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Welcome!
What is Urban Edge?
Urban Edge is a service that provides CUBE districts with relevant information to help your awareness of education issues around the country. We will glean news sources, blogs, research studies, and NSBA's wide range of expertise for timely information that guides CUBE districts in making sound decisions.
Around the nation
New study shows teacher feelings about their profession
According to Public Agenda, a non-profit think-tank, "two out of every five teachers teachers appears disheartened and disappointed about their jobs." The new report, "Teaching for a Living: How Teachers See the Profession Today" asked 900 teachers 100 questions nationwide, ranging from, "why did you enter the profession?" to details about the leadership in their schools. The outcome of the survey said that teachers fall into three groups, "disheartened," (40%), "contented," 37%, and "idealists," 23%. For more details about the report and to see it in its entirety, including policy implications, click the links below.
Link to Public Agenda Report
Link to Presentation on report (pdf)
Define innovation
As more emphasis is placed on innovation in education, many educators are struggling to come up with what innovation means, especially when having to prove innovative ideas for Race to the Top Funds. A report out from the National League of Cities (NLC) outlines specific examples from many CUBE districts that are working effectively in communities around the country. "The State of City Leadership for Children and Families," written by NLC's Institute for Youth, Education and Families, shows how local communities are working successfully with creative programs which are impacting students. The report was created to share these ideas and to let state and federal policymakers see what works in cities nationwide.
Link to NLC's website 10/09
Link to report (pdf)
The pre-k achievement gap
Latino children are often behind white children in verbal and problem solving skills by the time they reach the age of two or three, despite being healthy at birth. Researchers at the University of California, Berkley, UCLA, and the University of Pittsburgh conducted a nationwide study of 8,000 children that pinpoints a gap earlier than previous studies showed. The importance of pre-k programs such as Head Start is highlighted as an early intervention strategy that is important to the development of Latino children.
Link to Los Angeles Times 10/21/09
Link to NSBA's recent pre-k webinar (media file) 10/29/09
Zero tolerance policies-are they worth it?
After a much publicized five day suspension of a six year old who accidentally brought a camping utensil to school, some districts are re-examining their zero-tolerance policies. In the 1990s, many policies were put into place by school boards to curb violence in schools, but in many cases critics say the policies lack common sense. In some states, including Texas and Florida, school boards are getting new direction from the state level.
Link to USA Today story 11/2/09
Around the educational organizations
A recent speech by Education Secretary Arne Duncan raised a lot of eyebrows in colleges that teach the teachers. He called many schools of education "cash cows" that do not prepare teachers well for the classroom. Edutopia has posted a poll asking, "what's needed to improve teacher training?" Take a moment to let them know what school leaders think.
Link to Edutopia poll
Link to MSNBC story 10/21/09
Educational Leadership, a publication from ASCD, recently wrote about urban districts in Europe and how they have grappled with many of the same issues urban districts in America face. Looking through the lens of four principals alongside four realities, the article discusses the importance of leadership at the school level and reinforces the importance of one person in a school. You will likely find many parallel problems and solutions to your own district.
Link to Educational Leadership October 2009
CUBE News
$373 million is being made available for local communities to adopt and implement evidence based policies and programs to improve nutrition, increase physical activity, decrease overweight and obesity and decrease tobacco use. The grant comes from the Health and Human Services Department and the Centers for Disease Control as part of the stimulus funding passed this spring. The grants will be awarded to communities "at highest risk and where policies and programs will likely have the greatest impact." Applications are due December 1, 2009. For more details, contact Kevin Scott (kscott@nsba.org).
For more information on grants available to CUBE and National Affiliate districts, check out GrantsQuest. Many opportunities exist for urban districts and classrooms every two weeks (1st and 15th of each month), if you have trouble logging into the site, contact Kevin Scott (kscott@nsba.org).
Are you following your favorite celebrity, sports star, or political candidate on Twitter? Have you succumbed to the pressure to tweet? CUBE has entered the fray, and we hope that you will follow us for regular updates on items impacting urban education. Think of this as a way to stay in touch between editions of the Urban Edge. Follow CUBE_Edge (CUBE_Edge) on Twitter!
Meetings Minute
NSBA's Federal Relations Network (FRN) Conference is January 31-February 2, 2010. Contact your state association or Kathleen Branch to find out how you can participate in the FRN Conference. You must be an appointed FRN member from your state school board association or a CUBE member to attend the conference.
Program Note
Did you know that all previous editions of the Urban Edge are available on CUBE's web site? If you missed an issue, wanted to go back to find a link to a research study we referenced, or need some information about what other districts are doing, click here.
Disclaimer
Links on the Urban Edge are subject to change or become inactive after a period of time. Please be aware that CUBE has no control over links to other organizations or entities.
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