OTL Campaign Newsletter May 16, 2013


FEATURED VIDEO

Orchard Gardens

MA principal transforms school
by firing security guards and
hiring art teachers

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Webinar

Bringing the Equity Commission
to America's Classrooms:
A Webinar for Educators

Wed. May 22nd – 7:00 PM (ET)
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Standards to Supports

Moving from Standards to Supports

By John H. Jackson
Standards-based reform creates an inherent system of winners and losers by raising the bar and assessing who makes the cut. Supports-based reforms provide and strategically align the needed resources so each student has the opportunity to reach that bar—and surpass it. Read more>

Los Angeles Bans Suspensions for "Willful Defiance"

LA Willful Defiance Ban Thanks to the tireless work of local advocates and organizers, officials in the Los Angeles Unified School District voted to put an end to suspensions for "willful defiance" with the adoption of a new school discipline policy that focuses on positive alternatives that keep students in the classroom. Read more>

MA Allies Converge on Boston to Build a Movement

MA OTL What's the key to building a state-level OTL Campaign in Massachusetts? That question was front and center at a recent organizing event in Boston where groups from across the state gathered to map out the education landscape in the commonwealth, dive deep into several issue areas, and ensure increased collaboration between groups as they all work to improve public education. Read more>

Give At-Risk Students Early, Tailored Supports

NC Justice Center Students fall behind not because of inherent character flaws, but because our education policies for the past two decades have focused on implementing tough standards while failing to build support systems that address the societal factors that create barriers to academic success. Read more>

Buffalo, NY Embraces Solutions Not Suspensions

Buffalo rally In the three years since high school student Jawaan Daniels was fatally shot at a bus stop after being suspended from school for wandering the halls, advocates and organizers in Buffalo, NY have built a movement to reform the district's discipline policies. Their hard work paid off in April when the school board approved a new student code of conduct that limits the use of out-of-school suspensions. Read more>

Our "Model T" Education System Has to Go

Patrick Michel By Dr. Patrick Michel
Our schools operate today with a system that was cutting edge when the Model T first rolled off the assembly line. While countries like Finland and South Korea blow by us on the education racetrack, our policymakers have refused to invest in the resources our schools need to provide students with 21st century skills. Read more>

The Growing Revolution Against Ed "Reform"

Education Opportunity Network By Jeff Bryant
A national grassroots movement of parents, students, teachers and advocates against high-stakes testing and standards is growing, propelled by widespread grievances about inequity, unfairness, and public disempowerment. As the resistance swells, so does the call for sensible policies that support teachers and schools and provide all students with access to key resources and opportunities. Read more>
 RESOURCES

The State of Preschool 2012

The State of Pre-K The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has tracked preschool enrollment and funding data in the country for over a decade. The latest installment of its annual "The State of Preschool" report presents an alarming set of "firsts" in the 2011-2012 school year: Enrollment in state-funded pre-K programs has stagnated after a decade of growth, and average funding per child has decreased below $4,000 for the first time since NIEER began collecting the data. Read more>

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