Public Engagement | Teacher Leaders Network

Taking a Closer Look: A Guide to Online Resources on Family Involvement

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Various

Year of Publication:

2006

URL:

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/guide/

Abstract:

Have you ever sat down to find information about family involvement in children's education on the Internet and felt overwhelmed by all the information that's out there? The Harvard Family Research Project may have a solution. "Taking a Closer Look," a new downloadable guide, contains Web links to research, information, programs, and tools about parenting practices to support children's learning and development, home-school relationships, parent leadership development, and collective engagement for school improvement and reform. The 50-page resource guide can be used to find out what's new in the field, locate national organizations that support family involvement, and inspire new ideas.

Harvard Family Research Project (2006). Taking a closer look: A guide to online resources on family involvement. Retrieved from the Harvard Graduate School of Education 12 May 2008. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/guide/

This Week in Education

Resource Keywords:
Education Policy
Public Engagement

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Alexander Russo

Year of Publication:

2007

URL:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/thisweekineducation/

Abstract:

If you're intrigued by education politics and the policy debates that constantly rage, you'll find Alexander Russo's blog, "This Week in Education," of considerable interest--if occasionally eccentric. Judging from the comments Russo receives about his posts, the blog is followed by quite a few education movers and shakers. The Chicago-based Russo is a former teacher turned education writer who has written for Slate, Washington Monthly, Teacher Magazine and Education Next. Russo's own politics are not easily "boxed" but here's a quote from a recent post: "(H)igh-poverty, high-minority schools -- not just individual students -- can and do succeed." Russo has since moved to a position at Scholastic, but the archives can be found at the included URL.

Russo, A. (2007). This week in education. Education week blog. Retrieved from Education Week 12 May 2008. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/thisweekineducation/

Democracy in Action: Students Step Up As Key Decision Makers

Resource Keywords:
Public Engagement

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Roberta Furger

Year of Publication:

2005

URL:

http://www.edutopia.org/democracy-in-action-students-as-key-decision-mak...

Abstract:

By careful design, Hudson High School in Hudson MA has become a laboratory of democracy, challenging widely held assumptions about how schools can and should operate. This story at the Edutopia website, "First Class Citizens,"describes how school and community leaders planned and built a school "whose design would encourage a sense of community among its occupants" and then moved into the school having laid the groundwork "for a bold new experiment in school governance in which students have a say in the big and little decisions that make up school life." A pretty amazing tale, supported by a 7-minute video documentary.

Furger, R. (2005). Democracy in action: Students step up as key decision makers. Edutopia (16 Nov. 2005). Retrieved from Edutopia 9 May 2008. http://www.edutopia.org/democracy-in-action-students-as-key-decision-mak...

Promoting America's Public Schools

Resource Keywords:
Public Engagement

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Various

Year of Publication:

2005

URL:

http://www.learningfirst.org/publications/pubschools/

Abstract:

This new communications tool from the Learning First Alliance "reflects what the public wants to know about strengthening public education: values, vision and performance." The six-page publication offers key messages ("What to Say") and action ideas ("What to Do") that can help educators communicate "credible and effective messages" about what's really going on in today's public schools. The Alliance is a permanent partnership of 12 leading education associations, representing teachers, principals, administrators, school boards and parents. This link leads to a page where you can download a PDF or Word version of the document.

Sage Advice (Contribute to Edutopia)

Resource Keywords:
Public Engagement

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Various

Year of Publication:

2008

URL:

http://www.edutopia.org/sageadvice

Abstract:

Edutopia, the magazine of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, regularly uses reader voices -- and posts many of their comments at its website. Bimonthly, at its "Sage Advice" page, Edutopia posts a new question of particular interest to teacher leaders and other educators. "Think of a reverse Dear Abby." Thus far, the questions have ranged from the five best ways to improve public education to "How do you get the most out of substitute teachers?" The question for the next issue is: "What technology is most effective in the classroom?"

Go to this page to read contributions and send your own 25- to 100-word reply.

Refrains of the School Critics

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Susan Ohanian

Year of Publication:

2005

URL:

http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=2807&snI...

Abstract:

Behind the rhetoric of school reform lies a contempt in some quarters for the work of public educators, says Susan Ohanian in this recent article from School Administrator magazine."The expression 'failing public schools' has a lot in common with 'war on terror,'" she writes. "After the media parrot these phrases often enough, we find ourselves at war and in the morass of radical public school deformation. Familiarity breeds acceptance. We need to unpack the knee-jerk, smoky phrases to examine the purposes behind the rhetoric we are in danger of taking for granted." As always, Ohanian takes no prisoners in her defense of her profession.

Ohanian, S. (2005). Refrains of the School Critics. The School Administrator. Retrieved April 30, 2008 from http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=2807&snItemNumber=950&tnItemNumber=951

Notes:

This article can also be accessed at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JSD/is_7_62/ai_n15622444

Making Schools Work

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Various

Year of Publication:

2005

URL:

http://www.pbs.org/makingschoolswork/

Abstract:

If you missed the recent PBS documentary "Making Schools Work" or would like to delve deeper into the resources developed in conjunction with this documentary, this website is a must-visit. You'll find sections on school-by-school reform, district-wide reform, lessons learned, and help for your community -- all featuring original interviews and material developed by host Hedrick Smith and his colleagues. Among our favorites: An interview with KIPP co-founder Mike Feinberg, which focuses on the middle grades: http://www.pbs.org/makingschoolswork/sbs/kipp/feinberg.html. And this interview with Gene Bottoms, founder of the High Schools That Work program: http://www.pbs.org/makingschoolswork/sbs/hstw/bottoms.html

PBS (2005). Making schools work. Retrieved from PBS 29 Apr 2008. Link: http://www.pbs.org/makingschoolswork/

Interview: No Day at the Beach

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Ninive Clements Calagari; Anthony Rebora

Year of Publication:

2005

URL:

http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2005/08/09/01calegari_web.h17...

Abstract:

What does it mean that in America today, you can find teachers selling stereos or cleaning houses on the side to make ends meet? For Ninive Clements Calegari, Dave Eggers, and Daniel Moulthrop, coauthors of "Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers" (The New Press), it means that teachers deserve more respect--and more money. In their book, the trio of authors set out to show the financial and professional demands on educators today, underscoring the gap between public perception and reality. Interweaving teachers' own stories with policy analysis, they depict a profession in crisis, perhaps unsustainable without significant changes in how teachers are paid. Teacher Magazine interviewed Calegari to find out more about the book's background and ideas. (May require free registration)

Calagari, N.C.; Rebora, A. (2005). Interview: No day at the beach. Teacher magazine (9 Aug 2005). Retrieved from Teacher Magazine 28 Apr 2008. Link: http://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/articles/2005/08/09/01calegari_web.h17...

Please Stop the Roller Coaster

Resource Keywords:
Public Engagement

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Sue Blaney

Year of Publication:

2003

URL:

http://www.pleasestoptherollercoaster.com/blog/

Abstract:

When students hit their teen years, parents often disappear from school halls, leaving the formal education of their children largely to teachers and administrators. It's a mistake -- research indicates that parent involvement in middle and high school can be one of the strongest predictors of a teenager's scholastic achievement. What's behind this parent behavior? In a free handbook for educators, counselors, administrators and parents, consultant Sue Blaney explores the dynamics of the often-tentative relationship between parents of adolescent students and their child's school and offers some prescriptive advice on what educators can do to improve connections and build trust and new relationships. (240k PDF file)

Blaney, S. (2003). Please stop the roller coaster blog . Retrieved from Please Stop the Roller Coaster 18 Apr 2008. Link: http://www.pleasestoptherollercoaster.com/blog/

Going Public with Our Teaching

Resource Keywords:
Public Engagement

Publication Type:

Web Article

Authors:

Various

Year of Publication:

2005

URL:

http://www.goingpublicwithteaching.org/

Abstract:

This website is a companion resource to the book "Going Public with Our Teaching," recently published by the Teachers College Press. You can listen to, read and watch online presentations as teachers explore problems of teaching. The book is a collection of work produced by teachers nationwide who have made teacher inquiry and research a focus of their professional practice. The volume addresses key problems across grade levels and diverse contexts, and captures how teachers have come to new understandings about these problems. The collection grows out of the work of the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching (CASTL) at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. As Foundation president Lee Shulman argues, when teachers make their examinations public and subject them to critical review by peers, others are able to build upon those examinations to advance their own work. The online exhibits include material by Emily Wolk, a teacher of a remarkable group of children called the Pio Pico Researchers. Wolk teaches using an alternative inquiry methodology called Participatory Action-Research (PAR). Using PAR, Wolk shows students how to develop voice, engage in dialogue, take action and learn to reflect on their actions.

(2005). Going public with our teaching: An anthology of practice. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Retrieved from Going Public with Teaching 18 Apr 2008. Link: http://www.goingpublicwithteaching.org/