Did You Know?

The National PTA recently signed on as a whole child partner, joining more than 40 education, arts, and health and wellness organizations.

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Go Beyond the Choir

You hear the questions and comments: "Isn't the whole child movement anti-accountability? What about test scores? I don't have time to do this, even though I believe in it." Now, we help you with the answers! The time for advocacy on behalf of the whole child is now, and your voice is needed. It is time to go beyond the choir and inform educational leaders, colleagues, neighbors, and policymakers about the urgency and relevance of educating the whole child. To aid you in your advocacy efforts, we have created Making the Case for Educating the Whole Child. This free resource provides critical research and real-world examples of education policies and practices that ensure students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. In short, it will help you make the case for what we know works.

Need help getting started advocating for whole child practices and policies? Like the new Making the Case document, but not sure how to use it? The ASCD Advocacy Guide offers tips to help you communicate with educational leaders and policymakers, make your voice heard, and ensure your advocacy is effective and efficient. This guide will help you

• Research the issues important to you, build a network, and communicate with your allies.
• Set clear goals and reasonable expectations, develop a plan, and take action.
• Spread your message using op-eds, news releases, and other communication vehicles.

» Remember to tell your story, too! While Making the Case and the stories we've told in previous newsletters are great resources for anyone committed to educating the whole child, your story in your community with your kids is always the most compelling. Share it with your community, elected officials, and local media, and share it with us on the Whole Child Blog. Make the case for educating the whole child and go beyond the choir.

Schools + Communities = Success for the Whole Child

Tune in today for June's Whole Child Podcast to hear Children's Aid Society's Jane Quinn and Eileen Santiago, principal of Thomas Edison Elementary School in Port Chester, N.Y., share success stories. Download the podcast today, or access archived episodes at any time.

Communicate Effectively for Your Stimulus Dollars

Download ASCD's new stimulus plan communications tool kit, one of several ASCD ARRA resources, to advocate for the best use of stimulus funds. This kit contains a variety of tools to help you communicate with the media and public about how allocations of the stimulus funds will support student achievement.

» Expect More. Get More.

“Career multiple pathways can offer an exciting opportunity to transform the high school experience and offer students more academic rigor, curriculum that is relevant to the real world, and relationships with caring adults, leading to more students who are college- or career-ready at the end of high school.”

—California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell on the new research study to explore the feasibility of establishing and expanding career multiple pathways programs

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