COVER STORIES

For the past nine years, Education Update, Dr. Pola Rosen and Adam Sugerman have been recognizing the contributions of outstanding teachers and administratorsin the public schools of New York City.  Education Update also awards medals to Distinguished Leaders in Education who have been seminal influences in improvingthe lives of children as well as establishing a paradigm for others around the nation. The awards breakfast is held at the Harvard Club each year. This year we are proud to recognize Geoffrey Canada, CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone; Harold McGraw III, CEO, McGraw-Hill; and Michelle Anderson, Dean, CUNY Law School.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor, The City University of New York
Matthew Goldstein has served as chancellor of The City University of New York (CUNY) since September 1999....READ MORE

HONOREE
Harold McGraw III, Chairman, President & CEO,The McGraw-Hill Companies
Harold (Terry) McGraw III is chairman, president and chief executive officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies, a leading global financial information and education company that powers the Knowledge Economy. Its brands include Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts and J.D. Power and Associates, among others....READ MORE

HONOREE
Geoffrey Canada, CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone
In his 20-plus years with Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc., Geoffrey Canada has become nationally recognized for his pioneering work helping children and families in Harlem and as a passionate advocate for education reform....READ MORE

HONOREE
Michelle Anderson, Dean, CUNY School of Law
Michelle J. Anderson became Dean of the City University of New York School of Law in 2006....READ MORE

MUSIC, ART & DANCE

THE ARTS IN EDUCATION
The Frick Invites Students into Gilded Age
By Sybil Maimin
“All kids collect things,” explains Jennie Coyne, who runs school and student programs at The Frick Collection....READ MORE

THE ARTS IN EDUCATION
Eric Whitacre & the Advent of the Virtual Choir
By Joan Baum, Ph.D
ED, an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, Design, a nonprofit that started in 1984 as a conference about “ideas worth spreading” and has broadened its mission beyond running conferences....READ MORE

THE ARTS IN EDUCATION
Arts in Education Programs Reach Far & Wide at Brooklyn Arts Council
By Carol Sterling
Brooklyn Arts Council’s Arts in Education program has over a 25-year track record of providing arts education programs for people of all ages, in particular at-risk youth...READ MORE

THE ARTS IN EDUCATION
Music, Madness and Medicine
By Lloyd Sederer, M.D.
Imagine if your psychiatrist played concert piano, including the works of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Gershwin and Mozart?...READ MORE

THE ARTS IN EDUCATION
Music for the Homeless & Imprisoned
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Although her resume boasts violin and viola performances at Carnegie Hall and recitals with famous chamber music groups and renowned soloists, among them Pinchas Zukerman and Arnold Steinhardt, not to mention numerous awards and international prizes, Helena Baillie doesn't readily refer to these achievements when she speaks of her "outreach" work, some of it in places most musicians rarely go: prisons and soup kitchens....READ MORE

THE ARTS IN EDUCATION
News at the College of Staten Island:
Art Project Helps English Learners
By Sybil Maimin
How do you teach English-language writing and speaking skills to college-bound immigrants, ages 17 to 55, who began life in diverse countries speaking a multitude of languages?....READ MORE

THE ARTS IN EDUCATION
Magician Inspires Students to Learn Through Illusion
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Allan Kronzek lets no grass grow under his feet. And even if he did, he would figure out a way so that you’d never see it....READ MORE

GUEST EDITORIALS & LETTERS

GUEST EDITORIAL: The ARTS IN EDUCATION
Artists of 21st Century Should be Advocates for the Arts
By Joseph W. Polisi, Ph.D.
In recent days, the arts have once again been caught up in the turmoil of a political maelstrom through the budget battle taking place in Washington....READ MORE

GUEST EDITORIAL: The ARTS IN EDUCATION
‘Good Schools Have the Arts’ — What We Want For All of Our Kids
By Richard Kessler
The other day, I was walking home from the train when I ran into a neighbor....READ MORE

Letters to the Editor - May/June 2011
....READ LETTERS

SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS

High School Choice System Needs Improvement
By Grace McCarty
Improvement was the key word at the forum “High Stakes Decisions: How NYC Students have Fared Under High School Choice” held by Insideschools.org and the Center for New York City Affairs....READ MORE

Why Don’t Schools Improve?
By S.G. Grant, Ph.D.
Why don’t schools improve? It’s a thorny question, in part, because Americans tend to criticize schooling in general, but rate their local schools quite highly....READ MORE

The Necessity of Professional Development
By John J. Russell, Ed.D.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress consistently finds that approximately 35 percent of all fourth graders read at a level described as "below basic."...READ MORE

Cahn Fellows Program: Outstanding Principals Make a Difference
By Sybil Maimin
The Cahn Fellows Program for Distinguished Principals at Teachers College, Columbia University, is celebrating its tenth anniversary amidst many successes, making this year’s introduction of new Fellows a particularly proud occasion....READ MORE

Columbia Child Rights’ Conference Explores ‘The Right to an Education’
By Catherine Rolfe
It’s hard to study when the police are beating people next door....READ MORE

New York Botanical Garden
Bring Nature to the Classroom with Teacher Ed Courses
Immerse yourself in plants and nature....READ MORE

Empowering Innovation in Education: a TEDxNY Education Event
By Vicki Cobb
About 200 educators and other interested people met on for a day of sharing ideas about education.....READ MORE

COLLEGES & GRAD SCHOOLS

Obama’s Sister Soetoro-Ng Honors Memory of Mother in New Book
By Jennifer MacGregor
Maya Soetoro-Ng, who may be best known as Barack Obama’s younger sister, told a packed audience at Teachers College stories to honor her mother’s memory...READ MORE

Columbia Alumni Association & President Emeritus Michael Sovern Host Event at Sotheby’s
By Susan Aurelia Gitelson, Ph.D.
The Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) arranged an evening champagne reception at Sotheby’s in New York on March 7 for Columbia alumni to view the auction house’s March Contemporary Art sale....READ MORE

FDU Develops Teacher Assessment Tool
By Vicki Cohen, Ed.D.
Fairleigh Dickinson University’s School of Education in Teaneck, N.J., has been involved in a project that has focused on the assessment of effective teaching to ensure that more rigorous professional standards for teaching candidates are being implemented....READ MORE

Google, Skype Present at McGraw-Hill’s Social Media Week Showcase
By Dominique Carson
In an effort to embrace new technology, textbook company McGraw-Hill recently hosted a discussion with social media companies Google and Skype to discuss the potential benefits of combing social media and higher education....READ MORE

Cahn Fellows Program: Outstanding Principals Make a Difference
By Sybil Maimin
The Cahn Fellows Program for Distinguished Principals at Teachers College, Columbia University, is celebrating its tenth anniversary amidst many successes, making this year’s introduction of new Fellows a particularly proud occasion....READ MORE

Schumer & Goldstein Attack Cuts in Pell Grants for College
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, joined by CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein recently blasted a House proposal to reduce the amount of funding provided by Pell Grants to half a million New Yorkers and approximately nine million American students nationwide....READ MORE

National Writing Project Boosts Teacher Skills, Student Success
Most people would agree that education is at the heart of any country’s future as a democratic, globally competitive, and humane nation. Writing is a tool for thinking, learning and communicating; it is crucial to academic and workplace success....READ MORE

Touro College's School of Health Sciences Offers New Integrated Health Science Honors Program in Partnership with Lander College for Women and Lander College for Men
Dr. Alan Kadish, president and CEO of Touro College, today announced the addition of the new Integrated Health Science Honors Program, which is being offered in partnership with the School of Health Sciences, Lander College for Women-The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School, and Lander College for Men....READ MORE

The Writing Center at Hunter College
The Writing Center at Hunter College, headed by illustrious author and radio show host Lewis Frumkes, held its gala at Doubles, an elegant club at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel....READ MORE

Johns Hopkins University: Everyone Graduates
More students are staying in school instead of dropping out before receiving their diplomas, according to a recent report update released by America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises and Johns Hopkins University’s Everyone Graduates Center....READ MORE

President of Colombia Offers Insight at Ogden Lecture at Brown University
Juan Manuel Santos, the president of Colombia, delivered the Stephen A. Ogden Jr. Memorial lecture on International Affairs at Brown University...READ MORE

Outstanding Landmark College Adviser Garners Award
Margaret Murtha, a master’s degree student, received a National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Region 1 Academic Advising Excellence Award at the Northeast Region 1 Conference in Burlington, Vt....READ MORE

Mercy College Holds Scholarship Dinner at Plaza
Mercy College is honoring Dr. Charlotte Frank, Sr. Vice President, Research and Development, McGraw-Hill Education this year during their annual trustee’s scholarship dinner at the Plaza Hotel....READ MORE

College of New Rochelle Honors President Stephen Sweeny
President Stephen J. Sweeny has been an integral part of The College of New Rochelle for the past 35 years, with the last 14 as president....READ MORE

New Institute at The School
Teach21 is a new professional development institute that focuses on 21st-century teaching and learning....READ MORE

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Windward School: Dr. Ken Pugh, Dyslexia Authority
By Jennifer MacGregor
Kenneth Pugh, Ph.D., the president and director of research at Haskins Laboratories, delivered the Schwartz Memorial Lecture at Windward School to an eager crowd of parents and educators who would soon be fascinated by what brain images can tell us about how people learn to read....READ MORE

Leader in Field of Retinal Development Wins Vision Award
By Victoria Keller
Constance L. Cepko, Ph.D., an acknowledged leader in the field of retinal development and degeneration, has been awarded The Jewish Guild for the Blind’s 2011 Alfred W. Bressler Prize in Vision Science....READ MORE

UC Berkeley Leads Let’s Erase The Stigma Foundation
The children’s charity Let’s Erase the Stigma Educational Foundation (LETS) have named Dr. Stephen Hinshaw and Dr. Bennett Leventhal their new directors of research....READ MORE

The Child Mind Institute
The Child Mind Institute celebrated the opening of their new location with a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception on Tuesday, May 3, 2011.....READ MORE

Adam Jeffrey Katz Memorial Lecture
The Adam Jeffrey Katz Memorial Lecture is a two-part program designed to raise awareness and educate the public about ADHD and dyslexia....READ MORE

MEDICAL UPDATE

Your Best Defense In A Battle With Cancer
No one is ever truly prepared for a cancer diagnosis. But unfortunately, every year millions of Americans face the reality of diagnosis and living with this disease....READ MORE

Children’s Heart Rates Can Help Gauge Heart Health
Middle school children whose heart rates remain elevated one minute after peak exercise are more likely to be obese, have higher cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risk factors compared to those who get back to their resting heart rate more quickly, a new study finds....READ MORE

BOOKS

John Burroughs Medal For Natural History Book Presented at AMNH
By Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
The John Burroughs Association announced the 2011 winner of its annual award, created 85 years ago to honor outstanding natural history writing, a genre perfected by John Burroughs....READ MORE

BOOK REVIEW
Review of The Cure for Jet Lag
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Lynne Waller Scanlon, co-author of the best-selling and recently revised The Cure for Jet Lag, declares that her book is the only one on overcoming circadian dyschronism, or jet lag, that offers “scientifically proven information” about how destination and direction affect cure....READ MORE

Logos Bookstore’s Recommendations
By H. Harris Healy, III, President, LOGOS BOOKSTORE
Saturday, April 9, 2011 was quite a festive occasion at Logos Bookstore as a double-decker bus full of people arrived at Logos Bookstore for a book signing for Heather Holland Wheaton, author of You Are Here and Eight Million Stories in a New York Minute, two collections of short stories.....READ MORE

BOOK REVIEW
The Pedagogy Of Confidence
By Merri Rosenberg
It’s become shorthand for the achievement gap between white, affluent students and minority, lower-income students: “the soft prejudice of low expectations.”...READ MORE

BOOK REVIEW
Grow Your Own Teachers
By Merri Rosenberg
Amid relentless news reports about school districts compelled to lay off teachers during a particularly challenging budget season, this may seem more like fantasy than non-fiction....READ MORE

CHILDREN'S CORNER

FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT'S DESK
Teaching Children How to Value Themselves and Others
By Dr. Carole G. Hankin with Deborah French
There’s been a lot of talk about self-esteem in schools in recent years, and indeed, fostering self-esteem has been part of many schools’ character-building programs....READ MORE

CAMPS

Interesting Information About Usdan Camp
1. When is Usdan’s Summer 2011 Season and what is the tuition?...READ MORE

MOVIES & THEATER

MOVIE REVIEW
‘The Last Lions’ Film is Urgent Plea for Wildlife
By Jan Aaron
 “Lions!” our driver-guide whispered as our open-topped vehicle paused in the still night....READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

Empowering Innovation in Education: a TED x NY Education Event
By Vicki Cobb
About two hundred educators and other interested people met recently to share ideas about education....READ MORE

Google, Skype Present at McGraw-Hill’s Social Media Week Showcase
By Dominique Carson
“You can bridge the gap between college eligible and college ready,” is McGraw-Hill’s powerful words that embrace positive feedback in education due to technology....READ MORE

FEATURES

FROM THE HEART: OUR INTERNS SPEAK
My Memories at Education Update
By Mike Cohen, M.A.
I began writing for Education Update in the fall of 1996....READ MORE

FROM THE HEART: OUR INTERNS SPEAK
What Education Update Means to Me
By Giovanny Pinto
I just wanted to take the time to personally thank you for every single little (and big) thing you have done for me....READ MORE

Civic Leaders Honored for Service
Charlotte K. Frank, Ph.D., was presented with the Leadership Bridge Award from YouthBridge-NY for her service to the organization as a member of the board and her continued support of work that promotes diversity in New York City....READ MORE

Show-Stopping Programming for Spring Break Makes The New York Botanical Garden A Must-Visit Family Destination
...READ MORE

Family Living on the Upper East Side
The pleasures of living on East End Avenue are one among the great real estate secrets in Manhattan....READ MORE

Love and Loss on Mother’s Day
By Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
CBS reporter Magee Hickey recently gave a poignant performance of her mother’s favorite songs in a Cabaret show in New York City....READ MORE