My Vision for Parental Involvement in the New York City School System
by Joel I. Klein Special to Education Update
Parents, along with their children, of course, are the most important stakeholders in our public schools. If there is one thing that comes across loud and clear from parents in each and every Children First meeting, it’s that we need to provide parents with multiple opportunities to communicate their views to decision-makers in our schools.
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Revolution in Education
by Alexandra Shimo-barry
Mayor Bloomberg made good on his promise to shake up New York City’s schools. In sweeping reforms, Mayor Bloomberg centralized management of the city’s schools and overhauled the curriculum earlier. Most schools will get a new, unified curriculum in reading, writing, and mathematics and phonics-based reading instruction. READ MORE

Leaders in Our Community
by Mark Herz
Education Update chose four among the myriad illustrious individuals serving as role models and guiding the way for more equality in our society. The Michigan case underscores the importance of core values still not achieved. READ MORE

TEACHERS OF THE MONTH

The Outstanding Teachers of the Month
for February 2003 - NEW!
The Outstanding Teachers of the Month for January 2003 have each been nominated by their colleagues, students, parents, principals and superintendents. Education Update has selected five nominees for their outstanding work on the “frontiers” of education... READ MORE

SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS

Stuyvesant Students Meet Chilean Novelist
Isabel Allende
by Katarzyna Kozanecka
Stuyvesant Spanish teacher Milton Diaz inserted parentheses into the curriculum of his AP Spanish Literature class, so that his students might... READ MORE

Computing Advice from Colwell,
National Science Foundation Leader
by Rita R. Colwell, Ph.D.
One of my favorite yardsticks of wisdom comes from Ralph Waldo Emerson over a century ago. “The invariable mark of wisdom” he said, “is to see the miraculous in the common.”
As scientists, engineers, and educators, we are... READ MORE

Dr. Margaret Cuomo Maier & Matilda Cuomo Introduce Italian Language at Concordia Language Villages
by Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
What do Chelsea Clinton, the Kennedy grandchildren and the Cuomo grandchildren have in common? They attended an internationally recognized... READ MORE

“Dedicated” – 1. devoted to a cause, ideal or purpose; 2. Victor Rodriguez, Supt. of District 19 in Brooklyn
by Joan Baum, Ph.D.
A modest, soft-spoken man, whose concern for the 30 schools in his charge comes across as an unusual and admirable mix of appreciation... READ MORE

How Does It Add Up? Views on Math Education
by Alfred Posamentier, Ph.D.
Once again it seems that mathematics has garnered front stage on the education agenda. Many people have had less than euphoric experiences with mathematics... READ MORE

A Conversation with Deborah W. Meier
by Merri Rosenberg
Teaching hadn’t been part of Deborah W. Meier’s original game plan.
As the mother of three young children, studying for a doctorate in history... READ MORE

Mentoring USA:
Filling The Gap In Supplemental Education Program
by Matilda Raffa Cuomo & Denise Castagna
We know half of New York City high school classes graduate within four years and only 70% of our youth receive high school diplomas. New Yorkers are hopeful... READ MORE

February in History
by Chris Rowan
The Romans added February to their calendar around 700 B.C. February is named after Februus, the Roman god of Purification. READ MORE

COLLEGES

College Presidents Series President Stephen Adolphus: Interboro Institute
by Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Although the president for less than three years of Interboro Institute, a two-year business college dedicated to serving the poor, mainly minorities, Stephen H. Adolphus says... READ MORE

MEDICAL UPDATE

Two Teen Deaths in NYC
by Andrew Schiff
Despite a state law signed by Governor Pataki that required local school districts to have defibrillators on hand at all times, two deaths recently... READ MORE

A Clarion Call for Action for School Health Centers
by April Lee, M.D.
School health centers offer unique alternatives to the traditional medical office setting in providing health care for children and youth. If the health center is school-based, it is located... READ MORE

Rockefeller University Names Sir Paul Nurse, President
Paul Nurse, a British Nobel laureate and head of Cancer Research, UK, is taking over as Rockefeller’s 9th president. Dr. Nurse shared the Nobel prize in 2001 for his work... READ MORE

Was Kennedy Too Sick to be President?
Humanities and Science Mesh in Program at Weill Cornell Medical College.
by Alexandra Shimo-Barry
In a lecture at Weill Cornell Medical College, Boston University historian Robert Dallek discussed Kennedy’s secret life of sickness and medication. Dallek was granted exclusive access... READ MORE

MUSEUMS

Teens To Explore Their Roots in New Summer Program
The Center for Jewish History and the American Jewish Historical Society today announced the launch of a new summer program for New York area teens seeking to explore their roots and family history.
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CHILDREN'S CORNER

Best Toys for February Fun and Learning
by Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. [Dr. Toy]
Parents and teachers should look for products that have enduring qualities, are reasonably priced and will help children to learn. I suggest a good mix... READ MORE

Just Take a Deep Breath
by Dr. Carole G. Hankin with Randi T. Sachs
We’re either feeling it or talking about it, but the subject is all around us. What we’re talking about is stress. Stress seems to be almost an accepted... READ MORE

Playful Learning and Creative Societies
by Mitchel Resnick, Ph.D.
In the 1980s, there was much talk about the transition from the “Industrial Society” to the “Information Society.” People began to see information, not natural resources, as the driving force in...
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SPECIAL EDUCATION

Special Education Update Around the Nation
Compiled by Andrew Schiff
Important Events Around the Nation OSEP Joint Personnel Preparation/ State/Improvement/CSPD Conference, will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C., from February 19 to February 21. The theme for the 2003 Joint Conference is... READ MORE

BOOKS

Saul Bellow, Nobelist 1976
by Lillian Shapiro
Bellow, of Russian Jewish background, displays characteristics of that heritage in his writing. There is an outward appearance of cynical humor, self-deprecation while inwardly the soul is... READ MORE

The Blue Spruce by Mario Cuomo
Reviewed by Merri Rosenberg
So who knew that former New York state governor, he of the ringing oratory and soaring rhetoric, would be just as effective slipping into the gentler cadences of a fond grandfather? READ MORE

Matilda Cuomo Authors New Book
by Merri Rosenberg
Without the influence of Martha Mullins, Jane Murray and Carol Locke, it’s a fairly safe bet that I wouldn’t have pursued a career in journalism.
These three women were some of my teachers at the Berkeley Carroll Street school in Park Slope (formerly known in my day, the 1960s and early 70s, as the Berkeley Institute), and ultimately had more to... READ MORE

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MUSIC, ART & DANCE

The Zurich Opera Does It Again!
by Irving Spitz
A riveting and innovative performance of Schubert’s rarely heard opera Fierrabras. In 1822, the director of the Court Opera Theatre in Vienna requested the 25 year-old Franz Schubert to... READ MORE

The Wild Thornberrys
by Jan Aaron
See it now at a local multiplex or later on video, but don’t miss The Wild Thornberry’s Movie. The animated film version of the popular Nickelodeon TV show, follows the adventures of... READ MORE

METROBEAT

New York City Is Still America’s Safest Big City
by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
Public safety is City government’s most basic responsibility. And despite unavoidable budget cuts, during 2002 we’ve made New York an even safer place, by continuing dramatic reductions in... READ MORE

Assembly Will Fight Governor’s Devastating $1.25B Cut to Schools
by Assemblyman Steven Sanders
The devastating $1.25 billion cut to public education proposed by Governor Pataki on January 29th (of which about $500 million would come from aid to New York City schools) would be the largest reduction to... READ MORE

MOVIES AND THEATER

Bag Full of Fun: The Cat's Meow
Paper Bag Players
by Jan Aaron
The cat’s in and out of the bag and crooning a happy tune in “The Cat’s Meow” by The Paper Bag Players. This famous children’s troupe takes its name from its clever sets: Everything is paper or... READ MORE

CAMPS AND SPORTS

How Basketball Players Spend Their Money
by Tom Kertes
NBA players are vastly different from other wealthy people. They’re taller than most surgeons, they’ve got a better jump shot than most security traders, and their move off the dribble can usually...
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TECHNOLOGY

Arttango: A Valuable Art Program
by Dr. Pola Rosen
A unique name for a unique program, Arttango is instructive, colorful, fun, interactive and perhaps make you feel like you’re “dancing with art.” Because of budget cuts, many schools don’t... READ MORE

Lewis Frumkes, Director, Marymount Manhattan College Author Series Hosts Susan Orlean
by Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Though she looks nothing like Meryl Streep who played her in Adaptation, a quasi-fictional account of the difficulties faced by a diffident and blocked screenwriter in trying to adapt her nonfiction prose... READ MORE

Lind Electronics’ PowerMax 90
by Mitchell Levine
As useful as current portable computers are, one feature that has not matched the frenetic norms of Moore’s-law-paced technical evolution is battery life. A complete charge of the lithium-ion battery on...
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Laptop Privacy Hood
by Neil Schuldiner
The primary selling-point of mobile computing is the ability to condense the processing power of a desktop computer into a compact, sleek frame which can be conveniently utilized... READ MORE