Promise the Children Blog http://children.pmhclients.com/blog en mbaier1@verizon.net Copyright 2009 2009-08-04T15:09:51+00:00 August is a Time for Growth http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/august_is_a_time_for_growth/ August is finally here and the harvest is coming in strong. Legislation August is finally here and the harvest is coming in strong. Our gardens in the Northeast have taken a while to blossom but they are finally showing signs of a fruitful bounty. This month is traditionally a quiet month. For most legislators it is a vacation month. For activists I call it a “gearing up” month. August is a great time to figure out strategies for when the Fall session reconvenes.
What awaits us at the federal level will take much focus and energy. No Child Left Behind is quickly becoming a hot topic as children head back to school and we address the inequities that plague many of our public schools in compromised communities. Current rhetoric ties teacher salaries to standardized test scores and the proposed removal of state caps on new charter schools. Attention must be paid to new ideas that attempt to aid public education but in the long run could further undermine it. Our goal is to keep you informed through our network of organizations that are dedicated to this reform.
Likewise, the Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization Act is set to expire on September 30, 2009. This bill covers vital programs for low-income children such as school breakfast and lunch, afterschool snack and WIC. Reauthorization, along with additional funding, is critical to the success and health of our children.
And finally, healthcare reform. We as an organization support a single-payer healthcare system. When congress reconvenes, they will pick up where they left off. You can still voice in. This has the potential to be groundbreaking reform.
I encourage you to take this month to speak with your legislators while they are home in their districts. Let them know what is important to you and why. Let them know that you are watching them and want to be heard. They need to know that we are all on alert…even when they are on vacation.

]]> 2009-08-04T15:09:51+00:00 How do they do that? http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/how_do_they_do_that/ I recently returned from a vacation out West… National I recently returned from a vacation out West. It was terrific to see the blue sky again as we in the East have struggled to identify the summer season. Following a lengthy hike in the hot sun, someone suggested that we take our children to Sonic for a treat. I had never been to this particular establishment before and in fact, don’t frequent fast food places at all. I have to say that the root beer float was delicious. Who wouldn’t love that culinary delight following a long, hot hike?!
However, one thing I did notice as we awaited our server to arrive on rollerblades, (that was a novelty!) was the “dollar menu”. This intrigued me. Main menu items such as a hamburger or chicken fillet sandwich…for a dollar. How is that possible? I struggle to feed my family of two a healthy diet, barely making it out of the market for $50 a week, and I am careful and conservative. How can a restaurant afford to do this?
I think the answer that I seek can and will be found in the new documentary, Food, Inc. where filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, explaining among other things, how the dollar menu can exist and how it preys on the health of our society. The film features interviews with such experts as, Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.
Please make a point of visiting the film website and making a plan to see this important documentary. In addition to becoming more informed about the food industry, on the website you can take action to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act, a campaign that we continually encourage action on for the health of our nation’s children. Please check it out today!

]]> 2009-07-08T13:37:26+00:00 A Plan for Summer http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/a_plan_for_summer/ Ah, summer is upon us. It seems that for those of us who are involved with children and youth, we will never be able to shake the traditional school year cycle. But there is much work to do as the “end of the year” time quickens and here are a few reminders off our long “to do” list… Best Practices Ah, summer is upon us. It seems that for those of us who are involved with children and youth, we will never be able to shake the traditional school year cycle. But there is much work to do as the “end of the year” time quickens and here are a few reminders off our long “to do” list…
We have promises from the Federal Government that September will bring concentration on NCLB and the reformation of this bill. We need to keep pressure on them to insure that they fulfill this promise.On state levels, most of us are viewing drastic cuts to education budgets especially on the early education front. Again, your voices must be heard that early education is crucial to building a foundation for future learners. Please call your legislators and let them know what you think!
In addition, let’s not forget some progressive movements that are worthy of consideration and strong voices as well. Although most schools still adhere to the agrarian calendar, there are those who think a 21st century model of extended learning time should be adopted toward a goal of a more holistic education that would better prepare students for well rounded achievement. In Massachusetts this program is known as Mass 2020. It’s well worth a look. At the federal level, the REAL Act continues to gain bi-partisan support for federal funding stream to support comprehensive sexuality education. These funds would be allocated to states to distribute to districts and fund programs within the schools. We need you to add your voice to insure that our youth receive medically accurate information regarding their sexuality.
So this summer, enjoy your garden, go to the beach, ride your bike…but don’t forget to continue to lend your voice to offer a better future to our youngest citizens!

]]> 2009-06-16T16:33:05+00:00 Take a SEAT! http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/take_a_seat/ We’re back home from SEAT! What a fabulous experience Zoe (our sponsored youth from Gloucester, MA) and I had in Washington, DC, advocating for the REAL Act along side other passionate people of faith. Legislation

We’re back home from SEAT! What a fabulous experience Zoe (our sponsored youth from Gloucester, MA) and I had in Washington, DC, advocating for the REAL Act along side other passionate people of faith. Some words to describe the SEAT training that we attended would be inspiring, empowering, eye-opening and humbling. We bring back with us the responsibility to inform and educate our communities and lawmakers about the importance of comprehensive sexuality education in our lives.

This year Promise sponsored a youth from Gloucester to attend SEAT with me. Zoe was chosen by the SEAT organizers to be a media contact and was featured in both the Boston Globe as well as on New England Cable News! Zoe has proven herself to be a stellar example of our youth today and our future for tomorrow. Her passion exemplifies our mission to educate youth to use their voice for issues that are important to them!

Since 2005, Unitarian Universalist youth and adults have gathered for the annual SEAT (Sexual Education Advocacy Training) event. Together with faith allies from the United Church of Christ and Union of Reform Judaism, advocates speak to their congressional representatives in Washington, DC about the importance of comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality education to our congregations,our communities, our youth, and our families. SEAT teaches youth, young adults and adult allies how to be effective advocates for comprehensive sexuality education through workshops on community organizing, advocacy and anti-racism/anti-oppression. The training is organized and facilitated by staff of Advocates for Youth, UUA, UCC, URJ, and Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Choice (SYRF).

I encourage you all to check out these organizations and the links to the media focus on our sponsored youth. We are so grateful to have had this experience and so excited to bring back what we learned to our communities. Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding SEAT and keep it in mind next year for yourself or a youth in your community.

]]> 2009-03-26T17:02:59+00:00 Radical Abundance http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/radical_abundance/ Radical Abundance By Ana Kamilia Quijano Last month, I attended the conference, Radical Abundance: A Theology of Sustainability, held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Through webcasts, we were able to participate in the Boston Trinity Institute’s conference held in New York City, and listen to the three presentations given by Timothy Gorringe, David Korten and Majora Carter. The common theme among all the speakers was their excitement in the inauguration of President Obama and his urgency in attending to the environmental issues faced by both the United States and the World. Radical Abundance

Last month, I attended the conference, Radical Abundance: A Theology of Sustainability, held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Through webcasts, we were able to participate in the Boston Trinity Institute’s conference held in New York City, and listen to the three presentations given by Timothy Gorringe, David Korten and Majora Carter.The common theme among all the speakers was their excitement in the inauguration of President Obama and his urgency in attending to the environmental issues faced by both the United States and the World.

Timothy Gorringe, a Professor of Theological Studies at the University of Exeter, said that the cities right now are unsustainable and that they should be instead simple and beautiful. Furthermore, he believes that the common good should be the end goal of sustaining the environment.

David Korten has written several books including When Corporations Rule the World , and his most recent , Agenda for a New Economy. He insists that our current economic system benefits corporations and certain individuals and that we need to translate individual intelligence into collective intelligence in order to have sustainable social and environmental systems.

Majora Carter has a more personal and practical story. Returning to her native South Brox after college, she was horrified to come to the realization that her community was dirty and messy not because of the people living in it, but because it was designed to be that way. As a result, her work now encourages everyone to aspire beyond sustainability. In an effort to claim the social and financial benefits of a healthy horticulture infrastructure, she started green roofing and placed layers of soil and plants on the roofs of South Bronx. This gave residents cost savings on heating and air conditioning bills during winter and summer. Her for-profit consulting company, the Majora Carter Group, employs and teaches underserved and poverty stricken poulations in an effort to create green jobs – employment that improves the health of the environment.

Promise the Children, with our Green Sanctuary Workshops for youth, promotes a greater awareness about environmental issues and global warming. If you are interseted in presenting this workshop in your church, organization, or school, you can download the workshop guide from our website or contact us so that we can help facilitate the workshop with your group. http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/news/item/206/

You can also watch the webcasts of the above mentioned presentations from the Trinity Wall Street Website.  http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/education/?institute-2009&p=watch

]]> 2009-03-09T14:04:00+00:00 The Future of MCAS http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/the_future_of_mcas/ The Future of MCAS By Ana Kamila Quijano The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is a standardized test for all Massachusetts public school students including those with disabilities and limited English proficiency. It is intended to measure the grade level performance of individual students, schools and districts (http://www.doe.mass.edu). The MCAS is a tool the government uses to hold the schools and districts accountable for the progress in their schools. Best Practices The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is a standardized test for all Massachusetts public school students including those with disabilities and limited English proficiency. It is intended to measure the grade level performance of individual students, schools and districts (http://www.doe.mass.edu). The MCAS is a tool the government uses to hold the schools and districts accountable for the progress in their schools.
At first glance, it seems like a fantastic way of making sure that students are receiving the quality education that the public schools should be providing. However, the MCAS has had many devastating unintended consequences that need immediate attention. For example, many public schools have focused much of their time, energy and attention on test preparation to insure that their students will move on to the next grade level and that their schools funding will be maintained or increased. As a result, the students are not being educated with a 21st century mindset. In addition, teachers’ creativity and professional development can be severely hindered.
One change that the Citizens for Public Schools coalition would like to see is the inclusion of multiple measures assessments such as exhibitions, portfolios and projects. This change in policy would encourage the schools to focus not only on standardized testing, but also on other skills such as communication using modern technology, critical thinking, and collaborative skills of the students. Adding these skills would result in an assessment that is more appropriate for a student being educated for the 21st century.

For more information about the issues concerning MCAS and ways to improve it please visit:
http://www.massteacher.org/issues/mcas/mcas_2008-02-08.cfm.

]]> 2009-01-20T04:06:00+00:00 Please Use Your Voice! http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/please_use_your_voice/ Legislation January is an important time of year for those of us who work for social justice. With lawmakers reconvening and new administrations being formed, we need to speak up and let our representatives know what is important to us. Do you feel like you are being asked on a daily basis to make a phone call or write a letter? Maybe even several times a day? If you are an advocate for change then this is most likely your experience. But think about the progress that you lend your voice to…

SCHIP, the twice vetoed health insurance program for low-income children, is one of the first bills to be addressed by the House and will most likely be passed this week with a new provision that will include legal immigrant children and pregnant women. This population previously had to wait 5 years for health coverage. We applaud this congress making SCHIP a priority and putting children first. We ask for your voice to let them know that you support their efforts. We also ask that you call your Senators and ask that they support passage of the bill with the provision for immagrants intact. For more information on finding your Senators or Representative, please link to www.congress.org

In Massachusetts, we have asked that you call you Senator and Representative in support of the Health Education Bill that would bring comprehensive health education to the core curriculum in all Massachusetts public schools as mandated by the MA SJC. This bill is being filed this week and we need you to ask lawmakers to co-sponsor this vital legislation. Please lend your voice to this campaign. To find out more about the Health Education Bill please click here. To find your lawmakers in Massachusetts, please click here.

Thanks for all your hard work on behalf of children and youth!

]]> 2009-01-14T15:37:00+00:00 Bail Out Plan http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/bail_out_plan/ Bail Out Plan By Kamila Quijano The US government has recently injected $20 billion into Citigroup, a big banking group that was hard-hit by the recent economic crisis. This amount is part of the $700 billion rescue plan for the ailing US (and world) economy. I cannot help but think how efficient the government has been in rescuing so many of these financial giants. By Ana Kamila Quijano

The US government has recently injected $20 billion into Citigroup, a big banking group that was hard-hit by the recent economic crisis. This amount is part of the $700 billion rescue plan for the ailing US (and world) economy. I cannot help but think how efficient the government has been in rescuing so many of these financial giants. Last week, Citigroup announced the laying off of about 52,000 of its global workforce (retrieved from NPR.org). Although this number might be staggering, I would like to make some comparisons. I would like to compare the response of the US government to this economic crisis to its response to the humanitarian crisis that we have observed in 2005, namely Hurricane Katrina.

When Hurricane Katrina hit, there was no rescue plan already in place that enabled agencies to channel their efforts in making the best decisions in response to the crisis. An estimate of one million people were displaced and redistributed by Hurricane Katrina across the United States, making it the largest diaspora in the history of the United States (Ladd, Marszalek & Gill 2006). Yet, even before Citigroup announced its troubled state, there was already a $700 billion reserve ready to rescue financial giants.

No doubt that the bail out plan will help alleviate some negative effects of the economic crisis, such as the loss of thousands of jobs. However, I would like to highlight the clear influence of wealth and power over the resources of the Federal government. A lot of tax money is readily available for those in financial corporations. However, only a little is prepared for the ordinary citizens, whether their numbers far outweigh those in the financial industry.

With Obama’s new administration, there is great hope that the poor will slowly achieve the attention and support that they need from the government. It is our duty, as citizens of the United States and the world to make sure that this happens. Help for those in need can be achieved through several ways: 1. Be active in legislative processes. Learn about the issues affecting the poor and write to your legislators about your opinions, urging them to take action. 2. Donate to good causes and urge your friends to do the same 3. Volunteer and help the rebuilding efforts still going on in the greater New Orleans area. Here is a website that can give you more information about volunteering: http://www.longhaulvolunteers.org/

]]> 2008-11-29T15:12:00+00:00 Bread for the World http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/bread_for_the_world/ Bread for the World By Ana Kamila Quijano Last November 11th, I attended a presentation by David Beckmann, the president of Bread for the World. This global organization advocates for hungry people in the United States and the world. By Ana Kamila Quijano

Last November 11th, I attended a presentation by David Beckmann, the president of Bread for the World. This global organization advocates for hungry people in the United States and the world. It was very encouraging to hear him speak about the organization’s success in reducing the number people affected by starvation. According to him, in the past decade the number of people living in extreme poverty has been reduced by 400 million and the number of those living with starvation was reduced from 1.6 billion to 1.2 billion, despite the steady increase of the world population. While these statistics are encouraging, he emphasized the importance of remaining politically active and reminding our Legislators what we think are the most pressing issues, especially in the current financial crisis. He proposes that if 100 or more people (his target is 500) send handwritten letters on the same issue to get Senator Kerry’s attention, then the Senator could be persuaded to lead with the policies that would further improve the situation for the poorest of the poor here in the United States and throughout the world. Here is a shortened version of the sample letter that David Beckmann provided:

Senator John Kerry
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Kerry,
I look to you to lead a reform on U.S. foreign assistance that would make it more effective in reducing world hunger and poverty. Our country should do more to support the kind of development that reduces poverty. Development should be a higher priority in relation to defense and diplomacy. This will require a new Foreign Assistance Act, and I am asking you to start the process.

Sincerely yours,

Your name
Your address
Your email

]]> 2008-11-29T15:07:01+00:00 Bing and Ingrid Debate Standards http://www.promisethechildrenuu.org/blog/bing_and_ingrid_debate_standards/ I can’t resist putting this up for everyone to enjoy. From the The Bells of Saint Mary’s, watch Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman debate the need for and the purpose of standards in education. They bring a powerful message from the past. To watch, click here. Enjoy! Best Practices 2008-10-30T18:45:01+00:00