The media is filled with reporting, research and opinion about public education. If nothing else, the quantity and diversity of the dialogue suggest that no universally agreed-upon approach exists for educating every child, nor for addressing the social ills that–rightly or wrongly–seem to rest heavily on the shoulders of educators to fix. Some of this always-fascinating conversation occasionally finds its way onto our desks and screens here at the Schools Fund, and might be of interest to you. From the smallest initiatives to the ‘big ideas,’ the articles below represent a random cast of our line into the fast-moving stream of information–enjoy the catch! We’ll be updating the page periodically…feel free to send us tips. (And the disclaimer: we do not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed in any piece we post!)
American Graduate is a regular feature of the PBS News Hour and an interesting source of information on school reform efforts, and education topics and general.
From front page coverage to Op-ed debates, the New York Times gives a lot of column space to education topics. But their best and most interesting resource for parents and educators is The Learning Network. Check it out — you may not resurface for days!
** “Bet on public education pays off” The perspective of a dad on his daughter’s 2011 Berkeley High graduation has what you would expect — wry humor, pride, insight, and gratitude for the experience of a Berkeley public schools education. We couldn’t have said it better! http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/21/EDCR1K088L.DTL
** Educate Our State! This grassroots effort by a core group of parents from San Francisco is working to defend against continued budget cuts to public education by the state of California. Their website is a good place to stay informed about goings-on in Sacramento.
http://www.educateourstate.org/
** A generation after career technical education (or vocational education) was all but abolished in many high schools, recognition of its valuable and viable place in secondary education has been given by none other than Harvard University. A recent study goes into greater depth.
** We always enjoy reading Edutopia, and these two articles on the importance of arts in education certainly align with the Schools Fund’s values and grant priorities.
http://www.edutopia.org/arts-education-art-music-report
http://www.edutopia.org/arts-education-humanities-creativity
** A group called RSA Animate out of the UK creates fascinating illustrations before your eyes as a speaker is addressing a topic — in this case “Changing Education Paradigms.”