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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
Alternative sources provide Memphis with teachers
On the heels of receiving one of the coveted Race to the Top grants, as well as a Gates grant, Memphis (and all of Tennessee) is being watched closely as the rest of the country looks for different ways to groom qualified teachers. Working with the New Teacher Project, a nonprofit that finds people to teach, prospective Memphis teachers will have just two years to focus on the achievement gap and inequities in education. Many career changers, recent college graduates, and other professionals are hoping to fill spots as new teachers, with little cost to become certified teachers in the state. Other urban districts in the country have similar programs, and what's happening in Memphis is surely to be watched closely in upcoming years.
Link to the Commercial Appeal (Memphis) 4/18/10
Black teens more optimistic than their peers
A poll released last week says that 70 percent of black teens, ages 15 to 18, think that they will have a better standard of living than their parents. 36 percent of white students in the same age range thought that they would have a higher standard of living. Some are referring to this as the "Obama effect," because many teens see the president as an example of what's possible for themselves. According to one student from Newark, NJ, "You're always told anything is possible — but when you see it, you believe it. It makes me want to try twice as hard."
Link to ABC News/AP 4/29/10
"Too fat to fight"
According to an article in USA Today, which references a report by a non-profit organization made up of 130 former military leaders, about three quarters of America's 17 to 24 year olds would not be able to serve in the military because they are overweight, have health problems, did not graduate from high school, or have criminal records. Historically speaking, the military has been involved in school nutrition since the first National School Lunch Act which was passed in 1946. CUBE districts know the importance of school nutrition on student achievement and well being, but the report highlights the need for changes in American schools.
Link to USA Today 4/20/10
Link to Mission: Readiness report
Department of Education announces competition for Promise Neighborhoods
Continuing the spirit of having districts compete for funding, the Department of Education announced that it will grant $10 million to 20 organizations nationwide with "cradle-to-career" services for students in underserved areas. Based on the well respected organization begun by Dr. Geoffrey Canada, Harlem Children's Zone, these Promise Neighborhoods must focus on comprehensive educational programs that reach beyond traditional K-12 settings. For more information, the link below includes the press release, upcoming webinar dates given by the DOE, and the deadline for applications is June 25.
Link to Press Release 4/30/10
New School Climate Study
National School Climate Survey 2010: To help district officials understand the importance of school climate and its relationship to educational outcomes, NSBA is supporting the efforts of Dr. Brian K. Perkins, principal investigator for the National School Climate Survey 2010 survey. CUBE districts are already familiar with the first three school climate studies he conducted, which can be found here. Perkins will host a series of informational webinars on the survey which will provide data to participants to help make decisions on ways to improve school climates, including student, administrator, teacher, and parent perceptions of school climate, and student academic achievement and school performance indicators. Register for a webinar on one of the following days:
May 6 at 4 p.m. EDT; May 20 at 4 p.m. EDT; June 1 at 4 p.m. EDT; or June 23 at 4 p.m. EDT.
CUBE News
Register today for the 2010 CUBE Issues Seminar, Serving the Learning Needs of Today's Urban Students, June 24-26, Los Angeles, CA
Join CUBE’s 2010 Issues Seminar to discuss how urban school board members can become advocates for 21st century teaching and learning. The Issues Seminar will consider the need to respond to demographic shifts and meet the diverse needs of all children; realities and challenges of charter school reform; Federal reforms and the changing realities for urban school governance; redefining a system of public schools focused on individualized learning; and utilizing social media to engage
diverse communities. Click here to download and print the registration brochure. Please be patient, it may take a few minutes to download.
CUBE programming held in conjunction with the 70th NSBA Annual Conference, April 9-11, 2010
Click here to access handouts and presentations from all of our sessions in Chicago. Don't miss information on charter schools, community schools, and dynamic presentations from Dr. John H Jackson from The Schott Foundation on Public Education discussing "Educating Black Male Students."
NSBA's Conference Daily CUBE coverage
Special thanks to the organizations that sponsored CUBE events in Chicago:
CUBE is on Twitter-Follow CUBE_Edge (CUBE_Edge) for daily updates on what's happening in urban education around the country.
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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