Parenting and Learning Issues

The New Haven public school system, like others across the country, is dealing with a high drop-out rate that leaves many students unable to climb out of their current poverty trap. To help combat the problem in this New England state, Yale University has pledged a large amount of money over the next four years to help high school students in Connecticut go to college without worry over how bills will be paid. Yale has recently announced the New Haven Promise. This new program will allow public high school graduates in Connecticut the opportunity to go to college for free if they qualify for admission and keep their grades up during college.

This video explains how financial aid works at Yale University.

New Haven Promise

New Haven Promise is a scholarship and support program created by the city of New Haven and Yale University. It is designed to reduce the public school drop-out rate by allowing many more New Haven students to attend college.

According to the New Haven Promise website, the organization hopes to accomplish the following:

• Cultivate an aspiration for higher education among New Haven public school students
• Build a community of support and parental engagement
• Grow the economic development throughout the city of New Haven

The organization wants to be the catalyst that reduces not only drop-out rates but poverty, crime, and incarceration rates in New

Most individuals appointed as superintendents of school districts have a background in public education. However, some districts have found that sound managerial experience in the business sector can be just as advantageous – and sometimes more so – than those with a strict background in teaching.

On the other hand, superintendents that come straight from the business world may lack the educational knowledge necessary to properly lead a district in the best interests of the students. Which philosophy is correct? According to two major school districts currently involved in this very debate, the answer isn't terribly clear.

Management Experience vs. Education Training

According to a report in Bloomberg Business Week, New York is one city that appears to put sound managerial experience over an education background when it comes to choosing a superintendent for the nation's largest school district.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg came into the political arena with no experience in government and is now serving his third term as mayor. His appointments of New York schools chancellors also seem to reflect his commitment to finding individuals with business and managerial experience to lead the district.

This video outlines the qualifications for a school superintendent position.

Bloomberg's recent chancellor appointment, Cathie Black, "seems to be a continuation of Mayor Bloomberg's predisposition toward choosing people that he views as good managers regardless of their expertise in education," Aaron Pallas, a professor at Columbia

School board members are responsible for a variety of responsibilities during their terms of governance. They must set budgets, establish school policies, make long-range plans, and assess data to determine school performance. This governing board further decides how schools will operate and recommends strategies that will increase student achievement.

Due to these obligations, it stands to reason that elected board members should receive some type of training to assist them in conducting complex school business. However, school board member training is not without its share of controversy.

In this video, Cal Heminway, Board Chairman of Granby School District in Connecticut, talks about what makes a good school board member.

The Importance of School Board Training

In Michigan, voters seem united in their desire to see school board members properly trained for their roles. A recent survey published by the Michigan Association of School Boards demonstrated voter discontent. As many as 30% of the 600 Michigan voters polled gave their current school board members an average grade of "C" in terms of their recent performance. In addition, the survey found the following:

• Two-thirds of the respondents believe that school board training should be mandatory.
• The vast majority support training within one hour of the local school district.
• About half oppose training on a national level, preferring local training.
• Almost two-thirds said they would be more likely to vote for a potential member who has

"We are crew, not passengers." – Expeditionary Learning philosophy

A new wave of learning is sweeping schools across the country, engaging children in meaningful learning activities that claim to prepare them more adeptly for the world of higher education. This trend, known as expeditionary learning, has been implemented in numerous K-12 public schools today, and the results in many of these institutions have been impressive. What is expeditionary learning and how does it benefit students? The information about this unique program is spelled out within this article.

What is Expeditionary Learning?

According to the website for Pathfinder K-8 School in Seattle, expeditionary learning can be defined as "learning by doing, with a particular focus on character growth, teamwork, reflection and literacy."

Instead of sitting in a traditional classroom each day, schedules are broken into projects that engage students, challenge their thinking and teach them critical problem solving skills. Work may be done inside or outside the classroom, with a particular emphasis on Outward Bound expeditions that promote teamwork and challenge students to their physical and mental limits.

The Casco Bay High School for Expeditionary Learning lists the 10 design principles that reflect the values and beliefs of both expeditionary learning and Outward Bound:

• The Primacy of Self Discovery – Learning happens best with challenge, emotion and proper support.
• The Having of Wonderful Ideas – Time is given to foster curiosity, experiment and make observations.
• The Responsibility of Learning – Learning takes place individually and as a group.
• Empathy

Public schools have taught the Advanced Placement curriculum for decades. AP courses offer students the opportunity to accelerate in the subjects in which they are particularly gifted. In addition, students who score well on AP exams can obtain college credits or test out of courses before ever attending a university. However, some schools are taking the advanced placement program one step further, requiring students to take exams that will bolster the school's own standing in some national rankings.

Those Opposed to AP Requirements

The AP examinations offer many benefits to students, but they cost a lot to take. Most of the exams cost between $50 and $100. Some schools pick up the tab, and others charge students directly for the exams.

One of the complaints parents and students alike have in districts that are requiring the exam is that some families cannot afford the expense of the test. This means some students will not benefit from the Advanced Placement classroom because they can't afford the required exam with the course itself.

Others are unhappy about the requirement to take an exam that may or may not offer much benefit to them. For students taking Advanced Placement courses, the time required to prepare for many examinations may be more than the students can handle. Most will pick and choose the exams to take based on their expectations of which exams they predict they will master.

The percentage of students enrolled in advanced placement courses who