The State of Special Education

The Future of Special Education
By M.C. Cohen and Mike Salek
From a political or academic perspective, special education is a complex topic to be discusses and debated. For millions of students and their families it is a harsh daily reality filled with frustrations and difficulties. (more)

Voters Support Afterschool Programs
The results of a new public opinion survey, which was conducted recently for the Afterschool Alliance by Lake Snell Perry & Associates and The Tarrance Group, indicate that large, bipartisan majorities of American voters support expanding afterschool programs in their communities and around the nation. (more)

After School Chess Games in Harlem By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
That’s chess absorbing them after school at the Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF) center on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, but behind the plotting of moves on an eight by eight is a rehearsal of general strategies of success for youngsters, primarily African-American and Dominican, from Harlem and Washington Heights. (more)

Special Approaches to Education: The Importance of Creative Arts By Matilda Raffa Cuomo and JENNIFER WARD
Mentoring USA recognizes that the value of dance, drama and the visual arts in these uncertain times are particularly crucial. Youth often do not know how to express their inner feelings and many may not want to speak about their fears and anger. (more)

December in History By Chris Rowan (more)

Geography Corner By Chris Rowan (more)

Holiday Events & Music in NYC (more)

Homeschooling as Alternative to Classrooms By Sarah Elzas
Is a classroom education essential to the educational and social development of a child? With teachers and legislators debating ‘accountability’, parents taking a closer look at school safety, and students exposed to ever-changing cultural and media influences, more and more parents and students are asking this question. (more)

Teachers College Talks About Islam By Sybil Maimin
Following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, it became clear that knowledge in our society about the world of Islam is skimpy, at best. To address this problem, Columbia’s Teachers College drew upon several relevant departments in the university to present a one-day workshop for educators about the histories, cultures, and current status of Muslims in a wide range of countries. (more)

The Makulu II: The Field Trip to End All Field Trips By Tom Kertes
More than 600 students from 20 New York inner-city elementary classrooms are going to be fortunate enough this year to have the Reach the World Company reach the world for them. (more)

The Legality of Home Education By Martha McCarthy, Ph.D.
The number of parents deciding to educate their children at home has steadily increased since the 1980s. Recent estimates indicate that between 850,000 and 1.8 million children are being educated at home. (more)

New Center for Distance Learning at Jewish Theological Seminary By Sybil Maimin
Distance learning, the ability to study at one’s convenience, whether for a degree or for enrichment, by logging onto the Internet from almost any computer anywhere has become a reality. (more)

Marymount’s Best-Selling Author Series By Lewis Burke Frumkes
The Best-selling Author Series began about 12 years ago when Dick Cook and Rhonda Barnat, two friends of the college’s dean, Mary Kay Jeynes, asked me to put together a series of literary talks which would be funded by a small grant from the East River Savings Bank. (more)

Sonnenblick Appointed Dean of City Tech
Carol Sonnenblick, a continuing education professional with more than 20 years of managerial experience, has been appointed Dean of Continuing Education and External Partnerships at New York City Technical College (City Tech) of the City University of New York (CUNY). (more)

Polytechnic Wins 2001 Educators of Distinction Award
Polytechnic University won a 2001 Educators of Distinction Award from Saludos Hispanos/Saludo.com, the leading career and education magazine and Web site for bilingual Hispanics. (more)

LIU Student Awarded Watson Fellowship
A 2001 Jeanette K. Watson Fellowship was awarded to Joel Mentor, a sophomore majoring in political science at Long Island University’s (LIU) Brooklyn campus. (more)

Sloan-Kettering Researcher Makes Difference in Lives of Three HS Students By Marylena Mantas
Last winter Dr. Sat Bhattacharya, a research scientist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, ventured into inner-city, public high schools searching for students who possessed a certain motivation and something that he calls “the initial spark.” (more)

Best Five Toys for the Holidays By Dr. Toy (Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D.) (more)

A Feast Beyond Compare Focus on Special Education By Dr. Carole G. Hankin with Randi T. Sachs
I attended a pre-Thanksgiving feast at one of our district’s middle schools recently. This annual tradition has always been a special occasion, but this year’s was truly outstanding. (more)

Children’s Books: Gift Recommendations By Marie Holmes (more)

Logos Bookstore’s Recommendations (more)

New Autobiography Makes Great Gift By Merri Rosenberg
Not bad for someone from Brooklyn. (more)

JP Morgan Chase Helps Kids Cope With Sept. 11th By Jessica Shi
Although the immediate shock and confusion of Sept. 11th are over, the long-term effects of this disaster are still in question. While most of the monetary and personnel attention have concentrated on the rescue and recovery efforts, certain organizations, including JP Morgan Chase, are beginning to focus more on younger children. (more)

Real Estate: A Great Time to Buy By Marsha Mack Frances
The New York real estate community suffered the same shock, horror, bereavement, numbness, and despair as the whole city, and now is beginning to get back to work assessing the damage, and the need to hopefully reconstitute and rebuild this, the greatest of cities. (more)

Sparring Partners: McKellon And Mirren In “Dance Of Death” By Jan Aaron
Don’t miss these two great British stars in top form, Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren as Edgar and Alice, in August Strindberg’s Dance of Death. However, be prepared for some surprises. (more)

Bilingual Musical Spoofs Genesis: “Songs of Paradise” By Jan Aaron
Who could imagine Abraham as a cool dude sunbathing in the Garden of Eden in a Hawaiian printed shirt? Or the scheming Laban as Groucho Marx? (more)

Tots Program at Brooklyn Museum
Children under the age of five now have a special place to call their own with Totally Tots, the newest exhibition opening at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (BCM) on Saturday, December 8. Inspired by BCM’s 27,000-object natural science and cultural collection, this 1,700 square foot permanent gallery especially for the early learner provides opportunities for families to learn and play together. (more)

The Maestro & the Little Orchestra – Dino Anagnost in Top Form By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
It’s as difficult for organizations as it is for individuals to think business as usual after September 11th, but the fact is that everyone has been adversely affected by the tragedy and by the continuing terrorism that has made New York City for some a place of fear. (more)

Board of Education’s Role in Special Education By Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
An interview with Frances Goldstein, the Chief Executive of the Office of School Programs and Support Services, yielded some interesting facts about special education in New York City: there are about 140,000 children receiving special education services. (more)

Special Education Resources on the Internet Compilied by M.C. Cohen (more)

Sterling School Celebrates Three Years of Special Education By Tom Kertes
Just three short years ago, the borough of Brooklyn did not have a single school specifically aimed at helping dyslexic children. Now there is the Sterling School which started with three students in 1999. Now 24 happy children populate the Pacific Street building. (more)

Regent Tisch Speaks on Spec. Ed. By Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
Regent Merryl Tisch is on target and concise. As Chair of the Board of Regents Committee on Vocational and Education Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), her area of expertise is special education, a hotbed of controversy among politicians, educators, and parent groups. (more)

Knicks Zone In On Education By Tom Kertes
For this one, you had to be there.
Kurt Thomas, the New York Knicks 6-9 enforcer–a player famous for his take-no-prisoner tactics, a tough guy whose mere glare strikes panic in the hearts of most NBA opponents–lay down on the carpet. He did that so that a bunch of considerably closer-to-the-floor 10 and 11 year-olds could play with the hair on his head. (more)

Kaplan K12 Learning Services By Mitchell Levine
When I was a high school student in the 1980s, the name “Kaplan” was virtually synonymous with SAT preparation. With over three million students served in thousands of classrooms around the world, it’s not hard to understand why this image continues to dominate the organization’s public perception. (more)