Dear Catholic Secondary School Educator
Welcome to the November edition of E-News! The information supplied in this monthly newsletter aims to keep Catholic high school administrators, faculty, staff, and students up-to-date on professional development opportunities, new curriculum resources, and relevant news stories. As a service provided by the Secondary Schools Department at the National Catholic Educational Association, we strive to support our members throughout the school year and as always, we appreciate your feedback.
Kindly distribute E-News to others in your school community.
Please refer to the following headings for this E-News:
Upcoming: The Secondary Schools Department invites you to participate in
Seeking and Sustaining Leadership: a Conversation with Current and Emerging Catholic High School Leadership in San Antonio, Texas from February 20 to the 22, 2008. This leadership colloquium
will provide a setting where educators can openly discuss the vision of Catholic educational leadership and how, through day-to-day decision making, leaders face the contemporary challenges they encounter in their roles. This colloquium is designed for current school leaders, both new and experienced, as well as educators considering leadership roles in the near future. Due to the nature of the event, space is limited and early registration is encouraged. For more information, please check out the
attached brochure, or contact Christiane Connors at
cconnors@ncea.org, 202.337.6232.
Available: The application process for the
Frontiers of Justice teacher exchange program is open! In partnership with Catholic Relief Services, NCEA invites Catholic high school teachers and administrators to experience firsthand life in a developing country and to begin to build solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world. This year’s trip will travel to Ghana from June 28 to July 12, 2008. Please consider applying to participate in what could be a life-changing experience, both as an educator and a human being.
Available: The Catholic Social Teaching and Global Solidarity resource Engaging Faith in the World by Sister Katherine Feely is currently available. Distribution of the resource to Catholic high schools will take place either at regional meetings or through separate mailings.
Forthcoming publications: The Secondary Schools Department is currently working on two publications for release winter 2008. They are The Care Team Approach and Building Community through School Success Teams. The authors of both of these publications will also present at Convention 2008 in Indianapolis.
- The Care Team Approach: Care Teams are school-based groups composed of administrators, teachers, and support staff, such as counselors and social workers who collaborate in finding solutions to problems at-risk students and/or families might encounter. Written by Care Team practitioners, this book offers systematic explanations and instructions on how to better understand students’ social-emotional needs, address these needs with interventions that highlight student strengths, and effectively communicate with difficult parents and students.
- Building Community through School Success Teams: One reviewer called it “a must have book for all Catholic school administrators,” while another described it as “the missing piece” for schools to meet the needs of its students in a Catholic tradition. The School Success Team (SST) model is widely used in public schools across the country. This book, designed particularly for Catholic high schools, guides educators interested in using this proven model in overcoming classroom or learning challenges.
Dollars and Sense 2007: Members at regional meetings this year have shown a lot of interest in NCEA’s biennial report on finance, leadership, and governance in Catholic high schools. The
Dollars and Sense Executive Summary Report 2007 is available to purchase at NCEA’s online publications catalog. This report reflects the challenges and achievements our members encounter across the country and tracks useful national trends individual schools may benefit from.
Public Policy Announcements
The new cycle for submitting E-Rate applications began on November 7, 2007. Check the NCEA website at
/public/FastBreakingNews.asp for more information.
The U. S. Department of Education Fiscal Year 2008 appropriations budget (effective October 1, 2008) sent to both the Senate and House for approval contains no funding to Title V - Innovative Programs. Despite a strong campaign by both private and public school advocates, the Senate version (which eliminated the funding) prevailed over the House version that did include $99 million for the program. With the next school year, there will be no funding for Title V, so be sure to obtain the materials and services that your students are entitled to before the end of the current school year.
President Bush has signaled his intent to veto the spending bill that would allocate $60.7 billion to the U.S. Department of Education because it exceeds his budget request by $4.5 billion. While an override of the veto may be possible, it will not alter the funding for those programs.
Curriculum Resources & Development Opportunites
The inaugural issue of the
Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook, a new resource guide
published by
Education Week, is available online for free download. It includes best practices and advice, recent research findings, and a directory of professional products and services.
The American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc., a non-profit educational corporation, offers a cost-free K-12 lesson plan resource focused on civic values and social studies instruction. The electronic resource is available online or as a hard copy or CD upon request.
The Council for Exceptional Children will host TWO online seminars on instruction and special education. The first will take place on December 6, 2007, covering a “Principal’s Guide to Special Education” and the second will be on December 13, 2007, addressing “Response to Intervention: A Practical Guide for Every Teacher.” Contact Allison Lee at (703) 264-9481, or
allisonl@cec.sped.org, or check the website for more information.
*The listed curriculum resources are for your consideration and do not represent any endorsement by NCEA.
Do you know a high school student who has taken action to fight global poverty? Protect the environment? Promote human rights? Prevent HIV/AIDS?
Mercy Corps Global Action Awards honor U.S. high school students who have led a project that had a direct, positive impact on people in developing countries or that raised awareness about global poverty. Honorees receive $5,000 for their education or a charity of their choice. For more information, please contact
gaa@nyc.mercycorps.org. Deadline is January 31, 2008.
Each year, the General Mills Foundation in partnership with the American Dietetic Association Foundation and the President's Council on Physical Fitness sponsors the
Champions for Healthy Kids Grant. Fifty awards of $10,000 each will go to community-based groups that have helped youth adopt a balanced diet and physically active lifestyle. Deadline is January 15, 2008.
The
Fair Trade Study Grant supports middle and high school teachers to teach about the economic and social implications of Fair Trade products and practices. Teachers can also register to win an all expenses paid trip to visit Fair Trade Certified coffee farms, cooperatives, and community schools in Brazil. Deadline is December 15, 2007.
The
NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program provides funding and technical assistance to schools and communities seeking to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of its football fields. Priority is given to schools consisting primarily of low to moderate-income families. Deadline is November 30, 2007.
SECONDARY SCHOOLS DEPARTMENT STAFF
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