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SPEAK OUT: Chalkboard wants to harvest your ideas to make Oregon schools great!
Four years ago, Oregonians shared their opinions about public schools. At that time, the critical issues identified by Oregonians were: - Teacher and administrator quality
- Accountability
- Early learning
- School funding
Fast forward to 2008. How are things the same? How are they different? Have your priorities for public schools shifted? Are your neighborhood schools better or worse off than they were four years ago?
Oregon schools have the ability to be among the best in the country. What stands in the way of all local public schools being successful? What ideas can improve student learning? Take ten minutes and weigh in.
Please take a few minutes and complete our online survey.
We want to hear from you
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Stellar communications program highlighted at Greater Albany School District
How can schools develop innovative business practices in order to direct more resources into the classroom? That's the question business practice reviews are designed to address. In Oregon, statewide spending on district business operations is higher than the national average. The Greater Albany School District is home to a first-rate food service operation complete with culinary competitions in elementary and high schools, student work programs designed to develop positive work habits and a culinary arts program with the local community college. Other highlights and areas for improvement: - Strong communications program including: "Breakfast with the Board" and robust parent involvement throughout the district.
- Mentor program for first year teachers and administrators.
Areas for improvement: - Develop a human resource plan and enhance existing HR practices.
- Review the transportation program - as a growing district, seek transportation alternatives such as sharing services with other districts.
An independent review of the district's business practices was conducted by the Oregon Association of School Business Officials in partnership with Chalkboard as part of a five district pilot program designed to highlight best practices. The Eugene School District 4J will be host to the final review this month. Once it is complete, best practices from across the five districts will be compiled. Read the news release on the reportRead the executive summary of the report |
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Children and teenagers throughout eastern Oregon never have to be stumped by a tough homework assignment again
Parents in Eastern Oregon now have a powerful tool at their fingertips that will help their children be more successful in school. Live Homework Help is easy to use. Launched in September 2008, the free service allows students to connect to an expert live tutor via the Internet from either one of 51 local libraries in eastern Oregon or from their home PC or Mac with a library card. The service is available seven days a week from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Children and teens simply go to their library's Web site, click on the Live Homework Help link and then enter their grade level and the subject they need help in. In just a few minutes, students are connected to a tutor in an Online Classroom for one-to-one help in core subjects.
Here's what one student had to say about the tutor: "She was very helpful and led me to conclusions without really giving me answers. She showed me ways to try on my assignments!"
Check out Live Homework Help:
LEO Web site
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This Just in! Oregon Women Rule! Just Ask Oprah...
Oregon places two distinct and passionate women into the nationally distinguished Women Rule! O, The Oprah Magazine and White House Leadership Training Program.
As the new issue of O, The Oprah Magazine hits newsstands this week, two Oregon women are among a select national group of women leaders, courtesy of their selection to the White House Project and as a result of recognition from the Women Rule! campaign.
Sue Hildick, president of the Chalkboard Project, and musician/teacher Sarah Dougher with the Girls Rock Camp Alliance are among 80 women who have been selected for their work and invited to take part in further leadership training with a chance to form a powerful network of women, trying to change the world through collaborative leadership.
Hildick appears in the Public Policy category for her work to improve K-12 student achievement in Oregon schools with the Foundations for a Better Oregon's Chalkboard Project and Dougher is featured in the Culture category in an effort to develop the Girls Rock Camp Alliance into a non-profit that will develop camps just the one that started in Portland to give girls and young women a chance to develop self-esteem and confidence through music.
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Chalkboard Partner Profile: Parry Stokes. Parry is a librarian at the Baker County Library and a proponent of the new online tutor resource launched this fall with the Libraries of Eastern Oregon.
What interested you in Chalkboard's mission?
I value pragmatism and efficiency but also collaboration and quality results, and so does Chalkboard. It wants to make schools better, teachers better, and students better through bold, evidence-based projects and grassroots mobilization. It seems especially adept at determining what is the best strategy and use of resources - whether technology, policy, organization or investment - to affect progress. The CLASS Project and Running Start initiatives are great examples.
How can Chalkboard support parents and youth in Eastern Oregon?
It has already begun providing a tremendous boost through the Live Homework Help grant that gives every parent and student in Eastern Oregon access to an expert tutor from the online Tutor.com service. Kids out here - and their parents - are starting to realize that they can now conjure a math, science or English wizard up on their computer that will not only help them find an answer, but will help guide them through the thinking process, help problem-solve, learn, practice and demonstrate that they just become smarter.
What one or two things can we do, as a state, to have the biggest impact on the achievement of Oregon students?
I believe that too many students are lost, fall behind, or just fail to reach their potential because we fail to show them the ultimate relevance of a lesson or even an entire subject.
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Staff Updates
Jessica Chavez joins Chalkboard Project as an intern this fall from Portland State University. Jessica is a native Portlander studying communications and marketing. She joins our team with a passion for education and stellar organizational skills that we will put to good use organizing The Future of Teaching Forum. "I still remember being in Kindergarten and deciding that when I grew up I wanted to be involved in education." Welcome aboard, Jessica!
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