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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 20, 1997)
•ï k ’• -T-' /■ r» .-» /- - L"«U » , T he P ortland O bserver • A ug . 20, 1997 P age A5 Children’s rights signed into law This School Year, Expect the Best T his is a good tim e to talk about an im portant elem ent to help ch il d ren su c ce ed in sch o o l. T h a t e le m e n t is e x p e c t a ti o n ; it e x e r ts a trem endous influence on w hat kids are able to achieve in school. T ake a w ide w alk around a rich field o f research and y o u ’ll see that schools can im prove student learning when they urge teachers and students to set their sights high— and m ean it. W h ile ju s t ab o u t ev e ry school, teacher, and parent w ould say that they do in fact hold high ex p e cta tio n s fo r th e ir c h ild r e n , w h a t is d e c la r e d m ig h t n o t tr u ly be believed. It is the b e lie f that m oves the child. T eacher expectations o f students tend to be self-fulfilling. T he pow er o f b e lie f in y o u by so m e o n e you respect becom es a propelling force to believe in yourself. Y es, you can d o this. B ut w h en stu d e n ts a r e n ’t expected to do w ell, it turns out that m ost often they d o n ’t. Just as stu d en ts’ b elief in them selves can translate to low o r high p e rfo rm a n c e , te a c h e r b e lie fs and b e h a v io r s to w a r d s t u d e n t s c a n a f f e c t h o w s tu d e n ts p e r f o r m in school. R esearch show s changes in t e a c h e r s ’ n o n v e r b a l b e h a v io r d e p e n d o n w h a t th e y b e lie v e o r assum e about students. W hether or not it’s intentional, teachers sm ile, lean to w ard the stu d e n t, and look d ire c tly at th e m m o re fre q u e n tly w hen they believe they are interact ing w ith so m eo n e o f high ability. B ut rese a rc h e rs rep o rt that highly effec tiv e te ac h ers are ten acio u s in their high expectations for all their students— they d o n ’t care w ho they are, w here they com e from , or w hat their fam ily circum stances m ay be. D o esn ’t m atter— they are expected to do w ell in school. It’s a curious thing: In our co u n try , m any o f u s th in k th a t in n a te ability is w hat m akes us successful ac ad e m ic ally . H ig h a b ility eq u als Governor puts pen to law protecting children at home G ov. John K itzhabor has signed into law three landm ark bills from the 1997 L egislature that stress the rights o f children to a safe hom e and provide m ore tim ely help to y o u n g sters w ho have been abused and ne glected. T his is the first tim e that certain c h ild re n 's rights have been spelled out in state law. S enate Bill 689 is know n as the "B est Interest o f the C hild" bill. It provides a consistent fram ew ork for the ju d icial and child protection sys tem s to determ ine w h eth er a child h ig h p e r f o r m a n c e — lo w a b i lity equals low perform ance. A nd, like th e c o lo r o f o u r e y e s a n d s k in , th a t’s w hat it is, and th a t’s that. But in m any other countries, hard w ork and effo rt are b eliev ed to be w hat m akes the d iffe re n c e in acad em ic achievem ent. H igh expectations for all govern the approach, and if kids a re n ’t succeeding, it’s no, because th e y ’re not sm art en o u g h to do it, i t ’s b e c a u s e th e y ’re n o t w o rk in g hard enough at it. A nd in te r e s tin g ly , d e s p ite th e propensity o f teenagers to com plain about dem anding teach ers, a 1997 national survey by P u b lic A g en d a sh o w e d th a t A m e ric a n te e n a g e rs e q u a te d h a rd w o rk w ith s u c c e s s and sa tisfactio n , w ere not pleased by th o se te a c h e rs w h o d em an d e d le s s , a n d r e s e n te d it w h e n ru le s were not enforced. It w ould be silly to suggest that ju s , h av in g hig h e x p e c ta tio n s fo r students is all th a t’s needed for stu d e n ts to su c c e e d . In th e c a rry in g out o f any school day , teaching and learning is an eno rm o u sly com plex p r o c e s s . W h ile a ll s tu d e n ts c a n le a rn , th e te a c h in g a n d le a r n in g p ro ce ss in d e e d v a r ie s . As re s e a rc h e rs d is c o v e r m o re an d m ore about how w e learn, and how this new know ledge can be applied to help all kids succeed, it enlarges the co n tex t and th e co n ten t o f the learning experience. High expectations are a launching pad, a base from w hich to aim for the stars, even though— like a space c a p su le se e k in g its d e s tin a tio n — there are adjustm ents and course cor rections on the way to achieving the student-learning mission. T h is c o lu m n is p r o v id e d a s a p u b lic s e r v ic e b y th e N o r th w e s t R eg io n a l E d u ca tio n a l L a b o ra to ry, a nonprofit institution w orking with schools a n d com m u n ities in Alaska, I d a h o , M o n ta n a , O r e g o n , a n d W ashington. d ep e n d en t o n th e state fo r ca re should be in state custody, be re turned hom e or be placed p erm a nently w ith an o th er family. “ O regon is on record today as saying that children are our top p ri ority," said G ov. K itzhaber. " W e ’ve issued that w ak e-u p call: It’s not all right to m istreat our children. N o r is it acceptable to let them bounce in and out o f state custody. W e m ust protect them w hile w orking hard to strengthen th eir troubled fam ilies.” The new law requires courts and the State O ffice for Services to C hil- dren and Fam ilies (S C F ) to respond to a ch ild ’s needs w ithin the c h ild ’s sense o f tim e Until now decisions about w hether a child should b e com e a w ard o f the state, return hom e or be perm anently placed else w here w ere m ade on a tim eline serv ing adults involved in the process, including ju d g es, parents, and child w elfare w orkers. U nder the new law , a child either w ill be safely back hom e o r w ell along the road to adoption or p erm a nent guardianship w ithin 15 m onths o f being identified as needing state Star struck Fortner National Football league tightend Bob Adams meets with kids at the Clackamas Town Center where he was endorsing the book “New Slant on Life. “ acl to school vision checks offered The Pacific University College o f Optometry Eye and Vision Centers are again providing a program o f free back- to school vision screenings for all ages including infants, pre-schoolers, school- age children, and adults. According to eye doctors, vision screenings arc especially beneficial in assuring proper development o f learn ing skills for infants and children if,hey are received prior to or early in the school year. Screenings take about 30 minutes and provide important infor mation about clarity o f vision, eye health, and eye coordination - factors that are essential for good vision and healthy eyes. Screenings are especially benefi cial for younger children whose learn ing skills -- such as reading and writing - and self esteem in the classroom depend on good v ision and healthy eyes. Screenings are also available for area schools, businesses and community or ganizations through Pacific’s off-site ook bags filled with supplies School hasn’t started yet and they are already putting papers and pen cils in bookbags at K ing E lem entary School, 5906 N .E. Sixth. O nly this tim e it is the adults getting ready for school. T he C osco Corp, donated 800 protection. C urrently, O regon ch il dren spend an average o f m ore than 30 m onths in the state system b e fore adoption. “ T h is le g isla tio n p u ts a c le a r tim efram e around our goal o f help ing children stay safely w ith their own fam ilies or placing them with another safe, stable fam ily," said K ay T o ra n , d ir e c to r o f S C F , O reg o n 's child welfare agency. “ SCF and parents m ust w ork diligently in the first 12 m onths to turn around an abusive hom e situation or see that the child finds a safe hom e." bookbags and the supplies to fill them ,to K ing students. T hroughout the day on Friday, a team o f volunteers filled the bags. The assem bly line w as constructed in the school cafeteria. On the first day o f school each screening program. Pacific University’s Eye and Vision Centers offer weekday, evening and weekend hours, with locations through out the greater Portland area. For more information and to schedule a screening at the Pacific University Eye and Vision Center near you, call 357-5800. This wise book is the wonderful continuation stu d e n t at K in g w ill r e c e iv e a bookbag. You can still jo in this volunteer effort or cheer on the sidelines. C o n tact Joe M alone, principal o f King E lem entary a, 916-6456, for m ore inform ation. of the bestselling Wouldn't Take Nothingfor My Even the Stars Look Lonesome is Maya Angelou Journey Now. POWELÜS talking of the things she cares about most, imparting the lessons o f a lifetime. BOOKS t ’T - ■ - O v e r / m illio n Save money on your water-sewer The C om m unity Energy Project will be holding a free w ater conser vation w orkshop. Find out how to save m oney on your water, sewer, and plum bing bills. All participants will receive a free w ater conservation kit w orth $25. These m aterials can help you save $80 or m ore per year on your w ater-sew er bill. Topics include: understanding a w ater-sew er bill, detecting w ater leaks, repairing leaky faucets and toilets and using w ater conservation materials. To register, please call the C om m unity Energy project at 2 8 4 -6 8 2 7 . College prep institute talks with students Incoming high school seniors who are interested in attending college are invited to take part in the Senior PLUS Institute, which will take place Aug. 27- 28 at Portland State University. Jh e Institute, sponsored by Educa tional Talent Search/Projec, Plus takes place from 9 am . to 3 p.m. each day in the auditorium o f Shattuck Hall, 1914 SW Park Ave. K A I S E R P E R M A N E N T I s e it & N e w B o o k s E 1005 W Burnside, downtown Portland 503-228-4651 www.poW ells.com RANDOM H O U St Free Vision Screenings OFFERED FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL H O N O R S E n c o u r a g e s K aiser P e r m a n e n te is e n r ic h e d A N D D iv e r s it y by th e c o n t r i b u tio n s of individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds W e’re enhancing our workforce to better reflect the people we serve To review current job openings, come by our Employement Office, 500 NE M ultnomah St., (use first Floor, Grand Avenue entrance) Portland, OR 97232. Or, call (503) 813-4700 Before being considered as an applicant, candidates are req u ired to com plete an on-line application O n-line applications accepted M-F, 8am - 3:30pm KAISER PERMANENTE An Equal Opportunity Employer More than ever, children depend on a healthy visual system and good eye health for development of essential learning skills such as reading and writing. As a community service, Pacific University College o f Optometry Eye and Vision Centers and affiliate clinics, provide free vision screenings for infants, pre-schoolers, school-age children, and adults. Al though screenings do not take the place of a complete vision exam, they do provide important informa tion about visual clarity, eye health, and eye coordination .. information key in identifying and treating the vision and eye health problems of children Eye doctors stress the importance of regular vision care prior to or early in the school year to detect and treat vision problems before children fall behind in their school work. Our free vision screenings take about 30 minutes and do not cause discomfort Screenings may be scheduled during evenings, weekends and regular business hours Interpreter services can be arranged upon request. We also provide vision screenings for schools, businesses, and community organizations. To schedule an appointment and for more information alxnit other vision care services, please call. NEW E V E N IN G A N I) W E E K E I) PACIFIC UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY EYE & VISION CENTERS NORTHEAST PORTLAND 248-3821 5329 NE MLK Jr. B lv d , Portland
