« OBAMA AND HAITIAN PRESIDENT TO MEET WEDNESDAY | GED Programs | SERGIO ARGUETA IN NEW YORK NEWSDAY WRITES ABOUT THE VIOLENCE »
March 11, 2010
LOBBY DAY IN ALBANY
By Profesor Martin Danenberg "El Quijote del GED"
The newspapers reported slight increases for high school graduation for minorities in New York City and Long Island. There is no mayoral control of the schools on Long Island. Wyandanch (50 percent), Central Islip (63 percent), Greenport (64 percent), and Brentwood (74 percent) are lowest in 5 year graduation rates in Suffolk County. In Nassau County, Hempstead (59 percent), Roosevelt (66 percent), and Freeport (73 percent) were the lowest. Hispanics were up 2.5 percent in Suffolk and 2.9 percent in Nassau. Nothing spectacular, right? With a lot of room to improve, the schools are not getting the job done. Hempstead, Wyandanch, and Roosevelt saw graduation rates drop since last year and the authorities are concerned about this. I have tried to help two of those schools in the last couple of years and I tried to help Roosevelt years ago, but I was not invited in. Hispanic improvement resulted in New York City, jumping from 48.8 percent to 51.8 percent. Still way lower than both Suffolk and Nassau. I would love to measure the "Obama Effect" for African-Americans.
I met people in Albany that I had never met before. It started as a met UFT President Michael Mullgrew. My information has been going to the office of the President of the UFT for years. Then I met Senator John Sampson of Brooklyn, telling him that I am partnering with the Sean Bell Foundation and hoping to bring the French GED to Haiti. Speaker Sheldon Silver was next, shaking hands with him and telling him that I am the other Danenberg. It was a great day, meeting Romel Viel who is helping me with my GED for Committee for Haiti efforts. With a lot of room to improve, the schools are not getting the job done.
Many people in Albany now know about the "GED on Wheels" program that I can bring into their communities. They are working on the budget cuts and yes the budget cut is going to be big. Senator John Sampson told the thousand or so UFT members that he is solidly with the union because the teachers work hard to change lives every day. You would think the members of the legislature would like to find out what the "GED on Wheels" project is. Don't they want to save the taxpayer's money?
Most people who see me just think I am a teacher. I have done my own conferences (one in the Congress and one in the A.F. of L. Building in Washington, D.C. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton knows about my work. I have influenced presidents of countries and governors, and now the City Council of New York is doing much more for the GED and so are the New York State Regents. It is time for all members of the New York State Legislature to do much more for their constituents and we can work together on this. I feel we can reduce the high dropout rate from school by a new initiative, improve the English skills of school children and their parents, and double the number of GED diplomas among the 2.85 million adults. We can do this and protect the taxpayer's dollar at the same time. Hey, I have done various presentations in LOB that most members know nothing about. It is time to find out.
MARTIN N. DANENBERG
7 BLAZER DRIVE
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK 11749
631-348-1341
GEDHOTLINE@AOL.COM
New:
www.mygedhotline.com
www.geocities.com/gedhotline
www.ahorre.com/ged
www.ahorre.com
www.aspira.org
Profesor Martin Danenberg March 11, 2010 08:35 AM