the University of Colorado Denver who attended the speech, estimates she'll graduate with $40,000 in loans. She called Obama's plan a "really big deal" for her, but said she still worries about how she'll make the payments. "By the time I graduate, my interest rate is going to be astronomical, especially when you don't have a job," Van Pelt said. "So it's not just paying the loans back. It's paying the loans back without a job." The White House said the changes will carry no additional costs to taxpayers.

Last year, Congress passed a law that lowered the repayment cap and moved student loans to direct lending by eliminating banks as the middlemen. Before that, borrowers could get loans directly from the government or from the Federal Family Education Loan Program; the latter were issued by private lenders but basically insured by the government. The law was passed along with the health care overhaul with the anticipation that it could save about $60 billion over a decade.

The change in the law was opposed by many Republicans. At a hearing Tuesday, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who chairs a subcommittee with oversight over higher education, said it had resulted in poorer customer service for borrowers. And Senate Republicans issued a news release with a compilation of headlines that showed thousands of workers in student lending, including those from Sallie Mae Inc., had been laid off because of the change.

Today, there are 23 million borrowers with $490 billion in loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Last year, the Education Department made $102.2 billion in direct loans to 11.5 million recipients.
—————
Hefling reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Kristen Wyatt contributed to this report.

Annual Title I Parent Conference

2011-10-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

Annual Title I Parent Conference for parents, educators, and community members.

At this conference, parents and community members will:

Get a better understanding of the Prince George’s County’s Title I Parent Involvement Plan, which is part of the district’s Master Plan;
Participate in workshops on how to work with educators as equal partners; Receieve information on how to support learning at home, work with diverse populations as well as topics such as understanding No Child Left Behind and Title I.

What is Title I ?

Title I is a federally funded program reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB). The purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and meet challenging state academic standards. The restricted grant funds provide supplementary funding to improve the teaching and learning of children Funds are to be used only for programs that supplement, and do not supplant, the services that would be provided in the absence of these funds.

All Title I schools benefit from centralized program services that include; instructional support, professional development, technology support, and parent involvement initiatives. Schools are required, by law, to develop school-parent compacts that define both school and home responsibilities for improving student achievement.

The conference is taking place at Eleanor Roosevelt HS on Saturday, October 29th from 8am-1pm.

Information Provided By:

Prince George’s County PTA Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 6139
Capitol Heights, Maryland 20790

‘Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize – Our Youth’

Visit Parents and PGCPS at: http://parentsandpgcps.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders Show Up for Budget Session

2011-10-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

Greetings Engaged Parents, Dedicated Educators, and the Informed Community,

As many of you know, yesterday (October 25, 2011) the Superintendent of PGCPS hosted a second public hearing/session on the 2012-2013 school budget. I am happy to report this session saw a dramatic increase in the number of concern citizens, parents, teachers, and community stakeholders in attendance.

I want to commend each of you who took the time out of your schedule to attend the meeting in person or to observe on TV, or via webcast. The superintendent acknowledged this was the largest turnout in his six year tenure for a budget hearing/session.

Throughout the evening speaker after speaker (over 20) passionately talked about educational programs, services, and infrastructural concerns they wanted to see as a priority in this year’s budget process. At one point, citizens in attendance who did not get a chance to speak because they were unable to register due to a technical glitch were extended an opportunity to voice their concerns and priorities for the 2012-2013 budget.

Tonight’s overall theme centered on two major areas, academic enrichment programs such as Music Education and the Arts and Teacher satisfaction. Those speaking in support of music education and arts included parents, teachers and community stakeholders. Anxiety over potential loss of funding for these programs served as a sense of urgency for many. Speakers summarized that the loss of music education and the arts would have an impact across all grade levels.

A number of teachers informed members of the school leadership that the funding for these programs are often earmarked for reductions, but suggested there is inadequate funding currently and as a result it has limited options for students aspiring to engage in music, arts and foreign language. In some instances, students are forced to choose between music and a foreign language, because they cannot have both. Worries mentioned most often by supporters of music education and the arts included but were not limited to: (1) Limitations of options for students in the arts programs; (2) Overcrowding in classrooms; (3) Request to expand the music education program; (4) Replacement of worn or damaged musical instruments; and (5) Return of the Kennedy Center Concert Program.

The presentations by several members of the Prince George’s County Educator’s Association (PGCEA) outlined several concerns for their membership. Most alarming to those present, was the information that teacher morale is at an all-time low according the PGCEA representatives. PGCEA representatives stated the following sentiments from their members: (1) Impossible working conditions; (2) Concerns about job security; (3) Compensation; (4) Increase work demands; and (5) Reductions and lost of stipends.

In closing, the Dr. Hite applauded the turnout, thanked those in attendance and reminded the audience that he has not proposed any formal budget suggestions to the Board of Education at this time. He stated the turnout suggests that parents and members of the community are engaged and that the system would be incorporating additional forms of technology to connect parents to the budgeting process (It appears they are getting the message!)

As a side note there is a Board of Education meeting on October 27, 2011 starting at 7pm. If you can attend, please do so, however, if you are unable to be present, please follow the proceedings on channels 96 Comcast and 38 on Verizon. You can also view the meeting via webcast. Also, please join me as I will be Tweeting my thoughts, views and comments during the meeting.

Regards,

Michael Robinson, Ed.D.

“Student achievement and increase school performance are linked by the support of engaged parents, dedicated educators, and the informed community.”

PGCPS Superintendent to Hold Public Hearing at 7pm Tues., 10/25/11 Re: FY13 Budget

2011-10-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents/Guardians and Community Members:

This is a gentle reminder: PGCPS Superintendent will hold the 2nd of two public hearings to discuss the FY 2013 PGCPS Operating Budget on Tuesday, October 25th at 7:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for parents, guardians, and community members to be involved in the process and to express your concerns.

Here are some important facts:

The public hearing is in the Boardroom at the Sasscer Administration Bldg. located at 14201 School Lane, Upper Marlboro. Please click the following link for directions, http://schools.pgcps.org/officedirections.asp?code=10013
To speak at the hearing, you must be registered. To register, please send an email to eferg@pgcps.org or call (301) 952-6382;
Please have your testimony statement prepared for speaking and bring 2-3 copies;
To be even more prepared, please read the attached presentations (very important)
- FY2011 Budget Close-out - expenditures for FY11
- PGCPS Budget Process - understand the budget process and your role
- PGCPS Approved Budget Plan for FY2012 - where does all of the money go?

Please forward this information to others.
This is serious business about the education of our children, the more people who attend the better.

I hope to see you at the public hearing on Tuesday, October 25th. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

Kindest regards,

Alexandria Briggs-Blake, PTA President

Ft. Foote Elementary School

S.T.E.P. U.P. Committee Chairperson

Congressional Achievement in Education

MD State PTA Honorary Lifetime Member

Prince George's County Council of PTAs, Inc.

Phone: 240-441-8000

Involving Families and Community for Student Success

Parental Involvement in Education is Key

"People with passion can change the world for the better." - Steve Jobs

Is Fatherhood In The Gene(s): An Imaginary View of How Fathers Are Made

2011-10-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

By:
Dr. Michael A. Robinson

Over the years, I have been told by the elder men in my family as well as by the dads and uncles of some of my closest friends there is an art to being a father. These wise men, all of whom are married and appear to be happy and well adjusted or as my wife would say, they have been well versed on the inner processes of keeping a wife happy and a family strong and together. These men, these rock solid brothers, offered advice to young foolish souls such as me. If honesty is the best foundation for a great story based on real events, then I honestly must admit that at times I found little use for their pearls of wisdoms. The facts are less flattering; on numerous occasions I completely ignored their guidance. Fortunately my avoidance of these opportunities did not come back to haunt me, thus suggesting on some subconscious level, I must have some way, somehow absorb their messages.

Now, as father, I reminisce over the many conversations and the countless hours of sage advice presented by these unassuming, yet giant figures of our community. Then it hit me! These guys got it! They understood it! They had it! The question is what was is it and where did their gift to stand tall as men of faith; good husbands and loving fathers begin? The similarities in their descriptions of the multiple aspects of fatherhood and the commitment it took were uncanny. How they explored what it took to accept and maintain a strong and vibrant relationship with their spouses and children were not lessons delivered in an hour long dissertation, but over time. These great men led by example and spoke frankly, but not preachy. These pillars of my world and my community who walked and talked with the confidence of Gods, but loved and respected their families as mere men, appeared to have been passing on the secret to eternal wedded bliss and family cohesiveness from which kingdoms and nations were forged.

From my days of reminiscing, as coined by a great African American poet and singer, Mary J. Blige; I came to understand, there was something special within these men. This generation of men, these remarkable brothers, who were in some cases unrelated and not from the same community, but whose essences were parallel had to have a common thread. What was this strand that linked these men? Where is it now? Does it exist in our fathers, brothers, uncles, and the other significant males in our community?

Recently, I overheard a conversation between five graduate students at an well-known historical black university discussing their views on how men, but more specifically African American men become great fathers. Their discourse was fascinating, intriguing, mind boggling, intellectually stimulating and very funny. These future scholars were pursuing doctoral degrees from different academic fields. While all offered unique views to how African American men go from good men to great dads, it was perhaps the views of the medical student I found the most amusing. Her view was both funny and intriguing.

Medical experts assert there may be a cell within the male DNA that appears to represents the characteristics typically associated with the desire of men to become fathers. The DADDY gene or DDG for us non-clinician minded individuals is a tiny organism living inside every male. This DDG grows as the young man matures.

The great thing and the not so great thing about the DADDY gene it is a blank gene, with the exception of the limited coding for daddy responsiveness. The DADDY gene is without a bulk of the DNA coding that has been placed on every other form of genetic material in our body. Therefore, the DADDY gene is somewhat impressionable. This gene is like the proverbial lump of clay, unmolded and ready to be shaped into this great work of art. However, if the DADDY gene falls into the wrong hands, it could have a devastating impact on society.

This remarkable tiny cell has the potential to change the course of a world, a nation, a state, a community, a school, but more importantly a family. The DADDY gene if not nurtured in the best possible environment by those who respect and honor its power can become self-destructive. The DADDY gene determines the type of father all men who decide to take on fatherhood will become. There is no way around it; the DADDY gene guides the parental instincts of all men.

While the DADDY gene has slight hereditary features already encoded within, the volume of what this gene is to become is engraved by the many influential adults this young man will encounter in his life. The first and far most influential figures will be his parents. Typically this means mom and dad. However, there is a special place on the young man’s DADDY gene that has been set-a-side for his father. The father’s values, beliefs, and views on life that are embedded on the DADDY gene by fathers are typically permanent and become visible shortly after birth.

Given, the delicate nature of the DADDY gene and how it will and can impact the development of future fathers, it becomes imperative for all fathers to step up to their responsibilities as dads. This requires that fathers work tirelessly to ensure they are placing the right messages on their son’s DADDY gene. Their sons will take whatever they have learned from their fathers, they will internalize what their fathers have written or failed to write on their DADDY gene and enter society prepared or ill-prepared to fully accept their role as leaders of communities and families.

The DADDY gene is not impervious to misinformation and unfulfilled promises associated with childhood. However, what makes the DADDY gene one of the most resilient of all cells in the male body is its uncanny nature to decode itself once it realizes that unhealthy messages and misleading information has been implanted. Albeit the DADDY gene has the capability of throwing off facets of the common cold, it is not immune to the multitude of other forms of viruses and thus needs to be nurtured like all other genes in the body. Consistent attacks to the DADDY gene will eventually result in the permanent infection of the gene.

Men Make A Difference Day...What A Great Day!

2011-10-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings and Thank You To All,

I am writing to give a RESOUNDING THANK YOU to every father, uncle, brother, nephew, cousin, and significant male role model who participated in the 2011 Men Make A Difference Day (MMDD) held all across America on October 10, 2011. A special THANK YOU goes out to members of PTA’s, PTO’s, Community Organizations, Boards of Education, Superintendents, Central Office staff, Principals, Counselors, Teachers, and School Based Personnel for opening their doors and welcoming fathers and other significant male role models into schools. Also, I would be remiss if I did not thank the thousands of mothers, sisters, wives, aunts and other significant female role models for their support of Men Make A Difference Day, without their unyielding belief and planning expertise there would be no Men Make A Difference Day.

Because of all of the support and commitment to increase parental engagement generated because of MMDD, we saw thousands of fathers and significant male role models visit schools, observe classrooms volunteer, and join their local PTA and other formal parent organizations. We know from years of research when fathers or a significant male role model is involved in the academic lives of children, there is increase academic achievement and improved social behavior. The presence of male role models who are taking an active role in the educational process in their community are by their mere support suggesting our public schools are the hub the community and must be fully funded. I want to ensure all who participated and supported this national event that is just the start of our national movement to increase parental engagement as a means to create high performing schools nationwide.

Please join me in thanking the thousands of men for their pledge to make a difference and stay engaged in the academic lives of their children. Below, you will find a few follow up points of information. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 301.776.2384 or via email at forestoftherain@gmail.com

Pictures: We are looking to capture this remarkable day with pictures, if you or your organization, please forward pictures to forestoftherain@gmail.com

Survey (October 12, 2011-November 14, 2011): We are looking to capture the voices of men and school officials regarding their views of the 2011 Men Make A Difference Day. If you or your organization participated in the Men Make A Difference Day is 10.10.11 please respond to a short survey at …..http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XX2SGXN

DAD’s Pledge of Engagement: I pledge to remain engaged in the academic life of my child. As an engaged father, dedicated dad, or significant male role I pledge to…….Please have dad’s and significant male role models to sign the DAD’s Pledge of Engagement at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/pledgeofengagement/

Regards,

Partnering with Public Schools and the Community

2011-09-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Posted by Dr. Charlene Dukes on September 29, 2011 at 06:15 PM EDT

Ed. Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.

Charlene Dukes

Community colleges across the nation have catapulted into the limelight as a major sector of the higher education landscape. We share a common mission of access and a commitment to student success and completion. We, at Prince George’s Community College, are honored to have been chosen as a ‘Champion of Change’ because of our focus on our mission - to transform the lives of the more than 40,000 diverse students whom we serve.

We open our doors to thousands of students and recently have been acknowledged for our commitment to providing students with a quality education by welcoming 100 rising ninth graders to the Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George’s Community College, the first middle college high school in the state of Maryland. These students, who will be joined each year by another class of ninth graders in the creation of a full high school program of grades 9-12, will realize their dreams and graduate with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree simultaneously; the Class of 2015 will be the first!.

Through a strong partnership with the Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George’s Community College was born and unveiled earlier this year. Its opening is evidence that despite the economic challenges of today, our public school and college leaders are facilitating learning in transformational ways for tomorrow’s leaders as one solution to global competitiveness in the decades ahead.

There is another idea central to the creation of the Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George’s Community College – and that is if we believe in seamless learning and a true Pre-K through 20 system of providing access to support an educated citizenry with degrees and credentials, then institutions of learning can no longer exist in a vacuum in our society. We need students to be able to dream beyond the boundaries of their schools, beyond the limits of their neighborhoods, and beyond the shores of this country. They must view themselves and their learning as part of a much larger world. We live in an age of interconnectedness, where technology and the global village allows access to information at a rate faster than any time in human history. We must give students the tools to critically analyze that information, make judgments, draw conclusions and join the debate as informed and impassioned citizens of this country and our world. Our students in the Academy are understanding that learning is not limited by the walls of the school or the hours of the school day, but rather that it is a lifelong, 24/7/365 endeavor.

Prince George’s Community College is dedicated to education and committed to student success and completion. The college’s strategic plan is focused on increasing graduation rates in a rigorous, standards-based environment through a formal pledge of completion that reflects national and statewide efforts to boost the number of graduates and meet the goals issued by President Obama and his administration. To that end, the college has embarked on a completion agenda, known as Envision Success, which is geared toward ensuring students are successful and that they receive degrees, certificates, and certifications as part of their educational objectives.

A great example of how we prepare students to become leaders is evident in our national recognitions. Prince George’s Community College has been named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Two-year Education by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security for academic years 2010 through 2015, and Community College Week recently named Prince George’s Community College one of the 50 fastest-growing public two-year colleges in the nation.

The college's real strength rests in its people – faculty, staff, and administrators who dedicate themselves daily to responding to students’ intellectual and professional needs. All of what is accomplished here would not be possible without them. They are the real Champions!

Dr. Charlene M. Dukes is the eighth president, and first female president, of Prince George’s Community College and has more than thirty years of progressive leadership experience and administrative responsibility in higher education.

The Important Role Men Have In The Academic Success of Students Both In and Out of The Classroom

2011-09-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

Living Education eMagazine Presents Men In The Classroom from Forest Of The Rain Productions on Vimeo.

Kimberly K. Parker Tells Us: YOU CAN DO IT

2011-09-24T23:39:00.000-07:00

My commute to work this morning was as cool as a cucumber. Listening to the very insightful teachings of Joyce Meyers as I sipped green tea, I coasted with ease over the river and through the woods. There was no traffic as far as my four eyes could see and fellow drivers, at their most courteous best, allowed one another to segue with a smile. This, my friend, was mobile poetry in motion.

As I rounded a corner in a quiet residential neighborhood, I saw a plus size woman jogging with a look of “I can do it” on her face. She had earphones in her ears, weights on her legs and wrists, and a hand towel snuggly tucked in her waist belt. Her gait was slow, steady…which, by the way, wins the race. Victory was definitely in her future.

I became transfixed on that powerful sight. I tried to pull over, but the car behind me was trailing rather closely so my attempts were prevented. I anxiously felt my eyes widening and my smile broadening. My mouth was about to erupt as I struggled to capture what I felt would be appropriately encouraging words to scream out of my window. I could not contain myself any longer! I rolled down my window, gasped and swooned, and slowed down long enough to yell, “Go ‘head! You can do it!” The woman raised her fist in solidarity, smiled, and kept on moving.

Inspiration comes in the most unexpected form. That woman – who I may never see again – served as a reminder of my ability to be, to create, to live! Without speaking a word, she told me that I can do it…whatever “it” may be only if I pattern my actions around these five very simple yet profound thoughts:

1. Decide to take action. As I mentioned, the woman was plus sized. However, she made a decision to take exercise in an attempt to live a healthier life.

2. Determine that you must move forward. I can only imagine the defeating thoughts she internalized as well as heard from other. In spite of it all, she was determined to put one foot in front of the other.

3. Be driven. In case you did not know, you are already empowered. You have the wherewithal to accomplish your goals whether or not someone cheers you onward. Allow the powerful force of God on the inside to steer you in all of the right directions.

4. Just do it. Period.

5. Arrive at your destination. You have a goal in sight and it’s most attainable. As Michael Jackson said, “Keep on with the force…don’t stop! Don’t stop ‘til you get enough!” When you get to your expected end, do as that woman did: raise you fist in solidarity, smile, and keep it moving!

Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). This past summer, her company published three books for young authors age nine to nineteen! This fall, she will host “Write On!” an eight week writing program for youth and she is currently looking for a few young writers who want to participate. Visit www.writingmomma.com for more information. Kimberly is a ghostwriter, author and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

Funding Parental Engagement Services Is A Sound School District Policy

2011-09-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

By:
Dr. Michael A. Robinson

It has been stated many times over that organizations fund what they believe is crucial to their mission. When a monetary importance is attached to a strategic objective or an organizational goal, one is made aware of its significance to the organization. This basic management concept easily applies to the educational arena. The funding associated with a school district’s departments or units of family and community engagement allows stakeholders to potentially evaluate the significance school districts associate with the importance of parent and community involvement.

If school districts desire a robust and effective parental engagement program, one where families, communities, and schools become authentic partners in forming a high performing school system those departments must be sufficiently funded. A sense of priority is communicated to internal and external stakeholders when parent and community outreach programs are satisfactorily provided resources. Seminal researchers in the area of parental engagement do not suggest parent and community support programs and services be funded at the levels of academic and or student services. Albeit, research has shown effective parental engagement and community involvement policies and programs have a direct impact on student achievement while reducing strain on student service personnel who perform home visits, parent conferences, and or counseling sessions with students.

School districts which have elected to eliminate part or their entire parental engagement department in the name of budget reductions have a very limited understanding of the indispensable role parent involvement plays in relation to the academic success of students and school systems. Abolishing family and community outreach services, specifically those aimed at increasing parental and community connections to their neighborhood schools and the school district overall will result in an eventual eroding of confidence from parents about the real mission of their public school system. Failure of school leadership to embrace the impact of parents supporting learning at home while working in concert with school based leadership can do damage to the educational community that possibly will take years to reverse.

A strong recommendation for school districts considering reducing or eliminating their family and community outreach departments would be not to do so, but to re-consider the benefits to actually adding more resources and what it would mean to overall school performance. Finally, for those school districts which have severely reduced or eliminated their parent and community outreach services restore them as soon as possible. Re-establish the relationship with your families and community by committing to ensure effective two-way unfettered communication. A sound and fully supported program of services in the area of parental engagement will help schools in achieving its schools in closing achievement gaps, increase in the number of students enrolled in advance classes, assist in preparing students to career and college ready.

Comcast offers cheap broadband to poor families

2011-09-22T22:40:00.000-07:00

The company announced today its Internet Essentials program that will target low-income families with school-age children and help them get connected to the Internet by offering a combination of discounted broadband service, low-cost computers, and free training programs to teach people how to use the technology.

The company kicked off the program at Ballou High School in the District of Columbia. David Cohen, an executive vice president at Comcast, was joined at the launch for the program by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and D.C.Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson.

Nearly one-third of the U.S. population, or about 93 million Americans, do not have broadband Internet access at home, according to the FCC's National Broadband Plan presented to Congress in 2010. The report identified three main reasons as barriers to adoption: affordability, digital literacy, and relevance.

Cohen said that Comcast's Internet Essentials program is an attempt to address all of these barriers. And the company targeted low-income families with school-age children because of the educational benefits broadband offers.

"What has become apparent to us as a company is that there is a cruel irony when it comes to broadband," Cohen said in an interview. "We have this wonderful technology which has the potential to be a great equalizer, providing access to education, health care, and jobs information across multiple income populations. But because of the adoption gap, or the digital divide, access to the Internet is actually exacerbating the problem instead of solving it."

How it works

The way the Internet Essentials program works is families with at least one child receiving free lunch as part of the federal government's National School Lunch Program will be eligible to receive Comcast's broadband service for $9.95 per month. Comcast typically charges about $41 a month for this 1.5 Mbps service. (A family of three making $24,000 or less a year qualifies for free lunch (PDF) as part of the national lunch program. )

In addition to offering low-cost broadband, Comcast is also working with Microsoft, Dell, and Acer to offer discounted computers to these households for less than $150. And through partnerships with nonprofits One Economy, Common Sense Media, and iKeepSafe, Comcast has also developed free printed and online digital literacy training that will be available at no cost in schools, libraries and through community organizations to help these families make the most of their broadband resource.

Internet Essentials will be rolled out in more than 4,000 school districts in 39 states and the District of Columbia this school year. Comcast estimates that approximately 1.5 million to 2 million families may be eligible to participate in the program.

Comcast will initially focus its marketing efforts for Internet Essentials in the most impoverished areas and school districts with a high proportion of students receiving free lunch, Cohen said. But he said that even in areas where there is a low-population of free lunch students or in places where the schools themselves are not participating in the program, families whose children qualify for free lunch will be eligible for the program.

They simply need to contact Comcast

Also, as long as the family has a student receiving free lunch through the national program, the family will be eligible for the $9.95 service. And the price will not go up, Cohen said.

Once a student graduates high school and/or if the family no longer qualifies for free lunch, the family will no longer qualify for the Internet Essentials program and will have to pay full price for the broadband service. Comcast is offering more information on this program on its Web site.
Cohen said that Comcast has been developing programs to increase digital literacy and to make Internet access more affordable for low-income populations for several years in cities, such as Philadelphia and Boston. The company has invested in nonprofits, such as OneEconomy to help provide digital literacy training. And it's built community technology labs in places such as Philadelphia.

Unlike some of its other efforts, the Internet Essentials program specifically targets families and children. Offering low-cost access to broadband service and to computers is a key part of this solution, because affordability may be the biggest barrier to adoption in this demographic.
Affordability a key barrier

Analysis of the most recent U.S. Census data shows that more than a third of "young" American families with children were living in poverty last year. Young families are defined as those with parents under the age of 30. In total, 37 percent these young families fell below the poverty line in 2010, eclipsing the previous high of 36 percent set in 1993, according to the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University.

With many families unable to afford broadband service, it potentially puts their children even further behind academically from children who attend schools in wealthier communities. While grants and government funding, such as the FCC-administered E-Rate program, have provided many schools, including those in low-income areas with computers and technology in the classroom to enhance learning and education, too often that technology is left at the door when students leave school.

In higher income neighborhoods, 70 percent to 80 percent of students will likely have access to a computer and broadband connection at home. This allows schools to implement programs such as homework tracking software that gives teachers a way to assess students, as well as offers parents a way to check on their students' progress. But in low-income areas where broadband penetration is closer to 15 percent, offering that extra help and access to materials online at home is a huge hurdle.

Cohen said that Comcast came to the conclusion long ago that it needed to help solve this problem. And as part of its deal to buy NBC Universal, it voluntarily offered to make affordable broadband service available as part of its conditions with the FCC to approve the merger.
"It was a voluntary commitment to offer more affordable broadband service to low-income families," Cohen said. "We are not required to it. But we came to the FCC and offered this as a condition of the merger, because we knew this issue is important to the FCC. And it's important to us. We reached a decision years ago as a company that if we can't stand for digital literacy, then who is going to? It's our business."

FCC Chairman Genachowski said in a statement that he is pleased to see Comcast follow through on its promise.

"This past January, Comcast made a commitment to the FCC and the American people to provide discounted broadband service to millions of low-income families," he said. "The program will prepare the next generation, create new opportunities for more jobs and will make a positive difference in the lives of many Americans. I challenge other service producers to take concrete steps to help close the broadband adoption gap."

Cohen points out that other cable operators in other regions of the country are also addressing broadband affordability and the digital divide issue. He said Comcast got many of its ideas for the Internet Essentials program from a similar program offered by Cox Communications in San Diego.

"We're not trying to embarrass our fellow cable providers or our competitors by touting this program," Cohen said. "There are lots of companies addressing this issue in other ways. And this is another solution that we think is important. We are investing a lot in this, and if it's successful, maybe others will follow it."

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20108897-266/comcast-offers-cheap-broadband-to-poor-families/#ixzz1Ykg7RXjO

Men Make A Difference Day - Perrywood

2011-09-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Men Make A Difference Day - Perrywood

More PowerPoint presentations from Kevin Salley

Father Daughter Relationship Importance

2011-09-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

By Francis Hosein

A little girl gives her trust in her father to guide her as she grows up not fully understanding what impact it will have on her.

As a little girl, the first love in her life is her father and how he treats her will have an effect on her relationship with men later on in her life.

Things that are similar

Each child looks up to their father and in many instances imitates his gestures. As daughters grow up they sometimes look for traits and facial expressions that resembles their father's expression.

Building self esteem

Father making time to spend with his daughter helps build his daughter's self esteem. When daughters feel love and support from their father they generally have good relationships in marriage.

Images of the father around the house cleaning, cooking and helping out have an impact on his daughter's perception of what men role in a family relationship is all about.

Things she sees

Things that parents do such as co-operating, responsibility, sharing, compromising, and mutual respecting each other affect his daughter's view of relationships. As the daughter grows up it is both individuals' responsibility to maintain and continue to strengthen their relationship, if this is done when she was younger it will be easy later on.

Daughter grown up

A father may feel his relationship with his daughter becoming distant as she grows older and it is his chance to allow their relationship to grow and change and to remind himself the teachings he has given to her.

Responsibility for the job

When a father takes his responsibility as a guide to his daughter future knowing fully well that this will have an impact on his daughter's life he becomes a co participant in creating a better future for his daughter.

The author grants full reprint rights to this article. You may reprint and electronically distribute this article so long as its contents remain unchanged, and the author's by line remains in place. Francis is the owner of trans-formers.com if you want more information on relationships in your life you can Visit http://www.trans-formers.com/free-relationship-advice.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Francis_Hosein

National PTA beams up P.G. schools chief

2011-09-20T16:18:00.001-07:00

Comments by Kevin Davis

This is a wonderful personal achievement for Dr. Hite and I wish him all the best in his role of working with parents on a national level. However, his work with parents and for parents at the local level leaves a lot to be desired. Under his leadership, one of the Nation's best parental engagement programs was eliminated. Parental involvement activities such as volunteering among parents have dipped every year under his guidance and he has never shown a willingness to engage the community beyond prescribed community based meetings.

There is little evidence to suggest he is supportive of true parental engagement. The entire department of Family and Community Outreach was shut down and nothing or no one has assumed the role of reaching out to parents beyond cursory attempts.

While I wish him the best, I pray he does not do for parental engagement on a national level that he has done in our County.

Information for the Engaged Parent and Dedicated Educator

2011-09-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

ENTREPRENEURS' SUCCESS BUILDERS NETWORK (ESBN)

BARON HOWARD, Executive Director

Expert Life Principle Coach & Empowerment Speaker
website - www.bsmartesbn.com
Personal Email - bsmart56@yahoo.com

Business Email - baronhoward@bsmartesbn.com

Cell - 202-580-5817
Fax - 301-932-7047
24 Hour Hotline - 1-800-563-2632

You may have entered believing you are ordinary.
You will leave knowing you can produce extraordinary results.

It's time to BSmart about "EVERYTHING" you do in life!

Mrs. Kimberly K. Parker Discusses WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL.

2011-09-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL

The last time we met here was seven weeks ago. Do you remember? I began counting down the number of weeks left for school, marveled at how quickly the time had passed, and offered a few additional ways children can make their time out of school filled with fun. Well, those seven weeks have come and gone and school is once again in session. With that, I bid you a hearty “Welcome back!”

I could not wait for school to begin last week! Now, I’m sure you’re thinking it was because I was ready for my children to get out of the house and out of my hair. Not entirely. My enthusiasm really had more to do with my desire to govern myself differently as a parent and volunteer. In an email to a friend of mine I emphatically wrote, “I have learned many valuable lessons this past school year. I’m very excited about 2011-2012. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned and being of greater service!”

I would be mendacious if I told you my experience last year was laced with peaches and cream. Au contraire! I had more parent/teacher meetings than I’ve had in the eight years I’ve been a parent of a PGCPS child, one of my children has either lost or damaged not one…but two pair of eye glasses, and one of my other children had a substitute for close to six weeks straight. On top of that, I’ve linked arms with many of you at community forums and board meetings and sent countless emails to board members to voice concerns about the budget cuts that ultimately became our fate. In spite of it all, I blew a “Dating Game” kiss to the 2010-2011 school year with both affinity and pride because of the many valuable lessons I learned.

I believe that someone reading this blog is saying, “OMG! You sound just like me!” If in fact you’re not uttering those words, then maybe you know someone like me. Whatever the case may be I’d like to offer these three tips to help you make the most of the 2011-2012 school year:

1. Put the past behind you. It’s challenging to not converse about the negative experiences from last year, but I encourage you to try. It really is a new day and the more positive your outlook on 2011-2012, the more positive your experience will be.

2. Do the best you can with what you have. Look – there is not a single person who is not feeling “the crunch” from the budget cuts. Classes have gotten larger and resources have gotten smaller. Parents, teachers, and stakeholders must pull together for the betterment of our children…ALL children. Make a small sacrifice to donate a box of tissue or a block of time to your child’s school. It really does go a long way.

3. Identify the small stuff and don’t sweat it. To the extent that you can, put minor matters in their proper place. Does your concern really call for you to go to the Board of Education or is it something that can be worked out on the school level first? Analyze a situation from every possible angle before you make a decision to act.

This is not an all inclusive list, but it’s definitely a start. Maybe you have a few ideas of your own that will work just as well. If so, I have just three words to close out this blog: GO FOR IT!

Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). This past summer, her company published three books for young authors age nine to nineteen! This fall, she will host “Write On!” an eight week writing program for youth and she is currently looking for a few young writers who want to participate. Visit http://www.writingmomma.com/ for more information. Kimberly is a ghostwriter, author and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

Men Make A Difference Day: 10.10.11

2011-08-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

Twenty Thousand Fathers in Prince George’s County Maryland Asked to Lead the Nation Back to School this Fall and Stay Engaged. The Prince George’s County Male Initiative Presents:

The Million Father March 2011 on August 22, 2011
Men Make A Difference Day 2011 on October 10, 2011

“Children with involved fathers, on average, do better in school, have a greater motivation to succeed, have higher self-esteem and more confidence in unfamiliar settings, and are less like to be delinquent or abuse substances like drugs and alcohol” (Battaglia, 2006, p.2).

On October 10, 2010 fathers and significant male role models in the lives of children will be called to visit their child's school. We are asking fathers and all father figures to observe classroom instruction, to meet school officials and to volunteer at least seven hours of your time over the school year.“Children whose fathers are involved in their education have greater academic achievement than their peers, even when taking into account their mothers’ involvement. Father's involvement in their children's education was associated with greater academic achievement, even when controlling for mothers' involvement" (McBride, Brent A. 2005).For more information please click on: http://www.familyfacts.org/findingdetail.cfm?finding=9373.

Fathers/significant male role models: Have a major impact on student success.Data shows that when fathers and significant male role models are involved students:• Make As and Bs • Have greater motivation to succeed • Have higher self-esteem • Have less health and emotional problems • More confidence • Are less likely to use drugs • Girls are less likely to engage in pre-marital sex • Are less likely to become teenage parents

Six Prince George's County Public Schools will remain closed on Friday, August 26

2011-08-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Six Prince George's County Public Schools will remain closed on Friday, August 26.
August 25, 2011
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Office of Communications
301-952-6001Weekend and After Hours (for press inquiries ONLY): 240-619-6293
communications@pgcps.org
Upper Marlboro, Maryland (8:30 p.m.) – Today, Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) announced that six schools will remain closed on Friday, August 26. All other schools will open on time. The following 6 schools are awaiting final inspection:
• Beltsville Academy• Bradbury Heights ES • Port Towns ES• Potomac HS• Suitland ES• Forestville Military Academy

Comments From Dr. Juanita Miller, chair of the NAACP Education Committee for the Prince George’s County Branch

2011-08-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

I am Juanita Miller, chair of the NAACP Education Committee for the Prince George’s County Branch. The 2010/11 school year ended with a budget slash and many employees being terminated or downsized. The 2011/12 school year opened with blight as well, i.e., classrooms were without teachers—the foundation of a school system, impending law suits and allegations of age and racial discrimination as well as discriminatory hiring and promotional practices.

This is to apprise you that the NAACP will be working collaboratively with the unions, the County Council of PTA’s, the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and other community organizations to investigate and hopefully resolve the numerous complaints filed with our office. To be specific would take longer than the 3 minutes allotted. However, some of the complaints involve reassignment/replacement of the mentoring teachers, misuse and waste of funds by school system personnel and harassment of teachers by principals to name a few.

It is our hope that quelling these complaints will minimize the already astronomical costs to the system from a failed real estate venture, labor department fines and current law suits which, in total, range in millions of taxpayer dollars.

It is our intent to work with the school system to promote equity in the work place for its employees and most important to provide the best services to our stakeholders, the students. This can be accomplished throughout the school year beginning with transparent operations by the School Board and Superintendent—not “spoon fed” “feel good” rhetoric but the truth. I’d like to note that on a recent blog radio broadcast, Board member Armwood stated that Prince George’s Schools was no longer ranked #24 in the state but had moved up. When asked by the host the basis of his information and the current ranking, Mr. Armwood stated that he didn’t know and that Dr. Hite told him that we are no longer at the bottom. No hard data to support this claim was provided.

An earnest start would be with the Board responding to the request for a forensic audit which would provide a more comprehensive picture of the system’s financial operations. Stakeholders would get an understanding of whether funds and expenditures are utilized for more direct services to students or for maintaining programs that have been non productive with no accountability. Also, the audit would reveal the impact of the various litigation and (failed) real estate costs have had on the budget.

Another concern is the recent reorganization of the system by the superintendent to adjust to the budget cuts. Note: At this point, the NAACP is publicly requesting an organizational chart listing positions, names, and salaries of personnel. It appears ludicrous that executive level positions have been expanded while teacher, psychologists, counselors and other direct service provider positions were cut! Thus, the shortage of teachers on the first day of school.

The list is long but progress can be made. It is our intent to work diligently with the School Board to ameliorate the negative and move toward promoting a world class school system that will prepare our future leaders, engineers, technicians, other professionals and workforce persons who deserve not just better but the best.

Respectfully submitted,

Juanita Miller, Chair
Education Committee
NAACP Prince George’s County

You can listen to the interview with Mr. Armwood http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal/2011/08/22/parent-talk-live-back-to-school

Meet Mike Robinson -- An Advocate for Prince George's County Students

2011-07-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Robinson, who was laid off by the school system last summer, writes a blog to keep county parents in the loop

By Khadijah Ali-Coleman

“While the economic outlook remains bleak, [the Prince George’s County Public Schools] budget will maintain the core instructional programs and services needed to support teaching and learning ...,” county Schools Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. wrote to school board Chairwoman Verjeana M. Jacobs in a letter of proposed budget cuts for the 2011-2012 school year.

The letter, sent last year as the new school board members were sworn in and local residents were winding down for the holidays, was given minimal attention -- aside from a few local media outlets and bloggers.

Yet, Laurel resident Mike Robinson, a self-appointed advocate for county parents and students, immediately picked up the story.

“This is big news,” he recalled.

Robinson not only posted the letter on his Parental Engagement with PGCPS blog, he began researching and posting the strides that parents in other states are taking to make schools better for their children.

In California, for instance, there's the controversial "Parent Trigger" Law instated last year. Under the state law, school districts must take drastic actions to overhaul schools if parents petition for the change. The changes could include firing school staffers, hiring new administrators or reopening as a charter school.

“Parents in [the Prince George’s County school] system have lost avenues to become engaged,” Robinson wrote on his blog. “Parents have seen doors closed in their faces. Attempts to silence their voices have reached epic proportions ranging from the loss of Parent Liaisons to the elimination of parental engagement programs and services.”

Robinson, father of two daughters in the school system, is the former Coordinating Supervisor for Parental Engagement and Community Outreach for Prince George’s County Public Schools. Although he was laid off last summer due to budget cuts, Robinson wanted an active network among parents with children in county schools.

The school system has not refilled Robinson's position or developed a similar position.

“There is absolutely no one at my daughter’s school who makes dealing with parents a priority,” said Lisa, a Fort Washington resident who declined to give her last name.

Lisa's daughter attends Avalon Elementary School in Temple Hills. “I enjoy Mike Robinson’s blog because he gives you tips on navigating the system and answers questions that even the staff at my daughter’s school either don’t have or don’t want to give," Lisa said.

Robinson hosts a weekly radio show podcast and maintains an active community of more than 400 parents. As he puts it, he wants to bridge a widening communication gap between parents and school system administrators.

“I just want to see that we are helping to build high-performance schools," Robinson said. "I work with an organization that works in the foster care system. I find the energy and find the time. It’s my passion."

For Robinson and his wife, the first priority is to provide a "better life" for their two daughters -- aged 5 and 15.

And, after learning that Prince George’s County schools are some of the lowest performing in Maryland, Robinson is clear that parental advocacy is key in helping students excel academically.

“For too long, parents get information spoon fed or at the last minute,” Robinson said. “I try to approach my role from the perspective of a parent. What would I want to know? Even if it’s not germane to me, it may be something that may relate to a neighbor."

And the information Robinson shares is of interest to most parents. He profiles on his blog interviews with parents actively engaged in the schools — such as Eileen Collins, president of the Laurel Elementary School PTA, and area activist Nakia Troi Ngwala, a local advocate for universal Pre-K, who became invested in county schools when she was barred from enrolling her young son in pre-K because of income restrictions.

Robinson informs parents of news that they may not know unless visiting the county’s website, as well as commentary from national education leaders who speak on trends in education ranging from technology to school choice.

“I had an opportunity recently to interview Dr. Mavis Sanders, author of Principals Matter: A Guide to School, Family, and Community Partnerships,” Robinson said. "And, she said that when you have school systems who want parental engagement, they will have it. When a school system doesn’t have it, then they don’t want it. You don’t make it difficult for contact. You don’t make it difficult for your consumers to find you. We just have lip service here in PG County schools.”

To learn more about Mike Robinson’s efforts to support parent advocacy in Prince George’s County, visit him at Parental Engagement with PGCPS.

US Labor Dep't bans hiring of Pinoy teachers in Maryland county

2011-07-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

by Rodney Jaleco, ABS-CBN North America Bureau

OXON HILL, Maryland - Hundreds of Filipinos teachers trooped to the Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) in a desperate bid to hold on to their jobs by carrying letters of appeal, following the decision of the US Department of Labor to bar it from hiring Filipino and other foreign teachers for 2 years.

The DOL reaffirmed a decision last April that concluded the PGCPS willfully violated H-1B visa rules by requiring an estimated 800 Filipino teachers to pay visa and other fees that should have been shouldered by the school system. The PGCPS has already agreed to pay back $4.2 million in back wages to the teachers.

Both the PGCPS and Filipino teachers appealed the DOL's findings, many of the mentors saying they paid the fees voluntarily and were more concerned about keeping their jobs.

A majority of them have been working in the Prince George's public schools for the past 4-5 years, with a smaller number who arrived last year and presumably, were still working off the expenses of resettling in Maryland.

"Under the statute governing the H-1B program," the DOL statement read, "willful wage violations are subject to a debarment period of at least two years. Violations are willful when an employer knew or acted in reckless disregard for whether its actions were impermissible."

"Due to the willful nature of some of the violations, PGCPS also has agreed to pay $100,000 in civil money penalties and to be debarred for two years from filing new petitions, requests for extensions or requests for permanent residency for foreign workers under any employment-based visa program," the statement read further.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis stressed that "the Labor Department has the responsibility for ensuring that employers who use the H-1B program follow the law and do not place U.S. workers at a disadvantage to H-1B workers."

The Filipino teachers vowed to challenge what they saw a "unjust labor practices", pointing out that they are being penalized for a wrong committed by their school employer.

"They will be performing a series of actions geared towards ultimately attaining what is most precious to them, which is keeping their jobs," declared Maricris Urbano in a statement given to ABS-CBN News.

She said this afternoon's "silent walk-through" at the PGCPS Board of Education office in Upper Marlboro, Maryland was just the beginning. They are blaming the school system for "unfair terminations as they capriciously allowed working visas to expire."

Urbano feared these developments would eventually lead to an exodus of Filipino teachers back to the Philippines.

The Filipino teachers have also hastily organized a town hall meeting with visiting Philippine Congressman Erin Tanada at the Philippine Multicultural Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland this evening. They will be asking for help from the Philippine government.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, in his Independence Day address at the Philippine Embassy here last month, cited the struggle of the Filipino teachers in Prince George's county. They were able to convince PGCPS officials to reverse their decision not to renew work visas for Filipino teachers in "non-critical" subjects; but that victory has been erased by the DOL decision.

If the DOL decision is upheld – it still has to be approved by an administrative law judge – only a handful of Filipino teachers will survive the cut. They belong mostly to the first batch of mentors recruited in the Philippines in 2003-2004 and who've gained legal permanent residency status or the so-called "green card". But they are very few.

Maryland schools sought teachers from the Philippines to fill vacancies and help meet federally-mandated "No Child Left Behind" standards imposed by former President George W. Bush.

The DOL order does not cover about 600 Filipino teachers in Baltimore, Maryland public schools, who were subjected to the same hiring practices that got the Prince George's public school system in hot water. The Baltimore Public School System (BPSS) is trying to avoid a similar fate by reportedly quietly paying back the fees that were illegally collected from their Filipino teachers.

The collection of fees from the Filipino teachers brought about a disparity in wages between foreign and local teachers doing the same job. "The H-1B program allows employers to hire foreign professionals in certain specialty occupations to work temporarily in the U.S," the DOL explained.

"Workers hired under the H-1B program must be paid at least the same wage rates and benefits as those paid to U.S. workers doing the same job in the same area, so that the wages of similarly employed U.S. workers are not adversely affected."

2011 Educational Bills and Acts in Maryland

2011-07-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

Bill Number: SB 0776

Issue Code: Education

Title: PARENT EMPOWERMENT ACT OF 2011

Synopsis: Authorizing specified parents and legal guardians of students attending public schools that are subject to corrective action and are not making adequate yearly progress to petition county boards of education to implement specified interventions based on improving academic achievement or student safety; requiring county boards to notify the State Superintendent of Schools and the State Board of Education of the receipt and disposition of specified petitions; etc. Preliminary analysis: local government mandate EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number: HB 1081

Issue Code: Education

Title: EDUCATION – PUBLIC SCHOOLS – PETITIONS FOR INTERVENTION Synopsis: Authorizing specified parents and legal guardians of students attending public schools that are subject to corrective action and are not making adequate yearly progress to petition county boards of education to implement specified interventions; requiring county boards to notify the State Superintendent of Schools and the State Board of Education on receipt and of final disposition of specified petitions; requiring county boards to make specified determinations in a specified manner in a specified time frame; etc. Preliminary analysis: local government mandate.

EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number: HB 1208

Issue Code: Education

Title: HIGHER EDUCATION – EXEMPTION FROM TUITION FOR FOSTER CARE RECIPIENTS – ELIGIBILITY AGE.

Synopsis: Altering from 21 to 25 the age before which foster care recipients must be enrolled at public institutions of higher education to be exempt from paying specified tuition; and altering from 21 to 25 the age before which foster care recipients must be enrolled as candidates for specified degrees to not be required to pay the difference between the amount of specified scholarships or grants and the amount of specified tuition.

EFFECTIVE: JULY 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number: HB 1228 crossfiled with SB 882

Issue Code: Employee Benefits and Relations

Title: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE – FEDERAL EXTENDED BENEFITS FOR THE LONG–TERM UNEMPLOYED.

Synopsis: Specifying that, for specified weeks of unemployment, a State “on” indicator for extended unemployment benefits exists under specified circumstances; specifying that a State “off” indicator exists for specified extended unemployment benefits under specified circumstances; prohibiting specified extended benefits from being payable for any week of unemployment beginning before a specified date; specifying the total amount of specified extended benefits that are payable to an eligible individual; etc.

EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 2011

Testimony: Testimony

Staff Assigned: Andrea Mansfield (amansfield@mdcounties.org)

MACo Position: Support with Amendment Revised Position: Support Bill Status: PASSED Comment: Bill was amended to reimburse local governments for a portion of the costs associated with providing the extended benefits.

Bill Number: SB 0262 crossfiled with HB 127

Issue Code: Education

Title: STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION – FINANCIAL LITERACY CURRICULUM – GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.

Synopsis: Requiring the State Board of Education to develop curriculum content for a course in financial literacy; requiring each county board of education to implement the financial literacy curriculum content developed by the State Board in every high school in the county; and requiring students to complete a course in financial literacy in order to graduate from high school.

EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number: SB 0474 crossfiled with HB 191

Issue Code: Education

Title: PUBLIC SCHOOLS – STUDENT ATTENDANCE – PREVENTING CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.

Synopsis: Requiring public schools to maintain a record of the daily attendance of students in kindergarten through 12th grade using a specified identifier, calculate and maintain a record of specified attendance information, and submit a report to the county board of education that includes specified student attendance information for each grading period each year; requiring each county board to calculate and maintain a specified record of countywide student attendance information; etc.

EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2011

Staff Assigned:

Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number :SB 0676

Issue Code: Education

Title: COUNTY BOARDS OF EDUCATION – ALIEN STUDENTS.

Synopsis: Requiring each county board of education, on or before March 1 of each year, to make a good faith effort to provide the governing body of the county with the total number of students enrolled in the public school system of the county whose presence in the United States cannot be reasonably documented; and prohibiting a county board from associating a student’s race, appearance, language, or name with citizenship or immigration status.

EFFECTIVE: JULY 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Mrs. Kimberly K. Parker, Discusses Summer Time Fun

2011-07-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

SUMMER TIME FUN

There are exactly six weeks left before school begins again. Wow! Where has the summer gone? Holding on to all the joys of summer for as long as they can, children everywhere are still looking forward to spending countless hours in the pool and attending a variety of summer camps specializing in culinary arts, horseback riding, and academic enrichment. After all the work they have done during the 2010-2011 school year, they really deserve a break.

As you may very well know and may even have experienced, the state of the economy has forced many households to forego tuition based activities. Realistically, the luxury is one many parents simply cannot afford. Yet, the need to actively engage children still remains.
Determined not to plant them in front of the television for hours on end, one question remains: What am I going to do to ensure my child has fun while learning for the remainder of the summer and not break the bank in the process?

I am so glad you asked! Here are a few suggestions to help you not only enrich your child’s summer academically, but socially as well…all while having a very cost effective great time:
1. Start with a schedule. Just like teachers during the school year, parents need to plan every moment of a child’s day. Be sure to incorporate a little rest and relaxation as well.

2. Visit your local museum. Here in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, the Smithsonian museums are plentiful. Also, the Newseum is offering free admission for children with a paid adult. Visit www.si.edu and www.newseum.org for more information.

3. Incorporate curriculum enrichment. Before you know it, science fair projects will be due. Why not get a jump start on them now? Since your child will more than likely read at least 30 minutes a day anyway (I hope), may I suggest you have them read a book centered around their upcoming science fair project? What a way to accomplish two goals with one task, huh?

4. Hang out at the local library. Story time, games and activities on the computer, and events are always funs to enjoy. Most importantly, it’s free! Visit www.publiclibraries.com to find a library near you.

5. Spend a cool evening at The National Harbor in Fort Washington, MD (if you’re in the area). They have a free movie night on Friday and Sunday. Visit http://www.nationalharbor.com/consumer/entertainment.htm#movies.

6. Make the Community News section of your local newspaper the “go to” resource for other free events. You’d really be surprised at what you will find.

There you have it! I sure hope these will help you to enjoy the last few weeks of the summer with your children!

Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). On July 23, 2011, she is hosting "The BEST Young Writer’s Workshop EVER” in Clinton, MD for youth between the ages of nine and 18. Additionally, she is hosting “Write On!” an eight week summer writing program for youth. Visit www.writeonprogram.eventbrite.com for more information. Kimberly is a ghostwriter, author and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

Living Education eMagazine

2011-07-02T01:05:00.000-07:00

Hello Engaged Parents, Dedicated Educators, and Business Leaders,

You are receiving this exciting press release because we value your contributions to expanding the conversation about the importance of education.

Forest Of The Rain Productions' mission is to serve as a conduit by which conversations regarding challenges confronting education today are presented unfiltered. Forest Of The Rain Productions prides itself on introducing leading researchers, scholars, engaged parents, dedicated educators, and involved civic leaders to those who are as equally passionate about education.

In an effort to bolster and expand the dialogue about the role education plays in the lives of all Americans we created Living Education eMagazine. It is our goal, our purpose to introduce our readers to the multiplicity of roles education has in our everyday lives. Through our exploration and examination of all educational issues germane to parents, students, educators, and political leaders we hope to play a role in redefining the economic benefits to an educated society.

In our inaugural edition, we examine a variety of educational topics we believe important to Americans and global educators alike. Staff at Living Education eMagazine was sent on a mission to find unique views and perspectives on education as a means to re-establish the importance of education in our everyday lives. We believe the staff of Living Education eMagazine has done just that! Educators and civic leaders from all over America have provided their voice to our discussion. We welcome you to join the conversation and to make Living Education eMagazine a part of your educational conversation.

Thanks for all you have done to expand the discussion about the value of education in our everyday lives. Below you will find the link to Living Education eMagazine. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at editor.forestoftherain@gmail.com

http://www.yudu.com/item/details/354142/Living-Education-eMagazine-Vol.--1

Also, please review our video discussion on bullying at http://education4and2parents.podbean.com/2011/04/15/living-education-magazine-discusses-bullying-video/

Sincerely,

Forest Of The Rain Productions
P.O. Box 326
Savage, Maryland 20763
240.593.3813
www.forestoftherain.net

African American Male Teachers

2011-07-02T00:46:00.000-07:00

QUESTION:

What is the Value of African American Male Teachers in the Classroom?

Dr. Chance Lewis
Associate Professor
Urban Education
College of Education
Texas A&M University

Having an African American male in the classroom breaks the stereotype that classroom teaching is only for females. It presents an image that African American males and males in general are able to be classroom teachers. This is important because many students really aspire to be like those they see. So, they [students] may never see an African American male in the classroom and these results in a ripple effect of students’ aspirations to become a teacher. I am pushing through my research to have more African American male quality teachers in the classroom, as a means to present a strong image for all students, particularly African American males. This is very important for students. It really breaks the stereotype that teaching is only for females

Living Education eMagazine

2011-06-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

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Online Publishing from YUDU

Hello Engaged Parents, Dedicated Educators, and Business Leaders,

Forest Of The Rain Productions is proud to announce the publication of our first magazine, Living Education eMagazine. Forest Of The Rain Productions' mission is to serve as a conduit by which conversations regarding challenges confronting education today are presented unfiltered. Forest Of The Rain Productions prides itself on introducing leading researchers, scholars, engaged parents, dedicated educators, and involved civic leaders to those who are as equally passionate about education.

In an effort to bolster and expand the dialogue about the role education plays in the lives of all Americans we created Living Education eMagazine. It is our goal, our purpose to introduce our readers to the multiplicity of roles education has in our everyday lives. Through our exploration and examination of all educational issues germane to parents, students, educators, and political leaders we hope to play a role in redefining the economic benefits to an educated society.

In our inaugural edition, we examine a variety of educational topics we believe important to Americans and global educators alike. Staff at Living Education eMagazine was sent on a mission to find unique views and perspectives on education as a means to re-establish the importance of education in our everyday lives. We believe the staff of Living Education eMagazine has done just that! Educators and civic leaders from all over America have provided their voice to our discussion. We welcome you to join the conversation and to make Living Education eMagazine a part of your educational conversation.

Thanks for all you have done to expand the discussion about the value of education in our everyday lives. Below you will find the link to Living Education eMagazine. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at editor.forestoftherain@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Forest Of The Rain Productions
P.O. Box 326
Savage, Maryland 20763
240.593.3813

Summer Learning Loss Can Be Prevented

2011-06-02T16:07:00.001-07:00

Dr. Michael A. Robinson

I just reviewed data on the percentage of fourth grade students passing their 2008-2009 state reading exams, according to NBC’s Education Nation website. Click here to see the Maryland data for yourself. Below are a few Maryland public school systems and their percentages of fourth grade students passing state reading:

Anne Arundel County (91%)
Baltimore City (78%)
Baltimore County (87%)
Calvert County (94%)
Howard County (93%)
Montgomery County (91%)
Prince George's County (77%)

As engaged parents, we have to address the low percentage of students performing well in the classroom and on state exams. This is especially important during the summer when academically centered activities give way to summer fun and frolic.

Former CEO for the National Summer Learning Association Ron Fairchild stated that 65% of the achievement gap can be attributed to summer learning loss. If this is true, we as parents cannot sit idly by and watch all the gains our children have made during the previous school year fall back. In a report released by the National Summer Learning Association, summer learning loss has been linked to low academic achievement and extremely high dropout rates.

The research brief cites the work of Dr. Karl Alexander and his colleagues which suggested that students from low economic backgrounds tend to experience a greater degree of academic drops in skills during the summer. Their research also discovered that students from economic disadvantaged backgrounds typically enter the school year at a lower level than typically middle class students, however, the researchers’ suggested that by the end of the year students from the low income families have progressed at or about an equal rate of those from a more affluent economic background. According the writers, their struggles really pick up during the summer when they experience the summer slide. The summer slide was not a phenomenon their more well off peers encountered.

Dr. Alexander when asked to explain why income levels impacted summer learning and more specifically why higher income students performed better upon return from summer breaks, he posited there were “some definite differences (Alexander, 2010). He further explained,

I don’t want to break it down into a checklist, but some differences seemed relevant. For example, better-off children were more likely to go to the library over the summertime and take books home. They were more likely to engage in a variety of enrichment experiences such as attending museums, concerts and field trips. They were more likely to take out-of-town vacations, be involved in organized sports activities, or take lessons, such as swimming or gymnastics lessons. Overall, they had a more expansive realm of experiences.

Many of the activities outlined by Dr. Alexander could be out of the reach of lower income families and to an extent a growing number of middle class families. Thus families have to create alternative learning opportunities to for their children. Scholars and school administrators agree there are ways this can be accomplished.

Summer Learning

2011-05-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

FACTS

“For many children in America, summer vacation means camp, trips to new or familiar destinations, visits to museums, parks and libraries, and a variety of enriching activities – either with families or as part of a summer learning program. But for millions of others, when schools close for the summer, safe and enriching learning environments are out of reach, replaced by boredom, lost opportunities and risk” (America After 3PM Special Report on Summer, 2010).

Part 1: National Facts about Summer Learning Loss

In the United States today, only 25 percent of school-age children (an estimated 14.3 million children) participate in summer learning programs.

Based on parent interest in enrolling their child in a summer learning program, 56 percent of all non-participating children (an estimated 24 million children) would likely enroll in summer learning programs.

Parents of only one-third of children show no interest in enrolling their children in summer learning programs.

Low-income and ethnic minority children are more likely to attend summer learning programs than other children, but the unmet demand among low-income and minority families are also greatest.

By an overwhelming margin, parents support public funding for summer learning programs, with the strongest level of support coming from low-income and ethnic minority parents (America After 3PM Special Report on Summer, 2010).

Part 2: Maryland Facts about Summer Learning

Just 31 Percent of Maryland Children Attend Summer Learning Programs

An Estimated 358,000 Maryland Kids Would Likely Participate in a Summer Learning Program, Based on Parent Interest

Part 3: Just The Facts and Nothing But The Facts

All young people experience learning losses when they don't engage in educational activities during the summer.

Students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer vacation (Reading Is Fundamental, 2011).

Low-income children and youth experience greater summer learning losses than their higher-income peers (Reading Is Fundamental, 2011).

On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months (Reading Is Fundamental, 2011).

Low-income students experience an average summer learning loss in reading achievement of more than 2 months (Reading Is Fundamental, 2011).

Studies show that out-of-school time is a dangerous time for unsupervised children and teens. They are more likely to:
- Use alcohol, drugs, and tobacco
- Engage in criminal and other high-risk behaviors
- Receive poor grades; and drop out of school than those who have the opportunity to benefit from constructive activities supervised by responsible adults.
- Without practice, students lose reading skills over the summer months and children from low-income families lose the most (The National Summer Learning Association’s Research website, 2011).

Part 4: An Interview with Dr. Kim James of Harvard University

Here is a snippet of an interview between Dr. James and The National Summer Learning Association.

Q. So it’s not enough to just give a child a book and expect him or her to read it?

A. Access to reading materials is crucial, of course, but according to our research, that’s not enough, especially in the early elementary school years. Many people are aware that children lose reading skills over the summer and that low-income children fall behind, compared to their more advantaged classmates. We also know that kids who read a lot over the summertime sustain reading comprehension and vocabulary. Consequently, some people conclude that, in order to increase reading skills, we need to increase access to books—but the research indicates it’s not that simple. In fact, in one study, when we gave books to kids but did nothing else, they did no better than the kids who did nothing over the summer. There was no difference.

Part 5: Information, Tidbits, and Knowledge about Summer Learning Loss

About two-thirds of the ninth-grade achievement gap between lower and higher income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college (Alexander et al. 2007).

Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do (Duffett et al. 2004).

Guest Blogger Kimberly Parker: My Child Is A Bully

2011-05-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

MY CHILD IS A BULLY

Recent news headlines of how bullying is pervasive in schools all across the nation sounded the alarm in my heart and mind. What’s worse, such incidences have led to “bullycide.” Bullycide, according to Wikipedia, “refers to suicide attributable to the victim having been bullied.” I’m truly saddened that tragedy strikes our children in this manner. To think that a child feels such a sense of hopelessness should sadden us all.

While chatting with a parent not long ago, I began to share my thoughts and concerns on the subject. She, too, was concerned and thought that we should do something about it. After brainstorming for a moment, she suggested that we have a workshop in an attempt to bring awareness to other parents in the community. No longer, we felt, that the subject was taboo; the time was ripe to shed light on this not-so-often spoken of problem. Ironically, neither of us was aware that National Bullying Week was on the horizon.

I will be the first to admit that my expertise was not in “bullying prevention.” While I can speak about it from a victim perspective considering I was bullied from kindergarten through sixth grade, I was not equipped to impart information from the clinical vantage point. With that, I searched the internet and discovered tons of information. In the interest of time, I’ll merely highlight a few thoughts I pulled from a Power Point presentation entitled “Take a Stand Against Bullying”:

1. Bullying is an intentional written, verbal, or physical act that intimidates or subjects a person to hostility or ill treatment.

2. Bullying involves repeated actions which causes another to feel afraid, humiliated, embarrassed, threatened, or shamed.

3. There are four ways bullying happens: verbally, physically, sexually, or whereby property is extorted or vandalized.

4. There is typically an imbalance of power in the relationship whereby the culprit seeks control.

5. Bullying can lead to feelings of alienation, insecurity, anger, and fear. The victim can experience a drop in grades, weight loss or gain, headaches, and even suicide.

6. If you suspect your child is being bullied, talk to your child, contact the school, and/or notify the police. (NOTE: My mother never knew I was being bullied because I was afraid to tell her. I thought I was going to get in trouble and be blamed for what was happening to me. Please assure your child that it’s not their fault if this is taking place and that you are there to advocate and support them.

7. If you suspect your child is a bully, talk to your child, encourage empathy for others, review consequences of bullying behavior, and, if necessary, contact the school for help.

Two days after this presentation, I received this email from a parent:

Good Morning, Mrs. Parker. I was planning to not come to the meeting the other night because I was very tired from working all day. However, I am very glad that I did. The information you shared helped me to realize that my child is a bully. Up until the meeting, I dismissed what he was doing as “kids being kids.” But, when you started sharing those bullying traits and said, “It can lead to the death of another person” I knew I could no longer be in denial.

Initially, I was at a lost for words. I never expected an email like this. In short, I told the parent I was glad to assist and encouraged her to reach out if I could do more.

There is so much more helpful information I gleaned from this presentation. Unfortunately, I can not capture it all here. If you would like a copy, feel free to contact me directly. I will gladly share it with you.

Bullying is very serious. It is neither a normal childhood activity of rite of passage. Please take a moment to share this information with your child. In fact, let them read some of the news articles for themselves, if age appropriate. We can no longer afford to ignore this very serious problem. It’s time to take a stand against bullying.

Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). On July 23, 2011, she is hosting "The BEST Young Writer’s Workshop EVER” for youth between the ages of nine and 18. Additionally, she is hosting “Write On!”, an eight week summer writing program for youth. Visit www.writeonprogram.eventbrite.com for more information. Kimberly is a ghostwriter, author and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

UPCOMING INTERVIEWS

2011-05-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

UPCOMING INTERVIEWS
“PARENT TALK LIVE”
HOSTED BY:
Dr. Michael A. Robinson

Felecia Hatcher
Author
The “C” Students Guide to Scholarships
Topic: “The “C” Students Guide to Scholarships”
Date: June 5, 2011
Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm
Call-in Number: 914.803.4591
Tweet Questions: http://twitter.com/pgcpsparents

Felecia Hatcher was recently named one of the Top 10 Superstar Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 by Allbusiness.com and she has been featured in Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine, ABC News, Inc.com, Entrepreneur and the Food Network. As an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and author Hatcher has dedicated her life to motivating young people to look past their circumstances and get creative!

Hatcher has recently published her first book titled The 'C' Students Guide To Scholarships, to help students with less then stellar grades beat the odds and put themselves in the running for scholarship funds. As an average high school student - with a GPA that fluctuated between 2.1 and 2.7 - Hatcher beat the odds and managed to pull down over $100,000 in scholarship money to attend Lynn University. At 19, she started her first college coaching business called Urban Excellence. Hatcher has since traveled around the country conducting workshops and building successful college prep programs for companies like DeVry, the YMCA, Texas A&M, TED and the Urban League.

Hatcher has also spearheaded a number of successful experiential marketing campaigns while working for Nintendo, Sony and the WNBA, and in 2008 she embraced her inner foodie and took to the Miami streets with her now wildly successful Feverish Ice Cream Truck and boutique ice cream catering company. In her free time, Felecia Hatcher works with the NFTE (National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship), consults with start-ups, and travels the country speaking to parents and students about scholarships and youth empowerment.

Dr. Jonathan Cohen
Cofounder and President
National School Climate Center
(Formerly the Center for Social and Emotional Education)
Topic: The Importance of a Positive School Climate
Date: June 12, 2011
Time: 8:00pm-8:30pm
Call-in Number: 914.803.4591
Tweet Questions: http://twitter.com/pgcpsparents

Dr. Cohen is an adjunct professor in psychology and education at Columbia University, adjunct professor in education at City University of New York and a practicing clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. Dr. Cohen has worked in and with K–12 schools for over 30 years in a variety of roles: as a teacher, program developer, school psychologist, consultant, psycho-educational diagnostician and mental health provider.

Dr. William R. Hite
Superintendent
Prince George's County Public Schools
Topic: Leading A Large Urban School System in Times of Fiscal Challenges
Date: June 17, 2011
Time: 2:00pm-2:30pm
Call-in Number: 914.803.4591
Tweet Questions: http://twitter.com/pgcpsparents

Dr. William R. Hite, Jr. was named Superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) on April 3, 2009, by the Prince George’s County Board of Education, after serving as Interim Superintendent since December 1, 2008.

In June 2006, Dr. Hite was hired as Deputy Superintendent of PGCPS, Maryland’s second largest school system and the 18th largest system in the nation. During his tenure, he focused on student access and educational equity to ensure that all students graduate college-and work-ready. This work continues at a rapid pace and without interruption.

Among his many leadership responsibilities, Dr. Hite has led major efforts resulting in increased student achievement, significant improvements in teaching and learning, and school improvement status. This included work on the Intensive Support and Intervention Schools (ISIS) that provided significant support to schools most in need based on student and school performance indicators, as well as work in partnership with the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, which focused on improving the capacity of teachers and administrators to strengthen the teaching and learning process. Most recently, he oversaw a major reorganization of the district’s regions into zones to reduce cost and provide greater support to schools.

Parent Talk Live will speak with Kim Carrington About Creating an After Prom Safe-Haven for Students

2011-05-15T06:44:00.001-07:00

Parent Talk Live
Hosted
By
Dr. Michael A. Robinson

Parent Talk Live is a weekly radio show for families and members of the community who aspire to become an integral part of their children’s academic success and the growth of communities. Parent Talk is hosted by Dr. Michael A. Robinson

This week’s Parent Talk Live will speak with Kim Carrington, a mother of six who has created an alternative after prom event designed to offer students who want to continue to enjoy their prom evening in an environment that is safe and free of drugs and alcohol.

Mrs. Kim Carrington
President
United Health Heroes
Topic: Creating an After Prom Safe-Haven for Students
Date: May 15, 2011
Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm
Call-in Number: 914.803.4591
Online: Chat Live

Kim Carrington is a mother in Maryland who has created an alternative after prom event designed to offer students who want to continue to enjoy their prom evening an opportunity to do so in an environment that is safe and free of drugs and alcohol.

Proms and graduations are a time for celebration in the lives of students. Teens all over America will be celebrating their prom and graduation with friends and families. All engaged parents and dedicated educators must encourage teens to celebrate responsibly and to arrive home safe and sound from prom and graduation. Underage drinking is real and it cost thousands of lives each year. A large percentage of fatal car crashes involving teens occur during prom and graduation season

Living Education eMagazine

2011-05-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Living Education eMagazine

Presents

Living Education eMagazine discusses the importance of fathers and their impact on the academic lives of children. Host Dr. Michael Robinson will explore the benefits associated with an actively engaged father or significant male role model in the lives of children with a panel of experts. Guest will include:

Bullying and Family Violence May Be Linked But Let’s Not Lose Sight of the Act Itself

2011-04-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

By:

Michael A. Robinson, Ed.D.

The affects of bullying are harmful to the victim. Research has shown that victims of bullying have life-time scars related to their bullying experiences. Now a recently released report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which was developed in partnership with Massachusetts Department of Public Health suggest children who are bullied and those that commit acts of bullying are very likely to live in a home where violence is prevalent. The study examined middle school and high school students throughout the state of Massachusetts. Their results revealed that acts of violence in the home of a student bullied and that of the person committing the bullying occurred more often than in homes where bullying is not evident. The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) which outlined the expanding research on the link between family violence and bullying, clearly suggest schools have to involve parents and families more in the development of positive school cultures.

While the report sheds additional light on the issue of bullying, I am concerned! I am very concerned that the report will simply serve as another means by which to persecute the victims of bullying. It remains imperative for school officials, teachers, community leaders, parents and all significant adults and role models in the lives of children not to lose focus on the act of bullying. However, the real issue facing schools, students, families, and communities is simply the acts of bullying. More specifically, the acts of bullying that result in the death of students. School officials and others should never feel comfortable in assuming the behavior of the victim or the student conducting the bullying is related to violence in the home. The focus should be on the act and complying with their public procedures and policies. I cannot stress the importance of focusing on the behavior and not assuming the cause. A lesson can be learned from the death of a young man who committed suicide at Rutgers University after his roommate placed a video of him having a sexual relationship with another man. The actions of the bully and the results of the act, a suicide are far more important than an attempt to explain the factors that may or may not lead to an affinity for bullying on behalf of each of the young men.

The CDC's study offers one of what are multiple lenses by which bullying manifest. The facts are that a large portion of bullying is not physical, but highly mental. Cyber bullying is as demoralizing as traditional playground bullying, but it occurs without the physical connection. Relational bullying designed to ostracized is typically practiced by girls does not involve a physical interaction, but yet its affects can be devastating. The victims of relational bullying have fatally injured themselves.

Exploring the link between bullying and home violence is a legitimate study, but so is the link between bullying and school culture, bullying and peer pressure, bullying and the number of hours of television watching, bullying and teacher supervision, bullying and race, bullying and gender, bullying and socioeconomic status and bullying and adult encouragement. Simply stated bullying is an issue and schools, homes, families, friends, civic leaders and community stakeholders have to take a stance to prevent it.

Dr. Judith White, Receives Distinguished Educational Leadership Award

2011-04-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

COLLEGE PARK, MD (April, 2011) – College of Education alumna and Dodge Park Elementary School principal Dr. Judith White (MA '94) will receive The Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award during a ceremony and reception at The Washington Post on April 28 at 5 p.m.

White was nominated by her school community and selected by a committee of her peers in Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) as the school system’s nominee for this annual award.

"Dr. White is an outstanding principal, and we are proud to add this to her list of achievements," said Dr. William R. Hite, Jr., Superintendent of Schools. "Strong leadership in schools is critical to ensuring all students have effective teachers in the classroom and all students graduate with the skills they need to be successful, productive citizens."

Dr. White was born and raised in Prince George's County and is a graduate of the school system. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Salisbury State University, a Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Maryland, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Bowie State University. She began her 14–year career as a high school special education teacher at Frederick Douglass High School, and after taking part in the PGCPS Pre-Leadership Program and Aspiring Principals Academy, went on to serve as assistant principal at Cooper Lane Elementary School, and was appointed principal of Dodge Park in 2004.

When she first arrived at Dodge Park, a Title 1 school, Dr. White as faced with many challenges. With a large population of students living in poverty and students who are English language learners, less than 20 percent were identified as proficient on the Maryland School Assessments (MSA). Over her six-year tenure, student achievement has steadily grown – now more than 80 percent of her students are performing at proficient or advanced levels.

"Under her leadership, Dodge Park has moved from one of our lowest performing schools to our highest, gaining an astonishing 60 percentage points in student achievement in both reading and math," said Andrew Zuckerman, Area 2 Assistant Superintendent and White's supervisor. "She inspires teachers, students, and parents to be the very best they can be, and her school community supports her vision for success."

Dr. White uses creative and innovative methods to inspire students and staff, including using cutting–edge technology, hosting weekly cross grade–level planning sessions, scheduling learning walks to observe and share instructional strategies, and providing staff with the latest information in the field of education.

Dedicated to her school community, Dr. White increases parent involvement through frequent communication provided in both English and Spanish, invites parents to visit classrooms and participate in special events, and encourages teachers to make weekly direct communications with parents a high priority.

"Dr. White exemplifies the qualities of a phenomenal principal, and possesses personal integrity and an intuitive leadership style," states a colleague in her letter recommending Dr. White for the award. "I am a fervent admirer of her giving spirit, creative talents, and extraordinary leadership ability. The enthusiasm she portrays as principal inspires her staff and students to someday be great leaders."

The Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Awards seek to recognize those principals who go beyond the day–to–day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment.

From Prince George’s County Public Schools Press Release dated April 7, 2011.

“PARENT TALK LIVE”

2011-04-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

“PARENT TALK LIVE”
HOSTED BY:
Dr. Michael A. Robinson

Parent Talk Live is a weekly radio show for families and members of the community who aspire to become an integral part of their children’s academic success and the growth of communities. Parent Talk is hosted by Dr. Michael A. Robinson.

Rochelle Wilson,
Director School Culture and Student Behavior
District of Columbia Public Schools

Topic: Positive School Culture and Student Achievement
Date: May 1, 2011
Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm
Call-in Number: 914.803.4591

Positive school cultures have been linked to a positive classroom culture, which according to experts increases student achievement. What are your thoughts? Share your opinion and join me in an open discussion on the value of positive school culture and student achievement. If you miss the show, you can catch a re-broadcast online at our Podcast Resource Center www.education4and2parents.podbean.com

Call in number: 914. 803.4591. You can listen on the internet at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal/2011/05/02/parent-talk-live-the-value-of-positive-school-culture or follow us on Twitter at www. http://twitter.com/anaturalbridge

Forest Of The Rain Productions Discusses The Value of Education with an Educator and a Civic Leader

2011-04-20T23:20:00.001-07:00

Hello Engaged Parents and Dedicated Educators,

Below you will find two very interesting interviews. Our first interview opens our discussion with five superintendents from across America in what we are calling “The Educational Landscape" with Dr. Joe A. Hairston, Superintendent for Baltimore County Public Schools since 2000.

The second interview is with Mr. Jim Rosapepe, Maryland State Senator for District 21. Mr. Rosapepe discusses his vision for education and the factors impacting education in the state of Maryland.

Dr. Joe A. Hairston
Superintendent
Baltimore County Public Schools
Topic: The Value of Education and The Success of Baltimore County Public School Students
Time: 10:00am
Date: April 21, 2011
Where: The Journey Begins, Internet Radio for the Engaged Parent and Dedicated Educator

A visionary and progressive leader, Dr. Joe A. Hairston has served since 2000 as Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, the nation's 26th largest school system. Dr. Hairston’s administration is now among the longest in the modern day history of the school system. Dr. Hairston’s results-based leadership has yielded a growing list of achievements including greater student participation and success in Advanced Placement and national renown for the quality of high schools and arts education, use of technology, greater accountability, and resource conservation.

A career rooted in the classroom

A career educator, Dr. Hairston's ascent in education administration began and is rooted in the classroom. Over the years, he has developed and refined strategies that have proven successful in raising student achievement. Dr. Hairston began his career in 1969 as a teacher in Prince George's County. Within two years of entering the classroom, he was appointed department chairperson and five years after that he became administrative assistant to a principal. He was appointed vice principal in 1977 and was named a principal in 1981. While serving as the principal of Crossland High School, from 1982 to 1986, Dr. Hairston developed an organizational, instructional, and marketing model for high school reform that he next employed at Suitland High School. At Suitland, a low-performing school with almost 2,300 students, Dr. Hairston implemented a nationally recognized visionary magnet program, which increased achievement for all students in the school – not just those in the magnet program. His achievements in turning Suitland around were recognized by President Ronald Reagan, Vice President George Bush, and Secretary of Education William J. Bennett and led the school to receive a National Award of Excellence. Many of the elements of Dr. Hairston's formula for student success – developed throughout the 1980s – are echoed in the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

In 1989, Dr. Hairston was named assistant superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools. Then in 1995, he became the first appointed (rather than elected) superintendent of Clayton County Public Schools in Jonesboro, Georgia. During his tenure in Clayton County, he earned praise for infusing technology into the administration and schools, increasing business partnerships, and developing community advocacy and fiscal support for the school system.A native of Virginia, Dr. Hairston earned a doctorate in education administration from Virginia Tech (1993), a master's degree in administration and physical education from American University (1976), and bachelor's degree in biology and physical science from Maryland State University (now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore) (1969).

James Carew Rosapepe
Maryland State Senator
District 21
Topic: A Vision for Education and Trends Impacting the Education
Time: 10:00am
Date: April 21, 2011
Where: The Journey Begins, Internet Radio for the Engaged Parent and Dedicated Educator

Member of Senate since January 10, 2007. Assistant Deputy Majority Whip, 2007-. Member, Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, 2007-; Joint Committee on Base Realignment and Closure, 2007-. Senate Chair, Joint Information Technology and Biotechnology Committee, 2009-; Joint Audit Committee, 2011-. Chair, Joint Technology Oversight Committee, 2007-09. Member, National Conference of State Legislatures (communications, financial services & interstate commerce committee, 2007- ).

Board of Regents, University System of Maryland, 2001-06. Member, Task Force to Improve Child Support Compliance in Prince George's County, 2007-08; Task Force on the Preservation of Heritage Language Skills in Maryland, 2008-09. Chair, Task Force on Solar Hot Water Systems in Prince George's County, 2010. Member of House of Delegates, 1987-97. Vice-Chair, Ways and Means Committee, 1995-97. Resigned from House of Delegates, effective December 31, 1997, to become U.S. Ambassador to Romania. U.S. Ambassador to Romania, January 20, 1998 to February 2001.

Living Education Magazine: A Discussion About Bullying

2011-04-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

Kimberly K. Parker: Get All The Facts

2011-04-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

GET ALL THE FACTS

For close to two years, I had the extreme pleasure of serving Prince George’s County Public Schools as a Parent Liaison. Transitioning back into the workforce after being a stay-at-home-Momma for nine and one half years, I excitedly accepted the position with all of its possibilities! What made this opportunity most ideal was being able to fulfill this role at the school my children attended. What more could a Momma request?

Serving as a bridge between home, the school, and the community kept my plate overflowing! Not one to complain about a little hard work, I proudly entered the building ready to rise to every occasion and left that same building feeling I made a difference…daily! The overall experience rewarded me in ways too numerous to name and has changed my life completely. Discontinuing that vital service to the community was most unfortunate. While I am gainfully employed elsewhere by day and run a small publishing company by night, I truly miss “my parents.”

Above all else, my parents knew that I was there to support them. As adults, we should really learn to sit at their feet for a spell. As I reflect on the monthly reports I submitted, contacting a parent or being contacted by a parent via telephone, email, letter, or face to face often times exceeded 200 occurrences per month. Not every missive was laced with sugar and spice. Sometimes, the concerns were both sensitive and serious and demanded immediate attention. I knew that in order to be effective as the parent advocate, I had to remain neutral and get all the facts. Whenever the situation involved a conflict between students, I would obtain permission from the school and the families involved to speak directly with the children.

I will forever embrace that children are out greatest teachers. Yet, their account of what actually happened, who was involved, why it occurred, and how was it handled differed from the initial conversation with the parent. While it appeared that “Kevin” was pushed out of line while walking down the hall, “Simone” actually tripped over her shoestrings and attempted to brace herself before falling. I can still hear my parent say, “Mrs. Parker, I really apologize for blaming that child for pushing my child.”

I can give countless examples of these types of outcomes. Instead, I’d like to offer the following suggestions when getting all the facts: 1. Take great strides to approach any situation calmly. Flared tempers, flowery statements, and threatening body language are such a disservice to you, your child, and the school. 2. No matter how right you think you are, remember that you can only truly testify to what you actually witness. While your child may not be mendacious, perspective and lapse in time from the initial event has the tendency to distort the truth. 3. Provide an opportunity for your child to express his thoughts and concerns without intimidation and listen intently. Children are to be both seen and heard. If you really want to know why children don’t listen to adults, it’s because adults don’t listen to children. 4. Turn every experience (yes, even if it’s unpleasant) into a teachable moment. Discuss with your child the importance of making right choices, honoring another person’s feelings, and standing up for what’s right. Be open to a peaceful resolution while incorporating consequences for unacceptable behavior. It is neither cute nor funny nor justifiable to allow your child to break the rules. Wrong is wrong!

Kimberly K. Parker is the owner of Writing Momma Publishing (www.writingmomma.com). She is hosting “REACH! This workshop is POWER PACKED with great information on preparing for college, investments and savings, buying a home, and more! Visit www.reach.eventbrite.com to purchase tickets and for more information. Kimberly is an author and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

2nd Annual Parental Engagement Conference:

2011-04-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

2nd Annual Parental Engagement Conference:

"Creating Diversity in Your Parental Engagement Strategies”

October 7, 2011

Featured Speakers

Dr. Anita Reed

“Engaging Foster Care Parents, By Understanding Their Unique Needs”

Mr. James H. Wendorf

“Successful Approaches to Engage Families of Special Needs Students”

Dr. Mavis G. Sanders

“Strategies to Engage Single Parent Households”

Dr. Marlene Snyder

“Successful Ways to Effectively Engage Parents of Students Who Have Been Bullied”

Eric Snow

“Engaging Fathers To Increase Student Achievement”

Tim Stahlke

“How Schools Can Effectively Engage Homeless Families”

"Your Money, Your Future" with Financial Educator, Carmen Johnson

2011-03-07T22:08:00.001-08:00

"Has anyone seen the gas prices?"

I'm sure we all have! Even pedestrians are aware of the recent hike in prices at the pump. The pain at the pump is a national issue which stems from an international source. Anytime there's an uproar in the middle east we can guarantee that the United States will feel the pressure. Is this not yet another opportunity for us to design a plan in which we learn how to sustain ourselves with our own natural resources. Wind, Water, Electricity and even oil are all available on US soil. Its time for America to use it or lose it. Many automakers have taken the time to make more fuel efficient vehicles and communities are now thinking green. Step up America and fight! Say no to higher gas prices and yes to new technology which will empower our country for generations to come.

> Until next this is Your Money Your Future, I am Carmen Johnson, your Financial Educator and the Founder and CEO of the Katie Able Foundation Please check us out at the Katieablefoundation.org and remember do something to justify your existence, together we can create the Future.

"Your Money, Your Future" with Financial Educator, Carmen Johnson

2011-02-28T12:30:00.001-08:00

“School Budget Cuts ”

A few weeks back we discussed the importance of maintaining a household budget. If only law makers and lobbyists could use the same simple tactics when balancing the budget for their respective state, town or city. The fact of the matter is that in a country rooted in democracy we'll never all agree on the same issues. We'll have differences in opinions and professional dislikes but we can't allow our disagreements to get us off track.

Recently, my foundation sent a group of students from a local high-school to our capitol in Annapolis to speak with delegates about the budget cuts and how the educational system in Prince Georges County would be negatively impacted. No physical education, less guidance counselors, larger classroom sizes and no ROTC. These are just a few of the items on the table.

As parents, we have to always remember we are responsible for our children. Yes, we want to protest and demand a better educational system but it all starts at home. I encourage you to buy your kids more books to enhance their studies and reading skills. I encourage you to take them to museums and music halls to tap into their artistic minds. Even with budget short falls we can still have great, successful and smart kids. It is time we as parents stand up and make sure we are doing everything we can to teach our kids how to be better students which make better adults for tomorrow.

Until next week this is Your Money Your Future,

I am Carmen Johnson, your Financial Educator and the Founder and CEO of the Katie Able Foundation. Please check us out at the KatieAbleFoundation.org and remember do something to justify your existence, together we can create the Future!

"Your Money, Your Future" with Financial Educator, Carmen Johnson

2011-02-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today's Reality on Student Loans

This is it! The day you have been waiting for. Your eighteen year old has graduated from high school and is headed to college. You couldn’t be more proud. Sure, you and your spouse have saved a few dollars here and there just for this occasion only to learn that what you had been holding on to isn’t nearly enough to even cover books.

Still excited and determined your child runs home with a FAFSA form. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form, for some, can be the beginning of the end. Basically, after completing the application and submitting it back to your child’s school of choice your information is shopped around to different banks until funding is approved. Note! I said YOUR information.

What most parents don’t know or even expect is that they may have to co-sign or become the primary signer for their child’s student loan. Reason, the economy has changed and the days of bank lending money to persons with no or limited credit history is over.

So what’s the solution? That’s something that you have to decide. Are you and your spouse in a financial position where you can take on more debt? What are the long term effects that this can have on your credit? Is your credit even up to par to act as a co-signer on a student loan? What other loan or funding options are available for your child? These are all questions that you can consider. I know we love our children but going in to debt for them may not be the answer.

Until next week this is Your money, Your future, I am Carmen Johnson, your Financial Educator and the Founder and CEO of the Katie Able Foundation.

Please check us out at Katieablefoundation.org and remember, Do something to justify your Existence, TOGETHER we can create the future!

Parent Talk Presents a Round Table Discussion: A Budget Crisis For Prince George's County Public Schools

2011-02-17T16:13:00.000-08:00

Part Two

PARENT TALK “LIVE”

HOSTED BY: MIKE ROBINSON

Date: 2/21/11

Time: 8:00pm-10:00pm

Call-In Number- (914) 803.4591

Website: Parent Talk Live

Parent Talk Presents a Round Table Discussion: A Budget Crisis For Prince George's County Public Schools with:

Tonya V. Wingfield, Founder and Executive Director of Nehemiah's Vision

Khadijah “Moon” Ali-Coleman an award-winning journalist

Jennifer Harris author of PGD9Politico, a blog that focuses on keeping Prince George's County politicians accountable for their decisions and voters.

This is a show for parents and educators to share their views. We want you to call in and express your views and opinions.

Governor O’Malley recently released his proposed FY 2012 budget and it contained a dramatic reduction in education funding. According to Governor O’Malley’s budget education will lose more than 90 million dollars in funding. With such a dramatic cut in education allocations it is bound to have a very unpleasant trickle down effect.

One such impact from the Governor’s budget shaving is the FY2012 budget of Prince George's County Public Schools. The reduction in state education funding will cost Prince George's County Public Schools as much as 20.9 million dollars in revenue and thus create a 2.4% or 85 million budget gap. As a result of the budget deficit Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite proposed a budget with the elimination of over 1,100 county employees to include teachers.

Panelist will discuss:

Recent survey regarding PGCPS budget
Central office reductions
Reduction of teachers
Cutting transportation to Speciality Programs
Cutting Guidance Counselors
Making Pre-K 1/2 a day
as well as other topics you would like to discuss

At a February 10, 2011 budget hearing more than 120 teachers, staff, parents and members of the community came to voice their various concerns about the proposed budget cuts and to advocate for their programs. Programs such as Reading-Recovery and critical staff positions as media specialists were clearly presented as a line of demarcation for many in attendance.

The proposed budget presented by Dr. Hite to the BOE has ignited a fervor that has seen the discussion of the possibility of increase class sizes for a second year and a major staff layoff permeate local social media discussion.

Here to provide an assessment of the proposed FY 2012 school budget are three leading community and media experts.

Tonya V. Wingfield

Founder & Executive Director

Nehemiah's Vision, Inc.

Tonya V. Wingfield is the Founder and Executive Director of Nehemiah's Vision, Inc. (NEVI). Prior to establishing NEVI, she worked for over 20 years as an IT training consultant supporting mid-to-large size law firms, government agencies and non-profit organizations. She is an Adjunct Faculty Member at Prince George's Community College where she teaches computer classes as part of the college's Workforce Development Training Program.

Khadijah Ali-Coleman

Founder

Liberated Muse Productions

Khadijah “Moon” Ali-Coleman is an award-winning journalist who has served the Washington DC metropolitan area for more than six years, covering education, political and arts news for online, print and broadcast media. Her articles have appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines, including East of the River, The Washington Informer, District Chronicles, The Baltimore Times, The Afro and The Hill Rag. Nationally, her work has been read on online sites, including SoulTrain.com, the award-winning music blog SoulBounce.com, and the national news site Examiner.com where she writes as the DC Community Issues Examiner.

Jennifer Harris

Political Analysts

PGD9Politico

Jennifer Harris is the author of PGD9Politico, a blog that focuses on keeping Prince George's County politicians accountable for their decisions and voters informed of the facts about their county government. She began blogging last fall, after participating as a volunteer communications manager for the campaign of Tamara Davis Brown, who ran unsuccessfully for County Council in District 9. After knocking on thousands of doors and speaking to hundreds of voters, she felt an urgency to raise awareness about the importance of voting in local elections, where political decisions have the biggest impact on issues people really care about: schools, public safety, transportation, and their quality of life.

An Exclusive Interview with PG County Executive Mr. Rushern Baker

2011-02-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

Hello Engaged Parents and Dedicated Educators,

Forest Of The Rain Productions presents An Exclusive Interview with PG County Executive Mr. Rushern Baker. Mr. Baker PG discusses the budget crisis confronting Prince George's County Public Schools and how his Administration plans to support the Board of Education to protect classrooms and students.

This is a pre-recorded interview conducted by Educational Gateway host Michael Robinson on February 14, 2011. You can hear the interview starting at 10:30am today, by clicking on the links below.

An Exclusive Interview with PG County Executive Mr. Rushern Baker
A Round Table Discussion: A Budget Crisis For PGCPS
The Journey Begins Internet Radio

Visit Parents and PGCPS at: http://parentsandpgcps.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Gladys Noon Spellman Scholarship Applications Available

2011-02-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

The Prince George's County Women's History Month Committee has established a scholarship in the memory of Congresswoman Gladys Noon Spellman. Ms. Spellman was a celebrated public servant of Prince George's County for more than two decades.

2011 Gladys Noon Spellman Public Service Award Application
2011 Gladys Noon Spellman Scholarship Application

Applications are accepted prior to the Women's History Month Luncheon that meet with the following criteria for interested candidates:

Candidate must be a Prince George's County resident.
Candidate should be in the 12th grade (accepted into college/or pending).
Candidate should be planning to major in government, criminal justice, political science, public administration, Fire Science or a health related field.
Candidate should have outside interests and activities, including community service.
Candidate must be in good academic standing and demonstrate financial need.
Candidate must be able to attend the Annual Women's History luncheon Thursday, March 17, 2011, at 12pm. Read More

"Your Money, Your Future" with Financial Educator, Carmen Johnson

2011-02-13T19:10:00.001-08:00

What are your financial Goals ?

This week’s financial tip is putting together your financial goals.

At this point you have your monthly budget and you have a pretty good idea what your net worth is. By having your budget and your net worth, you have the tools needed to set your financial goals. Your financial goals can be whatever you want them to be. Perhaps it’s a new car or vacation. It could be repairs on your house or it could be catching up on all your bills. In order to develop good sound goals you must be disciplined and be ready to set and implement your goals. This will make you feel very empowered and in control of your life with your finances. A change in behavior can go a long way in reshaping one’s finances through a sound budget and financial goals. Writing down your financial goals and make them achievable and ways to reach them. Commit to a sound plan and follow through with it. Next you need to prioritize your goals and if they are short term or long term.

Next create a Financial Goal action plan. This action plan identifies the steps needed to make these goals reality. Make sure in your action plan you think about what is needed to accomplish your financial goals. The more detailed and refined your action plan the more successful you will be accomplishing your financial goals. Make sure your goals are realistic and achievable. Financial goal setting allows you to actively work toward achieving your goals you want, to manifest them through action. By learning to calculate your budget, net worth and you financial goals you will have created a solid knowledge base and a foundation for financial health.

Until next week this is Your money, Your future, I am Carmen Johnson, your Financial Educator and the Founder and CEO of the Katie Able Foundation. Please check us out at Katieablefoundation.org and remember, Do something to justify your Existence, TOGETHER we can create the future!

Men’s Day Breakfast by Men Aiming Higher

2011-02-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

Press Release

Men’s Day Breakfast by Men Aiming Higher
Date: Saturday, February 26, 2011
Time: 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Location: Stone Fish Grill Restaurant, 880 Cap Center Blvd, Largo 20774

Men Aiming Higher is extending an opportunity for the men of the Prince Georges County and surrounding areas to get involved in an organized movement towards enhancing our communities. This function is free of charge and promises to be an event of Change. This is the next step toward the organizations commitment to the surrounding community. Their goal is to provide trained and committed mentors to as many young black males as possible.

The organization desires to support the school system, support our government institutions, law enforcement agencies and other non-government and faith-based institutions by developing a countywide youth mentoring network. Men Aiming Higher is Calling All Men to pledge their allegiance to being a part of the Answer to the many ailments of our community.

Invited Speakers and Honored Guest:
• Rushern Baker, Prince Georges County Executive
• Morris Chestnut, Actor
• Dr. Hite, Prince Georges School Superintendent
• Anthony Brown Lieutenant Governor
• Doug Gansler, Maryland State General Attorney

The Katie Able Foundation donates $1000 to 6th Graders

2011-02-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Katie Able Foundation (KAF) recently donated $1000 to 6th graders at Robert Frost Elementary School, located in Lanham, MD, to use to trade stocks. The students started trading stocks in September 2010 with the help and guidance of their teacher, Mr. William Hughes.

“I must admit when Mr. Hughes came to me and said, ‘Mr. Parker ask the students about them trading stocks,’ you should have seen their faces light up with joy as they shared their stories with me,” said Charles Parker, Vice-President of the Katie Able Foundation. “I learned that these students really understood their stock portfolio and why they selected a particular company over others. This has gone beyond stock trading, it has entered the realm of real life financial experience for these students,” Parker continued.

The students were trading through a program called TeenBiz3000 which is an internet-based, individualized reading and writing teaching solution for grades 6-8. Using $100,000 in their DEMO account they selected companies of their choice; McDonalds, Nike, and Target to name a few.

“I’m really excited about trading. I made a lot of money on the fake account so hopefully I’ll make more on the real one.” said young Neville, 6th grader at Robert Frost Elementary School.

Carmen Johnson, founder of the Katie Able Foundation said, “We wanted to do what we could to help them to continue trading and use the money they earn to make improvements and buy things their school may need throughout the year.”

With the $1000 the students received, they are now able to trade on a LIVE trading account. For more information about how you can donate to the Katie Able Foundation so they can continue to help students in this manner, please visit http://www.katieablefoundation.org/ or call 301-352-5855

Board of Education Budget Public Hearing - 2/3/11

2011-02-04T23:12:00.001-08:00

Athletes Drop Out Rate a Crisis in the Making

2011-02-03T19:55:00.000-08:00

Dr. Stephen Jones

Springfield, Pa. According to Dr. Stephen Jones each year more than 50 percent of African American students drop out of high school and college. This has a significant impact on athletes who play sports. The drop out rate is greatly affected by poor college preparation and study skills. The lack of academic preparation is evident in middle school and high school. Too often athletes are accepted to college without the preparation they need to graduate. The student athletes’ athletic prowess is valued more than their intellectual abilities. Some athletes are also blindsided when they uncover the huge academic deficits when they start college classes. This crisis will continue because of the abundance of athletes who can replace the athlete who is in academic difficulty.

This problem must be attacked head on. Athletes deserve to be prepared to succeed at all levels. The NCAA requires colleges to have an academic support center. Unfortunately often the academic gap is too large even for the tutors that are assigned to students. Although these students have graduated from high school these students arrive to college academically three and four years behind their peers. Middle schools and high school students must get academically caught up prior to enrolling in the college. Many of these students are coming from schools that are not making Adequate Yearly Progress according to the standards set by No Child Left Behind. There are some very basic elements of the education process that are critical for students to succeed in college and they include the ability to read and compute.

This crisis is not one that we can ignore. Too many extremely bright African Americans are ending up in prison. This includes former college athletes who do not have a degree. Every so many weeks it seems that there is an article about some athlete who is escorted into a court room and sent to jail. This is especially detrimental when they leave a stable wife and children to make it by themselves. This foretells a disastrous educational outcome for their children who cannot afford to attend the better schools.

Some organizations and colleges are tracking the exceptional student athlete as early as ten and twelve year old. Yet attention and devotion to ensuring that they maintain high levels of academic performance is given little attention. It seems that there is a viscous cycle of poor study skills and academic preparation that’s repeated in inner city communities throughout the country. A fundamental academic requirement must be established for athletes early in their K 12 experience. Colleges and school districts must make a greater commitment to these students. There must be a break in the pattern of the deepening despair that has become a viscous cycle for so many athletes who do not graduate. Too many families can point to athletes in their family who have never competed a high school diploma or college degree.

Dr. Stephen Jones is a nationally recognized author who has written the “Seven Secrets of How to Study and the “Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide.” You can contact him at 610-842-3843 and at stephenjoness@rcn.com or visit http://sevenbooks.net.

Kimberly Parker Presents: The Resolve to Volunteer

2011-01-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

Resolve to Volunteer

Here we are nearing the end of January 2011. Like many of you, I stepped into the New Year determined to make changes, implement plans, and amp up my “game” in one area of life or another. Some call these bulleted items resolutions. For the sake of being aligned, I concur. More than a cute story laced with anecdotes from my children, herein lays a heartfelt plea. My sincere request to all who read is to make one more resolution for 2011: resolve to volunteer!

I know and proudly boast that Prince George’s County parents are the cream of the crop! We are homemakers, entrepreneurs, CEO's, educators, military personnel, activist...and the list goes on! Oh yes, we are simply the best! By no means is my perspective portrayed to slight parents from other parts of the world. It’s merely to highlight the greatness right here in our own backyards.

There is a universal principle called the "vital few and trivial many." In short, it's equivalent to the 80/20 rule where we find that just a little bit of people do a large amount of work. As a parent volunteer at my children’s school, I’ve witnessed parents who sign up to participate at events, yet do not show up. Or, they show up and do not do what they signed up to do. Or even still, they begin doing such marvelous work, find "something wrong" with the assignment, but instead of providing solutions they step down from their position.

Now, I am not soliciting any argumentative replies and by no means am I trying to make anyone feel guilty. I’ve dropped the ball a time or two as well. But what I am hoping to do is inspire you to take self-inventory to see where you stand in this equation. The operative word here is “volunteer”. As one parent told me, "Nobody forced your hand to work with the PTSA!" True. However, the same vital few can not be the only one's serving on the board or heading committees that provide services to thousands of parents, teachers, and students year after year. And let's not forget about our partners and stakeholders!

I know you have 2.5 children -- so do we (four, in my case). I know you work 10, 12, and even 14 hours a day -- so do we. I know you live your share of miles away from the school -- so do we. I know you have a child in elementary school, one in middle school, and one about to graduate from high school -- again I say, so do we! As Michael Jackson so poignantly stated, “You are not alone!”
Madame, Sir, please resolve to volunteer. I know a few of you have been considering the possibility of increasing your service and I truly appreciate that! It all starts with a thought. I ask you to consider this as well: the phenomenal difference you can make as a volunteer!

Kimberly K. Parker is the owner of Writing Momma Publishing (www.writingmomma.com). She is hosting “Isn’t She Lovely!”, an elegant father and daughter event in March 2011 in hopes of promoting the importance of the relationship between little girls and their fathers. Visit www.isntshelovely.eventbrite.com to purchase tickets and for more information. Kimberly is an author and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

"Your Money, Your Future" with Financial Educator, Carmen Johnson

2011-01-29T14:28:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Your Money, Your Future. I am Carmen Johnson, your Financial Educator and the Founder and CEO of the Katie Able Foundation. Today on Your Money, Your Future... Bring back the family.

This week’s financial tip is about the importance of family. Let's go back in our minds to when we were kids. Think back we ate as a family, we gathered around the TV to watch our favorite shows as a family, we even had household meetings as a family. Somehow we've gotten away from all of that. Your challenge this week is to take your family back to that time.

Let’s start with family financial meetings twice a month where you sit down and go over all the bills and create a household budget. Involve your children. Let them place the bills in alphabetical order and then write them in a spreadsheet.

Explain to them what type of bills they are one by one and how to read them and what bills your family may be able to cut back on. Ask them what they can do to make your family financially stronger. Ask your kids what they are will to cut back on in this hard times. Don't be surprised if they already know how to do some of these things.

Keep it fun by assigning roles. Make one of your children the light captain - in charge of making sure that the lights are turned off in unoccupied rooms. Another child can be the coupon captain- in charge of clipping coupons in the paper and searching for them online, finding the best grocery store deals.

Together, the children can monitor the household budget and make sure that we as a family stay on track. Bring back the kids, bring back the parents, bring back together our families.

Until next week this is Your money, Your future, I am Carmen Johnson, your Financial Educator and the Founder and CEO of the Katie Able Foundation.

Please check us out at Katieablefoundation.org and remember,

Do something to justify your Existence, TOGETHER we can create the future!

Ms. Carmen Johnson

Katie Able Foundation
Founder/CEO
www.katieablefoundation.org
301-352-5855 work

Do something to justify your Existence, TOGETHER we can create the future!

"Transforming Jangling Disharmony Into Community Empowerment”

2011-01-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

SCLC SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY CHAPTER
3905 91ST AVENUE SPRINGDALE, MARYLAND 20774

Theme:
Transforming Jangling Disharmony Into Community Empowerment”

First in a Series of Educational Forums

Date: February 15, 2011
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Location: Kettering Community Center
11801 Chesterton Drive
Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

• Help determine the future of all our Children.
• Learn about the budget process.
• Learn how you can help make a difference.

Aren’t our Children worth it?

Forums Sponsored by:
SCLC, Advocates for Children and Youth & Kettering Civic Federation
For additional Information:
Dr. Jarvis Johnson: jjohnson@acy.org
Kettering Civic Federation (voicemail): 301-218-0258

Former Director of PGCPS Parent Liaison Program to Head Up Department of Communications for Alexandria City Public Schools

2011-01-27T21:11:00.000-08:00

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Morton Sherman is pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly L. Alexander to the position of director of community/school partnerships and communications.

"Ms. Alexander has a unique combination of community relations and communications experience that will be essential to successfully engaging the public in the transformation taking place in Alexandria City Public Schools," Dr. Sherman said.

She will assist the superintendent in the development, integration and implementation of the division's public/media relations, business partnerships and community outreach programs as a member of the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Community Outreach team. Ms. Alexander has nearly 20 years of communications experience, with expertise in media relations and public relations. She has led communications efforts for both nonprofit and corporate communications teams.

Ms. Alexander most recently served as the community outreach officer for Prince George's County Public Schools, where she initially began as the public information officer. During her six-year tenure, she developed and implemented strategies for internal and external communications between all stakeholders regarding parental engagement in schools. She created award-winning public awareness and marketing campaigns for this large urban school district, including The Communicator Award of Distinction for Media Placement (2005), The Communicator Award Honorable Mention (2005) for the 2004 PGCPS Annual Report and The MarComm Creative Award (2006) for the YES-Be cool, go to school! Public Awareness Campaign. Ms. Alexander created the district's successful "Everything You Need to Succeed" marketing campaign to highlight educational opportunities and student successes. She supervised more than 100 Parent Liaisons helping to engage thousands of parents each year in educational workshops, school events and classroom observations.

Prior to working in education, Ms. Alexander supported the corporate communications efforts of the National American Red Cross as a media relations manager and associate. She oversaw the national media launch of several life-saving programs and a myriad of national media tours and interviews at the American Red Cross. She also worked in community affairs for Prudential HealthCare of the Mid-Atlantic and in media relations for The George Washington University Medical Center.

Ms. Alexander earned her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism at The George Washington University.

STATEMENT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT REGARDING THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED FY2012 BUDGET

2011-01-25T21:35:00.000-08:00

The Governor’s proposed budget could leave Prince George’s County Public Schools with an additional 2.4% deficit of $20.8 million for FY2012. A cut of this magnitude would leave us with a total projected deficit of $85 million, which would have a devastating impact on our students, our staff, and our schools.

We understand that tough economic times force us to seek additional ways to trim the budget, and appreciate all that our state and county leaders have done to soften the blow to public education. Over the past two years, we have closely examined the way we do business, streamlined processes, and made painful cuts to staffing and non-instructional programs throughout the district. In developing our budget for the upcoming school year, we are continuing to look for additional opportunities to reduce operating costs and work more efficiently.

My priority and responsibility to this community is to request a budget that provides our students with the support and resources they need to succeed so that we can continue the academic gains of the past several years. While our goal is to “hold the classroom harmless,” additional cuts to the budget may impact successful academic programs and resources.We are grateful for County Executive Rushern Baker’s strong support of education, and will continue to work with our county leaders, parents, staff, and community members to ensure that our students get what they need to succeed as 21st century citizens.

"Your Money,Your Future" with Financial Educator Carmen Johnson

2011-01-23T19:04:00.001-08:00

Cutting Back

As we settle into January and we start reflecting on our past 12 months, some of us may be thinking “I believe I may have spent too much.” This is the time to do an assessment on what are some things you can cut back on: Are you eating out too much? Are you spending too much money on unnecessary things? Just think what can you cut back on. How can you make this adjustment? These are things we should consider as we live through this recession. The reality is, it probably won’t get any better. I know you hear the housing market is going to get better or the dollar will regain its value, but the fact of the matter is you need to be prepared if it does not. So let’s take the time this year to cut back on all unnecessary things. You will be surprised how much you can save.

Carmen Johnson is the Founder and CEO of the Katie Able Foundation.

To find out more about Carmen Johnson visit http://www.katieablefoundation.org/

Parent Talk Discusses Foster Care Students and Education with Dr. Anita Reed

2011-01-23T18:55:00.000-08:00

Parent Talk will discuss the challenges facing foster care students and their care givers with Dr. Anita Reed, Mental Health Therapist with Arlington County Public Schools.

Topic: How Can Public Schools Support The Academic Achievement of Foster Care Students

Date: MONDAY, January 24, 2011

Show Time: 8:30pm-9:00pm

Call In: 914.803.4591

Anita H. Reed, Ph.D, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who specialize in the treatment of adolescents, adults, and families. She has more than 23 years of experience serving at-risk youth and families as a direct service provider and also as a developer and analyst of programs and policy. She worked for Arlington County Department of Human Services for 14 years as a program manager and supervisor of child welfare staff. Her experiences with the Department spanned the continuum of services from prevention to foster care. For the past 9 years, she has worked as a mental health therapist for Arlington County Public Schools. She has also been an adjunct professor at Catholic University’s National School of Social Services (NCSSS) for 5 years, with a specific focus on child welfare policy. Dr. Reed graduated from Vassar College with a B.A in Sociology, received her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University, and completed her doctoral studies in Social Work at the National Catholic School of Social Services at Catholic University.

A conversation with Mrs. Irene Clements, President, National Foster Parent Association

2011-01-20T06:19:00.000-08:00

Join Educational Gateway on January 10th for a conversation with Mrs. Irene Clements, President, National Foster Parent Association.

Mrs. Clements will outline the challengs facing foster care parents in their efforts to ensure a quality education for foster care children living in their home.

BIO

Irene and her husband, Billy, fostered for 27 years and adopted four children. Irene has 34 years experience working within the child protection system, both as a foster parent and as an advocate for foster families and the children they serve. Irene is also the President of the Texas Foster Family Association and is Vice President for Advocacy for Lutheran Social Service of the South, Inc.

Forest Of The Rain Productions has an exclusive interview with Dr. Charlene Dukes, President of Prince George's Community College

2011-01-20T06:18:00.001-08:00

Forest Of The Rain Productions has an exclusive interview with Dr. Charlene Dukes, President of Prince George's Community College can be heard on The Journey Begins Internet Radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator.

BIO

Dr. Charlene M. Dukes is the eighth and first female president of Prince George’s Community College and has twenty-eight years of progressive leadership experience and administrative responsibility in higher education. With more than 40,000 students, Prince George’s Community College offers more than 200 credit and workforce development programs. She holds membership in a variety of professional organizations, including serving as a founder and lead faculty member for the Community College Student Development Leadership Institute under the auspices of the National Council on Student Development, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges; the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators through which she served on the National Academy Board; the Council of Law in Higher Education; and the Maryland Network, an affiliate of the Office of Women in Higher Education/American Council on Education. Additionally she serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Council of the American Association of Community Colleges, the Lifelong Learning Commission of the American Council on Education, and the Presidents’ Round Table, an affiliate of the National Council on Black American Affairs.

From 2002 through 2006, she served on the Appointed Board of Education of Prince George’s County and chaired the Student Support, Student Appeals, and Personnel Committees. In May 2007, she accepted an appointment from Governor Martin O’Malley to serve a three-year term on the Maryland State Board of Education and was elected in July 2009 as vice-president of the Board. In October 2007, the African-American Alumni Council of the University of Pittsburgh recognized Dr. Dukes as an Outstanding Alumnus, and in 2008, she received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2009, she received the “1St Ladies Award” given by Radio One and My Sister’s Keeper Organization and the “Luminary Award” from the Prince George’s County Black Chamber of Commerce.

She has participated in the Executive Leadership Institute sponsored by the League for Innovation, Women in Leadership sponsored by the Office of Women in Higher Education/American Council on Education, and the National Leadership Academy sponsored the Association of Community College Trustees. She has also served as adjunct faculty at the Community College of Allegheny County in the English Department, at Prince George's Community College in Developmental Studies, and at Morgan State University in the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program.

She is a member of the board of directors of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, the Business Round Table, the Harlem Renaissance Foundation, College Summit, and a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Dr. Dukes has a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with an English concentration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s and Doctorate in Administrative and Policy Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. She resides in Glenn Dale, Maryland with her son, Maurice Dukes, a student at Howard University.

Martin Luther King Day an Inspirational Moment: By Dr. Stephen Jones

2011-01-17T15:36:00.000-08:00

The celebration of Martin Luther King Day is a reminder of what it takes to change the world. One person invested in a deeply inspiring vision of a new way of life prevailed in the midst of adversity. Dr. King envisioned a time when everyone would be judged by the content of their character not the color of their skin. It’s ironic that more than 40 years later America still struggles with issue of race.

American’s elected President Barak Obama but this country still struggles with what his election represents. Some say we’ve made progress and others remain resistant. Even members of his own democratic party have not consistently supported President Obama. Every move that he makes is placed under a microscope. For example, his attempt to comfort Americans after the attack on Senator Gifford and others who lost their lives was twisted. It was a passionate speech which caused the audience to cheer and feel comforted. The President remained somber throughout the celebration of life. Dr. Martin Luther king would have approved. Sometimes it appears that America is a country that is looking for a way to remain divided. There is a great need to forge past political agendas and focus on decisions that are in the best interest of the country.

It is evident that Dr. Martin Luther King had many challenges during the time that he was alive. There were often competing interests that affect how fast America would change. Dr. King spent time preaching how people need to treat each other because of personal events he witnessed while living in the south. There were separate bath room facilities for people of color and they could not eat at the diner counter. Dr. King felt that these prejudices must change. In his day social action involved boycotting buses. It’s time for American’s to slow down to respond to social injustices that still occur every day.

Martin Luther King was a scholar and an educator. He taught thousands in the community to pursue more education. His leadership led to a whole generation of teachers and scientists who broke color barriers in companies all over the country. Today we can find these individuals in the executive suites of corporations all across America. There are black and Hispanic professionals who’ve started businesses and witnessed changes in society as their companies have grown.

Dr. King would be amazed at the progress that’s occurred during the 21st century. If he were alive today he would be amazed at the internet. The internet changes the speed at which people respond to an event or crisis. There are millions of responses to social issues. The ability to create a blog or tweet information has changed the way that thousands are communicating their opinion. The current technology allows millions to read about Dr. Martin Luther King’s life. The internet is accompanied by its own challenges. Last year, Ms. Shirley Sharrod was removed from the Department of Agriculture when her comment s where posted on the internet. They were deemed discriminatory. After a careful review she was cleared by hear office.

No one can deny that Dr. Martin Luther King was a man with a mission. It was a mission that was powerful that it touched the nation’s heart. When several children were killed during bombing it made it clear that the mission would not be complete without a fight. No mission that is worth fighting for is won easily. Today we must move forward with determination to make things better for everyone.

It’s important to continue to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and to acknowledge his contribution to society. Dr. King was a trailblazer in terms of demonstrating the leadership characteristics that we should all adapt. America’s cities are in desperate need of leaders who can transform they way that we communicate and live.

"Your Money,Your Future" with Financial Educator Carmen Johnson

2011-01-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

The After the Holiday Blues

The tree has come down, the lights outside are dim and all of your relatives have gone home. However you hear a constant whining, a whimpering if you will but you can’t identify the source.

You scramble and run all around the house frantically as the soft cry turns into a loud wail. Finally! You stop and realize that the noise is coming from your wallet. That’s right, YOUR wallet. It’s been abused and misused this past holiday season.

You’ve taken it through some un-expected changes; over-spending on holiday items, using your credit card way too much and now your wallet has nothing left to give. What do you do? How can you mend your broken relationship?

Start by giving your wallet a break… Let you wallet fall in love with having money inside of it at least for a little while…

The extra money that you spent, pay it back to yourself. Subtract the amount of what you actually spent from your original budget. Whatever the difference is, that’s the amount that you should save.

Make A Vow to Your Wallet… that this will never happen again. That you won’t leave it empty or forget the loud cry it makes when it’s neglected.

Carmen Johnson is the Founder and CEO of the Katie Able Foundation.
To find out more about Carmen Johnson visit http://www.katieablefoundation.org/

The White House

2011-01-14T18:12:00.001-08:00

President and First Lady, Vice President and Dr. Biden, Cabinet Secretaries, Senior Administration Officials to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

WASHINGTON, DC – In celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and in honor of Dr. King’s life and legacy, the President and the First Lady, the Vice President and Dr. Biden, Cabinet Secretaries, and senior Administration officials will participate in memorial events and community service projects in the Washington, D.C. area, Atlanta, Georgia and elsewhere.

Led by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the King Center, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is an opportunity for all Americans to come together to help meet the needs of their communities and make an ongoing commitment to service throughout the year. This year’s Day of Service will include thousands of projects in all corners of the country.

“Martin Luther King, Jr. lived his life for others, dedicating his work to ensuring equal opportunity, freedom, and justice for all,” said President Obama. “I encourage every American to observe this holiday in honor of Dr. King’s selfless legacy by volunteering in their own communities and by dedicating time each day to bettering the lives of those around us.”

For more on the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, please visit the Corporation for National and Community Service at www.mlkday.gov .

Please see below for a list of Cabinet Secretaries and Administration officials who will be participating in memorial and community service events in the Washington, D.C., area, Atlanta, Georgia and elsewhere. Any inquiries on the below events should be directed to the corresponding agency or office.

The President and First Lady will participate in a service project in Washington, D.C. Further details are forthcoming.
The Vice President and Dr. Biden will participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in Wilmington, DE. Further details are forthcoming.
On January 13, Secretary Robert Gates attended the Department of Defense’s National Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observance Program in the Pentagon Auditorium in Arlington, Virginia.
On January 15, Attorney General Eric Holder will deliver remarks at the Shiloh Baptist Church annual Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast in Washington, D.C. On January 16, he will deliver remarks at the Ebenezer Baptist Church worship service in Atlanta, Georgia.
On January 13, Secretary Ken Salazar, District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton visited the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to view progress underway at the worksite. The memorial, which is currently under construction, is expected to be completed in 2011. Secretary Salazar was joined by Harry E. Johnson Sr., President of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation on the walking tour.
On January 13, Secretary Tom Vilsack will attend a celebration in the Jefferson Auditorium located at the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. from 10 to 11 a.m. The ceremony will feature Reverend Leroy Gilbert of Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, located in Washington D.C., as the keynote speaker.
On January 18, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will speak at the opening convocation of the Howard School of Divinity. Her remarks will focus on the Affordable Care Act as a victory for civil rights.
On January 17, Secretary Arne Duncan will keynote at a breakfast with Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Action Network in the morning and will participate in a service project with City Year at Kramer Middle School, 1700 Q Street, SE, DC in the afternoon.
On January 17, Secretary Ray LaHood and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes will join Department of Transportation employees and other volunteers for Martin Luther King Day of Service events at Ballou Senior High School. As part of President and First Lady’s continued call to engage in community service, Secretary LaHood, Director Barnes and students from Ballou Senior High School and George Washington University will paint murals, cover up graffiti, clean up around the school and assist in other projects that will enhance the learning environment for students.
On January 18, Secretary Steven Chu will host a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration in the auditorium at the Department of Energy. Dr. Clayborne Carson, a professor at Stanford University who has devoted his life to the study of Dr. King and his teachings, will be the keynote speaker. Students from McKinley Technology High school will be in attendance.
On January 17, Secretary Eric Shinseki will serve meals at So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.) in Washington, D.C.
On January 17, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will attend a breakfast with Reverend Al Sharpton, followed by a Kid Power Inc. Citizen Farm Community Service Event at Tubman Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
On January 18, Ambassador Ron Kirk will deliver remarks at a Martin Luther King Jr. reception at the World Bank.
On January 17, Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew will participate in a City Year New York service event at Intermediate School 292 and join over 1,700 volunteers taking part in City Year New York/AmeriCorps activities in Brooklyn and across New York City.
On January 9, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin delivered the keynote address at the 29th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration at the Johns-Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
On January 17, Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams and Deputy Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet will prepare and serve dinners at Miriam’s Kitchen in Washington, D.C.
On January 14, at 10am, the Peace Corps will host the Duke Ellington High School Show Choir to honor the memory and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On January 14, GSA Administrator Martha Johnson will participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Building Rededication in Atlanta, Georgia. GSA Rep. John Lewis will keynote the event.
On January 12, the CIA held a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration where Director Leon Panetta made an address. The event also featured poet and activist Nikki Giovanni and a performance by the US Air Force Band Brass Quintet.
On January 17, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah will prepare, serve, and share in a community meal with over 60 guests who are experiencing homelessness and hunger with the Youth Service Opportunities Project at the Church of Epiphany, 1317 G St NW, Washington, DC.
On January 17, Corporation for National and Community Service CEO Patrick Corvington will speak at the 18th Annual Hands On Atlanta Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Service Summit, an event which will include a service project to package up to 10,000 food boxes for hungry Georgians as well as learning sessions on important community issues.
On January 14, CEO Corvington headlined a national conference call and roundtable with African American media hosted by White House Media Affairs. The Corporation for National and Community Service will also promote many MLK Day initiatives including Drum Majors for Service, the “MLK Day 25 Challenge: What are You Doing for Others in 2011” initiative, and MLK Day Ambassadors.
On January 17, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) will perform a home maintenance project for a “Gold Star” family – those who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan. Director Gil Kerlikowkse and other ONDCP staff will do a variety of projects, including painting, light plumbing work and light carpentry, at the homes of several Maryland Gold Star families. ONDCP is also conducting a staff diaper drive and will deliver all contributions to a diaper bank to be distributed to needy families.
On January 17, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes will join hundreds of George Washington University Students to participate in school beautification projects at five D.C. public schools. Barnes will deliver remarks on Dr. King’s legacy and the importance of service as a solution to our nation’s toughest challenges.

In St. Louis, Group Tries To Help Poor Students

2011-01-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

A Retro Interview with Mr. Ernest Moore: An Engaged Parent

2011-01-11T17:57:00.000-08:00

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Mrs. Kim Carrington, President of United Health Heroes is our newest blogger

2011-01-11T05:02:00.000-08:00

Forest Of The Rain Productions the parent company of Parents and SLPS, DCPS, BCPS PGCPS, and The Journey Begins Internet radio for the engage parent and dedicated educator is proud to announce the addition of its newest guest blogger, Mrs. Kim Carrington, President of United Health Heroes.

Mrs. Carrington will share her personal health experiences along with tips and recipes for healthy eating and alternative ways to prepare some of our favorite foods. Mrs. Carrington’s healthy tips and recipes will appear weekly in our new segment “Healthy Living.” You can find her postings on our following sites:

• http://www.parentalengagementwithpgcps.blogspot.com/

• http://www.parentalengagementandslps.blogspot.com/

• http://www.parentalengagementwithbcps.blogspot.com/

• http://parentsanddcps2.grouply.com/

• http://www.forestoftherain.net/

Mrs. Carrington’s blog postings will appear weekly.

STUDENTS GEAR UP FOR ACADEMIC GAME SHOW COMPETITIONS

2011-01-10T23:01:00.000-08:00

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - Prince George’s County high school students in grades 10 through 12 should MARK THEIR CALENDARS for what promises to be an experience of a lifetime – a chance to earn cash while demonstrating their knowledge before family, friends and the community in key academic areas.

A Scholastic Olympics takes place all day April 9 at Watkins Regional Park. Separate contests will be held in Spelling, Oratorical/Speech, Math and American History. Awards for each event include: 1st Place $300, plus a Gold medal; 2nd Place $200, plus a Silver medal; and, 3rd place $100, plus a bronze medal.

Event organizers, Emanuel Williams and Tamara Henry, are working in collaboration with Parks & Recreation M-NCPPC, and in cooperation with Aunt Berta’s Kids-in-need Educational Foundation, Inc., a 501 © 3 nonprofit organization.

A fun-filled event is assured as local colleges and universities are invited to watch students shine and discuss information about their institutions and local businesses will come with information about job prospects and internships. Families are urged to bring picnic items to spend the entire day and take advantage of the miniature golf course, Nature Center, Old Maryland Farm, and many other activities planned for the day.

Details about registration deadlines, times and locations for contest preparation workshops, businesses and schools offering networking opportunities are coming soon.

The Scholastic Olympics is the brainchild of Williams, a real estate agent who successfully spearheaded a community spelling bee in the Lanham, Maryland area for Coldwell Banker Residential four years ago. With his energy, business acumen, collaboration‐building skills and passion for learning, Williams plans to use this event to showcase students, their families and schools throughout Prince George’s County in positive ways. An ordained minister, Williams serves at First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, Maryland.

Henry worked with Williams on the earlier spelling bee. A wordsmith by trade, Henry has enjoyed 20 plus years as a journalist and now is a college professor.

Emanuel Williams
301-509-4481
ewilliams@cbmove.com

Tamara Henry
301-801-2618
thenry@jmail.umd.edu