A Chance For Every Child

Takes a look at the lives of children around the world through the lens of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and through stories of statistics.

The rights of the child in words and pictures.

Imagine if there was a way to prepare the environment around you to maximise every minute you spend with your children. Inspired by the Montessori method, this book enables parents to utilise the world around them to allow children to develop the essential skills for life; independence, responsibility and a sense of wonder. Parents will soon see children growing towards their full potential. Compassionate, empathetic and independent learners who feel that they have the power to make a difference in the world - this is every parent's dream. Within this book are 100 ways you can establish healthy routines, great conversations and a home environment that will allow you to truly discover 'the potential in every child'.

In this inspiring memoir, “an unfailing champion for all children . . . shares his ever- committed life story . . . What an example he is for all of us” (Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund). After spending three decades in journalism as a newspaper reporter, editor and publisher, Dave Lawrence dedicated his life to a new mission: making sure every child has a real chance to succeed. A prominent advocate for children across the country, David helped found The Children’s Movement of Florida, an organization that launched in 2010 with the purpose of making Florida’s children, especially in their early years, the top priority for state investment. In A Dedicated Life, David tells his story from his time at the Detroit Free Press and the Miami Herald to his “retirement” at fifty-six, when he transitioned into his new calling and began making significant strides in Florida’s pre-K programs, parent skill-building, and so much more. “This special book is the story of a good man who has lived an impressive, fascinating, full life dedicated to his family, his profession, his faith and his service to others, especially the youngest and most vulnerable among us.” —Jeb Bush, Florida’s 43rd Governor “[A] highly principled man applying his talents and values in a transitioning America.” —Bob Graham, Florida’s 38th Governor and former Senator

Based on a true story, More Heaven is about six children with special needs and the remarkable teacher who gives them a chance at learning and life. Despite challenges and a lack of support, Miss Tina Randolph’s commitment to reach, teach, and inspire these children is unwavering. By accepting their uniqueness and participating in their private fantasy world, while at the same time engaging them in the real world, she eventually succeeds. Tina, her quick-witted teacher’s aide Kaye, and the children mount a tireless, daily battle to shift the tide toward the acceptance of people who are different. The experiment, begun in chaotic, uncharted waters, bridges the gap of understanding and paves the way for the inclusionary practices of education and society’s acceptance of children and adults with special needs. This is a road that continues to need paving, making the messages in More Heaven equally relevant today. The book evolved from an experiment in the Philadelphia school system in the late 1970s in response to the 1975 Education for the Handicapped Act, ruling that public schools in the US educate all children with disabilities, despite their severity. Previously, many of these special needs children were kept at home—isolated and denied access to the mainstream. More Heaven is a powerful story of compassion, determination, disappointment, triumph, and love.

“Korczak’s words resonate across the years and have amazing modern-day relevance.”—Jim Harding, director of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Born in Poland in 1878, educator, physician, and legendary child advocate Janusz Korczak believed that simply understanding children is the key to being able to take care of them. It’s a basic premise too often overlooked. This collection of one hundred quotations and passages from Korczak’s writings provides valuable advice on how to take care of, respect, and love every child. In an inviting gift-book format, this is a heartfelt and helpful reminder of who we were as children and who we might become as parents.

Urban school superintendents face unprecedented challenges. They must ensure that all students achieve a high level of performance despite a lack of resources, the intractable problems of race and poverty, a chaotic governance structure, and the often conflicting demands of teachers, parents, unions, and the community. This important book, edited by the co-directors of the prestigious Harvard Urban Superintendents Program (USP), explores the ways in which superintendents can make a difference in the lives of each child, every day, by being knowledgeable about and driven by what happens in the classroom. The editors and distinguished contributors cover a wide range of vital topics that superintendents face from the day they are hired to the day they retire, such as how superintendents can most effectively communicate their vision, plan strategically, institute instructional reform, engage the community, and allocate resources. The book is filled with illustrative examples of well-known superintendents who are trailblazing new means to achieve educational fairness for all children and are changing the landscape of urban school systems today. In addition, Every Child, Every Classroom, Every Day highlights the Urban Superintendents Program's Leadership Framework, which is designed to aid administrators and educators in decision making and achieving equity. An ancillary CD containing teaching notes and exhibits is also included (in the print edition only) as an aid to teachers who wish to scaffold material discussed in the text. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file. These materials will be made available for download upon purchase of the digital edition Co-published with Education Week and the American Association of School Administrators.

While the achievement gap has dominated policy discussions over the past two decades, relatively little attention has been paid to a gap even more at odds with American ideals: the opportunity gap. Opportunity and achievement, while inextricably connected, are very different goals. Every American will not go to college, but every American should be given a fair chance to be prepared for college. In communities across the U.S., children lack the crucial resources and opportunities, inside and outside of schools that they need if they are to reach their potential. Closing the Opportunity Gap offers accessible, research-based essays written by top experts who highlight the discrepancies that exist in our public schools, focusing on how policy decisions and life circumstances conspire to create the "opportunity gap" that leads inexorably to stark achievement gaps. They also describe sensible policies grounded in evidence that can restore and enhance opportunities. Moving beyond conventional academic discourse, Closing the Opportunity Gap will spark vital new conversations about what schools, parents, educators, and policymakers can and should do to give all children a fair chance to thrive.