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  2nd Quarter Benchmark Share Out

Posted by Diana Laufenberg in American Government - Laufenberg on
1.  Go to D Band Voicethread.
2.  Register for an account.
3.  Add one image to the collective voicethread.
  • Choose one of your 12 items from the benchmark to highlight
  • Locate an image that best represents that item - you can use the flickr Creative Commons to find an image if you do not have one
  • Narrate your paragraph that accompanies that item from your benchmark
4.  Comment on at least two other 'pages' from the collective voicethread.  Ask a question.  Push back on their reasoning.  Affirm their position.  Be thoughtful

Communicate with your Rep: Morgan Craig-Williams: Lobbying Assignment 4

Posted by Morgan Craig-Williams in American Government - Laufenberg on

Dear Senator Anthony Williams,     

          My name is Morgan Craig-Williams, and I am a senior at Science Leadership Academy. I live in Southwest Philadelphia and from what I believe you represent me.  This message is in regard to the trash that clutters the street within your jurisdiction. I am concerned about what our streets may look like in 3 years from now if we don’t take care of the problem. I feel like a lot of people have overviewed this situation before yet none have really addressed it, which is why I wanted to let you know there are teenagers who really want to help make a difference.     I would like a cleaner Philadelphia and want the trash clean up just as rigorous in the urban areas as they are in the city. We have the resources to make that happen even if there are a couple of community service projects put in place to clean up one street at a time.    I am willing to put together a group within my school’s community but I can’t do it all by myself. I believe with help from you and getting the right resources to advertise, this can become a wonderful thing. Lots of time you see kid sin jail suits cleaning up parks, community service for punishment. I want teenagers and adults even children to be able to walk along their streets a not have to be worried about stepping on a dirty needles or junk food trash.     Please consider what I am trying to start in my community; I would be very thankful if you took time out of your busy schedule to review all options.

            Sincerely,

                            Morgan Craig-Williams

              To further my lobbying for a cleaner Philadelphia, I was thinking about talking to someone from Build-On. Maybe teaming up with an already established community service project and making an event through them would be better than starting form scratch.

No raising the voting age

Posted by James Seward in American Government - Laufenberg on

It’s almost time to begin to take action.  I’ve gather the information and the motivation, now all that is left is to put the plan into motion to make sure they do not lower the drinking age too 25.  After finding out a lot of information, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to reach the senate is through rallies and demonstrations.  I chose this because I’ve seen other forms of gaining attention in action, such as petitions, phone calls and emails, and I know from personal experience that using such methods in this situation would only delay the process.

The 1st thing I plan to do is spread the word about my cause.  There can’t be a rally if people don’t know what they’re rallying for.  The second thing I need to do is draw the attention of the media.  Although some people may disagree with this at first, any publicity is good Publicity. The next thing I would do is search for a good time and date to have the rally and where.  There are many factors for this so I need to think carefully.  Because my father knows Mayor Nutter, I might be able to get him to support me or help me in some manner when doing this for real. As time marches on the  and the days for until this project insues, im growing more anxious for the day to arrive. 

Contacting the Representatives - Lobbying for Smaller Schools: Educating all of Philadelphia

Posted by Taylor Tomasco in American Government - Laufenberg on

Our goal: have at least one SRC rep to report back to. This person will guide us through this process, answer all questions, show support, lead us in the right direction, and help us get the job done so we can reach across to all schools.
Our plan: Spread the word. 
We are recruiting other SLA students to be part of our team. (Sinnea Douglas, & Amirah Burkett thus far) The more minds, the richer the ideas and arguments. 
We are going to be interviewing important individuals who have experience and knowledge in various aspects of education. Their experiences can give us input on the different sections of our broad issue. They will lead us on a path toward finding the right answers for this local, but national issue. They will be able to shine a light on our road to success.
Questions for Bach Tong:

1. From your experiences as a former pupil of a comprehensive high school, how do you feel the transition was to an smaller academy?

2. Do you feel that your career interests are being met by the various programs that are offered at Science Leadership Academy? Did you have that at your old school?

3. Was your individual needs as a student met by the teacher and or programs at your old school? Are they met now? (Mention Class Size...)

4. What are the biggest differences in the education you received at the comprehensives and that of SLA?

5. How do you think the comprehensives schools can change their mission statement to make their education richer?
Along with the various interviews that we will conduct, we will go into an alternative school to conduct a short survey.  
Survey Questions

Please circle yes (Y) or no (N)
Are your career goals being met by your school now? Y N 
Do you like going to school everyday? Y N
Do you receive individual attention from your teachers? Y N
Have you been in any other type of learning environment? Y N
Do you feel your education needs are being met? Y N

Please answer to your best ability
What would you like to see change about your school/education?


What do you like about your school/education?


What made you come to this school?

We are sending emails to the SRC reps to let them know what we are looking for. We are asking questions like “What can we do? How can you help? What is the process of this like? Who can we talk to next? Is this realistic? How do you feel about this issue?”
To whom it may concern,

My name is Cody Nichols, a senior at the Science Leadership Academy located on the corner of 22nd and Arch. We are a project-based and inquiry driven academy, that accepts students from all different types of backgrounds varying in the different counties in Pennsylvania. We abide by 5-Core Values that are the foundation of our school; Inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection. These 5-Core values are embedded into every single project we complete in this school. We are an Academy that believes "as 21st Century Student we need and deserve a 21st Century Education." Which brings me to the reason for composing this e-mail.

We were assigned a project for our senior American Government Class which required us to lobby for an issue either Nationally, Statewide, or Locally. Taylor Tomasco, my partner on this project, and I felt strongly about our views on education. So we deemed it necessary to find an issue relevant to the topic of education. We decided on the belief that we need smaller neighborhood schools, and we need to not segregate misbehaved pupils into alternative schools. With this belief we would hope to break down the barriers between pupils who behave vs. pupils that misbehave, so that all may have the opportunity to receive a good education in the 21st Century.

Would you be willing to help us accomplish our goal by guiding us through this process and/or providing contact information of individuals who would be interested.  

We believe the breakdown of academies would be beneficial to all students because it would focus solely on them and only on them for their specific area.

If possible with the greatest interests, could you respond with answers to the following questions:
1. What is your take on separating pupils who misbehave into large institutions to receive the proper education with more of the same "bad students"?

2. Do you feel that the breakdown of larger schools into academies would be beneficial to the greater good of students, given the success rate of others?

3. If deemed necessary do you feel this issue needs to be taken to a higher power? And if so, could you please provide the contact information to do so?

We really would like to thank you for your time in reading this e-mail, hoping that one day, a good education can be provided to all students.

With Thanks,
Cody Nichols (11') & Taylor Tomasco (11')
We are making phone calls to schedule face time with the big boys and spread the word. 
We are trying to become larger. 

So far we have not received any responses. Until we do, we will keep sending emails. We are starting small and hopefully we will soon enough be able to contact Arne Duncan, Bob Brady, Mayor Nutter, & Arlene Ackerman directly.

post # 4

Posted by Robert Glynn in American Government - Laufenberg on

We are writing to discuss the current voting system on both a National and State level.  As young adults, we are new to the voting process, and concerned with voter turnout.  We believe that voter turnout is significantly tied to voting accessibility.  Analyzing the PA voting system, as well as contrasting it with that of others, we have developed a few suggestions for improvement.  Respectfully, we hope you will take them into due consideration.  

State Elections are held on the same day as National election, the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.  Most people are not aware why voting is held on this day, but we are.  Tuesday was nationally standardized as (Vice-) Presidential election day in 1845 by law, and smaller elections followed suit.  It was designated as such for reasons that are not applicable today.  That Tuesday was meant to be convenient for citizens of the time, and chosen because it would not interfere with any religious observances and was the day before market day.  Due to the fact that it took so long to travel, most people were already in town.  

However, this method is completely outdated and no longer serves the practical function that it did in 1845.  Voter turnout is suffering.  When a system allows for more lenience, people will respond.  In the 2002 general election, Pennsylvania was ranked 40th in voter turnout, whereas Oregon ranked 6th.  Oregon utilizes mail-in voting, a much more flexible system.  

Recently, several states have either adopted or introduced voting reform.  One example in particular stood out to us.  San Francisco just passed a piece of legislation, “Proposition 1,” which would enable polls to open on the Saturday preceding. Those who found it inconvenient to vote during the day Tuesday, could instead vote on the weekend. New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg responded enthusiastically with his own support and own proposal. He wants to include early voting to make the system more flexible.  Pennsylvania could work in a likewise manner.  If Pennsylvania adopted a similar policy, voter turnout would improve greatly.

It would behove our State to have a voter system like this, and it would make voting for both us and the general public a much easier process.  Consider suggesting this plan, and PA will be grateful.  


Sincerely,


Sophia Moreno

&
Robert Glynn


Robbie and I are humorously wondering if we will receive an email back from a real person, or a generic “thank you concerned citizen.”  We’ll see.  Best of luck.

Blog Post #4

Posted by Megan Doe in American Government - Laufenberg on

The Child Nutrition Act FINALLY got passed in the House and Senate therefore finally laying in the Presidents hands who is likely to sign off on the bill since he fully supports it. The first step Megan and I will conduct is to write a letter to our local Representative and Senators showing our support and thanks for the child nutrition act. We are aware that Senator Casey has previously expressed great concern and fully supports the child nutrition act.
This following letter was sent to Bob Brady, Arlen Specter and Bob Casey
Dear  ____,
  

My partner and I have been working on our lobbying group that is in support of the Child Nutrition Act 2010. Through out the years, obesity has become a common problem in the United States and it was important that our government took a stand in reducing obesity. It was significant that they included schools in their plan because majority of the children spend most of their time in a educational setting while they also receive school lunches. Our lobbying group has followed the process since the renewal plan has been brought  on the table.  

As Philadelphia students from Science Leadership Academy, we have experienced many students like ourselves who rely on free lunches in school due to financial difficulties.  Since obesity is a common problem throughout our country, we are thankful that you have been able to take action. We ask  for your continuous support on the Child Nutrition Act improving the lives of those students who especially rely on school for their daily food. We applaud your effort in helping students build the message about the importance of healthy lunches and that they are able to rely on their schools to help receive a comfortable amount of food daily. If you would like to take any steps in improving the child nutrition act, we stand by your side and will show our full support. Thank you for your effort and concern. 

-Rumman Haq & Megan Doe

In the above email we wanted to show them that students like us are aware of the child nutrition act and show how we have been working on it in school. Megan and I wanted to add that they should continue to improve the act but if they stay on the same path, they have our support.

Talking to the Editor on Standardized Testing

Posted by Kimberly Bush in American Government - Laufenberg on

Kimberly Bush
December 2, 2010
I sent an email to the WashingtonTimes since it is considered a big newspaper in Washington, DC. In the email I stated my views on being a high school student transitioning to college and also stated the quotes and views of others that actually have more of an effect on the situation. In the email I included the fact that I am attending a project based school where we focus more on projects and presentations than tests. I also stated how this way of teaching has affected me educationally and it has given me a better understanding and view on life. I referred back to my experience with the SATs and how my scores are no where near a representation of what I can do. I gave statistics about the scores of SATs and such. I still have not received a reply back but I’m still hoping for one. I was in the process of creating a Petition however, my laptop decided not to turn on when I got home so I will be uploading that later.

Letter To The Editor at Washington Times:

Dear Editor,My name is Kimberly Bush. I am a Senior at Science Leadership Academy which is a Public School located in Philadelphia, PA. I  am concerned about the topic “Standardized Testing.” It seems as though many people have glanced at this controversial situation yet none have really addressed it which is why I wanted to bring it to attention for those who read your paper. Standardized Testing is used as a main source to test the intelligence of students across the world. However, this method is doubted by students, parents, and even the President of the United States. According to President Barack Obama, “Creativity has been drained from classrooms, as too many teachers are forced to teach to fill-in-the-bubble tests...” (Education.com) Being a high school student, I whole heartedly agree with this statement and so does my entire school. Science Leadership Academy (SLA) is a project based school and believes that projects are an effective way to assess not only what the student has learned but also how creative they are by presenting it. Now don’t get me wrong, we still do take tests however we don’t really use them to test our intelligence. They are used to see what we need help in and what we don’t understand which is where the projects come in. By doing projects on the different topics we went over in class we not only learn more and get a better grasp of what we were learning but we also can show and reflect on the topics at hand and how they relate to us. In the end we learn more and also have fun while doing it. I have been doing a lot of research on Standardized Testing for this school year and came across an organization named The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest). Fair Test is trying to end the “misuses and flaws of standardized testing” and is trying to make sure that the assessment of students, teachers, and schools is fair and benefits the education. According to a chart found on FairTest.org, your family’s income can be a factor in your SAT scores. College bound Seniors, whose families have a higher income, are more likely to score higher on the different subjects of the SAT than those with a lower income. This obviously should not have an affect on the scores yet it’s clear that the more money you have the better your odds will be when trying to get into the college of your dreams.

I just took the SAT’s for a second time in October and I feel as though my scores don’t reflect on my intelligence nor my abilities on what I can do. Having a 3.79 GPA with a SAT score of a 1610 doesn’t really shout out, “Smart and great for your school,” to colleges such as New York University or Syracuse University. However, I still applied and am hoping to receive some good news from them. It’s sad because I know that I am a responsible and smart individual with a mind like no other, yet I’m afraid to be taken for granted because of my SAT scores.

The world needs to know that your test scores do not define you and that there should be another way to assess the abilities of others that does not involve filling in the bubbles. Colleges need to see that the youth of today are not just a number, we are individual beings that bring our own personality and ideas to the table. They just need to give us a chance before they say that we haven’t met the requirements.

Sincerely.

Kimberly Bush

6450 N. 13th St.

Philadelphia, PA 19126

(215)224-8539

Blog Post #4

Posted by Rumman Haq in American Government - Laufenberg on

The Child Nutrition Act FINALLY got passed in the House and Senate therefore finally laying in the Presidents hands who is likely to sign off on the bill since he fully supports it. The first step Megan and I will conduct is to write a letter to our local Representative and Senators showing our support and thanks for the child nutrition act. We are aware that Senator Casey has previously expressed great concern and fully supports the child nutrition act.
This following letter was sent to Bob Brady, Arlen Specter and Bob Casey
Dear  ____,
  

My partner and I have been working on our lobbying group that is in support of the Child Nutrition Act 2010. Through out the years, obesity has become a common problem in the United States and it was important that our government took a stand in reducing obesity. It was significant that they included schools in their plan because majority of the children spend most of their time in a educational setting while they also receive school lunches. Our lobbying group has followed the process since the renewal plan has been brought  on the table.  

As Philadelphia students from Science Leadership Academy, we have experienced many students like ourselves who rely on free lunches in school due to financial difficulties.  Since obesity is a common problem throughout our country, we are thankful that you have been able to take action. We ask  for your continuous support on the Child Nutrition Act improving the lives of those students who especially rely on school for their daily food. We applaud your effort in helping students build the message about the importance of healthy lunches and that they are able to rely on their schools to help receive a comfortable amount of food daily. If you would like to take any steps in improving the child nutrition act, we stand by your side and will show our full support. Thank you for your effort and concern. 

-Rumman Haq & Megan Doe

In the above email we wanted to show them that students like us are aware of the child nutrition act and show how we have been working on it in school. Megan and I wanted to add that they should continue to improve the act but if they stay on the same path, they have our support. 

Lobbying post #3

Posted by Bethany Knibbe in American Government - Laufenberg on

I had a hard time researching my topic much further than I had before. I just couldn't find anything about the funding for drug and alcohol recovery programs. But with some help from Ms. Laufenberg, I found that there is a division of the Philadelphia city government called the Office of Addiction Services<http://www.dbhmrs.org/office-of-addiction-services>, a part of the Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services<http://www.dbhmrs.org/about-us/>. The Office of Addiction Services (OAS) does actually fund many programs dealing with drug and alcohol issues. 

This was a big deal for me. Now that I knew where the existing funding for these programs was coming from, I could start to find out whether it was enough. We found a list of mental health and substance abuse resources on the website for the Mayor's Office of Reintegration Services for Ex-Offenders<http://www.phila.gov/reentry/SA_MH.html>. I formulated some questions and went down the list, calling each relevant program. These are the questions I decided to ask the recovery programs after I explained who I was and why I was calling:

1. Have you been able to sustain your program using the funding that you are receiving from the government?

2. What are some of the other funding sources you have?

3. How would you benefit from more government funding? (Would you be able to provide more holistic treatment?)

4. Is there anyone you could recommend me to talk to who is also concerned about this funding?

Most of the numbers I called were actually out of service. However, I did end up speaking with a few people. I first spoke with someone from CATCH Inc. and from Interim House. Both of those conversations left me with a sense of frustration. When I asked what they could do with more funding, I heard ideas of community integration activities, education and job skills, safe housing, parenting help and better therapy and counseling. Holistic treatment seemed to be a luxury, to expensive to be attainable. 

It was nearing the end of the day when I received a call back from the director of social services at an organization called CORA<http://www.coraservices.com/>, where I had left a message with a secretary. CORA focuses on children and family, an area where addiction prevention is equally important as treatment. I spoke with this woman for a while and learned a lot about some of the needs of programs like CORA. While the government does provide funding, it is most definitely not enough. They only fund certain things, and many things that are crucial to holistic treatment are not included in the funding. After speaking with me for quite some time, she told me that she would like to invite me to a meeting about the topic the next day! She told me her name, Mary Doherty, and told me that she is a member of the advisory board of the Office of Addiction Services. I still can't believe how this worked out. I got permission from my teachers, made the confirmation call, and found myself at CORA services at 2pm thursday afternoon.

Of course I didn't know what to expect, but I never could've imagined the next few hours. It turns out that the meeting was a government committee of about six women who are in the process of writing a document to request increased funding for intervention services for Philadelphia's children and youth. They are working on exactly what I am interested in lobbying for. I listened to them discuss the issues and key people for about two hours, taking copious notes and soaking in the information. I was just amazed that I had the opportunity to witness firsthand exactly what I had tried so hard to understand. Then, as the meeting was coming to a close, I was surprised even further. 

Ms. Mary Doherty asked me if I could shed some light on the topic. (I still don't quite know how to address her, because all the women treated me with such respect that I felt like an equal.) All of a sudden, I found myself the center of attention, being asked question after question that I wasn't sure I had the answer to. They wanted to hear from me, a high school student, the member of the population they are trying so desperately to reach. They wanted to know why do teenagers go get help? Why don't they? Who do they feel safe talking to? Where to they feel safe asking for help? If they have gone through an addiction, what worked? What didn't? I didn't have a clue. But I told them, I could ask. So Ms. Doherty is going to email me a bunch of questions and I'll post a survey on SLA talk, or maybe even on facebook or something. Hopefully we'll get a lot of responses. :] As far as lobbying goes, I'm going to ask the committee specifically what direction I should take with it, who I should contact and what I should ask for. I've been invited back to the next meeting, which will be in January. I'm so excited for where this is going to go, and thankful for this amazing opportunity I've been given.

Public Transit Lobbying Post #3 & 4

Posted by Aimee Leong in American Government - Laufenberg on

A few elected officials have indicated that they support our issue such as Joe Sestak and Raymond LaHood. SEPTA seems to sort of be behind it, they are trying to take steps to make their service more sustainable. 

"SEPTA is in the business of sustainability. Each of our buses, trolleys, and trains provides residents of Greater Philadelphia with an alternative to the automobile - a more affordable, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly way to travel. Our services take cars off the road, reducing congestion, supporting livable communities, and enhance the overall quality of life in our great region."

This link is found on their front page but isn't really known because it's on a slide show and you have to wait for it to go by to then click on it. 


We thought to be more effective we should write a letter to our congressman. We introduced ourselves and what we were lobbying. We wanted to reach out to Congressman Joe Sestak to try and ensure that awareness would some way spread. We would like to discuss the possible techniques to reduce the price and increase SEPTA's dependability. Of course, Teila and I will take charge of other actions but this is what we was able to. We have yet to hear a response. 

"Congressman Joe Sestak,

My classmate and I are working on lobbying the affordability and reliability of our local means of transportation, SETPA. We are both high school students that attend Science Leadership Academy in Central Philadelphia therefore we ride SEPTA quite often. Besides this, we are also traveling to sports games our friend’s houses so we’ve experienced almost every aspect of SEPTA whether bus, trolley, train or el. which requires us to rely heavily on the idea that SEPTA will consistently be a means by which we can travel effectively and at the same time not destroy our pockets. (we have very low budgets) Which means we have been practically taking SEPTA for some part of our lives.

In those few years of experience, several things have changed since then. November 2009, Septa protested because of their disagreement with their current budget. It wasn’t until March 2010 when they went on strike to fight for their compromise. Many Philadelphians were greatly impacted by this because many students and adults weren’t able to go to school or work. Now with Septa’s spiking budget and Philadelphia’s debt along with it, SEPTA have sold the rights to the name of Pattison Station to AT&T for 5 million dollars. This is a definite reflection of the amount of debt that they are in because they are willing to sell and sacrifice the dignity of their station name to a company for a resolution of about 3% of their debt.

These points are crucial to the success and endearment that the city of Philadelphia wants to allot this transportation association. Please we are asking if you can take this in consideration and give us feedback to improve the affordability and reliability of SEPTA.

Teila Allmond and Aimee Leong,

Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia."

Public Transit Lobbying Post #4

Posted by Anonymous in American Government - Laufenberg on

"Congressman Joe Sestak,

My classmate and I are working on lobbying the affordability and reliability of our local means of transportation, SETPA. We are both high school students that attend Science Leadership Academy in Central Philadelphia therefore we ride SEPTA quite often. Besides this, we are also traveling to sports games our friend’s houses so we’ve experienced almost every aspect of SEPTA whether bus, trolley, train or el. which requires us to rely heavily on the idea that SEPTA will consistently be a means by which we can travel effectively and at the same time not destroy our pockets. (we have very low budgets) Which means we have been practically taking SEPTA for some part of our lives.

In those few years of experience, several things have changed since then. November 2009, Septa protested because of their disagreement with their current budget. It wasn’t until March 2010 when they went on strike to fight for their compromise. Many Philadelphians were greatly impacted by this because many students and adults weren’t able to go to school or work. Now with Septa’s spiking budget and Philadelphia’s debt along with it, SEPTA have sold the rights to the name of Pattison Station to AT&T for 5 million dollars. This is a definite reflection of the amount of debt that they are in because they are willing to sell and sacrifice the dignity of their station name to a company for a resolution of about 3% of their debt.

These points are crucial to the success and endearment that the city of Philadelphia wants to allot this transportation association. Please we are asking if you can take this in consideration and give us feedback to improve the affordability and reliability of SEPTA.

 Sincerely,

Aimee Leong & Teila Allmond"

Above is the email Teila and I sent to Congressman Joe Sestak.

In this e-mail we introduced ourselves and what we were lobbying. We wanted to reach out to Congressman Joe Sestak to try and ensure that awareness would some way spread. We would like to discuss the possible techniques to reduce the price and increase SEPTA's dependability. Of course, Teila and I will take charge of other actions but this is what we was able to. We have yet to hear a response. 

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