tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41342593119206406772011-08-02T14:36:43.417-07:00Rocco Basile is a blog about the importance of education and mentorship programs in our society today.Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.comBlogger1131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-9427698215093962882011-06-02T11:04:00.000-07:002011-06-02T11:25:25.656-07:00

Brooklyn-based Reaching Out Community Services (RCS) honored a number of community leaders including Rocco Basile of Basile Builders as “Man of the Year” at their 3rd annual gala which raised $20,000 to help feed those in need.The organization will continue to offer relief to over 3,800 families that depend on food supplies and social services provided by RCS. During 2011 thus far, hundreds of

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-42014115993328715872011-02-23T13:19:00.000-08:002011-02-23T13:27:53.648-08:00

A 2010 State of the Nonprofit Sector report showed only 18 percent of the more than 1,300 nonprofit leaders surveyed expect their organizations to end 2010 in the black. While in 2009, 35 percent of organizations ended the year with an operating surplus. 61 percent of those organizations surveyed have less than three months of cash available, and 12 percent have no cash. 80 percent of nonprofits

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-56950696240934444692010-10-06T13:07:00.000-07:002011-02-23T13:19:15.861-08:00

Last week Hugh Jackman, Tony and Emmy Award winning actor and producer, was the Guest of Honor at the Brooklyn, New York-based Children of the City Benefit to help raise awareness of the educational needs and social challenges of underprivileged children in Brooklyn communities. The evening was hosted by WABC Features & Lifestyle reporter Lauren Glassberg as the guests gathered at New York's Pier

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-14253862162560573842010-05-20T13:31:00.000-07:002010-05-20T13:40:07.722-07:00

Every year there are more than 3 million reports of child abuse in the United States and those reports often include multiple children. 5.8 million children were involved in an estimated 3.2 million child abuse reports and allegations in the year 2007. Fortunately the incidence of child abuse and neglect has been decreasing in recent years. But statistics reveal that children in low

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-30962709149643318972010-04-20T12:07:00.000-07:002010-04-20T12:15:58.794-07:00

Vice President Biden today announced that the Administration has issued a 'Dear Colleague' letter that withdraws a 2005 interpretation of Title IX policy. Joining the vioce president for today's announcment were Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Senior White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls.What is Title IX? It was enacted in 1972, mandating

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-86825451987305832552010-04-12T10:46:00.001-07:002010-04-12T11:09:17.573-07:00

At this year's Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) economists said that fund raisers should begin to prepare to take advantage of the economy's slow recovery. (Source: Economist Susan Raymond, Changing Our World). As you know I enjoy researching and learning about different trends and ways that I can keep up with fund raising ideas for my charities like Children of the City. They urged

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-13077863151537816292010-03-25T11:03:00.000-07:002010-03-25T11:12:19.714-07:00

This was just released in March 2010 - A recent report on the 2010 State of the Nonprofit Sector said that 18 percent of the more than 1,300 nonprofit leaders surveyed expect their organizations to end 2010 in the black. In 2009, 35 percent of organizations ended the year with an operating surplus. But, 12 percent have no cash and 61 percent of those surveyed said they have less than three months

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-51961605081313323772010-03-24T16:27:00.000-07:002010-03-24T16:45:26.714-07:00

“My job is to encourage talent.” As you know I report things happening at my charity Children of the City, as well as add information to my website on educational trends and such at www.roccobasile.net.But here's a really inspiring story I wanted to share ... Mathew is a tutor in Children of the City’s Create Success After School Program in Sunset Park near Brooklyn, NY. He basically teaches kids

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-11020253456608420182010-01-07T19:14:00.000-08:002010-03-17T19:25:31.390-07:00

Technology is truely evolving at the speed of light, so here is a list of trends that will influence education in the new year:Check out eBooks -- the latest in reading, eBooks will proliferate, although they will not replace traditional textbooks anytime real soon. But the consulting firm - Frost & Sullivan in Atlanta - say the devices will gain traction in the K-12 arena in the year

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-88623646868665093712009-12-09T14:06:00.000-08:002009-12-09T14:57:55.013-08:00

As you know, I serve on the Board of a Brooklyn-based charity, Children of the City and often write about this charity, education and our youth in my website, www.roccobasile.net, and this blog. The New York Giants' football star David Tyree is also on the Board, and he recently visited the kids during one of the Create Success program classes, which is an after school and/or summer program for

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-14594338907333491492009-12-01T14:31:00.000-08:002009-12-09T14:48:44.312-08:00

The mission for Sunset Park-based Children of the City, located in Brooklyn New York has remained the same since 1981. They try to reach at-risk inner-city youth and their families. Children of the City's goal is to connect families to resources to address their current crises in an effort to change the culture of poverty.One of their programs, Strong Minds and Strong Homes, is a volunteer-based

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-29367399502197611452009-11-19T09:16:00.000-08:002009-11-19T09:31:57.724-08:00

In order to keep an eye on my chairites from time to time I review research and statistical informatio n to post on my website http://www.roccobasile.net/. According to survey findings released by the Foundation Center, giving will likely decline by more than 10 percent since 2008. The survey is the result of interviewing and obtaining the responses of 600 foundations. What’s more, continued

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-79188310769354515992009-11-18T15:44:00.000-08:002009-11-18T16:02:16.849-08:00

Industry experts say that shock ads are becomming worse than ever. Are they working when it comes to shocking people into contributing to the latest charity cause? Possibly...But rather than shock ads for charities focused on drinking and driving or drugs, why not focus on charities with a more positive outcome? Like children's education, students and parents in need? I work with several

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-36008441419083126502009-11-13T12:39:00.000-08:002009-11-13T13:08:36.333-08:00

If you haven't heard about the "Race to the Top Fund" and competition that is being organized by the U.S. Department of Education, then stay tuned. It is all part of the way our government can improve our country's educational accessment and improve math and reading skills, provide teachers with more useful instructional information, and then measure their effectiveness and how well the students

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-50746956922862891262009-10-12T10:39:00.000-07:002009-11-13T11:38:06.026-08:00

Every generation has sets of educational trends that are constantly evolving right along with the times. By taking a look at these trends, higher-education institutions are better able to prepare for the future students to become productive members of society and world leaders.As you know I am fascinated with how our children develop and learn, as evidenced from the topics on website at http://

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-6152876483526299172009-09-17T14:24:00.000-07:002009-09-17T15:00:27.951-07:00

A hat tip to Wall Street Journal writers Corey Boles and Robert Tomsho for their news coverage on my favorite topic: education in the United States. As you know, my website http://www.roccobasile.net/ covers education and charity.So just out of Washington today, the House of Representatives approved legislation that would end private-lender involvement in the student-loan market. This establishes

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-59264953884621698332009-09-03T15:58:00.000-07:002009-09-17T16:07:35.234-07:00

This may come as shocking news ... but when I recently did some research on this topic, I discovered that the answer changes depending upon how you look at it. High school graduation rates have soared since the 1870s, yet although rates have fallen off in the last 30 years of the 20th Century, by 2000, the percentage of graduates was the highest it had been since 1960. I find this information

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-41742280615254093802009-08-15T15:00:00.000-07:002009-09-17T15:58:15.063-07:00

In Brooklyn New York, it is hard to believe that one in three families are living in poverty. But since 1981, the charity at which I am on the Board of Directors - Children of the City - has served the underprivileged children.The organization started out as a children’s prevention outreach in the early years, but our services have evolved to include trauma intervention, counseling, an

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-44555002362288024382009-08-04T15:26:00.000-07:002009-09-17T15:57:22.886-07:00

We got the photos back from our July 29 Champion of Hope Gala evening featuring Oscar and Golden Globe winning actress Gweneth Paltrow as guest of honor, with the Children of the City girls. To view all of the event photos, click here.As you know, as a board member of this charity, I get to work with the volunteers and the kids. There's more about it, and my other charities on my website, http://

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-91141664241029340232009-07-30T14:40:00.000-07:002009-09-17T14:54:21.581-07:00

The Founder and Executive Director of Children of the City presided over the NASDAQ Stock Market Closing Bell on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 4PM. Vice President of NASDAQ OMX, David Wicks welcomed Joyce Mattera to the NASDAQ MarketSite in Manhattan, NY. Wicks said, "Joyce, I’d like to congratulate you and the entire Children of the City organization on the steps you’ve taken to indeed make a

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-9821146632420860542009-07-24T08:53:00.000-07:002009-07-24T09:17:16.596-07:00

I am very excited that next Wednesday July 29, 2009 Children of the City will be celebrating vaving successfully served the children and families of Southwest Brooklyn for more than two decades. As you know I cover the issues surrounding education and my charity work in my own website called http://www.roccobasile.net/. The goal of Children of the City has always been and still is to meet the

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-67544050742751475462009-07-21T15:07:00.000-07:002009-07-21T15:25:48.072-07:00

Funds Cut for Public School ReformIn a Washington Post article today, staff writer Bill Turque said that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has eliminated funding for an independent evaluator assigned to assess the progress of public school reform under Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee. This was according to the revised 2010 budget he submitted to the D.C. Council late Friday.These proposed moves reflect the

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-48154743084608996592009-07-02T17:16:00.000-07:002009-07-02T17:29:04.509-07:00

It is a fact that many of our country's high shcool students enter college with inadequate skills. The National Education Computing Conference (NECC) posted a press release saying the Project RED coalition has launched their new Project RED initiative, an effort to put technology on a more stable basis within the challenging environment of education funding.The lead author of this project and CEO

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-50748743383121500892009-06-09T15:25:00.000-07:002009-07-21T15:26:34.510-07:00

First Lady Michelle Obama debuted as a public policy advocacy by visiting the Department of Education in the company of Education Secretary Arne Duncan. As I have mentioned before I follow the latest trends in eduication on my blog roccobasile.net.Stressing the need for more education spending, she said, "Imagine what we can do with millions of dollars more investment in this area. We can expand

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-50718831916475342492009-05-11T10:14:00.000-07:002009-05-11T10:32:41.464-07:00

As a father, Rocco Basile knows how tough it can be to be a Dad, and how instrumental a father is in shaping a child’s life. That's why Basile and the charity he works closely with, Children of the City, are proud of Angel Lopez, a 24 year old former gang member,Angel’s dad was incarcerated when he was a boy, and his Mom had drug problems. Several well meaning relatives tried to help, but the

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-52518513219717733652009-04-29T13:44:00.000-07:002009-04-29T13:54:17.748-07:00

Joe DiMaggio was a friend and generous supporter of Xaverian High School and was the first person to ever receive Xaverian's highest honor, the Concordia Award, in 1997. DiMaggio died on March 8, 1999, with the honor of being known as "the greatest living baseball player."Joe played for the New York Yankees baseball team and his nickname was the "Yankee Clipper." How did he get this nickname? In

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-20580800633475345942009-04-27T15:10:00.000-07:002009-04-27T15:22:50.433-07:00

I just discovered the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a group that has been a leading voice in defining, disseminating, and recognizing the best practices in the care and education of children. iot deals with kids that are up to age 8. As you kbnow I review all the latest informaiton on the education of children and put muh of this reearc on my website http://

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-73359679438612152062009-04-10T12:44:00.000-07:002009-04-10T13:23:11.090-07:00

On March 25 Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes honored Children of the City's Joyce Mattera at his third annual Extraordinary Women’s event. In honor of Women’s History Month, Joyce Mattera was recognized for her accomplishments and contribution to the Sunset Park community. As you know, I am on the Board of this fine organization, and my website is devoted to the betterment of

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-37699976710820306342009-01-29T12:31:00.001-08:002009-01-29T13:08:06.955-08:00

Back in December, on the the 20th, the charity that I so fondly support - Children of the City - facilitated a very special Christmas for one unfortunate little girl and her family.600 children and 100 adults were invited to the headquarters of Children of the City located where hundreds of toys and gifts were distributed. There were dozens of volunteers during the entire week of December 15-19

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-62501958138939267972009-01-27T15:28:00.000-08:002009-03-31T15:13:04.438-07:00

Prior to his election to President of the United States, Barack Obama said he will reform the No Child Left Behind, invest in early childhood education: implement a comprehensive "Zero to Five" plan to provide support to young children and their parents, and help states move toward voluntary, universal pre-school.Obama and Biden also said they will create a new American Opportunity Tax Credit

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-75877072835578054042009-01-12T11:25:00.000-08:002009-03-31T15:14:00.834-07:00

Did you know that currently 70 percent of the population that is online are white? The trend is that in 2009 more and more African-Americans and Hispanics are going to go online via their PCs and or mobile telephones. Marketers will follow to target multicultural audiences with more culture-specific messages and languages. In fact, multicultural education is a more recent field of study aiming to

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-6511644742983618392008-12-23T11:37:00.001-08:002009-03-31T15:14:46.631-07:00

One of the charities that I support, among others listed on my website http://www.roccobasile.net/, is - Children of the City - who rounded up 100 volunteers from all over New York to give away Thanksgiving meals to needy families this last November. Over 700 adults and children, about 119 families in all, got a 25-lb box of food to feed a family of six. They either received a turkey or

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-56479179090005878492008-12-16T12:01:00.000-08:002009-03-31T15:15:43.093-07:00

President Elect Barack Obama just named his Education Secretary -- longtime friend and fellow Harvard alum Arne Duncan, who headed the Chicago public school system. He has a reputation as an educational reformer, and will be very strong for our country as part of the strengthening of student math and reading skills as an educational trend in the New Year, a topic I cover on my website http://

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-84673903473653093872008-12-10T13:12:00.000-08:002009-03-31T15:16:24.309-07:00

Today's New York Times had a Letter to the Editor response to a prior article by writer Tamir Lewin that was published on December 3, 2008 focusing on how College May Become Unaffordable for Most in U.S. based on the biennial report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Eric J. Furda, the dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania wrote that there are some

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-16781321034079417042008-12-03T14:36:00.000-08:002009-03-31T15:17:32.181-07:00

On November 13, officials discussed the final Title I regulations to strengthen No Child Left Behind (NCLB) ED during a national teleconference. Back on October 28 U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings had announced the final regulations to strengthen and clarify NCLB, focusing on improved accountability and transparency, uniform and disaggregated graduation rates and improved parental

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-64235482804278281172008-11-24T16:41:00.000-08:002008-11-24T17:11:37.511-08:00

I was doing some detailed research online and studying how things might change insofar as education with the new president in office. As you know I support education via my charities - http://www.childrenofthecity.org/ and also on my educational website http://www.roccobasile.org/. But with the new president, there will be new policies. It is important that we all know what these are.President

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-43266788750479767932008-11-17T16:49:00.000-08:002008-11-17T17:11:40.775-08:00

In my research for my own educational trends website, http://www.rocdcobasile.oprg/, I often come across interesting articles about educational situations, or trends from other countries. The country of Thailand's political stability is a mess because of the months-long standoff between the administration and the People's Alliance for Democracy. What is more compelling however, than this

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-82912372154692574582008-11-10T15:37:00.000-08:002008-11-10T15:57:12.851-08:00

According to a website called Charity Navigator, there are about 1.5 million elementary school teachers and 1.1 million secondary school teachers in the United States, and the amount spent, by average, on home schooling per child in the United States is about $450. Here are some more interesting statistics, and you'll find other data on my website at http://www.roccobasile.org/.There are between

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-69497574343967503932008-11-06T13:16:00.001-08:002008-11-06T14:25:41.741-08:00

Now that the election is over, let's take a look at how the process affected education and students, and also how the results will affect education. All of us know the importance of voting and teaching our youth about the process of creating laws, tracking election results and voter turnout, and teaching students what its like to make tough decisions. It is what our elected officials make every

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-78062230767068993552008-10-23T13:58:00.000-07:002008-10-23T14:05:49.956-07:00

As we near the election, it seems that politics are at the top of the mind in everything we do and think about. Public education has always played an important part in politics in this country, but it also has been subject to continual political scrutiny. As are some of the educational organizations that are in various communities, who are simply trying to help, including groups like Children of

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-60353426716159328612008-10-15T15:23:00.000-07:002008-11-06T14:29:18.001-08:00

The domestic law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) took effect in 2002 with bipartisan support, with the goal moving from a desire for all children to attend school to all students in school achieving proficiency. By requiring that English and math scores be reported by categories such as income and race, it was intended to spotlight gaps in achievement.The problem has been how to best measure

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-6305653212753331852008-10-09T16:37:00.000-07:002008-10-09T20:19:16.087-07:00

The latest news item on educational information comes to us from Georgia in an article about how income disparity shows up in children’s health. Andy Miller of the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10/8/2008) wrote about a new report that sadly ranks Georgia near the bottom on two key measures of children’s health focusing on family income and education.Georgia has a higher-than-average rate of

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-48453138250935994912008-10-01T09:59:00.000-07:002008-10-01T11:03:36.810-07:00

New resources are appearing every day about social media marketing, networking and other forms of social media. What is it, and how are educators using social media? Social media is defined as the online technologies and practices used to share opinions, ideas, experiences, perspectives and insights with other people. Therefore, in the education world, social media is changing the way we learn,

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-81462173236929527732008-09-22T13:46:00.000-07:002008-09-22T14:47:34.426-07:00

It recently came to my attention in an article in the Wall Street Journal that workers with professional degrees, like lawyers, or doctors, were the only group to see their inflation-adjusted earnings increase over the recent economic conditions. Workers in every other educational group, such as Ph.D.s or high school dropouts, earned less in 2007 than they did in the year 2000. So a person with a

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-75507453971355670672008-09-16T14:16:00.000-07:002008-09-16T14:42:37.987-07:00

Prue Leith, internationally known food expert and chair of the United Kingdom’s School Food Trust, recently discussed health news, parents and children on http://www.vision.org/. She believes that fighting obesity beginnning in childhood, is worth doing. As she discussed the role of family and relationships in nutrition, Leith emphasizes that children are not eating right, “because their parents

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-4708335735025033152008-09-11T15:19:00.001-07:002008-09-11T15:44:49.412-07:00

It was just like any other Tuesday, but it ended up being Tuesday 9/11: and as the world watched in horror while two hijacked airplanes bought down the Twin Towers in New York, many families and children suffered. Children of the City was one of the first organizations to reach out to children who lost family members and loved ones, who were traumatized by visually seeing the attacks live or were

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-1025202452040759072008-09-08T11:58:00.000-07:002008-09-08T13:02:10.853-07:00

Have you ever wondered why all of the sudden there are more computers in K-12 classrooms across the U.S? For over ten years now, reformers have attempted to revolutionize the way schools operate, and this includes how students learn. There have been a number of top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top changes in areas including administration, curriculum and even outreach. The result of many of these

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-84537079202368265352008-09-04T14:32:00.000-07:002008-09-04T15:05:55.608-07:00

In many states, schools are back in session after the summer break. We’ve been seeing the new trends for earlier educational trends for kids, such as academic tutoring programs for three year olds, and middle school students taking algebra courses. Educating our kids is starting earlier and earlier.These trends are being driven by parental anxiety about the fact that many schools that have failed

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-47403592682525807642008-08-29T10:00:00.000-07:002008-08-29T10:35:31.241-07:00

A cool website (Greenraising.com) was started by a group of parents who had observed how challenging it is for parents' associations to raise the funds necessary for their kids to get an excellent elementary education. These parents also had noted that their kids were coming home from school frustrated about not being able to actively participate in having an effect on what they had learned about

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-2230462017781506112008-08-27T10:33:00.000-07:002009-03-31T15:11:15.969-07:00

News just out today about our country's high-school students and their poor performance on SAT college-entrance exams. There is a bigger gap now between minority groups (who score lower) and the overall population. This raises the question, which I have been covering for the last year in my website http://www.roccobasile.net/, about the quality of education in the U.S. This news is really

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-57766624826172515222008-08-25T11:48:00.000-07:002009-03-31T15:09:42.111-07:00

About 96 percent of middle school students - that bridge between gradeschool and highschools comprised of grades 7 8 and 9 - believe that it is very important or somewhat important to make good grades. An awkward age, these students are between childhood and adolescence, experiencing the physical, emotional and cognitive changes associated with this stage of human development. Nine in ten (90%)

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-38595307840913504002008-08-20T12:37:00.000-07:002008-08-20T13:21:52.885-07:00

In the news today (New York Post) it seems a very controversial initiative paying high-school students for passing Advanced Placement (AP) tests has apparently failed. The new program, which was targeting black and Hispanic students, didn't spur kids to make the grade, according to the Council of Urban Professionals, the organization who distributes the funds.Here's how it was supposed to work --

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-22636548052559430932008-08-18T13:29:00.000-07:002008-08-19T20:10:28.456-07:00

This year, children will face a number of issues and challenges at school and in the classroom including bullying, violence, and discrimination as well as the fact that there are some disadvantaged schools and classrooms without enough books or desks. What's more, many children themselves are facing individual challenges such as health problems, depression, obesity, dyslexia, disabilities, and

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-15532704799988221682008-08-11T12:17:00.000-07:002008-08-11T13:12:58.589-07:00

It appears as if today’s trends in education include the fact that everything is getting earlier! One online article claims that parents are now taking their three-year-olds to tutoring programs, and using flashcards and homework. Kindergartners are now doing the work that first-graders used to do with letters and numbers, and middle school kids are enrolling in algebra courses a year or two

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-84539767709931182102008-08-05T14:56:00.000-07:002008-08-05T15:25:53.863-07:00

Today I noticed a very interesting news announcement about a company called LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. who just released two new educational game titles based on Lucasfilm's upcoming Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.These are learning games, and apparently they are so successful that the company also plans to develop two additional Star Wars

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-20532962176083150742008-07-30T17:05:00.000-07:002008-07-30T17:41:32.757-07:00

For people who have a learning disability, it doesn't mean that they can't learn, and it's not uncommon either. Usually a learning disability happens due to the way we process information in our brains. It is why people learn differently, and that is why everyone first has to figure out how they learn best.Parents, teachers and other learning specialists such as a school psychologist can help

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-84884684811486946542008-07-28T11:32:00.000-07:002008-07-28T12:41:29.372-07:00

Today CNN Student News posted an online news segment that examines how two specialized schools in New York are targeting the dropout rate of African-American students. CNN's Black in America project examines what it means to be black in America today, and education is a huge topic. I am definitely interested in this because of the charity work I do, which is featured in my website http://

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-77479053900202341782008-07-25T20:59:00.000-07:002008-07-25T21:12:22.662-07:00

Today the news covered the latest on boys' math scores. It seems girls and boys have roughly the same average scores on state math tests, but researchers have reported that boys excelled or failed more often. This news is according to a Science journal study that examined the scores from seven million students who took statewide math tests - grades two through 11 in 10 states between the years

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-92051654410484122832008-07-22T11:40:00.000-07:002008-07-22T12:27:02.748-07:00

Have you ever wondered if more kids attended school, maybe there would be less crime? I have been researching many aspects of education and it's effect on a better life for our kids today, as you may have seen on my website http://www.roccobasile.com/. Studying the relationship between school attendance and crime goes back more than 200 years. Many people believe that rather than school, better

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-18408466899232773462008-07-18T13:47:00.000-07:002008-07-18T15:53:17.686-07:00

While doing some research for my educational website RoccoBasile.org, I found a a book entitled The Optimistic Child, which talks about how Author Martin Seligman discovered that children find fights between mom and dad disturbing. He said, "We tracked a group of 700 children between grades three and six and asked which kids get depressed and go through their first bout of depression. We found 20

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-81255323765515755662008-07-15T15:27:00.000-07:002008-07-15T16:47:14.952-07:00

Most parents will agree that they are tired of nagging their children to do their homework, day after day, pushing, threatening, bribing, and still kids refuse to listen. We see this quite often in my charity work for ChildrenoftheCity. There is hope. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind, and ten excellent tips that can improve study time hassles between kids and parents.Most children do not

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-78834406938118696792008-07-11T10:15:00.000-07:002008-07-11T17:14:49.425-07:00

Education is all about preparing students for a future as a healthy, successful adult. And part of that means that most people need to get a job and work for a living. I have been studying the importance of improving education for our youth through the charity work I do - which you can see at my own educational website http://www.roccobasile.org/. One of my interests is the Joe DiMaggio

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-64881666386792032142008-07-07T12:00:00.000-07:002008-07-07T12:29:13.267-07:00

Most of us can remember what it was like growing up, and very few of us probably had the best self esteem, which is essential for survival in our world today. Children who feel good about themselves are happier and often handle conflicts better than those who have low self esteem, who often harbor anxiety and exhibit signs of frustration.Research shows us that children who think poorly of

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-43935600380580847532008-07-02T13:43:00.000-07:002008-07-02T14:15:06.233-07:00

On June 20 Dr. Salvatore Ferrera, president of Xaverian High (Photo: Right) honored me for my community service and the non-profit work I do with the school, my alma mater, and other organizations at the President's Gala, attended by more than 300 people at the upscale Cipriani 23rd Street Restaurant in New York. I am honored to have been able to assist this fanantastic school in its fund-raising

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-62020538652754649192008-06-30T10:45:00.000-07:002008-06-30T11:17:48.234-07:00

Today I noticed a news item from the BBC News on Friday June 27 addressing the question about whether or not income determines a child's life. According to the latest research, Britain is seen as a divided society and a child's chances of success in life do depend on their parents' income. It made me stop and think about our own community here in New York, and the educational charities that I

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-18109520227694036112008-06-24T16:53:00.001-07:002008-06-24T17:35:53.090-07:00

In an article that was published today in the New York Times, written by Jennifer Medina, we learn that reading and math scores for New York students in grades three through eight are showing sharp gains across the state of New York since last year. State reading and math test scores are up, which is fantastic news. The gains are in the five biggest cities in New York.Across the sate of New York

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-60901839671152935602008-06-16T22:11:00.000-07:002008-06-16T22:50:50.971-07:00

Now that summer is here, and kids are out of school, parents, school administrators and kids all need to think about our environment and keeping it a safe and beautiful place to enjoy summer after summer in the future.According to a recent article in THE Journal by Chris Riedel entitled, "Green Schools : The Color of Money" school districts have finally discovered the abundant financial gains of

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-25040713654819316462008-06-11T16:06:00.000-07:002008-06-11T16:38:49.842-07:00

On June 10, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the approval of two high-quality growth models, which follow the bright-line principles of No Child Left Behind. It seems that once the states had developed the framework so they could measure student skills each year, as the law requires, all eligible states were then invited by Spellings to demonstrate progress over time and

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-1103480458214530892008-05-29T09:31:00.000-07:002008-05-29T10:17:52.151-07:00

I found a really cool website called KnowledgeBase, which features a map, if you will, focusing on the the future of education, and in fact covers the years 2006-2016 . This Map of Future Forces Affecting Education, is from a company called KnowledgeWorks Foundation, and it is basically a forecast of what the coming years has in store for us in so far as education.As you know I am deeply involved

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-7779604584348780162008-05-27T15:00:00.000-07:002008-05-27T15:47:32.376-07:00

If you want our children to do better in school, then it is important to begin to understand the reasons why they are not. In researching the various trends and strategies in education, everyone, including educators and parents alike, can communicate more effectively about the issues.One issue I read about is the fact that during the couple of decades new views of reading instruction emerged and

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-46034364617488253852008-05-20T10:59:00.000-07:002008-05-20T21:24:51.457-07:00

What is important to me, as a parent with two daughters, is that my children grow up healthy. Recently I read an article that talked about learning disabilities, and I found out that there are quite a few different types of disorders that can affect a child’s ability to learn. And, recent research estimates that almost one-half of all children of the ages six to 11 that are identified as having a

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-46468080027317118652008-05-19T14:15:00.000-07:002008-05-19T15:06:16.236-07:00

Did you know there are now about 1.2 million students in the United States who drop out annually? Statewide, more than 10,000 students in grades 7-12 have dropped out of school in the past year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. A network of nonprofit groups and corporations founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell called America's Promise Alliance, reports

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-84908371742186792892008-05-13T13:03:00.000-07:002008-05-13T15:17:15.755-07:00

A May 6, 2008 Wall Street Journal article called, "Murder Spike Poses Quandary" by Gary Fields talks about how criminologists are offering a number of explanations for April's increase in the murder rate in some cities. For example in Washington, in April there were 18 murders during a 13-day spurt of violence, 20 percent deadlier than a year ago in April of 2007.Several cities around the country

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-20924872921527559352008-05-09T15:56:00.000-07:002008-05-09T16:45:48.366-07:00

According to a U.S. Department of Education report back in 2000 about 9 percent of first and second-graders started kindergarten one year late, and eight years later the experts are saying that this trend is continuing. There is usually an age gap within one class that is 16 months or more, posing challenges for teachers concerned that the older children may become bored.Delaying a child’s entry

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-12276882292617865622008-05-06T11:22:00.000-07:002008-05-06T16:30:02.937-07:00

The word "poverty" typically suggests a family with no food, clothing, or shelter. In the year 2005, a Poverty Pulse poll was taken by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). It asked the public this question: "How would you describe being poor in the United States?" A major portion of the responses focused on homelessness, hunger or not being able to eat properly. In addition not

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-52957560517571070562008-05-02T11:29:00.000-07:002008-05-02T11:37:33.700-07:00

News just out yesterday from the Department of Education on the latest report issued by its Institute of Education Sciences -- President Bush’s $1 billion a year initiative to teach reading to low-income children has not helped improve their reading comprehension. The report entitled, "Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report" was mandated by Congress.Bush's "Reading First" program was

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-84644354044825758502008-04-22T12:15:00.000-07:002008-04-22T12:28:22.038-07:00

I came across a really cool education website called TeAch-nology.com which provides free, easy-to-use resources for teachers dedicated to improving the education of our students. The site gives free access to more than 20,000 lesson plans, 6,700 free printable worksheets, pre-formatted rubrics, printable generators, teaching tips and themes, games, webquests, downloads, and access to more than

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-39359633149578296062008-04-16T10:24:00.000-07:002008-04-16T10:52:23.647-07:00

As a Board member of Children of the City, I often come across the interesting stories of those kids who are benefiting the most from our programs. Each child has his or her own unique story, that in some cases, brings tears to the eyes. Here's one for example ... Jesenia was attacked by a savage pit-bull and left with scars. She also suffered from a brain hemorrhage, which left the doctors

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-14472818306708760072008-04-15T18:58:00.000-07:002008-04-15T19:14:29.624-07:00

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 33 percent of young women aged 25 to 29 had a bachelor’s degree or more education in 2007, compared with 26 percent of their male counterparts. A report called the Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007 showed that among adults 25 and older, men remain slightly more likely than women to hold a bachelor’s degree (30 percent compared with 28

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-25804944392642023672008-04-10T13:02:00.000-07:002008-04-11T10:47:45.208-07:00

The April 3 edition of the local Home Reporter and Sunset News had a great article about the recent Children of the City gala with photos of Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree who received the charity's Children's Champion Award at the benefit. Again the event was to erasie awareness of the educational needs and social challenges of underprivileged children in the Sunset Park community.One quote

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-20837989599066637942008-04-08T12:18:00.000-07:002008-04-08T12:43:33.519-07:00

The good news is that a report on the state of United States education indicates that high school students are taking more advanced coursework -- especially in mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, and foreign languages. This is according to The Condition of Education 2007 report released by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-10777816978723486442008-04-04T11:33:00.000-07:002008-04-04T12:13:04.469-07:00

In an article today (04/05/08) in the Wall Street Journal, Robert Tomsho did a piece about the fact that the recent news on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results, which is a national achievement test showing that our country's eighth- and 12th-graders are making some gains in their writing skills. The bad news is that the proportion performing at the highest levels has

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-28983791264679737952008-04-01T13:59:00.000-07:002008-04-04T11:33:17.570-07:00

Today U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced she is going to take steps to ensure that all states use the same formula to calculate how many students graduate from high school on time, and how many drop out. Apparently the data wills be made public so thatPublish Post people can compare how students of every race, background, and income level are performing nationwide. In

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-66605230321080901712008-03-25T12:47:00.000-07:002008-03-25T12:56:42.900-07:00

As you know I enjoy researching the very latest trends in education, so that I can keep my website www.roccobasile.org up to date. I found an interesting article on the Internet today, written by Emily McCormick, a teacher and curriculum facilitator at Fairlawn Elementary School in Evansville. Her article talks about the fact that today’s schools are now implementing of instructional coaches in

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-81297773196859347282008-03-14T09:49:00.000-07:002008-03-25T14:18:01.772-07:00

Our Children of the City gala last Thursday evening was a huge success, raising more than $100k for the non- profit organization based in Sunset Park, New York. There was a tremendous amount of press generated with the celebrities in attendance including David Tyree of the New York Giants, Steve Schirripa of the HBO hit series The Sopranos, who was Master of Ceremonies and New Jersey Nets Richard

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-47517935745363728182008-03-13T09:45:00.000-07:002008-03-13T11:17:47.262-07:00

There was an amazing article about David Tyree back on February 11 in a New York Times story written by that talks about why and how he decided that he needed to change his life after his arrest for drug possession in 2004. Now he is planning to write a book about the changes in his life after he was arrested, which he believes could have been the best thing that ever happened to him. David Tyree

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-26271850489173561962008-03-11T10:53:00.000-07:002008-03-18T12:37:20.941-07:00

There was an article today in the New York Daily News written by staff writer Gayle Dewees about our Children of the City event this Thursday March 13, hosted by the New Jersey Nets, Richard Jefferson, and with actor Steve Schirripa, who will serve as Master of Ceremonies."New York Giants Super Bowl hero David Tyree and local businessman and Bay Ridge resident Rocco Basile will be honored

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-82730524906048357322008-03-10T15:05:00.000-07:002008-03-14T09:48:40.293-07:00

Check out the David Tyree interview -- the now famous New York Giant was interviewed last week on 660 WFAN radio on the Boomer and Carlson show. David scored the touchdown to give the New York Giants the lead against the Patriots' and then caught the pivotal pass that led to one of the greatest upsets in NFL history. He will be honored this Thursday evening, March 13 by Children of the City at

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-71463704134942568052008-03-05T14:52:00.000-08:002008-03-05T17:11:33.343-08:00

I saw this article in a local paper here in New York regarding our up and coming Children of the City gala on March 13. Of course you all know about my affiliation with the charity as a board member.GIANTS SUPER BOWL HERO DAVID TYREE TO RECEIVE CHILDREN'S CHAMPION AWARD AT CHILDREN OF THE CITY 2008 GALA ON THURSDAY NIGHT, MARCH 13, AT TRIBECA ROOFTOP IN NEW YORK CITYYes it appears as if our New

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-72179896559739084772008-03-03T19:55:00.000-08:002008-03-03T20:12:40.241-08:00

The first Children of the City newsletter reflected about the successes from last year. We've increased our board with some wonderful new members who will be a great asset to the organization as we continue to grow. As you know, I am also on the board of Xaverian High School, and we are privileged to have Dr. Salvatore Ferrara who is the president of the school join us at in our development

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-15846839295977021142008-02-28T11:35:00.000-08:002008-02-28T12:32:10.997-08:00

Here's a really interesting item. The 7th Annual Afterschool for All Challenge which brings together youth and afterschool staff as well advocates and administrators from around the country in Washington DC on May 14 and 14, 2008 for two days of workshops, networking, meetings with Congressional offices and celebrations. This year's Afterschool for All Challenge is partnering with the National

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-91360397907866906272008-02-25T18:29:00.000-08:002008-02-25T21:32:11.783-08:00

I was poking around on the Internet and found this interesting National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities article entitled, Educational Trends Shaping School Planning and Design 2007 by Kenneth R. Stevenson, Department of Educational Leadership and Policies, College of Education, at the University of South Carolina. He originally wrote the article in 2002 and had ten points, but this is

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-76613831642395225912008-02-19T11:43:00.000-08:002008-02-25T18:29:15.432-08:00

The recent news on February 15th about the gunman who shot 18 students from a stage before killing himself at Northern Illinois University (NIU) is devastating, and deserves our thoughts, prayers and condolences. Yet many of us dig deeper and wonder how could this have been prevented?In the charity work that I do at Brooklyn, New York-based Children of the City, we are no strangers to how crime

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-91896876579845134872008-02-14T16:37:00.000-08:002008-02-14T16:47:44.873-08:00

Recently, along with my research on successful programs for students being done at Children of the City, I started researching the history of education in other parts of the world. In China, for example, formal education can be traced back to around the 16th century B.C. At that time, education was a privilege for the elite, and basically for the purpose of producing government officials. The

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-92185662076668557472008-02-11T12:48:00.001-08:002008-02-11T13:16:35.654-08:00

I came across a website that lists some very interesting statistics on education and crime, and it reiterates how I feel about our schools. Every school should be a safe haven for teaching and learning, and it should be completely free of violence and crime. This is pretty depressing, but it is something that we need to be aware of so that programs can be put in place to make change.According to

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-5126413558899684802008-02-08T13:29:00.000-08:002008-02-11T13:25:24.433-08:00

With all the latest information on the subprime market, the saddest news is how much it has affected the minority neighborhoods all over the U.S. They have been heavily targeted for risky high cost loans. That's why my family's company Basile Builder's Group, is joining a group of other specialists including Legacy Financial, the law offices of Daniel Boldi, Esq., L.I. Business Consultants,

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-28777831756441329692008-02-07T14:13:00.000-08:002008-02-07T15:33:24.136-08:00

Being on the Board of a charity like Children of the City (COC) has its advantages. Sometimes we get to meet some totally amazing people. For instance, our big annual gala is coming up on Thursday March 13 . And New York Giants SuperBowl hero David Tyree will be coming as a special guest, for the third year in a row; along with Richard Jefferson of the New York Nets.This year's 27th anniversary

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-28426363420535924512008-02-04T13:00:00.000-08:002008-02-04T13:10:48.645-08:00

This year on May 31, 2008, it will be a year since the following press release went out regarding the state of affairs over education in America entitled, "Report on the State of American Education Shows High School Students Taking More Advanced Coursework." It indicated that high school students in the United States have been taking more courses in mathematics and science, social studies, the

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-88317286866086885322008-01-31T13:50:00.000-08:002008-01-31T14:39:53.207-08:00

Trends in the future have always interested me, especially trends that might shape the future of educators and students worldwide.The future of America's education system, for example, according to futurist James Canton, is that "the quality of public education, in crisis today, will either propel or crash the future aspirations of the American workforce." And with that he mentions that America's

Roccobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389312379786253832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134259311920640677.post-58844220504777135372008-01-29T10:39:00.000-08:002008-01-29T11:19:23.450-08:00

For years, educators have struggled with all the reasons why education is one of our essential rights of a democracy. Reasons include equal opportunities for everyone, productivity among citizens, participation among members of that democracy, and more. Often forgotten is the importance of education in terms of its benefit to our country’s economic strength. Education is the engine that drives a

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