New Year’s Resolutions for Children
My grandchildren asked me what my New Year’s resolutions would be for 2017. I explained to them that each year I review my life’s challenges and accomplishments and journal the next steps in my life’s goals. My typical resolutions focus on keeping my life balanced in the areas of spiritual growth and family play. I also make resolutions to manage my exercise and financial planning. Finally, each year I aspire to increase my knowledge and skills in a new area of interest. Recent learnings include technology applications, blogging, watercoloring, and creating innovative curriculum. [Read more…]
Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., Digital Education Expert, is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California and the author of STUDENT-ENGAGED ASSESSMENT: Strategies to Empower All Learners (Rowman & Littlefield: 2020). Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the Cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Burke is the former Director II of Categorical & Special Projects for the Santa Clara County Office of Education that supports 31 school districts serving 272,321 students in Santa Clara County. She is also a previous Director – State & Federal Compliance for Oakland Unified School District, the former Director – Grantwriter for the Compton Unified School District, and was the initial VISTA Director for the Community Partnership Coalition in southern California. Much of her work focuses on creating innovative digital trainings and partnership programs for teachers and families to support students’ learning. These programs were featured as a best practice at a National Title I Conference, California’s Title I Conferences, AERA Conferences, an ASCD Conference, the NASSP Conference, and statewide educator conferences.
Parents want academic success for their children. They know that a good education can open many doors of opportunity for them. Children, however, live in the here and now. They don’t consider the long-term consequences of their decisions. How can we break down the lofty task of educating our children into doable tasks they can embrace? Here are five tips of actions that parents and children can do daily to establish good learning habits. 
Today we will discuss how you can support for your child academically in the new Common Core environment.
This week’s blog focuses on how parents can advocate for programs that address their children’s educational needs. Public schools and districts have always encouraged parental engagement and advocacy. Now, under the State of California’s 
It is difficult when we see our children struggling in school. They could be struggling academically, socially or in their relationships with their teachers. This month I will explore the idea of advocating for our children in school. Each week, we will focus on an aspect of advocacy. If you have a story about how you have advocated for your child, please share your experience. We are all comforted by knowing we are not the only ones facing problems at school with our children, and we are enriched by knowing that these problems have solutions.