It is important to know that advocacy works!

Hello Engaged Parents and Dedicated Educators, It is important to know that advocacy works! Thanks to the work of so many of you and your organizations, we see the results of advocacy relative to our local school system. When parents and educators seek and become engaged they create (you create) change. We are experiencing this first hand, as the attempts of the School Board to connect with parents, families, educators and community stakeholders have expanded. There is still work to be done, but their efforts far exceed those of the past. Parents and PGCPS is proud to say we have been a driving force in the efforts to increase two-way communication between homes and schools. Just as important, Parents and PGCPS advocates and will continue to do so for continuing dissemination of information to parents and communities from Prince George’s County Public Schools. Your advocacy, your engagement, your involvement and your dedication makes a difference! Do not be fooled you are the driving force behind the increase communication with your school district. Stay engaged, stay dedicated, it makes a difference. Thanks

Stop the K12 Dropouts

Written by: Dr. Stephen Jones

Every year millions of students drop out of school with no hope of pursuing or completing a college degree. In many cases these students are the first person in their family to consider college. If America is going to thrive in the 21st century, we must be willing to change our lack of investment in education. This is a national crisis that must stop. We need innovative ideas to get students who believe in the value of education. Too many students sit in classes where they indicate that they lack curiosity. If you would like to be a part of the National Campaign to reduce the number of K12 student dropouts share your comments. Also you can contribute to this effort at http://igg.me/p/318416/x/342850. Here are some ideas to reduce the dropout rate: 1. . Create a 9th grade summer institute to help students to transition from middle school to high school. 2. Create class rewards that are based on class attendance for the month. 3. Establish relationships with companies whose internship opportunities will be based on class attendance and performance 4. Identify mentors who can work with students who are at risk of dropping out 5. Assign students projects in based on their career interest. 6. Get local sports teams to donate tickets for students who have a good attendance record 7. Create peer mentors who can work with students who are transitioning from middle school to high school 8. Identify teachers who are willing to spend additional time with students who are thinking about dropping out 9. Provide tutoring for students who may feel overwhelmed by certain subjects 10. Survey students to uncover the consistent reason why students drop out and work with teachers to address the problem. Stopping the dropout rate will require commitment from all aspects of the community. We need more mentors, corporate involvement and parents who will position students to get the help that they need. Students need to be given the motivation to come to school because they see a job opportunity that will result from their attendance. The school that these students attend need to be a place that can help students to overcome their deficits and to see the possibility of post-secondary education. It will take greater input from government officials who even open up their offices as resources for internships and summer jobs. In order to change communities the dropout problem must be eliminated as a standard choice for too many students. If everyone is working together we can end up with more K12 and college graduates. Dr Stephen Jones is a speaker, author and workshop presenter at http://www.studyskills2u.com. Posted by Dr. Stephen Jones at 1:41 PM

MARYLAND SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT TO LAUD TWO PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY SCHOOLS FOR SUPERLATIVE PERFORMANCE

BALTIMORE, MD (January 25, 2013) WHO: Dr. Lillian M. Lowery, State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Alvin Crawley, Interim Superintendent, Prince George's County Public Schools Amber P. Waller, Prince George's County Board of Education, District 3 Dr. Jane Ennis, Principal, Adelphi Elementary School Patricia Haith-Belgrave, Principal, Lewisdale Elementary School WHAT: Dr. Lowery and local school dignitaries will congratulate administrators, educators, and students at Adelphi Elementary School and Lewisdale Elementary School for being named a "Title I Superlative Highest Performing Reward School." A Title I Superlative Highest Performing Reward School has met progress targets for two consecutive years with an achievement gap between "all students" and any lower performing subgroup at or below 10%. In addition, the school has a student population of 50% economically disadvantaged students, and is in the top 10% of Title I schools showing the most improvement on MSAs between 2007-2011, and made a gain of at least 18 percentage points for "all students." WHEN: Monday, January 28, 2013 WHERE: Adelphi Elementary School 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. 8820 Riggs Road Adelphi, Maryland 20783 (301.431.6250) Lewisdale Elementary School 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. 2400 Banning Place Hyattsville, Maryland 20783 (301.445.8433)

Social Media Training for Zeta Phi Beta Debutantes

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated Debutantes participated in a Social Media and Internet Safety workshop provided by William Jackson of My Quest To Teach. Young ladies in high school grades 9-12 are introduced to the college experience through various workshops during the year provided by Beta Alpha Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. The Social Media workshop was designed to provide young ladies with important information on their digital presence on Social Media sites of: Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram. In attendance were young ladies from Andrew Jackson, Jean Ribault Senior High, William M. Raines and First Coast High Schools. The young ladies learned numerous important facts relating to their Social Media presence, building their Brand and how to properly Market themselves for higher education entrance, establishing careers, entrance into the military, social and networking organizations. They also discussed how to Blog online on sites like WordPress where Mr. Jackson Blogs and is syndicated on multiple sites online. Safety is an important element because of the dangers of CyberStalking, Cyberbullying, identity theft and other hazards that youth are experiencing the more they put content about themselves online. These important areas were discussed and the consequences of inappropriate information in the form of photos, videos, text and even the use of video conferencing with Skype and other multimedia tools. William Jackson is an educator of over 20 years in public education, Blogger since 2006, presenter and Social Media speaker to organizations and churches for youth/teens and adults focusing on safety online and helping to build youths Social Media presence in positive and productive ways. Teaching in higher education with a focus on Educational Technology and implementing Social Media. Mr. Jackson has participated in the Learn2Earn Experience with Mayor Alvin Brown teaching Social Media at UNF in summer of 2012, the Urban League Leadership Conference and Florida State Legislator Mia Jones Teen Dating And Violence Summit: Empower Yourself! and Man Up Health Summit “Social Media Dangers and Cautions in a Digital World” Florida State College at Jacksonville Advanced Technology Center just to name a few additional venues. For more information about the Debutante Cotillion of Zeta Phi Beta contact: Ms. Karen Britt, Chairwoman (904) 728-1287 To contact Mr. Jackson about Social Media workshops (904) 701 4957 or WilliamDerekJackson@gmail.com Mr. Jackson Blogs at WilliamDJackson.com/

Parental Engagement Lecture Series: Part I

Parental Engagement: Lecture Series Part II

The Impact of Environmental Factors on the Academic Success of Students

Dr. Mike Robinson, host of Parent Talk Live discussed the impact of environment factors and issues on the academic success of students, specifically a review of the social-psychological interventions to reduce the achievement gap among urban students. Dr. Robinson’s guest was Dr. Franklin Turner, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at Queens College, The City University of New York. Franklin Dickerson Turner, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at Queens College, The City University of New York. He received his B.S. in African American History from Florida A&M University, M.A. in Educational Psychology from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and Ph.D. in Urban Systems from Rutgers University-Newark. Prior to starting graduate school Dr. Turner was a middle school teacher in the Philadelphia School District. He has a strong record of community service, from working as a volunteer in Post-Katrina New Orleans to running a Boy and Cub Scouting program at Raymond Rosen Housing Projects in Philadelphia. Dr. Turner’s research focuses on the Achievement Gap (especially teaching writing), Popular Culture, and Race & Social Class especially in educational settings. He has published and presented in the areas of reading fluency acquisition, teacher education, and counseling. He is currently a consulting editor for The Journal of Educational Research and the Journal of Negro Education.  For more information on Dr. Franklin Turner, Queens College visit http://www.franklinturner.com/home To hear this discussion click here!

Parent Talk Live: The Need For High Performing High Schools

Dr. Mike Robinson, host of Parent Talk Live discussed the need for high performing high schools with Mr. Harold Brown President of EDWorks. Over the years EDWorks has developed innovative learning platforms for schools, including The Riley Institute at Furman University, Granville Studio of Visual Arts, Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS) , Open Sky Jazz and Jobs for the Future. President Harold Brown managed the Foundation’s $100 million investment in the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative (OHSTI), and the Foundation’s Early College High School (ECHS) initiative working hand-in-hand with leaders, building strong partnerships at the school, community, district and state levels to ensure all students reached their full potential and were prepared for success. He has managed the Foundation’s investments in Project GRAD, College Access, the Ohio 8 Coalition and a wide range of other school improvement initiatives. He also has significant experience working with institutions of higher education on issues related to equity and access, and is frequently quoted in newspapers across Ohio on key education issues. A native of Oxford, Ohio, Harold earned his Bachelor's degree in Government, with honors, from Harvard University. Currently, he serves on the boards of the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Buckeye Boys Ranch (adolescent mental health service provider), the Metro Early College STEM High School in Columbus, Ohio and the National College Access Network. To hear this amazing interview, click here!

How To Re-establish A Positive and Healthy School Culture After A Tragedy

Dr. Mike Robinson, host of Parent Talk Live welcomed Dr. Jonathan Cohen, Co-Founder and President of the National School Climate Center, located in New York. Dr. Cohen will provide his views on how schools and school districts can re-establish a positive and healthy school culture after a tragedy” Dr. Cohen is also an Adjunct Professor in Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University; Adjunct Professor in Education at the School of Professional Studies, City University of New York and a practicing clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. Dr. Cohen has worked in and with K-12 schools for over thirty years as a teacher, program developer, school psychologist, consultant, psycho-educational diagnostician and mental health provider. After working as a middle school teacher at the Marianne Frostig Center for Educational Therapy in Los Angeles, he received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the City University of New York, New York, New York and completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychology (1979-1980) at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center as well as at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, New York, N.Y. For more information on Dr. Jonathan Cohen or the National School Climate Center visit http://www.schoolclimate.org/about/ To listen to this amazing discussion click here!

The H.O.P.E. Scholarship Initiative

Dr. Mike Robinson, host of Parent Talk Live in part two of Organizations You Need To Know discussed education and scholarships with The Founder and Director of the H.O.P.E. Scholarship Initiative Mr. Jeffery Chance. The H.O.P. E. Scholarship Initiative is a non-profit organization designed to empower financially-challenges students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The organization was founded by two Howard University alumni committed to serving their communities. To hear this wonderful conversation, please click the link below. Organizations You Need To Know Part-2