Perspectives For The New Year 2009
A New Year’s Wish List
By Ernest Logan, President,
Council of School Supervisors and Administrators
At the dawn of 2009, I’m filled with promise. It’s true that we’ve rarely lived in more perilous times; we’re dealing with international terrorism, war and global economic crisis....READ MORE

A New Year’s Wish List
By Charlotte K. Frank, Ph.D., SVP,
Research and Development, McGraw-Hill Companies
I look forward to the actions the new Secretary of Education in continuing and modifying where necessary our focus on accountability and standards....READ MORE

Hopes and Dreams for Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
By Bonnie Kaiser, Ph.D., Director,
Summer Science Outreach Programs, The Rockefeller University
A long with my hopes, dreams, and best wishes for President Obama and Secretary of Education Ann Duncan, I know that I have to be ready to serve where it counts if we are to contribute all our rich human resources to education to temper accountability with reason such that our children learn how to think and to become citizens of the world....READ MORE

Arne Duncan Appointment: Parents to Play New Role
GreatSchools, the non-profit one in three parents turn to for advice and community about how to improve their child’s education, applauded the appointment of Arne Duncan as President-Elect Obama’s choice for Secretary of Education....READ MORE

Exclusive Interviews With Two New Members, New York State Board Of Regents
Last March, the joint session of the Legislature of the State of New York elected Dr. Betty Rosa and Dr. Lester W. Young Jr to the state’s 16-member Board of Regents. The Board, established in 1784, presides over The State University of New York and the New York State Department of Education. Its members serve five-year terms, with a regent for each of the state’s 12 judicial districts, plus four regents at large. Regents receive no salary. With the recent announcement by Dr. Richard P. Mills that he will be stepping down as New York State Commissioner of Education and with a newly appointed Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, Education Update thought it a good time to catch up with the Regents’ newest members and get their take on state and national challenges and priorities.

Dr. Lester Young
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
How appropriate that Dr. Lester Young serves as Regent-At-Large because he certainly has an admirably large view of his role, coming to it with years of experience as Associate Commissioner with the New York State Education Department, Associate Professor at Long Island University’s Graduate School of Education, and previous positions in teaching and guidance as well as supervisory roles in Special Education Services, not to mention having also served as a principal, a superintendent and as a senior executive for Youth Development and School Community Services in the city system....READ MORE

Dr. Betty A. Rosa
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
For Betty A. Rosa, serving her first term as a Regent, filling the position from the 12th Judicial District (Bronx County), was an opportunity to “come back home.”...READ MORE

GUEST EDITORIAL & LETTERS

GUEST EDITORIAL
Confessions of a Recovering Public School Superintendent
By Jay Russell, Ed.D.
Three years ago after 30 years in public education, I became the Head of Windward School, an independent school in Westchester County....READ MORE

Letters to the Editor - JANUARY 2009
...READ MORE

SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS

Dr. Charlotte Frank Moderates Secrets of Success With President Jennifer Raab, Dr. Louise Mirrer, Vickie Tillman (Standard & Poor)
By Sybil Maimin
Moderated by education guru Dr. Charlotte Frank, whose many accomplishments include executive director of curriculum and instruction for NYC public schools, senior vice-president for research and development at McGraw-Hill Education/McGraw Hill Companies, and New York State Regent, a panel of three very successful women told a rapt audience at Sutton Place Synagogue how they reached the top of their professions....READ MORE 

The Dean's Column
How the Tables Have Turned
By Dean Alfred Posamentier, Ph.D.
As was reported on the front page of the New York Times, “Low on Teachers, New York Scours Austria,” the problem of the severe shortage of mathematics and science teachers in New York City embarked on an innovative solution: recruiting highly qualified mathematics and science teachers from Austria....READ MORE

Early Childhood Education: The Commitment in 2009
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Dr. Ruby Takanishi, President of The Foundation for Child Development (FCD), a national, privately endowed philanthropic organization dedicated to the improvement of education for all children by way of supporting “research, policy, programs and advocacy,” is a strong believer in the “low hanging food strategy.”...READ MORE

What Are Half-Million Teens Reading Each Month? Archie Comics Of Course
By Lauren Shapiro
They’ve been in Riverdale High School for 67 years, and there’s still no graduation or retirement date in sight. I’m speaking, of course, of Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica....READ MORE

COLLEGES & GRAD SCHOOLS

CCNY Panel Headed By Dean Alfred Posamentier Weighs In on the Future of Public Education
By Judith Aquino
As President-elect Obama’s Education Cabinet prepares to tackle the problems that plague the American school system, a panel of education experts expressed their views on what lies ahead to further improve public education....READ MORE

Tony Hendra Brings The House Down At Writing Center
By Dr. Pola Rosen
“Well he didn’t exactly bring the house down in the concluding presentation of the Clementina Santi Flaherty Irish Voices Series at Marymount,” said Lewis Burke Frumkes, the Center’s eminent Director....READ MORE

Hunter in Top 10 National ‘Best Value’ Ranking of Public Universities
Hunter College is the nation’s #8 “Best Value” public college for 2009, according to “Best Value Colleges for 2009,” a ranking released today by The Princeton Review and USA Today....READ MORE

Bank Street “CPR”: Revitalizing Math Education
By Laura Venderkam
Math has long been a challenging subject for students and teachers alike....READ MORE

Head Start Continues To Thrive in NYC
By McCarton Ackerman
Fourteen years later, the Bank Street College branch of Head Start is still going strong....READ MORE

FINANCIAL AID: EXPERT OPINION
Paying for College in Tough Economic Times
By Dr. Philip Day
The unprecedented economic difficulties roiling our nation are making it increasingly difficult for families to pay for college and for colleges to provide financial aid to the increasing number of students who need it....READ MORE

SPECIAL EDUCATION

From the Superintendent's Seat:
Community Mayors & Special Education
By Dr. Bonnie Brown
Special Education in New York City has a guardian angel, a maker of dreams which come true for special needs youngsters....READ MORE

MUSIC, ART & DANCE

40th Annniversary of The Dance Theatre of Harlem
By Lauren Shapiro
Ballet at a street festival? Students “rapping” about ballet in the New York State Supreme Court? A Creole version of the classical ballet Giselle?...READ MORE

MetroBEAT

Ringing in a New Year and a Bright Future for New York City
By Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Last month, more than a million revelers jammed Times Square to ring in the New Year....READ MORE 

MODERN LANGUAGES

Linguist Mother & Daughter Carry On Family Traditions
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Beverly Pimsleur has an wonderful job: with great joy and dedication she’s working with her daughter on LittlePim, a unique educational animated video series for young children, exchanging roles that once had Julia Pimsleur Levine working for her....READ MORE

Learning Languages at the Age of 6 Months? Little Pim Does It!
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Bonjour lecteurs et lectrices. Qu’est-ce que c’est?...READ MORE

CHILDREN"S CORNER

FROM THE SUPERINTENDENTS’ seat:
Keeping Open the Lines of Communication With Your Children
By Dr. Carole Hankin
Effective communication is a critical component of any interpersonal relationship, and parent-child relationships are certainly no exception to that rule.....READ MORE

A Farm to Table Education Program
By Lauren Shapiro
“We call ourselves delicious nutrition educators,” says Laura Stanley, Executive Director of the Sylvia Center, a farm-to-table education program.....READ MORE

MOVIES & THEATER

Theater Review
Green Ogre Shrek, The Musical Hits Broadway
By Jan Aaron
The smelly, cranky, ugly green ogre, Shrek, starting as a slim book by cartoonist William Steig and featured and in a series of DreamWorks’ Films, has made an extravagant Broadway debut in Shrek, The Mus ical, a $24 million show produced by the film studio.....READ MORE

MUSEUMS AS EDUCATORS

Activities at the Wildlife Conservation Society
“Practicing the Art of Conservation” honoring Dr. George Schaller’s lifetime of work in wildlife conservation.....READ MORE

MEDICAL UPDATE

Doctors Without Borders:
An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Nicolas de Torrente
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
The year 2009 marks ten years since Doctors Without Borders (DWB) / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) won the Nobel Prize for Peace “in recognition of the organization’s pioneering humanitarian work on several continents.”...READ MORE

BOOKS

Logos Bookstore’s Recommendations
By H. Harris Healy, III, President, Logos Bookstore
A new year has begun. People await with great expectation the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States....READ MORE

Review of Hugging The Middle: How Teachers Teach In An Era Of Testing And Accountability
Reviewed by Merri Rosenberg
As someone who initially covered education at the moment when alternative assessments ( raise your hands if you remember portfolios) became popular, only to be kicked to the curb when accountability, the standards movement and “measurable outcomes”  became the only game in town, Larry Cuban’s timely exploration of teachers’ roles in actually teaching students is invaluable....READ MORE

January Book Reviews
By Selene Vasquez
Celebrate the new year with the latest and greatest in books!...READ MORE

CAMPS AND SPORTS

NEW: COACHES SERIES
Joe Jones, Coach of Columbia Lions Leads Team to New Era
By Richard Kagan
During a recent Columbia Lions men’s basketball game, head coach Joe Jones met his team during a timeout....READ MORE

Don’t Worry, Camp Is Not Out Of Your Reach
By Eve Eifler, Co-Director, Tips on Trips and Camps, Baltimore, MD
The costs associated with camp may seem daunting to many families, especially in today’s economic downturn....READ MORE

A Psychiatrist Examines Children & Sports
By Ronald L. Kamm, M.D.
Seventy percent of all children drop out of organized youth sports between the ages of 8 and 13....READ MORE

CAREERS

A Snapshot of a Campus Police Officer
By Judith Aquino
As the economy continues to spiral downwards with many people facing bleak job prospects, Cory Gilmore, 25, considers himself fortunate to have recently secured a job as a campus police officer at Hunter College....READ MORE

Have You Thought of Becoming a Pilot
By Lauren Shapiro
Each day, the Federal Aviation Administration controls take-offs, landings, and flights of over 50,000 aircraft, and they expect to hire approximately 17,000 air traffic controllers in the next 10 years....READ MORE