March 2008
Partnerships Key to School Reform
Welcome to the March edition of Keeping It Going, the official e-newsletter of The Fund for Public Schools.
One of the keys to lasting change in our schools is engaging the private and nonprofit sectors. Whether it’s a grant from The Shubert Foundation to train and support theater teachers, a local merchant who teams up with us for our annual Shop for Class program, or a volunteer who tutors neighborhood students once a week, public schools depend on active partnerships with the entire community.
One such partnership was just launched between the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and Teaching Matters, a leading education nonprofit. Teaching Matters and the DOE's Division of Instructional and Information Technology (DIIT) are working together on an ambitious plan to introduce low-cost laptops into our schools. This groundbreaking pilot program will open new opportunities for our students and enable DIIT to leverage its existing resources in cooperation with an innovative, forward-thinking nonprofit. To learn more about this exciting partnership, click here.
Public-private partnerships are critical to the long-term success of our school system. By engaging the nonprofit and business communities to support our public schools, the DOE can pursue flexible and innovative solutions to provide an excellent education to all of New York CIty's 1.1 million public school students.
How to Keep It Going in March
Each and every month of the year, there are great opportunities to get involved with New York City's public schools. No matter what your skills and experience, whether you have an hour or an entire day to help out, there are countless ways for you to help keep the progress going for our city's public school students. As always, if you know of a great opportunity not listed here, email us at: info@fundforpublicschools.org.
March is Women's History Month!
Volunteer to support girls in New York City's public schools! Girls Incorporated of New York City provides unique and exciting programs to girls between the ages of six and eighteen. Girls Inc. realizes its mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold by offering school- and community-based educational programs that empower girls to make intelligent, well-informed choices about their lives, education, and careers. Program themes include financial literacy, violence prevention, health and sexuality, and hands-on math and science enrichment. Girls Inc. has a number of opportunities for volunteers. For more information, please contact Jennifer Weidenbaum at (212) 531-7620 or email jweidenbaum.nyc@girls-inc.org.
Volunteer with Behind the Book
A strong foundation in literacy is the key to life-long learning. Behind the Book brings award-winning authors and their books into individual classrooms to build literacy skills and nurture a new generation of readers. Working with students in New York City's high-need public schools, Behind the Book is dedicated to getting children and young adults excited about reading. Volunteers are always needed to assist students at these author visits, helping children to craft stories, write essays, and produce other art and writing projects. Volunteer opportunities can be organized around your schedule, and are ideal for individuals or small groups who can commit to three to five visits over one to three months. For the latest schedule of author visits and information about getting involved, email Harini Angara at harini@behindthebook.org.
NYC Students Walk for Clean Water on March 15th
 On March 15th, you can help support public school students as they raise awareness of a global problem. In the developing world, many children must spend their days collecting water from distant sources rather than going to school. In a gesture of solidarity and support, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Children for Children, the Mayor's Volunteer Center, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection are teaming up with New York City public school students and their families to walk one mile in Riverside Park (map), while carrying up to one gallon of water. Volunteers are needed to help with registration and with educational programming after the walk. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Panessa at (212) 922-2649, or email epanessa@unicefusa.org.
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The Power Of Literacy
Bronx Student Becomes "Expert" Reader
Many words can be used to describe Joel Cabrera—motivated learner, enthusiastic reader, engaged student. But a few years ago, none of these words would have applied to this third-grader at Bronx Little School in Soundview. Like nearly 140,000 other students in New York City’s public schools, Joel’s native language isn’t English.
Joel (pictured above with his mother) was born in the Dominican Republic, and came here with his family when he was four. When he arrived, he spoke only Spanish, which made the transition to pre-Kindergarten difficult. “I was bored, because I couldn’t understand what people were saying,” the nine year-old says. “I couldn’t ask anyone to play with me, and that made me kind of lonely.”
Working with his teachers and his mother at home, Joel became more comfortable with English. Maria Santiago, his English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, worked with him on sounding out difficult words and forming complete sentences. By first grade, he says, “I was an expert.” Today, Joel is an avid reader of non-fiction and fantasy books. He speaks with fluency and confidence.
“He’s a different child than the Joel I met a few years ago,” says Ms. Santiago, a veteran public school teacher. “He’s such a good student, and he’s so motivated to learn. I think that’s because of the power of reading.”
“When I came here, I didn’t know anything,” adds Joel. “And now look at me—I can read English and write my own books and stories. It makes me feel good because I learned a lot.”
“Joel has come such a long way,” his mother Lucia says through a translator. “In the beginning, when he was sad, I kept encouraging him and telling him, ‘you’ll learn it, you’ll learn it!’ Bronx Little School was the first step for my son.”
Now, Joel can even help his mother, who works at a beauty salon, by translating for her. “Customers come in and say how they want their hair,” he says. “And then I translate it into Spanish for my mom.”
Ms. Santiago, the ESL teacher, loves working at Bronx Little School. “It’s all about the children here,” she says of the school. “You get that feeling every day when you walk into the building.” The school recently received an “A” on its progress report, no doubt a testament to the hard work of professionals like Ms. Santiago with students like Joel.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” she says of the city’s public schools. “But I think we’re headed in the right direction.” |
