Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
Keep It Going NYC
February 2008
New Focus On Strengthened Career-Tech Education
Welcome to the February edition of Keeping It Going, the official e-newsletter of The Fund for Public Schools.

Over the last six years, New York City public schools have made tremendous progress. But there is still more work to do. While the high school graduation rate has increased by 18 percent since 2002, too many students still don’t graduate with the skills necessary to be productive members of today’s workforce. 

The new initiative to overhaul career and technical education (CTE) in New York City's public schools, as announced by Mayor Bloomberg in his recent State of the City address, is a promising step towards increased academic opportunity for all students. In conjuction with the Partnership for New York City, a new CTE Task Force will initiate a top-to-bottom review of vocational training programs in public schools. CTE will be redesigned as an enhanced pathway to post-secondary education or the workforce, ensuring that students have access to the tools they need for the 21st century economy.
 
New York City’s CTE high schools have enormous potential. When DOE and the business community work together, we can ensure that all students have access to quality education and a promising future.

How To Keep It Going in February
February is most famous for Valentine's Day-- and it's a perfect time to "share the love" you have for our City and our public schools! Whether you choose to tutor at a school in your spare time, or open your workplace to aspiring young people seeking career guidance, there's plenty you can do in February to keep the progress going. For even more great ideas, visit the volunteer section of our website.

Share Your Job With A Student
Throughout New York City, hundreds of New York City public school students will participate in a Junior Achievement of New York (JANY) Job Shadow program, which kicks off in February and continues throughout the school year. JANY is looking for a few good New Yorkers to share their careers with public school students. Volunteers work with JANY to create an agenda for the half-day event, which typically involves a tour of the office, opportunities to meet with senior executives and staff in various departments, and breakfast or lunch with the students. By opening your office and sharing your insight, you can help students learn what it takes to be successful in the workplace. To volunteer as a Job Shadow host, email jobshadow@jany.org or visit www.jany.org.

Bronx Seniors-- Get Involved!
The Community Service Society of New York (CSSNY) is looking for volunteers for its Experience Corps in the Bronx. Volunteers aged 55 and over tutor students and assist in elementary school classrooms for children at risk of developing reading difficulties. Experience Corps members are trained and placed by CSSNY, and most live in the communities in which they serve. This is a perfect opportunity for retirees and other older adults with a few hours to spare each week. For more information about the program or to get involved, please call CSSNY at (212) 614-5395 or email ktamar@cssny.org.
 
Wanted: Early Risers
Are you an early riser? Consider volunteering for a New York Cares Early Morning Reading Program. It’s an easy, rewarding way to start the day-- reading with elementary school children one-on-one or in small groups once a week before school begins. This program is also a wonderful way to help foster a love of reading and literature in children at a very early age. Early Morning Reading programs take place in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, generally from 7:20-8:20 a.m. Volunteers are asked to commit to a specific program weekly for the remainder of the school year. For more information about the Early Morning Reading Program and how to volunteer with New York Cares, visit www.nycares.org or call (212) 228-5000.
 
Donate Books Through Feb. 29
Giving a child a book helps foster a love of literacy and a lifetime of reading. Donate books to New York City students through the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Literacy Initiative by bringing them to one of two locations in Manhattan: the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building at 163 West 125th Street (map) or 75 Morton Street (map). The Literacy Initiative was developed in honor of Dr. King’s belief in education and equal opportunity for all. Sponsored by the New York State Office of General Services, the program has raised over 151,000 books for the children of New York State since 2004. The 2008 NYC Literacy Drive will run through February 29.

A Lifetime of Literacy
Harlem Librarian Gives Students His All
Peter Kornicker didn't start his career as a teacher. He worked as a fashion photographer for 18 years, but when his own children were born he became interested in education and child development. He eventually quit his job to become a stay-at-home father and ultimately applied to become a NYC Teaching Fellow. Kornicker began as a third-grade classroom teacher, but was asked to replace the school librarian when she retired. He loved it immediately.

Kornicker is a ball of energy, a fully-charged educator, advocate, and mentor. He’s also the kind of guy that students seem to gravitate towards. When you step inside the bright, colorful library at P.S. 161 in Harlem, you can immediately see the many reasons why.

“I feel relaxed here,” says a fourth grader of her school’s well-equipped library. “It’s quiet, and you can entertain yourself with books,” adds another.

Each morning at 6:30, Kornicker flips the sign on his library door to “Open.” Within minutes, the first students appear and by 8:00 a.m. there are as many as forty students packing the room – reading, studying, or using the computers. “If you can get the kids to come in early, it’s a great way to get their day off and running,” says Kornicker. His book-jammed library is open all day, and he usually spends his lunch period at his desk to serve more students.

“I really encourage them to find their passion,” he says. “When they’re here, I want them to find a book they’re going to enjoy.”

P.S. 161 has come a long way in the last several years. Formerly on the State’s failing list, the school has seen significant improvements in reading and math test scores since 1999, and received a solid "B" on the its Progress Report in 2007. By expanding library access to before- and after-school hours, Kornicker clearly contributes to these gains."This is a wonderful school, and an opportunity-rich environment,” says Kornicker. “I’m very positive about the changes at DOE in the last few years.”

If Kornicker is one of the school’s most enthusiastic boosters, he is also one of its most effective; he has successfully applied for grants to support the school, most recently receiving $50,000 for digital projectors and SmartBoards in every classroom. In January, Kornicker received yet another honor – a Library REACH (Revitalizing Education for Adolescents and Children) grant awarded by The Fund for Public Schools. Kornicker will use the new resources to upgrade the library’s non-fiction DVD collection.

Assistant Principal Pamela Price Haynes sums up the school’s pride in its dynamic librarian. “He’s not just a resource for the library,” she says of Kornicker. “He’s a resource for the entire community.”

For his part, Kornicker stays focused on the critical work of engaging and inspiring his students at this early age. “All I wanted for my own kids when they finished elementary school was that they still loved learning,” he says. “That’s what I’m really hoping for with these children too.”

You are receiving this e-mail because you signed up at KeepItGoingNYC.org or because you are a friend of The Fund for Public Schools.

Unsubscribe <<Email Address>> from this list.

Our mailing address is:
The Fund for Public Schools 52 Chambers Street Rm. 305 New York, NY 10007

Our telephone:
212-374-2874

Copyright © 2007 The Fund for Public Schools. All rights reserved.

Share this newsletter with a friend!

  

Keeping It Going is a publication of: