Merry Christmas to you from the ARK Family. Glenn, Jan, Omega, Quintina, and I wish you the merriest of Christmas' and a happy, joy-filled New Year.

Your actions help grow our children's perception that "they live in a world safe with your care for their dreams, wishes and hopes." Your unconditional love and caring are Christmas gifts for the season.

I am thankful and humbled this Christmas by your loving presence in our ARK Family. Your intentional belief and faith in our children is creating a world of creative, imaginative, and caring children. You are making a difference.

Bill
William R. Duffy
National

"Our nation's most valuable natural resources are the minds of our children." (Walt Disney)

A memorial gift to ARK is a great way to remember a deceased friend or relative during this Christmas season. A gift in honor of a co-worker, a grandchild, or a teacher is a gift that will "keep on giving" as we use those monies to better the lives of children. A year-end gift to ARK--offered simply because you believe in our mission-- will have a wonderfully significant impact.

If your gift is memory or in honor of a loved one, please include the address where we can send an acknowlegement of your gift.

Since the ARKGroup is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, all of gifts are tax deductible. Checks can be made out to "The ARKGroup" and sent to our Houston office (2611 FM 1960W, Suite H-201, Houston, TX 77068) or our Dallas office (2215 Canada Dr., Dallas, TX 75212).

Thank you for your generosity and for helping ARK to make a difference in the lives of countless children and students.

"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something you left behind...let it be something good." (Anonymous)

Giving helps children to feel that they are generous and caring and builds their self-concept. It helps them to realize that their actions make a difference. And here's the good news: giving is addictive. Children who give grow up to be adults who give. Teaching your kids to give is a gift that will grace them for a lifetime.

"Role modeling is the most basic responsibility of parents. They are handing out life scripts to their children, scripts that in all likelihood will be acted out for much of the rest of the children's lives." Stephen Covey

Share with us your suggestions of hope and encouragement, and we will pass them on to others.

• --6 have 59% of the wealth, and all live in the US
• --80 live in poverty
• --70 are illiterate.
• --50 go to bed hungry each night
• --1 owns a computer
• --1 has a university degree

We, the tired teachers of America, have first-hand experience of the pressing problem that our children do not value education, because so many parents don't value education. All too often, our children do not receive meaningful parenting at home.

My students have parents who will not return my phone calls to discuss their child's needs. My students come to school exhausted, in no shape to learn because no one prevented them from staying up all night watching horror movies. My students come to school hungry or with a bag of chips and a soda for breakfast. My students are kept home to raise their younger siblings. My students bring violence from home as a problem-solving tool to school. My fifth- and sixth-grade girls come to school dressed in tight, low-cut shirts and wearing more makeup than I do. My students come to me with a reading level three years behind because reading is not valued in their homes. My students have parents who do not know my name.

My students, with their parents' support, believe that they have to go to school, not that they get to go to school. We can retool education all we want, but short of taking 126 of my students home to raise myself, no practices we employ in public education will be highly effective until parents step up and do the job that is required of them.

Do you agree with Ms. Hardy? Is the lack of parental support one of the major factors that prevents our schools from functioning as they should? Let us hear what you think.

An educated work force is the nation's human capital, and it is seeing a lot of sub-prime times these days. Graduation rates are dismal in many school districts. Teachers are bailing out of the profession. Parents are frantic over their inability to relate to their kids. Chancellors are clashing with unions. Superintendents are under the gun. Businesses often don't find the talent they are searching for. And student performances pale in comparison to the competition abroad.
The cause of these concerns is complex, but there are some remedies being proposed that likely will be helpful.

Here are the Top Five Recommendations that appear to be rising to the top regarding this national topic:

1. Set Education as our top priority.
   If we don't address it, we endanger our children, economy, and nation.
2. Create a Council for Education Work Force.
   Let's create one in every school district and at every school level. We can make a difference if we will to do so.
3. Reward effective teaching.
   You can start now at your neighborhood schools by addressing your wishes to the school principals and boards and by your words and interaction with your local teachers.
4. Build a World-Class Education Corps.
   Volunteer to help at your school with your children's education processes.
5. Mobilize your neighborhood for change.
   Talk to everyone you know about your dreams, visions, and hopes for our children's education today.

Just musing...
Bill

We encourage you to commit to renewal and growth with education and networking facilitated by the ARK Program DVDs: ARK for Teachers, ARK for Parents (faith-based and secular), ARK Facilitator Training, The ARK Group Process and an Introduction to ARK hosted by Pat Summerall. Order today at www.thearkgroup.org. The ARK Program has excellent lessons, DVD's, manuals, workbooks, texts and materials. They will equip you to provide life-changing ARK programs including breakthrough parenting and teaching "skills courses." With your help, we can make ARKRelationships the norm for the 21st century family, church, school and community.

Check out Liveunited.org now for even more insights regarding what can become possible when we get serious about assuring a basic education to all.