- NWP Site Bulletin -
November 2010
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NWP News The NWP Receives Bill & Melinda Gates Grant The National Writing Project recently received a $550,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Over the next year, teams of teachers from local Writing Project sites throughout California and Massachusetts, as well as from the Louisville, Boise, and Oakland (MI) Writing Projects, will create a model for classroom teachers in writing instruction across the curriculum that will support students to achieve the outcomes of the Common Core Standards. More ›
Site Reporting Deadline: 2011-2012 Continued Funding Application and Requested Budget You can download 2011-2012 Continued Funding Application documents and work on the 2011-2012 Requested Budget worksheets in the online budget system. Questions? Contact siteapps@nwp.org or 510-643-7022. Deadline for CFA and Requested Budget: January 12, 2011. More ›
Overview of NWP Site Reporting Requirements For an overview of NWP site reporting requirements, including an at-a-glance chart, visit the Site Reporting page. More ›
Announcements Connect with Legislators During the Congressional Recess Senators and representatives are working in their home districts and states until mid-November, so now is an important time to reach out.
Please send questions, comments, and updates to publicaffairs@nwp.org.
2010-2011 Minigrant Summaries Posted Summaries of the work funded by the Special-Focus Network Minigrants for the 2010-2011 program year are now available:
Upcoming Events 2011 Rural Sites Network Conference Submit a workshop proposal and register for the upcoming Rural Sites Network Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, March 11-12, Overcoming Inequity: Creating Opportunities for ALL Rural Students. Workshop Proposal deadline: November 5. Registration deadline: February 4. More ›
Deadline: Annual Meeting Registration Register now for sessions and events at the NWP Annual Meeting in Orlando, November 18–20. Spaces are now limited in most sessions. Registration deadline: November 7. More ›
2011 Urban Sites Network Conference Submit a workshop proposal for the upcoming Urban Sites Network Conference in Boston, April 29–30, Nurturing Student Writing: Navigating Urban Literacies. Workshop proposal deadline: January 21. Registration deadline: April 7. More ›
NWP Radio Writing Centers and Writing Projects, Part 2 In this second of two episodes on student-staffed writing centers, we hear from Writing Project sites that have worked with schools to develop writing centers. November 4, 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT More ›
Writing and Healing: On Veterans Day and Beyond On this Veterans Day, we take a look at the issues faced by our returning servicemen and women, many of whom are now entering our universities and community colleges or taking up their places in the families of children in our schools. November 11, 7 p.m. EST/ 4 p.m. PST More ›
NWP Books Because Digital Writing Matters: Promote Your Site Sites will receive a complimentary copy of NWP’s newest book, Because Digital Writing Matters, next week. Please help spread the word—and bring attention to your site's digital writing activities and knowledge—in the following ways:
NWP Personnel Updates Farewell Gary Cordova, Director of External Relations and Development, has left NWP to return to Eugene, Oregon to be with his family. He is grateful for all that he has learned from his NWP colleagues and the NWP community. We wish him well in his new endeavors.
Contact Us Tell Us Your Thoughts All NWP site directors, co-directors, and principal investigators are automatically subscribed to this bimonthly site bulletin, and we encourage you to forward this message to others at your site. Please send notification of site leadership transitions or changes in contact information to siteresources@nwp.org. Send comments or questions about the National Writing Project in general to nwp@nwp.org.
New Resources The Authors of Because Digital Writing Matters Discuss the Digital Directions of Writing Family Literacy Day: Engaging Parents Beyond Back-to-School Night More resources ›
Upcoming Deadlines L. Ramon Veal Research Roundtable Application: November 5 Special-Focus Network Minigrants: January 12 Sign Up for NWP Special-Focus Networks Connect on the Web NWP Radio Site Leaders Ning Site Leaders Twitter Opportunities Blog NWP Walkabout Blog NWP Book Group Facebook YouTube Twitter
July 2010
INVITE LEGISLATORS TO VISIT YOUR SUMMER INSTITUTE 末
NWP's Reach Out and Write summer outreach effort continues! Please invite your legislators to visit your summer institute, or send a note to thank them for their support and tell them about the importance of Writing Project programs to teachers. During their recess July 5-9 and again in August, legislators will travel back to their districts to meet with you, their constituents. With the reauthorization of ESEA coming up, this is an important time for NWP teachers and site leaders to contact legislators to request that NWP be reauthorized in the new bill. Please send your questions and updates to publicaffairs@nwp.org.
TAKE A GLIMPSE INTO SUMMER INSTITUTES AROUND THE COUNTRY 末
NWP Radio will visit with the E-Team, facilitators of NWP's E-Anthology, to hear what trends and gems they are reading in postings from teachers in summer institutes around the country. Listen to the live broadcast at 4 p.m. Pacific, Thursday, July 8.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/487?x-t=sites_eos.view
Or listen on demand at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nwp_radio
BOOK LODGING NOW FOR ANNUAL MEETING IN ORLANDO 末
Make plans to attend the NWP Annual Meeting in Orlando, November 18-20, and book lodging online now. Online registration for NWP workshops begins September 7. Visit the NWP website to link to the NCTE Housing Bureau, view the meeting schedule, and get updates about the meeting.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10am/home.csp
SUMMER INSTITUTE PARTICIPANT SURVEY REMINDER 末
Site directors should have received an email from Inverness Research with instructions and a link to the invitational summer institute participant survey, which should be submitted online before the institute has ended. For more information, contact Laurie Senauke at 510-495-5818 or lauries@kushiki.org, or Allison Murray at 510-528-0905 or aimurray@inverness-research.org.
BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 末
Tell us about yourself or colleagues at your site who have received honors or awards or who have recently published. Deadline: August 31.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/aa_submission.csp
June 2010
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REPORT SPOTLIGHTS REVOLUTIONARY USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING WRITING
Writing, Learning and Leading in the Digital Age, a College Board/National Writing Project/Phi Delta Kappa International report, features eight Writing Project teachers, spotlighting their innovative use of digital tools for writing and learning. This publication is part of a series of reports highlighting the importance of teachers and the quality of their work. http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3154
JOIN NWP'S REACH OUT AND WRITE CAMPAIGN
Stay in touch with your legislators this summer! Take part in the Reach Out and Write campaign by writing to your U.S. senators and representatives. Tell them about your writing project experiences, thank them for their support, and invite them to visit your site. Consider writing in the summer institute or before you go back to school. Please tell us when you send messages, and forward responses to publicaffairs@nwp.org. Link to four ideas for summer advocacy:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/13880/Reach_Out_and_Write_flyer.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d
NWP PUBLICATIONS WIN NATIONAL AWARDS
NWP's 2008 (most recent) Annual Report has won a Beacon Award for Excellence in Education Marketing from the Association of Educational Publishers' (AEP). And NWP's 2009 brochure has won the Association Media & Publishing's (SNAP) EXCEL Silver Award in the "Special Publications Brochures" category. Revisit these publications at the links below.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/about/annual_reports.csp
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/12356/2009_NWP_Brochure.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d
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NWP RADIO: A SUMMER OF LEARNING AND SPEAKING OUT
Join us as we hear from Kelsey Krausen about NWP's advocacy efforts, and from three educators in the "Teachers' Letters to Obama" Facebook group who mounted a campaign that culminated in a discussion with Secretary Duncan and led to a summer's worth of activities for discussing policy issues as educators. Broadcast: JUNE 24, 4 p.m. PDT.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/486?x-t=sites_eos.view∨=site_eos
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR E-ANTHOLOGY
E-Facilitators have just 10 days left to register invitational summer institutes, and now that E-Anthology is open they may begin registering participants. Registration deadline: JUNE 25.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS
State and regional networks of sites are invited to apply for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online, and the submission system is open. Deadline: JULY 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
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SUMMER INSTITUTE PARTICIPANT SURVEY
Site directors should have received an email from Inverness Research with instructions and a link to the invitational summer institute participant survey, which should be submitted online before the institute has ended. For more information, contact Laurie Senauke at 510-495-5818 or lauries@kushiki.org, or Allison Murray at 510-528-0905 or aimurray@inverness-research.org.
UPDATED SITE PROFILE ACTIVITY WORKSHEETS NOW AVAILABLE
Prepare for online entry of your site's 2009-2010 program data in the NWP site profile system (to launch later this summer) using Activity Worksheets. An interactive PDF version is now available. Questions? Contact siteprofile@nwp.org or 503-719-7974.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/site_profile.html
May 2010
IFIES ON 2011 BUDGET AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING --
On May 12, NWP Executive Director Sharon J. Washington and Northern Virginia Writing Project teacher-consultant and Co-director Mary Tedrow presented testimony about the importance of continued federal funding for NWP before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the House Appropriations Committee.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3148
NWP NEEDS LETTERS OF SUPPORT --
NWP is providing a sample letter of support so that you can give it to your superintendents, principals, university presidents, and other interested individuals to write to their senators and representatives in Congress to ask them to support NWP. Email questions to publicaffairs@nwp.org.
http://nwpworks.ning.com/page/sample-letter
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NWP E-ANTHOLOGY IS OPEN --
E-Facilitators may register their Invitational Summer Institutes now, and begin registering participants now that the E-Anthology is open. Find resources and information at the link below.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
NWP BOOK GROUP NING DISCUSSION --
Curious about the new Diane Ravitch book? Join an NWP Book Group Ning discussion of The Death and Life of the Great American School System, a book that challenges the current interpretation of "school reform." The discussion begins May 19, but join the group and introduce yourself any time.
http://nwpbookgroups.ning.com/
NWP RADIO: REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING MARATHON --
Join us as we discuss the history of the writing marathon and the new book "I am a writer": Reflections on the Writing Marathon. The discussion will include teacher-consultants and directors who have helped shape, and now are studying, the writing marathon as an activity that helps us keep in touch with our writing selves. MAY 27, 4 p.m. PDT
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nwp_radio
APPLY NOW FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS --
State and regional networks of sites are invited to apply for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now. Submission period: June 1-July 1.
----
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
NWP NEEDS LETTERS OF SUPPORT
Please encourage your superintendents, principals, university presidents, and other interested individuals to write letters in support of NWP to their senators and representatives in Congress. Refer administrators and others to the NWP Works! website for information about NWP's status in the Administration's budget and to learn how they can help. Consider a link to NWP Works! in blogs, announcements, or other communications for the general public. Email questions to publicaffairs@nwp.org.
http://www.nwpworks.ning.com.
THREE NEW CO-PUBLISHED BOOKS FROM NWP AND TEACHERS COLLEGE PRESS
Complimentary copies of three new co-published books were mailed to sites last week: Literacy Tools in the Classroom by Richard Beach, Gerald Campano, Brian Edmiston, and Melissa Borgman; Literacy in the Welcoming Classroom by JoBeth Allen; and Inviting Families Into the Classroom by Lynne Yermanock Strieb. Purchase additional copies of these great new resources at NWP's online bookstore.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/resources/book_store.csp
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NWP RADIO
INSERVICE AT NWP SITES IN 2010: KEEPING IT RELEVANT
On the next episode of NWP Radio, join a discussion about planning for work in schools in the current climate. Listen live, call in with questions, and join the online chat on May 13, 4 p.m. PDT, 7 p.m. EDT. Or plan to listen to an archive of the show.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/480?x-t=sites_eos.view
NWP E-ANTHOLOGY OPENS MAY 17
E-Facilitators may register their Invitational Summer Institutes now, and begin registering participants when E-Anthology opens on May 17. Find resources and information at the link below.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
NWP BOOK GROUP NING DISCUSSION
Curious about the new Diane Ravitch book? Join an NWP Book Group Ning discussion of The Death and Life of the Great American School System, a book that challenges the current interpretation of "school reform." The discussion begins May 19, but join the group and introduce yourself any time.
http://nwpbookgroups.ning.com/
APPLY NOW FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS
State and regional networks of sites are invited to apply for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now. Submission period: June 1 to July 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
April 2010
Dear Site Leaders,
Every day, we are presented with opportunities to do the right thing末recycle, help a neighbor, vote. Every day, teacher-leaders across the NWP network in every local site provide high-quality instruction in writing to students so that they will be college and career ready and have the skills to engage in a participatory democracy. Every day, teachers, school administrators, parents, and communities strive to provide safe learning environments for all students.
This week, for reasons of equity, inclusion, and safety, the National Writing Project has made the decision to relocate our upcoming summer national professional development programs that were scheduled to take place in the state of Arizona. We cannot in good conscience ask our teacher-leaders to enter a state where they or their colleagues will be subjected to law enforcement checkpoints for "looking like an immigrant," and be in an environment that is increasingly hostile to differences of social identity.
We are relocating the events to other venues and will work closely with network leaders to ensure that all participants can still attend the planned events. We recognize, honor, and support our three local sites in Arizona and will continue to work closely with them on all aspects of writing project work.
I am so proud to work with a group of educators who are committed to their own learning, and who believe in equity and in the richness our differences bring to our community.
Sincerely,
Sharon J. Washington
Executive Director
---Announcements---
Yes! We did it!!!
Sen. Sessions signed the Dear Colleague letter and of course you won't see Sen. Shelby's name because he is one of the architects of the letter.
Nice job!!! Many thanks all of you for writing letters and calling the offices. I also received a nice thank you letter (form letter) for visiting the office of Rep. Dr. Parker Griffith.
Thanks again.
Dawn, AAMUWP Site Director
On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 11:45 AM, National Writing Project <nwp@nwp.org> wrote:
- NWP Site Bulletin -
We just received the final list of signatures on the NWP Senate Dear Colleague letter: 31 senators! This is an increase of three co-signers from 2009末a great achievement in light of the challenging political climate. We are proud that NWP continues to have bipartisan support in the Senate. Thank you for your phenomenal work throughout the process and for the dedication you brought to the final push for signatures. In the last week, we added almost ten new names and many more commitments of support末a tremendous feat!
Of course, our work does not end here. As you know, NWP is an authorized program within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA Title II, Part C, Subpart 2). It is very important that NWP be reauthorized in the new ESEA, and we need your help getting the word out this spring. Congress is working on reauthorization right now.
Please encourage your superintendents, principals, university presidents, and other interested individuals to write letters in support of NWP to their legislators. You can refer administrators and others to the NWP Works! website for information about the status of NWP in the Administration's budget and how they can help. You can also include a link to this website in blogs, announcements, or other communications for the general public: http://www.nwpworks.ning.com.
Please send copies of your letters to publicaffairs@nwp.org or email us with questions or for contact information.
On behalf of the NWP, thank you for your incredible advocacy work and for all that you do to support teachers and students across the country.
Final List of NWP Senate Dear Colleague Letter Co-signers
Updated: April 19, 2010
1. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
2. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
3. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
4. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
5. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
6. Jim Bunning (R-KY)
7. Roland Burris (D-IL)
8. Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA)
9. Susan Collins (R-ME)
10. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
11. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
12. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
13. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
14. Tim Johnson (D-SD)
15. Edward Kaufman (D-DE)
16. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
17. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
18. Carl Levin (D-MI)
19. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)
20. Blanche L. Lincoln (D-AR)
21. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
22. Jack Reed (D-RI)
23. James Risch (R-ID)
24. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
25. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
26. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
27. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
28. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
29. Tom Udall (D-NM)
30. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
31. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
NOTE: Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) submitted his own signed letter of support to the subcommittee.
NEW REPORT FROM CARNEGIE LINKS WRITING TO IMPROVED READING SKILLS
A report released this week by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading, identifies instructional practices shown to be effective in improving students' reading and offers recommendations for implementing those practices in the classroom.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3126
2010-2011 SPECIAL-FOCUS NETWORK MINIGRANTS AWARDED 末
NWP's special-focus networks have awarded 2010-2011 minigrants. Visit the network webpages for a list of sites receiving minigrant funding:
English Language Learners
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/90
Rural Sites
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/93
Teacher Inquiry Communities
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/92
Technology Liaisons
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/91
Urban Sites
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/94
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NWP RADIO: LIVE FROM THE URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE 末
Join us for a roundtable discussion with USN Leadership Team members and educators from the Oregon Writing Project at Lewis and Clark College as they reflect on the issues and ideas that urban teachers are discussing at the conference. We'll be welcoming call-ins for this show, so join us in the chat room and on air for this special show, APRIL 22, 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/477?x-t=sites_eos.view
REGISTER NOW FOR 2010 E-ANTHOLOGY 末
It's time to plan your site's participation in the 2010 E-Anthology. Invitational Summer Institute registration opened April 1, and early registration allows time to review resources and make plans to integrate the E-Anthology into your summer institutes. Sites must designate an e-facilitator to register the site and serve as the main contact. Deadline: JUNE 30.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
APPLY NOW FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS 末
State and regional networks of sites are invited to download and complete the application materials for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now; submission period is JUNE 1 to JULY 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 末
Tell us about yourself or colleagues at your site who have received honors or awards or who have recently published. Deadline: APRIL 16.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/aa_submission.csp
Dear Site Leaders,
We're happy to report that yesterday's New York Times featured an insightful article highlighting the possible threat to federal funding for the NWP and Reading is Fundamental (RIF). We are sending this to you because the article tells a clear story about the possible consequences of the funding proposal and includes compelling quotes from Sharon J. Washington and Carol Rasco, RIF's executive director.
The article was prominently placed in the education section of the paper--and it now ranks as one of the Times’ most emailed education articles. We've featured the article on the NWP home page, so we invite you to send this link to others to help get the word out about the importance of direct funding for the NWP. This is especially critical now because we're in our final push to request senators' signatures on the NWP Dear Colleague letter by the April 13 deadline.
Here's the link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/education/09grants.html
We are grateful for your time, effort, and dedication. If you have any questions, please contact publicaffairs@nwp.org.
Thank you!
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15 SIGNATURES IN THE SENATE; KEEP MAKING THOSE CALLS! 末
Thanks to your tremendous advocacy work, we now have 15 signatures on the NWP Senate Dear Colleague letter. Senators from both sides of the aisle have made it clear that they value the work you do and want to continue to invest in NWP programs. Please take a moment to follow up with your legislators and remind them to sign the letter. The deadline for signatures is April 13. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact publicaffairs@nwp.org.
NWP EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 末
NWP announces an employment opportunity in the National Programs and Site Development unit. We are looking for a program associate to work with the English Language Learners Network and the National Reading Initiative. Find the job description and application information on the NWP website.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/about/employment.csp
SITE PROFILE AND NEW NWP BROCHURES COMING SOON BY MAIL 末
Look for a printed copy of your site's Site Profile and copies of NWP's new promotional brochure coming in the mail in mid-April. Preview the new brochure at the link below.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2300
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REGISTER FOR URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE BY APRIL 2 末
The Urban Sites Network invites you to Portland, Oregon, April 23-24, for Writing Across the Margins: Illuminating Urban Voices. The gathering includes a pre-conference event sponsored by the Technology Liaisons Network, workshops, school visits, two writing marathon strands, an Open Mic night, and more, including keynote speaker and renowned poet Patricia Smith at the Saturday plenary session. Registration deadline: APRIL 2.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/422
TECHNOLOGY LIAISONS EVENT AT URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE 末
The TLN offers their first-ever pre-conference event in conjunction with the Urban Sites Network Conference in Portland, Oregon. The pre-conference event on April 23, Digital Literacy across the Margins, will explore technology tools in instructional experiences designed to engage and empower urban youth. Space is limited to the first 40 participants who register via the USN Conference registration form. You must register for USN Conference to attend. Deadline: APRIL 2.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/422
NWP RADIO: WRITING IN THE SUMMER INSTITUTE 末
NWP has long argued that writing and reflecting on writing are at the core of our Summer Institute model, but what does that mean in practice? In this episode of NWP Radio, APRIL 8, 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST, site leaders talk about how they think about writing in their institutes today and in the future. http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/475?x-t=sites_eos.view∨=site_eos
REGISTER NOW FOR 2010 E-ANTHOLOGY 末
It's time to plan your site's participation in the 2010 E-Anthology. Invitational Summer Institute registration opens April 1, and early registration allows time to review resources and make plans to integrate the E-Anthology into your summer institutes. Sites must designate an e-facilitator to register the site and serve as the main contact. Deadline: JUNE 30.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
BOOK LODGING NOW FOR ANNUAL MEETING IN ORLANDO 末
Make plans to attend the NWP Annual Meeting in Orlando, November 18-20, and book lodging online now with NCTE. Online registration for NWP workshops begins September 1. Visit the NWP website to link to the NCTE Housing Bureau and to get regular updates about the meeting.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10am/home.csp
UPDATED RESOURCE FOR SITES: ONLINE RESOURCE GUIDE 末
Check out a selection of online articles and tools for general information about implementing the NWP model. This toolkit was used by reviewers at the 2010 Annual Review, and a paper copy was included with the grant award packet sent to NWP sites in response to the Continued Funding Application. Two versions are available, on NWP's website and on the Site Leaders Ning:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/annual_review_resource_guide.csp
http://nwpsiteleaders.ning.com/page/annual-review-online-resource
POETRY MONTH ON THE NWP BOOK GROUP NING 末
Join the discussion of Brian Turner's HERE, BULLET, a collection of poems about his experience in Iraq. The discussion will run from April 19-28, but be sure to visit the Practical Poetics group, where the discussion will take place, before then to get acquainted with the resources.
http://nwpbookgroups.ning.com/group/practicalpoetics
APPLICATION MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS 末
State and regional networks of sites are invited to download and complete the application materials for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now; submission period is June 1褒uly 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 末
Tell us about yourself or colleagues at your site who have received honors or awards or who have recently published. Deadline: APRIL 16.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/aa_submission.csp
March 2010
48 SIGNATURES ON HOUSE LETTER! SENATE LETTER STILL CIRCULATING ––
Thank you for your ingenuity and leadership on the House Dear Colleague letter––48 cosigners as of our last update. We will send the complete list when it is finalized. The Senate Dear Colleague letter is still in circulation. The deadline is April 9, so in addition to calling and emailing your senators, many of you can request support in person at the NWP Spring Meeting next week. Find a copy of the letter here:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/extranet/supportingthenwp
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RACE TO THE TOP COMMENCEMENT CHALLENGE: DEADLINE TODAY ––
Schools across the country are competing to welcome President Obama as their graduation speaker this spring. It's not too late to participate. Join the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge today. High School students must answer four questions about their school's success; high school principals submit the applications. Deadline: MARCH 15
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/03/04/race-top-high-school-commencement-challenge
TALK TODAY WITH MIKE ROSE, AUTHOR OF WHY SCHOOL? ––
Join us Monday, March 15, 6 p.m. Pacific, for a conversation with scholar and author Mike Rose as he discusses the state of public education in America. This program is a capstone to an online discussion in the NWP Book Groups Ning:
http://www.nwpbookgroups.ning.com
Find a link to NWP's BlogTalkRadio in the NWP Site Leaders Ning:
http://nwpsiteleaders.ning.com/
SPRING MEETING REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 17 ––
NWP's federal funding remains in jeopardy. Our legislators need to hear from you now! The Spring Meeting in Washington, DC, March 25-26, is your chance to educate Congress in face-to-face meetings about the great work you do. Please join us for a Wednesday evening planning session at 5:30 sharp. Registration deadline: MARCH 17.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10sm/home.csp
DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR SITE TEAMS AT 2010 REGIONAL INSERVICE INSTITUTE ––
Send a team of two to work on broadening and expanding your site's inservice programs in Austin, Texas, July 15–17. The institute is hosted by the Heart of Texas Writing Project. Limited to 20 sites; registration is first-come, first-served. Deadline: MARCH 19.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/449
DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR THIS SUMMER'S DIRECTORS RETREAT ––
Sites are invited to apply to send a team of two site leaders to the NWP Directors Retreat, August 1–5, in Tubac, Arizona. The retreat is designed to support directors and site leaders as they share expertise and plan the development of site work. Extended deadline: MARCH 22.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/433
BE PART OF THIS SUMMER'S PROFESSIONAL WRITING RETREATS ––
Apply now for Professional Writing Retreats A and B in Southern Arizona, July 15-18. The retreats give teachers a chance to write about the profession of teaching, literacy and learning, their own practice, policy and school reform, and more. Deadline: MARCH 22.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/430
- - - - - - - - UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - - - - - - - -
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APPLY FOR "RECRUITING FOR DIVERSITY" ––
Sites are invited to apply to send a team to Recruiting for Diversity, a working meeting with a focus on increasing diversity in site leadership, in Minneapolis, June 25-27. Teams will explore relevant definitions of diversity in their service area, why diversity matters, and how to plan for changes at their site. Extended deadline: APRIL 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/461
JOIN US FOR URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE ––
The Urban Sites Network invites you to Portland, Oregon, April 23-24, for Writing Across the Margins: Illuminating Urban Voices. The gathering includes a pre-conference event sponsored by the Technology Liaisons Network, workshops, school visits, two writing marathon strands, an Open Mic night, and more, including keynote speaker and renowned poet Patricia Smith at the Saturday plenary session. Registration deadline: APRIL 2.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/422
APPLICATION MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS ––
State and regional networks of sites are invited to download and complete the application materials for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now; submission period is June 1–July 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
ENJOY COMPLIMENTARY COPIES OF BEST TEEN WRITING 2009 ––
Thanks to the generosity of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers (http://www.artandwriting.org/#), 10 copies of The Best Teen Writing 2009 will soon be mailed to each site. The book includes a message from NWP Executive Director, Dr. Sharon J. Washington. Interested in becoming an Affiliate of the Alliance or participating in offsite judging? Contact Kat Hendrix at khendrix@scholastic.com.
BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ––
Tell us about yourself or colleagues at your site who have received honors or awards or who have recently published. Deadline: APRIL 16.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/aa_submission.csp
-----
The NWP Senate Dear Colleague letter, sponsored by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), is now circulating. A copy of the letter can be found at http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/extranet/supportingthenwp. The deadline for signatures is April 9, so in addition to calling and emailing your senators, many of you will be able to make your request for support in person at the NWP Spring Meeting.
Your senators can sign the Dear Colleague letter by contacting Barbara Pryor in Senator Rockefeller's office or Emily Ferris in Senator Wicker's office. ONLY SENATORS OR THEIR AIDES, NOT NWP SITE LEADERS, SHOULD CONTACT BARBARA OR EMILY. Find contact information for your senators at http://www.senate.gov or email publicaffairs@nwp.org.
Thank you for your dedication and determination on the House Dear Colleague letter. As you know, the deadline for signatures is this Friday, March 12! Please continue to call your representatives to ask for their signatures on this letter. If your representative cannot or will not sign, please ask if he/she can support NWP in other ways, such as writing a separate letter of support.
Your efforts are paying off. We now have 14 signatures:
1. George Miller (D-CA)
2. Russ Carnahan (D-MO)
3. John Dingell (D-MI)
4. Sam Graves (R-MO)
5. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
6. John Hall (D-NY)
7. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
8. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM)
9. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
10. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
11. James Oberstar (D-MN)
12. Paul Tonko (D-NY)
13. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
14. David Wu (D-OR)
Please send questions and updates to publicaffairs@nwp.org. Thank you!
----
HOUSE DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER NOW CIRCULATING ––
Please call your representatives to ask for their signatures on the FY 2011 NWP House Dear Colleague Letter. The deadline is Friday, March 12. Your representative can sign the letter by contacting Alexandria (Ria) Ruiz in Representative George Miller's office at 202-225-3725. Email questions and updates to publicaffairs@nwp.org. Review details on this topic from the February 26 special bulletin:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/bulletin_archived.csp?issue=3279
Find a copy of the FY 2011 House Dear Colleague letter here:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/extranet/supportingthenwp
SIX NEW SITES ADDED TO NWP NETWORK ––
The National Writing Project welcomes six new sites into its network. The new sites are located in Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, and New York.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3088
- - - - - - - - EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - - - - - - - -
ONLINE DISCUSSION WITH MIKE ROSE RESCHEDULED ––
Join your colleagues to discuss Mike Rose's book, Why School? on the NWP Book Groups Network Ning, MARCH 8-16. Mike's book encourages readers to think about what it means to be educated in a democratic society. What is the purpose of education? What does it mean to provide opportunity for our nation's students? Share your thoughts and questions in this discussion.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/467?x-t=sites_eos.view
SPRING MEETING REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS NEAR ––
With NWP's federal funding in jeopardy, legislators need to hear from you now! The NWP Spring Meeting in Washington, DC, March 25-26, is your chance to educate Congress in face-to-face meetings about the great work you do. Register online and learn more about legislative visits as well as the keynote speaker and roundtable sessions. Registration deadline: MARCH 12.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10sm/home.csp
DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR THIS SUMMER'S DIRECTORS RETREAT ––
Sites are invited to apply to send a team of two site leaders to the NWP Directors Retreat, August 1–5, in Tubac, Arizona. The retreat is designed to support directors and site leaders as they share expertise and plan the development of site work. Deadline: MARCH 15.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/433
SPACE STILL OPEN FOR SITE TEAMS AT 2010 REGIONAL INSERVICE INSTITUTE ––
Send a team of two to work on broadening and expanding your site's inservice programs in Austin, Texas, July 15–17. The institute is hosted by the Heart of Texas Writing Project. Limited to 20 sites; registration is first-come, first-served. Deadline: MARCH 19.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/449
STILL TIME TO APPLY FOR "RECRUITING FOR DIVERSITY" ––
Sites are invited to apply to send a team to Recruiting for Diversity, a working meeting with a focus on increasing diversity in site leadership, in Minneapolis, June 25-27. Teams will explore relevant definitions of diversity in their service area, why diversity matters, and how to plan for changes at their site. Deadline: MARCH 19.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/461
BE PART OF THIS SUMMER'S PROFESSIONAL WRITING RETREATS ––
Apply now for Professional Writing Retreats A and B in Southern Arizona, July 15-18. The retreats give teachers a chance to write about the profession of teaching, literacy and learning, their own practice, policy and school reform, and more. Deadline: MARCH 22.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/430
JOIN US FOR URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE ––
The Urban Sites Network invites you to Portland, Oregon, April 23-24, for Writing Across the Margins: Illuminating Urban Voices. The gathering includes a pre-conference event sponsored by the Technology Liaisons Network, workshops, school visits, two writing marathon strands, an Open Mic night, and more, including keynote speaker and renowned poet Patricia Smith at the Saturday plenary session. Registration deadline: APRIL 2.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/422
February 2010
Subject: US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Belfer National Conference
Dear English Language Arts Council Affiliates:
I would like to share information with you about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Belfer National Conference for Educators, which will run June 27 – 29, 2010. Please share this information with secondary teachers and community college faculty associated with your programs. Educators at the university level are also eligible to apply, as well as coordinators of teacher professional development.
We are also offering up to forty scholarships of $1,000 each. I’ve attached the application for the scholarship to this e-mail.
Please let me know if you have questions.
For the 2010 program, special emphasis will be placed on the Museum’s new exhibit, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda and the interactive installation, From Memory to Action: Meeting the Challenge of Genocide. Museum educators and scholars share rationales, strategies, and approaches for presenting this complex topic to students, in sessions designed specifically for middle- and high-school teachers. Participants have extensive time to view the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition: The Holocaust, tour Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story, and other special exhibitions, and visit the interactive computers in the Wexner Center and other resource areas. Seminar sessions emphasize planning and implementing units of study for teaching about the Holocaust in middle and high schools. Educators who complete the program receive a set of educational materials and a voucher worth $100 to purchase Holocaust–related resources in the Museum Shop.
“The information we received as educators was extremely helpful, and the guest speakers were outstanding. The conference was the best one I have ever attended. I came away inspired.”
— Participant from New York
Click to download Belfer Program Flyer and Belfer School Application.
Christina E. Chavarría
Program Coordinator 202.488.0466
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
National Institute for Holocaust Education
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW Washington DC 20024-2126
Fax 202.314.7888
www.ushmm.org
April 11-18, 2010
DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE
STORIES OF FREEDOM: WHAT YOU DO MATTERS
www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/
----------------------------------------------------------
Dear NWP Site
Leaders:
Congress needs to hear from you! The Administration has proposed that funding for NWP be consolidated with that of five other literacy programs under a new competitive program aimed at improving literacy instruction. In order to secure the funding offered under this program, state education agencies would compete for funds, alone or in partnership with outside entities (such as a writing project site or an institution of higher education). Successful states would use the funds as they think best in pursuit of the goals of this block grant program. At the very least, this would mean zero direct funding for the National Writing Project network, and no funding possible for any local site in a state that chose not to compete or was unsuccessful in competing for this funding. It is very important that all of us work closely with our congressional offices to explain how NWP, a highly successful national infrastructure, is put at risk by this funding strategy.
Last year you told us that legislators asked to be contacted earlier in the year with requests for support. The NWP "Dear Colleague" letters will begin circulating soon in the House and Senate, but we are asking you to contact your legislators as soon as possible to ask for their support for the NWP. Although it means starting this work earlier, and potentially contacting legislative aides again later to ask for signatures on the Dear Colleague letters, this early outreach is extremely important given the proposed budget.
Direct funding for the NWP is imperative! When you speak to legislators about the importance of a federal investment in NWP, please consider the following talking points and how they impact your work.
Funding for NWP supports:
1. The national goal of helping students graduate prepared for college and career-ready;
2. Tens of thousands of teachers prepared to serve as a professional development resource to their colleagues and local schools;
3. A national improvement infrastructure with proven practices that support the success of local writing project sites in providing high-quality professional development to local schools;
4. National programs and initiatives that extend and strengthen the work of local sites, and that support site leaders in enhancing their work and sharing knowledge across the network.
NWP accomplishes all of this because it is a highly developed and effective national infrastructure that includes broad reach, local usability and responsiveness, and reliable quality. Without direct funding, this infrastructure is in jeopardy. As all of you know, the NWP network enables successful teachers in diverse communities across the country to collaborate with and learn from one another to improve student achievement.
In-person meetings with legislators and legislative aides are one of the most effective ways to educate Congress about the key role that writing project sites play in improving the teaching of writing and improving student learning. Please join us at the NWP Spring Meeting on March 24-25 in Washington, DC, and plan to meet with your representatives in Congress. To register for the NWP Spring Meeting, visit: http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10sm/home.csp.
Please email publicaffairs@nwp.org if you have questions or if there is any information that we can provide to assist with your outreach to congressional offices. You may also want to encourage parents, principals, and others who know about your site's work to contact their legislators. As always, please let us know when you make your calls and tell us what response you get. We will keep you up to date as we learn more about the timing of the NWP Dear Colleague letters and funding for FY 2011.
Thank you in advance for your dedication to this work!
Best regards,
Sharon J. Washington
Executive Director
Dear Colleagues,
January 2010
"Words have no borders. Every experience deserves a hearing. Everyone has a story to tell and we are all the better for the telling."
This quote comes from Edwidge Danticat, the award-winning Haitian author, in her powerful essay "In the Snow," which was the opening piece in Words Have No Borders: Student Voices on Immigration, Language and Culture, published by the College Board's National Commission on Writing in collaboration with the NWP (http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2898).
I find her words inspiring, never more so than now as we must find ways to reach out and support the people of Haiti. All of us in the NWP network have been moved by the magnitude of the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti and the ongoing rescue and relief efforts that are underway to help the Haitian people. Many teachers are considering how to respond to students' questions and concerns in class, and several resources have been developed that teachers are finding valuable in teaching about the earthquake.
In order to discuss what this means in the classroom, tonight's Teachers Teaching Teachers (TTT) webcast will feature Katherine Shulten, one of the editors of the Learning Network blog at the New York Times (http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/).
The show begins at 9:00 p.m. Eastern / 6:00 p.m. Pacific (USA) on Wednesdays and at 01:00 UTC on Thursdays (World Times). Please download these instructions to access the live webcast:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/11017/Instructions_to_Participate_in_TTT_Webcast.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d
Across the network, I know that we are engaged in gathering donations and contributing to these many efforts. We also know that a serious and lengthy reconstruction process lies ahead. For more information about where you can contribute, we encourage you to visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake
Let us join together and find ways to support all people's stories and their futures.
Sincerely,
Sharon J. Washington
Executive Director
=================
Additional Teaching Resources
5 Ways to Teach About Haiti Right Now
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/5-ways-to-teach-about-haiti-right-now/
The New York Times Earthquake Multimedia Collection
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/17/world/americas/haiti-earthquake-multimedia.html
Haiti in Ink and Tears: A Literary Sampler
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/weekinreview/17bell.html
NWP Home | Web Version | Forward | Subscribe to RSS
NWP News The NWP Receives Bill & Melinda Gates Grant The National Writing Project recently received a $550,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Over the next year, teams of teachers from local Writing Project sites throughout California and Massachusetts, as well as from the Louisville, Boise, and Oakland (MI) Writing Projects, will create a model for classroom teachers in writing instruction across the curriculum that will support students to achieve the outcomes of the Common Core Standards. More ›
Site Reporting Deadline: 2011-2012 Continued Funding Application and Requested Budget You can download 2011-2012 Continued Funding Application documents and work on the 2011-2012 Requested Budget worksheets in the online budget system. Questions? Contact siteapps@nwp.org or 510-643-7022. Deadline for CFA and Requested Budget: January 12, 2011. More ›
Overview of NWP Site Reporting Requirements For an overview of NWP site reporting requirements, including an at-a-glance chart, visit the Site Reporting page. More ›
Announcements Connect with Legislators During the Congressional Recess Senators and representatives are working in their home districts and states until mid-November, so now is an important time to reach out.
- Invite legislators and their staff to attend events or activities at your site or visit classrooms of local teacher-consultants.
- Thank your legislators for their support.
- Educate your legislators on the importance of continuing direct federal funding for NWP—and how the consolidated funding proposal would endanger the national network.
Please send questions, comments, and updates to publicaffairs@nwp.org.
2010-2011 Minigrant Summaries Posted Summaries of the work funded by the Special-Focus Network Minigrants for the 2010-2011 program year are now available:
- English Language Learners Network
- Rural Sites Network
- Teacher Inquiry Communities Network
- Technology Liaisons Network
- Urban Sites Network
Upcoming Events 2011 Rural Sites Network Conference Submit a workshop proposal and register for the upcoming Rural Sites Network Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, March 11-12, Overcoming Inequity: Creating Opportunities for ALL Rural Students. Workshop Proposal deadline: November 5. Registration deadline: February 4. More ›
Deadline: Annual Meeting Registration Register now for sessions and events at the NWP Annual Meeting in Orlando, November 18–20. Spaces are now limited in most sessions. Registration deadline: November 7. More ›
2011 Urban Sites Network Conference Submit a workshop proposal for the upcoming Urban Sites Network Conference in Boston, April 29–30, Nurturing Student Writing: Navigating Urban Literacies. Workshop proposal deadline: January 21. Registration deadline: April 7. More ›
NWP Radio Writing Centers and Writing Projects, Part 2 In this second of two episodes on student-staffed writing centers, we hear from Writing Project sites that have worked with schools to develop writing centers. November 4, 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT More ›
Writing and Healing: On Veterans Day and Beyond On this Veterans Day, we take a look at the issues faced by our returning servicemen and women, many of whom are now entering our universities and community colleges or taking up their places in the families of children in our schools. November 11, 7 p.m. EST/ 4 p.m. PST More ›
NWP Books Because Digital Writing Matters: Promote Your Site Sites will receive a complimentary copy of NWP’s newest book, Because Digital Writing Matters, next week. Please help spread the word—and bring attention to your site's digital writing activities and knowledge—in the following ways:
- Customize the online press release for your local media with information about your site’s work around digital writing.
- Join t he conversation on the Because Digital Writing Matters Facebook page
- Tweet about the book with the hashtag #BDWM.
NWP Personnel Updates Farewell Gary Cordova, Director of External Relations and Development, has left NWP to return to Eugene, Oregon to be with his family. He is grateful for all that he has learned from his NWP colleagues and the NWP community. We wish him well in his new endeavors.
Contact Us Tell Us Your Thoughts All NWP site directors, co-directors, and principal investigators are automatically subscribed to this bimonthly site bulletin, and we encourage you to forward this message to others at your site. Please send notification of site leadership transitions or changes in contact information to siteresources@nwp.org. Send comments or questions about the National Writing Project in general to nwp@nwp.org.
New Resources The Authors of Because Digital Writing Matters Discuss the Digital Directions of Writing Family Literacy Day: Engaging Parents Beyond Back-to-School Night More resources ›
Upcoming Deadlines L. Ramon Veal Research Roundtable Application: November 5 Special-Focus Network Minigrants: January 12 Sign Up for NWP Special-Focus Networks Connect on the Web NWP Radio Site Leaders Ning Site Leaders Twitter Opportunities Blog NWP Walkabout Blog NWP Book Group Facebook YouTube Twitter
July 2010
INVITE LEGISLATORS TO VISIT YOUR SUMMER INSTITUTE 末
NWP's Reach Out and Write summer outreach effort continues! Please invite your legislators to visit your summer institute, or send a note to thank them for their support and tell them about the importance of Writing Project programs to teachers. During their recess July 5-9 and again in August, legislators will travel back to their districts to meet with you, their constituents. With the reauthorization of ESEA coming up, this is an important time for NWP teachers and site leaders to contact legislators to request that NWP be reauthorized in the new bill. Please send your questions and updates to publicaffairs@nwp.org.
TAKE A GLIMPSE INTO SUMMER INSTITUTES AROUND THE COUNTRY 末
NWP Radio will visit with the E-Team, facilitators of NWP's E-Anthology, to hear what trends and gems they are reading in postings from teachers in summer institutes around the country. Listen to the live broadcast at 4 p.m. Pacific, Thursday, July 8.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/487?x-t=sites_eos.view
Or listen on demand at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nwp_radio
BOOK LODGING NOW FOR ANNUAL MEETING IN ORLANDO 末
Make plans to attend the NWP Annual Meeting in Orlando, November 18-20, and book lodging online now. Online registration for NWP workshops begins September 7. Visit the NWP website to link to the NCTE Housing Bureau, view the meeting schedule, and get updates about the meeting.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10am/home.csp
SUMMER INSTITUTE PARTICIPANT SURVEY REMINDER 末
Site directors should have received an email from Inverness Research with instructions and a link to the invitational summer institute participant survey, which should be submitted online before the institute has ended. For more information, contact Laurie Senauke at 510-495-5818 or lauries@kushiki.org, or Allison Murray at 510-528-0905 or aimurray@inverness-research.org.
BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 末
Tell us about yourself or colleagues at your site who have received honors or awards or who have recently published. Deadline: August 31.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/aa_submission.csp
June 2010
- - - - - - - - - - ANNOUNCEMENTS - - - - - - - - - -
REPORT SPOTLIGHTS REVOLUTIONARY USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING WRITING
Writing, Learning and Leading in the Digital Age, a College Board/National Writing Project/Phi Delta Kappa International report, features eight Writing Project teachers, spotlighting their innovative use of digital tools for writing and learning. This publication is part of a series of reports highlighting the importance of teachers and the quality of their work. http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3154
JOIN NWP'S REACH OUT AND WRITE CAMPAIGN
Stay in touch with your legislators this summer! Take part in the Reach Out and Write campaign by writing to your U.S. senators and representatives. Tell them about your writing project experiences, thank them for their support, and invite them to visit your site. Consider writing in the summer institute or before you go back to school. Please tell us when you send messages, and forward responses to publicaffairs@nwp.org. Link to four ideas for summer advocacy:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/13880/Reach_Out_and_Write_flyer.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d
NWP PUBLICATIONS WIN NATIONAL AWARDS
NWP's 2008 (most recent) Annual Report has won a Beacon Award for Excellence in Education Marketing from the Association of Educational Publishers' (AEP). And NWP's 2009 brochure has won the Association Media & Publishing's (SNAP) EXCEL Silver Award in the "Special Publications Brochures" category. Revisit these publications at the links below.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/about/annual_reports.csp
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/12356/2009_NWP_Brochure.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d
- - - - - - - - - EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - - - - - - - - -
NWP RADIO: A SUMMER OF LEARNING AND SPEAKING OUT
Join us as we hear from Kelsey Krausen about NWP's advocacy efforts, and from three educators in the "Teachers' Letters to Obama" Facebook group who mounted a campaign that culminated in a discussion with Secretary Duncan and led to a summer's worth of activities for discussing policy issues as educators. Broadcast: JUNE 24, 4 p.m. PDT.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/486?x-t=sites_eos.view∨=site_eos
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR E-ANTHOLOGY
E-Facilitators have just 10 days left to register invitational summer institutes, and now that E-Anthology is open they may begin registering participants. Registration deadline: JUNE 25.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS
State and regional networks of sites are invited to apply for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online, and the submission system is open. Deadline: JULY 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
- -- - - - - - - - - SITE REPORTING - - - - - - - - - - -
SUMMER INSTITUTE PARTICIPANT SURVEY
Site directors should have received an email from Inverness Research with instructions and a link to the invitational summer institute participant survey, which should be submitted online before the institute has ended. For more information, contact Laurie Senauke at 510-495-5818 or lauries@kushiki.org, or Allison Murray at 510-528-0905 or aimurray@inverness-research.org.
UPDATED SITE PROFILE ACTIVITY WORKSHEETS NOW AVAILABLE
Prepare for online entry of your site's 2009-2010 program data in the NWP site profile system (to launch later this summer) using Activity Worksheets. An interactive PDF version is now available. Questions? Contact siteprofile@nwp.org or 503-719-7974.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/site_profile.html
May 2010
IFIES ON 2011 BUDGET AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING --
On May 12, NWP Executive Director Sharon J. Washington and Northern Virginia Writing Project teacher-consultant and Co-director Mary Tedrow presented testimony about the importance of continued federal funding for NWP before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the House Appropriations Committee.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3148
NWP NEEDS LETTERS OF SUPPORT --
NWP is providing a sample letter of support so that you can give it to your superintendents, principals, university presidents, and other interested individuals to write to their senators and representatives in Congress to ask them to support NWP. Email questions to publicaffairs@nwp.org.
http://nwpworks.ning.com/page/sample-letter
- - - - - - - - - - EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - - - - - - - - - -
NWP E-ANTHOLOGY IS OPEN --
E-Facilitators may register their Invitational Summer Institutes now, and begin registering participants now that the E-Anthology is open. Find resources and information at the link below.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
NWP BOOK GROUP NING DISCUSSION --
Curious about the new Diane Ravitch book? Join an NWP Book Group Ning discussion of The Death and Life of the Great American School System, a book that challenges the current interpretation of "school reform." The discussion begins May 19, but join the group and introduce yourself any time.
http://nwpbookgroups.ning.com/
NWP RADIO: REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING MARATHON --
Join us as we discuss the history of the writing marathon and the new book "I am a writer": Reflections on the Writing Marathon. The discussion will include teacher-consultants and directors who have helped shape, and now are studying, the writing marathon as an activity that helps us keep in touch with our writing selves. MAY 27, 4 p.m. PDT
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nwp_radio
APPLY NOW FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS --
State and regional networks of sites are invited to apply for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now. Submission period: June 1-July 1.
----
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
NWP NEEDS LETTERS OF SUPPORT
Please encourage your superintendents, principals, university presidents, and other interested individuals to write letters in support of NWP to their senators and representatives in Congress. Refer administrators and others to the NWP Works! website for information about NWP's status in the Administration's budget and to learn how they can help. Consider a link to NWP Works! in blogs, announcements, or other communications for the general public. Email questions to publicaffairs@nwp.org.
http://www.nwpworks.ning.com.
THREE NEW CO-PUBLISHED BOOKS FROM NWP AND TEACHERS COLLEGE PRESS
Complimentary copies of three new co-published books were mailed to sites last week: Literacy Tools in the Classroom by Richard Beach, Gerald Campano, Brian Edmiston, and Melissa Borgman; Literacy in the Welcoming Classroom by JoBeth Allen; and Inviting Families Into the Classroom by Lynne Yermanock Strieb. Purchase additional copies of these great new resources at NWP's online bookstore.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/resources/book_store.csp
- - - - - - - - - - EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - - - - - - - - - -
NWP RADIO
INSERVICE AT NWP SITES IN 2010: KEEPING IT RELEVANT
On the next episode of NWP Radio, join a discussion about planning for work in schools in the current climate. Listen live, call in with questions, and join the online chat on May 13, 4 p.m. PDT, 7 p.m. EDT. Or plan to listen to an archive of the show.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/480?x-t=sites_eos.view
NWP E-ANTHOLOGY OPENS MAY 17
E-Facilitators may register their Invitational Summer Institutes now, and begin registering participants when E-Anthology opens on May 17. Find resources and information at the link below.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
NWP BOOK GROUP NING DISCUSSION
Curious about the new Diane Ravitch book? Join an NWP Book Group Ning discussion of The Death and Life of the Great American School System, a book that challenges the current interpretation of "school reform." The discussion begins May 19, but join the group and introduce yourself any time.
http://nwpbookgroups.ning.com/
APPLY NOW FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS
State and regional networks of sites are invited to apply for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now. Submission period: June 1 to July 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
April 2010
Dear Site Leaders,
Every day, we are presented with opportunities to do the right thing末recycle, help a neighbor, vote. Every day, teacher-leaders across the NWP network in every local site provide high-quality instruction in writing to students so that they will be college and career ready and have the skills to engage in a participatory democracy. Every day, teachers, school administrators, parents, and communities strive to provide safe learning environments for all students.
This week, for reasons of equity, inclusion, and safety, the National Writing Project has made the decision to relocate our upcoming summer national professional development programs that were scheduled to take place in the state of Arizona. We cannot in good conscience ask our teacher-leaders to enter a state where they or their colleagues will be subjected to law enforcement checkpoints for "looking like an immigrant," and be in an environment that is increasingly hostile to differences of social identity.
We are relocating the events to other venues and will work closely with network leaders to ensure that all participants can still attend the planned events. We recognize, honor, and support our three local sites in Arizona and will continue to work closely with them on all aspects of writing project work.
I am so proud to work with a group of educators who are committed to their own learning, and who believe in equity and in the richness our differences bring to our community.
Sincerely,
Sharon J. Washington
Executive Director
---Announcements---
Yes! We did it!!!
Sen. Sessions signed the Dear Colleague letter and of course you won't see Sen. Shelby's name because he is one of the architects of the letter.
Nice job!!! Many thanks all of you for writing letters and calling the offices. I also received a nice thank you letter (form letter) for visiting the office of Rep. Dr. Parker Griffith.
Thanks again.
Dawn, AAMUWP Site Director
On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 11:45 AM, National Writing Project <nwp@nwp.org> wrote:
- NWP Site Bulletin -
We just received the final list of signatures on the NWP Senate Dear Colleague letter: 31 senators! This is an increase of three co-signers from 2009末a great achievement in light of the challenging political climate. We are proud that NWP continues to have bipartisan support in the Senate. Thank you for your phenomenal work throughout the process and for the dedication you brought to the final push for signatures. In the last week, we added almost ten new names and many more commitments of support末a tremendous feat!
Of course, our work does not end here. As you know, NWP is an authorized program within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA Title II, Part C, Subpart 2). It is very important that NWP be reauthorized in the new ESEA, and we need your help getting the word out this spring. Congress is working on reauthorization right now.
Please encourage your superintendents, principals, university presidents, and other interested individuals to write letters in support of NWP to their legislators. You can refer administrators and others to the NWP Works! website for information about the status of NWP in the Administration's budget and how they can help. You can also include a link to this website in blogs, announcements, or other communications for the general public: http://www.nwpworks.ning.com.
Please send copies of your letters to publicaffairs@nwp.org or email us with questions or for contact information.
On behalf of the NWP, thank you for your incredible advocacy work and for all that you do to support teachers and students across the country.
Final List of NWP Senate Dear Colleague Letter Co-signers
Updated: April 19, 2010
1. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
2. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
3. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
4. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
5. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
6. Jim Bunning (R-KY)
7. Roland Burris (D-IL)
8. Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA)
9. Susan Collins (R-ME)
10. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
11. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
12. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
13. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
14. Tim Johnson (D-SD)
15. Edward Kaufman (D-DE)
16. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
17. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
18. Carl Levin (D-MI)
19. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)
20. Blanche L. Lincoln (D-AR)
21. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
22. Jack Reed (D-RI)
23. James Risch (R-ID)
24. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
25. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
26. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
27. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
28. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
29. Tom Udall (D-NM)
30. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
31. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
NOTE: Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) submitted his own signed letter of support to the subcommittee.
NEW REPORT FROM CARNEGIE LINKS WRITING TO IMPROVED READING SKILLS
A report released this week by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading, identifies instructional practices shown to be effective in improving students' reading and offers recommendations for implementing those practices in the classroom.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3126
2010-2011 SPECIAL-FOCUS NETWORK MINIGRANTS AWARDED 末
NWP's special-focus networks have awarded 2010-2011 minigrants. Visit the network webpages for a list of sites receiving minigrant funding:
English Language Learners
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/90
Rural Sites
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/93
Teacher Inquiry Communities
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/92
Technology Liaisons
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/91
Urban Sites
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/94
- - - - - - - - - - EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - - - - - - - - - -
NWP RADIO: LIVE FROM THE URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE 末
Join us for a roundtable discussion with USN Leadership Team members and educators from the Oregon Writing Project at Lewis and Clark College as they reflect on the issues and ideas that urban teachers are discussing at the conference. We'll be welcoming call-ins for this show, so join us in the chat room and on air for this special show, APRIL 22, 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/477?x-t=sites_eos.view
REGISTER NOW FOR 2010 E-ANTHOLOGY 末
It's time to plan your site's participation in the 2010 E-Anthology. Invitational Summer Institute registration opened April 1, and early registration allows time to review resources and make plans to integrate the E-Anthology into your summer institutes. Sites must designate an e-facilitator to register the site and serve as the main contact. Deadline: JUNE 30.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
APPLY NOW FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS 末
State and regional networks of sites are invited to download and complete the application materials for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now; submission period is JUNE 1 to JULY 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 末
Tell us about yourself or colleagues at your site who have received honors or awards or who have recently published. Deadline: APRIL 16.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/aa_submission.csp
Dear Site Leaders,
We're happy to report that yesterday's New York Times featured an insightful article highlighting the possible threat to federal funding for the NWP and Reading is Fundamental (RIF). We are sending this to you because the article tells a clear story about the possible consequences of the funding proposal and includes compelling quotes from Sharon J. Washington and Carol Rasco, RIF's executive director.
The article was prominently placed in the education section of the paper--and it now ranks as one of the Times’ most emailed education articles. We've featured the article on the NWP home page, so we invite you to send this link to others to help get the word out about the importance of direct funding for the NWP. This is especially critical now because we're in our final push to request senators' signatures on the NWP Dear Colleague letter by the April 13 deadline.
Here's the link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/education/09grants.html
We are grateful for your time, effort, and dedication. If you have any questions, please contact publicaffairs@nwp.org.
Thank you!
- - - - - - - - - - - - ANNOUNCEMENTS - - - - - - - - - - - -
15 SIGNATURES IN THE SENATE; KEEP MAKING THOSE CALLS! 末
Thanks to your tremendous advocacy work, we now have 15 signatures on the NWP Senate Dear Colleague letter. Senators from both sides of the aisle have made it clear that they value the work you do and want to continue to invest in NWP programs. Please take a moment to follow up with your legislators and remind them to sign the letter. The deadline for signatures is April 13. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact publicaffairs@nwp.org.
NWP EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 末
NWP announces an employment opportunity in the National Programs and Site Development unit. We are looking for a program associate to work with the English Language Learners Network and the National Reading Initiative. Find the job description and application information on the NWP website.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/about/employment.csp
SITE PROFILE AND NEW NWP BROCHURES COMING SOON BY MAIL 末
Look for a printed copy of your site's Site Profile and copies of NWP's new promotional brochure coming in the mail in mid-April. Preview the new brochure at the link below.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2300
- - - - - - - - - - EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - - - - - - - - -
REGISTER FOR URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE BY APRIL 2 末
The Urban Sites Network invites you to Portland, Oregon, April 23-24, for Writing Across the Margins: Illuminating Urban Voices. The gathering includes a pre-conference event sponsored by the Technology Liaisons Network, workshops, school visits, two writing marathon strands, an Open Mic night, and more, including keynote speaker and renowned poet Patricia Smith at the Saturday plenary session. Registration deadline: APRIL 2.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/422
TECHNOLOGY LIAISONS EVENT AT URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE 末
The TLN offers their first-ever pre-conference event in conjunction with the Urban Sites Network Conference in Portland, Oregon. The pre-conference event on April 23, Digital Literacy across the Margins, will explore technology tools in instructional experiences designed to engage and empower urban youth. Space is limited to the first 40 participants who register via the USN Conference registration form. You must register for USN Conference to attend. Deadline: APRIL 2.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/422
NWP RADIO: WRITING IN THE SUMMER INSTITUTE 末
NWP has long argued that writing and reflecting on writing are at the core of our Summer Institute model, but what does that mean in practice? In this episode of NWP Radio, APRIL 8, 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST, site leaders talk about how they think about writing in their institutes today and in the future. http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/475?x-t=sites_eos.view∨=site_eos
REGISTER NOW FOR 2010 E-ANTHOLOGY 末
It's time to plan your site's participation in the 2010 E-Anthology. Invitational Summer Institute registration opens April 1, and early registration allows time to review resources and make plans to integrate the E-Anthology into your summer institutes. Sites must designate an e-facilitator to register the site and serve as the main contact. Deadline: JUNE 30.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/434
BOOK LODGING NOW FOR ANNUAL MEETING IN ORLANDO 末
Make plans to attend the NWP Annual Meeting in Orlando, November 18-20, and book lodging online now with NCTE. Online registration for NWP workshops begins September 1. Visit the NWP website to link to the NCTE Housing Bureau and to get regular updates about the meeting.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10am/home.csp
UPDATED RESOURCE FOR SITES: ONLINE RESOURCE GUIDE 末
Check out a selection of online articles and tools for general information about implementing the NWP model. This toolkit was used by reviewers at the 2010 Annual Review, and a paper copy was included with the grant award packet sent to NWP sites in response to the Continued Funding Application. Two versions are available, on NWP's website and on the Site Leaders Ning:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/annual_review_resource_guide.csp
http://nwpsiteleaders.ning.com/page/annual-review-online-resource
POETRY MONTH ON THE NWP BOOK GROUP NING 末
Join the discussion of Brian Turner's HERE, BULLET, a collection of poems about his experience in Iraq. The discussion will run from April 19-28, but be sure to visit the Practical Poetics group, where the discussion will take place, before then to get acquainted with the resources.
http://nwpbookgroups.ning.com/group/practicalpoetics
APPLICATION MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS 末
State and regional networks of sites are invited to download and complete the application materials for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now; submission period is June 1褒uly 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 末
Tell us about yourself or colleagues at your site who have received honors or awards or who have recently published. Deadline: APRIL 16.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/aa_submission.csp
March 2010
48 SIGNATURES ON HOUSE LETTER! SENATE LETTER STILL CIRCULATING ––
Thank you for your ingenuity and leadership on the House Dear Colleague letter––48 cosigners as of our last update. We will send the complete list when it is finalized. The Senate Dear Colleague letter is still in circulation. The deadline is April 9, so in addition to calling and emailing your senators, many of you can request support in person at the NWP Spring Meeting next week. Find a copy of the letter here:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/extranet/supportingthenwp
- - - - - - - - EVENTS AND DEADLINES THIS WEEK - - - - - - - -
RACE TO THE TOP COMMENCEMENT CHALLENGE: DEADLINE TODAY ––
Schools across the country are competing to welcome President Obama as their graduation speaker this spring. It's not too late to participate. Join the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge today. High School students must answer four questions about their school's success; high school principals submit the applications. Deadline: MARCH 15
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/03/04/race-top-high-school-commencement-challenge
TALK TODAY WITH MIKE ROSE, AUTHOR OF WHY SCHOOL? ––
Join us Monday, March 15, 6 p.m. Pacific, for a conversation with scholar and author Mike Rose as he discusses the state of public education in America. This program is a capstone to an online discussion in the NWP Book Groups Ning:
http://www.nwpbookgroups.ning.com
Find a link to NWP's BlogTalkRadio in the NWP Site Leaders Ning:
http://nwpsiteleaders.ning.com/
SPRING MEETING REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 17 ––
NWP's federal funding remains in jeopardy. Our legislators need to hear from you now! The Spring Meeting in Washington, DC, March 25-26, is your chance to educate Congress in face-to-face meetings about the great work you do. Please join us for a Wednesday evening planning session at 5:30 sharp. Registration deadline: MARCH 17.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10sm/home.csp
DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR SITE TEAMS AT 2010 REGIONAL INSERVICE INSTITUTE ––
Send a team of two to work on broadening and expanding your site's inservice programs in Austin, Texas, July 15–17. The institute is hosted by the Heart of Texas Writing Project. Limited to 20 sites; registration is first-come, first-served. Deadline: MARCH 19.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/449
DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR THIS SUMMER'S DIRECTORS RETREAT ––
Sites are invited to apply to send a team of two site leaders to the NWP Directors Retreat, August 1–5, in Tubac, Arizona. The retreat is designed to support directors and site leaders as they share expertise and plan the development of site work. Extended deadline: MARCH 22.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/433
BE PART OF THIS SUMMER'S PROFESSIONAL WRITING RETREATS ––
Apply now for Professional Writing Retreats A and B in Southern Arizona, July 15-18. The retreats give teachers a chance to write about the profession of teaching, literacy and learning, their own practice, policy and school reform, and more. Deadline: MARCH 22.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/430
- - - - - - - - UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - - - - - - - -
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APPLY FOR "RECRUITING FOR DIVERSITY" ––
Sites are invited to apply to send a team to Recruiting for Diversity, a working meeting with a focus on increasing diversity in site leadership, in Minneapolis, June 25-27. Teams will explore relevant definitions of diversity in their service area, why diversity matters, and how to plan for changes at their site. Extended deadline: APRIL 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/461
JOIN US FOR URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE ––
The Urban Sites Network invites you to Portland, Oregon, April 23-24, for Writing Across the Margins: Illuminating Urban Voices. The gathering includes a pre-conference event sponsored by the Technology Liaisons Network, workshops, school visits, two writing marathon strands, an Open Mic night, and more, including keynote speaker and renowned poet Patricia Smith at the Saturday plenary session. Registration deadline: APRIL 2.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/422
APPLICATION MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR STATE AND REGIONAL NETWORK MINIGRANTS ––
State and regional networks of sites are invited to download and complete the application materials for an NWP minigrant. Application materials are available online now; submission period is June 1–July 1.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/projects/97
ENJOY COMPLIMENTARY COPIES OF BEST TEEN WRITING 2009 ––
Thanks to the generosity of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers (http://www.artandwriting.org/#), 10 copies of The Best Teen Writing 2009 will soon be mailed to each site. The book includes a message from NWP Executive Director, Dr. Sharon J. Washington. Interested in becoming an Affiliate of the Alliance or participating in offsite judging? Contact Kat Hendrix at khendrix@scholastic.com.
BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ––
Tell us about yourself or colleagues at your site who have received honors or awards or who have recently published. Deadline: APRIL 16.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/aa_submission.csp
-----
The NWP Senate Dear Colleague letter, sponsored by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), is now circulating. A copy of the letter can be found at http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/extranet/supportingthenwp. The deadline for signatures is April 9, so in addition to calling and emailing your senators, many of you will be able to make your request for support in person at the NWP Spring Meeting.
Your senators can sign the Dear Colleague letter by contacting Barbara Pryor in Senator Rockefeller's office or Emily Ferris in Senator Wicker's office. ONLY SENATORS OR THEIR AIDES, NOT NWP SITE LEADERS, SHOULD CONTACT BARBARA OR EMILY. Find contact information for your senators at http://www.senate.gov or email publicaffairs@nwp.org.
Thank you for your dedication and determination on the House Dear Colleague letter. As you know, the deadline for signatures is this Friday, March 12! Please continue to call your representatives to ask for their signatures on this letter. If your representative cannot or will not sign, please ask if he/she can support NWP in other ways, such as writing a separate letter of support.
Your efforts are paying off. We now have 14 signatures:
1. George Miller (D-CA)
2. Russ Carnahan (D-MO)
3. John Dingell (D-MI)
4. Sam Graves (R-MO)
5. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
6. John Hall (D-NY)
7. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
8. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM)
9. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
10. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
11. James Oberstar (D-MN)
12. Paul Tonko (D-NY)
13. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
14. David Wu (D-OR)
Please send questions and updates to publicaffairs@nwp.org. Thank you!
----
HOUSE DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER NOW CIRCULATING ––
Please call your representatives to ask for their signatures on the FY 2011 NWP House Dear Colleague Letter. The deadline is Friday, March 12. Your representative can sign the letter by contacting Alexandria (Ria) Ruiz in Representative George Miller's office at 202-225-3725. Email questions and updates to publicaffairs@nwp.org. Review details on this topic from the February 26 special bulletin:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/nwpsites/bulletin_archived.csp?issue=3279
Find a copy of the FY 2011 House Dear Colleague letter here:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/extranet/supportingthenwp
SIX NEW SITES ADDED TO NWP NETWORK ––
The National Writing Project welcomes six new sites into its network. The new sites are located in Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, and New York.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3088
- - - - - - - - EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES - - - - - - - -
ONLINE DISCUSSION WITH MIKE ROSE RESCHEDULED ––
Join your colleagues to discuss Mike Rose's book, Why School? on the NWP Book Groups Network Ning, MARCH 8-16. Mike's book encourages readers to think about what it means to be educated in a democratic society. What is the purpose of education? What does it mean to provide opportunity for our nation's students? Share your thoughts and questions in this discussion.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/467?x-t=sites_eos.view
SPRING MEETING REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS NEAR ––
With NWP's federal funding in jeopardy, legislators need to hear from you now! The NWP Spring Meeting in Washington, DC, March 25-26, is your chance to educate Congress in face-to-face meetings about the great work you do. Register online and learn more about legislative visits as well as the keynote speaker and roundtable sessions. Registration deadline: MARCH 12.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10sm/home.csp
DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR THIS SUMMER'S DIRECTORS RETREAT ––
Sites are invited to apply to send a team of two site leaders to the NWP Directors Retreat, August 1–5, in Tubac, Arizona. The retreat is designed to support directors and site leaders as they share expertise and plan the development of site work. Deadline: MARCH 15.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/433
SPACE STILL OPEN FOR SITE TEAMS AT 2010 REGIONAL INSERVICE INSTITUTE ––
Send a team of two to work on broadening and expanding your site's inservice programs in Austin, Texas, July 15–17. The institute is hosted by the Heart of Texas Writing Project. Limited to 20 sites; registration is first-come, first-served. Deadline: MARCH 19.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/449
STILL TIME TO APPLY FOR "RECRUITING FOR DIVERSITY" ––
Sites are invited to apply to send a team to Recruiting for Diversity, a working meeting with a focus on increasing diversity in site leadership, in Minneapolis, June 25-27. Teams will explore relevant definitions of diversity in their service area, why diversity matters, and how to plan for changes at their site. Deadline: MARCH 19.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/461
BE PART OF THIS SUMMER'S PROFESSIONAL WRITING RETREATS ––
Apply now for Professional Writing Retreats A and B in Southern Arizona, July 15-18. The retreats give teachers a chance to write about the profession of teaching, literacy and learning, their own practice, policy and school reform, and more. Deadline: MARCH 22.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/430
JOIN US FOR URBAN SITES NETWORK CONFERENCE ––
The Urban Sites Network invites you to Portland, Oregon, April 23-24, for Writing Across the Margins: Illuminating Urban Voices. The gathering includes a pre-conference event sponsored by the Technology Liaisons Network, workshops, school visits, two writing marathon strands, an Open Mic night, and more, including keynote speaker and renowned poet Patricia Smith at the Saturday plenary session. Registration deadline: APRIL 2.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/events/422
February 2010
Subject: US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Belfer National Conference
Dear English Language Arts Council Affiliates:
I would like to share information with you about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Belfer National Conference for Educators, which will run June 27 – 29, 2010. Please share this information with secondary teachers and community college faculty associated with your programs. Educators at the university level are also eligible to apply, as well as coordinators of teacher professional development.
We are also offering up to forty scholarships of $1,000 each. I’ve attached the application for the scholarship to this e-mail.
Please let me know if you have questions.
For the 2010 program, special emphasis will be placed on the Museum’s new exhibit, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda and the interactive installation, From Memory to Action: Meeting the Challenge of Genocide. Museum educators and scholars share rationales, strategies, and approaches for presenting this complex topic to students, in sessions designed specifically for middle- and high-school teachers. Participants have extensive time to view the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition: The Holocaust, tour Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story, and other special exhibitions, and visit the interactive computers in the Wexner Center and other resource areas. Seminar sessions emphasize planning and implementing units of study for teaching about the Holocaust in middle and high schools. Educators who complete the program receive a set of educational materials and a voucher worth $100 to purchase Holocaust–related resources in the Museum Shop.
“The information we received as educators was extremely helpful, and the guest speakers were outstanding. The conference was the best one I have ever attended. I came away inspired.”
— Participant from New York
Click to download Belfer Program Flyer and Belfer School Application.
Christina E. Chavarría
Program Coordinator 202.488.0466
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
National Institute for Holocaust Education
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW Washington DC 20024-2126
Fax 202.314.7888
www.ushmm.org
April 11-18, 2010
DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE
STORIES OF FREEDOM: WHAT YOU DO MATTERS
www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/
----------------------------------------------------------
Dear NWP Site
Leaders:
Congress needs to hear from you! The Administration has proposed that funding for NWP be consolidated with that of five other literacy programs under a new competitive program aimed at improving literacy instruction. In order to secure the funding offered under this program, state education agencies would compete for funds, alone or in partnership with outside entities (such as a writing project site or an institution of higher education). Successful states would use the funds as they think best in pursuit of the goals of this block grant program. At the very least, this would mean zero direct funding for the National Writing Project network, and no funding possible for any local site in a state that chose not to compete or was unsuccessful in competing for this funding. It is very important that all of us work closely with our congressional offices to explain how NWP, a highly successful national infrastructure, is put at risk by this funding strategy.
Last year you told us that legislators asked to be contacted earlier in the year with requests for support. The NWP "Dear Colleague" letters will begin circulating soon in the House and Senate, but we are asking you to contact your legislators as soon as possible to ask for their support for the NWP. Although it means starting this work earlier, and potentially contacting legislative aides again later to ask for signatures on the Dear Colleague letters, this early outreach is extremely important given the proposed budget.
Direct funding for the NWP is imperative! When you speak to legislators about the importance of a federal investment in NWP, please consider the following talking points and how they impact your work.
Funding for NWP supports:
1. The national goal of helping students graduate prepared for college and career-ready;
2. Tens of thousands of teachers prepared to serve as a professional development resource to their colleagues and local schools;
3. A national improvement infrastructure with proven practices that support the success of local writing project sites in providing high-quality professional development to local schools;
4. National programs and initiatives that extend and strengthen the work of local sites, and that support site leaders in enhancing their work and sharing knowledge across the network.
NWP accomplishes all of this because it is a highly developed and effective national infrastructure that includes broad reach, local usability and responsiveness, and reliable quality. Without direct funding, this infrastructure is in jeopardy. As all of you know, the NWP network enables successful teachers in diverse communities across the country to collaborate with and learn from one another to improve student achievement.
In-person meetings with legislators and legislative aides are one of the most effective ways to educate Congress about the key role that writing project sites play in improving the teaching of writing and improving student learning. Please join us at the NWP Spring Meeting on March 24-25 in Washington, DC, and plan to meet with your representatives in Congress. To register for the NWP Spring Meeting, visit: http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/10sm/home.csp.
Please email publicaffairs@nwp.org if you have questions or if there is any information that we can provide to assist with your outreach to congressional offices. You may also want to encourage parents, principals, and others who know about your site's work to contact their legislators. As always, please let us know when you make your calls and tell us what response you get. We will keep you up to date as we learn more about the timing of the NWP Dear Colleague letters and funding for FY 2011.
Thank you in advance for your dedication to this work!
Best regards,
Sharon J. Washington
Executive Director
Dear Colleagues,
January 2010
"Words have no borders. Every experience deserves a hearing. Everyone has a story to tell and we are all the better for the telling."
This quote comes from Edwidge Danticat, the award-winning Haitian author, in her powerful essay "In the Snow," which was the opening piece in Words Have No Borders: Student Voices on Immigration, Language and Culture, published by the College Board's National Commission on Writing in collaboration with the NWP (http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2898).
I find her words inspiring, never more so than now as we must find ways to reach out and support the people of Haiti. All of us in the NWP network have been moved by the magnitude of the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti and the ongoing rescue and relief efforts that are underway to help the Haitian people. Many teachers are considering how to respond to students' questions and concerns in class, and several resources have been developed that teachers are finding valuable in teaching about the earthquake.
In order to discuss what this means in the classroom, tonight's Teachers Teaching Teachers (TTT) webcast will feature Katherine Shulten, one of the editors of the Learning Network blog at the New York Times (http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/).
The show begins at 9:00 p.m. Eastern / 6:00 p.m. Pacific (USA) on Wednesdays and at 01:00 UTC on Thursdays (World Times). Please download these instructions to access the live webcast:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/11017/Instructions_to_Participate_in_TTT_Webcast.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d
Across the network, I know that we are engaged in gathering donations and contributing to these many efforts. We also know that a serious and lengthy reconstruction process lies ahead. For more information about where you can contribute, we encourage you to visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake
Let us join together and find ways to support all people's stories and their futures.
Sincerely,
Sharon J. Washington
Executive Director
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Additional Teaching Resources
5 Ways to Teach About Haiti Right Now
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/5-ways-to-teach-about-haiti-right-now/
The New York Times Earthquake Multimedia Collection
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/17/world/americas/haiti-earthquake-multimedia.html
Haiti in Ink and Tears: A Literary Sampler
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/weekinreview/17bell.html
