CFK Weekly September 5
Bringing you the most up-to-date and relevant news, research and policy developments affecting children, youth and families.September 5, 2007
In This Issue
Resources on Immigrant Families
That I DO Recall -- and Recall, and Recall Again
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Editor's NoteCongress is back and their to-do list is large. For starters, there's the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Head Start, and the Higher Education Act -- to name just a few. Last week, the House released a preliminary NCLB proposal, and organizations are beginning to weigh in on it. There's also plenty to do at the state and local levels as cities continue to address graduation rates and kids across the country head back to school. To support efforts in your area, check out the training tools in the Reconnecting Youth and Immigrant Families sections, and get the line on cold, hard cash in the Ideas for Funding section, below. Also: if the spate of toy and product recalls make you weary, see the Consumer's Union letter to Congress.
Keep working for kids everyone!Caitlin Johnsonweekly@connectforkids.org
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Reconnecting Youth
Preparing Staff to Involve Youth and FamiliesThe National Collaboration for Youth and National Youth Development Learning Network offer free training activities for preparing frontline youth workers in three key competency areas:
Support for Cities to Host Graduation/Dropout Prevention SummitsAmerica's Promise Alliance is requesting proposals for 10 grants of up to $10,000 to help communities plan and host high school dropout summits. For more information, contact Chrystal Morris at chrystalm@americaspromise.org. RFP deadline: September 14. The National League of Cities' Youth, Education & Families Institute has considerable experience assisting and advising cities in conducting dropout summits and can provide sample agendas upon request. Contact Carlos Becerra at becerra@nlc.org.Also: check out the YouthPower grants in the Funding section below!
Health and Health CareCongress Returns, with SCHIP on the DocketThe State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) -- which covers some 6 million kids whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and not enough for private insurance -- expires on September 30. As we reported in August CFK Weeklies, the House and Senate have passed their reauthorization bills, which President Bush has pledged to veto, saying they go too far toward federalizing health care. Now that Congress is back, will they finalize a bill to send to the president, and work out differences in express lane enrollment and eligibility for children of legal immigrants? Check out:
- A statement and summaries of the bills, from the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University.
- The basics on SCHIP and other bills before Congress, from the National PTA newsletter, This Week in Washington.
- A round-up of bills, including SCHIP, on Congress' to-do list, from the Child Welfare League of America's latest Children's Monitor Online.
- A round-up of SCHIP editorials and opinion pieces from around the country, from the Kaiser Network.
Effective State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) PolicyIn a policy forum hosted by the Promising Practices Network and Kansas Action for Children, top experts from around the country shared research and practice knowledge related to federal and state SCHIP policy. Video of the event is available online.Growing Number of Children, Teenagers Becoming Caregivers to Ill, Elderly RelativesAs many as 1.4 million young people ages eight to 18 in the U.S. care for a chronically ill or disabled relative. The Kaiser Network has a round-up of the data and an excellent August 25 Washington Post article, "When a Kid Becomes the Caregiver."
Improving Education
House Committee Releases NCLB StatementOn August 27, members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor released a preliminary proposal to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The "staff discussion draft" on Title I is based on feedback from Congressional hearings and from education organizations and concerned citizens. There is also a two-page summary online. You can weigh in by sending comments to ESEA.Comments@mail.house.gov.New Poll Shows Support for Overhauling NCLBThe public increasingly supports overhauling the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), according to a recent national Gallup/Phi Delta Kappa poll by the Forum on Educational Accountability. More than half of public school parents polled said the law limits what students learn with "too much emphasis" on standardized tests. More than 80 percent of respondents support providing "more instructional time and other help for low-performing students" and better professional development for teachers.Agendas for the Education and ESEA/NCLB ReauthorizationIt's one thing to demand improvements, another to offer specific recommendations as Congress begins to tackle ESEA/NCLB. Here's what the two major teachers' unions propose:
- NEA's Positive Agenda for Reauthorization. The National Education Association (NEA) spells out specific recommendations for improvement -- including reducing class sizes, using more than test scores to measure learning and increasing the number of highly qualified teachers.
- AFT's Education Agenda To Reach All Children. The American Federation of Teachers' (AFT) agenda covers teacher quality, safe schools, early learning and more.
Specific School Features Linked to Elementary Achievement ScoresAccording to a new research brief from Child Trends, three elements of elementary school environments (strong principal leadership, high academic standards and frequent teacher meetings to plan instruction) are associated with higher third grade math and reading scores. Schools with a fourth element (low teacher turnover) generally have better-behaved children. The brief finds notable economic and racial disparities in these elements.
Back to School Tools
PTA Back to School KitFor parent-teacher groups, the National PTA offers a toolkit to help make the most of back-to-school time and to start the year off right. If your group hasn't received it, visit the Website. Parents, check out the tips on getting involved with your child's education, safety and health.Easing Daughters' Back-to-School TransitionThe start of the new school year can be a nerve-wracking time for daughters; Dads & Daughters has 10 simple tips to smooth the way.
Resources on Immigrant Families
Children in Immigrant Families: A California Data BriefSome 51 percent of California's child population are children of immigrants. This report from Children Now examines the characteristics of these children, including language spoken at home, income, health status and academic achievement. Among the findings: 85 percent of children from immigrant families in California are U.S. citizens, and three-quarters of them are bilingual. About half of children in immigrant families in California are in low-income households.Preparing Staff to Work with Immigrant YouthAccording to the last Census, one in five children in this country today is an immigrant or the child of an immigrant, and the number is rising. This guide from the National Collaboration for Youth offers the context of the immigrant youth experience and practical tips for hiring, developing and retaining staff to work with this population.
Ideas for FundingGeneral Mills "My Hometown Helper" AwardsGeneral Mills is offering up to $15,000 for innovative neighborhood projects. Requests must be sponsored by a municipal or civic organization or public school. Submit a 250-word or less essay about how your project helps improve the community. Deadline: September 30.Youth Power Grants: Service Learning and Foster CareThe Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Youth Service America are offering grants of up to $1,000 to support youth-led service projects by youth in foster care (ages 5-18) and youth who have recently transitioned out of foster care (ages 19-25). Deadline: October 1.
Magna School District Leadership AwardsAmerican School Board Journal is accepting online nominations for the 2008 Magna Awards in cooperation with Sodexho School Services. Winners receive national recognition in a special supplement to ASBJ and are honored at the National School Boards Association's annual conference. For more information, call (703) 838-6739. Deadline: October 1.Grants for Community, Health and Education ProjectsThe RGK Foundation is offering grants up to $25,000 for community, education and health projects including youth development, community improvement, abuse prevention and educational enrichment programs. Deadline: open.
That I do Recall... and Recall, and Recall Again
Don't Lick Elmo: Campaign to Curb RecallsLead painted toys, contact lens cleanser that causes eye problems -- what's with all these recalls, and what's a concerned citizen to do? Today, Mattel announced its third product recall in a month. The Consumers Union has a series of cartoon messages to ask Congress to intervene, arguing that "underfunded, overworked inspection agencies can't solve the problem" alone.
Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus FerberConnect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment
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