[ProgressiveEd] Re: ProgressiveEd digest, Vol 1 #18 - 2 msgs

Fri, 14 Feb 2003 12:18:59 -0500

I strongly recommend that you tell the progressive schools groups that when sending proposals/suggestions to the new Regional Heads, that copies of these proposals/suggestions are ALWAYS sent to Deputy Mayor Walcott, Chancellor Klein, Mayor Bloomberg.  For Mayor and Deputy Mayor send to:
Office of the Mayor
City of New York
City Hall
New York, NY  10007
Chancellor Klein-
get his address at Dept of Educ.
Progressive Schools should maintain a high profile among these top people and not get lost in just dealing with Regional Heads, some of whom may be difficult to work with and who may need pressure from top City Hall people to work with the progressive schools.  
Proposals should also state if any progressive schools are already using books in classroom, phonics  (any phonics at all), and any constructivist math (similar to Everyday Math).  Point out that you are already teaching in a way similar to what's included in the new curriculum in the new system. 
Sabina Ellentuck
Muscota School parent  
>>> [email protected] 02/14/03 12:00PM >>>
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Today's Topics:
   1. Proposed Agenda for Wednesday, February 26 ([email protected])
   2. Some ideas ([email protected])
--__--__--
Message: 1
From: [email protected] 
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 15:36:15 EST
To: [email protected] 
Subject: [ProgressiveEd] Proposed Agenda for Wednesday, February 26
PROPOSED AGENDA FOR PENNY MEETING - 2/26/03
(We're sending this out for your to think about and propose changes before 
the meeting.)
1.  Registration/sign-in - Ann to make sure each participant gets a copy of 
the draft mission statement and is assigned to a "region"
2.  Intro/welcoming remarks  (Bruce)
3.  Recap and interim reports  (Steven)
4.  Purpose of this meeting:  (Bruce)
We have four basic tasks at this point:
a.  develop a cohesive platform, a statement of our purpose/mission
b.  develop appropriate strategies to further our mission
c.  define our natural constituencies (parents, educators, professors of 
education, etc)
d.  identify and connect with potential allies
The purpose of this meeting will be to work on the first and second tasks 
sequentially and to come away from this meeting with an articulated sense 
of who we are and what our mission is, and to develop some strategies.
5.  Ground rules for this meeting  (Jane)
-try not to use jargon, initials, or assume that the group knows who 
specific folks are
-we are going to try very hard to limit folks to two minutes each time they 
speak
-please try not to repeat statements that have already been made
-Jane will be the time-keeper and jargon-zapper
6.  Developing a cohesive statement of purpose/ mission statement
-want to do this work in small groups and give schools a chance to work 
together, so we will divide up - for the purposes of this meeting - into 
smaller groups by the newly defined DOE "regions"
-each group is asked to do the following:
*appoint someone to be the "report-back" person for the group
*read the draft document and respond to it:  does it work for you, your 
school?  As a group, make appropriate changes, edits, additions, etc.
*discuss what it would mean to have networks organized within each new 
region, or, as a whole (ie a city-wide "district/region" which would 
contain all the progressive schools).  What are the pros and cons of these 
two models, what would work for your schools?  Are there activities you 
could do now to promote the idea of a network of either model?
7.  Report back - each "region" reports back.  Chair makes note of points of 
agreement and of difference and summarizes.  Edited versions of mission 
statement given to Bruce for final re-write.
8.  Discussion about strategies
-present proposals:
    -getting a meeting with Klein/Lam/others
-planning a city-wide demonstration of parents and teachers of progressive 
schools
        -general group discussion
9.  Conclusion/summary/next steps
--__--__--
Message: 2
From: [email protected] 
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:02:36 EST
To: [email protected] 
Subject: [ProgressiveEd] Some ideas
Dear folks,
Here are some thoughts Peter Steinberg sent me in response to a draft of 
profiles of our schools.  We've got to keep looking at next steps, and some 
of those steps need to be done immediately.  Bruce Kanze
It is important right now that regional groups of schools gather these 
"profiles" for themselves and present them to the regional superintendents 
and the "sub-superintendents" as soon as they are named.  That is 
particularly important in those cases in which these folks have little 
knowledge of our schools.  They should also be invited to visit as soon as 
possible.  I expect that the "sub-superintendents" will be named within the 
next couple of weeks and many regional superintendents already have 
determined who most of these people will be.  To the extent that is possible, 
there have to be greater efforts to use whatever contacts and ideas we have 
to influence the choice of these "sub-superintendents," and time is 
definitely running out.
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