Fitzgerald Financial Group’s Post

It’s not about the needle, it’s about the haystack A recent piece in the New York Times by Rachel Louise Snyder about her path back from being one of America’s over 2 million high school dropouts was both inspiring and a reminder of the work ahead for our public school system. (See link to the NYT article below.) Ms. Snyder’s story (and especially the work of the educators who believed in her all through her turbulent time in school) is an illustration of what’s possible when we stick with struggling kids even when they make it very tough to do so. But Ms. Snyder is the needle in a haystack; the vast majority of children who have failed or are failing out of high school have no good choices. Despite her success, she ends her piece on an uncertain note, fearing that we still haven’t built an educational ecosystem where our children’s futures are not irrevocably damaged by their earliest stumbles. For the charter movement, this is an opportunity: how are we, with our long-standing commitment to high-quality choices for all communities and high standards for all students, going to make sure that we are opening doors for the most challenged children? For one answer, see here: (https://lnkd.in/eYnmsqxR). The time is now for the charter sector to build on its commitment to excellence by scaling the nation’s best alternative school models to serve the students who need effective schools the most. And if you are working to improve the alternative school space (or want to learn more), please reach out and join Groundswell (https://lnkd.in/e3QwQTBJ) and its national network of leading educators and advocates in our efforts to identify, strengthen and scale the best alternative schools nationwide. Link to the article in the NYT: https://lnkd.in/eesadTr8

It’s not about the needle, it’s about the haystack A recent piece in the New York Times by Rachel Louise Snyder about her path back from being one of America’s over 2 million high school dropouts was both inspiring and a reminder of the work ahead for our public school system. (See link to the NYT article below.) Ms. Snyder’s story (and especially the work of the educators who believed in her all through her turbulent time in school) is an illustration of what’s possible when we stick with struggling kids even when they make it very tough to do so. But Ms. Snyder is the needle in a haystack; the vast majority of children who have failed or are failing out of high school have no good choices. Despite her success, she ends her piece on an uncertain note, fearing that we still haven’t built an educational ecosystem where our children’s futures are not irrevocably damaged by their earliest stumbles. For the charter movement, this is an opportunity: how are we, with our long-standing commitment to high-quality choices for all communities and high standards for all students, going to make sure that we are opening doors for the most challenged children? For one answer, see here: (https://lnkd.in/e_Hh-ApX). The time is now for the charter sector to build on its commitment to excellence by scaling the nation’s best alternative school models to serve the students who need effective schools the most. And if you are working to improve the alternative school space (or want to learn more), please reach out and join Groundswell (https://lnkd.in/e5mfVfnD) and its national network of leading educators and advocates in our efforts to identify, strengthen and scale the best alternative schools nationwide. Link to the NYT article: https://lnkd.in/ezHaA-WH

In a new article, K-12 Dive covers some highlights from The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success’s recent Investment to Impact: Leveraging ESSER and Keeping What Works programming. Read about initiatives funded by federal relief dollars and how they will be sustained: https://lnkd.in/gDbqMtGH

Financial Literacy has never been more important than before, and the unfortunate reality is that many public school curriculums do not currently provide the roadmap for students to be financially responsible by the time they turn 18. I’m looking forward to partnering with Motivate Our Minds beginning later this month by offering weekly financial literacy to students ranging K-5. Planting the seeds of financial success early in development will set these kids up for success! https://lnkd.in/eZCTW-nf

You don’t want to miss this learning series! Share with your network of principals.

Reflecting on some heartfelt moments from our #BrownVsBoard of Education gathering. Stay tuned for more from our #BrownVsBoardofEducation gathering. Follow us for updates! #InspiringDialogue #EducationalEmpowerment #ReflectingOnHistory

I always look forward to the new #PDKPoll results, particularly for an update on how the public is feeling about their child/ren entering the teaching profession. In looking at this year's topline data, I find it very interesting (and amusing) to see how much more opinionated on this question the public has become since 1969, when 10% of respondents didn't have an opinion either way. This grew to 22% of respondents in 1983 before a sharp decline to get to single digits in 1993 - today, 1% of respondents replied "no opinion" I have to imagine that the impacts of the release of A Nation at Risk in April of 1983 and the subsequent shift in how we talk about K-12 education and its "failures" (including who to blame for them) is being shown here. In working with state leaders to address teacher recruitment and retention issues over the past several years, the need for a marketing campaign around the positives of being a teacher has been raised every time. This data is a stark reminder that the way we as a field talk about what it means to be an educator matters - not that we shouldn't advocate for higher pay and better working conditions and publicly share student achievement data, but that we probably need to be more considerate of how we do so and aware of the unintended consequences of our attempts to hold people accountable within the unwieldy system(s) of K-12 education in our country.

When placing college students in PK-12 student support roles, 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀 & 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 can be the key to success. 🙌 Dive into strategies like using Federal Work Study & joining the NPSS Higher Education Coalition in this webinar rebroadcast! https://bit.ly/3unawK0

📚✨ As the school year approaches, parents and educators are gearing up to empower children through another transition. Exciting times lie ahead, and with the right tools, we can guide them confidently through any situation. Discover NYSCADV's recommended resources to make this back-to-school season one of growth and positive change. Learn more: https://ow.ly/q5qK50SOEhP