Monday, June 11, 2012
Social Policies: Fair Funding for All Students
Social Policies: Fair Funding for All Students: As a mom like all parents, we want the best for our children . With more options that have been provided to inner city children through char...
Social Policies: We come to work
Social Policies: We come to work: The year was 1984 when we moved from Washington, DC to Montgomery County, Maryland, horizon expanded about other cultures. I had only seen f...
Social Policies: Urban Foster Care.
Social Policies: Urban Foster Care.: As a child that was adopted inside my family, it was not the most supportive environment but it was not like a foster home from the inner ci...
Social Policies: Help for Special Needs
Social Policies: Help for Special Needs: When I was in 3rd grade I was tested and found out that I am dyslexic. When my brother and I moved from DC, to Maryland, his learning disabi...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
We come to work
The year was 1984 when we moved from Washington, DC to Montgomery County, Maryland, horizon expanded about other cultures. I had only seen foreigners on T.V. but never up close. When I first moved to my new building, I made a friendship that I still have now with a person from Jamaica. I then went outside, to explore my neighborhood and found some other children from other countries like Panama, El Salvador, and other Caribbean countries. I was amazed, by the differences and similarities. On my first day of school walking with the other children from the neighborhood, I noticed that they were speaking another language, which I did not understand. I then found out that they were speaking Spanish, became interested in learning it.
At that time the language was being offered after school for free, so I took the permission slip home and my mother signed it. There was another person that stuck out with me that I met at the same time, his father was a painter and he was from El Salvador. Little did I know at the time that I was witnessing a trend to come? The first was Latino families that had brought over with them a variety of skills and trades that were beneficial to the construction industry. The next was a level of survival through a means of self employment, and passing on skill to the male children in the home for generation to come.
The other was the need to know Spanish, in the coming job market. I really appreciated the fact that I learned about other cultures at an early age, and I have passed that lesson on to my son at an even earlier age as well. Every time I hear people speak about illegal immigrants, I think of all of the ways that other cultures have shaped the lives of this country.
I understand that there are bad actions that are done by people in any culture, but there is also for the most part more good that is present as well. I feel that our country has benefited greatly by immigrants from many countries since the beginning of time. So why now it is a problem. I also have noticed that in recent years, ESOL(teaches students English) has been cut out of school budgets, but it was a means that many of my friends taught there parents English so that they could get better jobs. Yes, there is a gang violence issue that has caused positions to take drastic actions in law enforcement procedures. My Solution:
1. Teaching children to learn from others and not imposing adult fears on them. Our children will have to take care of our future
2. Put ESOL back into schools that have high populations of immigrant children, they should not be used as a chess playing piece in something that they had no say in.
3. When having changing procedures in law enforcement to address concerns, teach humanity and racial tolerance when dealing with this matter.
4. Keep international day in schools, have parents come in and talk about different cultures, so that other children are exposed to a world that they might not know.
In closing: When I was pregnant with my son, I taught a Spanish class at the Washington Saturday College held out of Howard University. I taught the class first how the history of Africa and Spain came together in the Caribbean, and other South American countries. I then gave them an assignment to go to a Latino restaurant and bring back a menu for homework.
Each one of them presented their menus, I asked them to see if them food looked like what is cooked in their house. The class was shocked at the similarities in cooking, and eating between African Americans and Latinos. I also conducted this experiment, with my family members as well (funny). I showed them that we all are connected, but that you can tell a lot about a culture through the food that they eat. Oh I later found out that my father is from the Dominican Republic, Hmmm might be the reason that I retained Spanish all this time.
At that time the language was being offered after school for free, so I took the permission slip home and my mother signed it. There was another person that stuck out with me that I met at the same time, his father was a painter and he was from El Salvador. Little did I know at the time that I was witnessing a trend to come? The first was Latino families that had brought over with them a variety of skills and trades that were beneficial to the construction industry. The next was a level of survival through a means of self employment, and passing on skill to the male children in the home for generation to come.
The other was the need to know Spanish, in the coming job market. I really appreciated the fact that I learned about other cultures at an early age, and I have passed that lesson on to my son at an even earlier age as well. Every time I hear people speak about illegal immigrants, I think of all of the ways that other cultures have shaped the lives of this country.
I understand that there are bad actions that are done by people in any culture, but there is also for the most part more good that is present as well. I feel that our country has benefited greatly by immigrants from many countries since the beginning of time. So why now it is a problem. I also have noticed that in recent years, ESOL(teaches students English) has been cut out of school budgets, but it was a means that many of my friends taught there parents English so that they could get better jobs. Yes, there is a gang violence issue that has caused positions to take drastic actions in law enforcement procedures. My Solution:
1. Teaching children to learn from others and not imposing adult fears on them. Our children will have to take care of our future
2. Put ESOL back into schools that have high populations of immigrant children, they should not be used as a chess playing piece in something that they had no say in.
3. When having changing procedures in law enforcement to address concerns, teach humanity and racial tolerance when dealing with this matter.
4. Keep international day in schools, have parents come in and talk about different cultures, so that other children are exposed to a world that they might not know.
In closing: When I was pregnant with my son, I taught a Spanish class at the Washington Saturday College held out of Howard University. I taught the class first how the history of Africa and Spain came together in the Caribbean, and other South American countries. I then gave them an assignment to go to a Latino restaurant and bring back a menu for homework.
Each one of them presented their menus, I asked them to see if them food looked like what is cooked in their house. The class was shocked at the similarities in cooking, and eating between African Americans and Latinos. I also conducted this experiment, with my family members as well (funny). I showed them that we all are connected, but that you can tell a lot about a culture through the food that they eat. Oh I later found out that my father is from the Dominican Republic, Hmmm might be the reason that I retained Spanish all this time.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Fair Funding for All Students
As a mom like all parents, we want the best for our children. With more options that have been provided to inner city children through charter schools, it has given hope to many families. Yet, still there is still a separation of the have and have nots appear once again. My son attended a charter school that despite my concerns of staff qualification, still managed to build very profitable relationships with corporations of many sizes.
They also managed to make friends across political area's. They also had the where with all to utilize the position of some parents to acquire things and services that the school did not have. His new school is in the same position, it is a sister school of a private school in another state. It goes to 12th grade, and provides good college mentoring. This is one of the reasons that it was suggested to me by an administrator at his old school, along with another child going to the 8th grade. His prior school catered to the special education population, and had a mix of most of the low-income to middle income children attending the school. It served very well for getting money, to fund the school when Mr. Fenty cut the budget, despite rising enrolment of charter schools. My question is, if all of the cities charter schools are under one organization, how come there is still such a divide in funds or information of how to receive them in multiple sources?
They also managed to make friends across political area's. They also had the where with all to utilize the position of some parents to acquire things and services that the school did not have. His new school is in the same position, it is a sister school of a private school in another state. It goes to 12th grade, and provides good college mentoring. This is one of the reasons that it was suggested to me by an administrator at his old school, along with another child going to the 8th grade. His prior school catered to the special education population, and had a mix of most of the low-income to middle income children attending the school. It served very well for getting money, to fund the school when Mr. Fenty cut the budget, despite rising enrolment of charter schools. My question is, if all of the cities charter schools are under one organization, how come there is still such a divide in funds or information of how to receive them in multiple sources?
I attended a meeting one evening given by the lobbing organization, and during the introduction I spoke about funding fairness. The group was very responsive to my concern and comments, about the subject of funding. Since I assisted the development department at my son's former school with finding funding resources, I asked if I could do the same for the other schools that did not have this information. I was not given a direct answer, but it was basically no. Witch to me seems like a counter productive action, if the whole purpose is to provide better education options to low-income students.
Here is a solution to begin the process.
1. First figure out what needs that are not being met by your current budget, and the amount that will be needed for 1 school term.
2. Utilize the work of college interns to find grant money that is available, that you can receive with out going through another larger organization. Such as major corporations ie target and other that have a community based program where there stores or products are sold. Most companies have a program of giving back to the community.
3. Build relationships with law firms and other organizations in the surrounding area. See if they can provide your school with school supplies, if you tend to run out and the budget does not allow for flexibility.
4. Not all council members are against charter schools, in fact Mr. Obama likes them. Make friends with all politicians, after all this is DC. This is like Hollywood for politics, your political connections can get you far in this town.
5. The Foundation Center on Kst has wonderful classes on for non-profits. I have attend the classes there, they are very informative. Get a staff member to attend on subject that your school my want more information on.
I feel that we all should work together especially if you are within the same organizations. Information and when connected with the right strategic plan, it is a powerful thing. The purpose of parents sending children far out of there neighborhoods to attend school in to give there children a better life then they had. So sharing information is vital to the process that is started my many parents. Charter schools in inner cities help give children a road map to a bright future, keep the light on so that they can get down the road to success.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A Help up
There is a growing debate in many local state and federal offices about budgets. With record numbers of jobless claims rising everyday, due to the economic state of our country. Governments are sharply cutting budgets to stay in alive, and keep from falling. The other issue is the social service system taking on record numbers of new cases everyday.
The question has come up about people who have been receiving the governmental assistance for years and have other generations on the system as well. I often wonder if they are set up for failed results, through poor schools. A lack of education, and programs that do not teach adequate self sufficiency could be the reason. It is a job to get a job, but if you were not raised in a working house hold where you see all the able body people going to work everyday, then you would get the concept of working everyday. This has lead to some people believing that they are owed something, by society and they should not have to work for anything. I witnessed this while in a family shelter. Not being mandated to actively pursue work is causing lasting effects.
Looking forward this can not continue, and will continue to cause deficits in other area’s that carry over into fiscal years to come.
The results are showing up with cuts in education budgets, from classroom staff reduction, to bus routs in suburban areas. For immigrants the lack of English for students that speak other languages at home. Other cuts are with fire departments, and police forces. In some inner city areas police presence need to be increased, do to the hike in violence in summer months when youth are out of school.
Possible solutions:
Because government assistance is for 5 years in most places, an audit should be conducted to check eligibility.
The next thing is when governments issue businesses contracts; they should be made to find staffing from public assistance rosters. This will do 2 things; first it would absorb some of the financial strain off of the local governments. The other is that it would put money back into the local economy such as local retailers and taxes.
When you have a baby and apply for governmental assistance, you are allowed to stay home for a year. Now some have had babies just when there year is up, which keeps them off for another year (see my point). I sat in a class and a woman stood up and said that she did not know how to use a computer, because she had not worked in 15 years. She was raising her children. She had her first child I believe at 15 she was 30, but this is not an isolated situation. It is very common in a lot of areas; it is just not resolved and overlooked.
My thoughts:
We all have times in our lives where we fall short, and we get back up. Productivity is like working out, if you never work out your body can’t run marathons. In life it is not what happens to you, it is how you recover. Failed circumstances will not overtake you, as long as your will to succeed is strong enough.
The question has come up about people who have been receiving the governmental assistance for years and have other generations on the system as well. I often wonder if they are set up for failed results, through poor schools. A lack of education, and programs that do not teach adequate self sufficiency could be the reason. It is a job to get a job, but if you were not raised in a working house hold where you see all the able body people going to work everyday, then you would get the concept of working everyday. This has lead to some people believing that they are owed something, by society and they should not have to work for anything. I witnessed this while in a family shelter. Not being mandated to actively pursue work is causing lasting effects.
Looking forward this can not continue, and will continue to cause deficits in other area’s that carry over into fiscal years to come.
The results are showing up with cuts in education budgets, from classroom staff reduction, to bus routs in suburban areas. For immigrants the lack of English for students that speak other languages at home. Other cuts are with fire departments, and police forces. In some inner city areas police presence need to be increased, do to the hike in violence in summer months when youth are out of school.
Possible solutions:
Because government assistance is for 5 years in most places, an audit should be conducted to check eligibility.
The next thing is when governments issue businesses contracts; they should be made to find staffing from public assistance rosters. This will do 2 things; first it would absorb some of the financial strain off of the local governments. The other is that it would put money back into the local economy such as local retailers and taxes.
When you have a baby and apply for governmental assistance, you are allowed to stay home for a year. Now some have had babies just when there year is up, which keeps them off for another year (see my point). I sat in a class and a woman stood up and said that she did not know how to use a computer, because she had not worked in 15 years. She was raising her children. She had her first child I believe at 15 she was 30, but this is not an isolated situation. It is very common in a lot of areas; it is just not resolved and overlooked.
My thoughts:
We all have times in our lives where we fall short, and we get back up. Productivity is like working out, if you never work out your body can’t run marathons. In life it is not what happens to you, it is how you recover. Failed circumstances will not overtake you, as long as your will to succeed is strong enough.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)