PEN Weekly NewsBlast for February 17, 2006

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Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast
"Public Involvement. Public Education. Public Benefit."

THE UNRAVELING OF NCLB: HOW NEGOTIATED CHANGES TRANSFORM THE LAW
President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind education policy has in
some cases benefited white middle-class children over blacks and other
minorities in poorer regions, according to a new study. Political
compromises forged between some states and the federal government have
allowed schools in some predominantly white districts to dodge penalties
faced by regions with larger ethnic minority populations, reports Jason
Szep in the Boston Globe. Bush's 2001 No Child Left Behind Act was meant
to introduce national standards to an education system where only
two-thirds of teenagers graduate from high school, a proportion that
slides to 50 percent for black Americans and Hispanics. But instead of
uniform standards, the policy has allowed various states to negotiate
treaties and bargains to reduce the number of schools and districts
identified as failing, said the study by Harvard University's Civil Rights
Project. In one example the study cites, states in rural Midwestern
regions were granted extensions to deadlines to meet requirements on
teacher qualifications that were unavailable to poorer rural regions with
greater numbers of black Americans and ethnic minorities in southeast and
southwest states. "The policy is essentially a product of negotiation, of
power and discretion, not law," said Professor Gary Orfield.
http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/news/pressreleases/nclb_unravel.php

SCHOOLS REMAIN SEGREGATED DESPITE CHARTER SCHOOLS & SCHOOL CHOICE POLICIES
Black and white students aren't attending school together any more than
they did 12 years ago, even with the addition of charter and school choice
policies, reports Christine MacDonald. The analysis indicates Michigan is
no closer to shedding its designation as having the most segregated
schools in the nation. Nearly 60 percent of the state's African-American
students are in predominantly black schools, a number that has stayed
relatively consistent since 1992, according to the report from Michigan
State University's Education Policy Center. At the same time, the number
of racially segregated school buildings has increased by almost 50 percent
to 431 schools statewide, primarily due to the opening of charters
schools. "You would think after 50 years we would see some progress," said
researcher David Plank. "In Michigan, there hasn't been any progress."
Parents are moving their students from racially segregated (traditionally
public) schools to racially segregated charters." Close to 75 percent of
black students in Michigan attend segregated schools, which would mean the
schools are more than 80 percent black, according to the report. Charters
and school-of-choice policies, first implemented in the mid-1990s, weren't
touted as a way to integrate schools, Plank said. But it was a potential
result, given parents were no longer restricted to districts where they
lived.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060215/SCHOOLS/602150338/1026

MEET MY TEACHERS: MOM & DAD
No longer the bailiwick of religious fundamentalists or neo-hippies
looking to go off the cultural grid, homeschooling is a growing trend
among the educated elite. More parents believe that even the best-endowed
schools are in an Old Economy death grip in which kids are learning
passively when they should be learning actively, especially if they want
an edge in the global knowledge economy. Homeschooling can untether
families from Zip codes and school districts, just as the Internet can
de-link kids from classrooms, piping economics tutorials from the Federal
Reserve, online tours of Florence's Uffizi Gallery, ornithology seminars
from Cornell University, and filmmaking classes from UCLA straight onto
laptops and handhelds. Also driving the trend is a new cottage industry of
private tutors, cyber communities, online curriculum providers, and
parental co-ops. One popular critique of conventional education likens it
to a mass-production institution that is failing to adapt. Schools,
critics say, are like old industrial assembly lines, churning out
conformists who could function well in rote factory jobs or rigid
corporate hierarchies but not in New Economy professions that demand
innovation and independent thinking. Homeschooling isn't universally
applauded as a solution, however. Some parents and educators worry that it
retards children's socialization. Others say it siphons much-needed
resources like per-pupil funding and the activism of the savviest parents.
Schooling in isolation could threaten civic cohesion and diversity of
thought, says Stanford University education professor Rob Reich. Reich
favors stricter homeschooling regulations to supplant the current
patchwork of state laws so that children can be assured of exposure to
more than just what their parents sanction.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_08/b3972108.htm

Homeschooled / nonschooled Stats
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Culdesac/homeschool.html

HOME SCHOOLING DATA NEEDS CLOSE LOOK
The neoconservatives managing the federal government have created for
public schools an anomaly of requiring testing while, at the same time,
encouraging parental autonomy through home schooling, vouchers, and
charter schools. If education really is a state function, as provided by
law, writes William Bainbridge, then careful attention needs to be
provided for a more rigorous evaluation of home schooling processes and
outcomes.
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Culdesac/homeschool.html


POOR SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL TAXES FORCES DISTRICT TO WEIGH MISSTEPS & REMEDIES
Troubled by poll results that showed meager school tax support even among
traditionally left-leaning Portland Public Schools voters, school leaders
said they must remake the district's image before they ask for more money.
Political experts, and city and school leaders say voter fatigue,
cost-of-living pressures and a misperception that Portland's public
schools are poorly managed have contributed to the tax opposition. The
district has no control over living costs and other outside pressures
facing voters, report Paige Parker and Anna Griffin. But officials say
they can try to convince voters that the district is doing a better job
now than in the past. They also must explain recent high-profile financial
gaffes and some of the state's highest per-student costs. Weak support for
tax increases came as a blow to leaders who are scrambling to come up with
funding to replace the three-year, $50 million Multnomah County income tax
that expired Dec. 31. The hole in the district's budget opens next school
year. In a December poll, a majority of voters said they held a negative
view of Portland Public Schools, believing that those in charge care about
students but waste money on administration.
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1139630111282320.xml?oregonian?lcfp&coll=7


FEW CHILDREN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NCLB TUTORING
Four years after President Bush signed the landmark No Child Left Behind
education law, vast numbers of students are not getting the tutoring that
the law offers as one of its hallmarks, reports Susan Saulny. In the
nation's largest school district, New York City, fewer than half of the
215,000 eligible students sought the free tutoring, according to figures
from the city's Department of Education for the school year that ended in
June 2005. Yet New York's participation rate is better than the national
average: across the country, roughly two million public school students
were eligible for free tutoring in the school year that ended in 2004,
according to the most recent data from the Department of Education, yet
only 226,000 -- or nearly 12 percent -- received help. City and state
education officials and tutoring company executives disagree on the
reasons for the low participation and cast blame on each other. But they
agree that the numbers show that states and school districts have not
smoothed out the difficulties that have plagued the tutoring -- known as
the supplemental educational services program -- from its start as a novel
experiment in educational entrepreneurship: largely private tutoring paid
for with federal money. Officials give multiple reasons for the problems:
that the program is allotted too little federal money, is poorly
advertised to parents, has too much complicated paperwork for signing up,
and that it has not fully penetrated the most difficult neighborhoods,
where there are high concentrations of poor, failing students.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/education/12tutor.html

BLACK HISTORY MONTH ALL YEAR LONG RESOURCES
In 1915, historian Carter G. Woodson proposed a "Negro History Week" to
honor the history and contributions of African Americans. Nine years
later, his dream became reality. Woodson chose the second week of February
to pay tribute to the birthdays of two Americans that dramatically
affected the lives of Blacks: Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick
Douglass (February 14). The weeklong observance officially became Black
History Month in 1976. The Educational CyberPlayGround offers a
selection of Black History Month All Year Long resources.
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Culdesac/bhm/bhm.html

SNOWSHOES ARE ALTERNATIVE IN WINTER GYM CLASSES
A growing number of schools in the Northeast are retooling their phys-ed
programs to add snowshoeing, an enticement to the video game generation to
get outside and make the most of the region's long, cold winters. The
Northeast is home to most of the nation's roughly 500 school snowshoe
programs, many of which sprang up over the past five years as childhood
obesity has become a concern. Here, winter can mean months of
fitness-quashing frigid temperatures and snow -- and endless hours in
front of the tube. But a loose coalition of educators, public health
officials, and snowshoe manufacturers hopes to change that with curricula
and grants to train and equip teachers and students to embrace this
seasonal fitness opportunity. Snowshoes certainly aren't the only winter
option, but for many schools they may be the most practical. Skis can cost
a fortune and require regular upkeep. Learning to ski can be tricky and
time-consuming -- tough to do when the typical gym class lasts 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, outfitting a class of 30 with snowshoes runs around $1,200.
Maintenance mostly is a matter of keeping them clean.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/02/13/snowshoe.physed.ap/index.html

25% OF SEATTLE TENTH-GRADERS GET HELD BACK NOTICE
Nearly one in four Seattle Public Schools sophomores is missing required
credits and has been reclassified as a freshman, potentially delaying
graduation. The move, effective this semester, was part of a package of
changes the district announced in October to help better prepare high
school students to pass the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and
graduate. Under district policy, high school students have to complete
five credits a year to advance to the next grade. A total of 827 students
who had been classified as sophomores this fall but had not earned enough
credits were notified last month that they would be reclassified as
freshmen. Although that's a significant number, it's far lower than the
district had expected, reports Jessica Blanchard. The district originally
calculated as many as 1,200 students -- more than one in every three
sophomores -- had not completed the required five credits and would be
held back. At some schools, the rate was far higher than one in four
students. At Rainier Beach and Cleveland high schools, for example, more
than 40 percent of the sophomores were reclassified as freshmen. And
nearly the entire sophomore population was reclassified at the Secondary
Bilingual Orientation Center, which primarily serves students who are
learning English as a second language. Students who were reclassified can
make up the credits through summer school, after-school, or Saturday
school programs and could catch up to their peers as soon as this fall.
Critics worry that this new policy will lead to large numbers of dropouts.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/259435_heldback14.html

Retention - Who Will benefit?
How long to children have a right to stay in school?
Resources and Advice For New Teachers
Standards
Retention And Social Promotion
RESEARCH AND IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY
Charles L. Thompson and Elizabeth K. Cunningham
North Carolina Education Research Council
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/newretention.html

PRESSURE TO CONFORM NOW CAN CAUSE HARM LATER
School districts, counties, and Iowa legislators have been drafting rules,
ordinances and legislation affecting youth. Some would limit teen driving,
Internet surfing and partying. Other proposals would shield young people
from racy movies or violent video games. In some schools, students have to
sit in assigned seats at lunch. In others, they are banned from carrying
water bottles or wearing backpacks over the noon hour by administrators
trying to promote safety or keep out alcohol. The trend has some parents
and academics concerned, reports Lisa Livermore and Tim Higgins. If youth
are pushed too much to conform, critics say, they will struggle with
critical thinking and creativity in adulthood.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060212/NEWS02/602120351/1004


LOW-INCOME STUDENTS MISS OUT ON FINANCIAL AID FOR COLLEGE
New information from the federal government suggests that an increasing
number of low- and moderate-income college students -- who likely would
qualify for financial assistance -- do not take advantage of financial aid
programs, despite a trend of increased applications for aid among the
general student population. Between 1999-2000 and 2003-04, the share of
all undergraduates who filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid,
or FAFSA, rose from 50 percent to 59 percent. That change, coupled with
increased enrollment, led to a 3 million student jump in the total number
of undergraduates filing a FAFSA (from 8.2 million in 1999-2000 to 11.1
million in 2003-04). During the same period, however, the number of low-
and moderate-income undergraduates who did not file a FAFSA, and therefore
may have missed the opportunity to receive federal, state, and
institutional aid to help pay for college, rose from 1.7 million to 1.8
million. These data suggest that a substantial and rising number of
students are missing out on needed assistance. More outreach is needed to
inform low- and moderate-income students about the availability of
financial aid and the application process.
http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CPA&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=1374


AMERICA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM NEEDS DRAMATIC CHANGE, AND THAT CHANGE MUST
START AT THE TOP
A new report argues that educators don't know how to educate the millions
of poor and immigrant children concentrated in big city schools. While
there are scattered examples of successful schools, districts haven't been
able to imitate or reproduce them. This is because school districts are
built for stability, not problem solving. Districts control inputs -- how
money is used, who is hired, how teachers work, how schools use their
students' time -- and assume that results will follow. But when results
don't follow, districts and schools can't experiment with new ideas or
move people and money from ineffective programs to ineffective ones. "We
can't expect to close the huge achievement gap between advantaged and
disadvantaged students unless we experiment with new ideas," says the
report's author, Paul T. Hill, "but the system creates stability for
adults at the expense of stagnation for kids." In a new report, Hill calls
for a radical change in the role of America's school boards who would now
operate districts using a portfolio model. Unlike the existing system the
proposed portfolio management system would put effective instruction
first. Boards would manage a diverse array of schools, some run by the
school district and others by independent organizations, each designed to
meet the different needs of students.
http://www.ppionline.org/documents/Portfolio_Districts021006.pdf

IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY
Everyone agrees that children deserve quality teachers. But what
constitutes a quality teacher? What kind of policies and practices can
improve teaching? How do we keep experienced educators in the classroom?
The winter edition of Rethinking Schools takes a hard look at how
communities, schools, teacher unions, social justice groups and other key
players are working to improve teacher quality, where they agree and where
they differ, and where we go from here. "Improving teacher quality is key
to building a better public school system," write the editors of
Rethinking Schools. "But it is not a matter of exhorting educators to do
more with less, securing more teacher-proof curricula, or making
test-driven threats. It's a matter of reform grounded in the classroom, of
respect for teaching as a profession, of a broader vision for social
justice, and of improved organizing and collaboration. To see the complete
special section on teacher quality, go to:
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/curriss.shtml

SCHOLAR FINDS GOLD IN SPECIAL BRAND OF URBAN HUMOR
Whether they've heard them on television or on a city playground, many
Americans are familiar with "your mama" jokes. "Your mama is so skinny she
could do the hula hoop in a Cheerio," goes one such playful gibe. Or,
"Your mama is so dumb she thinks a quarterback is a refund." For many
African-Americans, report Debra Viadero, such wordplay is a form of
"signifying" -- a way of talking that employs insults and colorful,
figurative language in the service of humor. To researcher Carol D. Lee,
though, "signifying" is more than a good playground joke. It's a bridge
that teachers can use to help disadvantaged black students decipher the
complex literary works they encounter in the classroom. To be adept at it,
one has to think quickly and understand how to use symbolism, irony,
innuendo, hyperbole, and other literary devices. Yet students who are
masters at signifying outside of school may struggle to recognize the same
techniques in the writings of William Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson. Ms.
Lee's idea was to bring the playground practice into the classroom so that
students could use it as a "scaffold" to help build their understanding of
mainstream texts. "It's realizing, for them, that responding to literature
is playful, and this is a game that they already know how to play and one
that they value," said Ms. Lee, an associate professor of learning
sciences and African-American studies at Northwestern University, in
Evanston, Ill.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/02/15/23signify.h25.html

SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT BUYOUTS: WHAT WENT WRONG?
Superintendents in two of the Twin Cities' largest school districts were
bought out and sent packing within two weeks of each other. Tens of
thousands of dollars were spent to get rid of them, reports Norman Draper.
One had been superintendent for a year and a half; the other, only seven
months. What went wrong? The outcome might have been unavoidable. Finding
a good superintendent is a complex process, often involving national
search firms that patch together profiles of what communities and boards
of education want and match them with the available talent. With different
people wanting different things, selecting just the right superintendent
is no slam dunk.
http://www.startribune.com/1592/story/237720.html

$250 TAX DEDUCTION FOR TEACHERS TO OFFSET CLASSROOM COSTS
Teaching takes a toll on many educators' pocketbooks as they routinely buy
supplies for their financially strapped schools. Now there's a tax break
for such academic dedication. Teachers and other educators can deduct up
to $250 that they spent last year to buy classroom supplies. Even better,
the deduction is claimed directly on Form 1040 or Form 1040A, meaning
there's no need to itemize to get the break. Rather, it's an adjustment to
your income, helping cut your tax bill by reducing your overall income.
The less income to tax, the lower the tax bill. True, the deduction amount
is relatively small, but more teachers should now be able to claim at
least a portion of their school-related expenditures. In the past, these
costs could be claimed only if they were included as miscellaneous
itemized deductions on Schedule A. Even then, the expenses were useless
unless they and all other allowable costs totaled at least 2 percent of
the filer's adjusted gross income. The deduction is not limited to
teachers. The Internal Revenue Service says you can take the deduction if,
for the tax year, you were employed at a state-approved public or private
school system as a: Teacher; Instructor; Counselor; Principal; or Aide.
http://biz.yahoo.com/brn/060213/9760.html?.v=1
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/newteacher.html

|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|
"Scholarships Available to Blind Students"
The American Council of the Blind will present more than two dozen
scholarships and awards to outstanding blind students in 2006. All legally
blind, full-time students admitted to academic and vocational training
programs at the post-secondary level for the 2006-07 school year are
encouraged to apply for one of these scholarships. Part-time students who
are working full-time are also invited to apply for the John Hebner
Memorial Scholarship. A cumulative grade point average of 3.3 is generally
required, but extenuating circumstances may be considered for certain
scholarships. Applicants must be legally blind in both eyes. Applications
may be completed online, but supporting documentation must be submitted in
hard copy print, post-marked by March 1, 2006.
http://www.acb.org/scholapp2006-instruct.html

"Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community"
The Hitachi Foundation presents the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service
to the Community for high school students on the basis of their
community-service activities. Maximum Award: $5000. Eligibility:
graduating high school seniors in the U.S. or U.S. territories. Deadline:
April 1, 2006.
http://www.hitachifoundation.org/yoshiyama/index.html

"Urban Partnership Academic Centers of Excellence"
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control is soliciting research
applications to establish two Urban Partnership Academic Centers of
Excellence, one serving a high-risk community in Philadelphia and the
other serving a high-risk community in a city not currently being served
by CDC's National ACE Program on Youth Violence. The Centers are expected
to actively foster an environment conducive to reciprocally beneficial
collaborations among health scientists, social scientists and a targeted
high-risk community with the common goal of reducing youth interpersonal
violence, injury and death. Maximum Award: $851,400. Deadline: February
28, 2006.
http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/CE06008.htm

"Teachers Travel to the Galapagos Islands"
Toyota's Institute of International Education is offering a new
professional development program for teachers to travel to the Galapagos
Islands. Maximum Award: fully-funded, ten-day trip to the Galapagos.
Eligibility: secondary school teachers of all disciplines who teach
full-time in Arizona, California, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New
Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. Deadline: April 21, 2006.
http://www.iie.org/programs/toyota

"Kids Who Care Program"
Kohl's Kids Who Care Program recognizes and rewards young volunteers who
transform their communities for the better. Maximum Award: $5000.
Eligibility: youth 6 to 18 years old, not graduated from high school by
March 15, 2006. Deadline: March 15, 2006.
http://www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/Community02.htm

"New Center Seeks to Award Excellent Urban Schools"
San Diego State University has established the National Center for Urban
School Transformation (NCUST), designed to identify, study, and promote
the best practices of very high-achieving urban schools and districts. The
Center is sponsoring its first annual Excellence in Education Award
Program through which it will recognize urban schools and districts that
have achieved outstanding records of academic achievement for all of the
populations of students they serve. The NCUST Excellence in Education
Award is only for public schools or public charter schools serving urban
communities. At least 50 percent of the school's students must qualify for
the federal free- or reduced-price lunch program. The NCUST Excellence in
Education Award winners will receive a check for $1,000 and a banner
bearing their name. As well, each school will receive travel costs for one
representative to attend the NCUST Symposium in San Diego, California, May
5-6, 2006. Applications are due February 27, 2006.
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/ncust/awards/index.html

"The Purpose Prize: $100,000 for Five Innovators Over 60"
As the first of 77 million baby boomers turn 60, Civic Ventures, a
nonprofit organization working to help America achieve the greatest return
on experience, announces The Purpose Prize -- five $100,000 investments in
Americans over 60 whose creativity, talent and experience is transforming
the way our nation addresses critical social problems, including
education. The Purpose Prize is for those "with the passion, smarts, and
experience to discover new opportunities, create new programs, or find
inventive ways to make lasting social change." Sixty semi-finalists ("60
at 60") will also receive national recognition for their work. To nominate
someone or apply yourself, click below. Deadline: February 28, 2006.
http://www.leadwithexperience.org

"P. Buckley Moss Foundation Education Grants"
The grant program aids and supports teachers who wish to establish an
effective learning tool using the arts in teaching children with learning
disabilities and other special needs. Maximum Award: $1,000. Eligibility:
Programs in the planning stages or in existence for less than two years.
Deadline: March 1, 2006.
http://www.mossfoundation.org/page.php?id=89

"New Leaders for New Schools Seek Candidates to Become Urban School
Principals"
New Leaders for New Schools is currently accepting applications for
candidates who meet our 10 selection criteria (see website) and want to
lead change for children in low income communities by becoming urban
public school principals. Candidates should have  a record of success in
leading adults, an expertise in K-12 teaching and learning, a relentless
drive to lead an excellent urban school, and most importantly, an
unyielding belief in the potential of every child to achieve academically
at high levels. Eligibility: a minimum of 2-3 years of successful K-12
instruction experience; a teaching certificate preferred. Deadline: March
1, 2006.
http://www.nlns.org/NLWeb/Leader.jsp

"Recognizing a Teacher Who Overcomes Adversity"
Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation Freida J. Riley Teacher Award
annually recognizes an American teacher who overcomes adversity or makes
an enormous sacrifice in order to positively impact students. It is given
in honor of teacher Freida J. Riley who died of Hodgkin's disease at the
age of 31. Maximum Award: $10,000. Eligibility: full-time teachers (grades
K-12), in any accredited U.S. public, private, or charter school.
Deadline: March 1, 2006.
http://nmoe.org/riley/index.htm

"Grants to Integrate Literacy with Personal and Civic Action"
Starbucks Foundation Grants fund programs that integrate literacy with
personal and civic action in the communities where they live. Maximum
Award: $5,000. Eligibility: 501 (c) 3 organizations that work with
underserved youth ages 6-18 in the fields of literacy (reading, writing
and creative/media arts) and environmental literacy. Deadline: March 1,
2006.
http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/grantinfo.asp

"Horace Mann-Abraham Lincoln Fellowship"
Horace Mann Corporation and Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library have
partnered to form the Horace Mann-Abraham Lincoln Fellowship, a program
designed to help educators study the life and legacy of America's 16th
president. The program features a five-day institute at the new library in
June and July, 2006. Maximum Award: $1,000 each to cover expenses for
their trip to the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois,
to participate in programs created by the ALPL Foundation. Eligibility:
full-time educators teaching kindergarten through 12th grade in the U.S.
Deadline: March 4, 2006.
http://www.horacemann.com/educator-resources/abraham-lincoln-fellowship-feature.html


"Healthy Eating Research Grants"
Healthy Eating Research is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation that supports research to identify, analyze, and evaluate
environmental and policy strategies that can promote healthy eating among
children and prevent childhood obesity. Special emphasis will be given to
research projects that will benefit children in the low-income and
racial/ethnic populations at highest risk for obesity. Maximum Award:
$75,000-$400,000. Eligibility: Preference given to 501(c)(3)
organizations. Must be U.S.-based. Deadline: March 7, 2006.
http://www.rwjf.org/files/applications/cfp/cfp-healthyEatingRsch.pdf

"Grants for Service-Learning Projects"
Learn and Serve America, part of the Corporation for National and
Community Service, has released a Notice of funding Opportunity for grant
funds to support school-based, community-based, higher education, and
tribal and U.S. territory service-learning projects. The grant competition
is to promote the development and sustainability of high-quality
community-based service-learning programs in youth-serving community
organizations across the nation. Maximum Award: Varies. Eligibility: K-12
schools, colleges, volunteer centers, faith-based organizations. Deadline:
March 7, 2006.
http://www.learnandserve.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp

"J8 Global Citizen Programme"
The J8 Global Citizen Programme gives winners of its competition the
opportunity to travel to Russia in July 2006 to join young people from all
the other G8 countries at J8 St Petersburg 2006. Maximum Award: an
all-expenses-paid, 3-day Summit in July 2006, plus various prizes.
Eligibility: groups of 6-8 students aged 13-16. Deadline: March 31, 2006.
http://www.j82006.com

"Hurricane Katrina Media Fellowships"
The Open Society Institute Katrina Media Fellowships will support media
makers working in print and radio journalism, photography, and documentary
film and video to generate and improve media coverage of critical issues
of poverty, racism, and government neglect in the Gulf Region that were
laid bare by Hurricane Katrina. Maximum Award: $35,000. Eligibility:
mid-career or veteran print or radio journalists, photographers, or
documentary filmmakers with proven track records as serious media-makers.
OSI will give special consideration to applicants who have been displaced
from or are residents of the Gulf Region. Deadline: Friday, March 31,
2006.
http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/focus_areas/katrina

"BP A+ for Energy Program"
BP's A+ for Energy program gives grants for implementing creative and
innovative educational programs to teach students about energy use,
alternative and sustainable energy types and sources, and energy
conservation. Maximum Award: $10,000. Eligibility: all California teachers
K-12. Deadline: April 7, 2006.
http://www.aplusforenergy.org/

"National History Education and Preservation Initiative"
Save Our History is a national history education and preservation
initiative that seeks to raise awareness and support for preserving local
heritage. Historic organizations across the United States that are
interested in funding for preservation projects developed with local
schools or youth groups are encouraged to apply. Maximum Award: $5000.
Eligibility: elementary, middle, and high school teachers who teach
American, state, or local history in a social studies or history class in
a public, private, or home school located within the 50 states and the
District of Columbia. Deadline: April 7, 2006.
http://www.saveourhistory.com

"American Stars of Teaching Program"
The U.S. Department of Education plans to honor outstanding classroom
teachers through the American Stars of Teaching program. The Department's
Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is seeking nominations and information about
teachers who are improving student achievement, using innovative
strategies in the classroom, and making a difference in the lives of their
students. Eligibility: teachers across all grades and disciplines.
Deadline: April 15, 2006.
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html

"MetLife Foundation Bridge Builders Grant"
MetLife Foundation Bridge Builders Grant Program and The National
Association of Secondary School Principals is inviting proposals from
public middle level and high schools serving large numbers of low-income
students and/or underrepresented minorities (40% or more of the student
body) to apply for a grant to implement a special initiative aimed at
building better relationships among adults and students. Maximum Award:
$5,000. Eligibility: Middle level and high school principals in public
schools serving large numbers of low income and/or large numbers of
minority students (more than 40% of the student body) in the United
States. Deadline: April 17, 2006.
http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec.asp?CID=568&DID=48228

"Nature of Learning Grant Program"
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's The Nature of Learning Grant
Program seeks to use National Wildlife Refuges as outdoor classrooms to
promote a greater understanding of local conservation issues and utilize
field experiences and student-led stewardship projects to connect
classroom lessons to real world issues, as well as build partnership among
local schools, community groups, natural resource professionals and local
businesses. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: Schools or non-profit
organizations. Deadline: April 17, 2006.
http://www.nfwf.org/programs/tnol.cfm

"Free National & Global Youth Service Day Materials"
Free National & Global Youth Service Day Materials are available to in the
planning of service projects for the 18th Annual National & Global Youth
Service Day, April 21-23, 2006. Planning Tool Kits, Service-Learning
Curriculum Guides, and Classroom Posters are now available in print and
on-line. Download these materials or order free printed copies at:
http://www.ysa.org/nysd/resource/nysd_resources_parent.cfm

"2006 All-USA Teacher Team"
USA TODAY is accepting nominations for the 2006 All-USA Teacher Team, a
recognition program for outstanding teachers. Teachers can be nominated by
anyone willing to put in writing why they are outstanding; nominees must
complete the form explaining how they achieve their success. Maximum
Award: $2500. Eligibility: Teachers K-12. Deadline: April 29, 2006.
http://allstars.usatoday.com

"Seeking Young Heroes for $2,000 Barron Prize"
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes seeks nominations for its 2006
awards. The Barron Prize honors young people ages 8 to 18 who have shown
leadership and courage in public service to people and our planet. Each
year, ten national winners each receive $2,000 to support their service
work or higher education. Nomination deadline is April 30. For more
information and to nominate, visit:
http://www.barronprize.org/

"Unsung Heroes Awards Program"
The ING Unsung Heroes awards program recognizes innovative and progressive
thinking in education through monetary awards. Maximum Award: $25,000 to
Grand Prize Winner. Eligibility: full-time educators, teachers,
principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff members with effective
projects that improve student learning at an accredited K-12 public or
private school. Deadline: May 1, 2006.
http://www.ing.com/us/aboutING/communityconnections/ineducation/unsungheroes/001137.html


"Nickelodeon Announces Giveaway Program to Encourage Healthy Play"
Children's television network Nickelodeon will distribute more than $1
million from September 2005 to June 2006. The "Let's Just Play" Giveaway
offers kids around the United States the opportunity to take action and
enter for a chance to improve their school or community program's fitness
resources. Maximum Award: $5000. Eligibility: Kids (6-15 years of age),
partnering with teachers and other community-based leaders. Deadline:
rolling, until May 31, 2006.
http://www.nick.com/all_nick/everything_nick/

"Learning in the Arts Grants"
National Endowment for the Arts "Learning in the Arts Grants" Program
offers funding for projects that help children and youth acquire
appreciation, knowledge, and understanding of and skills in the arts.
Projects must provide participatory learning and engagement of students
with skilled artists, teachers, and excellent art, and ensure the
application of national, state, or local arts education standards. Maximum
Award: $5,000-$150,000. Eligibility: school-based or community based
projects. Deadline: June 12, 2006.
http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/GAP07/LearningintheArts.html

"National Gardening Association Healthy Sprouts Awards"
This program invites applications from schools or organizations who plan
to garden in 2007. Maximum Award: $200 Gift Certificate. Eligibility:
groups having at least fifteen children between the ages of 3 and 18.
Deadline: October 15, 2006.
http://www.kidsgardening.com/healthysprouts1.asp

"Barnes & Noble Corporate Contributions"
Barnes & Noble Corporate Contributions Program is committed to
literary-based sponsorships and partners with organizations that focus
their core businesses on higher learning, literacy and the arts. Maximum
Award: varies. Eligibility: non-profit organizations that focus on
literacy, the arts or education (K - 12). Deadline: N/A.
http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our_company/sponsorship/sponsorships_national/donations_national.html


"Show Me the Money: Tips & Resources for Successful Grant Writing"
Many educators have found that outside funding, in the form of grants,
allows them to provide their students with educational experiences and
materials their own districts can't afford. Learn how they get those
grants -- and how you can get one too. Included: Practical tips to help
first-time grant writers get the grants they need.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev039.shtml

"Department of Education Forecast of Funding"
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which
the Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications
for new awards for FY 2006 and provides actual or estimated deadline dates
for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in
the form of charts -- organized according to the Department's principal
program offices -- and includes previously announced programs and
competitions, as well as those planned for announcement at a later date.
Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official application
notice of the Department of Education. They expect to provide regular
updates to this document.
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html


Howie Schaffer
Public Outreach Director
Public Education Network
601 Thirteenth Street, NW #710S
Washington, DC 20005
PEN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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