http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-666594.mp3
Albany, NY – DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY
NATIONAL URBAN ALLIANCE, Pt. 2 of 2 -
The first day this program airs coincides with the annual Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day in the U.S. It's one of just four federal holidays
to commemorate an individual. 2008 also marks the 40th anniversary
of Dr. King's assassination.
Millions of Americans across the country will honor his legacy by taking
part in a wide range of service projects including painting schools and
community centers and recruiting mentors for needy youth. Indeed,
MLK Day colleagues include the American Association of State Colleges
and Universities, First Book, and Mentor - the National Mentoring Partnership.
In operation for nearly two decades, the National Urban Alliance for Effective Teaching has its own mentor network called Education As A Civil Right.
NUA is partnering with several school systems throughout the country -
most recently St. Louis, Albany, and Birmingham.
Last week, we reported how the National Urban Alliance manages
assessments and determines fees. This week, we have several inner
city success stories, plus reactions NUA gets from teachers and unions
when invited in from outside the community.
Glenn Busby reports. (8:40)
**(Attention Program Directors and Listeners. To find out more about
the work of the National Urban Alliance in the above story, go to their
website: www.nuatc.org )**
EDUCATION HEADLINES AND UPDATES -
* The U.S. presidential campaign is dominating much of the news.
Advocates would like to see action on education budgets, student aid,
and other bills before they get lost in all the election furor. In fact, the
2009 education budget is due to be introduced next month.
* Also, questions of how much public aid for education illegal immigrants
should receive has ignited fierce debate in the presidential campaign.
* In other news, tiered teacher licensing systems are spreading to more
states in an effort to try and improve teacher quality. Michigan is the
latest state where teachers would progress from level to level based
on performance assessment, not the more standard additional
courses and workshops.
* And one quick update. Student lender, Sallie Mae, is selling 2.5 billion
dollars in stock and using the proceeds to settle contracts. A landmark
student loan law that took effect last October cut billions of dollars in
federal subsidies for student lenders like Sallie Mae, which lost 344
million dollars in one quarter.
Glenn Busby reports. (1:15)
GOOD SCHOOLS IN POOR NEIGHBORHOODS: DEFYING DEMOGRAPHICS, ACHIEVING SUCCESS , Pt. 2 of 2 -
The minority - white achievement gap has been the focus of attention in
the U.S. for decades. While there is evidence that the black - white score
gap is narrowing, racial disparities in many areas remain.
Good Schools in Poor Neighborhoods was just published after three
years of intense on-location research. The study contrasts highly effective schools serving urban, low income, minority youth ...with their struggling counterparts. The two very different schools highlighted include one
serving predominately African-American students in a large Northeastern city...with one serving Latino students in a Southwestern urban area.
Good Schools was co-written by Beatriz Chu Clewell, and our next
guest, Dr. Patricia Campbell. Dr. Campbell is President of Campbell-Kibler Associates. A former university professor, she's been doing educational research and evaluation for more than 30 years. Her studies focus on
issues of race, gender, and disability.
Glenn Busby reports. (8:09)
**(Attention Program Directors and Listeners. The websites mentioned
at the conclusion of the above story are: www.urban.org and
www.campbell-kibler.com )**