Waiting for Superman – Sandy Rosenberg

November 21 – Going to school at Camden Yards

November 21, 2011 | by delsandy | Sandy's Legislative Diary | No Comments

I always knew what high school I was going to attend.

My cousins, Sam and Jerome, and then my brother, Stewart, went to City. I knew I would too.

On Saturday, I walked among the nearly 15,000 parents and children at the Middle and High School Choice Fair at Camden Yards.

Sixty-four public schools made a pitch to prospective middle and high school students.

I doubt that many of these kids have the family links that I did.

That’s what made the event special. These families were doing their best to make an informed decision.

In contrast, a year ago, I saw “Waiting for Superman,” a movie about the lottery that allows a handful of students to attend highly regarded public schools.

The night I saw the movie, I decided to work on education reform in Annapolis.

Parents’ involvement that supports children’s learning, such as reading to their first graders at home, results in better scores on certain standardized tests,Tom Friedman wrote in yesterday’s New York Times.

That was a given in the Rosenberg household. How can we encourage such activity among the families of children who lack the resources we had?

The bill I hope to introduce will try to answer that question.

The Egypt Moment

February 13, 2011 | by delsandy | Sandy's 2011 Legislative Diary | 1 Comment

As I joined the hundreds of young adults streaming into the Teach For America 20th Anniversary Summit at the DC Convention Center, I said to myself, “Tahrir Square has come from Cairo to Washington.”

Inside, several speakers referred to the “Egypt moment” for education reform.

The potential exists for significant reform in the wake of Race to the Top, President Obama’s education initiative, and the collective efforts of TFA and many other local and national groups.

I had a similar feeling last fall, when I saw “Waiting for Superman,” the documentary film about children – and their families, hoping that they could win a lottery to get themselves into a better school.

That was the night that I spoke to Bill Ferguson, newly elected to the State Senator and a TFA alumnus, about forming a coalition for education reform in Maryland.

We have introduced three bills. The most controversial one deals with dismissal of ineffective teachers, as measured by standards being devised in response to the Race to the Top law the legislature passed last year.

My take away from this extraordinary gathering in DC: Aim higher. Don’t settle for incremental change. Our kids can’t afford it.

February 12