Joe Williams' Blog
October 16, 2008
Brownsville Wins Broad Prize
By Katie Campos, DFER Development Director
Brownsville Independent School District (BISD), from southern Texas, was awarded the 2008 Broad Prize for Urban Education this week at the MOMA in New York City. BISD is made up of nearly 50,000 students, 94% of which are eligible for free and reduced-price school lunch, and 43% of which are English language learners.
The Broad Foundation identified 100 school districts as eligible for the prize based on criteria including size, urbanicity, and low-income and minority enrollment. Five finalists were represented yesterday: Brownsville Independent School District (TX); Aldine Independent School District (TX); Miami-Dade County Public Schools (FL); Broward County Public Schools (FL); and Long Beach Unified School District (CA). The Broad Foundation recently doubled the Prize to $2 million to be divided among college-bound seniors in each school district that have shown improvement and commitment to higher education. Brownsville received $1 million, and the four finalists received $250,000 each.
Continue reading "Brownsville Wins Broad Prize"....
Posted by Joe Williams on October 16, 2008 11:33 AM
October 11, 2008
Five More Ways To Help Obama (in Maryland, Colorado, and the WWW)
Thanks for everything that you have already done to support education reform within the Obama campaign. I wanted to alert you to three upcoming events and a web site, where Obama supporters who are interested in education can help propel Obama (and the issue) into the White House.
1. Silver Spring, MD: DFER board member Diane Piche, her SLG's, and her husband Rick Roe are co-hosting a fundraiser this Saturday evening in Silver Spring, MD. Guests are likely to include Obama advisor Jon Schnur and newly elected Congresswoman Donna Edwards (a DFER favorite.)
When: Saturday, October 11th
Time: 7:30 – 10:30 pm
Where: Pyramid Atlantic Art Gallery, 8230 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
(Two Blocks from Silver Spring Metro)
Suggested donation levels:
$1,000 - Ready for Change!
$500 - Fired Up!
$250 - Keep Hope Alive!
$100 - Believe!
You can contribute at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/BarackforEDTPSS
RSVP to: tpssforobama@gmail.com
2. Denver, CO: Our friend Van Schoales and a cast of great education reform characters will be hosting an "Educators for Change" fundraiser next Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Van's home, 1447 Gilpin St., in Denver.
Co-hosts include Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien, Obama education advisor Mike Johnston, State Senate President Peter Groff, Senate Majority Policy Director Terry Whitney, Alex Ooms and Heather Lamm.
$50 minimum contribution. RSVP at http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/BarackforEdDenver
3. Baltimore, MD:Also on Oct. 14th, our friends Justin Cohen and Eleanor Vanden Huevel are hosting a fundraiser featuring Obama education advisor Jon Schnur, former National Teacher of the Year Jason Kamras and Rep. John Sarbanes. Tickets are $100 per person, and the event starts at 8 p.m. at 620 W 33rd St, Baltimore, MD.
More info and online contribution form is here.
4. Anywhere, USA:Contribute online at the DFER Obama page: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/DFER And if you max out there, contribute at the DFER DNC page: http://www.democrats.org/page/outreach/view/total/DFER
5. Join other ed reformers in the political ground war in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Thanks again for everything you are doing for change.
Posted by Joe Williams on October 11, 2008 12:41 PM
Obama Buttons In Schools: Free Speech or Smoke Screen?
There's a lot of attention in NYC over the United Federation of Teachers' federal lawsuit to protect the free speech rights of teachers when it comes to wearing campaign buttons and posting political signs in schools.
This is a brilliant political move for the union, if you think about it. Even if they lose the case, they can make it look like they are strong Obama supporters. News coverage of the flap can help make everyone forget the millions that the union spent only a few months ago trying to take Obama out of the race.
For a union that lost the primary election sweepstakes, this whole spectacle is win-win. Brilliant!
Posted by Joe Williams on October 11, 2008 12:16 PM
October 10, 2008
Diagramming Sarah Palin's Sentences
Over at Slate.com, Kitty Burns Florey has a great piece that psychoanalizes GOP VP pick Sarah Palin by diagramming sentences from recent interviews. I can only conclude from the diagrams that she totally has the hots for Richard Whitmire, she just can't bring herself to admit it. Meanwhile, Russo is out pimping Palin's SAT scores on his blog pad.
Posted by Joe Williams on October 10, 2008 9:54 AM
October 5, 2008
DFER Obama Action: $50,000 in 60 Seconds!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thanks to all of you who participated in our "Obama Education Minute" online fundraising experiment. In our 60-second fundraising drive, we raised approximately $50,000 in online pledges and checks for the campaign. Thanks also to Obama education advisor Jon Schnur for joining us at a special reception in NYC later that night.
There are still things you can do to help make sure Barack Obama crosses the finish line and that education reform continues to be part of Obama's agenda for change:
-- If you are in the Baltimore area, attend the Oct. 14th Obama fundraiser at the home of our friends Justin Cohen and Eleanor Vanden Huevel. Tickets are $100 per person, and the event starts at 8 p.m. at 620 W 33rd St, Baltimore, MD.
(And while you're there, say hello to Schnur, former National Teacher of the Year Jason Kamras, and Rep. John Sarbanes.)
More info and online contribution form is here.
-- Contribute online at the DFER Obama page: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/DFER And if you max out there, contribute at the DFER DNC page: http://www.democrats.org/page/outreach/view/total/DFER
-- Join other ed reformers in the political ground war in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Thanks again for everything you are doing for change.
Posted by Joe Williams on October 5, 2008 10:32 AM
Claim: Large Class Sizes Cause Frisky Behavior In Teens
A teachers union in New Zealand is suggesting that smaller class sizes tend to throw cold water on students' libidos.
A spokeswoman for sheep urged very, very small classes.
Posted by Joe Williams on October 5, 2008 9:31 AM
September 16, 2008
Guest Blogger: DFER Program Director Brienne Bellavita On Mayor McKee's Victory
Last week I had the pleasure of aiding Mayor Dan McKee of Cumberland, RI in his re-election campaign. While I may have never heard of Cumberland, I had heard of the exciting work that Mayor McKee is doing in the education reform world, particularly with his work on the "Mayoral Academies" bill.
Mayor McKee was initially expected to easily win re-election until former Cumberland Mayor Dave Iwuc (‘02 - ‘04) entered the race. As a Mayor who was most remembered for leaving the town with $4 million worth of debt, many residents were undoubtedly puzzled by his decision to run again.
His motives became clear, however, in a letter he sent to every Cumberland resident on the day before the primary. This letter contained absurd allegations against Mayor McKee and completely misrepresented Mayoral Academies. My favorite lines read, "While there is always room for improvement, Cumberland's schools have done well by our students for generations...[Cumberland taxpayers] must have been shocked when Dan McKee ‘declared' that the public school system is failed and unfixable, and then decided the solution was to ‘save' fifty Cumberland students in his Mayoral Academy."
While the NEA was not mentioned anywhere in the letter, their signature was all over it.
Posted by Joe Williams on September 16, 2008 5:19 PM
