From: A Broader, BOLDER Approach to Education:
“The Broader, Bolder Approach to Education is the product of deliberation by leaders with diverse religious and political affiliations, and experts in the fields of education, social welfare, health, housing, and civil rights. The statement examines areas that research shows must be addressed if we are to keep our [...]
Entries from May 2009
May 28, 2009
Sign the petition for shared responsibility
May 25, 2009
A broader approach to helping kids: A call for shared responsibility
by Christopher Paslay
The following is an excerpt from an article written by Jerry Jordan, President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. This article appeared in the May edition of the PFT Reporter.
A child came to class late one morning with a sad, almost weary look on his face, and carrying a small suitcase. When his [...]
May 20, 2009
When the community steals from its students
by Christopher Paslay
Over the past decade, education advocates and community groups have been focusing their attention on school equity—the idea that all students, regardless of race and socioeconomic status, should receive an equal education.
As a teacher in the Philadelphia School District, I agree wholeheartedly. All children deserve a quality education. The reality, of course, is [...]
May 17, 2009
Philadelphia School District focuses on vocabulary to help improve student literacy
by Christopher Paslay
True or false: If a student is unfamiliar with only five percent of the words in a particular text, he will not be able to comprehend the overall meaning of the passage.
Answer: True.
Research on student literacy shows that a child can know 19 out of every 20 words on a reading assignment and [...]
May 14, 2009
Eye on the Notebook: Will new bloggers bring balance to the Notebook?
by Christopher Paslay
It appears that Paul Socolar, editor of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, has indeed had a moment of clarity. After nearly fifteen years of proclaiming to be “an independent voice for parents, educators, students, and friends of Philadelphia public schools,” the Notebook is finally giving our city’s school teachers some badly needed space [...]
May 12, 2009
Readers cynical about forcing seniors to apply to college
by Christopher Paslay
Yesterday, I published a commentary in the Inquirer headlined Seniors need a backup. The article had two main points: that graduating seniors should have a contingency plan in place in case things don’t work out as anticipated after high school; and that schools should do more to help students take advantage of the [...]
May 11, 2009
Seniors need a backup
“For years, I’ve argued that high school seniors – especially in Philadelphia – should be required to pursue higher-education options. Doing so could be a component of senior projects that are already required.
The new requirement would be simple: Every single graduating senior must successfully apply to a community or four-year college, or to a trade [...]
May 7, 2009
New report links nine parental factors to achievement gap
by Christopher Paslay
In a newly released report titled Parsing the Achievement Gap II, the Educational Testing Service tracked national trends between students of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. The report listed 16 factors that have been linked to student achievement.
Of the 16 factors, nine were directly related to a child’s parents and home environment. [...]
