“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
Brad Schoener was a music director in the Upper Darby Pennsylvania school district for 25 years before losing a 5 year battle with cancer last year. He was an amazing musician and inspirational music teacher for thousands of students in the Upper Darby School District, who was loved everywhere he went. Brad helped mold the future paths of so many children through his passion for music and his ability to bring out that passion in his students.
The Brad Schoener Fund Music Marathon grew out of an idea Brad had several years ago to hold an event that was a celebration of music of all kinds. Brad was excited about the idea and so is his family and hundreds of students and alumni, colleagues and friends. The event will be a carnival of music inside and outside the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center.
The Second Annual Brad Schoener Music Marathon will take place on June 12, 2010, and will feature a 5k Walk/Run, scheduled to start at 10 am across the street from the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center. This is a two loop run course, (or one loop walk) in beautiful Arlington Cemetery, Brad’s resting place. Along the course, runners and walkers will be treated to live music by some of Brad’s students and friends. After the race folks can enjoy more live music at the Music Marathon being held in the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center from 1:00pm to 9:00pm. Funds raised will benefit the Brad Schoener Fund which was formed to provide support for music education to students of the Upper Darby School District by:
• Funding scholarships for music lessons for exceptional students.
• Support Summer Music Camp
• Providing Instruments for all elementary students who wish to learn.
Zeswitz Music and the Schoener Music Fund will be holding an instrument drive on the day Marathon. Time to donate “Uncle Harry’s old trumpet” that is sitting up in your attic! Or sell the instrument that your college student isn’t using any more! Donate an instrument directly to the Schoener Music Fund (and receive a letter for charitable tax donation) OR sell your instrument on consignment that day — 20% goes to the Music Fund; 80% comes home to you!
Come on out and have a good time…the young musicians of Upper Darby will benefit!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Al Sharpton is Right
While my main focus for this blog is community organizations and especially how they impact education here in Delaware County, an AP national story caught my eye over the weekend. Reverend Al Sharpton had taken some heat for defending the President during the annual conference organized by his National Action Network. Mr. Obama had received some criticism from television host Tavis Smiley, who said "black folk are catching hell" and has pushed for Obama to do more to help the black community. Sharpton responded that black Americans "need to solve our own problems", and he told the AP that he is working to expand his Harlem-based organization to 100 cities from the current 42, with about 200,000 members. Philly Mayor Michael Nutter added that Reverend Sharpton’s efforts to help black Americans will measure its success by individual goal-setting "every day, every week, every month".
I agree. I whole-heartedly agree, and am glad to see that his efforts will stress that achieving success starts with having individual goals. Each and every one of us should understand what direction we’re heading in. Parents, children, students, the unemployed or underemployed… we all need GOALS, accomplishments we can achieve through our own effort. It is an important concept, but not necessarily a black or white issue. It’s a life issue.
For those at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, it’s purely an economic one. A goal serves as a plan to get out of poverty, a way to move up the ladder, one rung at a time. To my immigrant grandmother, who was widowed while pregnant with her fourth child, her goal was to get her children educated. She pursued that goal for her entire life, and shared that goal with millions of immigrant families then and now. To the young dependent parent, the goal could be to become self-sufficient. To the underemployed, the goal could be to get additional skills to better compete for the available jobs. We all need goals to achieve, but more importantly we need to understand that achieving goals which we ourselves set is critical to success. My parents taught me that anything I wanted to achieve was possible, though I had to earn it myself. It was up to me.
I’m glad to see that Reverend Sharpton is focusing on the basics. Getting young folks to set goals is a powerful achievement and potentially empowering for life, but it’s very difficult to do on a community scale. It’s a skill better learned at home.
Friday: Second Annual Brad Schoener Music Marathon
I agree. I whole-heartedly agree, and am glad to see that his efforts will stress that achieving success starts with having individual goals. Each and every one of us should understand what direction we’re heading in. Parents, children, students, the unemployed or underemployed… we all need GOALS, accomplishments we can achieve through our own effort. It is an important concept, but not necessarily a black or white issue. It’s a life issue.
For those at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, it’s purely an economic one. A goal serves as a plan to get out of poverty, a way to move up the ladder, one rung at a time. To my immigrant grandmother, who was widowed while pregnant with her fourth child, her goal was to get her children educated. She pursued that goal for her entire life, and shared that goal with millions of immigrant families then and now. To the young dependent parent, the goal could be to become self-sufficient. To the underemployed, the goal could be to get additional skills to better compete for the available jobs. We all need goals to achieve, but more importantly we need to understand that achieving goals which we ourselves set is critical to success. My parents taught me that anything I wanted to achieve was possible, though I had to earn it myself. It was up to me.
I’m glad to see that Reverend Sharpton is focusing on the basics. Getting young folks to set goals is a powerful achievement and potentially empowering for life, but it’s very difficult to do on a community scale. It’s a skill better learned at home.
Friday: Second Annual Brad Schoener Music Marathon
Sunday, April 18, 2010
158 Year Old Education Collaboration
One of the earliest collaborations between community and family coming together to support education here in southeast Pennsylvania started almost 158 years ago. In December, 1850 Father Edward J. Sourin, Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish founded an organization in Philadelphia to create opportunities to advance the education and cultural development of illiterate Irish and German Catholic young men whose education was cut short to help support their families. It was at an 1851 reception of this organization, the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute (Philo), that Bishop Kendrick first began a discussion of the establishment of a parish-based Catholic school system. Philo and its members enthusiastically supported the idea, and the school system was begun the following year under the direction of John Nepomucene Neumann, the 6th Bishop of Philadelphia as well as a Philo member. At the time there were only 5 parishes in Delaware County. This unique endeavor in which the religious community partnered with the parish families to create a school system, quickly became a powerful educational collaboration. The parochial school system has educated hundreds of thousands of young men and women, and continues to this day although challenged by reduced enrollment.
Philo continues as well, and the clubhouse is located at 20th and Walnut in Philly. As the oldest Catholic lay organization in the country, Philo supports education through scholarships to students attending local Catholic colleges as well as supporting successful primary education efforts within the archdiocese. Mother Katherine Drexel School in Chester has received Philo support.
For the past 49 years Philo has annually recognized a Catholic who by achievement and exemplary life has made contributions to Catholic ideals. The Sourin Award has been presented by the Philo to a distinguished list of honorees that includes cardinals, governors, professors, mayors and judges. On Wednesday evening, the Sourin Award is being presented to Timothy Flanagan, founder and Chair of the Catholic Leadership Institute. Congratulations to Tim and his wife Terese for this well-deserved honor.
Wednesday: Al Sharpton is right.
Philo continues as well, and the clubhouse is located at 20th and Walnut in Philly. As the oldest Catholic lay organization in the country, Philo supports education through scholarships to students attending local Catholic colleges as well as supporting successful primary education efforts within the archdiocese. Mother Katherine Drexel School in Chester has received Philo support.
For the past 49 years Philo has annually recognized a Catholic who by achievement and exemplary life has made contributions to Catholic ideals. The Sourin Award has been presented by the Philo to a distinguished list of honorees that includes cardinals, governors, professors, mayors and judges. On Wednesday evening, the Sourin Award is being presented to Timothy Flanagan, founder and Chair of the Catholic Leadership Institute. Congratulations to Tim and his wife Terese for this well-deserved honor.
Wednesday: Al Sharpton is right.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Collaboration Needed on Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years with the prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to almost 20 percent in 2008. Public health data show nearly 30 percent of children and teens are overweight or obese, but how does a community combat this issue?
This is the type of issue where success demands collaboration across many stakeholder groups. What is needed for the development of a “Healthy Living” infrastructure in Delaware County is a collaborative effort of health care and education professionals, local government, corporate and community leaders who possess the power to create positive change through strategic alignment of current educational, nutritional, recreational and social service resources. Convening relevant stakeholders to address the issue, would facilitate partners bringing their expertise, skills and insights to develop a unified corporate, community and government approach to a healthier lifestyle here in Delaware County. With a critical mass of diverse county-wide leadership participation, this consortium could create a strategic framework, dealing with both aspects of the obesity formula: Nutrition (calories consumed) and Physical Activity (calories consumed). Delaware County would be a better and healthier community.
Wednesday - Collaboration on Education
This is the type of issue where success demands collaboration across many stakeholder groups. What is needed for the development of a “Healthy Living” infrastructure in Delaware County is a collaborative effort of health care and education professionals, local government, corporate and community leaders who possess the power to create positive change through strategic alignment of current educational, nutritional, recreational and social service resources. Convening relevant stakeholders to address the issue, would facilitate partners bringing their expertise, skills and insights to develop a unified corporate, community and government approach to a healthier lifestyle here in Delaware County. With a critical mass of diverse county-wide leadership participation, this consortium could create a strategic framework, dealing with both aspects of the obesity formula: Nutrition (calories consumed) and Physical Activity (calories consumed). Delaware County would be a better and healthier community.
Wednesday - Collaboration on Education
Friday, April 9, 2010
KUDOS
My two posts this week have dealt with Community and family as important components of educating our children, and of course the local school system is of upmost importance in preparing our children for the 21st century workplace. I want to offer kudos to two efforts on opposite sides of the county.
Recently, WorkplaceDynamics, a consulting group in Exton was enlisted to survey employees of 1,505 companies of at least 50 employees in the Tri-State Delaware Valley to rate their companies and their bosses. The objective of the survey was to identify the area’s top 100 workplaces, and it was an extensive effort to uncover the best employers in the Philadelphia region from the point of view of employee themselves. I offer warm congratulations to the Upper Darby School District for not only making the list, but also for being the only school district to be named. Successfully educating such a diverse student population, and having the faculty feel so positive about their workplace is a testament to the work of Lou DeVlieger and his administration.
One of the topics I’ll be writing about from time to time are opportunities for collaboration between the three systems in the education of Delaware County’s children, and I’d want to offer kudos for an community - school collaboration which just celebrated its 40 year anniversary. In 1969 Dr. Alonzo Cavin founded Project Prepare as a partnership between Widener University and the Chester Upland School District to help students successfully transition to college. Hundreds of students from Chester and neighboring boroughs were helped and were able to complete college through this program. Kudos to Dr Cavin, founding Director, and its current Director, Tim Cairy, two men who have done much to foster the very best educationally for some economically disadvantaged students, and with virtually very little fanfare. Thank you!
Monday – Collaborations
Recently, WorkplaceDynamics, a consulting group in Exton was enlisted to survey employees of 1,505 companies of at least 50 employees in the Tri-State Delaware Valley to rate their companies and their bosses. The objective of the survey was to identify the area’s top 100 workplaces, and it was an extensive effort to uncover the best employers in the Philadelphia region from the point of view of employee themselves. I offer warm congratulations to the Upper Darby School District for not only making the list, but also for being the only school district to be named. Successfully educating such a diverse student population, and having the faculty feel so positive about their workplace is a testament to the work of Lou DeVlieger and his administration.
One of the topics I’ll be writing about from time to time are opportunities for collaboration between the three systems in the education of Delaware County’s children, and I’d want to offer kudos for an community - school collaboration which just celebrated its 40 year anniversary. In 1969 Dr. Alonzo Cavin founded Project Prepare as a partnership between Widener University and the Chester Upland School District to help students successfully transition to college. Hundreds of students from Chester and neighboring boroughs were helped and were able to complete college through this program. Kudos to Dr Cavin, founding Director, and its current Director, Tim Cairy, two men who have done much to foster the very best educationally for some economically disadvantaged students, and with virtually very little fanfare. Thank you!
Monday – Collaborations
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Educational success starts with the family
Successfully educating our youth depends upon our own family, our community, and our school system efforts aligned and working well together. As young adults become parents, they begin the process of educating the child. With any luck the child has a great mom & dad and is living in a wonderfully nurturing and caring community with a school system that prepares each student to maximize their potential in the 21st Century workplace. How is that for a community vision statement! That’s what every child deserves, but all too often doesn’t get. Many children are beings raised by single parents, or aunts or other relatives, even grandparents. The last census identified 3,600 grandparents raising their kids’ kids in Delaware County in 2000. Thoughts on what the current census might identify?
From the day a child is brought home from the hospital, the family and the members of the extended family should be focused on preparing that child for life. Speaking to the child, helping the child learn the alphabet, and reading to the baby are very important steps in the developmental process. As a relatively new Pop-Pop, I have a small role in preparing Faith, Ben, Jackson and Trinity for success. Every babysitting opportunity involves snuggling up to Pop Pop while he reads Cat in the Hat, Are You My Mother or Green Eggs and Ham to the little guys or Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing with Faith. Through love and nurturing, the family must take the lead in guiding that child to not only learn the alphabet, but to communicate, to be part of the family and eventually how to be part of a community. The child has to see that the family values education, and that education can bring success.
As a child develops, the community supports --like quality child care, head start, recreational activities, and others are needed to keep the development going. The school system can then begin to build upon the foundation which the family has developed.
My grandmother helped to instill my belief that educational success starts with the family. She had been widowed in 1922, pregnant with her fourth child. She had no education, but she was determined that her children would, because Mom-Mom knew that the only way her children would escape poverty was education. She scrubbed floors in what was then the new Fidelity Building at Broad and Walnut at night so she could be home while the kids attended school. Not only did her children each receive an education, her 11 grandchildren all have college degrees, most with Masters and include degrees from 4 ivy-league schools.
Friday: Kudos
From the day a child is brought home from the hospital, the family and the members of the extended family should be focused on preparing that child for life. Speaking to the child, helping the child learn the alphabet, and reading to the baby are very important steps in the developmental process. As a relatively new Pop-Pop, I have a small role in preparing Faith, Ben, Jackson and Trinity for success. Every babysitting opportunity involves snuggling up to Pop Pop while he reads Cat in the Hat, Are You My Mother or Green Eggs and Ham to the little guys or Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing with Faith. Through love and nurturing, the family must take the lead in guiding that child to not only learn the alphabet, but to communicate, to be part of the family and eventually how to be part of a community. The child has to see that the family values education, and that education can bring success.
As a child develops, the community supports --like quality child care, head start, recreational activities, and others are needed to keep the development going. The school system can then begin to build upon the foundation which the family has developed.
My grandmother helped to instill my belief that educational success starts with the family. She had been widowed in 1922, pregnant with her fourth child. She had no education, but she was determined that her children would, because Mom-Mom knew that the only way her children would escape poverty was education. She scrubbed floors in what was then the new Fidelity Building at Broad and Walnut at night so she could be home while the kids attended school. Not only did her children each receive an education, her 11 grandchildren all have college degrees, most with Masters and include degrees from 4 ivy-league schools.
Friday: Kudos
Monday, April 5, 2010
Non Profit Leadership
Community is a very important component of the Education = Family + Community + Schools equation, and can be far more diverse because it includes government (local, state and federal) and non-profit organizations / service providers. These institutions are products of the community and are there to contribute to the fabric of life enjoyed by the residents.
Whether you agree with the current seat holder or not, political leadership positions are regularly put up for public scrutiny and eventually an election. Heck of a way to make a living.
Have you seen any of the latest political poll numbers? Gallop’s monthly ask of America “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job” showed that 80% of us disapprove of what our elected leaders in Washington are doing. Approval will fluctuate for all candidates as they go about government as they see it. Politicians know that eventually they will have to stand before the community and justify their vision of leadership, and this public vindication by election is probably the most important component to responsive leadership within government. People expect the right to vote for their vision of leadership, the right to offer their opinion on the direction of the town, county, state or federal government.
Unfortunately, there is no comparable way for residents to offer opinion on staffing or the management direction of local non-profit organizations. That’s generally the responsibility of each non-profit’s board of directors, often with little regard for the plans of other similar non-profits. If you support an organization financially or through your volunteer time, you should take the time to find out how they’re doing. Check their financials at www.guidestar.com . It is important to make sure the board is doing its job. Do they meet regularly? Find out if the organization is doing what you thought they were doing. Could they be doing more? Doing better? Are there other non-profits who are potential partners in developing alternatives to meeting your mission? The current economy will present challenges to fund raising for many non-profits and it will be important for each organization to maximize its available resources through creative partnerships. Non-profits are only as strong as their volunteer leadership. Get involved!
Wednesday: Educational success starts with the family
Whether you agree with the current seat holder or not, political leadership positions are regularly put up for public scrutiny and eventually an election. Heck of a way to make a living.
Have you seen any of the latest political poll numbers? Gallop’s monthly ask of America “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job” showed that 80% of us disapprove of what our elected leaders in Washington are doing. Approval will fluctuate for all candidates as they go about government as they see it. Politicians know that eventually they will have to stand before the community and justify their vision of leadership, and this public vindication by election is probably the most important component to responsive leadership within government. People expect the right to vote for their vision of leadership, the right to offer their opinion on the direction of the town, county, state or federal government.
Unfortunately, there is no comparable way for residents to offer opinion on staffing or the management direction of local non-profit organizations. That’s generally the responsibility of each non-profit’s board of directors, often with little regard for the plans of other similar non-profits. If you support an organization financially or through your volunteer time, you should take the time to find out how they’re doing. Check their financials at www.guidestar.com . It is important to make sure the board is doing its job. Do they meet regularly? Find out if the organization is doing what you thought they were doing. Could they be doing more? Doing better? Are there other non-profits who are potential partners in developing alternatives to meeting your mission? The current economy will present challenges to fund raising for many non-profits and it will be important for each organization to maximize its available resources through creative partnerships. Non-profits are only as strong as their volunteer leadership. Get involved!
Wednesday: Educational success starts with the family
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)