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.

Parent Talk Live, hosted by Dr. Mike Robinson Presents The Facts About Bullying

Parent Talk Live, hosted by Dr. Mike Robinson presents the facts about bullying with well renowned bullying expert, humanist, researcher, public speaker, community organizer and educator out of Ohio, Dr. Anna Bucy.

Time: 8:00pm-8:30pm

Location: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/living-education-enetwork/2012/03/26/parent-talk-live-the-issue-of-bullying

Call in number: (347) 215-6161

Additionally we hope to have an exclusive interview with Anita Posey-Fendall, who has just released her first in a series of books on bullying entilted: "That's Not My Name" Mrs. Fendal is also the CEO of Tease Free Kids and lives in Glenarden, Maryland.

Time: 8:30pm-9:00pm

Location: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/living-education-enetwork/2012/03/26/parent-talk-live-the-issue-of-bullying

Call in number: (347) 215-6161

2012 Parental Engagement Survey for Parents

Hello Engaged Parents and Dedicated Educators,


Parental engagement makes a significant difference in the educational outcomes of children and young people; parents have a key role in raising educational standards. The more involved and engaged parents are in the education of their children the more likely their children are to succeed.

Forest Of The Rain Productions is committed to expanding the partnership between home and school. We believe increased communication between parents, families and school will serve as the pathway to increasing student achievement. To expand this discussion on the value of the home school partnership, we invite you to participate in our 2012 Parental Engagement Survey for parents. Your views, opinions and thoughts on the importance of parental engagement are priceless and represent one half of the team assigned to impact the academic achievement of children.

Please take a few minutes to complete our open-ended, narrative based survey. Your comments will be confidential. We have limited our response number, so please respond quickly if you aspire to have your voice included in this year’s study.

The link to the survey is listed below.

Thanks for your participation.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/26BQN5J

The 2012 Interactive Board of Education Candidate Forums

The 2012
Interactive Board of Education Candidate Forums

Special Incumbent Forum
Candidates:
Edward Burroughs : District 8 (Invited)
Patricia Eubanks: District 4 (Invited)
Henry Armwood: District 7 (Invited)
Verjeana Jacobs: District 5 (Invited)

Date: March 11, 2012
Time: 8pm-9:10pm
Location: Parent Talk Live
Call in Number: (914) 803-4591
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal/2012/03/04/parent-talk-live-the-pgcps-boe-candidate-forum-five
Participate/Submit Questions via Tweeter: http://twitter.com/DrMikeRobinson
Participate/Submit Questions via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrMikeRobinson


Forum One

Candidates:
David Murray: District 1 (Confirmed)
Dennis Smith: District 4 (Confirmed)
Orlando Bego: District 8 (Confirmed)

Date: February 15, 2012
Time: 8pm-9:10pm
Location: Parent Talk Live
Call in Number: (914) 803-4591
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal/2012/02/16/parent-talk-live-the-pgcps-boe-candidate-forum-one
Participate/Submit Questions via Tweeter: http://twitter.com/DrMikeRobinson
Participate/Submit Questions via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrMikeRobinson


Forum Two
Candidates:
Mike McLaughlin: District 1 (Confirmed)
Joseph Kitchen: District 4 (Invited)
Raaheela Ahmed: District 5 (Confirmed)

Date: February 22, 2012
Time: 8pm-9:10pm
Location: Parent Talk Live
Call in Number: (914) 803-4591
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal/2012/02/23/parent-talk-live-the-pgcps-boe-candidate-forum-two
Participate/Submit Questions via Tweeter: http://twitter.com/DrMikeRobinson
Participate/Submit Questions via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrMikeRobinson


Forum Three
Candidates:
Carlette Fellows: District 7 (Confirmed)
Andre` Nothingham: District 8 (Confirmed)
Sherine Taylor: District 5 (Confirmed)

Date: February 26, 2012
Time: 8pm-9:10pm
Location: Parent Talk Live
Call in Number: (914) 803-4591
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal/2012/02/26/parent-talk-live-the-pgcps-boe-candidate-forum-three
Participate/Submit Questions via Tweeter: http://twitter.com/DrMikeRobinson
Participate/Submit Questions via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrMikeRobinson



Forum Four

Candidates:
Lydia Walker-Thompson: District 7 (Invited)
Deidre Jackson: District 5 (Invited)
Sandy Vaughns: District 4 (Confirmed)

Date: February 29, 2012
Time: 8pm-9:10pm
Location: Parent Talk Live
Call in Number: (914) 803-4591
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal/2012/02/29/parent-talk-live-the-pgcps-boe-candidate-forum-four
Participate/Submit Questions via Tweeter: http://twitter.com/DrMikeRobinson
Participate/Submit Questions via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrMikeRobinson


Forum Five
Candidates:
Micah Watson: District 4 (Confirmed)
John E. Richardson: District 7 (Invited)
Sharon Lewis: District 5 (Confirmed)

Date: March 4, 2012
Time: 8pm-9:10pm
Location: Parent Talk Live
Call in Number: (914) 803-4591
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal/2012/03/04/parent-talk-live-the-pgcps-boe-candidate-forum-five
Participate/Submit Questions via Tweeter: http://twitter.com/DrMikeRobinson
Participate/Submit Questions via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrMikeRobinson

Men Make A Difference Day: 10.10.11

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

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

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

“PARENT TALK LIVE”

“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