Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

I hope you had a wonderful Veterans Day and that you enjoy a relaxing Thanksgiving recess with your family.

Take a look at these upcoming events, resources and news items.

Sincerely,

Joan McKeever-Thomas
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Thursday, Nov. 19: Come to a presentation about how stories shape children's development at Bard Graduate Center, 38 W. 86th St. in Manhattan. This event is free for students and $15 for general admission. For more details, see the event listing »

• Friday, Nov. 20: The Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council invites you to two presentations entitled Family Advocacy and the Willowbrook Mile from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 930 Willowbrook Road, building 41A in Staten Island. For more details, contact the council at 1-718-983-5278 or by email at contactsiddc@siddc.org or see the flier »

• Tuesday, Dec. 1: The St. George Library invites you to a free presentation about financial planning for families of children with disabilities and Individualized Education Programs at 6 p.m. at 5 Central Avenue in Staten Island. See the flier »

• Saturday, Dec. 12: Learn about education activism at a parent power school training from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 62 Broadway in Manhattan. Lunch, child care and Spanish translation will all be available. RSVP by emailing ncapers@nyccej.org or calling 1-212-328-9254. See the flier »

• Thursday, Dec. 17: Come to an information session about conflict resolution between parents and school districts. This training session is targeted at special education issues. It will run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 1050 Forest Hill Road in Staten Island. RSVP by emailing SIPTP@aol.com or calling 1-718-494-4872. See the flier »

• Saturday, Jan. 30: Come to a free UFT men in education symposium featuring workshops on mentoring, fatherhood and more. This event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. Breakfast and lunch will be served. RSVP online now »

Political news

• Tell federal education officials to hold charters accountable: The Alliance for Quality Education is calling on U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and the U.S. Department of Education to stop funding charter school networks like Success Academy until they fix their high suspension rates. We've called on district public schools to end racially disparate suspension practices — it's time to hold charter schools to the same standard. Sign the petition »

• One step closer in the Fight for $15: Amidst nationwide demonstrations on a "Fight for 15" day of action on Nov. 10, Gov. Cuomo announced plans to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour for all state employees. About 10,000 state workers, including about 1,000 in New York City, will benefit from the increase, which will be implemented gradually over the next six years. Read the article from the Huffington Post »

News you can use

• Dual language programs in kindergarten: This year's kindergarten admissions cycle will allow families to apply directly for dual language programs for the 2016-17 school year. The DOE will aim for 50% English language learners and 50% English-proficient students in these classes. For more information about these programs, email DELLS@schools.nyc.gov. Visit the kindergarten admissions website »

• Age-appropriate reading lists: The DOE has launched a new literacy initiative called NYC Reads 365 that aims to promote daily reading by giving parents age-appropriate reading lists that will be updated annually. The DOE is coordinating with the city's libraries to ensure they have extra copies of the books on the list. See the NYC Reads 365 reading lists for each grade »

• Scholarship opportunity for first-generation college students and community college graduates: The Dream scholarship program offers financial assistance to students who are the first in their family to go to college and students with associate's degrees from community colleges who want to move on to their bachelor's. Scholarships are only available for a limited group of colleges that are partnered with The Dream program. Applications are open until February 2016. For more details, visit the website » or see the flier in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Creole »

• Community Respite Program for children with emotional challenges: The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services offers temporary residence for up to 21 days in respite homes for children and adolescents with emotional issues who are between five and 18 years old. The goal of the program is to avoid further interventions and offer children the chance to resolve their problems with their living situations. For more details, see the website »

• Health resources for kids: The EatPlayGrow exhibit at the Children's Museum of Manhattan offers interactive and fun ways for kids to learn about health. The exhibit website also has games and activities for kids, and information and ideas for parents, to support healthy habits. Visit the website »

• Tuition-free job training for women: The Grace Institute, which offers computer and professional training, job placement services, workshops with corporations and more, is recruiting for its next job-training program cycle. If you are a woman with a GED or high school diploma who is eligible to work in the United States, you may attend an open house to start the enrollment process. To learn more, visit the website »

• Middle school lunch survey: The DOE has been offering free lunch to most middle school students since September 2014. If you have a child in middle school, please fill out this short survey sponsored by Public Advocate Letitia James and the Lunch 4 Learning campaign. Take the survey now »