National Title One Conference – San Antonio
| February 20, 2009 | ||
| 9:30 am | to | 10:45 am |
Helping Students Graduate: Tools and Strategies To Keep Students in School
An increasing number of students leave school prior to their graduation having a dramatic effect on their lives and the lives of our citizens. They are more likely to wind up in jail, on welfare, marrying someone in the same situation and raising children who are more likely to dropout.
Using the 15 effective strategies developed by the National Dropout Prevention Center and tools developed as “best practices” by some of America’s outstanding schools and programs, workshop participants will not only learn what to do but how to aid at-risk youth to graduate from school .
Region#4 Education Service Center, Houston, Texas
| February 17, 2009 | ||
| 9:00 am | to | 2:00 pm |
Keeping Kids in School: A Framework for Student Success
An increasing number of students leave school prior to their graduation having a dramatic effect on their lives and the lives of our citizens. They are more likely to wind up in jail, on welfare, marrying someone in the same situation and raising children who are more likely to dropout.
Using the 15 effective strategies developed by the National Dropout Prevention Center and tools developed as best practices by some of America’s outstanding schools and programs, workshop participants will not only learn what to do but how to aid at-risk youth to graduate from school .
How Safe Are Schools?
The town of Harrold, Texas made headlines when the district decided to allow some teachers bring concealed weapons to school. This tiny town 180 miles from Dallas educates 100 students. There are two dozen teachers. But a lane highway runs through the town and the police did shut down a drug-producing laboratory near school property according to an article in USA Today. The county sheriff’s office is 17 miles away and the district cannot afford to hire police officers.
Texas gun laws ban weapons on school property but the State Legislature allows school board to permit people with concealed handgun licenses to carry weapons. Texas Governor Rick Perry supports the decision.
Exactly how dangerous are schools? According to www.schoolsecurity.org there have been 2 shooting deaths in the 2008-2009 school year. In the past 10 years there have been 117 shooting deaths – that averages 11 per year. But the number has decreased in the past 3 years.
Do you think teachers should be allowed to carry guns on campus? Do you feel that even though they have undergone training, they pose a threat to school safety? Would you want to work in a school district that permitted teachers to carry guns? Send your responses to franklin@schargel.com
Till next time.
Leading School Cultures To Academic Excellence
If we wish to improve schools we need to improve school cultures so that they support student learning, students, parents and staff.
What do successful leaders of high performing, high minority, highly successful schools (“90-90-90 schools”) do to create a positive learning environment so that all students can and will learn?
We sent surveys to the leaders of high performing, high minority, highly successful schools and asked them to identify what the school culture was before they arrived, what the existing school culture is today and what they envision the school culture will be in three-five years.
This session is designed for all people desiring to improve their school culture including teachers, school support personnel, administrators, parents and community members.
Audience: This workshop is appropriate for groups of administrators, potential school leaders and teachers.
Uses: This presentation can be used as a keynote, mealtime, or session presentation.
Length: This presentation is 1 -1 1/2 hours long and can be adjusted for a shorter 30 minute version or an all-day presentation.
Handouts: This presentation includes handouts.
Audio-Visual: This presentation does have slide, projector, or computer requirements.
Bookings: If you would like to arrange for this presentation or workshop, please call me today at 505-823-2339.
Suffer the Little Children
There are a number of high profile School Chancellors/CEOs/Superintendents. To name a few, there is Rudy Crew in Miami/Dade, Joel Klein in New York City, Paul Vallus in New Orleans and Michelle Rhee in Washington DC. All of these individuals are responsible for dealing with school systems which are faced with enormous difficulties.
The Washington Post recently (8/25/2008) published a story on Ms. Rhee (www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/25) entitled, Better or Worse, It’s Rhee’s School System Now.
Ms. Rhee was hired by the mayor of Washington, Adrian M. Fenty and is directly responsible to him. He has gone on record as staking his political future on fixing the schools in the District of Columbia. A number of mayors have taken on the direct responsibility of fixing the schools in their cities with the belief that schools create jobs. Mrs. Rhee has established as a goal for her administration to establish D.C. schools as “a world-class system.” This will be a daunting task because of the following:
- According to a Manhattan Institute Report, November 2001, High School Graduation Rates in the United States, Washington DC schools graduated 59% of its high school class.
- USA Today reported on April, 1, 2008, that there were 2,364 dropouts in the 2007 graduating class or 58.2% of the class graduated.
- The 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAED) reported that the Washington DC 4th and 8th grade scores were lower than any other students in the United States.
- Washington DC schools spend $14,400 per pupil. That is more than any of the 50 states.
In order to improve the DC schools, Ms. Rhee “has closed 23 under-enrolled schools, overhauled 26 academically ailing schools and fired 150 people she considered poor performers including nearly 50 principals and assistant principals, most of them black women over the age of 40.” (Washington Post)
She has run into opposition from the teachers union, parent groups, the DC Council, and education activists. Rhee, who is of Korean ancestry, has faced racial discrimination charges over the firings. In addition, she has been criticized for not being responsive to the demands of parents and community representatives. But according to the Washington Post article, she attended 370 community meetings.
Principals, work on year-to-year contracts, and according to Rhee were not rehired based on comments from parents, teachers and from reviews from her staff.
All heads of school systems, face enormous challenges, but if schools are not serving students, there needs to be some sort of immediate action taken.
Children in Washington, DC deserve to have their schools improve.
South Dakota Department of Education
| September 22, 2008 | to | September 24, 2008 |
I will be delivering two sessions in South Dakota for the South Dakota Department of Education and the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative, Transition Services Project. September 22 in Sioux Falls and September 24 in Rapid City.
I will be speaking on the Topic: Helping Students Graduate: Tools and Strategies to Prevent Student Dropouts.
Today, almost one-third of our K-12 students never graduate – increasing the likelihood of their imprisonment, single parenthood, poverty and the use of alcohol and drugs.
Using the 15 effective strategies developed by the National Dropout Prevention Center and tools developed as “best practices” by some of America’s outstanding schools and programs, workshop participants will not only learn what to do but how to aid at-risk youth to graduate.
