School Banking Makes Sense

School banking.

 When I grew up in Philadelphia in the 1950’s, The Philadelphia Savings Fund Society or PSFS had a school banking program. Once a week a representative from the bank would come to our school to collect deposits and record them in our savings passbook. PSFS started the program back in 1923 and was the first banking institution in the US to do so.  The goal was multi-fold.  On one hand, the bank tried to teach students about thrift and the importance of savings. They would learn how savings could grow with the addition of interest added on at the end of the year. On another level the bank was cultivating future customers who would ultimately open Christmas Club accounts, apply for mortgages for their first homes and become life-long customers.

 Philadelphia was not the only area to encourage student savings by opening a school bank program .The state of Louisiana has a state wide school banking program sponsored by the Louisiana Bankers Association. Along with the about for students to make weekly deposits and see their money grow, there is a 100 page teachers guide that is useful in teaching elementary students about money. The curriculum has be accessed and downloaded at http://www.lba.org/files/bank%20at%20school1.pdf.

In 1992 the state of Delaware established a bank at school program. The original program was started in conjunction with the Delaware Trust Company and the state had to give permission to operate the“branches” in schools. *(see http://www.bankatschool.com/index.html).

Recently in Naples, Florida, The Suncoast Credit Union began operating in area schools. Students act as “tellers” and accept deposits from fellow students.

In Massachusetts, the State Treasurer initiated a program entitled “Savings Makes Sense.” It was designed as a way to teach school students about money, credit, banking, taxes and investments. The participating bank is Country Bank for Savings in Ware, Mass. They even have a mascot- Buck the Dog- who encourages students to put money in their passbook savings accounts.  For more information about this innovative program, go to http://www.countrybankforkids.com/teachers.htm.

In Virginia, the Bank of Lancaster sent every student in the middle school a one dollar bill and encouraged them to open a school savings account. One dollar is the minimum required to open an account. Students were then invited to apply for “jobs” as tellers and branch managers. The school bank is open one day a week and parents volunteer to help accept deposits. This program was established in conjunction with the Virginia Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association. Please see http://www.bankoflancaster.com/school-banking-programs.

Please note that all banks mentioned are FDIC insured.

Starting a school bank in your school is a great way to get students to participate in the learning about finance and economics. Hopefully, it will instill the importance of thrift and savings and lower the risk of having an economic meltdown like the one we are presently trying to steer out of.

The personal savings rate in the US was recently pegged at 4.9%, the lowest since October 2008. It has been higher as well as lower in recent years. The current decline has been caused by the Recession. People who are out of work can’t save money. The other problem is spending. Apparently Americans overspent during the holidays creating a further depression of the savings rate.

As you might see, establishing a school bank is timely in several respects. If your school doesn’t have one, you can be the catalyst to start one!

Book Review- Teacher Man

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt.

“Professors of education at New York University never lectured on how to handle flaying-sandwich situations. They talked about the theories and philosophies of education, about moral and ethical imperatives…” so observed Frank McCourt, teacher and Pulitzer Prize winning author, who taught at Stuyvesant High School and the McKee Vocational and Technical High School in New York and was named teacher of the year in 1976. McCourt grew up in Ireland and links his teaching style and academic wherewithal to his childhood (See Angela’s Ashes  and Tis also by McCourt) .McCourt died in July, 2009 in New York.

By now as we approach half way point in the school year you have realized that a great deal of the theoretical knowledge you learned in college is not very useful in the classroom. High school students are so preoccupied with being teen agers that getting an education lacks importance and timeliness. Your education professors probably did not dwell on issues such as breaking up fights, dealing with teen romances, homeless students, complaints about home work and the like.

With both wit and wisdom, McCourt weaves an autobiographical tale of his triumphs and setbacks that comes along with 30 years of teaching.  If you are in need of some diversions as you work your way through the winter doldrums or need to take a break from grading mid-term exams, Teacher Man is a most hilarious escape.

Every day in the classroom is an adventure, often filled with unexpected surprises.  Although you may have the most detailed and exemplary lesson plans ever written, there some events that you can’t plan for- a fire drill, snow storm, a student unexpectedly moving to another city, a family tragedy.

Teacher Man, by Frank McCourt (c.2005. Scribner Publishers) is available in paperback from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble,  as well as other booksellers

No CHild Left Behind's Tenth Anniversary

Happy Birthday NCLB

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind law. It was the cornerstone of President George Bush’s education platform.  It was supposed to increase teacher accountability in the classroom. It was also supposed to raise the level of achievement for America’s public school children. It was supposed to help America “Catch up” with the education systems in other western nations after falling behind for many years. So if NCLB was supposed to be the greatest educational development since the McGuffey Reader, how come there are so many people against it? How come Congress has been reluctant to reauthorize the law?

The No Child Left Behind Law was modeled after a simpler program introduced in Texas when George Bush was governor.

One of the positive platforms to come out of the law was the notion of “highly qualified” teachers. This meant that all teachers had to prove proficiency in the subject that they taught. This required that a teacher complete an appropriate amount of course work in a specific subject area (like mathematics or English), and pass a standardized written examination ( in New Jersey, for example, the approved examination is the Praxis Series).

One of the controversial parts of the law dealt with adequate yearly progress and student performance on standardized test. Essentially this meant that a school’s grade relied on how the students performed on one written test. There are way too many variables to place so much weight on one day of testing out of an entire academic year. Both teachers and students were concerned about factors beyond their control that were impacting the education process.

In an era where there is a public clamor for less government intrusion, there is great deal of discussion as to whether the bill should be reauthorized. Under the 10^th Amendment to the Constitution, anything not specifically delegated to the federal government becomes the purview of the states. So it has been that state government controlled public education in their states- setting standards for both students as well as teachers.

In 2011 President Barak Obama authorized states that they could seek waivers around certain proficiency requirements in exchange for changes favored by the administration.

We truly don’t know where this will all end. It is a sensitive political issue, especially in an election year. Every candidate desires to be the “Education President.”

As always, your comments and input are welcome.

Performing Arts and Education

When I was in ninth grade, we got the opportunity read our first Shakespeare play in English class. The play was Julius Caesar.  Our teacher did a great job setting the stage, explaining vocabulary, and placing the events in context. Still, being a novice at reading plays, there was something missing. Fortunately the father of one of the students in our class was an executive at a movie theatre in center city Philadelphia. He invited the entire class to a private showing of the film Julius Caesar with Marlon Brando and Deborah Kerr. Suddenly the play came alive, with sets, costumes, and the interplay of the characters. It made a great deal of difference in my understanding of play. I did not understand at the time, how important the performing arts were in the development of a well rounded cultural education. In the following years, I attended my first Broadway show, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead, took a New Years Eve date to the Pennsylvania Ballet, and visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art on numerous occasions.

Fast forward forty five years and the performing arts are under attack. When financially strapped school districts cut budgets, fine and performing arts are usually the first programs to go. Cultural field trips also soon follow. With many states under the gun to have students performing well on standardized assessment testing, any subjects that appear frivolous  and are not directly related to those tested are set aside or are eliminated completely. The film Mr. Holland’s Opus, starting Richard Dreyfus, underscores the importance of the arts (in this case-music).

One suggestion that I would like to make is to connect with local community theatres. Sometimes you can meet with artistic director in advance and request a showing as a certain play. For example, your students might be learning about the Holocaust and were required to read The Diary of Ann Frank.  A local community theatre might be willing to stage a production for your students at a discounted rate. They may even be will to do a staged reading in your school auditorium.  This is a difficult time financially for small theatres thought out the country. They may be willing to work along with schools in their curriculum development.

Look also for new community theaters that are about to open. Cooperating with a school program is great publicity and certainly provides them with public exposure. One such upcoming company is the New Paradigm Theatre in Stamford, Ct. In addition to meeting the cultural needs of the community, this new innovative theatre is investigating  the possibility of offering internships to area high school students, providing a new relationship to enhance the education experience for students. It is important for educators to support fine and performing arts both in the community and in the schools. We as educators need to keep this in mind and we try to prepare students for a culturally well rounded education

New Year Teachable Moments

2012 Teachable Moments

The New Year will give teachers many opportunities to share exciting events with their students. Lessons in American history, geography and civics will headline what promises to be an outstanding year educationally.

War of 1812

2012 will mark the bi-centennial of the War of 1812. Teachers will have opportunities to present lessons about future president Andrew Jackson as well as the famous Battle of New Orleans.  A special web site has been created for this historic occasion lots of information for history buffs as well as teachers. Be sure to visit http://www.visit1812.com/

2012 Summer Olympic Games

The New Year is also an Olympic year. The Summer Olympics games will be held in London this summer. Teachers can create lesson about geography, flags, languages and customs as well as the numerous sports that Olympians will be competing in. Go to the web address http://www.london2012.com/ for more information. Help your students cheer our athletes on to victory.

Queen Elizabeth II - Jubilee

As long as we are discussing the United Kingdom, Brits will be celebrating the Jubilee year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Not since the reign of Queen Victoria has there been a monarch who ruled for 60 years. If you are focusing of Western European History or want to follow up on student interest in last year’s royal wedding, here is the opportunity to do so.

The Titanic.

 April 2012 will mark the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the ocean liner Titanic. The Titanic Historical Society web site is loaded with facts, figures and photos of artifacts. There will be several traveling exhibitions and commemorations. There will also be auctions of Titanic memorabilia. There are wonderful opportunities here for lessons in geography, history, laws of the sea, and early twentieth century society.  Try this site http://www.titanic1.org/

Presidential Election

As has been discussed on this blog previously 2012 is a Presidential Election year. President Barak Obama will be running for re-election against one of seven current Republican candidates. These once every four year events cry out for civics lessons, dealing w current campaign issues like health care, the economy, immigration. There are also places to obtain information on elections, polling requirements and the Electoral College.  Visit  http://www.pbs.org/elections/kids/educators.html, http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html.

Happy New Year!