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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 1999

News Release

National Education Association Helps Improve Urban Education with Grants to Local Communities

Washington, D.C. -- Grassroots initiatives that promote a spirit of cooperation among local educators, students, and urban communities are being recognized by the National Education Association (NEA) in the 1999-2000 NEA Urban Grants Program.

NEA will award grants of $4,000 each to support school reform programs developed by school staff in 25 urban areas. This year's winning grant programs range from parental partnerships with educators to efforts to improve school discipline; and from new teacher mentor programs to child rearing programs for new parents.
[Note: Please see the attachment for the list of award recipients and winning programs.]

The awards are part of a larger NEA effort to improve the quality of education in America's public schools. NEA has invested more than $100 million over the past decade in public school improvement projects that empower teachers and school employees to address specific or systemic problems. More than 150 grants have been awarded since the program's inception in 1985.

The award-winning programs in parental involvement, community partnerships, and school safety were submitted by local associations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

"We here at the NEA," says president Bob Chase, "are proud to play a role in these innovative programs to improve on the quality of education of today's urban youth."

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.4 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.

In Alabama...

The CUPP (Community Uniting Parents and Professionals) Project of the Mobile County Education Association will hold a conference on July 2000 emphasizing student achievement through professional development activities. Many of the teachers attending come from "Academic Caution or Alert" low-performing schools where the institution continuously fails to meet the higher educational standards set by the Alabama Department of Education and are in danger of a state takeover if test scores do not improve.

The Mobile County Education Support Personnel Organization (MCESPO) and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Mobile will sponsor the CLEAR (Computer Lead ESPO As Resource) Project. Multi-media stations will be placed in facilities where Mobile County Public School students spend hours in after-school care. Members of MCESPO will learn programs and go into the Clubs to assist students as they strive to improve achievement in school subjects and on standardized tests.

In Arizona...

The Arizona Education Association, Washington District Education Association (WDEA) and the Washington Elementary School District (WESD) are sponsoring an investigation to determine the best model for the professional development and training for support staff. A study team, consisting of 10 volunteers representing support staff, principals, district administrators, teachers, parents, and the Governing Board, will research the critical attributes of effective support staff professional development practices on a national level.

The Deer Valley Education Association (DVEA) School Community Project is designed to build broad community support for public education and create a collective vision and shared set of beliefs that focus on improving teaching and student learning. DVEA believes that each school-site is the center for life-long learning based upon the vision and curriculum decisions shared by staff, the school board, administrators, local education associations, and parents.

The Glendale Union Education Association is sponsoring Sunnyslope High School's Vikingtown, a camp experience where 60 students, 20 teachers, school personnel and community members learn about prejudice, discrimination, building respect for oneself and others and how to solve problems. At the same time, parents come together in Parentown to share the experiences and learn the same lessons.

The Tucson Education Association is sponsoring the LEAST program that was developed by NEA to assist teachers with discipline in their classrooms. The title is an acronym for its five components: Leave things alone, End the action indirectly, Attend more fully, Spell out directions, Tracking student behavior. The association will give new and experienced teachers proven tactics to improve their classroom management skills.

In California...

The San Diego Education Association's (SDEA) "ParenTeacher Partnership" (PTP) is the focus of its community involvement program. The project hopes to increase conversations between the school community and the public by providing a neutral setting for stakeholders to discuss issues related to public education and student achievement. The SDEA plans to increase involvement in the PTP where all stakeholders involved with a child's education come together for the common cause of student achievement.

In Colorado...

Sound Exposure for Quality Education is a partnership between the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and the High Plains News Service. The partnership is seeking to continue its radio coverage of innovative education programs by producing and distributing up to 12 stories. Currently, 52 public, community, and commercial radio stations in 21 states broadcast High Plains' weekly program with an audience of 1.3 million. High Plains also adds these audio programs onto the World Wide Web where it reaches an additional 72 million listeners.

The Jefferson County Education Association will expand the number and broaden the targeted audience for the highly successful Helping Kids Thrive Parenting Conference, held annually since 1990. The newly expanded conference format will be used to provide training for parents and other adults in conjunction with the Assets for Colorado Youth initiative, which strives "to provide take-home skills for adults to help children grow in positive ways."

In Connecticut...

The Bridgeport Education Association has created a Peer Assistance Committee that was initiated at the start of the 1997-1998 school year. The committee is comprised of mentor teachers who work with teachers new to the district. The mentor teachers help the new teachers establish a New Teachers Cadre, where a group of trained personnel will be able to train other teachers.

In Georgia...

The Clayton County Education Association has joined in a partnership with the Clayton County School System to develop the Teacher's Academy, a professional development program to assist teachers in low performing schools. Three individuals on behalf of the association, from low performing schools, will attend the "Reaching the Tough to Teach" Institute. Those who have been sent to the institute will then assist other teachers at low performing schools using the materials and data obtained at the institute.

The DeKalb Educators organization will begin the DeKalb Literacy and Storytelling Project, intended to break the cycle of illiteracy in the county's low-income housing project. Children living in the Tobie Grant Housing Project attend eight different DeKalb County elementary schools. Students in grades three through six will be selected by the housing authority officials to participate in this initiative.

In Iowa...

The Sioux City Education Association in cooperation with the Sioux City Community School District will develop and implement a teacher-mentoring model to ensure quality teaching and learning throughout the district. The program will work in conjunction with a state mentor pilot program with training funded by the New Iowa Schools Cooperation.

In Kentucky...

The Jefferson County Teachers Association and the Jefferson County Public Schools are collaborating to support the New Teacher Mentoring Program. The purpose of the Mentoring Program is to intervene with support and information to assist first through fourth year teachers in refining their teaching expertise so that they are able to successfully remain in the teaching profession. The program provides non-evaluative support, outside and beyond the beginning teacher's internship year, and supports emergency certified teachers.

In Louisiana...

The Caddo Association of Educators formed the Community Alliance for Kids in Caddo Parish. This alliance will sponsor community roundtable activities involving neighborhood association leaders, community leaders, civic organizations and the PTA to raise awareness of the importance of the parents' role in their children's academic success and to develop strategies for success.

In Michigan...

The Lansing School Education Association has developed the MegaSkills training program for parents, where association members will act as the facilitators. The focus is on recruiting parent and school improvement team leaders to exchange information for the development of the school district.

In Montana...

The Billings Education Association has developed a program to identify and follow the high risk of dropout students from Riverside Middle School through graduation from Senior High School. The focus of this project, which is now in its ninth year, is on a long-term relationship with one adult throughout each student's high school career followed by post graduation counseling to direct and encourage these students into further education.

In Nebraska...

The Omaha Education Association will sponsor the Read Across America program in over 50 schools and gather community support. The association plans on giving a book of the Dr. Seuss series to each of its 4,000 first graders on March 2^nd. The book giveaway program is also sponsored by the Omaha Schools Foundation, which has pledged more than $10,000 to the program.

In New Jersey...

The Plainfield Education Association (PEA) has developed a comprehensive training program to aid new staff members in getting through the initial year(s) of employment unscathed by the growing burden of administrative regulations. The PEA will work collaboratively with the Plainfield Public Schools and the New Jersey Education Association to provide a series of workshops, seminars and mentoring initiatives designed to provide assistance to ensure the new member has the appropriate support and direction to be successful.

In North Carolina...

Cumberland County Schools will expand its existing Teacher Cadet Program, which promotes teacher-retention. The county will use these funds to expand this innovative project to serve an additional 40 students who are now on a waiting list. Funds will also provide current students with a year-end event focusing on celebrating student achievement and partnerships with area universities.

In Ohio...

The Springfield Education Association and the Springfield City Schools Board of Education will co-sponsor a Faculty Council in each school consisting of teachers selected by their peers and the building principal. The purpose of the Faculty Council is to discuss concerns and to engage in problem solving.

In Oregon...

The Salem Education Association and the Salem-Keizer Association of Classified Employees are co-sponsoring the Houck Middle School Social and Environmental Responsibility program. The program strives to develop a learning environment where all students have the opportunity to not only learn but apply what they have learned while helping others in the community. Students work through a planning process generating solutions of community needs and create a plan for "making-a-difference" in their community.

The Tigard-Tualatin Education Association has developed a project that promotes school safety and student achievement by training all elementary counselors in "First Steps for Success." The First Steps model has been proven to increase students' academic achievement and decrease the frequency of inappropriate behaviors. The project screens all kindergartners and provides additional training for teachers and counselors whose students require immediate attention.

In South Carolina...

The Spartanburg County Association of Educators has developed The DramaWorks Learning Project that will serve as a resource to urban schools and centers across the state and region that cater to historically underserved, high risk, urban youth. The goal of the project is to improve teaching practices by utilizing Multiple Intelligence and Creative Drama learning in partnership with local businesses.

In Tennessee...

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, Austin Peay University and the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Association have selected a pilot group of mentor teachers to take part in the Mentoring Internship Project. This project provides students entering the teaching profession with a mentor and the opportunity to spend an extensive amount of time in the K-5 classroom. Each student apprentice will have worked with his or her mentor for approximately four semesters.