Rand study supports need for early childhood education in California

The Rand Corporation has released a new report "Strategies for Advancing Preschool Adequacy and Efficiency in California."

Among the reports key findings:

• Disadvantaged children, who are more likely to start school behind and stay behind, are also the least likely to attend high-quality preschool programs.


• California's underfunded preschool system serves only half the eligible three- and four-year-olds, and the system does not reward higher-quality providers.


• Increasing access to high-quality preschool for disadvantaged children can narrow existing achievement gaps.


• In the short term, California can allocate existing resources more efficiently and provide infrastructure supports for raising quality in the future.


• In the longer term, new resources should be used to expand access to and raise the quality of preschool programs for those who can benefit most.

Rand Research Brief

.pdf version of Report

THINK Together's model for a school support ecosystem

THINK Together is developing and rolling out an ecosystem of school support in Santa Ana with plans to eventually expand the model to communities it serves throughout Southern California.

This ecosystem model is being watched by the Obama Administration and others in California and across the U.S.

THINK Together is one of five organizations nationally to receive demonstration grants from the U.S. Department of Education which will be used to further develop and study this model.

click graphic for larger view.pdf version

Dr. Robert Ross, President & CEO of The California Endowment, will be the featured guest at THINK Together's Annual Benefit luncheon on June 15th. Ross will open a dialogue on place-based community engagment strategies like THINK Together's ecosystem of school supports.

After Baby Boomers, Generation WE set to make powerful change

Millennials (Generation WE) are the largest generation in American history. Born between 1978 and 2000, WE are 95 million strong, compared to the 78 million Baby Boomers. WE are politically, socially, and philosophically independent, and are spearheading a period of sweeping change in America and around the world.

The book Generation WE authored by Eric Greenberg explains the emerging power of the Millennial Generation, and shows how WE (and older people who think the way WE do) are poised to change our nation and our world for the better. You can find out more about Generation WE including a free copy of the book by Greenberg at Gen-We.org.

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THINK Together to open High School programs in Santa Ana and Azusa

The California Department of Education has announced a new round of federal 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) grant awards which include funding for THINK Together to expand its programs to four high schools – Century & Valley High Schools in Santa Ana and Azusa & Gladstone High Schools in Azusa. Total funding is $1,180,000 per year for five years.

These funds will allow THINK Together to offer its programs at public high schools for the first time. Previously THINK Together has served high school students through its community center sites in Costa Mesa, Orange and Santa Ana. Those programs are funded entirely through the generous support of individuals, corporations and foundations.

Currently, THINK Together programs are available to elementary and middle school students at their respective school sites in both Azusa and Santa Ana.

THINK Together has also learned its programs at Lee, Murray and Mountain View Elementary Schools in Azusa will receive another $345,000 per year in new 21st CCLC grants to serve students currently on the waiting list at those schools and provide summer programs.

Additional funds will expand THINK Together programs in Azusa

The California Department of Education has announced that Azusa Unified School District and THINK Together have been awarded an additional $345,000 per year in 21st Century Community Learning Center funds to support programs at three schools in Azusa – Lee, Murray and Mountain View. These additional funds will be used to serve students currently on the waiting list for THINK Together's after-school programs at those three Azusa schools and for summer programs.

This YouTube video put Pomona Schools on Obama radar

This YouTube video below made by students at Village Academy High School in Pomona put them on President Obama's radar and is credited with bringing attention to Pomona Superintendent of Schools Thelma Melendez.

This week the White House announced its nomination of Melendez to serve as Assistant Secretary of Education for K-12 school matters.

click arrow below to play video

Obama nominates Pomona Schools Chief as Assistant Secretary of Education

From the official White House announcement:

Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education

Dr. Thelma Melendez is currently serving as the Superintendent of Schools in the Pomona Unified School District in Pomona, CA. Her work on improving teaching and learning, and accelerating student performance, also includes work with the Stupski Educational Foundation and the Annenberg Foundation. She has written numerous articles for national education publications, and is an accomplished speaker on the role of school administrators, the achievement gap, women in education, and the issues of race and class. She earned a Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, at UCLA, a Doctorate in Philosophy at the University of Southern California, participated in several graduate programs in school administration and leadership, and was a Broad Urban Superintendents Academy fellow.

Newt Gingrich & Al Sharpton agree: we must close Achievement Gap

The Washington Post reports:

Politics often produces strange bedfellows. But yesterday, on the 55th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that integrated the nation's schools, when former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich shared the stage at a boisterous rally in front of the White House with the Rev. Al Sharpton, even Gingrich called the two the "Original Odd Couple."

What unites the conservative Gingrich and the liberal Sharpton, Gingrich said, is the urgent mission to close the persistent achievement gap that divides students along racial and socioeconomic lines and to make educational equality the civil rights issue of the 21st century. (See Complete Story)

President Barack Obama, right, meets in the Oval Office with Rev. Al Sharpton and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to discuss education reform. At left is the President's Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza as posted at Flickr)

Ralphs will be the title sponsor of THINK Together Annual Benefit

Ralphs has come forward as title sponsor for THINK Together's 2009 Annual Benefit which is planned this year as a luncheon event.

The luncheon will be held June 15, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine (Google Map).

THINK Together supporters Ranney Draper and Steve Perryman will be among those honored at the event which will also feature a dialogue with Dr. Robert Ross, president and CEO of The California Endowment.

Other potential sponors or people seeking to purchase tables or tickets to the event can do so online at www.THINKtogether.org/AnnualBenefit.

THINK Together Channel on YouTube

Visit our channel on YouTube:

YouTube.com/THINKtogether

U.S. Education Secretary supports ecosystem model of educational supports

Hear what the new U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan had to say about place-based strategies to provide expanded local support to students and families outside the normal school day -- strategies like the ecosystem model of educational supports that THINK Together is advancing in Santa Ana and elsewhere in its network. Duncan's remarks were made at the Afterschool Alliance's annual grassroots lobbying conference, Afterschool for All, in Washington, D.C.

Click arrow to view Secretary Duncan's remarks Part 1

Harlem Children's Zone model produced enourmous gains

OP-ED COLUMNIST
The Harlem Miracle

By DAVID BROOKS
Published: May 8, 2009

An inner-city school eliminated the white-black achievement gap by establishing a rigorous no excuses standard for learning. (Complete Column)

...They found that the Harlem Children’s Zone schools produced “enormous” gains. The typical student entered the charter middle school, Promise Academy, in sixth grade and scored in the 39th percentile among New York City students in math. By the eighth grade, the typical student in the school was in the 74th percentile. The typical student entered the school scoring in the 39th percentile in English Language Arts (verbal ability). By eighth grade, the typical student was in the 53rd percentile..."

Annual Benefit luncheon planned for June 15th

THINK Together will hold its Annual Benefit -- this year as a luncheon -- on Monday, June 15th, from 11:30 am until 2:00 pm at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine (Google Map).

The chairs of this year's Annual Benefit are:

• Leona Aronoff-Sadacca
• Brigitte Bren
• Fran Inman

The event is set to honor several individuals including THINK Together champion Ranney Draper and retiring Board Member Steve Perryman.

Dr. Robert Ross, President & CEO of The California Endowment, will be the featured guest. Ross will open a dialogue on place-based community engagment strategies like THINK Together's ecosystem of educational support being expanded in Santa Ana and elsewhere.

For further details on the Annual Benefit lunch, or to find out about sponsorships opportunities or purchase tables/tickets to the event, email Mia Castillo or call her at (714) 543-3807 x. 8118.

Easy Online Registration: THINKtogether.org/AnnualBenefit

White House & THINK Together onboard with social media

Barrack Obama's presidential campaign was the first to understand and exploit the possibilities with social media and now his administration through its official White House blog has launched White House 2.0.

Politics aside, what the White House is doing with social media is worthy of continued tracking.

In addition to WhiteHouse.gov and its blog, you can now find and follow The White House on the web at:

Facebook.com/WhiteHouse
MySpace.com/WhiteHouse
Twitter.com/WhiteHouse

The WhiteHouse blog (RSS) will apparently push a lot of the content in these networks, but administration officials say they are looking forward to hearing from their fans, friends and followers as well.

The White House can also be found at these networks:

Flickr.com/WhiteHouse
Vimeo.com/WhiteHouse
YouTube.com/WhiteHouse
iTunes (videos & podcasts)

In addition to this blog, THINK Together is making use of many of these same networks:

Facebook: THINK Together
Myspace: thinktogether
YouTube: THINKtogether
Flickr: THINK Together
Twitter: THINK_Together

Prince Charles using social media to transform monarchy & change the world

Brilliant piece of video work helping to transform Prince Charles into a 21st Century monarch who appreciates and understands the role/value/power of social media.

To be shared with students and adults alike!

Click arrow below to play video here

See Also: Official Website of the British Monarchy

2009 Earth Day Activity @ Harvest Valley Elementary

From Robin O'Reilly at Harvest Valley Elemetary School :

Wanting to get away from the usual bag decorating for Earth Day, I tried to come up with a unique way to celebrate this day with my students and to instill the idea that actually recycling something for something other than money (which we all do love and need) that would foster a team spirit among the 4 class groups. I came up with the idea of "The Tin Can Man Project".

To kick it off, I used my local freecycle and asked my fellow freecyclers to save and colelct the types of cans that food comes in. I asked for the unusual as well as the good old standard coffee cans. I was able to collect a large box full to divide up amongst the 4 groups and get them started in brainstorming their own versions of the Tin Can Man. I also sent home a notice to parents for students to bring in cans. We got a wonderful response!

The fact that I was giving the first place classroom a hot dog party also spurred them on. Even the PL's got into the spirit of a little friendly competition

Things were a little rough at first; students felt that they "couldn't" and told me things like we are not creative! We just pushed past that.

The cafeteria manager got wind of what we were doing and offered to rinse and save the big commercial size cans that the ketchup, fruit cocktail and vegetables come in. Once we had the big cans, the idea that these could transform into life sized robot-like creatures helped to put our project off on new footing.

The week that we did this, was week 1 of Star Testing and the kids were absolutely sick and tired of sitting quietly and needed to touch feel and discover.

This project took us two weeks from start to finish. One of the wonderful things is that it brought teachers into the program that had never taken the time to visit, so that they could see what was going on. During this time, my poor attendance BOOMED!

Last Friday, we had the Daytime School Staff come in and cast a ballot for their favorite Tin Can Man. The participation between daytime and afterschool was awesome!

I am also enclosing some pictures. As you can tell, I am very proud of this project. The teamwork involved for 25 students in each class to work together, consider ideas different from their own and make decisions based on the greater good of the whole team truly warmed my heart. EVERY student played a part in this project.

See more pics: Flickr

PPIC Poll indicates Californians want change in public schools

Mark Baldassare and his colleagues at PPIC (Public Policy Institute of California) have published findings of their fifth statewide survey focusing on k-12 issues. The series’ intent is to inform state policymakers, encourage discussion, and raise public awareness about a variety of K–12, higher education, environment, and population issues.

Some findings of the current survey:

• A solid majority of residents say the K–12 system needs major changes. High dropout rates and low student achievement top the list of concerns.
• Most Californians are very concerned that the state’s budget gap will cause significant cuts in education, the area they most want to protect from such cuts.
• Support for the high school exit exam is higher among those with just a high school diploma than among those who have attended or graduated from college.

Report .pdf
Press Release