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Congratulations to Jesseca Aqui! You can read about the Top Ten for 2012 here!

A survey released on Wednesday found that more than hald of teachers expressed some reservation or dissatisfaction with their jobs, according to a report described in this NYT article. Citing budget cuts and a fixation on testing, the survey shows how important it is to ensure job satisfaction for teachers. The article reads, "Teachers with high job satisfaction were more likely to feel secure in their jobs, and to have more opportunities for professional development, more time to prepare their lessons and greater parental involvement in their schools."

It's important to appreciate the people who impact children's education. HMESF works to recognize teachers, and the winner of the 2012 Helene Marks Award has been announced. Congratulations to Jesseca Aqui from Ann Arbor, Michigan! You can read about Jesseca and the other finalists for the Award here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/education/teacher-morale-sinks-survey-results-show.html?_r=1

Annie Murphy, Director of Mother Hale House Learning Center, shared photos after they received the book/kid donation in their Starlight Classroom. The children in this classroom are currently about 20 months - 33 months.  Both the provider and the children are enjoying "Guess How Much I love you."

According to an article from the National Education Access Network, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s January 17 budget proposal seeks to “put pressure on [the state education department, teachers unions, and school districts] to resolve the impasse” brought about by the implementation of teacher evaluation systems. Districts that do not implement the evaluation system will be ineligible to participate in a grant competition. However, the article cites Michael A. Rebell of Teachers College at Columbia University, who argues that this system denies students their basic education granted to them by the state constitution. The article reads, “Mr. Rebell stated that holding resources that students vitally need hostage to the outcome of negotiations between school districts, unions and the state violates students’ constitutional rights.”

 

http://schoolfunding.info/2012/01/update-on-school-funding-issues-in-new-york/

 

This New York Times opinion piece by NYC Councilman Al Vann argues that parent involvement in decisions regarding public schools is vitally important. He writes, “Truly involving parents and communities in our public schools, and the decisions that affect them, is essential to improving our school system,” and names communities and parents of children in the school systems as “tremendous resources” for struggling schools. According to Vann, communities and parents (the “stakeholders”) must be empowered and their opinions must be valued and incorporated in to the decision-making process “to create an unparalleled support that would only benefit our 1.1 million students.”

http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2011/12/22/want-to-improve-schools-make-parent-involvement-meaningful/

There is a simple, basic re-emerging trend in early childhood education. Schools and childcare centers are focusing on unstructured play with building blocks. This New York Times article describes how, “many educators were embracing blocks as an antidote to fine-motor-skill deficits and difficulty with unstructured activity, problems that they blame on too much time in front of screens and overly academic preschools.” Check out the article to see specific classrooms that are looking to building blocks to aid with fundamentals and even more advanced concepts in early development.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/28/nyregion/with-building-blocks-educators-going-back-to-basics.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

"To continue to have a population that is relatively illiterate in these [financial] matters I think has real negative consequences to our democracy," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said during his speech to the Treasury Department. Check out Liz Goodwin's article from last Friday to read about Duncan's suggestion that personal finance instruction begin in schools as early as kindergarten. Financial literacy plays a major role in planning for college, retirement, and families, and it is a major factor in someone's ability to advance economically. Reaching the students who need it most at an early age could provide them with a significant advantage.

http://m.yahoo.com/w/news_america/blogs/lookout/duncan-calls-personal-finance-lessons-starting-kindergarten-134427341.html?orig_host_hdr=news.yahoo.com&.intl=us&.lang=en-us

Chicago is creating an evaluation system for city-funded early childhood education programs. Mayor Rahm Emanuel says, “No other city, to my knowledge, is not only adding kids, but having a comprehensive educational quality standard for its early childhood education.” You can read about how the system will work in this Chicago Sun Times article.

There is an effort to implement a system in New York City. Check out the Quality New York page and read about their work with NAEYC Accreditation programs. Their advocacy page describes the importance of an effective means of evaluation, and how rating system in NYC could serve those in need of early childhood education.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/7927571-418/city-to-launch-5-star-rating-system-for-early-childhood-programs.html

http://qualitynewyork.org/about.htm

20 centers and satellite locations that HMESF partners with received a donation from Townsend Press this week. The donations consist of 10 Kindergarten books, 60 first grade books, and Teachers' Guides. We are excited to have worked with Townsend Press to help bring these books to the Centers, and invite you to look at their website to read more about them!

http://www.townsendpress.com/