The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child put forth that one primary purpose of schools is to develop respect for human rights and the fundamental freedoms that all children should enjoy. They noted that to truly understand and promote human rights, one has to live them out in relation to others.

The New York City schools has taken this directive seriously and to heart by creating its School for Human Rights, a combined middle and high school academy that is built around the concept of human rights. It is one of nearly 150 small public schools opened through special initiatives in the last three years by the New York City schools, having opened its doors in September 2004. During the New York City schools’ school year 2005-2006, the School of Human Rights had over 180 students.

Located in Brooklyn, the School for Human Rights is rare, even for the New York City schools. Its core values are dignity, respect and responsibility, which is the driving force behind its curriculum, how the students learn and the teachers teach, how they treat one another, and the types of adults the New York City schools hope the students become. Human rights are demonstrated to students by how the school meets the educational needs of each and every student; in its practices, such as discipline with dignity; examples given in class, questions raised by teachers, the active discussions, critical thinking and reflection that are part of the project-based coursework; and even in the human rights enriching field trips.

The School of Human Rights is the only New York City schools that integrates an academic and social skills-based curriculum. It even immerses human rights into its extracurricular activities, such as film festivals and workshops with human rights defenders.

The School of Human Rights challenges the New York City schools students to become compassionate and socially Continue Reading

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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child put forth that one primary purpose of schools is to develop respect for human rights and the fundamental freedoms that all children should enjoy. They noted that to truly understand and promote human rights, one has to live them out in relation to others.

The New York City schools has taken this directive seriously and to heart by creating its School for Human Rights, a combined middle and high school academy that is built around the concept of human rights. It is one of nearly 150 small public schools opened through special initiatives in the last three years by the New York City schools, having opened its doors in September 2004. During the New York City schools’ school year 2005-2006, the School of Human Rights had over 180 students.

Located in Brooklyn, the School for Human Rights is rare, even for the New York City schools. Its core values are dignity, respect and responsibility, which is the driving force behind its curriculum, how the students learn and the teachers teach, how they treat one another, and the types of adults the New York City schools hope the students become. Human rights are demonstrated to students by how the school meets the educational needs of each and every student; in its practices, such as discipline with dignity; examples given in class, questions raised by teachers, the active discussions, critical thinking and reflection that are part of the project-based coursework; and even in the human rights enriching field trips.

The School of Human Rights is the only New York City schools that integrates an academic and social skills-based curriculum. It even immerses human rights into its extracurricular activities, such as film festivals and workshops with human rights defenders.

The School of Human Rights challenges the New York City schools students to become compassionate and socially Continue Reading

]]> http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/human-rights-take-front-and-center-for-the-new-york-city-schools/feed/ 0 http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/orange-county-schools-closing-the-gap/ http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/orange-county-schools-closing-the-gap/#comments Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:20:19 +0000 admin http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/orange-county-schools-closing-the-gap/

Recent education reforms in the state of Florida have shown to be of benefit to the students in Orange County Schools. The reforms have hit their intended target – low-income minority kids.

More students than ever are reading at grade level in Orange County Schools. More low-income Orange County Schools students are also enrolling in Advanced Placement classes and taking the SATs. Once failing inner-city schools are getting As. A recent report on the nation’s largest urban school districts gave Orange County Schools high marks for boosting the performance of kids from all racial and economic backgrounds.

Orange County Schools is the second largest employer in Central Florida. It employs 836 administrators, 342 at the district level, 454 at the school level and 40 at the technical level. The system employs 13,107 instructional faculty, 8,546 classified employees, and 3,380 part-time positions, with a grand total of 25,869. The instructional and classified personnel make up nearly 97% of Orange County Schools workforce. A large percentage of its teachers – 37% to be exact – have advanced degrees. 34% of those hold Master’s Degrees and the rest hold Specialist’s or Doctorate degrees.

Orange County Schools had 68 teachers who earned certification last year from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the teaching profession’s highest credential. Orange County Schools have a total of 537 nationally certified teachers, one of the highest numbers in the state. The beginning salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree is $35,895. If that teacher holds a master’s degree, it is $38,399, for a specialist’s degree, $39,734, and for a doctorate, $40,958. The average pay for teachers is $40,415 per year. In addition, Orange County Schools contributes an average of $11,958 per teacher per year for benefits such as life insurance, health insurance, FICA, Continue Reading

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Recent education reforms in the state of Florida have shown to be of benefit to the students in Orange County Schools. The reforms have hit their intended target – low-income minority kids.

More students than ever are reading at grade level in Orange County Schools. More low-income Orange County Schools students are also enrolling in Advanced Placement classes and taking the SATs. Once failing inner-city schools are getting As. A recent report on the nation’s largest urban school districts gave Orange County Schools high marks for boosting the performance of kids from all racial and economic backgrounds.

Orange County Schools is the second largest employer in Central Florida. It employs 836 administrators, 342 at the district level, 454 at the school level and 40 at the technical level. The system employs 13,107 instructional faculty, 8,546 classified employees, and 3,380 part-time positions, with a grand total of 25,869. The instructional and classified personnel make up nearly 97% of Orange County Schools workforce. A large percentage of its teachers – 37% to be exact – have advanced degrees. 34% of those hold Master’s Degrees and the rest hold Specialist’s or Doctorate degrees.

Orange County Schools had 68 teachers who earned certification last year from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the teaching profession’s highest credential. Orange County Schools have a total of 537 nationally certified teachers, one of the highest numbers in the state. The beginning salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree is $35,895. If that teacher holds a master’s degree, it is $38,399, for a specialist’s degree, $39,734, and for a doctorate, $40,958. The average pay for teachers is $40,415 per year. In addition, Orange County Schools contributes an average of $11,958 per teacher per year for benefits such as life insurance, health insurance, FICA, Continue Reading

]]> http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/orange-county-schools-closing-the-gap/feed/ 0 http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/washington-dc-schools-seek-spots-for-all/ http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/washington-dc-schools-seek-spots-for-all/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:42:45 +0000 admin http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/washington-dc-schools-seek-spots-for-all/

Washington D.C. Schools experienced an uneven distribution of student enrollment in 2006. Public school population declined in a rapid trend for the past ten years as they Washington D.C. Schools lost more students to the private schools and voucher programs. The vouchers allow participants to enroll in private schools and the funding pays for $7,500 worth of fees and tuition. The D.C. Public School District was alarmed and made efforts to corral their remaining students. Washington D.C. Schools’ officials received increased salaries, many of them making more than $150,000 dollars annually. These pay raises have been questioned by local publications. In response to the questions, the schools district’s media strategist claims that the raises were necessary to ensure the best leadership for Washington D.C. Schools.

Many Washington D.C. Schools’ parents wanted an extension of the voucher programs, due to their effectiveness and cost saving strategies. However, the consensus seems to be that vouchers would be more effective if they encompassed all of Washington D.C. Schools’ students. The solution seems to lie in the funding. As it stands currently, the vouchers are federally funded, saving the Washington D.C. Schools an incredible amount of money each year. If the vouchers become locally funded, the Washington D.C. Schools would save less money, but would increase school choices for students.

The troubled Washington D.C. Schools are going through other changes. Efforts have been made in the arena of educational overhaul. As recently as last year, the superintendent set a new list of standards for all grade levels to meet, referred to as the Master Education Plan. There was an emphasis placed on math time, reading time, and science time every day in the classrooms of Washington D.C. Schools. Additionally for high school students, community service and mathematical requirements were Continue Reading

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Washington D.C. Schools experienced an uneven distribution of student enrollment in 2006. Public school population declined in a rapid trend for the past ten years as they Washington D.C. Schools lost more students to the private schools and voucher programs. The vouchers allow participants to enroll in private schools and the funding pays for $7,500 worth of fees and tuition. The D.C. Public School District was alarmed and made efforts to corral their remaining students. Washington D.C. Schools’ officials received increased salaries, many of them making more than $150,000 dollars annually. These pay raises have been questioned by local publications. In response to the questions, the schools district’s media strategist claims that the raises were necessary to ensure the best leadership for Washington D.C. Schools.

Many Washington D.C. Schools’ parents wanted an extension of the voucher programs, due to their effectiveness and cost saving strategies. However, the consensus seems to be that vouchers would be more effective if they encompassed all of Washington D.C. Schools’ students. The solution seems to lie in the funding. As it stands currently, the vouchers are federally funded, saving the Washington D.C. Schools an incredible amount of money each year. If the vouchers become locally funded, the Washington D.C. Schools would save less money, but would increase school choices for students.

The troubled Washington D.C. Schools are going through other changes. Efforts have been made in the arena of educational overhaul. As recently as last year, the superintendent set a new list of standards for all grade levels to meet, referred to as the Master Education Plan. There was an emphasis placed on math time, reading time, and science time every day in the classrooms of Washington D.C. Schools. Additionally for high school students, community service and mathematical requirements were Continue Reading

]]> http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/washington-dc-schools-seek-spots-for-all/feed/ 0 http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/where-are-the-good-schools/ http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/where-are-the-good-schools/#comments Fri, 30 May 2008 11:07:40 +0000 admin http://www.middleschoolteachingunits.com/where-are-the-good-schools/

Moving can be stressful. Finding a house, a job, and good schools for the kids can be big hurdles to overcome. And sorting through all the school ranking for general education lists can be tiresome. So I set out with goal to do a lot of that research for you and unearth one district that sounds like a good move for relocating a family.

Keep in mind that all the awards, school rankings and on-line praise you hear won’t ever give you the same information as actually visiting an area. But it’s a good place to start. One of the areas that kept turning up in my searches was the Salt Lake City Public Schools. Now don’t pack up and move on my say so! But look at the accolades they’ve received. If a move to the Salt Lake Schools area is a possibility for you that could be a good thing.

The school district of Salt Lake City Schools has received numerous awards during the 2006-2007 school year. For example, four Salt Lake City Schools students who attend Bryant Middle School recently won Fourth Place and the Naval History Award for their presentation at the National History Day competition. This was a national competition!

Salt Lake City Schools’ Escalante Elementary won the Intel School of Distinction Award for its commitment to academic excellence and science instruction. Two Salt Lake City Schools recently received national recognition. West High School has been named the top high school in Utah and number 158 in the nation by Newsweek and the Washington Post. It is the second consecutive year West has earned the top spot. Highland High is ranked at 285 in the national listing. Another Salt Lake City School – Northwest Middle – won the 2007 Distinction in Character Education Award from the National Center for Community of Caring.

On May 18, 2007, the National Conference named Sheila Jaymes, a Salt Lake City Schools counselor at Wasatch Elementary and half time Continue Reading

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Moving can be stressful. Finding a house, a job, and good schools for the kids can be big hurdles to overcome. And sorting through all the school ranking for general education lists can be tiresome. So I set out with goal to do a lot of that research for you and unearth one district that sounds like a good move for relocating a family.

Keep in mind that all the awards, school rankings and on-line praise you hear won’t ever give you the same information as actually visiting an area. But it’s a good place to start. One of the areas that kept turning up in my searches was the Salt Lake City Public Schools. Now don’t pack up and move on my say so! But look at the accolades they’ve received. If a move to the Salt Lake Schools area is a possibility for you that could be a good thing.

The school district of Salt Lake City Schools has received numerous awards during the 2006-2007 school year. For example, four Salt Lake City Schools students who attend Bryant Middle School recently won Fourth Place and the Naval History Award for their presentation at the National History Day competition. This was a national competition!

Salt Lake City Schools’ Escalante Elementary won the Intel School of Distinction Award for its commitment to academic excellence and science instruction. Two Salt Lake City Schools recently received national recognition. West High School has been named the top high school in Utah and number 158 in the nation by Newsweek and the Washington Post. It is the second consecutive year West has earned the top spot. Highland High is ranked at 285 in the national listing. Another Salt Lake City School – Northwest Middle – won the 2007 Distinction in Character Education Award from the National Center for Community of Caring.

On May 18, 2007, the National Conference named Sheila Jaymes, a Salt Lake City Schools counselor at Wasatch Elementary and half time Continue Reading

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