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June 19, 2012 | The Farm Bill: Five Things You Need to Know to Act Today
The Senate is voting on amendments to the Farm Bill today -- so speak up now! Family and youth advocates are urging Congress to support anti-hunger programs and vote against any amendments that threaten the safety net for families, including those with immigrant children.
Last week, many advocates took a moment to celebrate upon hearing the Obama Administration's announcement to allow work permits for undocumented immigrants ages 16-30 who were brought to the United States as children and have since led law-abiding lives. This decision offers a reprieve for those trying to pursue more education or a career. Next up: Can Congress match this by passing the DREAM Act?
Back in 2006, Malcolm Gladwell wrote an important essay about addressing social problems that don't fit the typical "bell curve" distribution. When problems cluster at one end of the data curve -- his example was high-maintenance, long-term homeless men -- solutions that focus on the problem population are more effective than broad-based, less intensive interventions.
But is it fair to focus resources and dollars on such small populations? A new report finds that the problems of teen pregnancy and dropping out of high school are clustered in just 25 schools across the country. Could we turn these schools around if we concentrated our efforts there? Would other schools cry "foul, not fair"?
This leads us to the idea of a place-based strategy -- like Promise Neighborhoods -- of concentrating resources to address the biggest challenges. This week's education round-up has several perspectives on the new district-based strategy for next year's Race to the Top dollars.
Now that the primaries are completed, we are officially in the 2012 general election season. Every Child Matters reminds us that, like it or not, kids have a big stake in who gets elected -- and we shouldn't let local, state and national candidates ignore their issues.
Be on the lookout next week for First Focus' latest Children's Budget, which documents the trends and data on how children and youth are faring in the constant competition for public resources.
Onward,
Jan
We heart feedback! Email jan@sparkaction.org.
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It's here!! A new & improved platform & profiles of all the #SparkOpportunity Challenge Winners! bit.ly/J7G6a9
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| Quote of the Week  
"What would be the reaction if we discovered that improved learning had more to do with a correlation between gas prices, predatory lending, food deserts, available nurses, obesity, and the minimum wage than it does with teachers unions?"
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| Widening Opportunities for Youth
On Friday, June 15, President Obama announced that his administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to undocumented immigrants ages 16-30 who were brought to the United States as children and have since led law-abiding lives. That means 800,000 young people can come out of the shadows and pursue their dreams of higher education, training or career advancement.
Connecting Youth and BusinessRight now, more than half of all young adults are out of work -- the largest percentage since World War II. Local businesses can be part of the solution for local youth by offering job shadowing, mentoring, "learn and earn" and other programs. Opportunity Nation and partners offer tips to help employers get started.
Opportunity Nation has an interactive map that rates opportunities for youth at the state or community level.  Forget Starbucks! The Center for an Urban Future reports on more than two dozen growing occupations in New York that pay decent salaries and are accessible to young adults with limited levels of educational attainment.
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| Washington, DC
Farm Bill Amendments Threaten Anti-Hunger Programs -- Act Today!
The Senate is working on the Farm Bill, which funds critical hunger relief programs for America's vulnerable children and families. Family and youth advocates are urging Senators to vote for the Gillibrand (D-NY) amendment, which would restore $4.5 billion for SNAP and invest $500 million in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack program, and against any amendments that would threaten anti-hunger programs for millions of vulnerable children and families. SparkAction offers the five things you need to know to act today. Today's Coalition on Human Needs report provides background.
Homeland Insecurity: Doing Better for Our Children
Every Child Matters Educational Fund argues that the development of human capital is central to U.S. global competitiveness and increased productivity. We also have a moral imperative to ensure care for an aging population and ensure that each generation leaves the world a better place for the one that follows. That's why this is election is, and should be, about doing better for our children now.
EPA Proposes Tighter Limits on Soot Pollution
Earthjustice reports that on June 15 the EPA proposed tighter limits on soot pollution, a mixture of solid and liquid particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, causing asthma and heart attacks and tens of thousands of avoidable deaths every year. Soot comes from coal-fired power plants, factories, diesel vehicles and other sources.
And remember the EPA's rule last December limiting mercury pollution to protect children's development? Moms Clean Air Force says the new rules are under attack by anti-environmental foes in Congress.
Pinterest: Is it Really Worth Your Time?
 This new social media platform has experienced explosive growth, giving it potential for reaching a wider audience in addition to Facebook and Twitter. Check out the demographics to see if Pinterest is right for your organization's outreach. |
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| Strengthening Families and Early Care 
A New Framework for Family Assets
Search Institute, one of the pioneers in identifying youth strengths and shortfalls, has introduced a new family assets framework that identifies family attributes associated with children's success.
Staffed Family Child Care Networks: A Strategy to Enhance Quality Care for Infants and Toddlers
Just as in other child care settings, quality in family child care centers (FCCs) is critical to healthy development for babies and toddlers, but most family care providers work in isolation without support or supervision. ZERO TO THREE explores the advantages of staffed FCC networks, which provide one-on-one assistance and professional development for providers, along with action steps and state policy recommendations.
Dynamics of Neighborhood Quality in Chicago
MDRC's analysis of quality of life changes -- foreclosures, crime, economic environment -- in a Chicago neighborhood tests a new way of looking at the data, focusing on how such factors are related across time, to identify trajectories for how and why a neighborhood deteriorates or improves. |
| Education -- A District by District, Student-Centered Approach
The next Race to the Top district level competition will award between $15 million and $25 million to as many as 20 school districts across the country. This New America Foundation podcast explores the potential strengths and pitfalls of offering money at a district level and identifies districts that might serve as models for applying for these funds.
With its intensive experience in technical support for Ready by 21 local partnerships, the Forum for Youth Investment has submitted specific recommendations for strengthening Race to the Top's new district-level federal education grant process. These include monitoring chronic absence and being more inclusive of nonprofits and established collaborations in the application process.
Teen Pregnancy & High School Dropout
While teen pregnancy and dropping out of high school occur throughout the nation, 25 specific schools contribute to more than their share of the problem. This report from the Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and America's Promise Alliance underscores the clear link between teen pregnancy and dropping out of school and highlights what a number of communities are doing to directly confront these issues, reinforcing the importance of focusing on those school districts where the dropout problem is the greatest.
Granting federal Race to the Top funding to specific school districts is a new step in the realm of offering place-based funding, like Promise Neighborhoods. Early Ed Watch reviews what we know so far about place-based funding strategies.
Preparing all students to succeed in today's increasingly complex world requires a shift from a teacher-centric culture to learner-centered instruction that recognizes students' individual learning needs, according to a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education.
Up to 7.5 million students miss a month or more of school each year -- and these students are not likely to graduate. Find out what schools, parents and city leaders can do to make sure kids don't miss too much school.
Coalition for a College and Career-Ready America
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Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber
SparkAction and the Forum for Youth Investment
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