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May 8, 2012 | Serious Challenges For Serious Solutions
Cut back or spend more. Privatize or support a public role. Austerity or job growth. Are these our only choices? Young people don't think so, which is why want to hear more youth voices in discussions about the future.
The SparkOpportunity Challenge gives young people a platform to share their solutions. Thanks to all our partners and allies who are helping to spread the word, like Demos did in their recent blog.
Younger voters are facing major problems and Young Invincibles has a note for this year's political candidates: serious challenges call for serious solutions.
The same could be said for those not yet old enough to vote. Bruce Lesley lays out the hardships and inadequate services threatening the potential of millions of children and young families.
That's why most advocates are focused on refuting the myths and short-sighted attempts to cut back, roll back, or deconstruct programs that help children, youth and families - like food stamps and workforce training programs that re-connect youth to skills and educational opportunities so they can succeed.
While many measures approved by the House of Representatives are not expected to make it past the Senate or the President's desk, such drastic policies can seem "normal" without a groundswell of public outrage. This week the House will vote on a measure that would commit Congress to ten years of extreme cuts to services for children and families. This is the time to speak up in opposition.
Imagine trying to visit your son in a for-profit juvenile detention facility and learning he isn't there. For six weeks no one tells you he is in the hospital with severe injuries and brain damage. What happens when these facilities don't provide even a minimum of safety and control?
Now for the good news: there have been recent gains in funding and alignment for early learning, along with recommendations for improving the quality of the workforce.
Finally, I'd like to dedicate this Update to Maurice Sendak, who knew so well what it is like to be a child and put that understanding into such indelible language and images. Sendak died today at the age of 83.
Onward,
Jan
We heart feedback! Email jan@sparkaction.org.
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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! We're going to take few minutes to email, call, or write to #thankateacher this week. Hope you will too!
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Connect with SparkAction!
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I One Week Left! 
 Time is running out to enter the SparkOpportunity Challenge before voting starts. Deadline for submissions is Tuesday, May 15!
Have you seen the Jon Bon Jovi PSA video yet?
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| New on SparkAction
"My worry is there are fewer and fewer reporters now who really understand youth issues and who are used to talking to kids, and the lack of them is going to hurt the daily journals."
- Patrick Boyle speaking of his experience as a judge for the Casey Journalism Medals in an interview with Alison Waldman.
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| Youth Voices, and Voices for Youth
Note to 2012 Candidates: Have a Plan for Your Young Constituents
If you're running for political office this year, you need to address the needs of younger voters. Not just because they make up a considerable portion of the electorate, but because they are 100% of the nation's future. Young Invincibles calls for serious solutions to the serious challenges facing the young.
Letter to the Editor: Federal Food Aid Cuts Would Hurt Families
In a recent letter to the editor, Kathy Green, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, argues myths about food stamps are dangerous - especially when they're used to attack a program that is helping families through very hard times.
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| Quote of the Week 
"Remember, remember always that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists."
- Find out what famous American said this, and check out the WKCD speech writing contest on the theme, "What Makes a Nation Strong?
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| Connecting for Youth
Investigation Exposes Barbaric Conditions at For-Profit Youth Prison in Mississippi
A federal judge calls it a "cesspool." The Southern Poverty Law Center says the inhumane conditions are alarming and questions the wisdom of turning youth offenders over to companies that exist solely to make a profit.
The Intern Chronicles: A Young Man's On-The-Job Training
Give your interns more than a paycheck this summer - help them read their pay stub, prepare a resume, or do well in a job interview. These are just a few of the good ideas the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth has about internships.
 Reclaiming the American Dream: Community Colleges and the Nation's Future
The 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges says America's community colleges have accomplished much, but if they "are to contribute powerfully to meeting the needs of 21st-century students and the 21st-century economy, education leaders must reimagine what these institutions are-and are capable of becoming."
Simplifying Student Aid: What It Would Mean for States
Federal FAFSA applications for college aid require more personal information than most IRS forms. Would simplifying the application allow more people to "game the system" or inadvertently disqualify some low-income students? This College Board simulation study concludes simplification done well could considerably improve participation in postsecondary education by students with limited financial resources.
Connecting the Dots: Linking Broadband Adoption to Job Creation and Job Competitiveness
The National Urban League says targeting broadband expansion for high need communities could connect more people to jobs. The study also recommends strong and innovative STEM programs so students will gain the interest and skills they need to leverage new opportunities offered by broadband expansion.
The New York Knicks and Kids Need Anger Management
Following the high-profile loss of control by Knicks' player Amar'e Stoudemi, Jennifer Wheary, a senior fellow at Demos, says we all could use more skills in managing our anger and frustration - skills that can be taught in school. |
| School Turn-arounds - A Closer Look
Leadership Changes in Schools: Minimizing the Downside
A new school leader can bring new ideas and agendas, but can also destroy successful approaches that are already working. The UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools offers practical ways to institutionalize successful student support systems so that progress is built on, not abandoned, when a new leader arrives.
Housing Costs, Zoning, and Access to High-Scoring Schools
The growing gap between rich and poor is being played out in wide gaps in the quality of schools available to different income groups. Get the data for your metro area.
Parent Power: A Film & Panel Discussion on Education Organizing at the Capitol
In 1995, parents in South Bronx campaigned to bring high-quality education to their neighborhood, one of the poorest in the nation. Their campaign expanded citywide, uniting thousands of parents in all five boroughs. A new film, Parent Power tells their story and you can attend a special film screening and panel discussion on May 9.
National Resolution on High Stakes Testing
Inspired by more than 360 Texas school boards, major national education, civil rights and parents groups have launched a resolution calling on federal and state policymakers to reduce reliance on standardized test mandates, instead basing school accountability on multiple forms of measurement. |
| Early Learning Comes of Age
Educational Alignment for Young Children: Profiles of Local Innovation
The National League of Cities presents lessons learned from five cities at the forefront of efforts to create a seamless educational pipeline for young children to ensure all children are reading at grade level by the end of third grade.
Advice on Using Title I Funds for Preschool
The Department of Education explains how Title I funding can be used for early learning in distressed school districts.
Improving Early Care Quality by Improving the Workforce
For many children, their Head Start teacher or child care provider is second only to their family in building a foundation for good health, intellectual development, and social skills. The Society for Research in Child Development argues that, to be more effective, the early care and education workforce requires more financial support, greater cross-sector coordination, and further access to professional development on evidence-based practices.
Families and Expanded Learning Opportunities: Working Together to Support Children's Learning
Kids learn better when their families are engaged with their schools. The same is true of after-school and other extended learning programs. The National Conference of State Legislatures and the Harvard Family Research Project explore the ways that families and ELOs can work as equal partners to ensure ELOs are contributing to children's learning in meaningful ways. |
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Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber
SparkAction and the Forum for Youth Investment
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demonstrate how unpopular these cuts are - contact your representative today! 
