Nicholas Meier
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Links to Education Web Resources

(Updated 5/15/10 )

School Reform
Multicultural and Multilingual Education
Multicultural and Bilingual Book Publishers
Innovative Schools
Blogs
Miscellaneous Sites

School Reform

	CalCare http://www.calcare.org/ "We are a grassroots organization of educators, parents, students, and concerned citizens working together to promote high quality teaching and learning in all classrooms. We recognize that high-stakes testing harms children and impoverishes education. Together we are working to educate policy makers and the public about the dangers of the current trend in educational reforms, and to promote authentic assessment and reform efforts which work towards equity, democracy, academic excellence, and social justice." CalCare also runs a listserv which you can sign up for at this site.
	Center for Collaborative Education – Boston http://www.ccebos.org CCE's mission is to improve student learning in K-12 public schools and districts by promoting educational reform that is focused on school and system-wide change. In particular they are focused on the development of small schools as a means of innovation.
	Coalition of Essential Schools http://www.essentialschools.org/ A wealth of information about the reform program founded by Ted Sizer and based at Brown University. Includes details about the Coalition's principles, projects, publications and membership. You can also access the online version of its journal "Horace."
	Empowered by Play http://www.empoweredbyplay.org "Helping families and teachers protect and promote imaginative play in our way-too-busy, consumer-driven, media-filled world."
	Fair Test http://www.fairtest.org/ Online home of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, an advocacy organization working to end the abuses, misuses and flaws of standardized testing and ensure that evaluation of students and workers is fair, open, and educationally sound.
	Forum for Education and Democracy http://www.forumforeducation.org/ "The Forum for Education and Democracy is devoted to supporting educational policies and practices that prepare the young for a life of active and engaged citizenship." The forum's conveners include: George Wood, Linda Darling-Hammond, Deborah Meier, Ted Sizer, John Goodlad, Wendy Puriefoy, among other notables in education policy and reform.
	In Defense of Childhood http://www.indefenseofchildhood.org "Our purpose is to broaden and refocus public conversation about early childhood and its long-term implications for a child’s life and for society; to restore imaginative play and hands-on, experiential learning as central acti-vities in kindergartens and preschools; and to support stable, loving relation-ships with all adults in children’s lives."
	Deborah Meier http://www.deborahmeier.com Deborah Meier is a leading educational activist and reformer, dedicated to democratic public education. She has been on the forefront of the small schools movement as the founder and director of several highly succcessful small public schools in New York City and Boston. Her site includes links to much of her writings, including a semi-regular column.
	Middle Web http://www.middleweb.com/ A project supported by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, which is dedicated to reform and innovation in middle schools, with an emphasis on urban issues. Lots of good links to other online resources.
	No Child Left http://www.nochildleft.com "NoChildLeft.com is a site advocating a sound approach to school improvement." This site offers articles, resources and cartoons critiquing No Child Lef Behind and other standardizatin based school policies as well as alternatives to such policies.
	The North Dakota Study Group on Evaluation http://ndsg.org NDSG is a diverse network of progressive educators dedicated to advocacy for useful, fair, and democratic ways to document and assess children's learning and offering a criticism of educational reform and practice in the light of an enduring concern with democracy and the state of childhood.
	Public Education Network (PEN) http://www.publiceducation.org "PEN is a national association of local education organizations and individuals working to advance public school reform in low-income communities across our country. PEN seeks to build public demand and mobilize resources for quality public education for all children through a theory of action that focuses on the importance of public engagement in school reform."
	School Redesign Network http://www.srnleads.org/ "This site is dedicated to providing resources to those interested in redesigning large comprehensive schools and creating small learning communities."
	Susan Ohanian http://susanohanian.org Susan Ohanian, a dsitiguished educator and writer, focuses on the outrages of standardized testing and NCLB, often sharing the latest in news and other updats, as well as many other useful resources.
	Teaching for Change http://www.teachingforchange.org/ Teaching for Change provides curriculum guides and other resources to help teachers engage students in innovative classroom activities that deal with issues of equity and social justice.
	Joan Wink http://www.JoanWink.com Joan is a professor of Education at CSU Stanislaus ansd author of several books on education and teaching. Her areas of particlar interest include multicultural education and critical pedagogy. "The purpose of my personal web pages is to share resources with teachers and learners."

Multicultural and Multilingual Education

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	California Association for Bilingual Education http://www.bilingualeducation.org Mission: Promote and support educational excellence and social justice for all. Promote and publicize excellence in bilingual education.
	EdChange http://www.edchange.org EdChange is dedicated to equity and justice in schools and society. We act to shape schools, organizations, and communities in which the full diversity of people have opportunities to live, learn, and thrive free from oppression.
	ELL Advocates http://www.elladvocates.org Institute for Langauge and Education Policy: research-Based advocacy for schools and communities.
	GLSEN - Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network http://www.glsen.org/templates/index.html Founded as a volunteer group in Boston in 1990, GLSEN has grown into one of the nation's leading voices for equality and safety in the educational system.
	Institute for Language and Education Policy http://www.elladvocates.org "The Institute for Language and Education Policy is a newly formed, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting research-based policies in serving English and heritage language learners. We are teachers, administrators, researchers, professors, students, and others who believe that the time for advocacy is now."
	National Association for Multicultural Education http://www.nameorg.org/ Founded in 1990, NAME provides resources and support that help educators promote "a philosophy of inclusion that embraces the basic tenets of cultural pluralism," and "promoting cultural and ethnic diversity as a national strength."
	National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/ News, discussion groups and resources for educators working with linguistically and culturally diverse students.
	National Women's History Project http://www.nwhp.org/ "The National Women's History Project is an educational nonprofit organization. Our mission is to recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs.
	Rethinking Schools http://www.rethinkingschools.org/ "Rethinking Schools is a non-profit, independent quarterly newspaper advocating the reform of elementary and secondary public schools. Our emphasis is on urban schools and issues of equity and social justice."
	Skipping Stones http://www.skippingstones.org/index.html A nonprofit children's magazine that encourages cooperation, creativity and celebration of cultural and environmental richness. It provides a playful forum for sharing ideas and experiences among children from different lands and backgrounds. Each issue also contains international pen pals, book reviews, news, and a guide for parents and teachers.
	Teaching for Change http://www.teachingforchange.org/ Teaching for Change provides curriculum guides and other resources to help teachers engage students in innovative classroom activities that deal with issues of equity and social justice.
	Teaching Examples Teaching-Examples/teaching_examples.html Links to articles of teachers describing theri multicultural teaching lessons and units
	Teaching Tolerance http://www.tolerance.org/teach/index.jsp "Tolerance.org is a principal online destination for people interested in dismantling bigotry and creating, in hate's stead, communities that value diversity." Teaching Tolerance is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
	What Kids Can Do http://www.wkcd.org/ "Using the Internet, print, and broadcast media, WKCD presses before the broadest audience possible a dual message: the power of what young people can accomplish when given the opportunities and supports they need and what they can contribute when we take their voices and ideas seriously. The youth who concern WKCD most are those marginalized by poverty, race, and language."

Multicultural and Bilingual Book Publishers

	Asia for Kids http://www.afk.com/ "We are committed to making your educational efforts easier. Our mission is to be the best global resource for teaching Asian languages and cultures." There are native language books available as well as English and bilingual books about the different cultures. Searchable by topic as well as title and author.
	Children's Book Press http://www.childrensbookpress.org/ "Children's Book Press (CBP) is a nonprofit publisher of multicultural and bilingual children's picture books. We view our efforts as part of a larger movement to create a children's literature of inclusion, giving all children a sense of their culture, history, and importance." CPB books are of high quality. The stories are accompanied by beautiful full color illustrations.
	Lectorum http://www.lectorum.com/ Lectorum Publications has grown to become the largest Spanish language book distributor in the country with over 25,000 titles from more than 500 domestic and foreign publishers including many fine children's books in Spanish.
	Lee and Low Books http://www.leeandlow.com/home/ An independent children's book publisher specializing in multicultural themes. It is the company's goal to meet the need for stories that children of color can identify with and that ALL children can enjoy. Lee & Low makes a special effort to work with artists of color, and takes pride in nurturing many authors and illustrators who are new to the world of children's book publishing."
	Pan Asian Publications http://www.panap.com/ "Pan Asian made it our mission to publish quality bilingual children's books. Since then, we have presented many classical folktales and popular stories in bilingual format„not only in Asian languages, but also in Spanish, Russian and many other languages."
	Star Bright Books http://www.starbrightbooks.com "Because we think that children of all abilities should have access to great books, we publish books for all types of kids. Our inclusion books have consistently received great reviews and our beginner reader sign language books are great for any toddler. We also publish Spanish editions of our many of popular titles, with more languages soon to follow." Their focus is on early childhood and beginner reading books, though they have some for older children as well

Innovative Public Schools

	Central Park East Elementary School http://www.centralparkeastone.org/ 1573 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10029 CPE was founded by educational reformer and innovator Deborah Meier in 1973 and now more than 35 years later is still going strong. Based on progressive open classroom pricniples, it has had what some would call miraculoous success serving largely Latino and African-American students in East Harlem. David Bensman's Book Central Park East and It's Graduates tells the story of what makes this school so special.
	High Tech High http://www.hightechhigh.org/ 2861 Womble Road San Diego, California 92106-6025 619-243-5000 "The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School is a bold innovation in public education. Launched in September 2000 by an industry and educator coalition, High Tech High (HTH) occupies a newly designed learning space at the former Naval Training Center (NTC) in San Diego. A small, diverse learning community with a current enrollment of 452 students, HTH is founded on three design principles: personalization, adult-world connection, and a common intellectual mission. Innovative features include performance-based assessment, commom planning time, state-of-the-art technical facilities for project-based learning, internships for all students, and close links to the high tech workplace."
	The International High School http://ihsnyc.org/ 31-10 Thomson Avenue Long Island City, N.Y. 11101 718 482-5455 International is a small, multicultural high school whose mission is to prepare English Language Learners for college. Students develop their academic and English skills by completing individual and group research and projects.
	The Met (High School) http://www.metcenter.org/ 362 Dexter Street Providence, Rhode Island 02907 (401) 752-3400 "The Met is a small public high school open to all students in Rhode Island. We educate one student at a time, so each student's curriculum is determined by his or her unique interests, background, and learning styles. All students work on projects in real-world settings related to their interests and develop strong relationships with teachers and project mentors. The Met enrolls families, not just students. We have a very diverse student body, and every Met graduate has been accepted to college. Learn more from the Met Portfolio, the book One Kid at a Time, and the video Learning Journeys."
	MetWest (High School) http://metwesths.org/ 314 East 10th Street Oaklnad, CA 94606 510-879-0235 "MetWest is one of forty public high schools around the country pioneering a model of internship-based education MetWest�s 9th-12th graders travel to the campus from all corners of Oakland. The school�s approach to learning is grounded in a commitment to educate one student at a time, in a tight-knit community of peers, family, teachers, and community mentors � utilizing resources inside and outside the classroom."
	Mission Hill (K-8) http://www.missionhillschool.org/ 67 Alleghany Street Boston, Massachusetts 02120 (617) 635 6384 Fax (617) 635 6419 Mission Hill was founded by the innovative educator Deborah Meier in 1997. "The Mission Hill School is a Boston Pilot school, serving children in grades K-8. We are a small community, with approximately 170 students. Classrooms consist of no more than 20 students, and are multi-age; most children spend two years with the same teacher."
	The New City School (K-8) http://www.thenewcityschool.org/ 1230 Pine Avenue Long Beach, California 90813 562-436-0689 The New City School is a contructivist two-way immersion (Spanish/English) multi-graded small K-8 charter school. They have managed to combine the best innovative progressive educational ideas into one school, serving a hetereogeneous population.
	Oasis Charter Public School (K-8) http://www.oasischarterschool.com 404 Lincoln Ave Salinas, California 93901 Phone: 831-424-9003 Fax : 831-424-9005 Oasis is a new small charter school in Salina California. It's teaching is based on a strong constructivist multi-cultural curriclum and uses multi-aged classroom settings.
	Sherman Oaks Community Charter School (K-6) http://so.ca.campusgrid.net/home 1800-C Fruitdale Avenue San Jose, California 95128 (408) 795-1140 (phone), (408) 341-7180 (fax) Sherman Oaks is a K-6 two-way immersion (Spanish/English) school. "Sherman Oaks Community Charter School will provide models of learning with a focus on leadership and powerful learning. It is our intent to provide a quality learning environment and high academic standards. Teamwork, knowledge, ethics, communication and courage are the essential, global learnings we feel are critical for our community of learners--students, parents, and staff alike. As the first elementary charter school in Santa Clara County, we are taking a bold leadership role to insure that all children and families reap the benefits of 21st century excellence in education."
	Urban Academy (High School) http://www.urbanacademy.org/ 317 East 67th Street New York, NY 10021 212-570-5284 "Urban Academy Laboratory High School features a rigorous academic, college-oriented curriculum that encourages students to explore and discuss ideas, conduct research, and debate and evaluate information. Seminar-style classes, field trips, participation in community service and the opportunity to take classes from selected institutions of higher education are central to the school's program. Work is assessed by demonstration of college level skills in social science research, literary analysis, application of mathematical skills, creative arts, application of the scientific method, and art criticism. The school is a New American High School and a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence."
	Vanguard High School http://schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/02/M449/newsandinfo/News/NewsInfo1.htm 317 East 67th Street New York, NY 10021 212-517-5175 "Vanguard High School focuses on helping students become intellectually powerful, creative, and resourceful members of society. Its goal is to ensure that students develop skills for lifelong learning. The school emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to learning through such themes as law and the environment. Vanguard is a community of learners committed to becoming literate, articulate, analytic, reflective, responsible, empathetic, and collaborative. The school is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools and uses performance-based assessment to measure student achievement."
	Voices College Bound Language Academy (Elementary) http://www.voicescharterschool.com "Voices will prepare all students for the challenges of higher education through the context of an academically rigorous dual-language program. In addition we will ensure students demonstrate high academic achievement and apply critical thinking skills while making sense of their role within their own culture and the greater society."

Blogs

	Art Pearl Against the World http://artpearlagainsttheworld.blogspot.com Education Professor and long time political activist Art Perl takes on the world in his usual fiesty manneer with hard hitting insightful and often humorous essays.
	Bridging Differences by Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/ "Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch have found themselves at odds on policy over the years, but they share a passion for improving schools. Bridging Differences will offer their insights on what matters most in education."
	Empowered by Play by Geralyn Bywater McLaughlin http://www.empoweredbyplay.org/ "Helping families and teachers protect and promote imaginative play in our way-too-busy, consumer-driven, media-filled world."
	Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice http://larrycuban.wordpress.com/
	Marjoria Larner's Blog http://marjorielarnerwords.blogspot.com/ Marjorie speaks on politics and education.
	Mike Rose's Blog http://web.mac.com/mikerosebooks/Site/Welcome.html "The writing will deal in some way with the themes that have been part of my teaching and writing life for decades: •teaching and learning; •educational opportunity; •the importance of public education in a democracy; •definitions of intelligence and the many manifestations of intelligence in school, work, and everyday life; and •the creation of a robust and humane philosophy of education."
	SmallTalk by Mike Klonskly http://michaelklonsky.blogspot.com/ "Sharing some ideas about urban education, small schools, and ed-politics in general."
	TeacherKen by Kenneth K. Bernstein http://teacherken.dailykos.com/ Kenneth J. Bernstein teaches in DC metro area. He is a Quaker liberal - and still passionate about learning with his students.
	Unlocking the Classroom by LH http://unlockingtheclassroom.blogspot.com "Thoughts on meaning-making education, the arts, and social change."

Miscellaneous sites

	California Department of Education http://www.cde.ca.gov/ This site provides a wealth of information on California schools, teaching, policy, and standards. There are also links to demographic data-bases statewide or by school or district.
	The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) http://www.eric.ed.gov/ ERIC produces the world's premier database of journal and non-journal education literature. The ERIC online system provides the public with a centralized ERIC Web site for searching the ERIC bibliographic database of more than 1.1 million citations going back to 1966. More than 107,000 full-text non-journal documents (issued 1993-2004) are available for free. While not as comprehensive as it was since the Bush administration's restructuring of the database, it is still the largest single academic database on edcuation.
	U.S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml The information on this site reflects the current administration's biases. However there is much useful information to be found. For instance, it contains information on government initiatives and projects, and links to resources such as the National Center for Education Statistics.
	You Can handle Them All http://www.disciplinehelp.com "A reference for handling of 117 misbehaviors at school and home." "The purpose of this tool is to provide you with a resource for handling student misbehavior. It presents a complete step-by-step approach to changing inappropriate student behavior to appropriate behavior."

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