FEATURED STORIES
The Battle for Literacy - Part II
First
Lady Laura Bush & Washington Mutual
Unveil Initiative at Mercy College
First Lady Laura Bush and New York City Schools Chancellor
Joel Klein joined officials from The New Teacher Project
(TNTP) and Washington Mutual recently to unveil a new initiative
to help mid-career professionals realize their dream of becoming
a teacher. Supported by a $1.25 million grant from Washington
Mutual, the Teaching for Results initiative, a component
of the Mercy College New Teacher Residency Program, will
help hundreds of New York City professionals from many different
career and educational backgrounds bring their expertise
to New York City classrooms. READ
MORE
Learning Literacy Through Basketball Heroes
by Tom Kertes
“I was an only child growing up at home,” Knicks
center Slavko Vranes said. “But I love children. Frankly,
I like to be around kids more than I like to be around adults.” READ
MORE
Gaston Caperton, College Board President,
Tests the Writing
Waters
by Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Talking about writing, which he calls the “neglected
R,” Gaston Caperton, the former Governor of West Virginia
and head of the College Board, says it is his number-one
priority. Of course, he knows that communication skills are
hardly ignored in the nation’s schools, and he acknowledges
the many (critics might say superfluity or redundancy of)
theories, approaches, programs, and experts already out there
addressing the need for proficiency in correctness and thinking
skills. READ
MORE
The NYC Writing Project: “Neglected ‘R’”
by
Marcie Wolfe, Ph.D. & Nancy Mintz, Ph.D.
The New York City Writing Project at Lehman College, CUNY,
established in 1978 as the local site of the National Writing
Project, reflects the mission of a national network of 175
university-based professional development programs dedicated
to the National Commission’s [on Writing] goal of putting “language
and communication in their proper place in the classroom.” READ
MORE
Barnard College President Judith
Shapiro
Speaks on Literacy READ
MORE
The National Writing Project—180 Sites . . . & Growing
by Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Speaking of standards—a standard for teaching writing
seems to be emerging in the crowded field of national, regional
and local professional development programs, if longevity,
numbers of participants and funding resources set criteria.
READ
MORE
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Products for the Visually Impaired READ
MORE
Wheelchair Charities A Superstar
by Mike Cohen
Steve Francis took a pass from Nick Van Exel on the wing
and drove past Stephon Marbury for a thunderous highflying
one-handed dunk. The Crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted
with applause. READ
MORE
EDITORIALS
School Reorganization
by Stuart Dunn
When the NYS Legislature eliminated the Board of Education
and made the school system into a Mayoralty Agency, they
handed Mayor Bloomberg a once in a lifetime opportunity
to address the long-term failure of the NYC public schools.
READ MORE
SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS
Better Serving Teen Parents
by Comptroller William
C. Thompson, Jr. READ
MORE
Bullies & Their Victims
by Curtis Sliwa
I was no saint, let alone an angel of any kind, while pounding
the books at St. Matthew’s. It was an elementary
school run by the Josephite nuns in the Crown Heights section
of Brooklyn. I’m still haunted by memories of the
vibrations from their glares and stares and the sting from
their three-foot long rulers cracking down on my knuckles.
READ
MORE
Creating Concept of Community Within a School
by Sr. Kathleen
Fagan, RSHM, Headmistress, Marymount School
From book buddies to senior seminars, Marymount School is
committed to building a community in which all members thrive.
A handshake at the front door welcomes each student to school,
while chapels, retreats and assemblies give us the opportunity
to reflect as a group, sharing our vision and goals with
each other. READ
MORE
Celebrating 100 Years of Flight
by Martin Benante
We are beginning our celebration here at The Cradle of Aviation
Museum because New York State is historically the most
important region in the United States for the development
of American aviation as well for Curtiss-Wright. READ
MORE
Foreign Born US Residents Increased 5% Last Year
by Pola
Rosen, Ed.D.
The US Census Bureau released a report recently which sited
a 5% increase in the US resident foreign-born population
from 2001 to 2002 to a total of 33 million people, equal
to the total population of Canada. READ
MORE
A Message from Chancellor Matthew Goldstein
I am pleased to invite you to visit “Open Houses” at
all 20 CUNY colleges, located in every borough, during CUNY
Month November 2003. You will meet financial aid experts,
counselors, faculty and students to help you think about
the best college program for you. READ
MORE
Internet Censorship:
United States v. American Library Association
by Martha McCarthy, Ph.D.
With the mind-boggling growth of the Internet, policy makers
have become increasingly concerned about protecting children
from viewing pornographic and other harmful materials via
cyberspace. READ
MORE
Cuomo, Berlusconi & Caperton
Announce
AP Italian Course
Representatives of the Italian government and College Board
President Gaston Caperton announced the creation of an
Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) Course and Examination
in Italian Language and Culture. READ
MORE
Caroline Kennedy Addresses Learning Leaders
by Sarah N.
Lynch
When Sanford Schwartz retired from Revlon about 10 years
ago, he wanted to contribute to his community. Schwartz,
of Queens, decided to volunteer by tutoring first graders
at PS 169 in Bay Terrace, Queens through Learning Leaders
(LL), and Schwartz still enjoys every minute of it. READ
MORE
Lessons In Politics
by Dr. Carole G. Hankin with Randi T.
Sachs
Every year around this time the posters begin to appear throughout
the hallways. In schools at every level from elementary up
through college, shortly after students have settled into
their classes, attention is turned to student elections.
READ
MORE
Dr. Twila Liggett:
Executive Producer and Creator of Reading
Rainbow
by Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
While watching the successful 20-year-old PBS-TV program
Reading Rainbow, one can’t help but think of the proverbial
pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which, in this case,
is learning to read—a far more valuable “pot.” Dr.
Twila Liggett, creator and executive producer explains the
origin of the name: “rainbows are always appealing
to kids and we wanted our mission to be understood.” READ
MORE
LYFEram: Giving Life to Teen Moms Prog
by Michelle Accorso
The “Living for the Young Family through Education
Program” (LYFE) is an integral component of many New
York City Public Schools. LYFE centers provide day care facilities
for the infants and toddlers of students still attending
school and provide for their specialized needs. READ
MORE
New Beginnings: Manhattan/Hunter Science HS
by Michelle
Accorso
Imagine being part of the first group ever in a newly created
community. This is the reality for the students at the Manhattan/Hunter
Science High School. READ
MORE
A New Column Examining Various College Majors:
So, You Want to Major in Poly
Sci?
by Sarah N. Lynch READ
MORE
COLLEGES
Teachers
College Returns to Afghanistan
A team of Teachers College faculty and senior staff spent
nearly three weeks during the summer, working with an
international team of education experts from seven different
countries developing the capacity to write elementary
curriculum and textbooks for the Afghan Ministry of Education
(MOE). READ
MORE
Dean Series:
Dean Jon Snyder:
Transforming Teacher Education at Bank Street
by Sybil Maimin
In a recent conversation with Education Update, Jon Snyder,
Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Bank Street College,
enthusiastically described two current initiatives, the Kerlin
Science Institute and Teachers for a New Era, that illustrate
Bank Street’s mission to “discover the environments
in which children grow and learn to their full potential,
and to educate teachers and others to createthese environments.” READ
MORE
Ellis College—Newest School
at NYIT
Ellis College, named for the island where immigrants entered
America, is a new school offering undergraduate degrees
in various business-oriented fields, like marketing and
management. Students who enroll will be required to have
three years of work experience. READ
MORE
Hispanic Higher Ed Community Gets $4.6 Million
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)
welcomed the award of $4.67 million in new U.S. Department
of Defense. The science grants will go to 17 colleges and
universities with high Hispanic student enrollment rates.
READ
MORE
QCC Celebrates Latino Heritage Month
In celebration of Latino Heritage Month, Queensborough Community
College will present a variety of events honoring the contributions
of Hispanic-Americans to our society throughout the years.
READ
MORE
Teachers College: The Writing
Center
by Sybil Maimin
Tucked into the basement of the stately red brick Gothic
building that is Columbia University’s Teacher’s
College (TC), the Graduate Writing Center is a seven-year
old indispensable resource for students who need to hone
their written-language skills. READ
MORE
MEDICAL UPDATE
National Depression
Screening Day is October 9th
Your youngest son comes into your room at 6:00 a.m. to
let you know that his big sister is having cookies and
soda for breakfast. Meanwhile, your seven-year-old has
been up all night with a stomach bug. And thus your day
begins. READ
MORE
October is Lupus Awareness Month:
Mystery Illness Strikes
Young Women
No doubt learning that one’s unexplained symptoms—including
extreme fatigue, joint pain, sun-sensitivity or a rash—are
caused by the disease lupus is a frightening experience for
a young woman. But, for many, awareness is the first step
toward healthier living. READ
MORE
New Study Distinguishes Anthrax from Flu in Event
of Bioterrorist
Attack
Edited by Herman Rosen, M.D.
Doctors in the Department of Public Health at Weill Cornell
Medical Center have identified key symptoms that may help
distinguish flu and other common respiratory conditions from
more serious inhaled anthrax in the event of a bioterrorist
attack. READ
MORE
Estee Lauder & Poly Prep Students
“Make
a Difference”
Starting October 1, motorists traveling across the Verrazano-Narrows
Bridge may wonder why Poly Prep’s clock tower has
turned pink. Brooklyn’s 85-year-old landmark will
be in good company: Niagara Falls, The Empire State Building,
The National Assembly in Paris, the Royal Opera House at
Covent Garden in London, and Poly’s tower will be
among the many buildings illuminated in pink light during
the month of October—as part of the Global Landmarks
Illumination Initia-tive that heralds Breast Cancer Awareness
Month. READ
MORE
Acute Nursing Shortage in US
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National
Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) praised Senators Barbara
Mikulski (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) for their continued
leadership in passing an amendment in the U.S. Senate to
increase funding for the Nurse Reinvestment Act and other
key Title VIII nursing workforce development programs by
$50 million, thereby bringing total funding for these efforts
to almost $163 million. READ
MORE
Innovative Spinal Surgery in Live Webcast
A new minimally invasive approach to spinal surgery will
be broadcast live on the Internet at 5 pm EDT on Tuesday,
October 7 from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
READ
MORE
CHILDREN'S CORNER
Fall into Fun at the New York Botanical Garden
In what seems like the blink of an eye, summer has ended.
But the excitement of the fall season has just begun.
This means there are new and interesting sights and sounds
at The New York Botanical Garden. READ
MORE
Dr. Toy Presents Best Toys for
October READ
MORE
New Official Website Offers US
Kids A Look At Life In Britain READ
MORE
BOOKS
Get
Off the Fence!
by Rhoda Makoff,
Ph.D. & Jeffrey
Makoff, Esq.
Reviewed by Merri Rosenberg READ
MORE
Logos Bookstore’s Recommendations READ
MORE
MUSIC, ART & DANCE
30 Years
of Memorable Music Toshiko Akiyoshi
& All That
Jazz
by Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Remember the old joke—how do you get to Carnegie
Hall? Practice, practice, practice. Well, Toshiko Akiyoshi’s
been there and now, after 30 years as a composer and conductor
of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, she will be disbanding
her group in order to devote herself to practice, practice,practice.
READ
MORE
Art is Core of Education
by Scott Noppe-Brandon
Several weeks ago I heard Chancellor Klein speak at a breakfast
held at New York Law School. His speech was excellent,
as were the questions that followed. READ
MORE
Chanteuse Barbara Lowin Offers “Everything
I Love”
Love is everywhere as Barbara Lowin premieres her new show, “Everything
I Love,” an evening of continental cabaret, at Danny’s
Skylight Room Cabaret. Featuring music director Christopher
Marlowe on piano, and directed by Scott Barnes, “Everything
I Love,” is subtitled Songs from Near and Far Away.
READ
MORE
METROBEAT
Celebrating New York City’s
Rich Ethnic Diversity
by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
No city on earth can match New York’s rich ethnic
diversity; we’re truly the world’s second home. READ
MORE
What’s Out There, & How
to Get It
by Matilda Raffa
Cuomo and Karen T. Schlesinger
When school starts in September, parents and children focus
on the beginning of a new year: new classes, new teachers,
new classmates, new friends, new school outfits, sometimes
a new school. Hope is in the air, and the possibilities seem
boundless. READ
MORE
Move Over Assistant Principals?
by Jill Levy
Saturday, Sept. 6, was a remarkable day. The Council of School
Supervisors and Administrators (CSA) made a spectacular
showing in the Labor Day Parade as more than 200 members
along with family, friends, children and grandchildren
marched up Fifth Avenue.
READ
MORE
Mayor & Chancellor Asked
To Move On Healthy Schools
by Assemblyman Steven Sanders
The State Assembly over the past several years, working with
the Healthy Schools Network of New York State, has initiated
important measures to keep children safe in school. In the
area of violence prevention and physical security, New York
State has made great strides. READ
MORE
MUSEUMS
The Children’s Museum of
Manhattan Celebrates 30 Years of Helping Families
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is celebrating
its 30th birthday! For three decades, CMOM has been a center
of fun, educational activities, exhibits and programs for
families and children of all ages and backgrounds. READ
MORE
American Museum of Natural History:
New Hall for Ancient
Meteorites
by Jan Aaron READ
MORE
Debra Pasquerette, Education Doyenne of the Geffen Playhouse
in Los Angeles
by Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
Home of Hollywood and the silver screen, Los Angeles would
seem a natural place to cultivate children’s interest
in theater. READ
MORE
TECHNOLOGY
Growing Up With The Internet, Teens Need
To Sort The Good From The Bad
by Mitchell Levine
Computers have revolutionized communications, and today’s
teens have access to vast educational and entertainment
resources while online. The Technology Student Association
(TSA), a national student organization devoted exclusively
to the needs of young people interested in technology,
knows it is prudent to protect the privacy and safety of
today’syouth.
READ
MORE
Product Review:
Wolfram Research’s Mathematica
5
by
Mitchell Levine
As a science and technology editor for a New York City-based
education trade, I get to examine and evaluate a lot of software.
Something on the order of several first-rate products, and
even operating systems, every month. READ
MORE
Rockefeller U’s Precollege
Science Education Program for K-12 Teachers
Science teachers in public, private, or parochial schools
in the tri-state area are encouraged to apply to be a Rockefeller
University Outreach Teacher Fellow. READ
MORE
The Statistics of Standards Erosion:
An Interview with Dr.
Valen Johnson
by Mitchell Levine
In the mid-Nineties, as a professor of Biostatistics at Duke
University, Valen Johnson noticed a strange phenomenon occurring
in the grading system of that highly regarded institution:
Almost half the GPAs awarded by the college were in fact
A to A pluses. READ
MORE