Education Researcher Pedro Noguera to Speak on Reforms
Noted New York University professor and Coan Middle School Principal Betsy Bockman to discuss external factors that affect student learning.
by Patch Staff
Celebrated education researcher Pedro Noguera, a professor at New York University, will be the keynote speaker at a panel discussion scheduled for 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1 at the Westminster Schools, 1424 West Paces Ferry Road.
The panel topic "Connected Community: A Broader, Bolder Approach to Transforming Atlanta Education" also will feature several locally and nationally recognized education experts including Betsy Bockman, principal of Coan Middle School; Beverly Tatum, president of Spelman College and Neil Shorthouse, the president and state director of Communities In Schools of Georgia.
The panelists will explore why and how a connected community has such a powerful impact on school and student outcomes.
While research suggests that a student’s Zip code is one of the best predictors of academic achievement and college completion, this conversation on improving schools will expand beyond what happens inside of the schoolhouse to examine how community factors – transportation, healthcare, housing, food supply, summer enrichment, and positive role models – influence student learning.
Chris Murphy
7:10 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
It all sounds good until you get to the details. And those details are, Send us more money to alleviate the problems schools are not equipped to deal with. While I'd agree that some specific steps could be taken- more social services, for ex.- the general way school systems - and these panelists- deal with these problems is to create high-level, high-cost consultancies and executive positions within school systems, rather than a boots-on-the-ground strategy. Because in the end,like many of these kids' parents, these 'educators' don't want to get their hands dirty, nor apply the necessary elbow grease.
Sara Brown
10:10 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Do you think boots on the ground don't cost money? Many people would love to have an income stream that allowed them to spend their entire day in philanthropic community building, but apart from a few bored housewives, few of us have the leisure time to endlessly volunteer. Unfortunately you are right, a lot of the executives and consultants you speak of primarily aim to collect a salary and wrangle volunteers, while we pay social workers, who are the real boots on the ground, next to nothing.