ICE PAC (Parent Action/Education Advocacy Committee

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From New York State Allies for Public Education:

Last month, NY State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia asked the Board of Regents to approve a new $225,000 grant from the Gates Foundation for “enhanced communication” efforts around the standards, testing and data collection --  to convince parents that State Ed is on the right track in all these areas. 

The new standards that the NY State Education Department has adopted are still developmentally inappropriate and little different from the last set of standards. There is still too much emphasis on flawed high-stakes testing.  Moreover, NYSED has failed to enforce the state student privacy law, passed in 2014-- though the legal deadline for implementation was more than four years ago.  Meanwhile, NYSED’s own data system has been audited twice by the NYS Comptroller, and found to be highly insecure and vulnerable to breaches.

PLEASE CLICK HERE to TAKE ACTION and DEMAND that the Regents give back the Gates funds. Instead of trying to sell parents us on State Ed’s  policies, include parents in authentic decision-making on all issues affecting our children, including standards, teacher evaluation, and privacy. The State Education Department should also be barred from any effort to expand student data collection until the 2014 student privacy law has been fully enforced and the SED’s own data system made secure.

 

Family Program in St. Croix Over Winter Break 

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Wouldn't you like to relax on tropical sandy beaches and learn about ancestral skills and get to know like minded people?

Learn about friction fire, making natural fiber, basket making, shelter building, gourd containers, primitive pottery, spear fishing, medicinal and edible plants, water purification, archery and much more!

Earth Living Skills is collaborating with Caribbean Earth Skills to run a family program in St. Croix over winter break 2019, February 17~22.  

We will all stay at Mt. Victory Eco-Lodge, in a lush forested farm valley.

$775.00 or $1,375.00 for first family member, $275.00 or $375.00 for each additional family member (depending on if you choose to stay in a tent of bungalow)
Meals are included, air fare is not. Flights to STX range from $300 to $700 round trip depending on the date of travel.
Suitable for ages 7 and up, younger children are welcome.
Space is limited so please register as soon as possible.


Please find more details and register here

Thank you, Natalie Vantuyn, ICE Teacher

Senior Internships 

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Thank you for helping spread the word about internships--the response from parents this year has been really great!

Several ICE seniors are still looking for leads for internship opportunities in fields they are most passionate about. Please contact Internship Coordinator Josh Torpey if you or someone you know may be able to offer one of our students help making a connection in any of the following areas!

Women's health / reproductive rights / advocacy organizations
Software / coding
Science labs (plug: every year our superstar seniors intern at labs with professors and grad students and knock their socks off!)
Specifically, neuroscience or chemistry labs
TV/ film / commercial production
Journalism
Public interest law
Youth education / advocacy
Writers' / literary organizations
Marine biology / ecology
Urban planning
Political science / history
Photography
Statistical / data analysis
Sports data analysis
 
Thank you!