by United Front
January 23, 2013 in Archive: Past Education Blogs, Events
Thank You for Attending!Your presence at our forum is a testimony to your continued dedication and belief that all children are deserving of a world-class education and a future filled with promise and opportunity. We look forward to seeing you at future forums. Materials will be available on the Multimedia page soon.
by United Front
November 27, 2012 in Archive: Past Education Blogs, Events, Uncategorized
Are you current on education trends and local innovations? Would you benefit from shared insight, information and a little inspiration? If so, make plans now to join United Way for our statewide forum in 2013.
DATE: Wednesday, January 23
TIME: 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
• 7:30 a.m. Networking Breakfast and Registration
• 8:30 a.m. Program begins
• Lunch included
LOCATION: Saint Paul RiverCentre
COST: $50 per person; scholarships available
Registration is CLOSED, Walk-ins Welcome
Keynote Speaker: Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, is a nationally recognized expert on education reform and finance, as well as an outspoken advocate for high-quality education for all students.
by United Front
August 20, 2012 in Archive: Past Education Blogs, Events, Youth Programs
Reposted from OUS Blog – Office of the Under Secretary Martha Kanter
Martha Kanter
As the plane took off for Washington, DC and I leaned back in my seat reflecting on the convening in Minneapolis, I could almost see a golden halo around the Twin Cities region, a region of commitment, courage, dedication and promise! It might have been the sunset glow, but I think it was much more than that. The golden glow was certainly evident at the Minneapolis Club on the evening of June 7th where the Twin Cities United Way President and CEO Sarah Caruso brought to the table leaders from education, business, philanthropy and the nonprofit sector of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The topic of discussion? How to close the achievement gap in the region’s P-12 schools by working together to accomplish much more than could ever be envisioned in silos.
I traveled with Brenda Girton-Mitchell, Director of our Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, who is launching “Together for Tomorrow,” a national initiative to spotlight and foster partnerships between communities and schools to propel improvement of our lowest-performing schools. Many Americans don’t know that we have 100,000 elementary, middle school and high schools in our 50 states and territories and that each state has identified, as priority schools, the 5% of K-12 schools that have the farthest road to hoe in lifting the academic achievement levels of their students to grade level for each and every grade, each and every year.
At the “meet-and-greet” preamble to the evening, I met two extraordinary women, Valeria Silva, Superintendent of the St. Paul Public Schools who is responsible for the education of 39,000 children and Bernadia Johnson, Superintendent of the Minneapolis Public Schools who oversees the education of 34,000 of our nation’s youth. These women were committed to their students, teachers and principals PLUS they are friends. They trust each other! That was obvious as was the fact that they are singularly focused on lifting their school districts to levels of excellence unimagined. The great respect they showed for one another was evident as they spoke with us about the opportunities and challenges they face every day in each of their schools. Read the rest of this entry →
by United Front
July 20, 2012 in Archive: Past Education Blogs, Events, Uncategorized
Education in the United States has been described as being in a state of crisis for well over thirty years. Local, state, and federal governments have debated the best ways to educate our youth, which has resulted in reform after reform coming into classrooms across the country. While some reforms are better than others, they all seem to come and go as administrations change and the rhetoric evolves.
After educational trends move on and standards are adjusted, what remains in the classroom are teachers and students. Alas it is the interaction between teachers and students that is impactful and sustaining. Oddly, these interactions are rarely the focus of conversations in education, yet they are where the most complex aspects of teaching lie. How do students and teachers make sense of one another? Parents trust educators to do right by their children, but teachers are not often given the support to interact with students in healthy, positive ways. Teaching students takes more than content knowledge and a general caring about students. In order to effectively interact with children, teachers must see them as whole beings that are not missing anything. They are not deficient, lacking, or incomplete in any form. When teachers begin to recognize the full humanity of their students, then learning can take place through healthy interaction. Read the rest of this entry →
by United Front
February 2, 2012 in Archive: Past Education Blogs, Events, Uncategorized
Reflections on Children and Youth Issues Briefing
Reposted from National Youth Leadership Council
Undeniably, those in attendance at the 2012 Children and Youth Issues Briefing on January 11th were among many of the most significant scholars, nonprofit leaders, and policy-makers aiming to improve the future for the youngest generation of Minnesotans. Aside from those with the power to make systematic changes, many nonprofit employees attended to be part of the conversation. Although important developments were discussed, I left the event wishing for more unity in next steps and clarity in vision for our state’s next few years. I left hoping that most of what was discussed not in fact new information for many already working in youth and education fields. Frankly, I left wanting more.
News about recent funding for North Minneapolis’ Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ), St. Paul’s Promise Neighborhood, and the recent developments to replicate Ohio’s STRIVE in Minnesota were informative, but by no means should have been news to any of us. As slides describing youth health disparities, poverty levels, and Minnesota’s achievement gap were shown, I was surprised that the data drew gasps and murmurs from the tables around me. If you consume local news media or stay up-to-date on education/youth related organizations in this area, this stuff is hard to ignore. But maybe that’s the problem. Are we as well-informed about our peers working in youth-serving organizations as we should be? Read the rest of this entry →
by United Front
January 11, 2012 in Archive: Past Education Blogs, Events, Uncategorized
Thank you for attending the Children & Youth Issues Briefing to celebrate recent successes, identify issues of importance for the 2012 legislative session and learn more about innovative initiatives making a difference in our communities. We hope you found the briefing to be informative and energizing.
When leaders of government, business and nonprofits align resources and devote themselves to overcoming challenges, we can achieve great things. Let’s leverage the current environment through cooperation, innovation and alignment to achieve exponential results for children.
View and download available Handouts & Presentations
by United Front
January 1, 2012 in Archive: Past Education Blogs, Events, Public Policy, Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge
Grant furthers Dayton Administration’s commitment toward providing
quality early learning opportunities for all youth
With half of Minnesota’s youth entering kindergarten unprepared, the State took a large step forward today to ensure all young children will have access to high quality early learning. At an event at the White House, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced that Minnesota has won a federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant to advance early education efforts. READ MORE
Thanks to the collective efforts of Minnesota's early childhood community and the MN Department of Education, Minnesota will be one of nine states to share the $500 million dollar grant to improve early childhood programs! See Minnesota's Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Application.
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