Have you Heard About PROJECT RED?

It is a fact that many of our country's high shcool students enter college with inadequate skills. The National Education Computing Conference (NECC) posted a press release saying the Project RED coalition has launched their new Project RED initiative, an effort to put technology on a more stable basis within the challenging environment of education funding.

The lead author of this project and CEO of The Greaves Group, Tom Greaves said, "We all have anecdotal stories about how technology works and saves money while improving teaching and learning. But we need a full-bore national study to investigate cost-savings and revenue enhancement at the state level."

Project Red's team will research the schools in its database of approximately 3,000 K-12 technology-rich schools. The characteristics of technology use to transform learning will be analyzed to create a model for other schools. The technology-transformed schools that have at least 95 percent of their students using a computing device with Internet access will also be studied to determine what cost savings schools realize when they use technology as part of their everyday teaching and learning.

Most states know how much money is spent on remedial courses for these students - costs that frustrate state legislators because they feel they are paying for educating the same students several times. One of the bright spots in technology's investment pay-off has been the ability to reduce costs while improving both learning and attendance through online credit recovery courses.

This will revolutionize the way we look at technology - not as a cost, but as a way to personalize learning and to change the way students learn by making technology-assisted learning among recognized best practices, rather than an exception.

Technology holds the promise of allowing us to re-engineer our educational system. Project RED's importance has been recognized by a number of national education associations, including National School Boards Association (NSBA), American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and Software Information Industries Association (SIIA).

The technology-transformed schools are defined as any elementary and secondary school where students have consistent daily access to the Internet. Go to ProjectRED.org to find out if your schools are already included inthe program. -- Rocco Basile

The Obamas on Education for our Youth

First Lady Michelle Obama debuted as a public policy advocacy by visiting the Department of Education in the company of Education Secretary Arne Duncan. As I have mentioned before I follow the latest trends in eduication on my blog roccobasile.net.



Stressing the need for more education spending, she said, "Imagine what we can do with millions of dollars more investment in this area. We can expand opportunities in low-income districts for all students, particularly for students with disabilities."

Both Barack and Michelle Obama promoted the importance of a good education at a January 19 rally held by the Education Equality Project at Cardoza High School in Washington, DC.


UNCF President Michael Lomax was there to explain why our educational system is in a state of crisis.


In summary, they discussed how diverse leaders are coming together over the U.S. public education system, which is in crisis. Most speakers consider this crisis to be the predominant civil rights issue of our generation. Parent, grandparents, educators, families, neighbors, and friends were encouraged to tutor, and join the PTA, so that their voices could be heard.

The Education Equality Project states on its website, “Barely half of African-American and Latino students graduate from high school, with African American students graduating at 55 percent, Latinos at 53 percent, and their white counterparts at 78 percent.”

Rocco Basile is Proud of Angel

As a father, Rocco Basile knows how tough it can be to be a Dad, and how instrumental a father is in shaping a child’s life. That's why Basile and the charity he works closely with, Children of the City, are proud of Angel Lopez, a 24 year old former gang member,

Angel’s dad was incarcerated when he was a boy, and his Mom had drug problems. Several well meaning relatives tried to help, but the lack of a male authority figure led Angel to search for role models among the gang leaders that he thought were so cool.

Then one day about four years ago a Children of the City youth outreach counselor started visiting with Angel’s nephew, in order to listen to what Angel was saying. Soon, Angel started making appointments to talk with the counselor himself because he wanted to be a good father to his son and daughter. He married the mother of his children and endured the hardships that were required to quit the gang. He credits Children of the City with helping him with his education, a job, and learning how to be a better parent.

What would Angel's life been like if he had found Children of the City when he was a child? Committed to volunteering at Children of the City, Angel said, “I reach out to the kids. I try to give as much of myself as I can ... I tell them the truth about the streets. I warn them about jail, the diseases, and everything else that is out there when you switch to the fast lane. I let them know that I had a choice, and they have choices."

--Rocco Basile

























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Joe DiMaggio Still Supports Students with Learning Disabilities

Joe DiMaggio was a friend and generous supporter of Xaverian High School and was the first person to ever receive Xaverian's highest honor, the Concordia Award, in 1997. DiMaggio died on March 8, 1999, with the honor of being known as "the greatest living baseball player."

Joe played for the New York Yankees baseball team and his nickname was the "Yankee Clipper." How did he get this nickname? In the game of baseball, to 'clip' the ball means 'hit' the ball. everyone knows that Joe DiMaggio was a great hitter! But 'Yankee Clipper' is also the name of a beautiful sailing ship. To the people who watching him play baseball, DiMaggio played as like a sailing clipper ship -- gracefully.

Xaverian's Concordia Award was renamed the Joe DiMaggio Award to memorialize DiMaggio's life-long commitment to the health, educaiton and the well being of America's youth. Dimaggio has an annual award gala in his memory - The Joe DiMaggio Award Gala - a fundraiser for Xaverian High. This is a special program for students with learning disabilities.

The Joe DiMaggio Award's mission, established in 1999, is to memorialize his "lifelong commitment to the health, education and well being of America's youth."

More than 100 young men have graduated from this special initiative and all have gone on to four-year colleges. Because Xaverian is private and tuition driven, all proceeds from the annual Gala benefit its many students. the evening usually always includes a silent auction of rare Joe DiMaggio memorabilia donated by the DiMaggio Estate and Morris Engelberg, Esq.

Earning the Bay Ridge school's highest honor, formerly called the Concordia Award, DiMaggio won it in 1997. The award has since been presented to Dr. Henry Kissinger, Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, former mayor and current presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani, television personality Regis Philbin, singer/songwriter Paul Simon, Sopranos star James Gandolfini, CBS Sports commentator Boomer Esiason and NBC Emmy-Award winning sports broadcaster Bob Costas.

This year's May 2009 Joe DiMaggio Award Gala honors Reggie Jackson. This year's Master of Ceremonies is Jim Ryan, the Legendary Television Reporter and Anchorman.

--Rocco Basile

Have you heard About the Developmentally Appropriate Practice Video?

I just discovered the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a group that has been a leading voice in defining, disseminating, and recognizing the best practices in the care and education of children. iot deals with kids that are up to age 8. As you kbnow I review all the latest informaiton on the education of children and put muh of this reearc on my website http://www.roccobasile.net/.

The NAEYC recently released the third edition of its principles and guidelines for teachers and others in the field of early childhood education in 2009. It describes the “Developmentally Appropriate Practice” — that is, teaching practices that ensure that young children learn and develop to their fullest potential.

To listen to the video, click the link below.http://www.naeyc.org/dap/resources1.asp.

In addition, you may want to review Young Children, an award winning peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly by the NAEYC. The magazine's issues are organized around topical clusters that devote attention to issues in the field of early childhood education. The practitioner-based nature of Young Children makes it unique among journals and its award winning status testifies to the publication's excellence.

--Rocco Basile

The Mother Teresa of Sunset Park is Honored

On March 25 Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes honored Children of the City's Joyce Mattera at his third annual Extraordinary Women’s event. In honor of Women’s History Month, Joyce Mattera was recognized for her accomplishments and contribution to the Sunset Park community. As you know, I am on the Board of this fine organization, and my website is devoted to the betterment of children's education.

District Attorney Hynes unveiled a huge calendar, in the lobby of 350 Jay Street, for the month of March with each day dedicated to one of the extraordinary women who were nominated by Brooklyn residents. Hynes bestowed the title of Special Ambassador to Joyce Mattera, formally acknowledged at a ceremony on March 25 in the Ceremonial Court Room at Brooklyn Borough Hall, along with other women.

Children of the City's Executive Director and Founder Joyce Mattera, is lovingly referred to by many as the "Mother Teresa of Sunset Park." She has devoted herself to helping others through service to children and the families of Sunset Park, Brooklyn since 1981. --Rocco Basile

Support for Children of the City's Children

Back in December, on the the 20th, the charity that I so fondly support - Children of the City - facilitated a very special Christmas for one unfortunate little girl and her family.600 children and 100 adults were invited to the headquarters of Children of the City located where hundreds of toys and gifts were distributed. There were dozens of volunteers during the entire week of December 15-19 who helped wrap gifts that were donated as well as funds.

Joyce Mattera, Founder and Executive Director said, "Children of the City was glad to facilitate receiving the donations because our partners knew we could get it into the hands of the neediest children.”

Earlier that same week, a young girl named Angela was undergoing some difficult times. Through the Winter Wishes Project facilitated by New York Cares and Morgan Stanley, Angela had not gotten her wish list in on time to receive any gifts.

“When we read her letter we all were moved" Mattera said. Angel's father had recently passed away and her mother said they couldn't afford Christmas this year.

Children of the City was able to confirm the details of their situation, then asked its partner Morgan Stanley to help us facilitate fulfilling this little girl's Christmas wish. One of their employees, George A., generously purchased clothes, other items, and assembled a brand-new bicycle for her just two days before the event. Angela exclaimed, through her tears, that this was the "best Christmas ever!"

Christmas toys and gifts were donated by several partners of Children of the City, including my family's business, Basile Builders, St. John's Bread and Life, Brianna's Hair Salon, NYCRC, Hamption Christian School in Virginia, Payless Shoe Source, New York Cares/Morgan Stanley, and many others.

"We know these are tough economic times and we are glad for the opportunity to show that we care about the children and families in the community we serve" said Mattera. "We are glad that Angela was able to enjoy Christmas this year."-- -- Rocco Basile