In New York's Smaller Schools,
"Good Year and a Tough Year" (The New York Times, August 8) (free registration required)
The memoirs, written by ninth graders, were as flawed as they were
vivid, but for the sole English teacher at Peace and Diversity Academy,
one of 53 small high schools that opened last September, the end-of-year essays
were a triumph. "I have kids who were not writing a thing," she said. "They are now writing two-page essays."
New York City's experience is being watched by districts nationwide that are following its lead in creating small schools as an antidote to alarming high school dropout
rates.
http://nytimes.com/2005/08/08/education/08small.html
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Helping Teenage Girls Find
Their Writing "Voices" (The Christian Science Monitor, August 4)
Vanessa Cruz credits her newfound poise to Girls Write Now, a New York volunteer organization that meshes youth mentoring with creative writing.
Teens and women from diverse backgrounds
are paired up to provide the teen girls with one-on-one mentoring from
someone who shares the same passion as they do -- writing.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0804/p13s01-ussc.html
Third of Grads Not Ready for
College (Chicago Sun Times, August 5)
New research presented by the Illinois Education Research Council showed
more than one-third of Illinois graduates are not ready for college. Another 28 percent are only partially
ready. Yet 43 percent of the least ready students go to college, and 58 percent of minimally ready students do.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/education/cst-nws-educ05.html
Federally Funded Reading First
Called into Question (USA Today, August 7)
The U.S. Department of Education's internal watchdog has opened a preliminary investigation into possible mismanagement of President Bush's $1 billion reading program amid complaints of conflict of interest.
Sen. Richard Lugar, a Reading First supporter, wrote to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings in June with "considerable concern" about the program, which a few opponents say pressures schools to adopt unproven, textbook-based reading programs.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-08-07-reading-first_x.htm
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Submit Resolutions on Issues of
Concern to You and Your Colleagues
If you have concerns about issues that affect your teaching, or positions you would like to support, and you think NCTE should take a stand, you have an opportunity to be heard! Propose a resolution that may be voted upon and passed at NCTE's Annual Convention. If passed at the Annual Business Meeting for the Board of Directors and Other Members of the Council, proposed resolutions become part of the Council's position/philosophy on questions related to the teaching of English and can assist the Council in developing action programs.
For further details on submitting a resolution, or to see resolutions already passed by Council members, visit the NCTE Web site or
contact Lori Bianchini at NCTE Headquarters. Resolutions must be postmarked by October 15, 2005.
http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/107214.htm
Act Now to Participate in the
2005 CEL Annual Convention
The Conference on English Leadership's 2005 Annual Convention features the
theme, "Leading and Reading: What Teacher-Leaders Can Do." At the CEL
Convention you'll find many exciting guest speakers, fulfilling roundtable discussions, and information-packed sessions that can help with leading and reading. Plan to join hundreds of colleagues in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, November 20-22, 2005. For more information, including CEL registration rates, visit
http://www.ncte.org/groups/cel/featured/110317.htm
Nominate Your Program for the Certificate of Excellence
The Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) is pleased to announce a call for nominations for the CCCC Writing Program Certificate of Excellence, which honors up to 20 writing programs each year. This year's submission deadline is August 31, 2005. See
http://www.ncte.org/groups/cccc/highlights/117276.htm
Heard Any Doublespeak Lately?
NCTE is seeking nominations for this year's Doublespeak Award, which is given to a glaring example of deceptive language by a public spokesperson. The words must originate from an American.
The committee needs a one-page description of the context in which the statement occurred and a copy of the print media source in which the quote appeared (with date). In the case of broadcast media, list the program, time, place, and date.
Nominations are also sought for the Orwell Award, which honors an author, editor, or producer of a print or nonprint work that contributes to honesty and clarity in public language.
The nominations deadline is September 15. Eligible nominations are those appearing or published between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005. Send nominations to Margaret Chambers, NCTE, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096; fax: 217-328-0977;
journals@ncte.org.
Focus on Funding: Giving Voice
The Starbucks Foundation invites letters of inquiry from qualifying 501(c)3 organizations that work with underserved youth in the fields of literacy (reading, writing, and creative/media arts) and environmental literacy. For more information about this grant and others, visit
http://www.ncte.org/about/grants
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Some linked documents are provided in PDF
format and can be viewed using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader program. To
download a copy of Adobe Acrobat, click
here
Copyright 2005 National
Council of Teachers of English
NCTE, 1111 W. Kenyon Rd., Urbana, IL 61801-1096; Phone: 800-369-6283; E-mail:
inbox@ncte.org
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