Navy Supports Local MS Schools

I started working with Mississippi schools when I was CEO of ABCTE and we were able to get our teacher recruitment and training program into a state that desperately needed math and science teachers. I found the people there to be incredibly nice and had a true desire to move forward.

I went there again last year as we looked to expand NMSI's AP program. It was then we found out that only 19 black students in the entire state took and passed a math or science AP test.  That is horrific.

But that is about to change thanks to the United States Navy through the Office of Naval Research. They are committed to working with the schools near their labs and they selected both Ocean Springs and Biloxi to receive grants for the AP program. Both schools start this summer.

Having served in the Navy, it warms my heart to see support for schools that truly need it.  We look forward to posting amazing results next fall!

Read more about the NMSI AP Program in Mississippi and some good press on the announcement Biloxi High School Advanced Placement.

Common Core Panel

One of the best I have seen - just great information and it doesn't hurt that it Pat McCarthy leads it off with a little plug for NMSI.



The Common Core is Coming! from NewSchools on Vimeo.

Thomas Friedman Tips from New Schools Venture

Thomas Friedman on the 5 tips he gives to his daughters on life to succeed in the hyper-connected world that requires that you constantly learn and grow: 

1. Every day in every way think like immigrant - everything could be taken away at any time
2. Think like an artisan - make every item you make whether it is a memo or email or - take pride in your work
3. Think like a start up - if you ever think you are finished, you will be finished - nothing is done. Always see yourself as a work in progress. 
4. Persistence, Grit  and Passion will always win over intelligence- -your employer can get anyone from anywhere
5. Think like a waitress at Perkins Pancake house - she may not control much but if she thinks like an entrepreneur over what she controls she can make great tips and get ahead.

Common Core and Testing!

I have two great posts up at our NMSI Blog - the first is on an interesting white paper from an Anti-Testing group called Challenge Success.  I normally would not even read it but one of my academic staff said we need to and it is pretty amazing - they capture the essence of what we are fighting for -

You can't just require rigorous courses, you have to give teachers the training and resources to lay the groundwork for the increased rigor and increase enrollment by building actual demand! It is pretty incredible so please read more about Challenging AP without Supports.

The second post is about the amazing response to our Open Resources for Common Core which have now been visited over 12,000 times in just three weeks and our open lessons have been visited over 11,000 times. We need we would get an incredible response but this is beyond belief!

So much going on at National Math and Science Initiative!

Coalition Overload

It seems that the NMSI team has spent a lot of team over the last few months working with coalitions and I am struggling to see the value. As is the case in many education endeavors it seems that the rush to build coalitions has exceeded the actual need. There are now even coalitions of coalitions!

But are they really creating an impact for students or are they just another process between organizations and implementation?

If you are not really part of the solution then you really are part of the problem and the problem is getting resources to schools, teachers and students.  Being a convener and a highlighter of best practice isn't really achieving results as far as I can tell.

I know I am a little too cynical but stop the convening and highlighting and let's get on with funding implementation and doing.