Archive for 'News'
Write to Congress to support charter school funding!
Posted on 09. Oct, 2009 by Admin.
It’s incredibly easy to write to the Secretary of Education and to our state and national legislators to encourage them to support charter school funding. Go to this link and enter your basic info: https://secure.publiccharters.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=393.
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Study Cites Dire Economic Impact of Poor Schools
Posted on 27. Apr, 2009 by Admin.
by Javier C. Hernandez (April 22, 2009)
The economic recession may be the least of our worries. Increasing educational disparity throughout the nation may be the larger problem. Education (or the lack thereof) is directly tied to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The future of our nation depends on educational reform. What are the recent findings?
“The study, conducted by the management consulting firm McKinsey and Co., pointed to bleak disparities in test scores on four fronts: between black and Hispanic children and white children; between poor and wealthy students; between Americans and students abroad; and between students of similar backgrounds educated in different parts of the country.
“The report concluded that if those achievement gaps were closed, the yearly gross domestic productof the United States would be trillions of dollars higher, or $3 billion to $5 billion more per day.
“Nationally, the gap in test performance between white and Hispanic students grows by 41 percent from Grade 4 through 12, and between white and black students it grows 22 percent, the report said. Students educated in different regions also showed marked variation in test performance, despite having similar demographic backgrounds. In Texas, for instance, schools are given about $1,000 less per student than California schools, but Texas children are on average one to two years of learning ahead of their counterparts in California.
The disparity of education in the United States of America is indeed daunting. We must continue to work hard – harder than ever. However, we cannot give in to pessimism.
Together, we must seek out new and innovative ways to address the nation’s many challenges. Diversity should and can be synonomous with opportunity and achievement.
It is the opinion of UEC that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all model, and certainly our traditional public education system does many things right. However, we must continue to seek new models of education, such as charter schools, vouchers, performance pay, and professional pathways so that children throughout the nation have the same opportunities as their counterparts in wealthier areas of the nation.
What do you think?
Read the entire article here.
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Congress to Debate role of Recruiters in Schools
Posted on 27. Apr, 2009 by Admin.
by Kevin Freking, Associated Press Writer (April 24, 2009)
How much information do you think the military should have on our children? Should they have free access to our schools and our children? Should parents be notified before the military contacts our youth?
“Upon the military’s request, high schools must provide students’ names, addresses and telephone numbers. They also must give military recruiters the same access they provide to university and business recruiters during college and career fairs.
“Congress will consider reauthorizing the education law later this year. Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., wants Congress to change how schools handle student contact information so military recruiters do not have automatic access to it. He said parents in his district are frustrated that recruiters are contacting their children at home.
“Under Honda’s bill, parents would have to consent to releasing their children’s information to the military. Currently, parents have to ask that the information be withheld, and Honda said many parents are unaware they have that option.”
It is the opinion of UEC that parents should be empowered, not the government. Parents may or may not choose to grant access to the military, but the current ”opt out” system doesn’t work as parents simply don’t know that the military has access to their child.
What do you think?
Read the entire article here.
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Youth volunteering on decline since Sept. 11
Posted on 27. Apr, 2009 by Admin.
by the Associated Press (April 22, 2009)
How do our youth measure up in the area of community service with youth from previous graduating classes?
“An analysis of federal data has found that the percentage of teens who volunteer dipped in recent years, ending an upward trend that began after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“CIRCLE researchers used data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey for their study. . . . They found that one in three teens, age 16 to 18, volunteered in 2005, representing a peak in community service for all age groups since the survey began tracking volunteerism in 2002.
“In 2006, however, that rate dropped to 29 percent and then to 28 percent in 2007, the most recent year for whic
h data is available. Those are the lowest percentages for that age group since the data has been collected and just one percentage point higher than adults 25 and older each of those years.
“Separate market research done for VolunteerMatch, an online site that links visitors with about 63,000 nonprofit groups, found a similar decline in queries from under-18 users.”
While the data from both reports is telling, UEC is optomistic that today’s youth will rise to the challenges of our brave new world. However, we as citizens and educators must be the example for them. They must see us serving.
Read the entire article here.
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Senior Projects Encourage Insight Via Sustained Effort
Posted on 27. Apr, 2009 by Admin.
by Jay Mathews (April 27, 2009)
Senior theses/projects are quite rare in public education. But should they be? Is the bar so low that anyone can graduate with minimal effort? Or would such requirements doom many of the nation’s students to certain failure? Should it be done anyway?
“Private schools have been doing this for years. . . . Such enterprises add depth to high school — a chance for each student to explore something that intrigues him or her personally. . . . Why should just private schools, and a few exceptional public schools . . . be encouraging insight through sustained effort? This relates to another of my pet peeves: the reluctance of American public high schools to assign even one research paper of significant length and complexity before students graduate.”
It is the opinion of UEC that every community is different and should make decisions regarding such graduation requirements, not based on what works for other schools but based on needs in the particular community.
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School Recess Cutbacks Overstated, Report Says
Posted on 13. Mar, 2009 by Admin.
by Dani McClain (9/11/08)
We all remember the thrill of recess when we were kids. With ever-increasing federal guidelines and requirements, many schools are cutting back and even eliminating recess. But is that really a wise move?
“The report summarized recent data from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics and drew the following conclusions:
• 14% of elementary schools with an enrollment of at least half students of color schedule no recess for first-graders, compared with 2% of schools with less than 6% minority enrollment.
• 18% of elementary schools where more than three-fourths of the student body receives a reduced-price lunch have no recess for first-graders, compared with 4% of schools where less than half the student body comes from impoverished families.
• 14% of urban elementary schools schedule no recess for first-graders, compared with 6% of suburban schools and 3% of rural schools.”
According to the data, recess may actually help encourage student achievement.
That said, we all know that there is no universal “one size fits all” model, method, or approach that works all of the time in education. It’s unfortunate that certain types of students (i.e., minority, poor, and urban students) miss out on recess more often than their counterparts in more affluent parts of the nation. That trend should change.
It is the opinion of UEC that recess plays an important part in children’s development at school. Although it should be used reasonably and responsibly, the data suggests that school leaders should reevaluate and support recess in school.
That said, all decisions should be made based on local factors and conditions. But, generally speaking, recess needs to remain an important part of our nation’s education system.
Read the article here.
What do you think?
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Dress Code Will Cover City Teachers, Staff
Posted on 13. Mar, 2009 by Admin.
by Steve Campbell (10/21/2008)
Should teachers be allowed to let down their hair and be casual once in a while, or must there always be a strict code of dress? Can teachers function effectively in their “sunday best” every day? Does a shirt and tie really make that big of a difference?
The answers are – no, yes, depends on the definition of “sunday best,” and YES.
Huntsville City Schools is a district considering such a code for teachers and staff:
“Students have a dress code that forbids overly baggy, tight, or revealing clothes, including outfits that depict drugs, alcohol or violence. Teachers have no dress code. Support employees, such as custodians, have uniforms but no other dress-related guidelines.”
It is the opinion of UEC that teachers can go casual before and after school hours. But in school, as role models for our children and youth, they should very much watch what they wear and what their clothes might suggest.
First and foremost, how can educators expect students to follow reasonable rules of dress when they are unwilling to do so themsleves?
There have been numerous studies demonstrating that innappropriate dress is an indicator of misbehavior. One leads to another. And that correlation probably doesn’t just lend itself to students. Educators are generally more professional and effective when they dress and act the part.
Too often, such reasonable policies are shot down by school administrators, district administrators, or union officials, because they are afraid of offending teachers. It is the position of UEC that schools and districts, such as Huntsville City Schools, are on the right track and clearly understand that education is all about doing what is right for students, which means setting a good example.
See full article here.
What do you think?
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“America”
Posted on 12. Mar, 2009 by Admin.
At this time of political decision, it is important to reflect on what our country stands for – otherwise the education and future of our children will most certainly suffer.
America means everything to me. It represents freedom throughout the world. It provides opportunity to all within its borders.
The United States of America emerged as a direct result of the many struggles and great wisdom of our ancestors. We owe much to them and seek to perpetuate their sacrifices for our children.
I love the diversity of America. There are few places in the world that enjoy so much variation of beauty. There are even fewer places where such a variety of peoples and cultures are integrated into one society. America is special and unique. People love to come here, because America inspires the best in people.
America is home. It represents apple pie, baseball, and sunday school. America inspires greatness at every turn. Anyone and everyone can be successful in America. All that is required is desire and hard work.
America stands tall and will continue to be a light to the world as we, its people, remember the core foundations upon which is was established: individual worth and potential, faith, unity, liberty, and justice.
What are your feelings?
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New Logo
Posted on 10. Mar, 2009 by Admin.
Check out the new UEC logo!
Our tagline is “Upward and Onward in Education,” and our mission and many efforts clearly strive to fulfill this goal.
We welcome any comments you have about the new logo. There are a few icons that represent our scope and purpose; some are subtle, but all have meaning:
- A graduation cap atop the arm of the U to indicate upward momentum and rising to the top of education.
- An arrow on the E is forward movement indicating progress onward. With innovative ideas, UEC provides tools for schools and organizations to help children progress and succeed in school.
- The state of Utah is represented in the U accompanied by a mountain range indicative of the Wasatch mountains.
We would love to hear your comments and suggestions.