What's Happening with the Chalkboard Project in 2008?
"The Chalkboard Project has a number of current initiatives helping
schools improve their success teaching children. These initiatives include
the following:
- Open Book$ Project: This online tool
gives you the facts about Oregon K-12 school spending in a simple, easy-to-understand
format. You can view your own district's spending, compare districts
and see statewide averages.
- CLASS Project: In spring 2007, Chalkboard
selected three Oregon school districts (Forest Grove, Sherwood and Tillamook)
to participate in this pilot project.
- Running Start: A two-part toolkit and
trainings aimed at improving student achievement among Oregon's most
at-risk youth by increasing family involvement in schools.
- Partnering with individual districts, local businesses and parent
groups to expand parent and community involvement
in schools.
- Employer-Classroom Connection Challenge:
Challenging employers to commit to helping their employees get involved
in Oregon's schools.
- Creating and sharing “best practices”
for school district business operations. Chalkboard is partnering with
the Oregon Association of School Business Officials to review business
practices in five volunteer school districts during the 2007-08 school
year. Findings will be used to develop a set of “best practices” in
everything from purchasing supplies and services to processing payroll.
- Researching professional development in
several Oregon districts. Chalkboard has reviewed professional development
practices in several Oregon school districts to share great methods
as well as identify professional development support needs.
For more information about The Chalkboard Project go to their web site
at http://www.chalkboardproject.org/about-us.php.
Pictures of children in the Outback -
source BBC*
THERE AND ABOUT: Australia finally says sorry for breaking Aborigine
families
Story by CHEGE MBITIRU at Nation Media
Publication Date: 2/18/2008
Australia last week gave meaning to a concept politicians avoid: nations
have historical responsibility and can say sorry. That’s thanks to Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd. Earlier, Queen Elizabeth, inheritor of an empire
that colonised Australia and now its head of state and former Prime Minister
John Howard missed an excellent opportunity. The issue of the Stolen Generation
played big. However, implicit in Mr Rudd’s bipartisan “sorry motion” last
Wednesday was an apology for the wrongs white Australia has inflicted
on Aborigines and Torres Straight Islanders.
For more on this story you should turn to Nation Media.
* Toomelah Armed with drinks bottles against the near 40C
heat of the outback, kindergarten students step out across the hot asphalt
to their homes for lunch hour. Only families and their descendants who
lived in Toomelah when it was founded in 1938 are allowed to stay here.
The population has decreased from 500 in 1987 to around 350 today. But
there are still only 35 houses for 350 people – a few new house frames
dot the small town, but it's very cosy.
See BBC web site for more pictures.
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Public School Children in a
small school in southern India in the Backwaters of Kerala.
March 2007
Oregon Public School
Enrollment Increases during 2007-2008
February 6, 2008
Report from the Susan Castillo, State Superintendent of
Public Instruction
SALEM – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced
today that the total number of Oregon elementary and secondary students
enrolled in public schools continues to increase steadily. According to
counts reported by school districts, Oregon has 566,067 public school
students – an increase of 3,239 since last year (+0.6%). Oregon’s public
school enrollment has increased nine times during the last ten years.
Growth was uneven across the state, with the largest enrollment increases
in the Portland metro suburbs, Salem and central Oregon. Reflecting the
change in Oregon’s demographics during the past few years, minority student
enrollment continued to increase, while white student enrollment decreased.
Hispanic students accounted for the largest increase in student population,
growing 5.3% over last year. “Today’s report highlights the need for Oregon
to continue to invest in our educators,” Castillo said. “Increased enrollment
and growing diversity in our student population make it more important
than ever that we provide our teachers and administrators with the support
they need to help all students succeed. We must invest in professional
development at all levels, and we need to work closely with colleges and
universities to ensure that new teachers and school leaders are well prepared.”
2007-08 Enrollment, State’s Ten
Largest Districts & Percent Change From Last Year:
1. Portland 46,262 (-0.2%)
2. Salem-Keizer 40,106 (+1.3%)
3. Beaverton 37,821 (+0.3%)
4. Hillsboro 20,401 (+1.6 %)
5. Eugene 18,025 (-1.6 %)
6. Bend-LaPine 15,843 (+3.4%)
7. North Clackamas 17,651 (+1.2%)
8. Tigard-Tualatin 12,763 (+1.8%)
9. Medford 12,391 (-0.6%)
10. Gresham-Barlow 12,215 (+1.3%)
2007-08 Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity:
White (391,393) -4,709 change from 2006-07
Hispanic (95,172) +4,809
Asian (26,486) +639
African American (16,807) -4
Multi-Ethnic (13,220) +2,776
American Indian/Alaska Native (11,942) -52
Not Reported (11,047) -220
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