The Notebook

Stories tagged: mentoring

Teachers remember former E.M. Stanton student picked fourth in NBA draft

Submitted by thenotebook on Thu, 07/12/2012 - 17:15 Posted in Community voices | Permalink

The following guest blog is from Holly Shaw-Hollis and Ilene Heller, both longtime teachers at E.M. Stanton elementary school in South Philadelphia, who remember new Cleveland Cavalier Dion Waiters.

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By Holly Shaw-Hollis, with contributions from Ilene Heller

Dion Waiters is one of our students who finally achieved his dream. He was the fourth player selected in the NBA draft and will be playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers next season!

As teachers, we are tasked with the goal of helping our students achieve the best that they can, and we hope that they continue to work hard and fight for what they deserve in life. Dion is one of those students who continues to do that.

College Board guide for undocumented students released

Submitted by Katie McCabe on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 15:13 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

Undocumented immigrant students face a number of significant obstacles on the path to college. The College Board is seeking to make that process a little easier with its recently released resource guide for undocumented students planning for college.

The resource guide was released just weeks before President Obama issued an executive order that will enable undocumented youth to delay deportation and apply for work permits.

Group protests new Pa. law on schools and criminal backgrounds

by Samantha Byles Posted in April 2012 Edition | Permalink

Rey Santiago, a former member of the safety and security team at ASPIRA Olney Charter High School, said that he was fired from the school last winter for something he did 23 years ago.

Now he and fellow members of Men in Motion in the Community (MIMIC), a community-based organization that mentors young African American and Latino males, are rallying against the state law that they say is unfairly putting school employees and outside contractors like themselves who have criminal records out of work.

Education Fund brings on new leader

by Samantha Byles Posted in April 2012 Edition | Permalink

The Philadelphia Education Fund welcomed Darren Spielman as its new executive director on March 5.

Carol Fixman, who headed up the organization for seven years, announced her retirement last fall, initiating an extensive search by the PEF board for her replacement.

During her tenure, Fixman created new programs and built the organization's national and local relationships. Programs that emerged under her leadership include the Philadelphia Math+Science Coalition, ArtsRising, the Philadelphia Teacher Residency, and the Post-Secondary Success Program.

E-mentoring program aims to reduce dropout rate among Black males

Submitted by thenotebook on Thu, 02/23/2012 - 16:00 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

by Samantha Byles

With the dropout rate among African American and Latino male students slow to improve, many people ask how one can keep these students engaged in their education.

“The best way I think is to look for things that interest them,” said Anthony Martin, the founder of What it Takes (WIT), a Philadelphia-based e-mentoring program aimed specifically at connecting at-risk Black male students with successful Black men.

Graduation Coaches Campaign

by Will Treece Posted in February 2012 Edition | Permalink

The Graduation Coaches Campaign, a program that connects Philadelphia youth with adult mentors, is in its second year.

Through the program, coaches are matched with students to help guide them through school and the college application process.

The campaign, which is a part of the city's PhillyGoes2College initiative, has trained over 1,800 coaches since its inception. Prospective coaches participate in a 90-minute workshop that prepares them for working with students. There are some challenges to the process.

'A ton of barriers to staying in school'

by Wendy Harris Posted in February 2012 Edition | Permalink

Graduation rates among Black and Latino males are only 53 and 43 percent respectively, not much improved from when the District's African American and Latino Male Dropout Taskforce looked at the problem two years ago.

Bill McKinney, former chair of the taskforce and board chair of Men in Motion in the Community (MIMIC), an organization that mentors Black and Latino boys, says dealing with this crisis means having to acknowledge the challenges of their environment, personal struggles, and school-based problems.

Connected: The networked teacher

by Samuel Reed III Posted in December 2011 Edition | Permalink

I recently sat down with Kira Baker-Doyle to talk about her book, The Networked Teacher, and the panel she moderated during the Philadelphia Writing Project's 10th Annual Celebration of Writing and Literacy in November.

Reed: Why do teachers need to build social networks? Does the connotation of the word "network" mean that teachers need to spend more time connecting with each other online?

Connected: The networked teacher

Submitted by Samuel Reed III on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 17:00 Posted in Class notes | Permalink

I recently sat down with Kira Baker-Doyle to talk about her book and the panel she will moderate during the Philadephia Writing Project's 10th Annual Celebration of Writing and Literacy.

Reed: Why do teachers need to build social networks? Does the connotation of the word “network” mean that teachers need to spend more time connecting with each other online?

Graduation Coach Campaign enters second year

Submitted by thenotebook on Wed, 09/14/2011 - 13:40 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

by Avi Wolfman-Arent

At City Hall Tuesday morning, Mayor Michael Nutter kicked off the second year of the city’s Graduation Coach Campaign, an initiative that recruits volunteer adult mentors and provides them with resources to help guide young people through high school and onto college.

Last year the campaign, which operates under the umbrella of the mayor’s PhillyGoes2College initiative, recruited 1,500 graduation coaches. The campaign intends to double the rate of participation over the next year.