Class Matters. Why Won't We Admit It?

Op-Ed Contributors: Class Matters. Why Won't We Admit It?
By HELEN F. LADD and EDWARD B. FISKE
Federal education policy seems blind to the relationship between poverty and student performance.

Leading Minds Forum Inspires Over 450 People

Last Thursday over 450 teachers, community members, and nonprofit and business leaders attended BCP's fifth Leading Minds forum on The Impact of Poverty on Education. Co-hosted by Loyola University Maryland's School of Education and Urbanite Magazine, the forum explored why poverty has such a detrimental impact on academic achievement and what we, as a community, can do about it.

This was the fifth forum in BCP's Leading Minds series, which engages national experts and local stakeholders in discussions about cutting-edge educational issues that relate directly to improving public education.

An Organization Showcase before the forum featured local nonprofits and public agencies working to address the barriers to learning associated with poverty through community school initiatives, policy advocacy, parent engagement, after-school programming, and other strategies.

Panelists included Peter C. Murrell, Jr., Ph.D., Professor of Urban Education at Loyola’s School of Education; Jane Quinn, Vice President and Director of the National Center for Community Schools at the Children’s Aid Society; and Heather B. Weiss, Ph.D., Founder and Director of the Harvard Family Research Project and Senior Research Associate and Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Marc Steiner, host of “The Marc Steiner Show” on Baltimore’s WEAA 88.9 FM, moderated the discussion.

Presentations were followed by an in-depth Q&A and breakout discussion groups lead by the panelists and nonprofit leaders. The forum wrapped up with report backs from each of the eight breakout groups. Attendees were provided with a list of specific action items on how they can address this issue (below).

Next steps include circulating the notes from the discussion groups to all attendees and generating feedback on how we, as a community, can work together to ameliorate the impact of poverty on education.


THANK YOU

We would like to thank Peter Murrell, Jane Quinn, Heather Weiss, and Marc Steiner for enriching our exploration of the topic with their expertise.

Thank you to Dr. Mickey Fenzel, (Interim Dean, School of Education and Affiliate Professor, Psychology Department, Loyola University Maryland) for hosting the forum and welcoming the attendees.

Thank you to Candra Healy (Executive Assistant to the Dean, Loyola University Maryland Schools of Education) for making miracles happen in the planning and execution of the event.

Thank you to Patrick Durkin (Assistant Director, Loyola Event Services), John Kline (Event Production Technician, Loyola Event Services) and the rest of their outstanding event services team.

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Baltimore's Safe and Sound Campaign
• Congressional Bank
• Injured Workers Insurance Fund
• MECU
  
• Parent and Community Advisory Board (Baltimore City Public Schools)
  
• Turner Construction
  
• Venable LLP
  

Thank you to the following breakout discussion group facilitators:

• Joseph Anastasio, Transition Coordinator - School to Work, Baltimore City Public Schools
  
• Muriel Berkeley, Ph.D., President and Founder, Baltimore Curriculum Project
  
• Kaleisha Biggs, Nutrition Program Coordinator, Family League of Baltimore City
  
• Karen DeCamp, Director, Neighborhood Programs, Greater Homewood Community Corporation
• Sue Fothergill, Owner, educationRising
• Mark Gaither, Principal, Wolfe Street Academy
• Tina Hike-Hubbard, Director of Education, Enterprise Community Partners
• Rebecca Messner, Assistant Editor, Urbanite
• Peter C. Murrell, Jr., Ph.D., professor of urban education, Loyola School of Education
• Connie Phelps, Community School Coordinator, Wolfe Street Academy
  
• Jane Quinn, Vice President and Director of the National Center for Community Schools at the Children’s Aid Society
• Marc Steiner, Host, “The Marc Steiner Show” on WEAA 88.9 FM
• Sue Takemoto, Special and Integrated Technology Education Advocate, Baltimore City Public Schools
  
• Tracy Ward, Publisher, Urbanite
• Heather B. Weiss, Ph.D., founder and director of the Harvard Family Research Project

Thank you to the following volunteers:

• Ava Anderson
• Tara Anderson
• Virginia Cobler
  
• Kim Goldsmith
  
• Marvelyn Johnson
• Tilda Johnson
  
• Brenda Kahn
  
• Jeff Krick
• Wayne Lawson
  
• Jon McGill
• Michele Sabean
  
• Angela Scott

Thank you to the following organizations that participated in the Organization Showcase:

• Baltimore City Public Schools Parent Engagement Office
• Baltimore Education Coalition
• Baltimore's Safe and Sound Campaign
• Elev8 Baltimore
• Family League of Baltimore City
• Greater Homewood Community Corporation
• Living Classrooms Foundation
• Loyola University Maryland School of Education
• Maryland Out of School Time Network
• Parent and Community Advisory Board (Baltimore City Public Schools)
• Public Justice Center's Educational Stability Project
• Social Work Community Outreach Service (SWCOS) - University of Maryland School of Social Work
• Special Education Citizen's Advisory Committee (SECAC)
  
• U.S. Dream Academy

Below are some actions items that were distributed to forum attendees:

1. Join the Baltimore Education Coalition: www.becforourkids.org
   
2. Visit a Community School: email bcpinfo@baltimorecp.org
   
3. Write a letter to the Mayor urging her to support full funding for Community Schools.
4. Register as a volunteer with Baltimore City Public Schools: www.baltimorecityschools.org/_volunteerPartnerDonate
5. Volunteer with after-school or mentoring programs such as Higher Achievement Program (www.higherachievement.org) and BigBrothers Big Sisters (www.biglittle.org)
6. Volunteer or partner with a Baltimore Curriculum Project school by e-mailing bcpinfo@baltimorecp.org or calling 410-675-7000.
7. Visit the Coalition for Community Schools Policy and Advocacy webpage: http://www.communityschools.org/policy_advocacy
8. Join the Transform Baltimore Campaign to modernize Baltimore City public school buildings: www.transformbaltimore.org
9. Support Baltimore’s Safe and Sound Campaign at: http://safeandsound.org
10. Support BUILD’s Raise Our Youth/Raise Our City Campaign: www.buildiaf.org/raise-our-youth-raise-our-city
11. Join over 30 organizations to march for youth opportunities, not jails on October 4th: http://stopbaltimoreyouthjail.com

To learn more about the Leading Minds series and to view videos of past forums visit: http://www.baltimorecp.org/leadingminds

Turner Construction Supports Leading Minds Forum

We would like to thank Turner Construction for supporting our upcoming Leading Minds forum on The Impact of Poverty on Education. Turner provides building services to institutions who recognize the value of a partner who works diligently and creatively to find the best possible solution for each particular project.

Turner actively supports the community through a variety of programs and partnerships including:

• YouthForce 2020: a program instituted in 1989 to guide youth toward careers in the construction industry.
• The Turner School of Construction Management: Since 1969, Turner has been training minority- and women-business owners in the disciplines practiced in the construction industry.
• Community Relations And Affiliations: Turner supports organizations and affiliations that have facilitated the progress of the M/WBE community.
• Partnership with ACE Mentor Program: The ACE Mentor Program is a national organization that mentors high school students in the architectural, construction management and engineering industries.

For more information visit: http://www.turnerconstruction.com/

BCP President on Poverty and Education in Colesville Patch

BCP President Muriel Berkeley and Chief Academic Officer Jon McGill comment on poverty and education in the Colesville Patch.

“The research that suggests that FARMS kids pull down the others is only true if the school isn’t good to begin with,” said Dr. Muriel Berkeley, president of the Baltimore Curriculum Project, a non-profit that conducts research on poverty and education and operates charter schools in Baltimore City.

“This issue across the country of parents getting worried because there’s a change in demographics and they think because there’s a sprinkling of poor kids coming in that it’s going to have a really negative impact,” Berkeley’s colleague, Jon McGill, chief academic officer at the project says. “The research suggests that that’s only true if there’s a problem with the school before those kids ever got there.”

Read the full article at: http://patch.com/A-j3kG

Congressional Bank Sponsors Leading Minds Forum

We would like to thank Congressional Bank for their generous $1,000 sponsorship of BCP's 2011 Leading Minds Forum, The Impact of Poverty on Education, to be held on September 22, 2011 at Loyola University Maryland.

Congressional Bank is a community bank serving the greater Washington, DC area. For more information visit: https://www.congressionalbankonline.com