Richard Wright Public Charter School and the Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center

Dr. Mike Robinson, host of Parent Talk Live highlighted two community based organizations parents and community stakeholders need to know. In part three of a three part series on Organizations you need to know.

The first guest of the evening, Dr. Marco Clark, CEO and Head of School, Richard Wright Public Charter School located in Washington, DC. Dr. Clark is a young visionary leader on the rise with an urgent message to deliver about the state of urban education/youth. Currently, he serves as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts in Washington, DC.

His second guest, Ms. Shalita O’Neale, Founder and CEO of Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center, located in Baltimore, Maryland. Shalita O’Neale is a former foster youth from Baltimore, Maryland where she spent 19 years collectively in kinship and foster care. She initially entered kinship care at 2 years old and bounced back and forth between family members before officially entering foster care at the age of 13. She graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a B.A. in criminology in 2004 and is currently seeking her Master of Social Work at the University of Maryland Baltimore.

Kimberly K. Parker: NOTHING SHORT OF A CRISIS

It’s 7:30pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012 and you’re probably wondering, “Why is Kimberly giving us time and date information?”  You see, I usually write in the wee hours of morning.  My creative juices tend to flow much better before the cock crows.  However, the exception today is nothing short of a crisis!

I just walked in the house from attending Rev. Jay Cameron’s Debt Free College Degree: The Seminar held at The Life Center.  The goal of the event was to show how to earn a top-quality college education…DEBT FREE.  Mission accomplished.  Due to so much jaw-dropping information shared, my mouth is still out on Route 301.  On a more serious note, Rev. Cameron dispensed tough medicine on the state of student loan debt that left me floored.  It is with his expressed consent that I will share...just a little.

Let’s start with the facts.  According to Fastweb.com:

1. Student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt in America and is expected to surpass $1,000,000,000,000 (that’s one trillion dollars) in 2012. 
2. The average undergraduate degree takes 5.58 years to complete.
3. More than $150,000,000,000 (that’s one hundred fifty billion dollars) in financial aid is awarded annually.  Only 3% is in the form of scholarships.

These statistics go on and on.  See for yourself.

Rev. Cameron made it clear that, in large part, College Recruiters are professional sales people forced to make a quota.  Skeptical?  Check out the lies levied by these two for-profit universities and how one woman quit because her conscience, finally, became her guide.  Wait!  There’s more.  Rev. Cameron weaved in another video clip that really drove home his message on our crisis like this video on Looming Student Loans.  Thereto, he strongly encouraged us to watch this documentary called College Conspiracy.  Brace yourself.

Again, this is nothing short of a crisis that is impacting our country in a horrendous manner. Alas, Rev. Cameron offered much hope if we’re willing to change our lethal financial management habits, sacrifice to the bone, where necessary, and develop a plan…NOW! 

Here’s just a snippet:

1. Take a real honest look at your debt and assess your financial picture.  No more running and hiding from those five to six figures.  You can’t “just pray it away.”  There must be deliberate action.  Faith without works is oh so dead!
2. Don’t take on more debt.  Period.
3. Develop a college education plan that will not add to your existing debt.  It’s quite possible to attend college without loans.

I could have sat there all day just ingesting the priceless information shared.  Now, I’m a bit more equipped to map out my children’s college education.  I merely scratched the surface of the seminar in this blog.  Please plan to attend and yourself as well as his stage play College Fever: The Stage Play.  Trust me: your life will forever be changed.

Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). On September 8, 2012, the 2012 Write On! Writing Program participants will release their book entitled Young Voices.  Wise Words: Poems, Essays, and Short Stories at the Spaulding Library.  For more information visit Book Release Celebration.  Kimberly is a publisher, author, and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

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

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.

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

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.

Guest Blogger Kimberly Parker: My Child Is A Bully

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.