Mosaica Parent Connection Newletter – May 2012, Click the link to view and download newsletter.

Click the link to download the latest Mosaica Parent Connection ENewsletter – April 2012

They will teach at charter schools operated by Breakthrough Schools, Constellation Schools, I CAN Schools and Mosaica Education. Partnership agreements with more schools are likely to be added as discussions continue, said Mike Wang, a senior vice president in charge of expanding the national program.

In addition, another 30 or so recruits will work in the Cincinnati and Dayton regions.

“I’m confident that the long-term leadership and dedication of these teachers will have positive impacts in schools across our state,” said Gov. John Kasich in a prepared statement.

Kasich is a big fan of Teach for America, a selective program that places new college graduates and professionals in schools that serve low-income children. Legislation he supported cleared the way for Teach for America to enter Ohio, a move that had been thwarted by state licensing rules.

The recruits have not majored in education – a fact that has drawn criticism from teacher unions and others. But they get months of preparation, including an orientation in their assigned locale and five weeks of intensive training in such areas as classroom management and preparing lesson plans, Wang said.

During their two-year stints, they also receive mentoring and other support, he said.

The cost of recruiting, readying and coaching the new teachers will be partly born by the Cleveland, George Gund and Nord foundations and the Lennon Trust, which have committed a combined $1.7 million. The program also is in talks with the Stocker Foundation, which focuses on the Lorain area.

In addition, Ohio’s federally funded Race to the Top plan allocates about $650,000 for Teach for America.

The individual schools will be responsible for the teachers’ salaries and benefits as well as a contribution toward program costs of $3,000 to $5,000 per teacher per year.

So far, no school districts in the area have signed on, at least partly because of their “tight budgets and hiring needs,” Wang said. He expects to partner with both charter and district schools in the long term.

Alan Rosskamm, head of Breakthrough Schools, said he’ll have about 15 Teach for America recruits among the more than 70 teachers he hopes to hire for the fall. Breakthrough will open three new schools and is adding grades at some of the six charter schools it has already – a list that includes Citizens Academy, E Prep and the Intergenerational School.

Rosskamm praised the selectivity of Teach for America, which accepts only about 12 percent of applicants. Ohio is one of the last major industrial states to open its doors to the program, he said.

“It’s a shame that some of the best grads from our Ohio schools who wanted to give two years to their hometowns were unable to do so until the enabling legislation,” he said.

“What excites me is this is a brain-gain story. Our brightest young people will be coming back to Cleveland rather than New York or Chicago or some other place.”

Nearly 1,200 Ohioans are among the current crop of 48,000 applicants. That includes about 350 from Ohio State University, 175 from Miami University and 60 from Case Western Reserve University.

“Folks are very interested in being in Ohio, especially Ohio natives,” Wang said. “Hundreds of young people with extraordinary leadership skills have been exported to other states in the past, but now they’ll have the opportunity to do important work in their home state.”

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2012/03/teach_for_america_recruits_to.html

Colorado League of Charter Schools

18th Annual Colorado Charter Schools Conference

Growth Model Rock Stars and Climbers:  How Schools Successfully Grow Student Learning

Friday, February 24 / 12:45 PM – 2:00 PM

Chief Academic Officer Andy Franko represents Banning Lewis Ranch Academy on a panel of schools that are beating the odds and experiencing wild success in the growth of their students, according to the Colorado Growth Model.  Learn how these schools make it happen through collaboration, school improvement planning, school-wide initiatives, use of data to drive instruction, and more.

California Charter School Association

19th Annual California Charter Schools Conference & Advocacy Week

Adding Online Courses

Tuesday 2/28
9:45 AM – 10:45 AM & Tuesday 2/28 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM

Mosaica President Gene Eidelman presents a poster session on how, by supplementing traditional with online courses, schools can offer a wider selection of
high-quality options, deliver these even when one or a few students enroll, and do so cost-effectively. Learn how this hybrid approach is improving student
opportunities in charter schools today.

The Three-legged Stool:
Authorizer, Service Provider and Charter School

Wednesday, February 29 / 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM & Wednesday, February 29 / 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

Authorizer and Nuview Union School District’s Superintendent Dave Linzey joins President Gene Eidelman of Mosaica Education, the ESO for Mercury Online Academy of Southern California, and Guilbert Hentschke of the University of Southern California in discussing key considerations in establishing and maintaining effective three-way relationships between Authorizer, Service Provider and Charter School – and how stronger schools result.

Session Title: Growth Model Rock Stars and Climbers:  How Schools Successfully Grow Student Learning
Date/Time: Friday, February 24 / 12:45 PM – 2:00 PM

Description: How are top schools consistently attaining high growth?  How can schools increase growth in students over time to increase achievement?  Come and learn from a panel of schools that are beating the odds and experiencing wild success in the growth of their students, according to the Colorado Growth Model.  Learn how these schools make it happen through collaboration, school improvement planning, school-wide initiatives, use of data to drive instruction, and more.

Presenters: Debbi Blair-Minter, Omar D. Blair Charter School | Yvette Brown, Academy Charter School | Andy Franko, Banning Lewis Ranch Academy

Title: Adding Online Courses for More Robust, College-Prep Education
Strand:  Blended Learning/Technology Expo
Type:  Poster Session
Audience:  Administrators
Add to Planner:   Add Item to Planner
Levels:  201 (Schools/Teachers)
Grade Levels:  Elementary, Middle School, High School

Description:  Today’s competitive marketplace demands more robust, higher quality education for college-prep students. Yet, today’s economy forces charter schools to address these needs in the face of difficult funding challenges. By supplementing traditional with online courses, schools can offer a wider selection of high-quality options, deliver these even when one or a few students enroll, and do so cost-effectively. Learn how this hybrid approach is improving student opportunities in charter schools today.

Presenter(s):  Gene Eidelman (Mosaica Education, Inc.)

Location:  Poster 19, Exhibit Hall A
Poster 19, Exhibit Hall A
Time:  Tuesday 2/28 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM
Tuesday 2/28 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM

Title: The Three-legged Stool: Authorizer, Service Provider and Charter School

Strand:  Facilities & Operations Expo
Type:  Poster Session
Audience:  General Ed/Stakeholders
Add to Planner:   Add Item to Planner
Levels:  101 (Developers)
Grade Levels:  Elementary, Middle School, High School

Description:

An outstanding working relationship between the charter-school authorizer, the school’s board, and the school’s educational
service provider requires clear, frequent and open communications, and clearly delineated roles and responsibilities. Cooper Chair in Public School Administration Rossier School of Education Guilbert Hentschke with the University of Southern California joins President Gene Eidelman of Mosaica Education, the ESO for Mercury Online Academy of Southern California, in
discussing key considerations in establishing and maintaining effective three-way relationships, and stronger schools.

Presenter(s):  Gene Eidelman (Mosaica Education, Inc.), Guilbert Hentschke  (University of Southern California)
Location:  Poster 2, Exhibit Hall A
Poster 2, Exhibit Hall A
Time:  Wednesday 2/29 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM
Wednesday 2/29 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM

“We are pleased to welcome Mosaica Education and Dr. John Q. Porter to the P21 Strategic Council,” said Lil Kellogg, Chair of P21 and Vice President of Education Networks of America.  “The addition of Mosaica Education will make P21’s coalition of businesses, nonprofits, and foundations even stronger in supporting 21^st century readiness for every student.”

Mosaica Education, a global leader in education reform, has served more than 45,000 students since its founding in 1997, and currently operates over 90 elementary, middle and high school programs in nine states, the District of Columbia and internationally.

Mercury Online Education, a subsidiary of Mosaica Education, Inc, provides K-12 education in an online format that features personalized interactive instruction, synchronous and asynchronous learning, benchmark and interim assessments, and high-quality educational and technical support.

Through its Mosaica Turnaround Partners division, Mosaica and Mercury provide specific supports for schools and school districts to turnaround, transform, and restart struggling schools.  These include whole-school management, intensive professional development, and job-embedded leadership and teacher coaching.  Dr. John Q. Porter, President of Mosaica Turnaround Partners will join P21’s Strategic Council.

“Mosaica Education shares P21’s commitment to innovation in education,” remarked Dr. Porter. “We are pleased to be affiliated with P21, who has been at the forefront of providing thought leadership and a champion for the importance of all of our students having access to 21^st Century Skills.”

As a catalyst organization in the 21^st Century Skills Movement, P21 works with education leaders, the business community, and state and federal policymakers to ensure that the U.S. education system equips students with rigorous content knowledge and the skills they need for college, career, and citizenship.

About P21: P21 is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the 3Rs and 4Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity and innovation). While leading districts and schools are already doing this, P21 advocates for local, state and federal policies that support this approach for every school.

P21 Members: Adobe Systems, Inc., American Association of School Librarians, Apple Inc., Cable in the Classroom, Cengage Learning, Cisco Systems, Inc., The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP), Crayola, Dell, Inc., EdLeader21, EF Education, Education Networks of America, Ford Motor Company Fund, GlobalScholar, Goddard Systems Inc., Hewlett Packard, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Intel Corporation, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, LEGO Group, Mosaica Education, Microsoft Corporation, National Academy Foundation, National Education Association, netTrekker, Pearson, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, Wireless Generation, Verizon, and VIF International Education.

Organizations interested in joining P21 may contact

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it