"Good grief, Charlie Brown, where do we go from here?" Such is the attitude that is pervasive in the wonderful world of education as the quest for dollars and the effective utilization of same is being analyzed from the White House to the lowest-performing school district in the U.S.

Do we just try to maintain jobs, send teachers back for further training, and pray the status quo will suffice, or do we attack on all fronts and deliver in the classrooms what has been the objective of the latest round of governmental offerings?

No doubt jobs need be protected for those true classroom leaders. Those in the upper echelon, from the school board to the superintendent to the principal, need to champion the professional development and equip teachers with the surroundings to deliver the impact that has been proposed. Good teachers need the support of administrators who are determined to assist in bringing to fruition the objectives of programs such as Race to the Top.

Pitsco Education and LEGO® Education provide a wealth of teaching and learning programs that fit the desires of those who seek educational improvement. There is the Star Academy for those inching toward success; an Algebra curriculum that fulfills STEM objectives; and the LEGO Education WeDo™, NXT, and TETRIX™ robotics programs that challenge students from K to 12 and beyond.

The acquisition of these tools to foster educational goals can be completed through the governmental outpourings or through the private sector, examples of which follow. Check out the November grants leads:

November 2009 "Grant Funding Leads" (PDF)