Back to School

We’ve been on a mission to find young people who are making education a priority in their lives. During our Get MotivatED Challenge, we met Antonio, one member of the Juggurnauts, a jerkin crew based out of Chicago. The Juggurnauts have inspired us and taught us a lesson. What is that lesson? Find your passion and follow it with all your heart.

When the Juggurnauts started jerkin, they discovered a fire inside themselves. They started practicing every day and are determined to truly perfect their craft. Despite the fact that the jerkin movement is not as popular as it once was, the Juggurnauts still proudly perform for their audience.

We’re not concerned with it being popular. We jerk because we love it and there is really no other thing we would rather be doing. We get together every Friday to make a video because we love it. It also keeps us focused and preoccupied, so we won’t do drugs or participate in illegal things.

Their love for the dance has also made school a priority in their lives. All 8 members, Antonio, Miles, Tucker, Michael, Stanley, Marvin, Robert, and Brandon V. are enrolled in school and working their way towards graduation. As Antonio put it,

Being a member of the Juggurnauts encourages us academically because we know that if we get bad grades we have to stop jerking to focus on school even more. Since we love to jerk, we strive to do our best in school so we can all meet up and make a jerking video. Making video is also something thing that helps us gain friends and boost our confidence… The things jerking have done and will do for The Juggurnauts is endless.

The Juggurnauts want you to find your passion. What is it that you want to do? Do you want to study medicine? Be a performer? Build someone with your own hands? Whatever it is that you want to do, seek it out! Learn about it. And as Antonio put it, “don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do it.”

by Ruth Nelson

The Brainerd School District, located in central Minnesota, is a rural district with a high percentage of Title One students. When additional federal funding became available through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds , Marlee Larson, Principal of the Alternative Learning Center, was confident she could use these funds to help her students succeed and graduate. She knows these students often come from disadvantaged and troubled backgrounds, have a high risk of dropping out, and need additional support to succeed in school. She already had one school counselor meeting one-on-one with some of her 280 students, but he couldn’t reach all of the kids that needed help. Utilizing some of the district’s ARRA funds, Larson was able to hire another counselor, Gary Gunderson, Ed.D.

President Barack Obama’s goals for transforming education support Larson’s plans. In an education speech this month President Obama said, Of course, getting it right requires . . . giving students who are behind in school a chance to catch up and a path to a diploma.  It requires focusing on students, from middle school through high school, who face factors at home, in the neighborhood, or in school that put them at risk of dropping out . . . So thats why well build on the efforts of places like Communities in Schools that make sure kids who are at risk of dropping out have one-on-one support. Thats why well follow the example of places like the Met Center in Rhode Island that give students that individual attention . . . Its also why well foster better alternative high schools and transfer schools, where students who have dropped out and who are at risk of dropping out, can return to the classroom and earn their diploma.

Larson assigned Dr. Gunderson to meet individually each week with 34 of her high risk students to help provide the extra support they need to succeed in life and to graduate high school. Gunderson is booked solid on Tuesdays and Thursdays to meet with these students. He often brings his certified therapy dog, Kaiser, to help break down the emotional barriers these students bring with them. Many of these students come from difficult backgrounds and have dealt with domestic violence, chemical dependence, grief and loss issues and severe depression. Students’ time with Gunderson count as a health and wellness credit, necessary for graduation in Minnesota, so even students who are not readily interested in accepting one-on-one help have an incentive to meet with Gunderson.

Dr. Gunderson said, Schools are changing, the line between what is an educational issue and what is an emotional issue is being blurred. We need to continue to find more ways to support the emotional needs of our students. When I can help them deal effectively with their struggles outside of the classroom, then I see great success in their academic lives. And this is what it is all about, helping kids succeed both in school and in life.

Brainerd’s Alternative Learning Center is focused on helping at risk and struggling students thrive in the classroom. And with the help of some additional ARRA funds, Principal Marlee Larson and Dr. Gary Gunderson, this job just became a little bit easier.

A little over two years ago, I became fascinated with a different approach to presenting multiplication.

Let’s multiply 21 x 13. Most people here would probably do this:

There are other ways to teach multiplication. Why not use lines?

I’m come across a video by Vi Hart, a mathemuscian, who went further to explain this great method of multiplying, its similarity to our traditional method, and exactly what multiplication means (something I think many people never know). Enjoy her excellent video!

iTunes U and MIT OpenCourseware helped fuel the movement. My favorite to date is Khan Academy. Seems like everyday there is a new online resource freely available. Today, I learned about LearningSpace’s OpenLearn site.

The OpenLearn website gives free access to Open University course materials. This is the LearningSpace, where you’ll find hundreds of free study units, each with a discussion forum. Study independently at your own pace or join a group and use the free learning tools to work with others.

Keep your mind fresh. Learn something today and teach it to your child tomorrow.

Los Angeles Unified School District has just announced an agreement with United Teachers Los Angeles. Details from the district’s press release are below. UTLA statement after the jump.

LAUSD AND UTLA REACH TENTATIVE JOBS AND SERVICES RESTORATION AGREEMENT Los Angeles – LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy announced today the District has reached a tentative contract agreement in partnership and collaboration with United Teachers Los Angeles for 2011-12 to save jobs. The agreement calls for the union’s membership to take four furlough days, or fewer, in 2011-12 if the State’s budget picture improves. 
“I want to thank UTLA for working with us to provide a solution for next year that brings stability – and the majority of our employees – back to the classroom,” said Deasy. “I’m very pleased to be able to retain the current class sizes, and positions and programs such as magnet coordinators, School Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP), Options program, arts programs, Library Media Teachers, and adult education at the 2010-11 level.” 
Under this agreement for 2011-12, 3,402 positions will be restored, including 1,722 elementary and secondary teaching jobs as well as 1,680 positions, including adult educators, arts educators, counselors, Library Media Teachers, nurses, options teachers, ROC-ROP instructors, SRLDP teachers, and magnet school positions. An additional 1,700 classroom and non-classroom (counselors, school psychologists, PSA counselors, and psychiatric social workers) positions are anticipated to be created or saved as a result of local school budget decisions and retirements. 
 Deasy cautioned that the success of the agreement is contingent upon Governor Brown’s proposed budget being approved by the Legislature. He noted that the District and its various bargaining partners are “relying on maximum trust” that Sacramento will support the Governor’s proposal for education funding. 
 ”Should the actual, approved state budget and revenue limit come in above our proposed budget,” said Deasy, “we will be in a position to incrementally reduce the number of furlough days for all our bargaining partners. However, these education revenues must be fully-funded, not deferred and without restrictions.” 
 The Superintendent added that should the revenue limit come in below the proposed level, UTLA’s members will be required to take up to six furlough days to mitigate the impact of the loss of revenue. “If there is huge decline in revenues,” said Deasy, “the District and all of its bargaining partners will be compelled to reopen negotiations.” 
 ”While this agreement does not restore all the cuts — because our schools are still drastically under-funded — it goes a long way toward providing the resources and personnel for our students to succeed,” said Deasy. “In the meantime, all those who care about public education in this state must continue to apply pressure on Sacramento to fund education above the current pathetic, sub-standard levels.” 
 As a result of the Governor’s May Revise budget released on May 16 and authorization from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, LAUSD will apply $154 million of a 2010-11 State IOU cash deferral to address the District’s $408 million deficit and Feb. 15 package of budget reductions for 2011-12. This, along with furlough day agreements from UTLA and five other unions for 2011-12, will help stabilize LAUSD’s classrooms and services for the upcoming school year only. 
 The announcement of the tentative agreement with UTLA means that only the Teamsters and California School Employee Association unions have not yet reached an agreement with the District for 2011-12. 
 ”I would like to thank our Board for its clear direction and unwavering support to further enhance the educational program for our students,” Deasy said. UTLA and LAUSD reach tentative agreement to stop class‐size increases & save jobs

May 27, 2011 ‐ UTLA reached a tentative agreement today with LAUSD that would maintain class sizes and potentially result in the restoration of more than 5,000 jobs for the 2011‐12 school year.  The agreement would also include fewer lost instructional days than in the past 2 years.  LAUSD withdrew its original proposal to take a loan from the multi‐union Health Benefit Fund Reserve.  The deal has to be approved by UTLA members and the Board of Education. Key points include:

 Class size maintained at current levels
UTLA successfully preserved current class sizes and counselor norms, thus stabilizing our schools and the learning environment for our students. As a result, staffing will be restored to 2010‐11 levels. The District had
planned to increase class size to 29‐1 for K‐3 as well as increases in other grade levels.  

 3,400‐plus jobs saved
Under this agreement, 3,402 positions will be restored, including 1,722 elementary and secondary teaching jobs as well as 1,680 positions, including adult educators, arts educators, counselors, teacher librarians, nurses, options teachers, ROC‐ROP instructors, SLRDP teachers, and magnet school positions.  

 At least 1,700 additional jobs anticipated to be saved
An additional 1,700 classroom and non‐classroom (counselors, school psychologists, PSA counselors, and psychiatric social workers) positions are anticipated to be created/saved as a result of local budget decisions and retirements. Even more jobs will likely be saved as a result of the restoration of class size and student‐to‐adult ratios.

 Four furlough days in 2011‐12 if state revenue does not increase.
After review of all available data, UTLA agreed to four furlough days on the condition some or all would be removed by a formula if the District receives anticipated state revenues. In the unlikely event less funding is received, as many as two furlough days could be added to the four according to the same formula. Should the budget shortfall be greater than the amount of money saved by the additional two furlough days, LAUSD could reopen negotiations.  The four furlough days would consist of a reduction of three instructional days and one pupil‐free day. UTLA and the District will jointly determine the timing of the furlough days.  

“This agreement demonstrates that when UTLA and the District collaborate, problems can be solved to the benefit of our students,” said A.J. Duffy, UTLA president.