SELECT ARTICLES
DISTINGUISHED LEADERS IN EDUCATION 2012
President Jennifer Raab,
Hunter College
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
“Interdisciplinary learning” and “collaboration” are terms you repeatedly hear when talking to Jennifer Raab about Hunter College’s strategic plan initiatives currently underway and the new facilities being completed that will help to realize those initiatives in dramatic ways. Now in hern.....READ MORE
President Tomás Morales,
College of Staten Island
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Now in his fifth year as the third president of the College of Staten Island (CSI), Dr. Tomás D. Morales expresses delight at hearing that an early April preliminary report from the Middle States evaluation team indicated “a very positive outcome” for CSI. Out of 14 assessment areas for “standards of higher education excellence,”.....READ MORE
Dr. Charlotte Frank, Sr. VP, McGraw-Hill Education
By Joan Baum, Ph.D.
Dr. Charlotte Frank, former just-about-everything in education, who has been for the last several years Senior Vice President of McGraw-Hill Education of The McGraw-Hill Companies, shows absolutely no indication of slowing down in her efforts to address “critical issues of education.....READ MORE
EDITORIAL, OP-ED & LETTERS
GUEST EDITORIAL
Join Us As We Speak Up for Kids
By Harold S. Koplewicz, MD
More than 20 years ago I had a patient named Jesse. He was a textbook case of adolescent depression — withdrawing from friends, failing at school, not living up to his considerable potential — but he had another answer. “I’m not depressed....READ MORE
OP-ED
Leading from Within
By Dave Barger, President & CEO, JetBlue Airways
Day after day, we hear about the challenges confronting public education. While it might seem easier to leave the hard work of improving our schools to the scores of committed educators and other individuals working tirelessly on behalf of today’s students, I choose not to....READ MORE
SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS
Learning Leaders Holds Debate: Randi Weingarten and Steven Brill
By Rachel Gellert
Learning Leaders, a nonprofit volunteer program in New York City, recently held its annual Education Forum at the Kimmel Center at New York University. The forum featured a panel discussion about reforming public school education between Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Steven Brill, author of “Class Warfare: Inside the Fight to Save America’s Schools.”...READ MORE
Middle School IS 62, Bklyn Trains Student Leaders
By Dr. Rose Cherie Reissman
A newscaster reports on the closing of a Kensington Pizza shop. Another newscaster stands in front of a local branch of the public library which has been closed. Students work with teen students from IVDU a special needs parochial school to survey views on financial literacy....READ MORE
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Israeli School Superintendents & Principals Visit NYC Schools
By Smadar Zeller, Principal, Shapira Sci-Tech School, Israel
Our entire group of educational leaders was impressed by the educational system in New York City....READ MORE
'The Intuitive Teacher’: A Series Based on the Works of Dr. Caleb Gattegno
How Answering Questions Could Be Detrimental to Learning
Getting a lot of questions from students is usually a sign of interest in a topic. But as a teacher, should you be jumping at every opportunity to answer these questions?...READ MORE
MIDDLE SCHOOL HAPPENINGS
Beating the Odds: Lesson from Turnaround Middle Schools
By Adriana Villavicencio
In New York City and around the nation, there is intense interest in trying to answer the question, what does it take to turn around a struggling school?....READ MORE
MIDDLE SCHOOL HAPPENINGS
Parents, Council Members Debate Best Middle School for Upper East Side
By Yuridia Peña
Upper East Side parents came in droves to a Community Education Council District 2 (CECD2) meeting recently to advocate for one of two resolutions that would decide what type of middle school will open when space at P.S. 158 becomes available: a school for general education students or for the gifted....READ MORE
High School Students Gather at the United Nations to Discuss Human Exploitation
By Zara Jamshed
At the 36th annual UNIS-UN conference, high school students from the United Nations International School and 300 students from around the world congregated at the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations to discuss a topic of global relevance....READ MORE
Improving Pre-Kindergarten through High School Education Through Philanthropy
By Susan Aurelia Gitelson, Ph.D.
There is nothing more essential than providing a basic education to young people from pre-school and kindergarten through grade 12....READ MORE
STUDENTS’ WRITINGs
Galactic
By Jamie Landis
In Los Angeles, Tom Fisher was getting ready to attend his new school called Burbank High School, on the planet Galactic....READ MORE
STUDENTS’ WRITINGs
Summertime, But The Living Isn’t Easy
By Ariana Salvatore
A beach towel. The newest Ray-Ban sunglasses. Lightly sun-kissed skin. For many teenagers, nothing more is required for a perfect summer....READ MORE
CollegeBound Initiative Grads Celebrate
By Dr. Pola Rosen
Tears flowed freely among the hundreds gathered to pay homage to the victory of inner-city high school students who conquered seemingly insurmountable odds including living in shelters for years, lack of funds and single parent families, to gain full scholarships to some of the best colleges in the northeast....READ MORE
Fifty Years of Union Celebration: CSA Dances the Night Away
More than 780 guests celebrated the Council of School Supervisors & Administrators’ (CSA) 50 years of unionism recently with a dinner and dance that included a high-profile appearance from actor and activist Susan Sarandon as well as a powerful speech from AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka.....READ MORE
Bloomberg Opens Five New Soundstages At Steiner Studios
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Media & Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver joined Steiner Studios Chairman Douglas C. Steiner to open five new soundstages at Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard....READ MORE
COLLEGES & GRAD SCHOOLS
Higher Education In and After Prison
By Barbara Martinsons
Counting all the people in jail and on probation or parole you get over 7.2 million people under the supervision of Corrections....READ MORE
The Association of Governing Boards Stress Accountability on Educational Quality
CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein on Panel
By Mohammad Ibrar
The Association of Governing Boards (AGB) of Universities and Colleges held their New York Regional Meeting in March, addressing the board’s responsibility for the oversight of educational quality....READ MORE
Roosevelt House at Hunter College Holds Presidential Leadership Conference
By Sybil Maimin
At a symposium on presidential leadership at Hunter College’s Roosevelt House, Randall B. Woods, professor of history at the University of Arkansas, described LBJ as “the education president.”...READ MORE
Mimi Levitt Sponsors Essay Contest at Hunter College: $2500 First Prize
By Dr. Pola Rosen
Spring, sports, balmy weather and the bustle of the college cafeteria did not distract the many students who crowded into the Faculty Dining Room to read, share thoughts and collect prizes along with award-winning writers Francine Prose, Carol Higgins Clark and Lewis Burke Frumkes, head of the Hunter Writing Center....READ MORE
Arthur Levine Attends ISA event in NYC
By Jennifer MacGregor
According to Dr. Gerry House, president of the Institute for Student Achievement (ISA), “the organization’s mission is to help transform public high schools so that students who are traditionally underserved and underperforming, graduate prepared for success in college.”....READ MORE
Michigan Professor Speaks at Rockefeller University on Improving Children’s IQ
By Sybil Maimin
An overflow crowd of eager parents and educators filled the auditorium at Rockefeller University to hear Richard E. Nesbitt, Ph.D., share his latest findings on “Intelligence and How to Get It: Why Schools and Culture Count.”....READ MORE
President Susan Fuhrman Presents Awards to Distinguished Alums at Teachers College
Academic Festival at Teachers College, Columbia University provided a great opportunity to learn, interact and discover what others are doing in education around the nation....READ MORE
Borough President Diaz, Mercy College & Truman HS Form The Bronx Achievement Pact
By Lauren Geloso
The Bronx Achievement Pact, is an innovative new educational initiative that aims to raise high school graduation rates, enhance college readiness and maximize college enrollment....READ MORE
Citigroup’s Parsons Speaks at Kossoff Lecture Series at Baruch College
Baruch College, under the able leadership of President Mitchel Wallerstein, holds the prestigious annual Kosoff Lecture Series, named after alumnus Burton Kosoff and endowed by his wife, Phyllis L. Kosoff in 2003....READ MORE
Bank Street Gala Honors Charlotte Frank and Yolanda Ferrell-Brown
President Elizabeth Dickey of Bank Street College, a leader in education, recently saluted Dr. Charlotte Frank, senior vice-president of McGraw-Hill and honored Yolanda Ferrell-Brown, president of Ferrell-Brown Design and a college trustee....READ MORE
Judge Judith Kaye Delivers Keynote Address At Touro College
Judge Judith Kaye, former Chief Judge of the State of New York, will be the keynote speaker at the Touro College Division of Graduate Studies commencement ceremonies to be held on June 4 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall....READ MORE
President Barack Obama To Receive Barnard College Medal of Distinction
President Barack H. Obama will deliver the keynote address at Barnard College’s 120th Commencement ceremony on Columbia University’s South Lawn....READ MORE
Congratulations to the Graduates of 2012
READ MORE
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Disabled Students Under Siege
By John J. Russell, Ed.D.
Since the Individuals with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) were originally enacted, the rights that these laws grant students have frequently been denied by schools. The case that Tom Freston brought against New York City is a prime example of the constant struggle that parents of disabled....READ BLOG
Teachers College Conference: New Hope on Rights for the Disabled
By Sybil Maimin
Coming in a motorized chair via subway to speak at the Teachers College Conference “When Worlds Collide 2012: Ongoing Challenges of Special Education,” David Morrissey brought optimism and hope....READ MORE
Harvard Expert Dr. Louisa Moats Introduces Educators to the Reading Rope at the Windward School
By Rich Monetti
The Windward School under the expert leadership of Dr. Jay Russell recently held its annual conference. Dr. L,ouisa Moats spoke at the Windward School in White Plains, N.Y. and presented “Reading like a Detective: The Essence of Comprehension.”....READ MORE
Lindamood-Bell Changes Children’s Lives
By Jennifer MacGregor
Lindamood-Bell is now celebrating twenty-five years of success in fifty centers including London and Sydney helping young people overcome reading and language problems....READ MORE
Childhood Mental Health Disorders: ADHD and Dyslexia
By Sybil Maimin
Almost 50 percent of youngsters with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are never diagnosed and, therefore, never treated....READ MORE
The Flawless Foundation Celebrates Fourth Anniversary With Tipper Gore
The Flawless Foundation recently celebrated its fourth anniversary at the annual Perfection Party....READ MORE
Kennedy Child Study Center Celebrates Peter Gorham & Elizabeth Schmeelk
Founded by Rose and Joseph Kennedy in 1958 in memory of their son, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., the Center, located in Manhattan and the Bronx, has been providing outstanding services to preschool children with developmental disabilities....READ MORE
MUSIC, ARTS & DANCE
Dr. Tamara Freeman: Teaching the Holocaust with Music
By Lisa K. Winkler
If the viola Dr. Tamara Freeman plays could speak, perhaps it would tell us the name of the original owner, a young Polish woman who perished in the Holocaust....READ MORE
LAW & EDUCATION
Moral Integrity and The Rule of Law
By Arthur Katz, JD
The New York Times recently published a lengthy article entitled “Vast Mexico Bribery Case Hushed Up by Wal-Mart After Top-Level Struggle.”
Although it ultimately may be shown that The New York Times got some of its facts wrong and that some of the anticipated legal ramificationss....READ MORE
MEDICAL UPDATE
THE ETHICS COLUMN
Resetting the Artificial Biological Clock
By Jacob M. Appel, M.D., J.D.
Since the birth of the first “test tube” baby, Louise Brown in 1978, in-vitro fertilization has become increasingly widespread. More than four million children have now been created as a result of the process. In New York City....READ MORE
Dr. Arthur Caplan at NYU: The Education of a Bioethicist
By Jacob M. Appel, M.D., J.D.
Arthur Caplan did not set out to become the nation’s foremost bioethicist....READ MORE
Explorations in Science: Horseshoe Crab Conservation
By Dr. Merryl Kafka
The Hudson River Foundation (HRF) is dedicated to scientific research and education that expands the history, culture and ecology of the mighty, majestic river that runs through 314 miles of New York State....READ MORE
Castle Connolly Honors Top Physicians at Seventh Annual Awards
The seventh annual Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. National Physician of the Year Awards took place recently at The Pierre Hotel in New York City....READ MORE
CAREERS
On the Scene with Benjamin Stimson, a Rising Director
By Mohammad Ibrar
An interview with Benjamin Stimson revealed that taking the unconventional path is difficult, but it can lead to success.....READ MORE
CHILDREN'S CORNER
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT’S DESK
Making New Friends and Staying in Touch With Old Ones
By Dr. Carole Hankin with Deborah French
Most parents and teachers recognize that children’s lives need to be balanced with a healthy mix of learning and socialization....READ MORE
BOOKS
BOOK REVIEW
Bad Teacher! How Blaming Teachers Distorts the Bigger Picture’
By Merri Rosenberg
Sometimes it seems as if teachers are blamed for almost everything that’s wrong in America. It’s amazing that teachers don’t pull the covers over their heads and simply stay home....READ MORE
BOOK REVIEW
‘Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching In Every School’
By Merri Rosenberg
I don’t think it’s an accident or coincidence that I’ve been reading and reviewing books about teachers lately....READ MORE
BOOK REVIEW
‘Sunday Is For The Sun, Monday Is For The Moon’
By Merri Rosenberg
With the relentless, dreary drill-and-kill scenario that has come to dominate too many classrooms in this high-stakes testing environment, it’s a relief to come across an alternative approach that celebrates the joys of reading rather than teaching only for the test (I’d love to ask the authors what they think of the recent “talking pineapple” fracas.)...READ MORE
BOOK REVIEW
‘The Gypsy Twist: A Max Royster Mystery’
By Merri Rosenberg
Go ahead. Have fun. Summer vacation definitely beckons — and this is an ideal book to tuck into your beach bag for your well-deserved break from the classroom....READ MORE
BOOK REVIEW
‘Diagnosis and Design for School Improvement’
By Merri Rosenberg
Scarcely a day goes by without another discussion in the public space, whether in the paper, on a local news program or the Internet, about improving student performance on high-stakes testing and ensuring that teachers are up to the task....READ MORE
SUMMER READING
New Cookbook Tells Tales Of Olive Oil In Recipes & Stories
Knowledgeable, riveting, and unique are three words to describe chef Henri Lorenzi’s new book, The Golden Touch Olive Oil: A Life in Recipes and Prose.....READ MORE
MOVIES & THEATER
Movie Review
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Blooms With First-Rate Actors
By Jan Aaron
Seniors rarely play lead roles in movies today; they’re sidekicks who are lonely, grumpy, or amazing fonts of wisdom....READ MORE
Movie Review
Polisse: Hard Labor
By Leonard Quart
David Simon’s brilliant TV series, “The Wire,” ran for five seasons receiving only modest ratings and predictably never winning a major television award. But critics exulted in the power and social acuity of the series....READ MORE
MOVIE REVIEW
When the 3 R’s Fail to Teach: ‘Monsieur Lazhar’
By Jan Aaron
Writer-director’s Philippe Falardeau’s Monsieur Lazhar, the French-Canadian film that was a nominee for this year’s foreign language Oscar, belongs in the general category of teacher-student movies....READ MORE
Movie Review
The Revisionaries
By Gillian Granoff
Among the big winners at the Tribeca Film festival this year was the compelling documentary “The Revisionaries,” which chronicles the hearings in Austin, Texas, by the Board of Education and the debate over the science and social studies curriculum in school textbooks....READ MORE
METROBEAT
Magee Hickey Honors Her Father’s Memory: An Unusual Channel 11 News Team Performs at Convent of the SacredHeart
By Dr. Pola Rosen
What brings the news team together singing and dancing a la Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Fred Astaire?....READ MORE |