A Classic Reposting From The Past

Hey!

Coach Richardson

Sometimes it is not what you say or how you say it,
It’s when you say it.
By Mike Anthony

He is considered by many to be a great coach, having coached for 17 years at a major University and leading it to a National Championship, but the most significant number is the graduation rate of his African American players. (ZERO). I also wonder how many of his former players have been able to obtain meaningful employment? This is an astonishing finding, one of the few African American Head Coaches in Division I College Sports has a graduation rate so low that you could not find it if your life depended on it.

How did he allow this to happen and when did he start to think that it was okay to do this. What is this? This is the recruiting of basketball players who without academic guidance, structure and expectations did not have much of a chance to graduate within the four to five years of their collegiate eligibility. We have to face it, there is little motivation for some coaches to go out and find the basketball player who has plans on earning a degree. It is easier to recruit the NBA dreamers who may stay in your program two or three years before attempting to move on to the NBA. Let us face it, if they leave school earlier everyone can say you see, it is not our fault he did not earn his degree. He decided to try the next level and failed to have a back up plan. It would be too much like keeping a promise, you know the one, each prize recruit gets. “If you come to State U, you will get your degree,” I wonder if coach Richardson ever made such a promise to any of his players and if he did and they remained in school, did they get it? I have no idea. That is something for the big boys in the media world to investigate. I am simply saying where did he go wrong or did he?

I have never met Coach Richardson. I hope he is a nice man, but how does he sleep at night. Let us examine the facts from afar. Coach Richardson cried foul when the media began questioning if he should be there, had he worn out is welcome? I have no idea, but what I do know is coach Richardson has some issues that have affected his perception. Take his response while hosting a weekly talk show, after his now famous blow-up. “So what can you take away from me?" Richardson said. "I've won everything there is to win. Name me coaches that can say that. ... I tell my players, 'Don't fret for me baby.' If I get to leave the University of Arkansas, I graduated -- and I did it my way." How befitting the players are worrying about him, but does he seem to have any worry for his players, especially when he says I graduated, I wonder has or will any of his players ever be able to shout out those two words?

I am not bashing coach Richardson, but how dare you get on a soap box, when it gets a little hard, yeah people have been giving you grief for 17 years, welcome back to the party, your 17 year absence has been noticed. Coach was reactive not proactive, he had over a decade and 2/3 of another one to scream about injustice. How about the number of African American teachers on campus, this could be an issue, maybe it would have helped some of his basketball players to earn their degree, we will never know. How about screaming injustice when Prop 48 was introduced, did he boycott a game as did John Thompson (albeit, he did it against another black coach, who also boycotted, they only affected one game, but had they done it against another school not coached by an African American, they could have affected two games, but I digress). I will save that for another day). He was upset that all the reporters at his press conference were white. I am willing to bet his farm the press pool for his post games interviews have always looked that way.

The facts are simple, coach Richardson was happy living in Arkansas a member of the area country club surrounded by injustice everyday and never speaking out about what he knew or what was happening in the community, as a matter of fact, given his rate of player graduation he himself has been a party of some major injustices. Did coach Richardson speak out when the Gov. Mike Huckabee removed the only black member of the university board of trustees with a white former aide? If he says he was unaware of any such injustices or lack of diversity on campus he is really out of touch and that is more frightening that his fame style of coaching.

Coach Richardson appeared to be a coach who believed that his job was on the line and in an attempt to save it he pulled the race card from the bottom of the deck. The only sad part about it is that his complaints have a strong ring of truth, but he losses credibility when he cries foul to save his own skin, did he hear the cries of foul from his players and many others in Arkansas?

NOTE: Next week: How can they really study and play the game? I have a comment on the state of college basketball and the student athlete.

NEWS BYTE # 9

1. Forest of The Rain Productions, Inc., the parent company for The Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator, along with Global Training Systems, Inc., Veronica Sullivan’s Journey, Education: The Natural Bridge, Education4and2Parents, and The Educational Journey announced it will present its first annual “Innovative of the Year Awards” in the spring of 2009. The awards will awarded for individuals in the areas of :

• Community Outreach/Engagement
  
• K-12 Education
  
• Postsecondary Education
  
• Parental Advocacy

For more information, visit http://www.forestoftheraineducation.com/

2. In a report by Community College Times: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded $3.78 million to projects in several cities to boost college graduation rates by better coordinating services provided at colleges, schools and government and community agencies. The grants will be managed by community colleges and local government agencies to help cities in New York , Florida , Arizona , Ohio and California.

3. Lisa M. Krieger, of the mercurynews.com reports that 40% of community college students in California who are seeking a degree are prepared to transfer to a 4-year institution. The report by Krieger, discusses alarming facts and trends regarding community colleges in the state of California . The data is more alarming because of the recent efforts of President Obama to make community colleges the economic hub for the re-tooling of America . In her report, Krieger, stated:

• California 's universities are cutting back slots for incoming freshman and are promoting beginning the college experience at one of the 110 community colleges in the state
  
• However, 6 out 10 students at community colleges in the state give up on the notion of transferring to a four year college and thus never make to a four year college campus
  
• Silicon Valley schools do somewhat better — with success rates that range from 48 percent at San Jose City College to 68 percent at De Anza and Foothill colleges
  
• Parental job loss means students need to work more hours
  
• Once they arrive at universities, data shows that transfers are successful, graduating at a slightly higher rate than students who enter as freshmen
  
• Difficulty getting courses. Swamped with students but underfunded, community colleges are adding extra entry-level classes such as math and English. But some higher-level classes, needed for transfer, have been dropped

To read more on this story visit our blog at educationthenaturalbridge.blogspot.com for a link to the article.

4. Dr. Debbie Pushor, Renowned Canadian Scholar on Parental Engagement has agreed to discuss her thought on What is Effective Parental Engagement? on Educational Gateway, hosted by Michael Robinson. To hear the discussion visit the Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated education, or visit Education4and2Parents.podbean.com to download the entire interview

Additional guest scheduled to appear on the Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator are:
i. Quwan Spears, Sports Information Officer California Interscholastic Federation, who discussed the Role of Parents in the Academic Success of Their Child, the Student Athlete

ii. Carrie L. Billie, Esq., President & CEO, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, discussed the Important Role of Tribal Colleges

iii. Dr. Patricia Spakes, Chancellor, University of Washington , Tacoma , offered her insight on the Role of Leadership in Decision Making in the Postsecondary Education

5. More than 500 individuals seeking employment attending a job fair held at Howard Community College in Howard County, Maryland. The College is expecting to host its Spring Job Fair on March 19, 2009.

6. The board of trustees of St. Louis Community College voted 4-2 Thursday to close two of its campus-based child care centers despite assurances by its administration that a decision would not happen this month. The surprise vote means the end of a 70-student child care center on the college system’s Meramec Campus and a 100-student child care center at Forest Park Community College . A third center at Florissant Valley Community College will remain open. The centers are set to close July 1. They employ about 22 full- and part-time staff. The majority of parents who use the centers for their kids are students at both campuses. College officials said the number of community college students affected by the closures would amount to 200, but those who’ve spoken in support of the center point to discussions at previous board meetings where officials pegged the number of students was 700.

America’s Workforce

Written by
Michael A. Robinson

Today, America’s workforce is unable to meet the demands and expectations of local or global corporations and in 1985 according to Gallagher (2005) only 25 percent of the population had a college degree, now two decades later that number has only risen to 27 percent. Given these figures there is room for growth and development of educational opportunities for American citizens. A highly trained and educated workforce has been directly linked by economists to a nation’s economic health and stability (Dickens, Sawhill & Tebbs, 2006). Dickens, et al. (2006) further suggested today’s business leaders are embracing the concept of human capital and believe ongoing investment in this area will become more important than investments in their physical capital.

What does this mean for postsecondary education? It may require colleges and universities, particularly community college to re-examine how they engage the nation of learners. Public institutions of higher education must be willing to become fully engaged participants in the ongoing shaping of this new postsecondary world (Hanna, 2003).

Hanna (2003) supposed if postsecondary education is to be successful in addressing the rapidly materializing challenges and demands of the 21st Century learner, there must be a willingness to modify institutional missions, goals, programs, operations and as outcome create a flexible and responsive institution. Failure to do so could have dire consequences for the less elite public institutions (Dickens et al 2006). Drucker (1997) said it best when he declared, "Universities won't survive. The future is outside the traditional campus, outside the traditional classroom. Distance learning is coming on fast” (p.45).

Analysis of ACCT Community College Environmental Scanning Initiative And ABG’s 10 Public Policy Issues

Written by

Mike Robinson

The environment around higher education is changing and as a result so has the needs of students. The demand for college is increasing, while the ability to finance education is shrinking. Without affordable and assessable pathways to higher education the economic well being of America and its citizens cannot be assured. These changes, demands, and expectations are impacting the virtual landscape of higher education in American. They represent several of the primary assertions included in both the 2004 ACCT Environmental Scanning Initiative and the ABG’s 10 Public Policy Issues report.


Changing Demographics

Emerging demographics will continue to place imposing demands on the state and public and private colleges and universities (ABG, 2005). A reality that both the ACCT Environmental Scanning Initiative and the ABG report have identified as a top trend that has major policy implications. ACCT’s (2004) scanning report based on its survey of 212 members indicated that the changing demographics of learners will require an ability of institutions of higher learning to be flexible and capable of responding quickly to their needs. In addition the Scanning report implies that due of the changes in demographics are taking place faster and more often the need to create and understand the diverse learning styles will be essential to an institution’s capability to impact learning.

This sentiment is echoed by the 2005 ABG report, but the ABG report goes slightly further into this area by discussing the need to ensure access is widening for the changing population. According to the ABG’s (2005) report 80 percent of the new students expected to enter higher education starting from 1995 to 2013 will be minorities. While enrollment projections all indicate massive increases in students attending college, the reality of less financial assistance to pay for school is a real threat to access. Lack or limited access to higher education due to shortfalls in state and federal aid is clearly viewed as a major issue impacting the compass of higher education in the view of ABG, which has it a major portion of its top ten trends, and the ACCT Environmental Scanning Initiative.


Governmental Capacity to Assist

Dwindling federal and state support for higher education has been the trend for the past decade and a half. Yet for many the ongoing reduction of fiscal support continues to make the capability of colleges and universities to educate the masses a complex proposition. In the 2004 ACCT Scanning report over 65 percent of the survey respondents indicated governments at all levels struggle to address increasing demands with limited resources, and thereby makes higher education an option for funding not a priority. This issue represented the number one trend to impact higher education, according to ACCT’s 2004 Environment Initiative. Again, the trend while phrase slightly different in the 2005 ABG report ranked high among its major public policy issues.

The ABG report examined the issue of a state’s capacity to establish policy that impact higher education. According to the ABG (2005) report, fiscal uncertainty combined with the lack of clear expectations from state policy makers have impacted the leadership and direction of higher education on a state level. The primary question presented by the ABG report regarding the issue of governmental support is a simple one, “does the public believe that higher education is a public good worth supporting with fiscal mean or do they see it as private good that provides no economic benefit to the state as a whole.”

Extensive and heated debates have occurred in state legislative session regarding this issue, but as indicated in both the 2004 ACCT Scanning and the 2005 ABG reports, higher education expectations from government officials, leaders of business and industry and citizens change often and inasmuch higher education is sometimes left to adjust on its own without guidance or support.

For-Profit Higher Education

Presented by

Michael Robinson at the 2007 The Maryland Association for Adult, Community and Continuing Education in Ocean City, Maryland

According to Ziess (1996) in order for community colleges to compete in the changing higher education environment, filled with competitors who are capable of responding to the needs of learners, community colleges must become better marketers of their product, community colleges must become more like for- profit organizations and create an ability to start a degree program in just four to six months.

For-profit Colleges and Universities operate as business :

• They usually charge high tuitions combined with government funding to realize a profit
  
• They tend to align programming with business
  
• They do not offer extras, such as housing or sport teams
  
• They are generally located in urban areas
  
• They offer lower salaries to their faculty
  
• They do not offer tenure

Trends in Higher Education Performance

Joseph C. Burke, Director Higher Education Program, Rockefeller Institute of Government, in his article Trends in Higher Education Performance discusses reasons why performance measures/reporting fails and offers suggestions to both state and campus leaders on how to fix the problems.

The fundamental question facing parents today is will they be able to afford to send their children to college? While this may be an age old question, the recent decline in state funds, shifting of revenue to state security in wake of 911 and changing state government priorities have made higher education less affordable to many.

The support for public universities and colleges by policymakers has been declining for years (Knott & Payne, 2004), while the expected demand for higher education has been rising steadily. In the state of Maryland for example, the demand for higher education has shown a solid increase of 1 percent per year and is believe to continue this trend until 2011. The expected increase in the demand for higher education is repeating itself all over the United States and soon nearly every public institution will be force to turn students away due to capacity issues, unless there is adequate revenue provided to postsecondary public education. This is critically important to community colleges where their mission has been since its existence to offer open access to all, while providing quality and affordable education. As reality gets closer, state government officials across America are examining the priorities for their educational system and accessing how the need of the system currently aligns with state priorities.

Because of an economic downturn, a slower than expected economic recovery, combined with record deficits states have experienced sharp declines in revenue. Given the financial difficultly some states are facing there is little support for throwing good money after bad. It is this theory that prompted 44 states to require performance reports from their institutions of higher education (Burke, 2003). Performance reports are generated from the results of a set of performance measurements that are based on objectives and goals to be changed. These goals or objectives are more effective directing projects, programs and organizations, if they are linked with the organization’s strategic plan.

There are five aspects regarding performance measurements and ultimately the performance report that makes them flawed: (1) because they fail often to align performance indicators, (2) fixing accountability for results, (3) failing to reach academic departments, (4) missing a common core of indicators and (5) failing to use results (Burke, 2003).

Who pays for Remedial Education?

Written by
Mike Robinson

In 1994-1995 taxpayers paid 51% of the cost of educating a full time student in a public institution (IHE, 2003) and 76% of cost of educating a community college student (Palmer,1996). Many taxpayers are extremely upset about their tax dollars going to pay for students to take remedial courses in community colleges, in order to improve their basic skills, which should have mastered during K-12. While taxpayers are double paying, students and their families are paying a hefty price for remedial education as well. As many institutions are experiencing an increase in expenditures and a decrease in revenues, when this occurs the cost is passed on to the student in tuition and fees, (IHE, 1999). Tuition for public universities average $3,321 per year, while public colleges averaged $2,778 and public two-year colleges tuition averaged $1,735 (The College Board, 2002).

Questions Confronting Community Colleges

Written by
Mike Robinson

The landscape in higher education has transformed and from its conversion a highly competitive and innovative environment is forging. In this new environment, public community colleges are facing a myriad of social and economic factors that for many impeded their ongoing mission to provide comprehensive educational opportunities to their community. The need, expectation, and capability of postsecondary education to provide a product of quality, accessibility and affordability is anticipated to grow dramatically over the next decade.

The demands for higher education are greater than ever before among the citizenry and as a result the pursuit of postsecondary education is no longer institutionally driven, but is now both economically and market driven, primarily as a result of increase global competition impacting the economies of all nations (Pusser, Breneman, Gansneder, Kohl, Levin, Milam, & Turner, 2007). The question confronting community college leaders today is can they compete effectively in the heavily competitive market of higher education? And if so, what strategies have they implemented to increase and sustain their position as a provider of quality postsecondary education?

Levin (2001) suggested community colleges are impacted by the affects of globalization in the domains of economic, cultural and technological areas. He believes the most significant of the three domains as it relates to the landscape of community colleges is the economic domain. In this area community colleges face risk of allocation reductions and increase regulations or policy initiates whenever the economic stability of their state is threaten by global forces. Bailey (2002) identified seven factors challenging the role of community colleges and their ability to provide services to a demanding population of learners need for higher education in the 21 century. Two of those factors identified by Bailey were globalization and the growth and for-profit institutions. Globalization is the involvement of a growing worldwide interdependence of resources, supplies, product markets, and business competition (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborn, 2000).

Friedman (2005) in his book, The World is Flat suggested America’s place in the global economy is not secure and if America hopes to be a competitive nation it must aspire to send every citizen to college. A sizable task when no more than 30 percent of the adult population have a bachelor’s degree (Gallagher, 2005). Intellectual prowess will be the new currency throughout the globe, as it is expected over the next twenty years more than 12 million jobs in America will require postsecondary education (Pusser, et. al, 2005). Increase job creation will therefore precipitate a need for postsecondary as a necessity, the expectation that of the 12 million jobs to developed over the next twenty years a much as 60 percent will require some form of postsecondary training or experience (Gallagher, 2005).

In the context of higher education, globalization is a process of opening closed or semi-closed and expanding markets for educational services (Douglass, 2005).The affect of globalization on higher education according to Levin (2001) as cited in Townsend and Twombly has required community colleges respond to globalization by situating themselves closer to the marketplace.

The Plight of Youth and Single Women

Written by

Michael A. Robinson

Recent studies reveal some startling facts regarding the plight of youth and single women as heads of households in America: a) an estimated 5.4 million youths, ages 16-24, are not in school or the workforce, b) in 2002, the national graduation rate was 68 percent, c) about one-third of high school students fail to graduate or to meet the basic requirements for entry-level jobs, d) almost half of the children living in female- headed households live below the poverty line, e) more than one-fourth of families headed by women with less than a high school diploma live in poverty, f) there are 34,380 single-female-headed households in Baltimore with young children, and approximately one-third of them earn less than $10,000, which is below the poverty line.

More recent data has shown that women with a high school diploma, but no college earned $459 per week in 2002, compared with $809 for those with a college degree. Over a life time high school graduates earn an average of $1.2 million; associate's degree holders earn about $1.6 million; and bachelor's degree holders earn about $2.1 million. The facts are simple, more education leads to a better standard of living for the women and their children. Below are some additional facts associated to level of education of female, particularly African American females.

Written by

Michael A. Robinson

Motivating the Adult Learner

Knowles (as cited in Lieb, 2002) suggest that before one can begin to engage an adult learner, they must be able to effectively motivate them. Knowles identified six aspects of adult learner motivation he proclaim are crucial to impacting the learning of adult students: (a) Social relationships: make new friends, to meet a need for associations and friendships; (b) External expectations: comply with instructions from someone else and fulfill the expectations or recommendations of someone with formal authority; (c) Social welfare: improve one’s ability to serve mankind, prepare for service to the community, and improve one’s ability to participate in community work; (d) Personal advancement: achieve higher status in a job, secure professional advancement, and stay abreast of competitors; (e) Escape/Stimulation: relieve boredom, take a break from the routine of home or work, and provide a contrast to other exacting details of life; and (f) Cognitive interest: learn for the sake of learning; seek knowledge for its own sake, and satisfy an inquiring mind.

Engagement Strategies for the Adult Learner

While the field of adult learning remains a relatively new area of study extensive research has been done related to strategies specifically designed to help the adult learner. Most experts in the field refer to the methods as learning strategies; however many see them more as engagement strategies. Whether they are viewed as methods or strategies the primary focus is on engagement. It is essential that adult learners are kept connected and active, which from there the adult learner will learn. There are many factors that impact a student’s ability to learn, so assessing in advance which strategies will be effective in engaging the student to participate in the learning process requires effort on behalf of the instructor. Within the field of Adult Learning theories, practices and models to assist the instructor to impact the success of the Adult Learner are numerous.

One of the more interesting engagement strategies is known as Cooperative Learning. Cooperative Learning is an instructional method in which small groups of learners work together to help each other to achieve a common learning goal. Cooperative Learning’s fundamental premise is to provide an opportunity for communication and the negotiation of ideas to increase the meaning and retention of academic material on the part of the Adult Learner, while allowing for the group to make progress toward their common learning goal (Yi, 2005).

Theorist in the field of adult learning believe that Cooperative Learning is an effective engagement strategy because of its four key components. The first component is that of Positive Interdependence, as the Learners adjust to rely on each other to achieve a common learning goal. The Second component is the Face-to-face Promotive Interaction, when learners help, encourage, and support each other’s effort to learn. A third component is that of Individual Accountability; in this area each learner has a responsibility to contribute to the team’s performance. Finally, the fourth component is Group Processing. This component requires continuously review and methods to improve the group process (Yi, 2005).

While many in the field accept Cooperative Learning it is not without its critics. Researchers Holt, Michael and Godfrey (1997) argued that Cooperative Learning may lead to inefficient allocation of student time and lower learning quality. In addition, others have found that the ineffectiveness of Cooperative Learning may be attributed to a lack of specific rules to accomplish the team’s task (Siciliano, 2001). To overcome this criticism, supporters of Cooperative Learning recommend when incorporating the Cooperative Learning theory to engage the adult learner one should stress the following attributes: (a) Outcomes to be sought; (b) activities involved to enhance the learning and; (c) Evaluation applied, which should include both peer and self-evaluations (Yi, 2005).

Addressing the Needs in a Cross Cultural, Technology Mediated, Distance Education Environment

Written by

Y. M. Davis

Is constructivism or socio-cultural theory the most effective when considering how to implement mediating technology in a cross cultural distance education environment? Distance education providers, mostly from Western nations, have taken advantage of more advanced technologies to reach beyond national and cultural borders. However, the effort of exporting distance education programs and products across cultural borders should not begin and end with the act of the target institution’s purchase.

Computer-based instruction increased significantly with the introduction of fifth generation technologies, such as the microprocessor, in 1971 and the first personal computer in 1975. By the last decade of the 20th century, a growing number of computers had synchronous and/or asynchronous communication capabilities as well as the abilities of color graphics and sound (Bates, 2003; Moore & Kearsley, 2005).

Computer-based instruction also expanded with the development of authoring languages as well as educational software with more people having access to computers (e.g, according to the United States Bureau of the Census (as cited in Moore & Kearsley, 2005) by 1989 half of all children in the United States had access to a personal computer either at home or in school). Finally, computer networking, beginning in the 1960’s, and the arrival of the internet, in the 1990’s, enabled web-based instruction with more universities offering entire degree programs online (Moore & Kearsley, 2005).

As institutions try to expand their market presence by offering distance education programs on a global scale, so too should they accept the responsibility of addressing how and if the instructional design of their mediating technology meets the needs of teacher and learner in cross cultural distance education environments. Serious consideration must be given not only to the educational goals of the instructional materials, but also, how students and teachers will access and interact with the instructional materials, each other and which learning theories should be employed in this effort. Theorists have pondered whether to use constructivist or socio-cultural theory in order to best serve culturally diverse, distance education students.

The Adult Learner

Written by

Michael A. Robinson

A major contemporary issue facing community colleges today is how to effectively and successfully engage their increasing population of adult learners. A national analysis regarding adult learners revealed that they compose as much as 33.4 percent of adult education enrollments at community colleges. In some states, such as Alabama, Illinois, North Carolina, Nevada and Wisconsin, 50 percent or more of their adult education students enroll in community colleges (Morest, 2004). Increasing demands for a skilled workforce who is ready and prepared to meet the performance challenges of today’s high growth industries, has resulted in many adult learners finding themselves back in the college classroom for the first time in decades. For others, it may be their first time ever at college. In both situations, college administrators are discovering there are different definitions of learning.

There a need to develop strategies that impact the success of the adult learner and the process has not been an easy one. The definitions of the adult learnervaries and is as myriad as the community colleges which serves their educational goals. However, the most commonly accepted definition of an adult learner is that of Arthur Chickering, as cited in Yi(2005) defines the adult learner as an individual whose major role in life is something other than full-time student.

What is learning for an adult student? Learning is defined as a process of developing new knowledge and skills to achieve the final outcome of improving individual and organizational performance (Yi, 2005). The author’s assessment of what is learning, dovetails what is typically identified as the goals and objects of the adult learner. The process of engaging the adult learner is distinctive and unique when compared to the traditional student. To truly impact adult learner s, it is important to understand how they learn and to incorporate the necessary strategies to fully engage them.

One of the primary criticisms regarding strategies for adult learners is that they simply are not needed. Many who believe the traditional methods of curriculum delivery is sufficient and that there is no real difference between the way children learn and adults learn. This belief is the center of some controversy.

Malcom Knowles, who many credit as the pioneer of the field of adult learning, suggest adults’ and children’s learning is not equivalent, though there is not an absolute boundary between the two (Yi, 2005). Given the complexity surrounding their lives, it becomes imperative institutions see the adult learners as the unique and develop effective strategies and methods to impact their success in the classroom. Knowles identified the characteristics of adult learners as: (a) autonomous and self-directed; they need to be free to direct themselves; (b) having accumulated a foundation of life experiences and knowledge that may include work-related activities, family responsibilities, and previous education, (c) goal-oriented, upon enrolling in a course, they usually know what goals they want to attain; d) relevancy-oriented, they must see a reason for learning something; and (e) shown respect, academic instructors must acknowledge the wealth of experiences that adult participants bring to the classroom (Lieb, 2002).

LACK OF FUNDING ALTERING MISSIONS OF POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

Written by
Michael A. Robinson

Budget shortfalls have forced many public institutions to develop business behaviors in an effort to keep pace with rising cost of operations and dwindling governmental resources (Dolan, 2005). Behaviors such as hiking student fees to cover additional cost or entering into “questionable” partnerships with those entities who award millions of dollars in federal student aid have become more commonplace in recent years (Dolan, 2005).

Emulating the behaviors of commercially based organizations may or may not be the best direction for community colleges to travel. For some institutions seeking to dwell in the free-market is not an option, but is directly tied to the lost of their governmental funding (Eckel & King, 2004). According to the authors “many believe that the marketplace has overtaken state government as the dominant external force shaping (and reshaping) higher education” (p.19). If this is truly the case, is there any wonder why many community colleges as are other public institutions becoming more entrepreneurial “ in style and substance” (Breneman, 2005, p.3).

Turner Gill To Lead Kansas University Football Program

Written By

Michael A. Robinson

It appears Kansas University has found its man. Today, officials at Kansas University announced they have hired former Nebraska Cornhusker standout Turner Gill as the new Football Coach. Turner Gill has been the Head Football Coach at the University of Buffalo for the past five season. During his five seasons as the coach of UB, Turner Gill had a record of 20-30, with his best season coming in 2008, when UB won the MAC Conference Championship.

The Journey Begins Internet Radio, eFocus - An Exclusive Conversation with Carrie Billy, President of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium

Carrie Billy is an enrolled member of the Navajo nation and an attoney from Arizona, was appointed president of AIHEC in June of 2008. A graduate of Arizona and Georgetown Law Center, Billy has committed her life's work to public service and protecting and promoting the culture, welfare and being of the American Indian.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of AIHEC, which comprise of 36 tribal colleges and universities in the U.S. and one in Canada, Carrie guides the day-to-day operations of AIHEC central organization and Board of Directors to develop and implement AIHEC strategic position and overall organizational action plan.

Carrie served as the first Executive Director of the White House Initiative of Tribal Colleges and Universities, appointed to the position by former President William Clinton in 1998. In the position of Executive Director Billy coordinated a multi-faceted effort to intergrate tribal colleges into federal programs and strenghten partnerships with the private sector. During her tenure as Director, tribal colleges achieved tremendous gains. Highlights include: the largest funding increase ever received by Tribal Colleges in annual federal appropriations; first visit by a U.S. president to a Tribal College; established funding of new education and infrastructure programs in serval federal departments and agencies; and the Tribal College initiative.

An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Debbie Pushor on Parental Engagement

Dr. Debbie Pushor discusses the importance of parental engagement in the success of students during an interview with Michael Robinson host of Educational Gateway, which is heard on The Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator.

Debbie’s career began with Edmonton Public Schools in Alberta, Canada where she worked as a teacher, a consultant, a principal and a central services administrator.

Her experiences as a parent of school-aged children caused her to attend to the positioning of parents in relation to schools and prompted the focus of her doctoral work, A Storied Photo Album of Parents’ Positioning and the Landscape of Schools.

Debbie graduated from the University of Alberta in 2001 with a PhD in elementary education. She assumed an academic position at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada from 2001 to 2004, teaching in the BEd program and the MEd program in educational leadership. Debbie joined the University of Saskatchewan in 2004.

She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum Studies in the College of Education, where she continues to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses. Debbie completed a major research project funded by the Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching, which explored, with a team of co-researchers at Princess Alexandra Community School in Saskatoon, how schools can move from practices of parent involvement to practices of parent engagement and leadership.

Debbie was also engaged in research funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, in which she explored what parent knowledge is and how it is held and used. She is currently writing a book arising from this research. Debbie is a qualitative researcher who uses narrative inquiry as her research methodology.

Debbie is the mother of three sons. Cohen is 19 years old and attending his first year of university. Teague and Quinn are 15 years old (yes, twins!) and they are in grade 10.

Please feel invited to visit Debbie’s website to learn more about her research or to read her publications.

An Exclusive Interview with Stu Silberman, Superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools

Stu Silberman discusses the value of public-private partneships in the development of a high performing school system designed to create systemic and long-term academic success in students during an interview Michael Robinson host of Educational Gateway, which is heard on The Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator.

Stu Silberman has led two school districts to prominence in the state of Kentucky and has three times been named the state Superintendent of the Year. Most recently, he was among the four finalists for the National Superintendent of the Year Award.

Well-known for his mantra “It’s About Kids,” Silberman was hired in 2004 to be the fifth superintendent in three years for the Fayette County Public Schools. Since then, he has been credited with engaging the public, drawing more than 1,300 people to a summit on how to ensure that every student receives a world-class education. He has rebuilt faith with the community, instituting a 24-hour response time rule for phone calls and e-mails and launching dozens of communications initiatives to ensure transparency and openness.

Student achievement has skyrocketed, with nearly 40 percent of local schools besting state proficiency standards six years early and a clear focus on closing achievement gaps and holding all students to high expectations. School board meetings, which just five years ago often lasted well past midnight, are now civil and productive with a focus on student achievement strategies. In an unprecedented show of public confidence, a school board vote to raise property taxes to address facility needs received no organized opposition and was affirmed without a voter recall effort.

To read more visit Fayette County Public Schools.

Six in 10 California community college students give up transfer plans, never making it to universities

By Lisa M. Krieger

lkrieger@mercurynews.com

As California's universities cut back slots for incoming freshman, they are still touting one route to a bachelor's degree that remains wide open: Start off at a community college and then transfer to UC or CSU.

But a new analysis shows that fewer than half the students who undertake that path ever reach their goal, waylaid by financial, personal and procedural potholes.

Only 40 percent of California's degree-seeking students are ready to transfer to universities after community college, according to the state's latest annual accountability report for community colleges. Silicon Valley schools do somewhat better — with success rates that range from 48 percent at San Jose City College to 68 percent at De Anza and Foothill colleges.

While students overcome daunting obstacles to enroll in community college, many don't move on. Transfer requirements are a confusing target for many students. There's reduced state funding for programs to help them. Parental job loss means students need to work more hours. Even students who successfully transfer describe the process as inefficient or puzzling, citing mismatched standards that mean that course work at one school doesn't always transfer to another.

To read the rest of this article visit http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13789598

An Exclusive Interview with Patricia Spakes, Chancellor of the University of Washington Tacoma

The Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator presents An Exclusive Interview with Patricia Spakes, Chancellor of the University of Washington Tacoma.

Dr. Patricia Spakes has served as Chancellor of the University of Washington Tacoma, since April 2005.
Dr. Spakes has over 25 years of experience as a faculty member and administrator in higher education. Prior to obtaining a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, she was a practicing family therapist. Her doctoral work focused on family theory, policy and research. Dr. Spakes also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and in English from Winthrop University in South Carolina and an M.S.W. from the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Spakes has held tenured faculty positions as Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro from 1980 to 1990 (where she also served as Chair of Women’s Studies) and as Professor and Chair of Women’s Studies at Arizona State University West from 1990-1997. She has also held senior level administrative positions as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at Arizona State University West, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts, and as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. She has written extensively on family policy and family impact analysis, both from a national policy and from an international comparative perspective.

During her career, Dr. Spakes has been involved in many community and civic activities including work with the Mental Health Association, Family Services of America, several state and local Commissions on the Status of Women. Current activities including serving on the Board of the Pierce County Reading Foundation, the Executive Council for a Greater Tacoma, the Urban Waters Advisory Board, and the Executive Board of Pierce County Careers Connections. Dr. Spakes has been a frequent conference presenter and community speaker on topics that range from higher education issues to issues related to leadership.

An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Ken Canfield, author of The 5 Needs of Daughters

The Journey Begins discusses the role of fathers in the lives of their daughters with Dr. Ken Canfield, author of The 5 Needs of Daughters.

BIO

Dr. Ken Canfield, is the founder of the National Center for Fathering, and served as NCF’s president and CEO from 1990 through 2005. His work has been recognized in a variety of ways: He has been a consultant to state and community officials on ways to engage and equip fathers in local programming; served as one of the founding members of former Vice President Al Gore’s private-sector “Father to Father” Initiative; and was awarded the 1993 Father of the Year by the National Congress for Men and Children

An Exclusive Interview with Carey Casey Chief Executive Officer National Center for Fathering

The eFocus Series discusses the Role of Fathers in the Lives of Their Children with Carey Casey, CEO of The National Center for Fathering on the Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator.

BIO

Carey Casey is Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas City-based National Center for Fathering, joining the Center in March, 2006.

Through his work across the country, Casey has earned a reputation as a dynamic communicator, especially on the topic of men being good fathers, and as a compassionate ambassador, especially within the American sports community. He is also author of the book, Championship Fathering (2009).

In 2009, Carey was asked to serve on the White House Task Force on Fatherhood and Healthy Families. He also serves as a member of the National Fatherhood Leaders Group, which promotes responsible fatherhood policy, research, advocacy and practice.

Casey joins the Center after 18 years in various roles with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where most recently he was president of the FCA Foundation, gaining significant leadership experience with a large, successful, national nonprofit organization. His career has also included serving as chaplain at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys under Hall of Fame Coach Tom Landry, and chaplain for the Kansas City Chiefs. He continues to speak on life issues for numerous professional and college sports teams across America.

The iCollege Tour Series Discusses Community College Leadership with Dr. Russell A. Davis, President of Gloucester County College

The iCollege Tour Series Discusses Community College Leadership with Dr. Russell A. Davis, President of Gloucester County College on the Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator.

Bio

A graduate of Hampton University, Virginia (BA in English, MA in education/Counseling Psychology); Harvard University, Massachusetts (Advanced Certificate in Educational Management) with a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education (Concentration on Community College Leadership) from Morgan State University in Maryland, the former Catonsville, Maryland resident took the post as GCC’s fifth vice president of student services in June 2005. Davis was an integral member of the committee that successfully led GCC through a recent 10-year reaccreditation process from the Middle States Commission of Higher Education. “Leadership begins with the president, and when we look for a leader we look at qualifications and experience to determine if that person deserves the opportunity to lead,” said Chairman Milton W. Hinton.

The iCollege Tour Series Discusses Community College Leadership with Dr. Kenneth Atwater, President, South Mountain Community College

The iCollege Tour Series Discusses Community College Leadership with Dr. Kenneth Atwater, President, South Mountain Community College on the Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator.

Bio

Dr. Ken Atwater became President of South Mountain Community College on July 2, 2001. For the five years prior to becoming President he was Vice President for Student Services at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan. In all, Dr. Atwater has served in community college leadership positions for the past 25 years.

For three years prior to his position at Kellogg, Dr. Atwater was Vice President and Dean of Students at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. He has also been Vice President for Student Development Services at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, South Carolina; and Dean of Students at Catonsville Community College in Catonsville, Maryland. At Jackson State Community College, in his native state of Tennessee, Dr. Atwater was Director of Counseling Services and Director of Student Activities.

Dr. Atwater earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education (with a focus on community colleges) from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, in 1989. He earned a Master of Science degree in Guidance and Counseling in 1978 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Theater, and also Sociology, in 1977, all from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. The President is a graduate of the prestigious Executive Leadership Institute of the League for Innovation in the Community College; and also is a graduate of the Institute for Leadership Effectiveness, University of Tennessee – Knoxville.

Dr. Atwater served a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) July 2004 – June 2007. He served on the 2005-06 Executive Committee of the AACC Board, and is currently serving on the AACC Commission on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity.

He has served on the Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since August 2001, the Valley of the Sun YMCA Board of Directors since July 2002, and the Institute for Community College Development (Cornell University) Board of Directors since August 2006. He has also served on the boards of the Southwestern Michigan Urban League, the Battle Creek Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Greater Battle Creek United Way, the American Association of Community College Commission on Research, and has been Vice Chair of the Board of the National Institute for Student Success.

eFocus Presents: Carmita Vaughan, Chief Strategy Officer for The America's Promise Alliance

Carmita Vaughan
Chief Strategy Officer

Listen to an exclusive interview with Carmita Vaughan, of America's Promise Alliance October 23, 2009 on The Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator.

Bio

Former Chief of Staff of Chicago Public Schools Office of High Schools and High School Programs, Carmita Vaughan joined America’s Promise Alliance in 2009. As Chief Strategy Officer, Vaughan leads Alliance efforts to improve the lives of disadvantaged youth. She oversees the Alliance’s Dropout Prevention Summits and the “Grad Nation” initiative, to help communities increase high school graduation rates and ensure that all students graduate high school-, college- and work-ready.

While at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Vaughan worked closely with Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, to develop a comprehensive strategy to increase Chicago’s graduation rate to 70 percent by 2010. Vaughan worked toward developing and implementing a systematic approach to address at-risk students, as well as those who already dropped out of school. She also managed all central high school operations and administrative services supporting 120 schools in areas including budget, human resources, data systems, and communications.

In addition to institutionalizing programs directed at Chicago’s students, Vaughan led efforts to support principals and teachers. She spearheaded an initiative to provide additional faculty support and compensation in 40 of the district’s highest-need schools through a performance-based pay initiative. This proposal led to CPS being awarded a $27.5M grant from the Department of Education – the largest competitive federal grant it had ever received.

Vaughan began her tenure with the Chicago Public Schools through the Broad Residency in Urban Education, a two-year, national program that builds leadership in urban public school districts. Prior to joining CPS, Vaughan served in global marketing, strategic planning, and engineering/operations management roles in several Fortune 500 companies, including Procter and Gamble and Danaher Corporation.

Vaughan holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and received her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Ronald J. Iannotti and Jing Wang Discuss Their Research On Bullying with The Journey Begins: Radio For the Engaged Parent and Dedicated Educator

Ronald J. Iannotti, Ph.D., joined the Prevention Research Branch in August 2001, as a senior research fellow and was appointed a staff scientist in April 2005. He earned a master's degree from Hollins College and received his doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Iannotti assists the OD in a variety of administrative areas. His research interests are in the development and maintenance of health behaviors, children's management of acute and chronic illness, and the influence of families and peers on these processes.

Jing Wang, Ph.D., joined the Prevention Research Branch in November 2007 as a post-doctoral fellow. She received her Ph.D. in quantitative psychology from Bowling Green State University, Ohio. Her research focuses on the integration of advanced quantitative methods (e.g., structural equation, multi-level, and item response modeling) to the examination of psychological, social, and developmental processes, particularly within the study of prevention research.

To hear the exclusive interview with Dr. Ronald J. Iannotti and Dr. Jing Wang, log onto The Journey Begins

Educator Spotlight: Dr. Lorenzo Lamar Esters

Dr. Lorenzo Lamar Esters assumed the role of Vice President in the Office for Access and the Advancement of Public Black Universities at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities on June 1, 2009. As the chief minority affairs officer for the organization, whose membership includes more than 220 public, research and land-grant universities and is headquartered in Washington, DC, Dr. Esters works with leadership of public historically black colleges and universities, 1890 and 1994 Land-grant institutions, and Hispanic-serving institutions. He also provides support and leadership with the Commission on Access, Diversity and Excellence and works to promote and advance access and equity across all APLU institutions and all public higher education.

Dr. Esters formerly served as Senior Adviser to the President at Dillard University in New Orleans, LA. As a Senior Adviser, Dr. Esters’ work primarily involved evaluating the effectiveness of programs and operations, providing senior level advice and assistance to the President regarding faculty, staff and student issues and in addressing complex and sensitive issues regarding campus administration.

Prior to joining Dillard University, Dr. Esters served as Management and Program Analyst in the Office of the Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. There he was responsible for drafting regulations, legislation and policy related to No Child Left Behind and K-12 education. He has over ten years of experience as a career federal public employee. This includes three years with the U.S. Department of Education as a Management and Program Analyst in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, two years as Deputy Division Director with the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge in Falls Church, Virginia and five years as a Claims Representative in Social Security Administration District Offices.

Dr. Esters has served as adjunct professor of English at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, and at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. He has also published several articles on the subject of Entrepreneurial Leadership in Higher Education and the vanishing African American male in Higher Education. Dr. Esters is currently leading an initiative at A.P.L.U. to launch a national conversation regarding the “American Male Imperative,” an initiative designed to bring attention to the low persistence and resilience rates of males in general and minority males in particular at America’s four-year institutions.

The Mississippi Delta native is a summa cum laude graduate of Rust College in Holly Springs, MS and holds a Master of Arts Degree in English from Jackson State University and Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. He is a member of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia and is former Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Northern Virginia Community College, the second largest community college system in the United States. Dr. Esters is also a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and was recently recognized by his alma mater as the Young Alumnus of the Year.

Educator Spotlight: Dr. George Boggs, American Association of Community College (AACC President and CEO)

Dr. George R. Boggs is President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). From its Washington, D.C., headquarters, AACC represents over 1,100 associate degree-granting institutions and some 12 million students.

Dr. Boggs holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from The Ohio State University, a master's degree in chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

He has served on the Boards of Directors of the California Association of Community Colleges, the Community College League of California, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the American Association of Community Colleges, serving as Board Chair in 1993/94. He served as a member of the Committee on Undergraduate Science Education of the US National Research Council, the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), and several US National Science Foundation panels and committees. He has testified before both state legislative and US Congressional committees on subjects related to higher education. He is the author of more than sixty articles and chapters in professional journals and books.

Dr. Boggs has been recognized by the Public Broadcasting System with its Terry O'Banion Prize for Teaching and Learning for "triggering the most significant educational movement of the past decade." He has been honored by The University of Texas as a Distinguished Graduate. Dr. Boggs was recognized by the Chair Academy with its Paul A. Elsner International Excellence in Leadership Award and by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) with its International Leadership Award. He received the Professional of the Year Award for Motivational Leadership from the Leadership Alliance, the Harry Buttimer Distinguished Administrators Award from the Association of California Community College Administrators, the Marie Y. Martin Chief Executive Officer Award from the Association of Community College Trustees, and the Stanley A. Mahr Community Service Award from the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce. The City of Vista proclaimed January 15, 1994, as Dr. George Boggs Day in recognition of his community service. August 24, 2000, was proclaimed as Dr. George Boggs Day in San Diego County in recognition of service to education and in the cities and counties of the 51st Congressional District in recognition of educational leadership. Dr. Boggs is listed in Who's Who in America and six other Who's Who directories.

Dr. Boggs served as a faculty member, division chair, and associate dean of instruction at Butte College in California and, for fifteen years, he served as the Superintendent/President of Palomar College in California. He is currently the President and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges.

THE AMERICAN GRADUATION INITIATIVE: STRONGER AMERICAN SKILLS THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGES

THE AMERICAN GRADUATION INITIATIVE:

STRONGER AMERICAN SKILLS THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGES

"Now is the time to build a firmer, stronger foundation for growth that will not only withstand future economic storms, but one that helps us thrive and compete in a global economy. It’s time to reform our community colleges so that they provide Americans of all ages a chance to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to compete for the jobs of the future."

– President Barack Obama

In an increasingly competitive world economy, America’s economic strength depends upon the education and skills of its workers. In the coming years, jobs requiring at least an associate degree are projected to grow twice as fast as those requiring no college experience. To meet this economic imperative, President Barack Obama asks every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training and set a new national goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

Today, at Macomb Community College in Michigan, he outlined his plan to reform our nation’s community colleges, calling for an additional 5 million community college graduates by 2020 and new initiatives to teach Americans the skills they will need to compete with workers from other nations. He outlined new initiatives to increase the effectiveness and impact of community colleges, raise graduation rates, modernize facilities, and create new online learning opportunities. These steps -- an unprecedented increase in the support for community colleges -- will help rebuild the capacity and competitiveness of America’s workforce.

The announcement comes a day after the Council of Economic Advisers released a report describing how the U.S. labor market is expected to grow and develop in the coming years. The CEA described an expected shift toward jobs that require workers with greater analytical and interactive skills and summarized the attributes of a well-functioning education and training system designed for the jobs of the future.

THE AMERICAN GRADUATION INITIATIVE

Fifty years ago, President Harry Truman called for a national network of community colleges to dramatically expand opportunities for veterans returning from World War II. Today, faced with rapid technological change and global competition, community colleges are needed more than ever to raise American skills and education levels and keep American businesses competitive. President Barack Obama called for an additional 5 million community college degrees and certificates by 2020 and new steps to ensure that those credentials will help graduates get ahead in their careers. Together, these steps will cost $12 billion over the next decade. The administration will pay for them as part of a package that cuts waste out of the student loan program, increases Pell Grant scholarships, and reduces the deficit.

Community colleges are the largest part of our higher education system, enrolling more than 6 million students, and growing rapidly. They feature affordable tuition, open admission policies, flexible course schedules, and convenient locations, and they are particularly important for students who are older, working, need remedial classes, or can only take classes part-time. They are also capable of working with businesses, industry and government to create tailored training programs to meet economic needs such as nursing, health information technology, advanced manufacturing, and green jobs, and of providing customized training at the worksite.

Business and industry play an important role in training the workforce of the future and meeting the on-going demands of the marketplace. Many community colleges are already working with businesses to develop programs and classes ranging from degrees to certified training courses for retraining and on-going training for enhancing skills. For example, Cisco’s Networking Academy is working with community colleges to train students throughout the country on technology-based jobs and it is expanding this platform to train for broadband infrastructure and health care information technology.

The American Graduation Initiative will build on the strengths of community colleges and usher in new innovations and reforms for the 21st century economy. It will:

• Call for 5 Million Additional Community College Graduates: In February, President Obama called for America to once again lead the world in college degrees by 2020. Affordable, open-enrollment community colleges will play a critical role in meeting that goal. Today, he set a complementary goal: an additional 5 million community college graduates by 2020, including students who earn certificates and associate degrees or who continue on to graduate from four-year colleges and universities.
• Create the Community College Challenge Fund: Too often community colleges are underfunded and underappreciated, lacking the resources they need to improve instruction, build ties with businesses, and adopt other reforms. Under President Obama’s plan, new competitive grants would enable community colleges and states to innovate and expand proven reforms. These efforts will be evaluated carefully, and the approaches that demonstrate improved educational and employment outcomes will receive continued federal support and become models for widespread adoption. Colleges could:
• Build partnerships with businesses and the workforce investment system to create career pathways where workers can earn new credentials and promotions step-by-step, worksite education programs to build basic skills, and curriculum coordinated with internship and job placements.
• Expand course offerings and offer dual enrollment at high schools and universities, promote the transfer of credit among colleges, and align graduation and entrance requirements of high schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities.
  Improve remedial and adult education programs, accelerating students’ progress and integrating developmental classes into academic and vocational classes.
• Offer their students more than just a course catalog, through comprehensive, personalized services to help them plan their careers and stay in school

To read more on this story click the link below

Community Colleges

Written by

ETNB Staff

What can — and should — parents expect the school to do?

This was the question presented by Dr. Marlene Snyder in her recent article regarding Bullying entitled: "What parents can do about childhood bullying: An expert explains how to determine if your child is a bully or a victim -- and how to take appropriate, effective action! "

Below are several of the suggestions provided by Dr. Snyder, to review the entire article follow the link below.
http://www.greatschools.net/LD/managing/what-parents-can-do-about-childhood-bullying.gs?content=825&page=all

Whether your child is a bully, victim, or bystander, you should expect the following from his school:

• School administrators, teachers, and staff should take bullying problems seriously. The school should investigate the situation and let you know what steps they're taking to help stop the bullying.
• Written school policies and rules against bullying, harassment, and intimidation should be in place — and be enforced.
  Teachers and administrators should speak to the bully and his parents.
• They should also tell him what the consequences will be if he doesn't stop bullying others. If the bullying continues, the school should enforce the pre-determined consequences immediately.

Building a bully-free future, to read more of Dr. Snyder’s article, visit the link below:

http://www.greatschools.net/LD/managing/what-parents-can-do-about-childhood-bullying.gs?content=825&page=all

Written by
Michael A. Robinson

What are your thoughts on bullying? Education The Natural Bridge (ETNB) ask this exact question to parents all across America. The survey consisted of eight questions and here are some of their early thoughts.

We asked parents across America to tell us about their experiences with bullying and here is what some parents had to say:

Q1. When asked has their child ever been the victim of bullying?

Yes 73.6%, No 28.3%

As a follow up to that question, we asked parents:

Q.2 What areas were negatively impacted by the bullying your child experienced? Parents were allowed to check more than one area.

Grades: 41%, Attendance: 18%, Social Life: 69.2%, After School Activities: 18%, Family Life: 15%, Self-Esteem: 69.2%, Motivation: 46.2%, Transferred to a New School: 10.3%, Other: 25%

Q.3 What was the age of your child at the time they were being bullied? Parents were allowed to check more than one area.

Age 4: 5.6%, Age 5: 8.3%, Age 6: 13.9%, Age 7: 8.3%, Age 8: 16.7%, Age 9: 13.9%, Age 10: 28%, Age 11: 13.9%, Age 12: 25.0%, Age 13: 28%, Age 14: 8.3%, Age 15: 14 %, Age 16: 11.1%, Age 17: 2.8%, Age 18: 0%

Take our bullying survey (open until 9/21/2009): http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3cOgeaZM3yeY1stUp2c5Sw_3d_3d

An exclusive interview with Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail

Written by

Michael A. Robinson

Recently, The Journey Begins radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator had the rare opportunity to discuss the role of the American community colleges with the renowned scholar Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail.

Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail, is the former president of Cypress College in California, and the founder of the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program at Morgan State University. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC); Advisory Council for the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and the National Center for Postsecondary Research (NCPR) at the Community College Research Center (CCRC); Coach, Achieving the Dream; formerly served as the Affirmative Action Officer.

To hear the exclusive interview with Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail log onto The Journey Begins

Dr. Christine Johnson McPail can be reached via email at cmcphail3@comcast.net

Announcing Forest of the Rain Productions:
The Online Business of Education

Dear friends, parents and dedicated educators,

We are excited to announce the grand opening of our new Internet radio station, The Journey Begins radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator. We invite you to listen to our station now to learn more! To listen to The Journey Begins, just click the link below.

http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/mini.cgi?station_name=mdavisro&tm=7566


Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested, to help us spread the word.

We offer several news related features on our radio station. Three of our most popular segments are:

Educational Gateway: A bi-weekly news segment on topics such as parental engagement, education access, community engagement, and politics. Interviews have been conducted with:
· Susan Shaffer: Executive Director for the Maryland State Parental Information Resource Center (PIRC)
· Johanna Latham: Parent Liaison, Prince George’s County Public Schools
· Jim Smith: President of Digital Network Group (DNG)
· Walter Dozier: former Educational Liaison for the County Executive of Prince George's County, Maryland

iCollege Series: In this section, the focus is on postsecondary institutions. In the iCollege Series, we aim to introduce our listeners to new educational pathways for them and their families. Our most recent iCollege Series focused on the relevancy of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Interviews where conducted with:
· Dr. Cornell Thomas, president of Jarvis Christian College
· Dr. Mary Evans Sias, president of Kentucky State University
News Bites: A bi-weekly segment hosted by our Chief Education Correspondent. This segment offer the listeners small bites of information on multiple topics.

Stay tuned for a special Educational Gateway discussion with African American men about their role in the academic lives of their children and their community.

Coming Soon! ETNBiTV: Internet TV for the engaged parents and dedicated educators

Visit Education: The Natural Bridge at:
http://www.educationthenaturalbridge.blogspot.com/

or visit

Education4and2Parents: A Podcast Center:
http://education4and2parents.podbean.com/


Contact Us:

Forest of the Rain Productions, Inc.
P.O. Box 326
Savage, Maryland 20763-9998
Office: 240.593.3813
Fax: 301.725.6383



Wishing You A Lifetime Of Learning ……Let the Journey Begin!!!!

Regards,

Parent To Parent: Advice Respond To The Issue Of Bullying

The Impact of Bullying

Written by

Michael A. Robinson

Over the past several months Education: The Natural Bridge (ETNB) has conducted a national survey regardng the impact of bullying on the academic performance of students. The early data reveals that parents and school administrators consider bullying a significant factor in the performance of some students. As part of our research we asked respondents: What advice would you offer to parents and families who are experiencing bullying?

The responses were amazing and can serve as a guide for best practices on how to reach a solution to a child's bullying nightmare. Here a few of the more interesting suggestions:

1. Exhaust all avenues to stop the bullying. Build your child's self esteem . Enroll your child in activities or sports in a neighboring community so he/she can have fresh start with a new group of children. Get professional help so the child can have someone to confide in. Children sometimes worry about upsetting their parents and don't reveal what is really happening to them.
2. Know your childrens' friends and their parents. Encourage your child to speak up about bullying and encourage their friends to stand up for one another when bullying occurs. Report any bullying to the school authorities.
3. Become an active parent during lunch and recess if you can. Work with the teachers.
4. Be proactive about the situation rather than reactive. During the early signs of bullying, nip the situation in the bud by contacting school officials and even further if neccessary to assure your child does not remain a victim of bullying. Encourage open discussion with your children, but often times they keep situations like these to themselves and suffer in silence. Ask plenty questions, and assure them you can be trusted with the informaiton they give you. A lot of children don't believe that parents can help the situation...they believe the the situation will get worse by bringing light to it...so open conversation is imperative. Finally, and possibly most importantly, encourage your schools to develop anti-bullying programs/strategies for their schools.
5. Confront it immediately with officials. Insist on a positive resolution for your child, as well as the other child.
   
   

What are your thoughts on bullying and the impact on children? Please take our survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3cOgeaZM3yeY1stUp2c5Sw_3d_3d

Parent Reveals Frustration About Bullying

Frustration About Bullying
Written by
A Parent

Parents tend to ignore bullying, teachers tend to ignore bullying. I think it would help if the parent got called to the school to discuss the matter with the councilor in person every time their kid bullied another student.

Because of the no tolerant policy in Seattle schools it lead to another innocent student being permanently suspended even though the young man was seen on tape running from the fight. The student was not even involved. When students are suspended from schools that plays right into the hands of gangs. It gives them a way to convince students they need protection.

I saw the video here of a gang member attacking a student in the school hallway. The beaten kid did not get thrown out of school; because it does not make since, but in Seattle WA. schools they do, it is simply crazy. I think that gang members and bullies should be jailed, not just put on some laughable suspension.

What is Your Child's EDQ

By Michael Robinson and Michel Davis Robinson

The EDQ represents the amount of investment in the child’s educational portfolio (in class and out of class learning experiences) by parents, family and school staff. According to Joyce Pollard, Director for Institutional Communications for the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) "The most valuable way you can become involved in your child’s education is to provide a rich learning environment in your home to support your child’s academic achievement". The more engaged the child’s parents combined with a dedicated educator the child will have a steady increase in their EDQ. Epstein, et al. (2008) studies have shown parental involvement has an influence on the level of student achievement in the area of math. She goes on to suggest the greater the involvement of the parent in their child’s school life the greater the achievement, citing the works of Desimone (1999); Ma (1999); Valadez, (2002).
More to come, please stay tune.

President Barack Obama Back to School Event

Prepared Remarks of

President Barack Obama

Back to School Event Arlington, Virginia

September 8, 2009

The President:

Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility. I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.

Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.

Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because

Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.