IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts’ weekly newsletter for February 6, 2008. The newsletter is published each Wednesday and is archived here on the IEA blog.

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RESPONDING TO PRESIDENT BUSH’S EDUCATIONAL FUNDING PLAN
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FROM WENDY D. PURIEFOY
PRESIDENT, PUBLIC EDUCATION NETWORK
"President Bush has talked tough in the past about holding our country’s public schools and students accountable. His last proposed education budget appears to free him and his administration from any serious accountability for the state of our nation’s public education system, which is remarkable, as such accountability was something that he and his party fought hard for in the early days of his administration. The president has said he supports education but this budget, as was true for previous budgets, is insufficient to support education to the extent necessary in our nation. The 2009 budget includes what appears to be increases for the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), but are really just restorations of previous cuts. These restorations are nowhere near enough to provide the resources necessary to meet the Adequate Yearly Progress mandated by NCLB. This is insufficient funding for what was once termed a bold initiative by both parties, and which is now seen by many as a liability because of the failure of the administration to properly fund NCLB. Several reading programs have had their funding levels restored to levels they had at least two years ago. However, restoration of lost funds does not equal increases and it does not equal forward movement. Monies are being cut from a number of other crucial initiatives, including pre-school programs and several programs aimed at making American children ready for the technology revolution sweeping our globe. But the most serious cuts of all are those being made to programs aimed at addressing this nation’s teacher quality challenges. Teacher quality and teacher efficacy are at the very heart of student achievement. For these programs to be cut indicates that the administration is not listening to the American public, who have long voiced their support for measures to bolster the nation’s teacher quality.”
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A RESPONSE FROM ASCD
“President Bush's FY 2009 proposal will essentially level fund education. This does not even include an inflationary increase, which will result in a funding cut for many programs. With increases for programs not meeting inflationary costs coupled with growing student enrollments, schools will be forced to do more with less. Further, the funding increases proposed for a few programs come at the expense of other education programs. The budget proposal continues the President's attempt to eliminate 47 programs to save about $3.3 billion. Slight increases in Title I and IDEA (roughly equal to inflation) are provided as a result of the cuts to other programs. While essentially freezing or eliminating many public school programs, the President has proposed about $300 million to enable children in lower performing public schools to go to unregulated private schools with no requirements for teacher quality and curriculum. To cover the tuition and other expenses of a few students, the initiative would take away taxpayer dollars that could be used to improve public school education for many more students.”
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PREPARING ALL STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE
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URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS AIMING HIGHER THAN DIPLOMA
Sara Rimer, New York Times, 1/17/08
”At Excel High School, in South Boston, teachers do not just prepare students academically for the SAT; they take them on practice walks to the building where the SAT will be given so they won’t get lost on the day of the test. In Chattanooga, Tenn., the schools have abolished their multitrack curriculum, which pointed only a fraction of students toward college. Every student is now on a college track. And in the Washington suburb of Prince George’s County, Md., the school district is arranging college tours for students as early as seventh grade, and adding eight core Advanced Placement classes to every high school, including some schools that had none. Those efforts, and others across the country, reflect a growing sense of urgency among educators that the primary goal of many large high schools serving low-income and urban populations — to move students toward graduation — is no longer enough. Now, educators say, even as they struggle to lift dismal high school graduation rates, they must also prepare the students for college, or some form of post-secondary school training, with the skills to succeed.”
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MUSIC INTEGRATION IDEAS
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MUSIC IN EVERY CLASSROOM
PBS.org
“Explore the world of music through activities that focus on musical beat, rhythm, mood and emotions. Investigate the science of guitars, learn musical notation and enjoy multicultural music and popular songs from three generations.”
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MUSEUM FELLOWSHIPS
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RINGLING MUSEUM POST-GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
”The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, The State Art Museum of Florida and a division of Florida State University, offers two 12-month, post-graduate fellowships. The fellowships are designed to enable recent recipients of a master?s or doctoral degree in the arts, arts administration, museum studies, or other related fields to prepare for a museum career. These one-year non-renewable positions will provide each fellow with a challenging and comprehensive work experience. Fellowship departments change from year to year. The Circus Museum Archives and Collections Management will host fellows in 2008-2009. See online application at website below for full job description. We consciously look for upbeat personalities who can work as a team member, independently, and with imagination. Our organization works across departments and divisions, so each fellow participates in many areas of museum operations. Students nearing completion of a master or doctoral degree are encouraged to apply. The fellowship begins in June 2008. Interested applicants are required to submit an online application with attached or mailed cover letter, résumé or cv, and list of references. Additional materials will vary depending on the position.”
For more information, contact Karen Patriarca, kpatriarca@ringling.org, 941-359-5700 x4401.
To apply, visit: http://www.jobs.fsu.edu; Keyword: Ringling


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GRANTS AND AWARDS
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SAVE OUR HISTORY INITIATIVE
The History Channel
Deadline: 6/6/08
Maximum Award: $10,000
” Inspire the youth in your community to become the preservationists of tomorrow. Museums, historic sites, historical societies, preservation organizations, libraries, and archives are invited to partner with a local school or youth group and apply for funding to help preserve the history of their communities. Each year, The History Channel awards grants of up to $10,000 to organizations across the country that partner with schools or youth groups on community preservation projects that engage students in learning about, documenting and preserving the history of their communities.”
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A+ FOR ENERGY GRANTS
BP America
Deadline: 3/7/08 **coming soon!**
Maximum Award: $10,000
”The A+ for Energy® program was developed by BP to recognize teachers for innovation and excellence in teaching energy and/or energy conservation in the classroom. Any public or private preK-12 teacher currently teaching in an accredited or licensed schoolin Alabama, California, Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, or Texas, is encouraged to apply.”
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GRANTS FOR PROJECTS LED BY AND BENEFITING FEMALES
Open Meadows Foundation
Deadline: 2/15/08 **coming soon!**
”Open Meadows Foundation is a grant-making organization for projects that are led by and benefit women and girls. Open Meadows Foundation funds projects that do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age or ability. It offers grants up to $2000 to projects that are designed and implemented by women and girls; reflect the diversity of the community served by the project in both its leadership and organization; promote building community power; promote racial, social, economic and environmental justice; and have limited financial access or have encountered obstacles in their search for funding.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
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We archive past newsletters here on our searchable blog.