We do big things? One would hope!

President Obama made clear on Thursday that education will be a priority for the administration in the coming year. Obama even talked about restructuring the education system to incorporate new directions, claiming that the answer to many of the nation's problems can be found in the place where human consciousness first takes self-directed form, the school classroom. It's time to fight the budget cuts with innovation. It's time to invest in early childhood education, which will in turn help fight the global economic crisis, raising GDP down the line. What's more, it's imperative that we reach out to America's rural population, making sure that kids in middle America - one in four of whom is now living in poverty, versus one in five of just a year ago, claims Mark Shriver of the Huffington Post - get access to the education that they deserve. And, finally, local communities need to be more involved in the battle to save our schools from floundering, specifically through partnerships between public organizations and private businesses.

These are all great goals. The president has never failed when it comes to outlining the future of policy reform. Now let's just hope that conversation will lead to action, and that inspirational speeches about education policy will evolve from mere words to the creation of concrete change.

For this to happen, we all need to act. You can start by taking part in the Tutorpedia Foundation's 2nd Annual Benefit at the Minna Gallery in San Francisco on February 23, 2011. We will be hosting speakers Vicki Abeles, director of Race to Nowhere, Dennis Littky, co-founder of the charter school network Big Picture Learning, and Farb Nivi, founder of the educational test prep company Grockit. Proceeds will fund one-on-one tutoring for the Bay Area's under-privileged students. Don't miss out!

Mental health and academic achievement

A recent article in the New York Times, "Record Level of Stress Found in College Freshmen," juxtaposes falling student mental health with record-breaking levels of academic performance. In a national survey from 2010, the percentage of freshman students in college who reported above average mental health is a mere 52 percent - the lowest level in a quarter-century, according to Tamar Lewin, author of the article. Lewin also speculates that, because more women reported being stressed than men, some men withheld actual reports of emotional health issues, since boys are typically socialized to be less responsive when talking about feelings. At the same time, students' drive to "achieve" and overall academic ability have been rising, with three-quarters of the students polled now stating that their skills are above average. This phenomenon may be a reflection of the growing perception that a Bachelor's degree is no longer enough to get a well-paying job after college. And that, in turn, is how students start to think while still in high school...

So maybe it's time to start looking at what we want our students to value in high school: grades or a sense of balance? Grades are important, but do we really want middle and high schoolers to turn into “successful” college freshmen who, nevertheless, harbor intense mental health problems? After all, as the recent shooting in Tucson, Arizona suggests…we don’t know what may come of emotional problems that spiral out of control. Probably nothing good. So let’s reduce stress and think about enjoying learning for a change…

To continue the conversation on education and our students’ future, attend the Tutorpedia Foundation’s 2nd Annual Benefit on February 23, 2011 in San Francisco. We will hear from Vicki Abeles, director of Race to Nowhere, along with featured speakers Dennis Littky of Big Picture Learning and Farb Nivi of Grockit. Don't miss our exciting auction items, take part in the raffle, and try the delicious food! All proceeds from the event will benefit one-on-one tutoring for under-privileged students in the Bay Area.

What's next for education?

Check out this video of Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, who talks about the coming goals for educational policy in the United States for 2011. President Obama's annual State of the Union address is scheduled for tonight, and it's natural to be thinking about what this means for education in the states. Senator Bennet recounts that, as of now, only 9% of 9th graders living in poverty today can expect to graduate from a four-year college and that a mere 15% of U.S. 8th graders who live in poverty are proficient in math. The numbers speak for themselves.

America is lagging, and something needs to be done to close the achievement gap, not widen it. According to this recent SF Gate article, California's budget cuts may result in fewer students being admitted not only to UC campuses, but to community colleges, which have traditionally offered a way for lower-income students to pursue an education. How can this be the answer to today's economic and educational crisis? I guess we'll see what the President has to say tonight...

To continue this discussion, make sure to attend the Tutorpedia Foundation's 2nd Annual Benefit on March 23, 2011, where we will delve into the future of education along with Vicki Abeles, director of Race to Nowhere, Dennis Littky, co-founder of the charter school network Big Picture Learning, and Farb Nivi, founder of the revolutionary tech company Grockit. Proceeds will fund one-on-one tutoring for the Bay Area's under-served students.

Community in our schools

This month's tragic shootings in Tucson, Arizona have altered America's sociopolitical landscape and forced us to question matters ranging from gun control to the adequacy of mental health care in our country's educational institutions. After all, the attacker is a community college student, while one of the victims was a nine-year-old girl in elementary school. Gary Rhoades comments in this recent entry in the Washington Post about the issues that the attacks have raised for school institutions. While Rhoades focuses on university campuses, I think that we need to pose the same questions for elementary, middle, and high school communities in the United States. Are educators doing enough to provide safe, tolerant learning environments for students where individual problems are met with adequate care? Rhoades insists that universities - and thereby schools - must be "public, open" spaces that encourage the spirit of democracy and do not shove students' individual problems on the back burner.

Frighteningly, it seems that today's schools are veering farther from this ideal as students' grades ultimately weigh more with educators than do "side" issues such as mental health. Perhaps it's time to re-evaluate how we envision our nation's educational institutions and discuss what changes need to be made to avoid calamities such as the January 8th shootings in Arizona.

For an engaging dialogue on today's education, join the conversation at the Tutorpedia Foundation's 2nd Annual Benefit on February 23, 2011, featuring speakers Vicki Abeles, the director of Race to Nowhere, Dennis Littky, co-founder of the charter school network Big Picture Learning, and Farb Nivi, founder of the educational tech company Grockit. All proceeds go to support personalized tutoring for the Bay Area's low-income students.

Hyper-parenting and over-schooling : the Tiger Mother approach

In Slate's latest article on Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Ann Hulbert questions Chua's parenting techniques in pushing her two daughters to excel, both in and outside the classroom. Chua's latest book is semi-autobiographical, expressing her belief in the Tiger Mother approach to parenting: push your child to succeed, or else. Rigorous self-discipline results in top performance, and the ends always justify the means. In Chua's non-fiction account, the main character, Amy Chua herself, has two daughters, both of whom are forced to sacrifice a minimum of three hours daily for piano and violin practice, after they excel in their academic studies at school, of course. Chua pushes her daughters to be nothing short of prodigies, and perfection is the only acceptable mark for Sophia and Lulu, her two girls.

Chua's book has made a big splash in national media, forcing us to question our standards when it comes to sending children to school. Do we want them to learn and grow into self-sufficient adults who are comfortable in their own skin or do we want them to excel...or else? Then again, the answer to this question fully depends on how you define excellence. Chua seems to define it quantitatively. Her oldest, Sophia, places first at a piano competition and wins a debut at Carnegie Hall, an all-star achievement for a fourteen-year-old. And then there's that omnipresent goal on the horizon, hovering like a slightly cliche ghost: acceptance by an Ivy League college.

Parents can't help but be slightly swayed by the spirit of the Tiger Mother. She pushes, and she gets results - Lulu and Sophia continue to excel in academics and extra-curriculars. But is there more to the story? Are these kids happy, are they creative, are they individuals or pawns in the statistics of excellence game?

To hear more about these topics, stop by the Tutorpedia Foundation's 2nd Annual Benefit on February 23, 2011 in San Francisco to hear from Vicki Abeles, director of Race to Nowhere, along with featured speakers Dennis Littky of Big Picture Learning and Farb Nivi of Grockit. Don't miss our exciting auction items, take part in the raffle, and try the delicious food! All proceeds from the event will benefit one-on-one tutoring for under-privileged students in the Bay Area.

Vicki Abeles on CNN

Here's a recent interview from CNN - Vicki Abeles, the director of Race to Nowhere, comments on the making of her documentary, her motivation in its creation, and her vision for America's education. Abeles believes in a grassroots movement that pays attention to students' individual learning needs. Why wait, she asks, for the government to institute appropriate policies when we can begin the revolution right here in our own homes and our own classrooms? Abeles highlights the need for an open dialogue about the changes needed in education today.

Just such a dialogue is what our own Tutorpedia Foundation will be hosting on February 23, 2011 in San Francisco. Abeles herself will be making an appearance as guest speaker, along with Dennis Littky, co-founder of the charter school network Big Picture Learning, and Farb Nivi, founder of the test-prep company Grockit.

Come join the conversation! All proceeds will go to fund free personalized tutoring for students in the Bay Area's low-income school districts.

Stressed in high school? There's a way out!

'Tis the season for college applications, AP test preparation, and an increase in students' stress all around...What are schools and parents doing to accommodate these changes and ease learning conditions for students? It turns out that teachers and parents are trying to come up with solutions.

In a recent story - "What's New In High School? Stress Reduction 101" - published by NPR, National Public Radio looks at the myriad ways in which it is possible to transform a classroom from a metaphorical torture chamber into a - gasp - enjoyable learning space. Students become super heroes who tame the Calculus Monster, and parents discuss the options available to those who want their children to learn in a less soul-draining school environment.

This point brings us back to the reality that America’s students are facing on a daily basis: school is starting to be less and less about the student, and more and more about rankings, prestige, and the quantitative analysis of academic achievement. Individual learning patterns and creativity get shoved on the back burner as students struggle to get the top grade, accumulate perfect transcripts, and be accepted by the most “prestigious” college. The question is…what happens after they get there? Does any desire to learn still remain? Can we change the system to cater, instead, to students’ intrinsic learning needs that rely on creativity and a simple hunger for knowledge?

We will be talking about this and a lot more at the Tutorpedia Foundation's 2nd Annual Benefit on February 23, 2011 in San Francisco. Featured speakers include Vicki Abeles, director of the documentary Race to Nowhere, Dennis Littky, co-founder of the non-profit Big Picture Learning, and Farb Nivi, founder of Grockit. Come join the conversation about how best to serve the needs of students from underserved schools in the Bay Area!

Race To Nowhere & 2011 Tutorpedia Benefit

I first saw Vicki Abeles's documentary Race To Nowhere together with 200 parents last week at Woodside High school, which was featured in Davis Guggenheim's Waiting For Superman. I saw it again last night at Temple Emanu-el in San Francisco with over 300 people. Movies are so much more powerful when you see it your community, and this film has reverberated within 500 communities nationwide. While I enjoyed Waiting For Superman, it is produced for Hollywood and quite biased: too pro-charter school and unfairly anti-teacher and teacher unions. Abeles, a Lafayette parent of three, created this movie for all of us that has the potential to catalyze a grassroots movement of parents, educators, and students. We can all relate to this movie. We've all been stressed out with too much homework, too many tests, too many extracurricular activities, and not enough free time, play time, and down time. Students sometimes feel this as early as 4th grade, and schedules get more crowded, classes get less relevant, and "doing school" (apologies to Denise Pope) becomes more challenging and less meaningful.

As Stanford's Education Dean Deborah Stipek says in the film, "we need to re-think the way we do education in America." One of those ways is by making education more real, relevant, and appropriately rigorous for our children. We need to focus on personal relationships. We need to cultivate critical thinking skills and problem solving techniques. We need more project-based learning. We need to make education more personalized, and focus on the whole child - the artistic and creative child, not just the math whiz and grammar queen.

Come join the conversation at Tutorpedia Foundation's 2nd Annual Benefit, on February 23 in San Francisco, for a dialogue with the Director of Race to Nowhere, Vicki Abeles, along with other education visionaries: Dennis Littky, co-founder and co-director of the internship-based charter network, Big Picture Learning; and Farb Nivi, founder of the innovative ed-tech company, Grockit. Spread the word to your friends and colleagues, educators and non-educators alike, because we can all be motivated to make a change in how and why we educate. Great food, impressive auction items, and a raffle will top off the evening. All proceeds from the evening provide free one-on-one tutoring for low-income students in the Bay Area.