In my five years as editor of Connect for Kids, a lot has changed. As I prepare to take my leave — this will be my last entry to this blog, as I head off for some new adventures with my family in Nairobi, Kenya — it’s fun to look back and see how far we’ve come.
Archive for July, 2006
New ways to connect…
Published July 26th, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsLet’s Move ‘Em to Private Schools
Published July 20th, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsI’m a product of the public schools—the public schools of New Orleans, no less. No, I’m not trying to be a poster child to lambast the Republicans for their proposal to spend $100 million on vouchers for low-income students in failing public schools around the country to attend private and religious schools.
Jason Kamras: One Heck of a Teacher
Published July 14th, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsJason Kamras is making the future look brighter for many Washington, DC students. Last April he was awarded with the title National Teacher of the Year, which was DC’s first. Kamras is profiled in today’s Washington Post ,and the article discusses his travels as the titular winner, his love of teaching math, and his positive remarks about No Child Left Behind (yes, *positive*, not a typo).
Is the Air Healthy for Your Kids?
Published July 11th, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsVehicle emission controls and cleaner-burning fuels have improved air quality in urban environments but children can still be exposed to particularly dangerous levels of air contamination in schools built near busy roadways or other sources of pollution. New research reported in the July 6, 2006 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine finds that the level of carbon particles in the air is correlated with reduced function in children’s developing lungs.
Youth Policy–Let’s Get It Together
Published July 11th, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsA few years ago I attended a Forum for Youth Investment luncheon with policy analysts and funders — all agreed the U.S. was behind the times because we lack any kind of national, coordinated youth policy. In March 2005 Connect for Kids and the Forum fielded a poll that asked if coordinating services for young people made sense–of course the answer was a resounding “yes.”
Thoughts on Health Insurance, or Lack Thereof
Published July 10th, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsWhen it came to our health, my mother always crossed her fingers and kneeled at her bed at night, praying that my sister and I would not get sick. My mother, a single parent, didn’t have insurance—she couldn’t afford it, and like many folks, she lingered in limbo: she earned too much to qualify for Medicaid, but couldn’t afford private insurance.
Pick one: a) Fat b) Overweight c) Obese
Published July 5th, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsI was a chubby kid. (I’m also a chubby mother because of a plus-40 pound weight gain during my pregnancy, but that’s a subject for another rant-worthy blog). My cousins called me chubby, my track coach called me chubby, and even my mom and grandfather called me chubby. Was I offended by this occasional term of endearment? Sure. I mean, would I call my daughter chubby if she was?
Killing kid culture with kindness
Published July 3rd, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsImagine this. It’s 2086. An earnest young graduate student in anthropology turns on his camera, and turns to the stooped, white-haired gentleman sitting across from him.
“Tell me more about this game ‘tag’ — how was it played exactly?”
Who’s Raining on Your Fourth of July Parade?
Published July 3rd, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsAre you going to the Fourth of July parade? Well, Congress has already rained on it. Here’s how:
As of July 1 students starting out for college, and many of those still paying off those college loans, will have to pay much higher interest rates, thanks to the budget deal Congress made to cut spending for student aid while expanding tax cuts for investments.
What’s in Vogue? Greed or Generosity
Published July 3rd, 2006 in South Florida Dads, South Florida and Parenting. 0 CommentsUpdate: This just in–the Senate has postponed the scheduled June 29 vote on reducing the estate tax.
In explaining his decision to give away most of his money through the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett says his children have had more privileges and advantages than more than 99 percent of the rest of the children in America. His heirs don’t need to inherit every last cent of his billions as well. Buffett says he hopes his gift will serve as a model for others.
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