In Honor of Women’s History Month:
First Catholic College for Women:
College of New Rochelle
By Joan Bailey, Ph.D.
The College of New Rochelle began its historic mission in higher education in 1904 when the State of New York recognized it as the first Catholic college for women in the state. In the century since, CNR continues to respond to the contemporary needs of women and helps its students, women and men, transform and transcend the traditional roles of women and men. Education at CNR honors women’s perspective and experience. . . READ MORE

Title IX Comes of Age:
Eliminating Gender Discrimination
by Martha Mccarthy, Ph.D.
It seems appropriate when celebrating women’s history to address developments pertaining to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a landmark piece of legislation designed to eliminate gender discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funds. . . READ MORE

TEACHERS OF THE MONTH

Outstanding Teachers of the Month - March 2004
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SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS

Education as the Key to Progress
by Matilda Raffa Cuomo
In the second edition of my book Who Mentored You: The Person Who Changed my Life, seventy-eight prominent people recalled how mentors contributed to their success in life by influencing and advising them in their earlier years. . . READ MORE

From the Principal’s Desk:
Developing the Habit of Reading
by Nigel Pugh
Every student should be required to read a self-selected book daily. Students must be given opportunities to learn how to select appropriate books, and be given time at home and school to read, write about and discuss these books. Like literate adults, students need to develop the habitof reading. . . READ MORE

The Grace Institute: Helping Underserved Women
by Sarah N. Lynch
When Carolina first came to the United States about 13 years ago, she had a lot going for her: she could speak four languages and she held a BA in journalism. But despite these skills, there was something missing: she had never used a computer before in her life. . . READ MORE

$1 Million Gift to Bronx Kids & LD Kids in NYC
by Paul Friedman
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation will grant a total of $1,000,000 to five nonprofit organizations across the country over and above its customary giving. All five of the projects chosen for these unique grants seek to address the needs of children: providing educational services to learning-disabled low-income youth throughout New York City and to low-income preschool children in the Bronx; assisting recently emancipated foster youth in Northern California’s East Bay in finding housing and learning how to live independently; offering drop-in emergency weekend services to homeless youth in Los Angeles; and providing early intervention treatment for autistic toddlers and young children on the San Francisco peninsula. . . READ MORE

New York Academy of Science Sponsors
Science Fair at CCNY
by Adam Sugerman
The Great Hall at City College at 137th Street and Convent Avenue was buzzing with hundreds of students voices, judges listening to presentations at each exhibit, and students conferring with each other about their projects. Students were chosen randomly by this roving reporter to explain their hypotheses, their choice of project and their mentors. . . READ MORE

Identifying Young Einsteins
by Marie Capurro, M.Ed.
For most students, school provides an opportunity to learn. Unfortunately, this is not true for all students, particularly the gifted and talented. Although gifted and talented students have great potential to make positive contributions both as children and as adults, educators and policy-makers often fail to recognize that for genius to thrive, it must be nurtured. . . READ MORE

International Perspectives From Mt. Fuji to Kawasaki, US Educators Learn in Japan
by Sharon Kaplan, Ed.D.
During a break in my morning workshop I noticed many of the participants were gathered in front of a large picture window with their cell phones in hand. As I approached, I realized they were not using their cell phones to talk, but were taking pictures of a breath-taking sight. Mt. Fuji, some 60 miles away, was radiating against a bright blue sky. . . READ MORE

Fields at Bank Street College Urges Mayor to Drop 3rd Grade Retention Plan
Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields called on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to drop a controversial plan to retain 3rd graders if they do not pass tests in reading and math. The meeting, which was held at Bank Street College of Education, centered around Fields’ opposition to “social promotion,” urging the mayor and education officials to revisit the plan and establish a panel of experts to explore ways to better address the issue. . . READ MORE

NEW JERSEY NEWS

$1M Grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of America
The grant, funded out of the Department of Community Affairs, was presented at the Clifton Boys and Girls Club. McGreevey underscored the importance of his new initiative, New Jersey After 3, by focusing on the success of programs like Boys and Girls Clubs.“By giving children a safe place to go after school to learn and be inspired, the work of the Boys and Girls Clubs is making a difference in the lives of thousands of children all across New Jersey,” said McGreevey. . READ MORE

McGreevey Creates Education Commission
In an effort to ensure New Jersey families’ hard-earned dollars are being used to provide their children with a quality education, Governor James E. McGreevey today signed an Executive Order creating the Education Mandate Review Study Commission. The Commission will be tasked with evaluating and identifying State mandates that are wasteful and inefficient, and recommending changes or eliminations of the bureaucracy, so more dollars are going towards improving education. . READ MORE

Honoring Foster Care Volunteers
Governor James E. McGreevey recently focused on his commitment to protect New Jersey’s most vulnerable children by honoring community volunteers and organizations, which have contributed meaningfully to the foster care community. He urged more people to become foster parents. “New Jersey is blessed to have individuals and organizations, such as those we are honoring today, who have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of children in foster care,” said McGreevey. “Today, which we officially proclaim as ‘Foster Children’s Day,’ we are asking others to follow in their footsteps by joining their efforts and even by opening up their hearts and their homes to foster children.”. .
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SPECIAL EDUCATION

Johns Hopkins Study Shows Audiobooks
Help LD Students
Students with learning difficulties showed a 38 percent increase in content acquisition reading scores after using RFB&D’s AudioPlus® textbooks on CD, a published study in Learning Disabilities Quarterly reports. . . READ MORE

Department of Ed. & UFT Agree on Special Ed Reform
Consistent with last April’s announcement of the special education reform plan, the approximately 960 teachers who, under the old system, were working exclusively outside of the classroom as education evaluators have returned to the classroom, and school psychologists are now performing the evaluation tasks for which these education evaluators were responsible. . . READ MORE

COLLEGES

Shakespeare, Einstein, & The Bottom Line:
A Teachers College Event at AMNH
by Joanne Kontopirakis
Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and author David L. Kirp joined Richard Heffner, the Host of Channel 13’s “The Open Mind” at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) recently, under the aegis of Teachers College to discuss Kirp’s recently released book, Shakespeare, Einstein, And The Bottom Line: The Marketing of Higher Education. . . READ MORE

College President's Series:
Dr. Lucie Lapovsky: Humanitarian Economist
at the Helm of Mercy College
by Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Although the mission of Mercy College sounds pretty much like statements from other private, independent, comprehensive institutions, its dynamic president, Dr. Lucie Lapovsky, quickly distinguishes its pursuit of access and excellence. Mercy’s goals constitute not a wish list but a record of achievement. With an easy-going manner that’s worn only by the confident, President Lapovsky notes the expansion of campuses, an increase in enrollment, a dramatic rise in retention and the tripled graduation rate, not to mention the innovative programs begun or enhanced over the four years she’s been president, many validated by significant awards from foundations such as Ford and Sloan. . . READ MORE

Iraq Roundup for College Students
by Adam B. Kushner
Any demographer can tell you why there are more commercials for Viagra during the evening news broadcasts than for Play station: young people—even many thirty-somethings—simply don’t follow current events. Yet, by the unwritten rules of suffrage, people older than 18 are expected not only to understand the world, but also to elect representatives based on that understanding. . . READ MORE

So You Want To Be A Psychology Major
by Sarah N. Lynch
Although she always had a strong interest in psychology, it was not until college that Lisa Son really began to explore the research side of psychology. . . READ MORE

Product Review:
Musical Spanish
by Pola Rosen, Ed.D
Sad to say, but true: when students are asked to name their least favorite academic subject, study after study has shown that “language study” ranks high in their lists. What should be an incomparably broadening cultural experience seems to have become, in the minds of many, a sterile exercise in rote memorization and “drill and kill.”. . . READ MORE

American Students Study Abroad in Growing Numbers
Despite a weak economy and post-9/11 concerns, American students continue to regard study abroad as a critical component of their higher education experience. The number of U.S. university-level students receiving credit for study abroad in 2001/02 increased 4.4% from the previous year, reaching a record total of 160,920, according to Open Doors 2003, the annual report on international education published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with funding from the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. . .
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Going to College in Canada: Team Teaching Examined
by Nile S. Kurashige
From a student’s perspective, there are both benefits and disadvantages to multiple professors teaching one class. Benefits include an exposure to more professors and ideas as well as a variety of teaching styles. A professor with the greatest expertise can teach each content area. The student thus benefits by exposure to the latest research, especially important in upper level courses. Differences in approaches to the subject matter may lead to a broader understanding of the material. . . READ MORE

Pace U Reopens World Trade Institute
Two years after its operations and conference centers were destroyed in the attack on the World Trade Center, the World Trade Institute of Pace University (WTI), a major institute for international trade education, has reopened its doors at new facilities on Pace’s campus in downtown New York. . . READ MORE

CCNY Pres. Gregory Williams Honored
by Gov. Pataki
Gregory H. Williams, President of The City College of New York, was honored by Governor George E. Pataki at the New York State’s 9th Annual African-American History Month Kick-Off Celebration in Albany recently. . . READ MORE

CCNY-Led Weather Expedition Receives
Explorers Club Award
The prestigious Explorers Club of New York has presented its Flag Award to City College weather expert Edward E. Hindman and his faculty team for leading a group of CCNY and Bronx Community College students to the 10,500-foot Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) in the northern Colorado Rockies recently. . . READ MORE

CHILDREN'S CORNER

From the Superintendent's Seat:
Supporting Success at Every Stage
by Dr. Carole G. Hankin with Randi T. Sachs
We learned a few weeks ago that for the second year in a row, a student in our District has been named an Intel Finalist. Three others were named Semi-Finalists. Daniel, the Finalist, is one of only 40 students in the nation chosen to compete in Washington, D.C., in March for what is often called “the Junior Nobel Prize.” He told me he was thrilled and surprised to have won this honor (which includes a $5,000 scholarship that will help go toward his Harvard tuition), and how he was really hoping to go on to further success. The level of achievement our students reach is amazing, and we can see how important it is for parents and schools to nurture their children’s interests. . . READ MORE

IF YOU ASK DR. McCUNE:
About Learning From Your Students
by Lorraine Mccune, Ph.D.
In every course that I teach I ask my students to find a child to observe for 6--10 weekly visits during the semester. When they ask what to look for, I tell them to use their human radar, perhaps think about what we are studying (how children learn…their attachments to adults, etc.). Rather than an observation protocol, I believe that attending carefully and sensitively to a student and thinking about the child’s experience is an extraordinarily enriching process. I ask the students to write about each observation…not taking notes during, but rather after their time with the child. This helps them to focus on what they notice. . .
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Best Socially Responsible Toy Products
by Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D., (Dr. Toy)
Children greatly benefit when you provide toys and products that offer them the opportunity to learn more about social issues and community. These products will help your child to learn more about caring about environment, animals, and themselves. Children gain from understanding about the world around them. . . READ MORE

SEEDS Teaches More than Just Plants
A new classroom curriculum, Garden Adventure SEEDS (Science Exploration, Education and Discovery Series) for kindergarten and first grade, premiered last spring to select educators with resounding success. SEEDS teaches about plant parts while strengthening inquiry, literacy, and numeracy skills. Subsequently, SEEDS rolled out to more than 30 schools, close to 100 curriculum units were sold, and approximately half a dozen teacher-training sessions were conducted. . . READ MORE

MEDICAL UPDATE

Ethical Challenges in Pediatrics
by Joanna R. Leefer
Developments in genetics, reproductive technologies and other disciplines have brought new challenges in every area of medicine. This is particularly true in pediatrics. New advances in all areas of treatments have created complex ethical questions for the provision of care and for research with children. . . READ MORE

Weill Cornell Faculty Elected to Institute of Medicine
Two outstanding physician-scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors bestowed by the scientific community. They are Dr. Flint Beal, Chairman and Anne Parish Titzell Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience and Dr. Jean Pape, Professor of Medicine in the Division of International Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Pape serves as Director of the Cornell University Infectious Diseases Research and Training Unit in Haiti. . . READ MORE

The National Museum of Health and Medicine
by Janet M. Burns
Museums play a vital role in public education, awareness, and understanding. The National Museum of Health and Medicine (NMHM) has a particularly long history of serving the public in this capacity in its 142-year tenure as the nation’s only medical museum. In fact, the NMHM’s specimens and artifacts were the first museum collection in the country and are currently the only in Washington, D.C. to be registered by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark. Since it’s founding, the museum has remained dedicated to documenting the evolution of health and medical issues in American society, and to sharing its collections with as many people as possible. . . READ MORE

Latest Preventive Tests for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment at Beth Israel
by Gina Pozadas
Continuing their commitment to early detection of cardiovascular disease, the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the Heart Institute at Beth Israel offers cutting-edge screenings that identify new risk factors as key to assess the risk of developing heart disease, which remains the nation’s number one killer. The EBT heart scan and advanced cholesterol testing, used to test those with an intermediate risk level, can predict and prevent up to 95% of heart attacks and are often covered by health insurance. . . READ MORE

Attorney General Demands More Private Medical Records of Women
In an ominous attack on women’s reproductive health and their right to privacy, the Justice Department first demanded that at least six hospitals across the country turn over patient medical records on certain abortions performed there. Now U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is demanding that Planned Parenthood affiliates in Pennsylvania, Kansas, mid-Missouri, New York City, Los Angeles, San Diego and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area turn in hundreds of private medical records from the clients they serve. . . READ MORE

Women Physicians Honored in New Web Site
A new Web site from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) promises to become an invaluable resource for students, educators and anyone else with an interest in medical history. . . READ MORE

CHESS FOCUS

A Winner? Maybe ... A Champion? Not Necessarily! Observations of a Chess Mom on Ultimate Success
by Cathi Belcher
I’m a Chess Mom. For the last ten-plus years my kids have been playing some serious games. They’ve won some tournaments and titles, and lost some; but more than this, they have experienced a world which has taken them traveling beyond their wildest dreams, both geographically and personally. They’ve also learned a lot of lessons from this mind sport, which can at times become an obsession. As a mother, it is interesting to see what really goes on at tournaments, and to discover – thru observation—that winning a lot of games does not necessarily make a player a champion. . . READ MORE

What Does It Take to Become U.S. Champion?
by Courtney Hader
What does it take to become a US Champion? The students at P.S. 116 can tell us! Elizabeth Berg, Spencer Berkman, Jane Handorff, Paul Handorff, Nitai Leve, Marc Anthony Parrino, R.J. Parrino, and Alex Streopoulus make up the P.S. 116 chess team. They have recently been named the US Champions in the K-5 Section, with Marc Anthony Parrino becoming the co-champion. To become a great chess team it takes determination, discipline and practice. It also takes the ability to get back up when you are knocked down. As many of our students and parents know, it has taken years of hard work to become champions, but it has been fun. . . READ MORE

Chess in Education: A Perspective
by Gary Ryan
Kids love chess! If you are a kid, you already knew that. It’s a no-brainer. If you are a parent or teacher, you might be surprised. But it’s true. Boys and girls really like chess. And not just a little bit, but a lot. . . READ MORE

BOOKS

Logos Bookstore’s Recommendations
by H. Harris Healy, III, President, Logos Bookstore
In the later stages of winter as one may become more tired of the daily routine at work and somewhat unmotivated in purpose and direction, a great book for a wonderful pick me up in the workplace is The Six Fundamentals Of Success: The Rules For Getting It Right For Yourself And Your Organization by Stuart R. Levine, former CEO of Dale Carnegie and Associates, as well as a former New York State Assemblyman, and currently Chairman and CEO of Stuart Levine & Associates LLC, an international consulting and leadership training company. . . READ MORE

Baruch Professor Writes “Bankable Business Plans”
Reviewed by Merri Rosenberg
While this isn’t a substitute for an M.B.A., it’s certainly a helpful and practical shortcut for would-be entrepreneurs who are clueless about how to put together a business plan that will attract investors. . .
READ MORE

Succeeding At Your Interview:
"A Practical Guide for Teachers”
by Rita S. Brause, Christine P. Donohue and Alice W. Ryan
Reviewed by Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
In 2004, many college graduates are embarking on new teaching careers, seeking personal fulfillment as well as a way to contribute to society. Indeed, a wonderful advertisement recruiting new teachers in New York City asks who will remember your name in years to come; your 4th grade students. Be a teacher. . . READ MORE

‘March’ to the Beat of Great Books!
by Selene S. Vasquez
Poetry: Ages 3 thru 6
Delightfully familiar poems and rhymes, such as “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” and equally lovely though less familiar words from Wordsworth, Tennyson and Blake. Colorful illustrations of sweet faced youngsters and baby animals in soft pastel hues. A treasure of rhythmic language for the young at heart. . . READ MORE

MUSIC, ART & DANCE

A Stellar Music Lineup of Tradition & Innovation: Carnegie Hall
by Joan Baum, Ph.D.
A week later than originally planned, Carnegie Hall announced its 2004--5 season, combining a well attended news conference about the spectacular events that will be seen and heard in Stern Auditorium, Weill Recital Hall and Zankel Hall with a memorial tribute to Carnegie’s young and dynamic executive director, Robert J. Harth, whose untimely death shocked the arts community. Speaker after speaker—Sanford I. Weill, chairman of Carnegie’s Board, Ara Guzelimian, the hall’s artistic administrator, the illustrious conductor Pierre Boulez, diva Marilyn Horne, and renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma—spoke warmly and admiringly of Harth’s vision and in effect dedicated the new season to realizing his hopes and goals. . . READ MORE

Falstaff at the Vienna Staatsoper: Another Triumph for Bryn Terfel
by Irving Spitz
Verdi’s last opera, Falstaff, which premiered in 1893, when he was just a few months short of his 80th birthday, is a summation of his creative genius. The masterful libretto written by Arrigo Boito, himself a composer, was based largely on Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor but also incorporated material from Henry IV. Indeed it can be said without question that Verdi and Boito succeeded in creating one of the greatest operatic adaptations of Shakespearean material; its only serious rival being its predecessor, Othello. Falstaff was written after Verdi’s second opera, the comedy Un Giorn Di Regno, was a resounding failure. . . READ MORE

METROBEAT

A Kick in the Teeth
by Randi Weingarten, President, UFT
Mayor Bloomberg has said repeatedly that he wants voters to judge him on how well he improves New York City’s public schools. Research shows that the most important factor in improving schools is having a qualified teacher in every classroom, so it would seem logical for the Mayor to make his first priority the recruitment and retention of good teachers. . . READ MORE

Chancellor Concedes School HIV & AIDS Curriculum
is in Critical Condition
Assembly Hearing Highlights Where Education is Truly a Life or Death Matter
by Assemblyman Steven Sanders
Last month, as chairman of the Education Committee, I co-chaired a public hearing to assess HIV and AIDS education in the city schools, and testimony of Chancellor Joel Klein himself, as well as of others, revealed that the curriculum is outdated and not in compliance either with state or city regulations. Similar gaps were identified in the broader curriculum known as Family Living and Sex Education. .
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Gambling with Destiny:
Rethinking NYS Funding Priorities
by State Senator Liz Krueger
Over the past several months, the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) and the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) have been calling on the state legislature and Governor Pataki to provide a $2 billion down payment in response to the state court of appeals mandate that education funding inequities be remedied. In response, the Governor has dedicated $325 million of revenues generated from “video lottery terminals” to increase education funds. In so doing, the Governor continues to disregard the rights of our children. Banking on state sanctioned lottery terminals to fund public education is yet another example of misguided priorities and bad public policy. . READ MORE

Whatever Happened to Childhood?
by Jill Levy
I thought I learned my lessons well in developmental psychology, but apparently I’m wrong. That is the conclusion I must draw based on the recent decision by corporate America to re-institute a retention policy for NYC third graders. Although all research proves that holding children back doesn’t work in the long-run, and despite the fact that we tried it in New York City and it failed, the newest managers of the NYC public schools think that they can make it work. . READ MORE

ONLINE LEARNING

St. John’s U Offers Distance Learning Degree
Addressing the need for highly qualified school administrators, St. John’s University will offer a fully online Master of Science and Professional Diploma in Educational Administration, the first in New York State and the only one to use full-time University faculty. “This program is designed to provide needed flexibility without reducing quality, eliminating the necessity to travel to attend classes at particular times and places, while engaging participants in high levels of online interaction with each other and the professors,” said Jerrold Ross, Dean of the School of Education. . . READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

Product Review:
Digital Frog International’s ScienceMatrix
by Mitchell Levine
Although some theorists like Clifford Stoll may be skeptical about the ultimate benefits of our school system’s emphasis on multimedia delivery of curricula, almost everyone agrees that this currently reigning paradigm is going to remain the state of the art for the foreseeable future. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: in many ways, technology can really spark student interest in a way that more traditional methods haven’t. Few people from my generation have strongly nostalgic memories of our freshman biology lectures. No one liked plying Formaldehyde-saturated viscera with a trocar in my class, and mentioning cytoplasm, Golgi apparatus, or endoplasmic reticulum to them is rather unlikely to garner even a fleeting glimmer of recognition. . . READ MORE