The two legacy news articles I explored involved educational advancement in some respect. The first article discussed a book drive that took place in Paterson for approximately 4 weeks from the end of February to March 17th this year. The book drive aimed to collect books to distribute to children at the Northside branch of the Paterson Free Public Library, at the Christopher HOPE Community Center. The original branch was severely damaged during Hurricane Irene and many of its books were destroyed. Denisa Superville, a staff writer for the Bergen Record, discusses the scope and impact of the book drive in her article. Over 30,000 books were collected throughout North Jersey, some even coming from as far as Indiana. The books were also expected to help with the district's summer reading initiative. By showing pictures of the children who've been affected, the article allows us to visualize the impact something of this magnitude can have. It is truly heartwarming to see see so many lives touched, and smiles created.
The second article took a step away from educational charity and focused more on educational reform. President Obama created a budget that aims to improve the lowest achieving schools in the country, School 4 (in Paterson) being one of 21 in the State of New Jersey. Leslie Brody, Staff writer for the Bergen Record reported "school Improvement Grants were awarded to the most troubled schools that promised a raft of specific remedies to boost teacher quality, extend children’s learning time and give extra help to those furthest behind" (2013). School 4 was one of these schools. Now, not all of those involved welcome the grant money, but there are those who embrace it.
Like the previous article the effects of Hurricane Irene have been noted. The main focus of the article is Principal Rosemarie Bespalko of Carlstadt, hired specifically to change the future of the school. Bespalko has a set course shes chosen for her school and a specific goal of having her students reach up to 75% passing by her 70th birthday. Some of her reforms include longer school days, and parent involvement. She seeks to involve parents by inviting them to family movie nights and classroom visits. According to Bespalko (via Brody) “If everybody does their jobs, and stresses reading, parent involvement and practice, the kids have ability,” she said. “I know they can do it”(2013). The purpose of this article was to show that hard work and sacrifice can go a long way.
The blogs were bit more difficult to find, as I aimed to stay as close to topic as possible but I did manage to find a few. The Ridgewood blog, which boasts a "free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues," talked about the scope of donations for the book drive. Some chose to donate old books, some purchased new books for donation, and some offered delivery and pickup services. In another blog post on the same site, the reform budgets are discussed, with a link that leads to an outside source (NJ Spotlight). Posted in November, it discusses the application process for these grants. Interestingly enough there were a few districts that were expected to apply and could not get it signed off. Technological advancement is at the heart of request for expenditures. The post ends with a list of district applicants.
The articles above showed me the kind of person I want to be, as well as the kind of teacher I wish to be. There is no greater power than the ability to positively affect another, which may include a bit of sacrifice at times but is ultimately rewarding. Teaching is not about a paycheck, it is about improving the lives of others via education. Every child deserves my best effort. With help from the government, the community, individual families, and the schools themselves each student has the opportunity to succeed. The book drive demonstrates the power of community and the reforms show that the federal government believes everyone deserves an equal chance to be successful if all parties remain consistently involved in the procurement of education.
Superville, D. R. (2013, March 17). 30,000 books donated for Paterson children : page 1 - NorthJersey.com.NorthJersey.com: Local News, Breaking News, Sports, Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, Hudson, Sussex, Classifieds, Real Estate, Traffic & Weather. Retrieved March 21, 2013, from http://www.northjersey.com/allendale/30000_ books_donated_for_Paterson_children.html?c=y&page=1
Brody, L. (2013, January 6). Paterson school offers signs of hope in urban school reform : page 1 - NorthJersey.com.NorthJersey.com: Local News, Breaking News, Sports, Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, Hudson, Sussex, Classifieds, Real Estate, Traffic & Weather. Retrieved March 21, 2013, from http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/ education_news/Paterson_school_offers_signs_of_hope_in_urban_school_reform.html?c=y&page=1
http://theridgewoodblog.net/book-drive-for-paterson-kids-gets-help-from-unlikely-sources/
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/11/21/race-to-the-top-returns-this-time-for-school-districts/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Wake%20Up%20Call%20NJ&utm_campaign=Wake%20Up%20Call
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