ASKING QUESTIONS, EXPLORING OPTIONS, CHANGING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.

School House

Pointillism.

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All star quarterback? Captain of the chess team? Editor-in-chief with a 4.0 GPA?

Boring.

If there is one thing my time in the college admissions lottery has taught me, it’s that we, as an educational system, have reached the era of the super resume. No longer can simply having good grades and being well rounded get you into a good college. Resumes need zing; they need flavor and pizzazz.

They need a point.

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School House

Can Early Childhood Education… Justify the Expense?

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Early Childhood Education is not mandatory in the state of Texas. According to the TEA, Division of Curriculum of Early Childhood Education a district is required to offer a prekindergarten program when it identifies two of the following conditions.

  • There are 15 or more eligible children who are at least four years of age  by September 1 of the current year.
  • If the district identifies 15 or more eligible children who are at least 3 years of age.

Eligibility for enrollment is based on some of the following points:

  • Is unable to speak and comprehend the English language
  • Is educationally disadvantaged. These are the children whose families may be able to participate in the national free or reduced-price lunch program under 42 U.S.C. Section 1751 et seq.
  • Is homeless
  • Is the child of an active duty member of the armed force.
  • Is or ever has been in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services following an adversary hearing held as provided by Section 262.201, Family Code.

Unfortunately state programs like the full-day and half-day pre-K programs are frequently considered to be sent to the guillotine in the budget proposals by both the House and the Senate. What has happened to all that research that shows that money in Pre-k is not an expense, but an investment in a child’s brain and good money sense?

 

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School House

Hippie Inspiration.

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There is nothing happier for some than to have their hands covered in soil, open wide to the blossom of life in the spring time. Gardening, landscaping, nature in general, it is a spiritual experience for many people, a satisfying hobby, lifestyle or job. For the Kennedy School of Sustainability, a high school in Cotton Grove, Oregon, a connection to sustainability and nature is how students are learning real-world skills, being engaged, loving learning and bettering their communities.

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School House

The New Glass Ceiling.

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“I asked the pharmacist for a test. I ran home locked myself in the bathroom and after a few long painful minutes in my young life, I turned my head and saw what I feared the most. I tested positive…”

Teen pregnancy affects the educational achievement of teens and that of their children.  According to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, “Parenthood is the leading cause of school dropout among teen girls.” Did you know that statistically only four out of ten who have a child before they turn 18, attain a college degree?

Diana Zuckerman Ph.D. writes on her article, “When Little Girls Become Women” that by their ninth birthday girls are starting to show signs of puberty. How can this help teachers to understand and be aware of the fact that these maturing young girls will need to learn to cope with their own personal confusing hormonal feelings at a younger age than usual?

I will not discuss here the reasons to early puberty but the importance in supporting teens that do get pregnant to finish school and support their newborn in the process. Unfortunately some programs that help pregnant teen girls finish High School and prepare for parenting in schools are slowly disappearing and losing support. I would like to share the words of a teen parent who was in one of these programs and became a mother at 13 years old.  In June 2011, she obtained her high school diploma. She is just now finishing her 2nd semester at San Jacinto College, and is hoping to be able to transfer to Rice University after receiving her Associate’s Degree. This is her story in her own words

 

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REEP News

New Beginning.

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Spring is here, graduation is near.  Hope springs eternal.  Trite but true words that are so appropriate for the upcoming events in May.

These 2012 graduates are about to embark on a new adventure in education.  New thoughts, new ideas, new positions, all springing from their work with REEP and with the intention of improving “school” for this century.

We wish them well in their endeavors.