Category Archives: Local

Local, Research, Youth Media

Youth Guest Blogger: Going Home

Step to College Entering Convention Area

Written by Sydnee Logan
Step to College Student

My classmates did a great job presenting! The response at the convention was great!

We practiced all morning with two practice sessions for both groups. They then began to practice on their own to better themselves. When we finally got done practicing we got in our vans and left the house. Driving to the center we began to see all the different looking places that looked amazing, and we saw three different types of communities like the urban, middle, and very poor communities. When we got up to the AERA convention we walked up to the room, then waited for a minute until it was time to go in. We were finally able to go in the room where my classmates would be presenting. We got set up and begin as planned. When the presentation was finished, many people were very surprised at the true effort that was shown in their work.

Jeff Duncan-Andrade and Step to College students

After we were done with the Q&A we headed to dinner with the small Maori community from New Zealand. The night with the Maori community was very interesting and stimulating. I feel like I learned a lot from them even some of their language was being taught to us in the restaurant. The Maori were very generous and so full of life, it was pretty new to us and we all got along very fast and quickly became close to them like family. When we left we took many pictures and finally got to our cars and headed back to our house, and later on picked up our new Maori friends to play some games. The most memorable game I remember was Night Mafia. We played the game for hours, almost until 2am.

On Sunday we had a pretty fun day by going to a place called Capilano. They had a suspension bridge, it was very interesting. We then went to a place called Granville Island for a couple hours. Some of us watched outdoor entertainers doing stunts and tricks involving fire and other things, while others went to the indoor market. We left and went to the Vancouver’s downtown “strip” and bought many items. Later we came back to the house had an amazing dinner and played more games.

On our way home the Step students and staff began to talk about the beautiful and inspiring presentation they presented. Our faces grinning from ear to ear from the excitement knowing they did great and people loved the things they talked about, like about our schools and equal learning conditions.

We had a lot of fun and I enjoyed every bit of this whole trip. I think the best part was seeing the presentations unravel so professionally possible of course there was a few things that went wrong but they were able to not show fear or weaknesses when something was not 100.

My friends and TA’s experienced many exiting things and here are a couple people that had something to say:

“The trip was fun and I think the presentation was exhilarating. Also Canadian play structures are dangerous.” – Darrell Tingle

“I’m extremely proud of all the young people because the day of the presentation you all really taught people what social justice is about. Your powerful voices shined through in your presentation and the “question and answer” session reflected the strength of your leadership and the power of the community. Life is like a “question and answer” session, your purpose will always be questioned. To me, your critical response shows a genuine level of growth and leadership.” – Gladys Puente (Staff)

Local, National, Research

KQED Radio Forum: Van Jones 'Rebuild the Dream'

Getty Images

Originally aired on Forum with Michael Krasny
April 17, 2012
Van Jones is well-known in the Bay Area for founding several locally based social justice and environmental groups. He rose to national fame through his work on green jobs, which took him all the way to Washington. Now he has written a book about his time in the Obama administration. Van Jones joined Forum to discuss “Rebuild the Dream,” a memoir and a call to action around his latest passions: student debt and foreclosures. Listen to this insightful program.

Events, Local, Research, Youth Media

Guest Youth Blogger: Night Before Presentation

Written by Sydnee Logan
Posted on April 14, 2012
Okay, so this has been a very exiting trip so far! My classmates and I have been stressed out, but still super exited about being in Canada, I personally cannot wait for us to get in Canada and see the communities of Vancouver. The early morning (3am!) trip to the airport was very new to us and we loved every bit of it. The wait on the plane was worth it. It was the first time flying for one of my classmates and I, and it was great to see that experiences firsthand. When we took off the plane ride was pretty bumpy and moving faster than I thought. When we got above the clouds it was smooth sailing from there. Soon everyone was falling asleep and even myself later from total fatigue.

I awoke to the loud voice of the flight attendant, my ears ringing and popping from the air pressure. I think that moment was the worst moment of the whole flight, but I also realized we were flying above Seattle. We finally landed in the airport and walked to the check in place then got us our vans and we tried our best to leave but the garage was like a maze with spiraling avant-garde art. We finally start driven and we finally came up to the border of Seattle and Canada. We get through, but the car full of my other class mates got pulled over in the border lines and they had to get out the car and give the information to the border patrol. We then are able to leave and we immediately headed to the AERA convention center, were Step would be presenting. I am looking forward to seeing my friend’s excel tomorrow. Working to be at our best we then practiced one more time and left to see the beautiful communities of Canada. We then got to our rented home in the north of Vancouver. The house looks really nice we ordered some pizza and everyone got back to work practicing their scripts, I know we will do great tomorrow. I will be recording the whole thing and posting it up on YouTube with my blog.

Here are the comments of my classmates about the first day.

“Hey I was pretty happy about the plane ride because I haven’t been on one for a while. The car ride was okay because I got to see the nice buildings of Canada then it was a pretty long ride. I am exited about presenting I literally cannot wait!” –(Nixon Callejas)

“I felt very nervous about the plane ride and I felt like it was too long. The car ride was even longer; we were sitting in those cars for hours I think my bottom fell asleep. I can’t wait to present tomorrow but I so nervous I don’t think I will be able to sleep tonight. I also thought that the buildings were very unique and something I didn’t expect from Canada over all this is an exiting experience.” –(Rebecca Pine)

Local, National, Research, Youth Media

Guest Youth Blogger: Sydnee Logan

East Oakland Step to College Graduates

Written By Yo Ann Martinez

KQED is excited to partner with the Step to College Program at Fremont High School in Oakland, California as they prepare to present Build Your Own School (BYOS) project at the American Educational Research Association Conference (AERA) in Vancouver, Canada.

Sydnee will be blogging about their presentation, his classmates and thoughts on traveling to Canada. He will also share a video highlight reel of the trip. We look forward to it!

Here is Sydnee in his own words:

“Hello everybody, my name is Sydnee Logan. I’m a 17-year-old native of Oakland, California. I am currently a junior at the John C. Fremont High School in Oakland, attending a smaller school named Mandela Law and Public Service Academy. In my free time I play sports, hang out with my friends, and have participated with the Step to College Program since my 9th Grade year.”

Stay tuned for his first submission.

 

Events, Local, Research

KQED News: California Report Special Coverage Baby Steps California's Early Learning Challenge

KQED California Report Special Coverage
Written by Ana Tintocalis
Research shows that a quality early childhood education can improve a child’s readiness for school and help prepare them to succeed as adults. How will this prepare them for the rest of their school years? Follow this California Report Special Coverage of Early Learning Challenges in California

 

Local, Research

KQED News: Budget Cuts Threaten Transitional Kindergarten

A project by transitional kindergarten students at Kingsley Elementary School in Los Angeles. (Image credit: Ana Tintocalis/KQED)

KQED News
Posted on April 11, 2012
Written By: Ana Tintocalis

About a dozen kids buzz around a colorful classroom at Walteria Elementary in Torrance, just north of Long Beach. Some kids are stacking Legos and playing with dolls. Others are at tables with jumbo crayons.
At the center of the action is teacher Lisa Rodeski.
“In my classroom, when they first come in in the morning, this is what I call table time, so everything out on the tables is focused on small motor development or it’s math skills,” Rodeski says.
But this is not your typical kindergarten class. It’s called “Preppy K,” a transitional kindergarten program for kids just shy of their fifth birthdays. Rodeski says these kids are not quite ready for the structure of regular kindergarten.
“They stand out in a number of ways,” she says. “It might be academic, it might be physical, it might be social, it might be emotional or it might be a combination of all of those things. So this program has been developed to meet all of their needs.”
The program here has been around for about 20 years. The district makes a commitment to fund it because they see the benefits. Learn more about this important topic.

Events, Local, Research, Youth Media

Video: How Does Tutorpedia Fight The Drop Out Crisis?


Written By Emma Bundy
Tutorpedia fights the dropout crisis by providing critical academic support to students. Through personalized, one-on-one tutoring, students receive the individualized attention that is often difficult for over-extended teachers to provide in the classroom.

By collaborating with teachers and academic advisors at students’ schools, Tutorpedia tutors reinforce school curriculum and support lessons in dynamic ways outside of the classroom.  As Ms. Moyenda, a veteran SFUSD teacher explains, “It’s not just me saying to the tutor, ‘here give the kid this.’ It’s me getting the information back from the tutor that says, ‘here’s where your focus needs to be.’ I think every kid needs their own one-on-one tutor because now we can no longer give that one-on-one instruction.” Tutorpedia tutors develop relationships with their students to focus on specific academic needs while also addressing issues that impact learning within the classroom environment.

Tutorpedia tutors are experts in education who are passionate about student learning. Experienced tutors develop creative ways to help students understand in order to make education real, relevant, and rigorous. By connecting academic success to real-life, tutoring helps students engage with school and graduate. Since 2007, Tutorpedia has provided more than 6,000 hours of tutoring to low-income families through the Supplemental Educational Services program and through the generosity of private donors and grant-making institutions. Learn more about Tutorpedia and the Tutorpedia Foundation.

Local, Research

Fixing The Schools: California Schools Need More Money and Fundamental Reform

Union Tribune San Diego
Posted on 03/29/12
Written by Antonio Villaraigosa and Arun Ramanathan
The month of March has always symbolized spring – a time for rebirth and the start of something new. For early-career teachers across California, this month has come to symbolize changes far less sunny. This is the month thousands and thousands of pink slips go out to teachers, principals and instructional support staff informing them that, come the end of the school year, they might be packing up their books and lesson plans for good.

These layoffs are a direct result of the continuing cuts in state education funding. And this year the outlook is especially bleak. No one can be certain that voters will support any of the ballot initiatives to restore education funding, so districts are left preparing for the worst-case scenario and making their deepest cuts yet.

To continue reading, click here.

Local, Research

Fate of American Indian Charter School II Debated

San Francisco Chronicle
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Written By Jill Tucker
A high-achieving Oakland charter school under investigation for fraud and mismanagement will remain open but be required to clean up lapses in financial and administrative oversight, the city school board decided Wednesday in a 4-3 vote.

The decision allows the American Indian Public Charter School II to continue operating for another five years, but board members said they would move to revoke the charter if problems are not fixed within two years. Read more.