PAYINGïTRIBUTE - Operation Respect
PAYINGïTRIBUTE - Operation Respect PAYINGïTRIBUTE - Operation Respect
I have always said, throughout the years of Operation Respect (OR) and previously, in my decade-long tenure as head of curriculum and instruction at the New York City Board of Education, that if educators could “open the hearts of children, their minds, and intellect, would follow.” It is with this perspective that I committed myself to helping create OR in 1999, and since then I have watched as our efforts, and those of many others, helped open hearts, then minds, across the United States and beyond. Last year OR continued to bolster its outreach efforts for its primary areas of focus: advocating for improvement of school and classroom climates and the implementing of OR’s “Don’t Laugh At Me” character development, social and emotional learning program. In many important ways we were able to deliver on the promise of our mission to a greater number of school-age children then ever before. Critical to our success was our ability to engage and motivate the growing consensus among educators who supported our premise: the priority of creating a safe, caring school climate. With pride, we realized that we had played an important part in advancing that advocacy in the educational field. Further, we realized that we could leverage OR’s reputation to bring together like-minded educational organizations to effect changes in educational policy – a practice that coincided with our philosophy and mission. Combining our organizational efforts could more rapidly bring us closer to a time in which all practitioners and school administrators, as well as elected officials, local, state, and national, would address school and classroom climate as a top priority. To achieve this goal, OR reached out to the many organizations that had invited Peter and me, and our leadership, to speak and present workshops at their annual meetings. Over forty organizations agreed to participate in a series of gatherings that soon evolved into the United Voices for Education (UVE), a coalition of national organizations that have a strong educational advocacy agenda. UVE emerged as a watershed for the creation of broad-based advocacy for the improvement of education through change of policy and practice, a safe and trusted place to advance the educational dialogue in America, and the only national coalition dedicated solely to advancing whole child education, which focuses on providing all children a learning environment that is safe, respectful and bully-free. OR and its sister coalition organization, UVE, are reflecting my earliest convictions as an educator, dedicated to opening the hearts of children, knowing that their minds will follow. I feel proud and increasingly hopeful that, as each day passes, the minds and hearts of children will become healthier, more humane and more knowledgeable. Knowing that OR has played a meaningful role in articulating and advancing this essential shift in educational policy has become a great source of pride to me. With my thanks for all your help and support, Charlotte K. Frank, Ph.D. Chair, Board of Directors, Operation Respect Senior Vice President Research and Development McGraw-Hill Education
Reviewing our last year’s accomplishments, I feel inspired and rejuvenated by the work of Operation Respect (OR). No small factor in my continued devotion to the work is OR’s remarkable staff and Board of Directors, as well as its many legions of grass roots supporters everywhere. Of course, The McGraw-Hill Companies who give us a home, a place to hang our hat, and much more, top my list as well. This past year, within the broad educational community—mirroring the combined perspective of the 42 educational organizations of the United Voices for Education—the consensus is that children must be educated so that all of their developmental needs are met: social, emotional and creative, as well as academic. Conversely, the consensus is that, if such an educational approach—a perspective commonly referred to as whole child education—is not adopted, all of our sincerest and most well intended efforts to improve student achievement will be destined to fail. Additionally, it is widely recognized that a school environment plagued by fear and hostility is perhaps the greatest enemy of student achievement. In turn, a hostile environment is a full stop sign on the path to closing the achievement gap, an imperative goal for our country. So, for whole child education to work, we must provide students a classroom climate that is civil, respectful, free of bullying, ridicule and other forms of emotional and physical violence. At Operation Respect, we made this connection long ago, and designated the creation of a nurturing, safe, school environment as our primary goal. This annual report will give you a sense of OR’s latest achievements, ones that provide us with ongoing evidence that we were right on target when we started. Our vision has been validated by some of our sister organizations, many of whom have generously noted that they were inspired by our programs, presentations and our advocacies. This report highlights the extraordinary Tribute to Teachers honoring educators for nurturing the development of the whole child. It features our work in sparking the United Voices for Education (UVE), a coalition advocating for whole child policies and practices, which UVE has concluded will give America the greatest chance to close the education gap and truly foster academic achievement. It also highlights OR’s remarkable continuing contributions to our work by presenters and performers that include Steve Seskin, Baby Jay, Christine Evans, and Bethany Yarrow & Rufus Cappadocia. And finally, it describes deeper work in several New York City schools, helping to turn around these schools that have been designated “persistently dangerous”: not only removing them from the list, but helping them to truly transform their school climate. Let me close by expressing my deep and sincere appreciation for your support. You are the key that makes our magic happen. Just like Puff, who needs Jackie, we need your support for OR to do its magic. Your support unlocks our capacity to make the difference we have made, and will continue to make, for years to come. I send you my deepest thanks and unabated enthusiasm, as always. Peter Yarrow President and Founder, Operation Respect
- Page 2 and 3: Who We Are Message From Chair Messa
- Page 6 and 7: On September 6, 2007, through the e
- Page 8 and 9: administrators and other school emp
- Page 10 and 11: and objectives of UVE. Also at this
- Page 12 and 13: that students need to combat bullyi
- Page 14 and 15: In November 2007, Peter Yarrow gave
- Page 16 and 17: Responding to this call, Peter once
- Page 18 and 19: Operation Respect would like to tha
- Page 20 and 21: $500-$999 cont. Ten Speed Press Pam
- Page 22 and 23: December 31, 2007 2006 ASSETS Cash
- Page 24 and 25: STAFF Peter Yarrow, Founder and Pre
- Page 26 and 27: BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dolores Eyler, C
- Page 28: Operation Respect is a public chari
I have always said, throughout the years of <strong>Operation</strong> <strong>Respect</strong> (OR) and previously,<br />
in my decade-long tenure as head of curriculum and instruction at the New York City<br />
Board of Education, that if educators could “open the hearts of children, their minds,<br />
and intellect, would follow.” It is with this perspective that I committed myself to<br />
helping create OR in 1999, and since then I have watched as our efforts, and those<br />
of many others, helped open hearts, then minds, across the United States and<br />
beyond.<br />
Last year OR continued to bolster its outreach efforts for its primary areas of focus: advocating for<br />
improvement of school and classroom climates and the implementing of OR’s “Don’t Laugh At Me”<br />
character development, social and emotional learning program. In many important ways we were able to<br />
deliver on the promise of our mission to a greater number of school-age children then ever before.<br />
Critical to our success was our ability to engage and motivate the growing consensus among educators who<br />
supported our premise: the priority of creating a safe, caring school climate. With pride, we realized that we<br />
had played an important part in advancing that advocacy in the educational field. Further, we realized that<br />
we could leverage OR’s reputation to bring together like-minded educational organizations to effect<br />
changes in educational policy – a practice that coincided with our philosophy and mission. Combining<br />
our organizational efforts could more rapidly bring us closer to a time in which all practitioners and school<br />
administrators, as well as elected officials, local, state, and national, would address school and classroom<br />
climate as a top priority.<br />
To achieve this goal, OR reached out to the many organizations that had invited Peter and me, and our<br />
leadership, to speak and present workshops at their annual meetings. Over forty organizations agreed to<br />
participate in a series of gatherings that soon evolved into the United Voices for Education (UVE), a coalition<br />
of national organizations that have a strong educational advocacy agenda.<br />
UVE emerged as a watershed for the creation of broad-based advocacy for the improvement of<br />
education through change of policy and practice, a safe and trusted place to advance the educational<br />
dialogue in America, and the only national coalition dedicated solely to advancing whole child education,<br />
which focuses on providing all children a learning environment that is safe, respectful and bully-free.<br />
OR and its sister coalition organization, UVE, are reflecting my earliest convictions as an educator, dedicated<br />
to opening the hearts of children, knowing that their minds will follow. I feel proud and increasingly hopeful<br />
that, as each day passes, the minds and hearts of children will become healthier, more humane and more<br />
knowledgeable. Knowing that OR has played a meaningful role in articulating and advancing this essential<br />
shift in educational policy has become a great source of pride to me.<br />
With my thanks for all your help and support,<br />
Charlotte K. Frank, Ph.D.<br />
Chair, Board of Directors, <strong>Operation</strong> <strong>Respect</strong><br />
Senior Vice President<br />
Research and Development<br />
McGraw-Hill Education
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