Award Award Winner
Volume XIV, No. 9 • New York City • MAY 2009
www.EDUCATIONUPDATE.com
FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS photo by Chris Floyd/ ©Yoko Ono
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FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS
GUEST EDITORIAL
Imagining a Better Education By SCOTT NOPPE-BRANDON Anyone who has “read me” on these pages before knows that I am convinced that it is both the arts and the sciences that guide us through life. The way we explore the world is enriched if we do it as we would explore a work of art. But are the arts important in education? Well, imagine the world without any form of art at all: not only without the art found on stages or in museums, but without fashion and design, or the whole new universe of digital design, which we take for granted as we reboot our computers. The arts are the tools with which we go beyond the three Rs to cultivate complete human beings in a classroom, and open the door to adulthood for them. The arts are the ideal medium through which to educate for what has become a matter of survival: imagination. The basic skills of reading and mathematics, for all their undeniable importance, can no longer alone prepare students for today’s economic environment. Our society needs creative and imaginative people, including inventors, educators, Web developers, business people, architects, and yes: those in whose hands lie the matters of national security, war-waging, or peace-making. Imagination is needed in the jobs across the spectrum of the workforce—and I mean the whole spectrum. At the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School,
they have something called The Reaction Course: you are given some rope, a barrel, two wooden poles, and other odds and ends. You have fifteen minutes to figure out how to transport a wounded soldier across a gully. Maybe the poles can be a stretcher… Maybe the barrel can… Maybe… There is no right answer; there may be no possible solution anyway, but that is hardly the point. The urgency of the assignment awakens and tests your imagination. It reveals how you channel your imagination into practical use: Do you rush into an attempt without thinking it through? Do you let someone else take charge? Are you a delegator, a controller, a listener? You didn’t think I’d bring in the Marines, did you? I wanted to make a point about the seriousness of imagination in practice. The notion that the imagination is an indulgence reserved for children, or something ephemeral that you either have or you don’t, still exists. But The Center on Education Policy, The Conference Board, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, National Governors Association, and The National Center on Education and the Economy all cite imagination as a fundamental skill for individuals and
NILES, MI Dr. Harold Koplewicz: Impassioned Pioneer, Educator, Innovator To the Editor: Schools need all the help they can get to help
HARLEM DREAM AWARD 2008 PRESENTED TO
Dr. Pola Rosen Harlem Children Ա Society
students and parents. I am very interested in finding out how we could start a Parent Corps Program for all of our pre-schoolers. I really believe Dr. Koplewicz has done long-needed and invaluable research on children of all ages. I know reading one of his books probably saved my child’s life. As an educator and consultant for a school district, I see a great need for his Parent Corps program. Marilyn Maurer BLAKELY, GA Prison College Programs Unlock the Keys to Human Potential To the Editor: I read this article and it inspired me to know that there are people who care about prisoner education. I am an ex-prisoner who just recently
MAY 2009
EDUCATION UPDATE for the country. Innovative thinking is a competitive advantage that cannot be outsourced. To reform education and break the vicious cycle of poverty by developing 21st-century workforce skills, we need leaders and teachers who can create cultures of imagination; we must teach imagination and nurture imaginative educators. The arts, when taught well, are a natural generator of imaginative thinking, creative actions, and innovative outcomes. But can imagination be taught? Absolutely! By educating for imagination, creativity, and innovation (ICI), Lincoln Center Institute, which I’ve had the privilege of heading for fourteen years, has created a teaching and learning method applicable to the study of any subject in the curriculum, not the arts alone. In support of a focus on imagination in education, author Eric Liu and I have co-written a book, Imagination First, which connects the need for imaginative education to society’s need for innovative leaders. It is slated for release by Jossey-Bass in October 2009. # Scott Noppe-Brandon is Executive Director of the Lincoln Center Institute.
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PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEF: Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
ADVISORY COUNCIL: Mary Brabeck, Dean, NYU School of Education; Shelia Evans-Tranumn, Assoc. Comm. of Education, NYS; Charlotte K. Frank, Ph.D., Senior VP, McGraw-Hill; Joan Freilich, Ph.D., Trustee, Barnard College & College of New Rochelle; Andrew Gardner, Technology Teacher & Advisor, The School at Columbia U.; Cynthia Greenleaf, Ph.D.; Augusta S. Kappner, Ph.D., President Emeritus, Bank St. College; Bonnie Kaiser, Ph.D., Director, Precollege Program, Rockefeller University; Harold Koplewicz, M.D., Founder & Director, NYU Child Study Center; Ernest Logan, Pres., CSA; Cecilia McCarton, M.D., Dir., The McCarton Center; Eric Nadelstern, CEO, Empowerment Schools, NYC; Alfred S. Posamentier, Ph.D., Dean, School of Education, CCNY; David Steiner, Dean, Hunter College; Adam Sugerman, Publisher, Palmiche Press; Laurie Tisch, Chair, Center for Arts Education
ASSOCIATE EDITORS:
LETTERS CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND Dyslexia in the Prison Population To the Editor: I am a Counselor in New Zealand, who himself has dyslexia, and am very interested in your article. I am trying to get a study off the ground through the University of Canterbury in New Zealand concerning the dyslectic population of our inmates at Paparoa Prison. The Dyslectic Association says that as many as 75% of its inmates could have dyslexia. Thank you for your article. John Mac
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Heather Rosen, Adam Sugerman, Rob Wertheimer got out about a month and half ago. Before going to prison, I went to college from 1996-1998 at Albany State University. I lost my financial aid and am looking for grants or other aid to help me get back into school. Bryan Hall HALIFAX, MA A Force for British-Style Band Music at King’s Point To the Editor: Captain Force was an inspiration to the students of the Port Chester High School Band. I played the glockenspiel for the band in the 1970 Rose Bowl Parade, and I will never forget it! Ida Raduc
IN THIS ISSUE Guest Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Spotlight on Schools . . . . . . . . . . 3-7, 9 Medical Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Special Education . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 COVER STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14 College Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Colleges & Grad Schools . . . . . . . 15-21 Theater Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 International Education. . . . . . . . . . . 23
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Dan Lewis
ASSISTANTS TO THE PUBLISHER: Carolina Salas, Shara Grau
GUEST COLUMNISTS: Dr. Bonnie Brown, Dr. Carole Hankin, President Eduardo Martí, Scott NoppeBrandon, Dean Alfred Posamentier, Dr. John J. Russell, Richard Spivak, Sharon Vatsky, Christina Yang
STAFF WRITERS: Jan Aaron, McCarton Ackerman, Jacob Appel, J.D., Judith Aquino, Joan Baum, Ph.D., Adam Bloch, Alberto Cepeda, Dorothy Davis, Steven Frank, Gillian Granoff, Richard Kagan, Sybil Maimin, Martha McCarthy, Ph.D., Joy Resmovits, Lauren Shapiro, Emily Sherwood, Ph.D., Marisa Suescun, Lisa Winkler
BOOK REVIEWERS: Harris Healy III, Merri Rosenberg, Selene Vasquez
MEDICAL EDITOR: Herman Rosen, M.D.
MODERN LANGUAGE EDITOR: Adam Sugerman
MOVIE & THEATER REVIEWS: Jan Aaron
MUSIC EDITOR: Irving M. Spitz
ART DIRECTOR: Neil Schuldiner
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: Martin Lieberman, Manager; Richard Kagan, Chris Rowan, Carolina Salas Education Update is published monthly by Education Update, Inc. All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Education Update 695 Park Avenue, Ste. E1509 New York, NY 10065-5024 Subscription: Annual $30. Copyright © 2009 Education Update
Education Update is an independent newspaper
MAY 2009
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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THE FRESHMAN ACADEMIES: NURTURING THE GROWTH OF THE I NDIVIDUAL IN A S UPPORTIVE E NVIRONMENT By EDUARDO J. MARTÍ, Ph.D. As a leader in community college education for more than 25 years, I strongly believe that two essential components of academic success are excellent student support services and a community college curriculum that transcends merely training students for jobs. Further, I believe that we must make available to our students, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds, the benefits normally associated with independent colleges where individualized attention is the norm. This fall, Queensborough Community College will launch the Freshman Academies, designed to provide every full-time, first-time student personalized academic and student support during their first two semesters. While other colleges have implemented similar versions of this program, Queensborough is the only community college to offer the initiative institution-wide, encompassing all of its programs of study. Each one of the incoming, full-time freshman students will be placed into one of six Academies based upon his or her intended field of study: Business, Education, Liberal Arts, Health Related Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
This ambitious initiative utilizes the expertise of academic and student services professionals to work with students in their area of study, implementing programs designed to enrich and reinforce what students learn in the classroom. Ten Freshman Coordinators have been hired to provide students with guidance on academic advisement, registration and orientation, and to act as a bridge to the tutoring, financial aid, counseling, and career services of the College. Each Academy has at least one Freshman Coordinator, dependent upon total student enrollment in the Academy, resulting in an average caseload of 250 students per Freshman Coordinator. Applicants for fall 2009 are in contact with their Freshman Coordinators from the moment they are enrolled at the College; Coordinators encourage them to take their placement exams early and, for those with remedial needs, to take the free University Summer Immersion Program (USIP) courses prior to acceptance. There will be a minimum of two days of orientation in August, during which academic expectations will be clarified. The College has also designated Faculty Coordinators for each Academy, who act as the principle academic liaison, maintaining the interaction between faculty, Freshman Coordinator,
Gilder Lehrman Institute Awards Bicentennial Lincoln Prize
and the academic and student support services that are the foundation of this program. Other significant advantages for the students include interaction between peers and faculty, which spurs creative thinking and new approaches to learning. This includes opportunities to participate in High Impact Learning Activities designed to enrich the curriculum, such as service learning, writing intensive courses, as well as utilizing the cultural resources of the College—the Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center, the QCC Art Gallery, and the Queensborough Performing Arts Center (QPAC)—as learning laboratories. I am confident that, as a result of the increased
one-on-one attention, along with our unique, institution-wide approach, our Freshman Academies, which could become a model in colleges across the nation, will raise the retention and graduation rates of our students while building their commitment to their future education and lifelong careers.# Eduardo J. Martí, Ph.D. is President of Queensborough Community College.
“ You have a choice, so take a
serious look at Sadlier-Oxford Progress in Mathematics, K–8.”
Don Pollard
– Alfred S. Posamentier
Lewis Lehrman, Craig Symonds, James McPherson, Richard Gilder
By SYBIL MAIMIN The Lincoln Prize, the most prestigious and lucrative award in American history scholarship, was presented recently to two giants in the field at a gala dinner at The Union League Club—an institution that traces its origins back to the Civil War. James McPherson, emeritus professor at Princeton University, received the award for Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief, and Craig Symonds, emeritus professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, for Lincoln and His Admirals: Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Navy, and the Civil War. An especially significant honor this year, the 200th anniversary of the death of Lincoln, the Bicentennial Year Lincoln Prize competition attracted a record 172 entries. Although 16,000 books have been written about Lincoln (4,000 are juvenile titles), research continues to produce new information and fresh perspectives. Explaining his choice of subject, McPherson noted that little work has been done on the Civil
War president’s abilities as commander-in-chief to integrate military strategy with national and political objectives. McPherson spoke of his growing respect as he got to know our sixteenth president, as well as of the perception that Lincoln was conservative regarding slavery and race. In his book he shows that, “Lincoln hated slavery as much as any abolitionist, but as a politician he could not act on the issue.” In the face of “powerful cross-currents of political and military pressures… if he tried to act on slavery in the beginning he would fracture the war coalition.” He became the first president to use his wartime powers to forge an integrated national strategy. Although not formally educated, as a “modern” commander-in-chief and voracious learner, he understood (sometimes more than his generals) tactics and strategy, new technology, chains of command, the importance of troop morale, and
continued on page 4
Alfred S. Posamentier Senior Author Progress in Mathematics Dean, School of Education and Professor of Mathematics Education The City College The City University of New York New York, NY
Call today for your free evaluation copies, 877-930-3336. Mention Promo Code E2.
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GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE AWARDS $50K
MAY 2009
STATEN ISLANDER PETER CEA WINS AWARD Eric Draper
Craig Symonds, 2009 Lincoln Book Prize Winner, Discusses his Work
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(L-R) NYS Regent Dr. Christine Cea, President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush & Awardee Peter Cea
Professor Craig Symonds
INTERVIEW By STEVEN FRANK SPECIAL TO EDUCATION UPDATE Each year, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History co-sponsors the Lincoln Book Prize with Gettysburg College. The Prize is awarded to the best book of the year about Lincoln or the Civil War era. One of this year’s Prize winners, Professor Craig Symonds, answered questions for Education Update. Steven Frank (SF): How were you drawn to write your book that eventually won the Lincoln Book Prize? Craig Symonds (CS): The subject of my book—and even its title—was inspired by T. Harry Williams’ 1952 classic Lincoln and His Generals, which dealt with Lincoln as commander-in-chief, but only in regard to his relationship with army leaders. I wondered if Lincoln’s management of the Navy might not reveal other aspects of Lincoln’s personality, and offer one more lens through which we could study and understand his leadership. SF: What is it about Lincoln that interests you most? CS: Much of our interest in Lincoln derives from the fact that he lived in such tumultuous times, and that he was martyred at the precise moment of victory. But in addition to that, I think he fascinates us because of a trait that is extraordinarily rare, especially in national leaders: a relative absence of ego. Lincoln was a modest man—and genuinely modest, not merely for public consumption. While he regularly and willingly gave credit to his lieutenants, of both the army and the navy, he almost never sought to claim personal credit for himself, or to deflect blame onto others. Some of this is evident in his magisterial Second Inaugural Address. SF: What were you most proud of in your book? CS: I was especially gratified that it was still possible to say something new about Lincoln, especially concerning his difficult struggle, both personal and political, with the issue of black freedom, the great historical issue of his generation, and indeed of American history. SF: Lincoln is a man enshrined in myth and marble with his own temple on the National Mall. What is the greatest myth and/or misconception about Lincoln that still resonates today? CS: Recently it has become fashionable to try to debunk Lincoln as an icon of American history by claiming that he does not deserve the title of Great Emancipator—that he was himself a racist and was “forced into glory” (in the words of one critic) by events. By 21st century standards, Lincoln was no doubt a racist, but he was much less so than almost any other man of his generation, and he applied his considerable political skill to achieving what amounted to an American
revolution by pushing both emancipation and black freedom as fast as contemporary opinion would allow. SF: What made Lincoln such a powerful communicator? CS: Lincoln loved language. He was, in fact, a kind of prose poet whose language in many of his public addresses, and even in his private letters, shows that he labored over not only what he wanted to say, but how to say it. Part of his great success in this regard is derived from his careful study of Shakespeare’s plays and the King James Bible, but mostly it was the result of hard work. SF: If John Wilkes Booth hadn’t murdered Lincoln in 1865, how would the U.S. be different today? CS: I’m not sure that it would be, for we have at last overcome most of the mistakes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that emerged from the Civil War. But it is very likely that the immediate aftermath of the war—the period labeled (actually mislabeled) Reconstruction—would have been very different had Lincoln lived. Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson, mistook Lincoln’s unwillingness to punish the South as a willingness to let the South reassert its control over the emancipated slaves. That led to his fight with the Radicals, impeachment, and the period of “Radical Reconstruction”. But forgiving the South is not the same as abandoning the Freedmen. Making guesses about alternative courses of history is always dangerous, but I think it is safe to say that Lincoln would have sought more of a progressive solution to the problems of Reconstruction than Johnson did, and that he would have done so with far more political skill. In short, Reconstruction would have been shorter, less violent, and less of a black mark in American history had Lincoln lived out his second term. SF: President Barack Obama looks to Lincoln as a mentor. What can he learn from Lincoln? CS: It appears that Obama has already tried to emulate his political idol in a number of ways. Perhaps the most important of these is patience. It is a rare enough virtue in any era, but particularly hard to sustain in an era of sound bites, instant punditry, and constant cable news. Lincoln had the advantage of a slower news cycle, but he was still assailed by critics for being slow to come to a decision. Nevertheless, both Lincoln and Obama seem to appreciate that shooting from the hip almost always causes more problems than it solves. SF: Given the tremendous number of books already written about Lincoln, is it still possible to say anything new about him? CS: Yes. While it is unlikely that we will learn much new information about him, the meaning of Lincoln’s legacy shifts depending on the needs and concerns of each generation. The “Lincoln
Peter Cea was a Presidential Greeter just before President George W. Bush left the White House. He participated for three years as a volunteer with the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum, working on its restoration in Staten Island. In a letter from the White House he was cited as “an excellent example of the difference one person can make in the lives of others.” lessons” that spoke to the generation living in the first decade of the 20th century were very different than for those living in the first decade of the 21st century. That is why continual assessment still yields benefits even for a subject so frequently studied as Lincoln. SF: What advice would you give to educators who teach Lincoln? CS: Lincoln loved language. One of the ways he became such a powerful speaker and writer—and leader—was by paying close attention to words and language. Much of this is lost today when we take shortcuts in writing emails and, especially, text messages. The message is important, to be sure, but so is the language. I urge educators to have their students read Lincoln’s most brilliant works aloud—even in high schools and universities. It’s slower, to be sure, but saying and hearing the words endows them with the kind of serious attention they deserve. In addition, I urge educators at every level to require that their students memorize portions of Lincoln’s speeches. Memorization is much out
Gilder Lehrman continued from page 3 cooperation between the services. With impressive skills and timing tempered by patience, he brought both victory and abolition to the nation. Symonds suggested that the reason no books have been written about the Civil War navy is that it was mostly a land conflict, but adds, “to assess the way he handled the navy is a way to assess his presidency.” This “wartime president who hated war” made most commander-in-chief decisions using instinct and common sense. He did not direct events; he guided them, admitting, “Events control me.” Explained Symonds, Lincoln repeatedly exhibited “patience, pragmatism, and a near absence of ego.” Patience was particularly valuable. Not assertive, he often waited and watched as a situation developed, frequently gaining advantage in the interim. He showed patience at Fort Sumter, leaving the onus of firing the first shot of the Civil War on Jefferson Davis. He showed patience in the Trent Affair involving seizure of Confederate diplomats from a British ship, and averted confrontation. He deftly adjudicated disputes between admirals and generals. Yet there was a limit to Lincoln’s patience, added Symonds: “He did not compromise on issues of principle…He was willing to make the hard calls and take responsibility.” The $50,000 Lincoln Prize was founded and endowed in 1990 by philanthropists, businessmen, and American history devotees Richard
of fashion now, consigned to the bad old days of corporal punishment and rote learning. But memorization is an excellent mental exercise, and helps students see how the language works. It is how Lincoln learned—he could recite long passages of both prose and poetry all his life. # Craig L. Symonds, who was a finalist for the 1993 prize, is Professor of American History Emeritus at the United States Naval Academy. He has authored or edited seventeen books on the Civil War era, including widely acclaimed biographies of General Joseph E. Johnston, Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan, and the “Stonewall of the West”, Patrick Cleburne. His previous book, Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, earned the Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Prize for Naval History. During his long career on the faculty at Annapolis, Professor Symonds became the first person ever to win both the Naval Academy’s “Excellence in Teaching” award (1988) and its “Excellence in Research” award (1998).
Gilder and Lewis Lehrman together with Professor Gabor Boritt, director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, whose Lincoln and Soldiers Institute administers the award. Gilder and Lehrman are also principals of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which is actively involved in history education. Among the 250 guests at the awards dinner were many distinguished historians as well as some current students and historians of the future from Gettysburg College and several New York City high schools. Gilder remarked, “I feel a real warmth from people toward Abraham Lincoln. Unlike royalty, he earned his honor.” Lehrman, who recently produced the book Lincoln and Peoria, spoke of “gratification on seeing the widespread celebrations around the country on the occasion of the Lincoln Bicentennial.” James G. Basker, professor of literary history at Barnard College and vice chairman of the Lincoln and Soldiers Institute, noted an exhibition, “Lincoln and New York”, is opening at the New-York Historical Society in the fall. Brent D. Glass, director of the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., which just opened a Lincoln exhibit, praised the prize for “bringing attention to the craft of writing history.” This year marked the eighteenth annual Lincoln Prize celebration. More will come. Professor Marc Egnal, professor of history at York University in Toronto, Canada, who attended the dinner, confided he is submitting his Civil War book, Clashes of Extremes, for the 2010 prize. #
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EDUCATION UPDATE
Profile of a Guidance Counselor at Manhattan/Hunter Science HS By LAUREN SHAPIRO Beth Procho has been a guidance counselor in the same building for 18 years. Now known as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Educational Campus, the building is home to six schools, one of which is The Manhattan/Hunter Science High School, where Ms. Procho is now counseling about 150 students. Students go to Ms. Procho to discuss “academics, college advising, and the usual adolescent problems—dating, friends, not getting along with teachers.” There are sometimes deeper problems. “Our school is geared towards low-income, first-generation American students, and the goal is to get them into college and to stay in college.” She explains, “if students were categorized as levels one through four, where one was gifted and four was below average, our kids would be levels two and three.” These students take a mix of high school and college courses; by senior year they are physically on the Hunter campus. How do kids at level two and three manage college work? “We spend three years with those twos and threes getting them ready,” explains Susan Kreisman, the school’s Principal. “We work very closely with them in a very rigorous program that prepares them for that senior year.” It is rewarding, but stressful. “The most important thing I do,” says Ms. Procho, “is have the student express her feelings and be heard. So many times the kids just need to speak to someone who is not a friend, not a parent, not the boyfriend.” There are also groups run by the school’s social worker, Cathy Karlson, C.S.W., and her interns. What is her most pressing need? “Smaller caseloads,” she replies. “The demands are enormous. There’s an emergency here, an emergency there,
exams, absences; it’s not like you’re going to be able to sit down once a week for the next six months and see this person.” Here is where this article begins to read like the children’s book Beth Procho Fortunately, written in the 1960s by Remy Charlip. Its theme is, “fortunately, something good happened,” but then, “unfortunately, something bad happened.” Fortunately, Ms. Karlson is aided by two social work interns from Hunter. Unfortunately, she has to “provide minimally one and one half hours of supervision per week per individual,” putting even more strain on her schedule. “Every day that they are here I’m providing some supervision.” Fortunately, there’s “an adolescent clinic in our building, sponsored by St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, with a nurse practitioner, social workers, a pediatrician who comes in every so often, and there was a psychiatrist once a week.” Unfortunately, students are often reluctant to go to the clinic. Fortunately, Ms. Karlson will “take them down to the clinic and introduce them. The kid is nervous, saying ‘I don’t know them,’ so we make it friendly—we want them to be comfortable with their service providers.” Unfortunately, “while the clinic downstairs will see any child” when children are referred out to the St. Luke’s site, they must have health insurance, and fill out a lengthy questionnaire; these are often deterrences. Fortunately, Ms. Karlson says, “If a child is depressed and doesn’t have insurance, I will find a different resource for them. That’s what we
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SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS
Reach the World’s Global Journeys for Students and Teachers Reach the World (RTW) is a unique nonprofit organization with the mission of linking students and teachers to online, global journeys that have the power to expand learning beyond the four walls of the classroom. Reach the World was founded by Heather Halstead and Marc Gustafson in 1997 in an effort to revolutionize the delivery of curriculum, enabling all classrooms, in all communities, to use interactive resources that bring the world’s environments and cultures vividly to life for students. Reach the World’s website, www.reachtheworld.org, is a teaching tool that helps teachers to enhance the existing curriculum, while also giving students a way to connect to a broader world at a time when intercultural understanding is more critical than ever. When learning is meaningful, students feel compelled to read, are excited to do research, and are motivated to work on projects. RTW’s online journeys are interactive, real-life learning experiences that engage and connect students to the world around them. Reach the World supports a network of elementary and middle school classrooms in New York City, primarily in Title I schools. RTW provides each of its partner schools with teacher training, staff support, and technology consulting via a partnership with Teachers College, Columbia University. RTW also coordinates visits to each classroom by the online travelers and interactive chats via text or video throughout the school year. do.” Unfortunately, Ms. Procho, who also makes referrals to programs like Alateen, finds that children often don’t follow through. Fortunately is fantasy. Unfortunately, this is real life.#
Reach the World features multiple journeys on its website. All of the RTW travelers are volunteers and write content for the website each week. Next year (2009-2010), RTW will offer a slate of exciting journeys for New York City public schools to join! The journeys will include a trip around the United States by a family of five; an environmental science-themed journey to the largest eco-village in the world in Auroville, India; a sailing journey from Hawaii to New Zealand; a sailing journey from England to California via the Panama Canal; and a biking trek through South America. Schools are invited to apply to participate in Reach the World during the 2009-2010 school year. Fully-funded spaces are limited in this unique program, so interested principals and teachers are urged to act quickly! For more information and a copy of the school application, please contact Heather Halstead, Executive Director, at rtwinfo@reachtheworld.org, or (212) 288-6987. #
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New York City • MAY 2009 FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS
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The Two Worlds Of Medicine & Dance: Dr. Ann Danoff By JOAN BAUM, Ph.D. There’s a buoyant, animated physicality to her walk as she moves along the hospital corridor with a joyous confidence born of feeling right in her skin and passionate about her work. It’s not the expected demeanor of a medical doctor, especially one who is a division program head at one of the nation’s most prestigious health care institutions, the New York University School of Medicine. But Dr. Ann Danoff, M.D., F.A.C.P., Associate Professor and Program Director of Fellowship Training in NYU’s Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, is not your typical doctor. A relatively late starter in medical school, a fiercely independent and proudly iconoclastic believer in medicine as a “calling,” Dr. Danoff takes delight in describing the circuitous route that led from her being a 15-year old dancer living alone in the city to being a student at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and then to board certifications in internal medicine and endocrinology. Citing family involvement in social-minded politics and the arts (her Yiddish-speaking grandparents were conversant with some of their era’s leading intellectuals and artists), Dr. Danoff also recalls a transformative childhood experience when she sensed one day a “mystical” connection between herself and the physical universe, an intense and abiding feeling that led her to dance—not to classical ballet, but to the kind of visionary dance embodied in the artistry of Martha Graham and of Kenneth King and Jimmy Waring, who were associated with the Judson Dance Theatre. There was also a brief stint with Twyla Tharp. Though totally devoted to that bohemian world, she also managed to complete high school (Midwood, in Brooklyn) and, later on, teaching dance to support herself, go back to college at the age of 23 and earn a degree in The City University’s innovative, interdisciplinary, and inter-college CUNY B.A. Program. She also acquired friends along the way who introduced her to new books, one a textbook that “knocked me out”—Alex Novikoff’s Cells and Organelles (1976). She was “smitten” with the subject matter—“God’s choreography on a cellular level.” This was physics, she was “physical”—what a serendipitous, imaginative connection. Besides, the timing could not have been better. A back injury (dancing across a cement floor) had caused her to reconsider her career. But going back to study and then getting accepted to medical school as a nontraditional student wasn’t easy. Rejected by one famous research-oriented
“discrimination”—and while endocrinology may be a relatively low-stress discipline, compared with others, pursuing research, serving on staff, and keeping up with new findings can be more demanding than women imagine. “I totally sup-
Ann Danoff, M.D.
medical school, on which, ironically, she would later serve as a member of the admissions board, she was wait-listed at another. She laughs, still, at the coincidence of having discovered that the name of the then dean at The Medical College of PA was Tharp (no relation). Listening to Dr. Danoff describe her unusual route to becoming a doctor, challenges and all, is to know that in some relatively rare individuals, idealism can prevail. She is intense about wanting her Fellows to have compassion inform their life’s work, but she recognizes that attitudes must be inculcated early, way before medical school. She spends time interviewing prospective candidates about their “goals and objectives” to see if she can help them find their own path. Yes, her Fellows must be smart, but she wants to mentor students who are not programmed, would-be specialists, but men and women who care about serving people. She’s “horrified” by a lot in medical school curricula—a lack of engaging the imagination, a failure to regard patients as “sick” people instead of customers or consumers, a tendency to use technology to present information but not also encourage innovative thinking that might lead to a conceptual breakthrough (though she is excited about participating in NYU’s new “spiral curriculum” that should deepen the acquisition and appreciation of medical knowledge). And, of course, she is particularly alert to “conflicts” inherent in the decision to go to medical school on the part of women—there’s still
Do you feel intense sadness and yearning for someone who died, like grief will never end? Do you avoid reminders that your loved one is gone? Do you feel as though joy is gone forever?
port women having kids, but it comes with a price tag.” For Dr. Ann Danoff, however, it’s clear— the price has been right, the value significant, the benefits to others incalculable. Her fellows have a hard act to follow. #
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MAY 2009
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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7
SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS
By GILLIAN GRANOFF In the wake of Hurricane Ike, students in Advanced Media Technology at Ball High School in Galveston, Texas discarded their study of black
and white films in exchange for a project that would breathe color and life back into the streets of their beleaguered city. Through the empowering glare of a camera lens, they are working to
Q & A WITH TEACHER ROBERT WEISS & STUDENT JENNIFER WILLCUT In preparing for the above story, Gillian Granoff interviewed the class’ teacher, Robert Weiss, as well as student Jennifer Willcut. Below is an excerpt from their correspondence. Education Update (EU): How did the idea for the film come about? Robert Weiss (RW): We had just returned to school after three weeks of being out for Hurricane Ike. In the film class second period we had a round-robin session and we all told our personal stories; we realized that what had happened was going to change Galveston forever, impact students’ and faculty’s lives forever, and we decided, together, we needed to capture this struggle. We dropped the film project we had started before the storm, and we set out on foot in the neighborhoods around the school to begin capturing survivors’ stories. The neighborhoods around Ball High flooded with two to six feet of putrid water, and a whole block adjacent to the school was burned down and whipped by the hurricane force winds. In our first hour out on our first day, we met a woman who was salvaging what she could from her house that had burned to the ground. This first day out made the students realize the power of documentary work and the poignancy of their loss. EU: How has the hurricane impacted the lives of your students themselves? RW: This documentary has been a struggle. We are constantly reliving the anguish this storm caused to the people on and around Galveston. We were covering all of these stories, and heard tremendous tales of verve and adversity. After we started to assemble footage, the realization set in that what we were doing was going to be looked back upon in the future as an official record of this storm. It is an honest attempt to capture the feelings of the community and hear the stories of the people who lived through it. The Rosenberg Library here in town is really interested in the movie we are making as an official historical account. The students know that what they are doing is going to alter the way people feel about natural disasters and bring sympathy and recognition to the determination and grit the people on this island have displayed. EU: What roles have the students been playing in the editing, shaping, interviewing, and fund-raising aspects of the film production? RW: The students are involved with every aspect of this creation. Jennifer Willcut has done most of the interviews. Her interviewing skills have really shaped the film. The entire class did the directing and it is a very diplomatic matter. All of the proceeds from the grants and donations they are seeking will be going to the Galveston Educational Foundation. EU: What impact has the film had on the lives of the community members and of the students themselves? RW: This film is a way for the students to address their needs as artists and to work through the mental strain that Hurricane Ike left on all of us. Some of the students are still living in hotels and one-room houses. The students and I stay here after school for three hours everyday, and they love being here to work on a project. After school is the time when we go out and get interviews and do presentations to various orga-
nizations around town to raise funds and awareness of what the students are doing. EU: Where do you plan to screen the film? Do you have any plans to screen the film to schools outside the local Galveston area to help raise awareness about the ongoing financial and rebuilding efforts? RW: The film is set to debut here at Ball High School on May 21 and we plan to have more screenings at different venues here on the island. We are also looking for supporters to sponsor showings at their performance spaces. We plan to mail out many DVDs of the video in hope of raising awareness and acquiring the muchneeded funds to rebuild our schools. EU: What have been the most satisfying and or challenging parts of making the film? RW: We have put in many long hours and gone through devastating interviews and footage. Everyone we have talked to sees this storm as a way for the community to come together. Some think of it as a new beginning. Almost all of the residents that we interviewed say that they got to know all of their neighbors and found new appreciation for the strength of the people in this community. -----------------------------Education Update (EU): What inspired you to undertake this project? Jennifer Willcut (JW): Coming back from a month of trauma, and the stress of the unknown, I was hesitant to make the documentary. When I heard that Ball High re-opened, I was so relieved to have some escape from this stress. It was only a couple of weeks into filming that I realized how much I wanted to make this film and how important it was to me. I found that it wasn’t an inside look into destruction. It was the story of Galveston’s people finding strength, or regaining their hope and willpower. People years from now will think about Hurricane Ike, and they’ll have this to watch. It’s not just a documentary, it’s a part of Galveston’s history. EU: What has the process of making this film taught you? JW: Probably the most important lesson I’ve gained from making the film, from a production aspect, is what hard work can bring you. I’ve also learned just how much I love making movies. I’ve always known that film was my passion and calling. I know now that making movies is the only option for me. I have rediscovered my passion for the art of it, and I don’t care anymore if it means I’ll live in a duplex or a mansion. We Hurricane Story Tellers are a very diverse group of people. Our documentary has helped us in many ways, professionally. Yes, we’ve learned a lot about our community, but we’re also taking skills with us into college. We have witnessed our community, our fellow citizens and neighbors pick themselves up, on their own, and reclaim their island. EU: What was the most challenging part of making the film? JW: The most challenging part of making the film, for me, is the pressure to get our story right. Taking on this responsibility is also a privilege; therefore, it’s also the most rewarding. My favorite part of my day is when people tell us how proud they are of us. We’re making the film to do just that: make people proud, to give something in commemoration of our community. #
deflect public awareness away from the eye of the storm and towards a portrait of a city and community coming together to rebuild against all odds. Under the guidance and direction of their teacher, Robert Weiss, the students charted a new curriculum that would revitalize the community: they took to the streets, cameras and microphones in hand, to give voice to the survivors and unsung heroes of the storm. The result was unexpected: the film students captured images not of devastation and demise, but of courage and resilience. They found heroes in the everyday stories of their community’s survival. They discovered brave residents who, rather than wait for public assistance, took the onus of repairing and rebuilding their community upon their own shoulders. The students conducted interviews with people who have lost everything, citizens who resided in the government-provided “Tent City”, top Galveston and Houston officials, numerous volunteer recovery workers, and individuals who rode out the storm. Having dubbed themselves the Hurricane Storytellers and generated an outreach movement, their goal is to use their footage in a documentary to raise awareness, as well as crucial funds, to restore and rebuild Galveston and, in particular, its ailing school system. The students have developed a partnership with the Galveston Independent School District, and all proceeds from the film will benefit the Galveston ISD Educational Foundation. Initially, the students were reluctant to take on the project; they craved escape and solace in the shelter of their classroom. It was only through the encouragement of Weiss that they allowed themselves to follow through with the project. Now, inspired by glimpses of hope and survival seen in the stories of their fellow community members, the students have gained a new direction and confidence in themselves. Making the film has already become a tool in their own recovery, said one of the students, Jennifer Willcut, 18. “Dealing with people on a daily basis who have lost everything—and I mean everything—has taught me to appreciate what I have. I still have a part of my home left, and I didn’t have to relocate and start all over again with nothing. “Taking on this responsibility is a privilege. My favorite part of my day is when people tell us how proud they are of us. We’re making the film to do just that: make people proud, to give something in commemoration of our community. When people get emotional seeing our film or simply congratulating us, we know that we’ve done exactly what we set to do.”
Robert Weiss
Students See Life Through a New Lens in Galveston
In the course of making the film, the students have not only honed their critical thinking, interviewing, and film production skills, but have also reclaimed the focus and ownership of William Gomez their own lives. “I’ve seen how my hard work and complete dedication can bring more reward then monetary value,” said Willcut. “It’s something that will help and affect people, and now I fully understand that I really only care about the artistic reward, about giving back to people. Also, I know now that making movies is the only option for me. It’s the only thing that will make me happy in life. I have rediscovered my passion for the art of it.” As the tide turns, and the remnants of a once vibrant community up on Galveston’s wash shores, the Hurricane Storytellers are making sure that the waves of the storm will not drown out the voices of their once vibrant community. Already, echoes of their resurgent community have traveled across the borders of their home state to the rest of the country. In May, the inspirational story of the these students will make its way to New York, where the Storytellers will meet with Dan Rather to discuss their experience, as well as interview the prominent journalist about his own career. What began as a school project has taught these students a lesson that will resonate outside their classroom walls: one of responsibility, community, and the power of the camera lens as a tool to communicate and build bridges. # Anyone interested in making a donation to the project, or obtaining copies of the documentary, can log on to www.ikedocumentary.com for more information.
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8
SUMMER CAMPS
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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MAY 2009
Bank Street Summer Camp: Educational While Being Recreational It has been widely acknowledged, at least since the 1980s, that many domestic academic institutions (particularly public) often lack thorough science, technology, foreign language, and arts classes. This is not to mention the periodic lacking of these classes all together. Bank Street Summer Camp has had the pleasure of offering a variety of programs that nurture and encourage all of these disciplines, with the hopes of supplementing the success and academic diversity that our children require and deserve. While these subjects can and often should be considered in an academic fashion, the benefit of putting them in a camp setting is that a certain amount of academic pressure is removed. Children have an opportunity to experiment and enjoy these experiences more than they would in school, which is a crucial opportunity. Simultaneously, children can enjoy swimming, physical activity, and various other leisurely aspects of camp. While the benefits of math and science are more commonly recognized, the arts, technology, and language are in fact equally important. Bank Street knows that everyone needs some type of artistic release in order to promote different types of thought, as well as relieve stress. Children in particular require the arts because the classes enable young minds to wonder beyond constriction and to think outside of the proverbial box. While these opportunities are integral to the psychological development of all children, they are crucial to the children of troubled communities. For these children music, art, and theater provide a
distraction from personal problems. The problems these children deal with before adolescence are problems some people never even acknowledge in their entire lifetimes. The arts also encourage self-determination, which can be productive in countless ways. Since songs involve counting, rhythm, and memory retention, music has incredible mathematical applications. Theater has many similar applications in terms of timing and memory. Contemporary computer software has endless academic applications, and can reinforce almost any lesson a teacher might plan. Learning languages not only teaches at least a small amount of history, but also encourages us to relate to those
Baseball, Apple Pie, and Camp It seems that we cannot turn on the TV or open a newspaper without hearing a discussion on the state of the economy, corruption, and loss. Not only is this constant negative bombardment emotionally exhausting, but it gives the impression that everything is just a mere flush away from being sucked down the giant bowl of economic failure, leaving us wondering, “what is left?” Well, the good news is that not everything has headed south in a hand-basket. Yes, America: a tradition prevails that we can still count on— there is still summer camp. American summer camps have been weathering economic climate changes for nearly a century and a half, and have remained viable through good times and bad because of the strength and value in their mission to change lives for the better. The camp experience is an American tradition because of the value camp adds to the lives of kids. Camp helps children grow emotionally; develop values like respect, honesty, caring, and
sharing; develop critical skills, such as leadership, independence, and personal responsibility; participate in physical activities and exercise; connect to nature; form authentic relationships; and take healthy risks in a safe and nurturing environment. It is because of these types of positive outcomes that summer camp has retained its value with American parents for nearly one hundred and fifty years. Camp is a legacy worth preserving. Research shows that children benefit from the camp experience; now, more than ever, camp is an essential part of a child’s development. The American Camp Association® (ACA) works to preserve, promote and enhance the camp experience for children and adults. ACAAccredited® camp programs ensure that children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally challenging learning opportunities. There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps that meet up to 300 health and safety standards. For more information, visit www. ACAcamps.org. #
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with whom we do not necessarily have much in common at face value. Learning foreign languages also encourages memory retention. As an organization that works with children we feel it is crucial to be conscientious in terms of rectifying academic inequities. We strive to break away from teaching on the simple basis of memorization, and motivate towards progressive thought. This type of motivation can be done when teaching science and technology, but it is almost guaranteed when teaching the arts and foreign languages. We believe entire school and camp administrations need to stand up when faced with both bureaucracy and adversity, and do what is necessary to accomplish goals that are more important than many want to admit. Although some people who run camps may not view themselves as educators, we accept the responsibility of nurturing academic trends and practices when dealing with young minds. Summer camp administrations often talk about
“team-building” and self-esteem, but it is seldom that they have a further academic agenda. In light of this practice, we have created camp programs that involve languages, reading, math, science, technology, and the arts. With the proper planning and initiative, fundamental reading, writing, and math can be encompassed in an interdisciplinary camp program. The same program can promote science and the even more neglected realms of music, theater, and visual arts. Bank Street believes that it is extraspecial to bring these disciplines to a camp setting. To do this is to remove a certain amount of academic pressure, while still reinforcing values and instituting practice. Summer camps naturally exude a fun atmosphere, and to add academic components does not sacrifice that. However, Bank Street has once again been able to transcend traditional purposes and notions in order to do something that will ultimately be of immeasurable importance to our children. #
MAY 2009
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS
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FROM THE SUPERINTENDENTS’ DESKS
CONTINUING SPORTS BEYOND GRADUATION By DR. CAROLE HANKIN Many parents realize that sports can play a tremendous role in a child’s development. From the first days of tee ball or Little League in elementary school to participation on varsity teams in high school, we know that sports teach kids the importance of physical fitness, teamwork, dedication, and perseverance—all values that can be applied throughout a lifetime. However, not every child has a competitive drive, and even those who do may not “make the team” for their sport of choice. Years ago, there wasn’t much opportunity to develop an interest in a non-team sport; today, there are other offerings for young people that not only develop personal fitness but have great value for life after graduation. For every parent who sees his or her child as a star professional athlete in the making, there are other parents who may view these sports as more of a passing trend—recreational activities in which kids can take part while they’re in school, but are not likely to continue past graduation, and certainly not likely to produce any milliondollar contracts. Participation in sports need not come to a halt
once graduation day rolls around. Many adults today are continuing to participate in sports well into their later years. These can be strictly recreational, fitness-oriented, or competitive, but they can also play a role in the business world. While the practical applications of hockey or wrestling may be limited in an office setting, many professionals are turning to sports like golf, tennis, or racquetball as a means of networking or socializing with employers, colleagues, and clients. Thanks to athletes such as Tiger Woods and Venus and Serena Williams, sports such as these are becoming increasingly popular for adults and kids alike, and are now widely available to young athletes. Whether your children excel at a team sport or struggle to catch a ball, encourage them to explore a variety of athletic activities. Many camps and community organizations also offer inexpensive lessons for golf and tennis for kids, making them more accessible than ever. The social and health benefits will last a lifetime.# Dr. Carole Hankin is the superintendent of the Syosset School District in New York.
IDRA and Coca Cola Encourage Learning Through Teaching The International Development Research Association (IDRA) is an independent, non-profit organization that believes schools should work for all children. Now partnered with Coca Cola, it is working to keep children in school. High dropout rates are a problem that is too often attributed to students, says IDRA. Instead, the focus should be on what changes professionals need to make. IDRA’s Valued Youth Program matches struggling students with tutors. What’s different is that
the tutors are themselves students, students who may, in their turn, have difficulty with school. The program increases the confidence of all involved, and tutees are often able to make great progress in their courses. Now with a base in Brazil, one of the program’s core goals is to maintain an atmosphere in which participation is completely voluntary. IDRA and Coca Cola are truly working to increase students’ support networks and to prepare them for the future. #
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TUTOR
Identifying At Risk Students, Part II By DR. BONNIE BROWN In last month’s issue, we discussed the characteristics of students with AD/HD or emotional challenges. The critical question then becomes: how do we teach these students who present cognitive, psychosocial, or behavioral challenges and engage them in a meaningful way that optimizes their ability to learn? I believe the answer is to first create a caring, nurturing, and positive classroom environment that supports students who have difficulties in both learning and self-managing their behavior. In addition, attention must be paid to strategies that facilitate differentiated instruction and opportunities to practice skill acquisition so that there is generalization into the home and community. To this end, we should concentrate on the following strategies: • Establish with students a set of classroom rules and expectations that are clear and concise. Likewise, consequences for excessive behaviors should be known in advance and should be fair and consistent. • Schedules or flow of the day should be prominently posted in classrooms. • The school day should offer predictability and consistency. Anticipate transitions for students and give them a heads-up, “Literacy block is ending in five minutes, begin to finish your journal work…” • Lessons should offer opportunities for much repetition and practice after teacher modeling. • Lessons should be snappy and move at a brisk pace. Teachers should reduce lag time by being well prepared. • Ask probing questions that facilitate student reasoning and critical thinking. Do not get impatient and supply answers. • If students appear to not understand questions, try rephrasing. • Allow at least 5 seconds of wait time for students to process a question, gather their thoughts, and be able to express themselves. • Tell students who can’t answer spontaneously that you will come back to them. Preserving selfesteem is always a goal! • Call on students with equity to avoid issues. • Have a menu of extrinsic motivators to get students moving in the right direction. • Offer lots of positive reinforcement both verbally and with tangibles. • Incorporate visual cues into your teaching— picture symbols, using colored chalk to highlight, turning off lights and using a flashlight to
highlight, graphic organizers, Venn diagrams, and so on. • Incorporate prompts for desired behaviors—turning off lights, clapping hands, ringing a bell. • Program for personal assistance—check-in/out with students at arrival and dismissal; greeting them at the classroom door can provide a barometer of their emotional temperature for the day. • Students do best when teaching is terse, but clear, and uses as little language as possible to help them process auditory information. • Some students do well with preventive cueing—such as a pre-arranged hand signal with the teacher. • Use techniques such as proximity control; walking around the class while teaching can help. • Practice active ignoring; use teacher attention to reinforce only appropriate behaviors. • Incorporate relaxation techniques, breathing, and imagery into your day The list of strategies can be endless, and teachers each have their own bags of tricks which they develop along the way. It is important that the adults in the classroom realize that they are the role models for all pro-social behavior, and should act accordingly. Students have a natural radar for the smallest nuances in facial expression, so be careful to avoid eye rolling, smirking, pointing of fingers, and, more importantly, talking about students when they are within earshot. They may have learning challenges, but their hearing is unimpaired for the most part! If the adult staff in the classroom—the teacher, assistant teachers, and related service providers—talk to each other with respect and interest, the students will learn to do the same. Build into the day opportunities for students to role-play and develop social skills through reenactment of challenging situations, use of social stories, or use of literature as a springboard for character studies. Don’t be hesitant to begin the year using prompts when teaching, but be aware the goal is to phase them out over time when skill acquisition is realized. Work into your school schedules time to meet in teams with related service providers, classroom assistants, and itinerant teachers to discuss successes and challenges. Most importantly, celebrate each student’s small successes and help him or her to build selfrespect and a sense of accomplishment.# Dr. Bonnie Brown is the superintendent of District 75 in NYC.
Scientists Win Prestigious Awards at Rockefeller University By SYBIL MAIMIN
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Three women were recently celebrated and granted significant monetary awards at Rockefeller University. The awardees, Dr. Elizabeth H. Blackburn of the University of California at San Francisco, Dr. Carol W. Greider of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Dr. Vicki Lundblad of the Salk Institute of Biological Studies, have made significant contributions to the understanding of telomerase—enzymes that protect the ends of chromosomes and help maintain genomes. Their work has impacted the understanding and treatment of cancer and age-related health issues. They were selected for the prestigious award by a committee that included six Nobel Laureates, and, at a proud ceremony, were presented with the prize by Mary Robinson; Robinson is the current head of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, the former president of Ireland, and former United Nations High Commissioner for
continued on page 15
(L-R) Vicki Lundblad (recipient), Carol Greider (recipient), Elizabeth Blackburn (recipient)
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SPECIAL EDUCATION
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EDUCATION UPDATE
Mary McDowell Center for Learning Honors Susan S. Rai for Outstanding Dedication and Service Susan S. Rai will be honored this month at a benefit hosted by the Mary McDowell Center for Learning, Brooklyn’s only Quaker school for children with learning disabilities. Susan S. Rai, Special Counsel and Secretary at Vera Institute of Justice, is the 2009 recipient of the Violet Longobardi Award for Extraordinary Dedication and Commitment, awarded to a person whose tireless dedication and outstanding contributions to the school merit recognition. The award is named for Violet Longobardi, a founding board member whose wisdom, kindness, and devotion continue to inspire the school community. Susan Rai has played a key role in the school’s history. She has been involved with the Mary McDowell Center for Learning since it was a glimmer in the eye of its founder, her friend Susan Weiner, who introduced Violet Longobardi to the Center. Longobardi shepherded the Center through the process of incorporation and served as a very active, wise, and generous member of the Board for fourteen years. Mary McDowell Center for Learning’s annual Spring Benefit will take place on Wednesday, May 13th from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Tribeca Rooftop in Manhattan. The theme, Select Simplicity, is an invitation to celebrate in the spirit of the Quaker commitment to living simply in all regards, a particularly salient value in these times. Established in 1984 with only five students, the Mary McDowell Center for Learning currently enrolls 215 students, ages 5-14, from all
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T HE A RTS
MAY 2009
NEW RESEARCH ON CHILDREN WITH COCHLEAR IMPLANTS Research reported in a recent issue of the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research indicates that children who receive cochlear implants perceive an improved quality of life. The paper, “Quality of Life for Children with Cochlear Implants: Perceived Benefits and Problems and the Perception of Single Words and Emotional Sounds”, is authored by ASHA members, Efrat A. Schorr and Froma P. Roth, with Nathan A. Fox, all from the University of Maryland, College Park. Their study examined the responses of 37 congenitally deaf children with cochlear implants to
a quality of life questionnaire. The results found the children, aged five to 14, reported significant improvement in quality of life due to their cochlear implants, and low levels of concern about typical problems associated with wearing an implant. Also, age at first use of amplification was predictive of better quality of life ratings. “Our findings showed that, overall, children are ‘satisfied consumers’ when it comes to cochlear implants,” says first author Efrat A. Schorr. “They also indicate that the ability of children with implants to perceive the emotional tone of speech increases their satisfaction.” #
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Programs, Courses and Workshops
boroughs of the New York City metropolitan area. The Center offers a highly successful alternative to mainstream schools by providing an innovative program of academic work, enrichment activities and special support services. More information about the Mary McDowell Center for Learning and its programs can be found at www.marymcdowell.org. #
• National Certification in Multisensory Structured Language Education • Expository Writing Instruction • Multisensory Reading Instruction • Multisensory Instruction in Specific Content Areas
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E DUCATION MAY 2009
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EDUCATION UPDATE
Special Education Storm Warning BY DR. JOHN RUSSELL, HEAD, WINDWARD SCHOOL During his Inaugural Address, Barack Obama declared that he would “restore science to its rightful place.” In a recent edition of the New York Times, Dennis Overbye responded to Mr. Obama’s pronouncement by writing, “you could feel a dark cloud lifting like a sigh from the shoulders of the scientific community in this country.” In stark contrast to this optimistic outlook for science on the national level, I feel compelled to report that there are ominous storm clouds gathering in New York State and nationally that are a threat to every student who receives special education services. In December of last year, Thomas Suozzi, the chairman of the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief, issued his commission’s final report to Governor David Paterson. This report confirms that New York State has the highest taxes in the country; but its real focus is local property taxes and the education budgets that drive them. The report makes recommendations for cost savings, including reducing excessive mandates, decreasing school district personnel costs, limiting school district operational costs, and seeking economies of scale by consolidating smaller school districts. All of these recommendations deserve careful consideration and are not surprising. There is, however, one area that the commission examines in great detail and for which it then makes a series of sweeping and, in my opinion, detrimental recommendations. The Commission’s recommendations on Special Education would, if enacted, have the potential to remove many of the rights and safeguards that have been legislated to protect students receiving special education services. In New York State, approximately 12 percent of students are classified as needing special education services, and 43 percent of that group is identified as having a learning disability. Somewhat ironically, the section on Special Education begins by chronicling the abysmal results that Special Education programs in the public schools have produced with classified students. The Commission reports that the graduation rate in 2005 for students in public school special education programs was an appalling 47 percent statewide, and only about 20 percent in large cities. Based on these results, New York State ranks 38th in graduation rate for students in Special Education while it ranks 1st for special education salary expense per pupil. While paying lip-service to increasing accountability, the Commission’s real emphasis is on cutting funding to Special Education and moving away from scientifically-based programs to “evidencebased” programs. The recommendations include: eliminating mandated pupil-teacher-aid ratios; modifying the requirements for the composition, procedures, and deadlines for Committees on Special Education; eliminating class size require-
ments and mandatory minimum levels of special education services; and reducing the requirement that transportation be provided up to 50 miles to and from a private school. In the end the Commission would like to “dramatically accelerate the integration of special education with general education.” While this may be a laudable goal, it is nonetheless suspect given the fact that it was this very same general education experience that failed these students in the first place. The net effect of these recommendations is to give local districts a great deal of discretion in providing Special Education services, much as districts had 30 years ago before the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). As deplorable as the current results are for special education students, the situation was far worse prior to the passage of IDEA in 1975. With increasing pressure to reduce budgets, it is reasonable to assume that these recommendations will result in far fewer funds being available to educate classified students who need additional support to succeed. The Commission’s report, coupled with a change in direction at U.S. Department of Education, should be of grave concern to every parent and educator committed to having all students reach their full potentials. An article in a recent edition of Education Week reported that the Obama administration’s Department of Education is moving from “scientifically-based evidence” to “development” and “innovation”. In the past, innovations like whole language, writer’s workshop, and new math have proven disastrous for students who are classified as learning disabled. There is a significant body of research confirming the effectiveness of direct instruction and scientifically based reading programs. It will be a dark day indeed if classified students are returned to the mainstream without the supports that special education regulations currently guarantee them and without instruction that has been scientifically proven to be effective. Now is the time to voice concern to legislators, school officials, and the Governor. #
Windward School Summer Program Charting the Course for Summer Success
Our exciting four-week program is designed for students in grades 4-9 who desire to improve their skills or enrich their knowledge in math, science, organizational and study skills. There is also an opportunity in the afternoon for socializing and fun through sports, art, music and drama. All students receive instruction from teachers trained in Windward’s multisensory approach to learning.
• Mathematics • Science • Writing • Organizational Skills • Study Skills • Sports • Art • Music • Drama
July 6 - 31, 2009 Academic program: 9:00 am - 12:15 pm Full Day: 9:00 am - 2:45 pm 40 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, NY 10604 For more information and a brochure, contact Christopher Eberhard at (914) 949-6968, Ext. 1250 or visit our website at www.windwardny.org and click on “Academic Programs.”
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SPECIAL EDUCATION
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Windward Provides Cutting Edge Special Education
Maureen Sweeney, Dir. Admissions & Daphne Daddino, Head, Middle School
Devon Fredericks, Bd. of Trustees & Dr. Maryann Wolf, Tufts University
The Windward School in White Plains, New York, a leader in providing excellent education to dyslexic students, recently hosted Professor Maryann Wolf from Tufts University to speak on her research and studies of children with reading disability and ADHD. Her goal is to try to con-
nect all the layers of genetics, environment and research in order to build a curriculum for young children. “We need not only data, but also to capture the hearts and minds of the young,” said Prof. Wolf.#
A packed auditorium listens intently
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EDUCATION UPDATE | MAY 2009
MAKING ROOM FOR THE A RTS By RICHARD KESSLER s the state law that created mayoral control of New York City public schools is set to expire in June, state policymakers, parents, and everyone in between is discussing what governance structure is most appropriate for New York City’s education system and its over one million students. What sometimes gets lost in the discussion over school governance is the need for smart educational policies that put children and a wellrounded education at the forefront of educational decision-making. The topic best to engage and interest students and motivate them to excel in schools, unfortunately, has been relegated to the public policy back burner. What’s more, with discharges of ninth-grade students on the rise, growing concern about high school diplomas awarded through credit recovery, and a stubborn achievement gap as revealed by the most recent results of the NAEP test, there may be no better time to reevaluate and recommit ourselves to providing a well-rounded, engaging education to all of our public school students. Two years ago, in an effort to empower principals, dedicated funding for arts education was essentially eliminated. Principals were granted the opportunity to spend their arts budgets on any number of other unrelated items. As a result we’ve seen schools spending a smaller percentage of their budgets on arts education, a 63 percent decline in spending on arts supplies and equipment over the previous year, and half a million less being spent on cultural partnerships. Now, close to 30 percent of schools are without a certified arts teacher on staff—up from 20 percent the previous year. Playgrounds and arts spaces have been lost in overcrowded schools, some of which
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AN INTER VIEW WITH THE J UILLIARD S TRING Q UARTET By JOAN BAUM, Ph.D.
now house not only one, but sometimes up to three schools, many of them charters. Alarmingly, all of these indicators predate the current economic crisis. However, these in-school educational realities are lost in the shuffle. Regardless of where power over the school system ultimately rests, it is time the NYCDOE takes a hard look not only at what is being tested in the schools, but what it will really take for our public school students to receive the well-rounded education they deserve. For starters, holding principals accountable for spending money targeted for arts education on arts education should be a priority for any school leader or body. The arts, foreign language, and physical education keep kids interested and engaged in school and can help boost dismal graduation rates. To improve public education, close the achievement gap, and lift graduation rates, the NYCDOE should move forward with restoring a budgetary commitment to the arts in schools and other elements of a well-rounded education. # Richard Kessler is the Executive Director of the Center for Arts Education.
PAULA NADELSTERN: UNIQUE Q UILTER EXHIBIT AT AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM aula Nadelstern’s exhibit is not to be missed. The enormous, versatile and creative energies of the artist are only surpassed by the richly colored threads and kaleidoscopic designs in her quilts. From the Bronx to Australia, from New Zealand to Acapulco, from little towns to big cities, Nadelstern has been asked to teach and demonstrate her talents. She has also written books on her passion. Paula Nadelstern is a native New Yorker, born and raised in the Bronx, where she still resides. The two- bedroom apartment she shares with her husband and, until recently, her daughter has also served as her studio for more than twenty-five years. For much of that time her workspace was constricted to a 42” round kitchen table where she plied graph paper, transparent gridded templates, C-Thru ruler, compass, and sewing implements. Nadelsern’s first quilt was stitched in 1968 for her bed in her college dorm room. It was not until 1987 that her interest in all things kaleidoscopic was sparked. Kaleidoscopes focus the responses of eye, mind and heart to a tiny window of colored fragments. Paradoxically, this microcosm fills the vision to the exclusion of all else. The resultant universe of constantly
T HE aking its first appearance with its new member Nick Eanet (Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra) recently, The Juilliard String Quartet (JSQ) was led in animated conversation by noted lecturer, writer and broadcast commentator Nancy Shear. The event, which took place at Steinway and Sons’ beautiful 57th Street flagship showroom, across the street from Carnegie Hall, was notable not just because it was the first time Mr. Eanet was appearing before the public as part of the group (he replaces Joel Smirnoff, now President of The Cleveland Institute of Music), but because the occasion marked the continuing success and growing significance of the innovative sponsoring association, Music For All Seasons. Now in its 18h year, Music For All Seasons—a five-state music-oriented social service organization that brings live musical performances to a wide range of institutions involved in physical, mental and spiritual healing, among them, children’s hospitals, juvenile detention facilities, nursing homes, halfway houses, retirement homes, hospice centers. It is best known, however, for hosting “Conversations” with prestigious musical artists at various and unusual venues. With the appearance of JSQ, “the quintessential American string quartet,” Music For All Seasons scored another hit. Ironically, though the group did not play, its four stars—Ronald Copes (second violin), Nick Eanet (first violin), Joel Krosnick (cello) and Samuel Rhodes (viola)—shone on this rainy night, bringing a rapt audience verbal evidence of what’s been called the legendary “Juilliard sound”. In the lively one-hour exchange, Nancy Shear addressed questions to the group that were answered spontaneously by one member who then sparked responses by the others—kind of like the way JSQ performs, demonstrating individual voices working in harmony. And while Mr. Krosnick did laughingly—and modestly— attribute the phrase “Juilliard sound” to critics, the audience recognized in the Conversation many qualities of their musical sound—“clarity
(L-R) Schools Chancellor Joel Klein & DOE Chief Schools Officer Eric Nadelstern
shifting color, light, and pattern is unpredictable yet orderly in its immutable bilateral symmetry. Nadelstern’s process requires that she telescope her own field of vision down to the minutest design elements embedded in complicated fabric patterns. The intimate comfort she has cultivated
with the intricacies of kaleidoscopic imagery belies the almost unfathomable complexity of her technique and composition, but it has freed her to recognize the potential for entirely new relationships in the imaginative recombination of bits of fabric.#
of structure, compelling rhythmic drive and an extraordinary unanimity of purpose.” Introduced by Music For All Seasons founding Executive Director, Brian Dallow, a well-respected arts administrator as well as concert pianist, composer and educator, Ms. Shear elicited from the group informal and highly entertaining “behind-the-scenes” anecdotes. Unlike many talk sessions that seem to unroll on automatic pilot, the JSQ’s often humorous, always informative give-and-take with Ms. Shear showed them to be a “wonderful fit” for a sponsoring organization dedicated to the “healing power of music.” Is there a healing quality in your playing,” she asked, opening the interview. Of course, it could be anticipated that the answer would be yes, but in a way audience members might not have expected. Even in rehearsal, JSQ pointed out, each feels a “restorative” power in playing magnificent music. “Schubert’s C major cello quintet may not have been healing for him,” Mr. Krosnick noted, but it sure is for them. Does JSQ subscribe to any particular school of teaching, Ms. Shear wondered. Is it important to the players that they know something about a composer’s life, his times? Again, avoiding what might have been the pat response, the musicians allowed themselves free association, playing off each other’s remarks. Before 1946, when the quartet was founded to teach and to celebrate American contemporary along with the traditional chamber music, most great string quartets were European-born and/or -trained. What JSQ wanted to do was treat the classics—including modern, 20th century music now considered classic (Bartok, for example)—as rediscovered pieces for our own time. How closely does JSQ follow scores? Well, you don’t want to limit a composition to following specks on a page. A notation may call for a “sudden” change but how one gets there, how the transition event is achieved, is open to interpretation. If given the magic to commission a work from a composer live or dead, whom would they choose? The answers were wonderfully diverse: a 17th quartet from Beethoven, another piece by Carter, something from Berlioz and, always, Schubert. How does JSQ select a program? Some pieces, considering different eras, different styles, are better placed at the beginning or end. With the classical repertoire, JSQ likes to start with pieces it hasn’t played for a while. Sometimes the prompt is an anniversary: 2009, for example, marks not only Mendelssohn’s birth date but also the year Haydn died. The chemistry this night was right on, but one suspects with this group that it is always so. Unbidden, each member spoke of being grateful for learning from colleagues, listening to another’s vision. Roll over, Beatles, New York has a new newly constituted Fab Four. #
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MAY 2009 | EDUCATION UPDATE
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” PABLO PICASSO
EXCLUSIVE INTER VIEW WITH YOKO O NO By DR. POLA ROSEN ducation Update (EU): In your poignant introduction to the John Lennon Anthology, you mention the great love that you and John shared. In what way do you think your talent in the arts helped him? Yoko Ono (YO): Just the fact that we were there together, made us realize things we would otherwise not realize.
JACQUES D ’AMBOISE, PREEMINENT DANCER AND FOUNDER, NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE
EU: What are some of the greatest challenges you faced as a woman in the arts? How did you overcome them? YO: I insisted on being me. That did it. EU: What are some of the accomplishments you are proudest of? YO: The fact that I coped with the vast challenges of life for 70 odd years and survived. EU: You have been politically active for many years. What would you regard as an important direction for activists to be engaged in today? YO: Each person should do what she/he is capable of doing. That’s all you can do. EU: Who are some of the artists and musicians you admire most? YO: All artists and musicians who are doing their share. EU: Have the issues of sexism and racism that you battled in the 70s been somewhat resolved today? YO: Sexism and racism are still around. It seems it’s somewhat resolved, but it’s actually only hiding well. EU: The Peace Award you created in 2002 is being celebrated in different countries, including Iceland. What is your vision for the future?
YO: We can all keep on giving appreciation and love to each other in the form we are capable of. Don’t try to do anything you can’t handle. Just be your loving self. It will help you, your friends, and the planet. Love, Yoko Ono # Yoko shared the following words upon being honored at the National Dance Institute Gala: I think I am given this honor as an encouragement to continue spreading our love of dance to all corners of the world. Dance is a way of life. Every step you take gives us the pride that we made that step and adding a sense of fun to life. Imagine people, regardless of their race, religion and age, forgetting their differences and dancing all together. Imagine children of the world, East and West, North and South all learning to dance through life. And imagine all the people dancing in peace. Yes, it makes me smile just thinking about it. Let’s keep dancing. I love you.#
Opening night of the exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum
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By LISA K. WINKLER
don’t have to do anything but enjoy,” National Dance Institute (NDI) founder and ballet dancer Jacques d’Amboise says. But d’Amboise has done plenty. NDI, now in its 33rd year, reaches thousands of children around the world through free inschool dance programs. Teacher training workshops serve educators and artists, and scholarships allow advanced students to continue their studies. And for d’Amboise, still spry at 75, this isn’t enough. He plans to harness modern technology—Internet, ipods, iphones, and the like—to expand global communication with children, creating dance steps and sounds. “NDI can be the forefront of children using music, dance, and poetry to transform lives,” d’Amboise said in an interview with Education Update. Despite two knee replacements, he demonstrated a dance step on the sidewalk, describing a pilot program that uses interactive video to ask, “What’s the Next Step?” Viewers would see a dance step and then add their own. d’Amboise founded NDI to “pay back. Everything had been given to me; I never paid for a lesson.” First, he wanted his own children (two boys, two girls) to be exposed to dance and offered classes in their schools. The program expanded into a non-profit organization to bring dance to schoolchildren who may never otherwise encounter it. For d’Amboise, who never finished high school, education through the arts can be transformative. His French-Canadian mother, who worked in a Maine shoe factory, insisted her four children learn dance, speak French, recite poetry, and read literature. “We read. I had to read what my brothers read; they had to read what my sister read. Just like you pass clothes on, we all had to read each others’ books,” he said. NDI teachers invite students to enter a “contract” before they begin. d’Amboise said they
tell students, “You’re going to learn how to dance, and it’s going to be hard, but we’ll be the best teachers you’ll ever have.” He explained the contract’s rules: no chewing gum—it interferes with breathing; no bad language, and no hitting or pushing. Dance is the world of good manners, not street stuff. “We care about the people we dance with.” And d’Amboise should know. Growing up in the Depression, his father, an Irish Bostonian, moved the family to New York and held many jobs. One day, waiting outside his sister’s dance class to avoid street gangs, he was invited in. Within a year, the teacher told his mother to take him, then 8, to see George Balanchine, which launched his career. From his first performance as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (his mother sewed his costume), for which he earned $10, he went on to join the New York City Ballet at 15, made his European debut at London’s Convent Garden, and, as Balanchine’s protégé, had more works choreographed for him than for any other dancer. d’Amboise has choreographed dances for ballet, written and directed for theater, film and television, performed on Broadway, appeared in films, including, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Carousel, received countless awards and honorary degrees, and served as a visiting professor at several universities. He is now writing his memoir—diaries from 1962 line a bookshelf in his office and piles of photographs sit on his desk, waiting to be organized. Each year, NDI selects a curricular theme that inspires the lessons in its partner schools, culminating with performances in June. This year’s theme is “John Lennon: His Life and Legacy”. Schoolchildren have been incorporating Lennon’s music and poetry into dance. Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow, in a video produced for the event, says, “Imagine all people dancing in peace.” For d’Amboise, whose dancing has taken him all over the world, there’s no better legacy.#
14 EDUCATION UPDATE | MAY 2009 |
T HE A RTS IN EDUCATION
WWW .E DUCATION U PDATE .COM
National Dance Institute (NDI) Gala Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Education Highlights
“God only knows four words: come dance with me!” –—JJACQUES D ’AMBOISE
National Dance Institute transforms the lives of over 35,000 New York City public school children and their families each year. Dr. Margaret Cuomo Maier, Chairperson, NDI
By CHRISTINA YANG And SHARON VATSKY In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of its historic museum building, The Sackler Center for Arts Education at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is pleased to highlight two education initiatives in conjunction with Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward (May 15 – August 23, 2009). In his 1931 Kahn Lecture at Princeton University, Frank Lloyd Wright posed the captivating question: ‘Now what Architecture?’ On Thursday, May 14, and Friday, May 15, a symposium addressing that question within current design, architectural, and urban planning practices will be held in the Peter B. Lewis Theatre, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed space. Over the course of his seventy-year long career, Wright taught his contemporaries how to connect time, place, and people through architecture. Today—fifty years after his death in 1959—Wright’s question forms the basis for debates among scholars, architects, designers, and cultural critics from around the world. Rather than look at Wright’s work as a stylistic school to be revived or imitated, Now What Architecture? hopes to transform Wright’s lessons on the simplicity of space into 21st century potentialities by exploring the ways in which well-designed spaces—from personal spaces, shared spaces to urban spaces—can shape our everyday lives. Speakers include David Adjaye, Phil Allsopp, Amale Andraos, Richard Armstrong, Beatriz Colomina, Adriaan Geuze, Steven Holl, Julie Iovine, Thomas Krens, Reinhold Martin, Toshiko Mori, David van der Leer, and Anthony Vidler. This program is organized by the Sackler Center for Arts Education and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Also as part of its 50th Anniversary festivities, a Family Activity Guide focusing on Frank Lloyd Wright’s unique architectural design for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is being distributed free of charge and is available for
pick-up in the museum rotunda. It suggests a tour route and things to discover as visitors and their families explore the galleries, including a triangular staircase, a hexagonal skylight, and semicircular windows that are just some of the architectural details one can see. It includes an architectural scavenger hunt and an activity that asks kids to sketch their ideas for a new museum design. As Frank Lloyd Wright intended, the tour begins with an elevator ride up to the top, and then winds its way along the famous circular ramps, stopping along the way to experience the views and details. For some, peering over the parapet wall from the top ramp is an exhilarating thrill, for others it provokes trepidation; but whatever your response, the guide will help make the trip a memorable family experience. For more information please go to Guggenheim. org/education. # Christina Yang is the Associate Director of Education and Public Programs at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Sharon Vatsky is Associate Director of Education and School/ Family Programs at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
JACOB’S PILLOW ANNOUNCES ITS 2009 P ROGRAM Kaufman Center’s Public School for Musically Gifted Children The Parents’ Association of Kaufman Center’s Special Music School (SMS) recently hosted the 10th annual concert and book fair at the Lincoln Square Barnes & Noble. Each one of SMS’s exceptionally talented 139 students in Kindergarten through eighth-grade gave a solo performance at this popular, all-day community gathering. Performances by the children, ages five through 13, ranged from basic pieces to virtuosic showpieces by composers such as Kreisler and Rimsky-Korsakov. The concert was free to the public. SMS is the only public school for musically gifted children in the U.S. that offers music instruction during the regular school day. Founded in 1996, the school represents a unique public/private partnership between Kaufman Center, a nonprofit arts organization, and the New York City Department of Education, which funds the academic portion of the students’ education. The music program is funded entirely by
Kaufman Center through private donations. As with all public schools, tuition is free. Kaufman Center is a creative community for listeners, learners and performers—people who want music in their lives. Housed in a landmark modernist building recently renovated by Robert A.M. Stern, Kaufman Center is home to the Special Music School, the acoustically perfect Merkin Concert Hall, and Lucy Moses School (New York’s largest community arts school). Kaufman Center brings together music education and performance for students and audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, combining the finest music education for children and adults with boldly innovative, yet intimate, concert experiences spanning a wide range of music— from experimental works by up-and-coming composers and jazz artists, to classical concerts, featuring perennial favorites, to Broadway favorites and family musical reviews. #
Furthering its mission to engage and deepen public appreciation for dance, Jacob’s Pillow announces its 2009 full season calendar that includes more than 200 free performances, talks, art and photography exhibits, tours, and events. Free event highlights include an exclusive exhibition focused on the dance imagery of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and writer Jules Feiffer, created for and debuting at the Pillow; a performance honoring the 100th birthday of choreographer Erick Hawkins; a PillowTalk with Rachel Maddow, host of MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show”; dancers of the youth program made famous by the film Mad Hot Ballroom; and a discussion with Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui just a few hours before the world premiere of his latest work, Orbo Novo. “At the Pillow, we welcome everyone to dive into dance, up close and personal,” comments Ella Baff, Jacob’s Pillow Executive Director. “To spend the day here is to enjoy a cultural feast, attending talks with artists, writers, photographers, and filmmakers, spending time at the exhibits and in the Archives, observing dancers in the studio, and meeting interesting people. In addition to 116 ticketed performances this Festival, our more than 200 free events give the public an incomparable view of how rich and
exciting dance can be.” A day at the Pillow’s 163-acre National Historic Landmark site can begin with an 8 a.m. Pilates or dance class, followed by a visit to The School at Jacob’s Pillow to observe world-renowned artist faculty as they work with pre-professional dancers, then a picnic lunch on the Great Lawn, and a walk on the Wetlands trail. After an afternoon snack at the Coffee and Ice Cream bar, guests may visit the Archives to explore photographs and films of dance legends then take in a free performance on the Inside/Out stage while enjoying the beautiful Berkshire hills backdrop. Following an evening performance in the Ted Shawn or Doris Duke Theatre, patrons can enjoy a nightcap at the Pillow Pub while chatting with other audience members and visiting performers. Every day offers a new mix of performances, classes, talks, tours, exhibits, and people. New this year, the Pillow has launched a Student Rush Program, offering college students the opportunity to purchase 20 tickets, based on availability. Students can email info@ jacobspillow.org for details and to register for the program. Also new for 2009, the Doris Duke Theatre will open on Wednesday evenings, adding one more full performance to each week’s schedule. #
MAY 2009
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FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS
THE DEAN’S COLUMN
Where in the World are You? By DEAN ALFRED S. POSAMENTIER, Ph.D. Critics of our education programs often say that we spend too much time on rote learning and not enough time sharpening our students’ thinking skills. Logical thinking can also be sharpened by practice with some good exercises. One such is presented here and is also often seen by students as simple fun – itself a motivator towards such work. Here is a popular riddle that has some very interesting extensions, which are seldom considered. It requires some “out of the box” thinking that can have some favorable lasting effects on students. Let’s consider the question: Where on earth can you be so that you can walk one mile south, then one mile east, and then one mile north and end up at the starting point? (Of course, you shouldn’t peek at the diagram below.) Mostly through guess and test, a clever student will stumble on the right answer: the North Pole. To test this answer, try starting from the North Pole and travel south one mile and then east one mile. This takes you along a latitudinal line which remains equidistant from the North Pole, one mile from it. Then travel one mile north to get you back to where you began, the North Pole.
(Again, not drawn to scale) Begin on this second latitudinal circle (the one farther north). Walk one mile south (takes you to the first latitudinal circle), then one mile east (takes you exactly once around the circle), and then one mile north (takes you back to the starting point). Suppose the first latitudinal circle, the one we would walk along, would have a circumference of ½ mile. We could still satisfy the given instructions, yet this time walking around the circle twice, and get back to our original starting point. If the first latitudinal circle had a circumference of ¼ mile, then we would merely have to walk around this circle four times to get back to the starting point on this circle and then go north one mile to the original starting point. At this point, we can take a giant leap to a generalization that will lead us to many more points that satisfy the original stipulations, actually an infinite number of points! This set of points can be located by beginning with the latitudinal circle, located nearest the south pole, which has a
(Not drawn to scale, obviously!) Most people familiar with this problem feel a sense of completion. Yet we can ask: Are there other such starting points, where we can take the same three “walks” and end up at the starting point? The answer, surprising enough for most people, is yes. One set of starting points is found by locating the latitudinal circle, which has a circumference of one mile and is nearest the South Pole. From this circle walk one mile north (along a great circle, naturally), and form another latitudinal circle. Any point along this second latitudinal circle will qualify. Let’s try it.
1 th -mile circumference, so that the 1- mile n
walk east (which is comprised of n circumnavigations) will take you back to the point on this latitudinal circle at which you began your walk. The rest is the same as before, that is, walking one mile south and then later one mile north. Is this possible with latitude circle routes near the North Pole? Yes, of course! This unit will provide your students with some very valuable “mental stretches,” not normally found in the school curriculum. You will not only entertain them, but you will be providing them with some excellent training in thinking logically. Dr. Alfred Posamentier is Dean of the School of Education at City College of NY, author of over 40 Mathematics books, including: Math Wonders to Inspire Teachers and Students (ASCD, 2003) and The Fabulous Fibonacci Numbers (Prometheus, 2007), and member of the NYS Mathematics Standards Committee.
EDUCATION UPDATE
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HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE CAREERS IN SCIENCE? Ask Dr. Richard Rifkind, Former Chairman, Sloan-Kettering, Turned Film Producer By SYBIL MAIMIN As U.S. global competitiveness becomes a growing concern, former chairman and chief scientific officer at Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research and professor of medicine and director of a research lab at Columbia’s College of Physicians & Surgeons, Dr. Richard Rifkind, is determined to attract this country’s youth to the study of science. To help fill the nation’s pipeline with future researchers, he has exchanged his role as physician for that of film producer and director. Together with his wife, Carol, an educator and activist, he has produced Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist, a warm and revealing documentary that follows three students pursuing a Ph.D. in a molecular biology laboratory at Columbia University Medical Center. Laboratory head and mentor, Larry Shapiro, Ph.D., explains, “It is one of the last apprenticeships in our culture, learning how to address a wide range of problems with a huge tool kit; as students go along, they approach the level of the master.” The program is generally four or more years, the coveted degree earned only after a candidate produces an original research finding. Having the research published in a prestigious journal can open the door to choice post-graduate employment. Commitment to a project is essential. “It is not always about being the smartest or most creative,” explains a student. “It is about sticking through it.” Drawn to the intellectual excitement of discovery and the “thrill of the chase,” a young scientist muses in the lab, “I know I could be making a lot of money elsewhere, but what could be better than this?” The film reveals the world of the laboratory, showing the culture, the research process, the collegiality, the joys and frustrations, and the constant mentoring on all levels. Following a showing of the documentary at the CUNY Graduate Center, a panel of prominent research scientists, including Joy Hirsch, professor of functional neurology at Columbia, Susan Zolla-Pazner, professor of pathology at NYU, and Ben Ortiz, associate professor of biology at Hunter, engaged in a lively discussion of life as a scientist. They debated whether scientists are “born” or “made”, and whether they are regular folks or “geeks”. All dismissed common stereotypes, explaining their colleagues represent a broad spectrum of personalities. “You don’t have to be weird or obsessed to be a good scientist. Many skills are needed for success.” In order achieve success, scientists must be persistent in selling their ideas, be skilled in rais-
ing money to fund their work, and be willing to take risks. Describing the process of presenting and defending a new idea to skeptical peers, Ortiz explained, “Often, the time you are doing your best work is the scariest time of all.” In fact, said Zolla-Pazner, “You can be good but not brave enough.” On balance, “There is a broad range of acceptable approaches to being a good scientist,” advised Ortiz. The age-old question of “basic” science (studied for its own sake) versus “applied” science (having visible, practical applications) might motivate those choosing the field. Hirsch confessed to being “driven to do science…to understand how this fundamental mechanism works… regardless of uses for my discoveries.” Speaking of a summer lab for high school students she runs, “These kids have fires in their bellies. Let’s not kill it.” Ortiz admitted, “I love the thrill of discovery” but doesn’t do science “to give myself a rush…It actually should have an impact on society.” Zolla-Pazner cautioned against bias that favors academia. “Actually, fantastic contributions can be made in industry.” Lab head Shapiro explained, “What is basic and what is applied does not become clear until later. At first, applications may not be evident. The NIH (National Institute of Health) funds professors around the country who have ideas that may advance knowledge, but who knows what will come of it.” All agreed, “The most beautiful moment is when you make a discovery and realize you are the first person to see something.” Ortiz explained, “A sense of ownership is extremely important to the graduate student when discovering something…seeing and understanding something in a new way…you are the only person who knows so much about it. It is so thrilling!” The panelists applauded the infusion of money coming to science through the federal stimulus plan and the possibilities it will create for science at all levels—from grade schools through postgraduate grants. Ortiz welcomes high school students to his lab every spring and is encouraged by the “innate curiosity” he sees, but fears it being “squelched”. He tells students they will need to “learn a lot of stuff before they get to do the cool things. If they stick with it, they will find a light at the end of the tunnel when science will be fun, and it keeps getting better.” Physician-turned-filmmaker Rifkind told Education Update he hopes taking the mystery out of science and “informing the public how it is done and what lies ahead will encourage more young people to enter the field.” #
sic scientists can now identify victims of human rights tragedies, and that satellite geographers have the ability to document off-limits sites of violations. A recent secret investigation by Physicians for Human Rights on the causes of cholera in Zambia demonstrated the effectiveness of a combination of medical science expertise and human rights commitment. She called for continued partnerships that link the skills of scientists with the goals of human rights. In a wide-ranging panel discussion led by Titia de Lange, head of the cell biology and genetics laboratory
at Rockefeller, the three honorees noted that 50 percent of graduate students in science today are women, but that the number is not reflected in faculty positions. The speakers see “large systematic issues,” such as “unconscious bias in selection committees.” They suggest leadership courses for women, education programs that address the problem and keep the conversation active, as well as encouragement from current female scientists. Though pressured, jobs in science offer a lot of flexibility: they are often compatible with raising a family. When questioned by Education Update, several young female graduate students at Rockefeller attending the awards ceremony remarked that they have not experienced gender bias; they suspect it will come later in their careers as they try to balance work and family. They noted the dearth of African-Americans in science and suggested this was the next wall to be cracked. #
Scientists
continued from page 9
Human Rights. Prominently displayed above the stage of Caspary Auditorium at Rockefeller University are the words, “Science for the benefit of humanity”. In her remarks, Robinson echoed that noble sentiment, declaring, “The fundamental right of every human being is the highest standard of health,” and, “Good medical practice is good human rights practice.” In Ireland, Robinson helped found Women in Technology and Science (WITS). The group’s “importance cannot be overstated,” as it tackles “gender inequality in health” by promoting research of diseases especially affecting women and children. Noting that science and scientific methods have made much human rights work possible, she explained that foren-
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(L-R) Vicki Lundblad (recipient), Elizabeth Blackburn (recipient), Carol Greider (recipient), Mary Robinson (presenter)
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COLLEGES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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MAY 2009
BANK STREET COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
NEW DEAN OF CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS AT BANK STREET COLLEGE OF EDUCATION: ALEXIS S. WRIGHT Effective this summer, Alexis S. Wright will become the next Dean of Children’s Programs at Bank Street College of Education. Currently, he is Assistant Head of School and Director of Financial Aid at Rye Country Day School in Rye, New York. He holds a B.S. in Human Ecology from Rutgers University, and an M.A. in Marine Affairs and Policy from the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Dean-designate Wright will be taking over for Dr. Susan E. Kluver, Interim Dean for the 20082009 academic year, who succeeded Dean Reuel (Rudy) Jordan, who retired in August, 2008 after 23 years at Bank Street, 15 of them as Dean. According to Bank Street President Elizabeth D. Dickey, “Alexis is a talent, a real find, who impressed everyone in the Bank Street community with his dedication to children and the teaching/learning enterprise, his graciousness with people, and his enthusiasm for the mission of Children’s Programs.” Dean-designate Wright began his educational career at Rye Country Day School in 1996, holding a range of positions, including science teacher of fifth- through seventh-graders, Curriculum Coordinator of the Middle School Science department, and Assistant Principal and then Principal of the Middle School. In 2004, he became Principal of the Middle School at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, but, in 2007, was recruited back to Rye Country Day to his current position. In terms of his educational philosophy, Wright
Dean Alexis Wright explains, “Much of what I have come to believe about children and schooling stems from my experience as a lower school camp counselor and, later, as a 23 year old science teacher just out of graduate school. As a counselor, I spent a lot of time planning activities for my third- and fourthgraders, yet after a few minutes, chaos would result. Similarly, my initial science lessons were abstract and non-engaging, and my students’ disinterest was quick to materialize. I thought every fifth-grader would want to understand nutrient cycling in a coral reef ecosystem, but I was mistaken. It took professional development, observation of other teachers, and additional classroom experience for me to recognize the many stages
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of human development and to realize how important it is for children to work with curricula and challenges that are developmentally- and ageappropriate, creative and relevant in our dynamic and ever-changing world.” Wright feels that, “a learning community should be one in which students and their personalities are thoroughly understood by the adults with whom they work. As a middle school principal, I enjoyed explaining to parents that their child would have the opportunity to interact with and learn from myriad adults, including advisors, teachers, coaches, staff, and administrators. Schools must offer children a vast array of adults who understand child development, act as strong role models, and make themselves consistently available to provide guidance and support. Respectful and productive relationships between students and a school’s faculty and staff help bond families to a school, which in turn helps to nourish and enhance the life of the community.
For this reason, I have always emphasized such relationships as a central theme of my work as an educator.” Some of Wright’s professional accomplishments include: leading a middle school of 480 students and 60 unionized faculty members, managing a capital campaign of $23 million, directing a $3.1 million Financial Aid program, collaborating with faculty and students on diversity initiatives, and creating a parent education and community building program called Parent-to-Parent. Wright is a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools’ Professional Development Committee and of the National Association of Independent Schools’ advisory council on diversity. He is a contributing author to The Colors of Excellence: Hiring and Keeping Teachers of Color in Independent Schools, edited by Pearl Rock Kane and Alfonso J. Orsini (Paperback, Jan. 2003), and to Holt Science Spectrum, a series of middle school science textbooks. #
BARUCH COLLEGE
BARUCH COLLEGE LAUNCHES $150 MILLION CAMPAIGN Kathleen Waldron, President of Baruch College, has announced the launch of Baruch Means Business: Reaching New Heights of Excellence. The $150 million multi-year campaign was disclosed to a group of Baruch College alumni and supporters at the Bernard Baruch Dinner, the College’s annual fundraising gala. The Baruch Means Business campaign will be led by an executive committee of Baruch College alumni, co-chaired by Lawrence J. Simon ’65 and Lawrence Zicklin’57, LHD (Hon.)’99. At the dinner, Mr. Simon announced that the College was already more than halfway toward meeting its $150 million goal, having raised more than $95 million during the “quiet phase” of the campaign, which began in July 2006. The campaign, which will increase funding for student scholarships, faculty development, and academic programs, aims to raise private philanthropic support for Baruch College to more than $30 million a year, while doubling the assets of the College’s fundraising arm, The Baruch College Fund, from $100 million to $200 million. “This campaign will support student excellence and opportunity, strengthen our flagship Zicklin School of Business, and enhance the value of a Baruch College degree,” President Waldron said. “Baruch College has the vision, the programs, and the heritage to transform the lives of its students and to contribute significantly to the future of New York City as a top international talent pool.” Announcement of the campaign comes at a time of economic stress for both the nation’s public and private colleges. Over the last 17 years, state support for senior colleges within The City University of New York has declined by 35%. “We need, more than ever, to create an effective funding model that supplements public financing with the flexibility and reach of private philanthropy,” noted Mark Gibbel, Baruch College’s Vice President for College Advancement. Baruch College pioneered the effort to seek private philanthropic support for New York’s public colleges. In 1993, under the leadership of Matthew Goldstein, then President of Baruch College and now CUNY Chancellor, the College received a landmark $5 million gift from real estate executive William Newman ’47. At the
President Kathleen Waldron time, this was the largest donation received by any division of The City University of New York since Bernard Baruch’s 1953 naming gift. Within the next few years, other prominent Baruch alumni, including Lawrence Zicklin, Lawrence Field ’52, George Weissman ’39, Bernard Schwartz ’48, and Bert W. Wasserman ’54 and Sandra Wasserman ’55 became Baruch College patrons and supporters, providing the College with new resources and leadership, significantly enhancing its academic stature and reputation. The Baruch Means Business campaign has as its paramount goal student excellence and opportunity. To this end, the College plans to augment scholarship support for its students, most of whom come from families with income below $44,000 a year. The College’s strategic plan also calls for improving the overall quality of student life by enhancing special programs, such as the Starr Career Development Center and the College’s honors programs. The campaign also seeks to make Baruch College more competitive in the academic marketplace in order to facilitate the recruitment of outstanding faculty and strengthen key academic programs in Accountancy, Real Estate, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Public Affairs, NonProfit Management, Communications, Financial Engineering, Journalism, and Psychology. #
MAY 2009
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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COLLEGES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS
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NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN
New York School of Interior Design Inaugurates Its Sixth President emony was the first in the school’s history and drew several hundred audience members, who were treated to processional music by a fivepiece brass band and no fewer than 11 salutatory greetings, including remarks from Assemblyman Jonathan Bing, outgoing President Inge Heckel, David Rhodes, President of the School of Visual Arts, where Cyphers worked as provost for the previous six years, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose letter was read by trustee and professor Lawrence Cohen. “Dr. Cyphers comes to us with the qualities and experiences necessary for the extraordinary responsibilities he is taking on,” faculty member
By ADAM BLOCH The New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) officially marked the beginning of a new era in its history last month with the inauguration of its sixth president, Dr. Christopher Cyphers, at the Asia Society. “This is an exciting time to lead an institution like the New York School of Interior Design,” Cyphers said during his inaugural address. “Today, 92 years after NYSID’s founding, we are poised to embrace new opportunities, face new challenges, and ultimately guide this college forward toward what I believe is an exciting and promising future.” The inauguration’s theme was “Educating a Green Generation”, one that was emphasized throughout the proceedings. “The issue of sustainability is more than a slogan issue or the province of fringe groups,” Cyphers said. “The urgency of sustainability has become an important part of interior design pedagogy and professional practice.” The most immediate result of this new focus was the establishment of an Honor Roll of Green Design. Up next is a graduate program that will offer a Master’s degree in sustainable design. This new avenue of study is in keeping with a greater expansion highlighted in NYSID’s first strategic plan, the signature initiative of Cypher’s presidency so far. Also planned are graduate programs in lighting design and design management, undergraduate programs in furniture design and the history of interior design,
Ethel Rompilla said during the ceremony. Cyphers was also presented with newly commissioned emblems of his office, a presidential medallion, and ceremonial mace. Both were designed and constructed with assistance from members of the NYSID community. During his address, Cyphers stressed the resilience of the design industry in adverse financial conditions, saying defiantly at one point, “Mark my words—there will be a place for interior, lighting, furniture, and product designers, as well as those focused more generally on the issue of sustainability in design, in what many believe will be a new economy.” #
and the development of professional programs. This academic growth will be accompanied by an enrollment jump from 700 to 900 students, an enlargement of the college’s facilities, and an increase in financial resources. Though Cyphers began his work last August, his inauguration did not actually take place until April, allowing his colleagues and students to welcome him with more familiarity than they might have otherwise. The inauguration cer-
NYU STEINHARDT SCHOOL
NYU STEINHARDT SCHOOL STUDY ON REDUCING BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS IN HEAD START A major component of President Barack Obama’s education reform plan is increased funding for Head Start, the federally financed health and education program for low-income children and families. Now, a new research study suggests that an intervention that provides teacher training, coaching, and mental health consultation in Head Start preschools increases children’s readiness for school by reducing the number of their behavioral problems. The study, the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP), was led by C. Cybele Raver, professor of applied psychology at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and director of NYU’s Institute of Human Development and Social Change. Raver collaborated with researchers from Loyola University and Harvard University. The Project was driven by evidence that young children in poor neighborhoods are at greater risk for developing emotional and behavioral problems due to the social and psychological stressors of poverty. These factors are linked to children’s lower readiness for school. While previous studies have shown that classroom interventions can help reduce older children’s behavioral problems once they are in elementary school, it was unclear whether an intervention targeting low-income children in urban preschools would have a similar effect. The CSRP was intended to address this question. According to Raver, “the project offered a remarkable opportunity to pursue twin aims: from a theoretical perspective, how much do children’s emotional and behavioral development matter for their later academic outcomes? Second, on the clinical and policy side, we asked: what concrete steps can early education settings such as Head Start programs take to support
children’s adjustment and to lower their behavioral risks over time?” The study introduced a series of programmatic components to 35 Head Start classrooms in seven high-poverty neighborhoods in Chicago. The components included training Head Start teachers in classroom management, introducing a mental health consultant who supported teachers and conducted stress reduction workshops, and offering mental health consultation for select children. Researchers studied two cohorts of children for one year, with Head Start classrooms randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Both survey methods and observational methods were employed to assess children’s behavioral problems (such as their sad, withdrawn, aggressive, and disruptive classroom behaviors). After examining the data, Raver and her team concluded that the multi-component intervention yielded statistically significant reductions in the number of behavioral problems among Head Start children. Children in the treatment group showed fewer signs of sadness and withdrawal than in the control group, as well as fewer instances of aggressive and disruptive behavior. “Using the ‘gold standard’ in prevention science,” Raver said, “we are able to show that Head Start programs can take a set of clear, concrete steps to support teachers’ ability to effectively manage their classrooms. This research demonstrates that an intervention that helps preschool teachers to support children’s self-regulation can substantially benefit children’s mental health in meaningful and significant ways.” Funding for the study was provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the William T. Grant Foundation, and the McCormick Tribune Foundation. #
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18
COLLEGES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS
THE EVERETT FOUNDATION GIVES A HOME TO NEW INTERFAITH LIFE CENTER
Edith Everett By RICHARD SPIVAK and educational center for both formal programs The new Everett Center was funded through and informal gatherings. It is located at 36 Massey a lead gift from Edith Everett, a long-time Avenue adjacent to the South Parking Lot. Chautauquan, and her family in memory of her The extensive program calendar for 2009 belies husband, Henry Everett, and with private dona- the newness of the facilities and demonstrates tions from the broader community. The Everett the depth of the ongoing activities of the Jewish Center will play host to programs for all branches community at Chautauqua. The Everett Center of the Jewish faith, open and inclusive to not dedication on July 5th will feature renowned only various Jewish denominations, but also a authors and religious leaders Rabbi Joseph home to comparative and cooperative programs Telushkin and Rabbi David Saperstein. Telushkin among all faiths. In particular, the Everett Center is author of a series of books on Judaism and advances the Chautauqua Institution’s Abrahamic Jewish culture, including Jewish Literacy, Jewish Initiative, established in Wisdom, and The Book of 2000, as a program of interJewish Values. Saperstein is Some of the “green” features of the faith dialogue among people director of Religious Action Everett Jewish Life Center at Chautauqua of all faiths. Center of Reform Judaism • Cork floors Throughout the summer in Washington, DC. • Bamboo renewable floors the Center will play host While the program ele• Low VOC paint and finishes to an extensive calendar of ments demand the atten• Sunscreens to reduce air conditioning loads brown bag lunch speakers, tion of the broader com• Cistern which will be used for poets, authors, musicians, munity, so does the facilrainwater recycling to be used for and educators sharing their ity. As Chautauqua’s newest irrigation water writing, experiences, and building, the Everett Center • Compact fluorescent and creations, including poetry, incorporates leading techLED lighting musical compositions, and nology and strategies to • Dual flush toilets films. ensure energy efficiency and • High efficiency washers Jewish participation in low maintenance and oper• Porch decking with a predominantly Christian ating costs. The Center’s high recycled content Chautauqua, New York designer is George W. • Cementitious siding material goes back over one hunSchnee of Schnee Architects • Low-E insulated glazing for dred years. The first Jewish in Newton, Massachusetts, the windows and doors speaker at Chautauqua, in who took advantage of a • Super insulated walls and roof 1891, was Gustav Gottheil, a multitude of green innova• A portion of the roof is metal, prominent liberal rabbi who tions—many for the first which is recyclable. led New York City’s Temple time at Chautauqua. Emanu-El. Two years later, These include the use of Philadelphia Rabbi Henry Berkowitz, one of the cork and bamboo floors, low VOC paints and finearly graduates of Hebrew Union College, lec- ishes, a cistern to capture and recycle rainwater, tured at Chautauqua for the first time. and use of recycled materials where feasible and This summer the Jewish community in when available. Chautauqua opens its doors to a much-anticipated The Center includes a community room with physical home on the grounds. The Everett Jewish seating for 75, a dining room, kitchen, host couLife Center’s construction is coming to a comple- ple apartment, library, seminar room, and large tion in time for the season’s start and dedication porch. Five guest rooms on the second floor will ceremonies on July 5th. This majestic, “green”, play host to guests, lecturers, and performers and, Victorian-styled home will be a cultural, religious, as capacity allows, be available for rental.#
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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MAY 2009
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
Admissions Applications Rise 35 Percent at Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin saw a 35 percent jump in applications for fall 2009 entry into its master’s degree programs compared with fall 2008, the school announced recently. For fall 2009, only 130 slots are available for new students. For fall 2009, the LBJ School of Public Affairs received 671 applications for its two master’s degree programs, up from 496 applications for fall 2008. In the Master of Public Affairs program, the LBJ School of Public Affairs received 461 applications for fall 2009, up from 373 for fall 2008—a 24 percent rise. In the Master of Global Policy Studies program, the school received 210 applications for fall 2009, up from 123 for fall 2008—a surge of 71 percent. Of the total number of applicants for the two programs, 41 percent are Texas residents and 59 percent are non-Texas residents, representing 38 states and 28 countries. “Over nearly 40 years, the LBJ School of Public Affairs has built a proud tradition of public service and cutting-edge research on the most important public policy challenges of our time,” said Admiral Bobby R. Inman, USN (Ret.), interim dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the LBJ Centennial Chair in National Policy. “Notably, this past year has been one of unique celebration. We honored our founder’s centennial birthday, successfully introduced a new master’s degree in global policy studies, hosted
a nationally televised presidential debate and saw members of our distinguished faculty receive senior appointments in the Obama administration, including Dean James B. Steinberg. “And now, as we move through the fall ‘09 admission cycle, it is especially gratifying to see that more and more prospective students are looking to the LBJ School to equip them with the tools and knowledge necessary to be leaders in a contemporary global environment, helping to shape public policy for the 21st century.” Student enrollment at the LBJ School for 2008-09 stands at 339. Of those, 310 are master’s students and 29 students in the Ph.D. in Public Policy program. Fifty-eight percent of the students are from Texas, while the remaining 42 percent come from across the country and globe. The LBJ School of Public Affairs, a graduate school, offers professional training in public policy analysis and administration for students interested in pursuing careers in government and public affairs-related areas of the private and nonprofit sectors. The school’s degree programs include a Master of Public Affairs (MPAff), a midcareer MPAff sequence, 13 MPAff dual-degree programs, a Master of Global Policy Studies (MGPS), six MGPS dual-degree programs and a Ph.D. in Public Policy. The MGPS was added to the school’s degree offerings in fall 2008. The LBJ School includes 35 permanent professors and more than a dozen extended and visiting faculty members. #
Advance your career by enhancing your professional skills at Teachers College this summer! Take a course at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Professional Development Vietnam Now! The School Law Institute Helping Children with Reading and Writing Difficulties in the K-12 Classroom-Special 4-day Literacy Institute Instructional Models for the Education of Gifted Students Differentiating Instruction for All Learners Controversial Issues and the Secondary Classroom Laughter in the Classroom:?! The Values and Politics of Comedy Across Disciplines MathCamp for Elementary and Middle School Educators
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Online Programs Online and Intensive M.A. Program in Technology and Education Online Certificate in Cognition and Technology Online Certifcate in Teaching and Learning Technology And more… Visit us online today for details on these and other courses, including Study Tours Abroad, at www.tc.edu/continuingeducation or call 800.209.1245
MAY 2009
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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COLLEGES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS
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INTRODUCTION By DR. POLA ROSEN On the day the exhibit Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges opened at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, a group of African-American high school students from Newark Tech, a public school, were engrossed in a video explaining the relationship between black college students in the South and white Jewish professors who were teaching them in the 1930s and 1940s.
The exhibit clearly and carefully explains how these two seemingly disparate groups not only coexisted but helped and loved one another. Having just had a dialogue with Yoko Ono, I could only think of the love that she and John Lennon tried to spread with the song, “Imagine”, with its timeless message about people loving one another and the world living as one. This exhibit brings us closer to that vision.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
REFUGEE SCHOLARS & STUDENTS AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES IN NEW EXHIBIT
Professor Ernst Borinski teaching in the Social Science Lab, Tougaloo College, MS, ca. 1960. Prof. Borinski, a refugee from Germany, was part of the Tougaloo community for thirty-six years. In the Social Science Lab, students were encouraged to think critically and question social attitudes, prejudices, and race relations. His tombstone in the campus cemetery reads: “Ernst Borinski, Inspiring Teacher.”
felt for each other resulted, in some cases, in the refugee professors getting involved in the Civil Rights movement officially or unofficially. “The German Jewish professors had a tremendous impact on young blacks in the South,” said Jim McWilliams, a student at Talladega College, who is now a retired attorney. “They exposed us to new music, art, and academic programs.” Jocelyn Elders was also grateful for her education and understood the importance of it. “Grandma Minnie was constantly at me. ‘You’ve got to
get an education.’ That was her refrain, like a drumbeat. ‘You want to pick cotton and live in all these mosquitoes the rest of your life?’” said Dr. Elders. Many of the professors also encouraged the students to learn more about their own history and culture, like Professor Rasmussen, who took her students to a field to pick cotton. She often used unconventional and innovative teaching methods to give her students concrete experiences that brought them closer to their backgrounds. #
Students from Newark Tech absorbed in the exhibit
In 1935, an article in the African-American paper stated: “We rejoice that our newspapers condemn German Nazi atrocities. It’s a good sign that they may yet discover the Nazism which is outside their own doors.” The relationship between two disenfranchised groups—Jewish professors who fled Nazi Germany and AfricanAmerican students—and the unique bond that grew between them is the subject of the powerful new exhibition Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges, opening this month at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. The exhibition will be on view through January 2010. Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow will tell the story of Jewish academics from Germany and Austria who were dismissed from their teaching positions in the 1930s. After fleeing to America, some refugee scholars found positions at historically black colleges and universities in the Jim Crow South. The exhibition will explore what it meant to the students to have these new staff as part of their community, how the students were affected by their presence, and what life was like for white, European Jews teaching at black colleges and universities. The exhibit will look at the empathy between two minority groups with a history of persecution, some of whom came together in search of freedom and opportunity, and shared the early years of struggle in the Civil Rights movement. “The close relationship forged between refugee Jewish scholars and their black students is a moving and instructive story—and a timely one, especially as we begin President Obama’s first year in office and reflect on how far we have come as a nation in the area of civil rights and race relations,” said Museum Director Dr. David G. Marwell. In early 1933, before the Nazis started dismissing Jews from their posts, more than 12 percent of faculty members at German universities were Jewish. While the top academics, like Albert Einstein, were in demand at prestigious universities, less well known professors had a much more difficult time finding work in the
United States. The country was still in a depression, and unemployment, xenophobia, and antiSemitism were prevalent. As anti-Jewish actions in Germany escalated, several organizations, including the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars, worked to obtain positions for the exiled scholars. Of the several hundred refugee scholars who came to this country, more than 50 of them ended up at historically black colleges. Notable professors in the exhibit include: prominent sociologist Ernst Borinski (Tougaloo College), political scientist John Herz (Howard University), and art education pioneer Viktor Lowenfeld (Hampton Institute). Notable students featured in the exhibit include artist John Biggers (Hampton Institute); Dr. Joyce Ladner (Tougaloo College), the first female president of Howard University; and Dr. Joycelyn Elders (Philander Smith College), the first black Surgeon General of the United States. The refugee scholars who found work at black colleges were often more comfortable in the environment on these campuses than their peers were at the white, often prejudiced universities where they taught. Some professors, such as Ernst Borinski and Ernst Manasse, felt a deep connection to black students, and spent the rest of their careers at the historically black colleges. Borinski was even buried on the campus of Tougaloo. His tombstone reads, “Ernst Borinski, Inspiring Teacher.” Dr. Ladner said of Professor Borinski (whom the students affectionately called Bobo) that he had “an affinity with blacks because they experienced a similar persecution.” Many other professors also developed deep ties to the schools where they taught and lasting friendships with their black colleagues and students that still endure today, like Professor John Herz who said, “It was a great good luck of mine to find my first teaching job at a black university where I felt I had so much in common with teachers and students.” He felt “at home very quickly” at Howard University, where he attended lectures and concerts and spent many of his social hours. The mutual respect the students and professors
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COLLEGES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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MAY 2009
Panelists Discuss The Power of Education at CUNY Graduate Center By MCCARTON ACKERMAN Although it has been widely accepted that education leads to economic prosperity within countries, a poor economy and increasing population have led to a dilemma about how to provide equal access to it. The CUNY Graduate Center held their final of five talks late last month as part of The Great Issues Forum, with a discussion titled, “The Power of Education”. The talk was moderated by William Kelly, President of the CUNY Graduate Center. The talk featured four panelists, including James Duderstadt, Professor of Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan; Deborah Davis, former director of the Yale Center for the study of Globalization; Enrique Dussel Peters, Professor of Economics at the National Autonomous University
of Mexico; and Yu Lizhong, President of East China Normal University. The talk not only highlighted the importance of education and its relation to economic prosperity within world countries, but also showed that the need for higher education is increasing and that even mature economies are struggling to keep up. “Knowledge and power have always been reciprocally linked, but universities are now restrained by limited resources and intensified demands,” said Kelly. “Mature economies are now being challenged to massify their educational opportunities while still providing high quality, yet there is also pressure from an older audience to do this without tax burdens.” While advanced nations are looking to further
Calendar of Events MAY 2009
Events SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS Fresh Meat: School of Visual Arts Comic Convention The BFA Illustration and Cartooning Department presents an opportunity to browse and buy comics from current students. The artists will be present to discuss their work. Friday, May 1, 6 - 9pm Monkey Bar Lounge, 217 East 23 Street Free and open to the public Julie V. Iovine: The Difference between Newsworthy and New: Reporting and Criticism in the Architectural Press Julie V. Iovine is executive editor of Architect’s Newspaper, a fortnightly newspaper serving the architecture and design community. With over a decade of experience as an architecture and design reporter, editor and critic at The New York Times and The New York Times Magazine, Iovine also writes for a wide range of publications including Architectural Digest (Germany), Art Review (UK), Art & Auction, Architectural Record, ID, Interior Design, Elle Decor and Town & Country. Presented by the MFA Design Criticism Department. Tuesday, May 5, 6 - 8pm 136 West 21 Street, 2nd floor Free and open to the public. Please RSVP to 212.592.2228 or dcrit@sva.edu Careers in Animation Industry professionals come together for a discussion about the New York animation business. The speakers are Academy Award nominated animator Bill Plympton, animator Aaron Augenblick, animator Debra Solomon, author and director David B. Levy, distributor Catherine Branscome and commercial animator Norma Toroya. The evening will be moderated by Julianne Cho, associate commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. Co-presented by SVA and the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. Tuesday, May 5, 8pm SVA Theater, 333 West 23 Street Free and open to the public. RSVP to message@film.nyc.gov Photography After Frank Book Party and Signing Photographer and former New York Times writer and picture editor Philip Gefter will be present for a book signing and party in celebration of his recently released book of essays Photography After Frank (Aperture, June 2009). The book traces the history of contemporary photography, beginning with a pivotal moment: photographer Robert Frank’s 1958 book The Americans, which documented life in America across the social spectrum. Copresented by the BFA Photography Department and Aperture. Thursday, May 7, 6 - 8pm Visual Arts Gallery, 601 West 26 Street, 15th floor Free and open to the public The Affordable Art Fair New York City SVA is exhibiting the work of nine current students at the 2009 Affordable Art Fair (AAF). The AAF provides new and established collectors with an opportunity to buy contemporary art in all media, with pieces priced between $100 and $10,000. Visit aafnyc.com for more information about participating artists and exhibitors. Thursday, May 7, 12 - 6pm Friday, May 8, 12 - 8pm Saturday, May 9, 12pm - 8pm Sunday, May 10, 12pm - 5pm 7 West 34 Street General admission is $20, $15 for student/senior (valid ID required) and $10 each for groups of 10 or more. The Improvisers In anticipation of its fall 2009 opening, the MFA Interaction Design Department at SVA presents “Dot Dot Dot,” a monthly public lecture series exploring interaction design, business and aesthetic inspiration. This month, practitioners from diverse backgrounds, including music, theater and comedy, will discuss how designers can use the principles and processes of improvisation to bring spark and perspective to their work. The speakers include Armando Diaz, instructor at Magnet Theater; Graham Marshall and Sunmee Kim of Innovation & Design, Motorola Inc.; and Charlie Todd, founder of Improv Everywhere.
Wednesday, May 13, 6:30 - 8:30pm White Rabbit, 145 Houston Street Free and open to the public. Please RSVP at http://bit.ly/theimprovisors Husbands Performed live, this multimedia theatrical adaptation of John Cassavetes’ 1970 film Husbands tells the story of three middleclass men in the throes of midlife crises. The production is conceived, designed and directed by faculty member Doris Mirescu and produced by faculty member Chris Newman. Presented by the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department and Dangerous Ground Productions. Tuesday, May 19 - Friday, May 22, 7:30pm SVA Theater, 333 West 23 Street General admission is $10 and $5 for students and seniors. Contact 212.724.5004 or do@dangerousgroundproductions for tickets.
Medical Lectures NYU CANCER INSTITUTE
http://ci.med.nyu.edu/outreach/calendars NEWS & EVENTS - 2009 Please call 212-263-2266 or e-mail NYUCIcommunityprograms@med.nyu.edu for more information and to register, unless otherwise noted. SECONDARY CANCERS AFTER TREATMENT: FROM CHILDHOOD TO OLDER YEARS Tuesay, 5/12 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm NYU Clinical Cancer Center. 160 E. 34th Street, Room 1121 (between Lexington and Third Avenue) Join us for a discussion about why the phenomenon of certain primary cancer diagnoses can lead to secondary cancers in later years and how to understand your prognosis. PROSTATE CANCER UPDATE Tuesday, 5/19 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm NYU Langone Medical Center 550 First Avenue (at 31st Street), Alumni Hall A Learn about the factors that increase pancreatic cancer risks as well as recent advances at this co-sponsored event with The Lustgarten Foundation. THE MANY FACES OF BREAST CANCER Saturday, 6/6 10:00 am - 12:00 pm NYU Langone Medical Center 550 First Avenue (at 31st Street) Farkas Auditorium Join us for the exciting new patient event that is coming to New York City for the first time! Come explore and discuss the needs and issues that directly affect 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the US today with a panel of NYU Cancer Institute medical experts, breast cancer survivors and advocates. UPDATES FROM THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY Thursday. 6/11 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm NYU Langone Medical Center 550 First Avenue (at 31st Street) Alumni Hall A Join us for a discussion of the latest findings that come out of this meeting.
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their educational opportunities, many developing countries lack even basic opportunities in this area. While many young people see college as their escape from poverty, Kelly said it is possible that as many as 100 million students are ready for higher education in areas where a college does not exist. Throughout the evening, China was looked to as a nation that has (L-R): Dr. James J. Duderstadt, Dr. Enrique Dussel successfully tackled the need for higher educaPeters, President William P. Kelly, Dr. Deborah S. Davis, tion. In 1998, 3.4 percent Dr. Yu Lizhong of college-aged students in China were attending a university. Ten years later, that number has will be culled and have a chance to succeed.“ jumped to 21.3 percent. Peters spoke of the educational dilemmas with“The last 10 years in China have been so exciting in Mexico, explaining that the economic crisis in because we’ve been seeing this forward thrust,” the region is keeping entire classes of people out said Davis, who has spent time teaching at Beijing of college. University. “Obviously, there are still some prob“The level of newer students has improved lems, but everything is progressing, and you can’t dramatically in the last two decades,” said Peter. always say that about developing nations.” “However, we are now finding that many middleLizhong said that much of the increase in and upper-class students are attending public enrollment simply has to do with family life in universities because they can no longer afford Chinese culture. private ones. Ultimately, a lot of classes are being “Families always make it a priority for their excluded from the system.” children to be educated, so there has always been Even in developed nations, providing quality a huge demand for this,” said Lizhong. “That education is proving to be a serious problem. being said, knowing how to control the quality While The Economist once described America’s is critical. The government is encouraging faster education system as the best in the world, “simdevelopment, but cannot pay for everything.” ply because there is no system,” Duderstadt College admission in China is based on a com- argued that some sort of structure might be helppulsory national test for all high school students. ful. His thoughts on the subject were in sync with Although Lizhong expressed concern that this all the other panelists, who concluded that all might not necessarily be fair to students in poorer countries that succeed in providing quality educaareas with access only to lower quality education, tion not only have the means, but also some sort Davis believed that the setup China has allows all of government assistance. talented students to succeed. “The importance of public education has fall“All of the kids are competing within the coun- en off the agenda,” said Duderstadt. “At the ty of a province, all of which have a keypoint University of Michigan, we let 10 percent of middle school,” said Davis. “It might be stripped the students in, but the average income of the down and the children might be removed from families we do admit is $125,000. This speaks their parents, but these schools do offer an excel- volumes to the problems that we are facing and it lent education. There’s a natural structure reach- is imperative that solving them becomes a bigger ing every village that ensures talented students priority.” #
RESOURCE & REFERENCE GUIDE BOOKS Bank Street Bookstore 112th St. & Broadway ; (212) 678-1654 Exceptional selection of books for children, teachers and parents. Knowledgeable staff. Free monthly newsletter. Open Mon-Thurs 10-8 PM, Fri & Sat 10–6 PM, Sun 12–5 PM. Logos Books 1575 York Ave, (@84th Street); (212) 517-7292 A charming neighborhood bookstore located in Yorkville featuring quality selections of classics, fiction, poetry, philosophy, religion, bibles and children’s books, and greeting cards, gifts and music. Books can be mailed. Outdoor terrace. High Marks In Chemistry 1-877-600-7466; www.HighMarksInSchool.com Over 95,000 books sold. HIGH MARKS: REGENTS CHEMISTRY MADE EASY BY SHARON WELCHER (College Teacher, Chairperson atnd teacher of high school review courses). This book is your private tutor-Easy review book for NEW regents (second edition) with hundreds of questions and solutions, Get HIGH MARKS $10.95. Available at Leading book stores or call (718)271-7466. COLLEGES COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND 2800 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, NY 10314 For more information, call 718.982.2019 or email teachersabbatical@mail.csi.cuny.edu Visit our Website at www.csi.cuny.edu/teachersabbatical TEACHERS ON SABBATICAL PROGRAM Specially Designed Graduate Courses (8 credits)
in 15-week Sessions Apply Now for Spring 2009! The College of Staten Island (CSI) is a senior college of The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s leading urban university. CSI’s 204-acre landscaped campus, the largest in NYC, is fully accessible and contains an advanced, networked infrastructure to support technology-based teaching, learning, and research. CSI offers 43 undergraduate and 15 master’s degree programs, and participates in the doctoral programs of The City University Graduate School and University Center. FOSTER CARE & ADOPTION 1-888-611-KIDS Help rebuild a family in your community today! ESS Foster care and Adoption Children and Teens: Manhattan and Bronx Teens only: All boroughs 1-888-611-KIDS GRADUATE EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FOR GRADUATE STUDIES www.iugrad.edu.kn (888) 989 - GRAD (4723) IUGS is an accredited and recognized twenty-eight year old University which offers only master’s and doctoral degrees. All relevant graduate credits including approved continuing education credits are accepted in transfer. Visit our website at www.iugrad. edu.kn or call (888) 989 - GRAD (4723). MEDICAL NYU Cancer Institute 212-731-5000; www.nyuci.org Understanding Cancer. And you. At the NCI-designated NYU Cancer Institute, we provide access to the latest research,
treatment options, technology, clinical trials and a variety of programs in cancer prevention, screening, diagnostics, genetic counseling and supportive services. Visit www.nyuci.org or call 212-731-5000. SPECIAL EDUCATION The Sterling School (718) 625-3502 Brooklyn’s private elementary school for Dyslexic children offers a rigorous curriculum, Orton - Gillingham methodology and hands-on multi-sensory learning. Oneto-one remediation is also provided. If your bright Language Learning Disabled child could benefit from our program please do not hesitate to contact Director: Ruth Arberman at 718-625-3502. Special Education Teachers Wanted Call: 718-436-5147 Fax resume to: 718-436-6843 E-mail resume to: abcdinc@verizon.net Visit our website: www.abcdnyc.net Associates for Bilingual Child Development Inc. is Seeking Mono/Bilingual Special Ed Itinerant Teachers, Bilingual Certified. Teach Preschoolers 3-5 years of age, Full-Time and Part-Time Opportunity, Competitive Salary and Rates. Call: 718-436-5147. Fax resume to: 718-436-6843. E-mail resume to: abcdinc@verizon.net. Visit our website: www.abcdnyc.net SCHOOLS Lycée Français de New York 505 East 75th Street; NY, NY 10021 212-439-3834; Admissions@LFNY.org www.LFNY.org The Lycée Français de New York is a multicultural, bilingual institution with students from fifty nations (preschool-12th grade). The school is an American, private, nonprofit school chartered by the NY State Board of Regents, and accredited by the French Ministry of Education.
MAY 2009
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EDUCATION UPDATE
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COLLEGES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS
BARNARD COLLEGE
Brown University’s 2009 Ogden Memorial Lecture: Prime Minister Romano Prodi
From 1960 to 2009: Barnard’s Come A Long Way (With a Little Help from Martha Stewart) Associated Press
BROWN UNIVERSITY
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(L-R) President Ruth Simmons, Peggy Ogden & P.M. Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi, former prime minister of Italy, University Profesor-at-Large at Brown University, and Past President of the European Commission, delivered the 2009 Stephen A. Ogden Jr. Memorial Lecture, titled, “Is There a New Role for Europe in Today’s World?” Romano Prodi was prime minister of Italy from 1996 to 1998 and again from 2006 to 2008. He served as president of the European Commission from 1999 to 2005, during which time the euro was successfully introduced, the European Union was enlarged by 10 new countries, and the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe was signed. Born in Scandiano, Italy, in 1939, Prodi received his law degree at the Catholic University of Milan and completed postgraduate work at the London School of Economics. He began his academic career at the University of Bologna in 1963, where he served as assistant in political economics and professor of industrial organization and industrial policy until 1999. He has also held research and teaching positions at the Lombard Institute of Economic and Social Studies, Stanford Research Institute, Free University of Trento, and Harvard University. Prodi entered politics in 1978, when he was appointed Italy’s minister of industry. From 1982 to 1989, he served as chairman of the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction, at the time Italy’s largest holding company. In 1981, he founded Nomisma Società di Studi Economici, the largest Italian institute of economic studies, and chaired its scientific committee until 1995. In 1995, Prodi founded the Ulivo—“The Olive
Tree”—the center-left coalition, which made him its candidate for prime minister in the 1996 elections. Ulivo won the general elections that year, and the Prodi government remained in office until 1998. In the 2006 parliamentary elections in Italy, Prodi again led the center-left coalition to victory and again became prime minister, serving until May 8, 2008. He has received several prestigious awards and holds numerous honorary degrees from universities around the world, including a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from Brown, conferred in 1999. Prodi is currently president of the Foundation for Worldwide Cooperation and chairman of the United Nations-African Union Panel for Peacekeeping in Africa, and Professorat-Large at Brown. Stephen A. Ogden Jr. Memorial Lecture Since 1965, the Ogden Lectureship has presented the University and its neighboring communities with authoritative and timely addresses about international affairs. The lectureship was established in memory of Stephen A. Ogden Jr., a member of the Brown Class of 1960, who died in 1963 from injuries he suffered in a car accident during his junior year. His family created the series as a tribute to Ogden’s interest in advancing international peace and understanding. Dozens of heads of state, diplomats, and observers of the international scene have participated in the series, including Queen Noor of Jordan, former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, President of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell, media innovator Ted Turner, astronaut Sen. John Glenn, economist Paul Volcker, and Bolivian President Evo Morales. #
Martha Stewart (2009)
Martha Kostyra (Stewart) (1960)
By DAN LEWIS In the late 1950s, Barnard College’s tradition of skirts-only dress began to experience some opposition. In the spring of 1960, many Barnard women chose to wear more comfortable—and more warm weather-appropriate—clothing than the conservative-minded administration preferred. In response, the college’s leadership announced a ban on some of the garments that students chose to wear. Bermuda shorts and slacks were outlawed; skirts would be required dress for all Barnard students. Predictably, Barnard’s forward-thinking student body did not appreciate the administration’s antiquated and repressive sentiment; a full-blown controversy was born. On April 28, 1960, The New York Times ran a story titled, “Ban on Shorts Threatens Classic Barnard Couture”, describing the college’s decision and the subsequent backlash it saw from its students. Depicted in one
THEATER REVIEW
Students Warm To The Winter’s Tale By JAN AARON Is there anything more fun for high school kids than cutting class for a trip to the theater? This was a recent treat for 850 high school students and their teachers, who went to see a star-studded international cast in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale at The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) Harvey Theater. Education BAM presents performances like these to offer teachers and students alike an opportunity to connect with the world at large and explore issues. To prepare students, BAM provides teachers with study guides and also stages interactive workshops in classrooms with specially trained teaching artists. The Winter’s Tale was presented at BAM by a transatlantic theater company called, “The
Bridge Project”. Sam Mendes, renowned director American Beauty and Revolutionary Road, directed BAM’s presentation of The Winter’s Tale, which presents themes similar to those of his critically-acclaimed films: disintegrating friendships, love across class lines, and the destructive power of jealousy. Leading the international cast was renowned Shakespearean actor Simon Russell Beale playing Leontes. Having fallen prey to unwarranted jealousy involving his friend Polixenes, Leontes disintegrates into a neurotic despot, ordering the death of his wife and child. The actor, a short rotund man, played this role with such intensity that he became more regal than his stature would initially suggest. The second half skips ahead almost 16 years
to a rural fair where Leontes’ daughter (thought dead after he ordered her killed, but secretly adopted by a simple shepherd) has fallen in love with Polixenes’ son. Here the play turns bawdy and whimsical. While this interpretation may have been too over top for most adults, it delighted the students, who hooted their approval. They especially applauded the performance by actor Ethan Hawke, playing a singing, strumming drifter who fleeces the yokels. The finale returns to Leontes’ court where the play becomes a magical resurrection of love and hope. A panel discussion followed the performance, giving the students an opportunity to query the actors about the play as well as about their craft. “You were a wonderful audience,” the actors agreed. They added that they loved the students’ participation.” #
of the photos is a young Martha Kostyra, now American cultural icon Martha Stewart, sporting a pair of shorts. No one on Barnard’s campus, not even a young Martha Stewart, would be safe from the dress code crackdown. By the following fall, the overwhelming negative response to the college’s new regulations resulted in a change of heart: Barnard students would be permitted to wear Bermuda shorts in class (though they’d still need to wear a coat while on Columbia’s campus across Broadway). The controversy may have lingered, but the students achieved their stated goal of freedom of dress. The student body’s uproar should have come as no surprise—educating some of the country’s leading female minds to be forwardthinking, independent citizens, after all, really ought to lead to a little revolution. Women attend colleges like Barnard for many reasons, among which, undoubtedly, are to grow intellectually, broaden their perspectives on the world, and to develop the confidence and strength to stand up to repressive, arbitrary, and unjust policies. In the end, whether the administration realized it at the time or not, all members of the Barnard community, as well as women’s education as a whole, passed this trial and emerged victorious.#
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BOOK REVIEWS
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EDUCATION UPDATE
Logos Bookstore’s Recommendations By H. Harris Healy, III, President, LOGOS BOOKSTORE 1575 York Avenue (Between 83rd and 84th Sts.) New York, NY 10028 (212) 517-7292 Fax (212) 517-7197 www.logosbookstorenyc.com
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MAY 2009
REVIEW OF High Rise Low Down:
Who’s Who & What’s What in New York’s Most Coveted Apartment Houses High Rise Low Down: Who’s Who and What’s What in New York’s Most Coveted Apartment Houses By Denise LeFrak Calicchio and Eunice David with Kathryn Livingston. Published by Barricade Books, Ft. Lee, New Jersey, 2007: 278 pp.
May is here and, with it, the beginning of the end of the school year. As universities, colleges, and schools end their sessions for the summer, people want to be outdoors and travel—and want to read! Getting hold of good paperbacks becomes a project of the moment. A great supplier of paperbacks to Logos Bookstore is Dover Publications. One of my favorite jobs is ordering from the Dover Catalogue two or three times a year. The range of subject matter and available titles is excellent. For young children who want coloring books, Dover has a fine line of classical and contemporary art and subject matter. Currently at Logos we feature: Angels in Art Masterpieces, Cézanne, John Constable, Degas, Famous American Paintings, Gauguin, Manet, Matisse, Monet, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Pre-Raphaelites, ‘Victorian Fairy Paintings as well as The Sistine Chapel, Italian Renaissance Masterpieces, Grand Paintings by Women Artists, Endangered Animals, and Cupcakes ($3.95-$4.99 each). For the young child starting to play the piano, simple arrangements of the music of Chopin, Mozart and Bach among others, are also available ($4.95 each). For older children, there is a wonderful colorand sepia-illustrated edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Dover also publishes the many sequels to this classic. The Marvelous Land of Oz, the second book in the series, is a great sequel to the first with hidden identities revealed and a princess crowned. Her name is Ozma, and she is the title character in the third book of the series, Ozma of Oz. Dorothy and the Wizard are reunited in Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz, the fourth book in the series. Other titles are The Road To Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, The Patchwork Girl Of Oz, Tik-Tok Of Oz, Rinkitink In Oz, The Lost Princess Of Oz, The Magic of Oz, and The Royal Book Of Oz ($8.95$11.95). All the sequels are beautifully illustrated in black and white with occasional brilliant color illustrations. In addition, Dover publishes Baum’s Sea Fairies and American Fairy Tales ($7.95$9.95). Thornton Burgess, naturalist and children’s storyteller, is well represented by Dover. On the fiction side there is Old Mother West Wind and Lightfoot The Deer among others ($2 each boxed
set of 7 titles $14). The Burgess Bird Book For Children, The Burgess Animal Book for Children, and The Burgess Seashore Book for Children ($7.95-$9.95) are examples of storytelling by Burgess that presents information about animals and their environments. Dover’s wonderful series on Old New York is a must for all ages. A whole lost world and time to comes life with: Old New York In Early Photographs by Mary Black, Andrew Alpern’s Luxurious Apartment Houses Of Manhattan, Joseph Byron’s New York Life At The Turn Of The Century In Photographs, Byron’s photograph book collection, Photographs Of New York Interiors At The Turn Of The Century, Berenice Abbott’s New York In The Thirties, and Andreas Feiniger’s New York In The Forties ($15.95$19.95). May is the time for Mother’s Day, First Communion, Confirmation, and graduations. Logos has greeting cards, books, and gift items for those occasions. Come on over! # Upcoming Events At Logos Wednesday, May 6, 7 p.m.: KYTV Reading Group will discuss The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Monday, May 11, at 7 p.m.: The Sacred Texts Group led by Richard Curtis will discuss the Holy Week and Easter accounts present in the Gospel of Matthew. Thursday, May 11, from 7-8:30 p.m.: Alison Walling, former Goldman Sachs Professional Development and Leadership Team member, current member of Columbia University’s Executive Education Division, will lead a practical workshop and book discussion based on Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence. Come to the workshop prepared with notebook and pen! Sign up for the workshop and receive 10% off purchase price of Emotional Intelligence. Wednesday, June 3, 7 p.m.: KYTV Reading Group will discuss Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor. Children’s Story Time led by Lily is every Monday at 11 a.m. Transit: 4.5.6 subways to Lexington Avenue and 86th Street M86 Bus (86th St.), M79 Bus (79th St.), M31 Bus (York Ave.), M15 Bus (1st & 2nd Aves.).
REVIEW OF Grading Education:
Getting Accountability Right Grading Education: Getting Accountability Right By Richard Rothstein with Rebecca Jacobsen and Tamara Wilder Published by Economic Policy Institute and Teachers College Press, 2008, Washington, DC and New York: 280 pp.
By MERRI ROSENBERG So much for academic equivocation. In this timely exploration of educational accountability (which should be required reading for Congress, given that the controversial No Child Left Behind legislation is up for reauthorization), Richard Rothstein and his colleagues, Tamara Wilder and Rebecca Jacobsen, set forth a prescriptive as well as exemplary analytic discussion. While the authors find it “entirely reasonable,
indeed necessary, that citizens should hold educators accountable for effectively spending the funds with which they’ve been entrusted,” they are horrified that performance accountability has been based, for the most part, on standardized assessments in reading and math. In their view, “‘No Child Left Behind’ was an utter failure.” Certainly there’s a place for those kinds of measurements—but that’s not enough, argue the authors in compelling, refreshingly clear prose. As they write, “this book demonstrates why such narrow test-based accountability plans cannot possibly accomplish their stated intent, which is to tell the states and nation whether schools and related public institutions are performing satisfactorily and to support interventions that ensure improvement.” One of NCLB’s biggest failings, obvious to any
By MERRI ROSENBERG Even if this book probably had more receptive readers when it was published two years ago, there’s still a certain guilty pleasure in literally peeking behind the scenes of some of Manhattan’s most elite apartment buildings. The authors, who divulge all sorts of dishy gossip, have the credentials. Calicchio is the daughter of the LeFrak family, known for its real estate presence in New York City. David, the wife of Academy Award-winning songwriter Hal David, has been a director of zoning in California and knows many of the bold-faced names who live in the buildings profiled here. And Livingston, through her positions on Town & Country and Harper’s Bazaar magazines, is also well versed in the ways of the social set. Their focus is on those buildings that attract both the extremely well-heeled (who’ve presumably maintained their financial assets even in this dismal economy) and the famous, exploring what gives each building its particular cachet or personality. They range from named buildings like the River House, San Remo, Dakota and the Beresford to such impeccable addresses as 4 East 66th Street, 740 Park Avenue and 1040 Fifth Avenue, among others. Interestingly, they also include the private hotel residences at places like the Waldorf-Astoria Towers, the Carlyle, the Pierre and the Sherry-Netherland. Many of the buildings included on their short list were designed by Rosario Candela, who was responsible for most of the prestigious addresses in pre-Depression Manhattan. At 834 Fifth Avenue, regarded as one of the ultimate “blue chip” apartment buildings, the exquisite walls sheltered the likes of Laurance Rockefeller, Hal Prince, and various Greek shipping magnates. The Time Warner Center, a newcomer to the gilded ranks (having opened in 2004), has attracted Russian money and expatriates from around the world as well as Broadway producers Fran and Barry Weissler. At River House, privacy and privilege appeal to residents like former educator, is that it “demanded that schools bring all students to proficiency regardless of how well families and other socioeconomic institutions prepared children to learn.” It doesn’t have to be this way. As a former national education columnist for the New York Times, Rothstein has the experience and credentials to propose an alternative to an overly reductive approach that satisfies no one. As the authors explain, “We now waste billions of dollars by continuing to operate low-quality schools, because narrow test-based accountability can neither accurately identify nor guide those it identifies to improve. And we waste billions by forcing good schools to abandon high-quality programs to comply with the government’s test obsession.” Because too many teachers now have to spend precious instructional time teaching to the test (especially to capture the so-called ‘bubble students’, those whose scores are just below the proficiency standard), students’ skills in science, social studies, and the arts have declined. Certainly the authors recognize that schools need to prepare students in fundamental skills. Still, that can’t be all. The authors believe that restoring aspects of the National Assessment of Educational Progress,
Denise LeFrak Calicchio
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Sesame Street creator Joan Ganz Cooney. The Dakota wasn’t only home to the late John Lennon, but also Leonard Bernstein and Lauren Bacall. And while most of the buildings are on the Upper East Side, with perhaps a choice address or two on the other side of Central Park, the authors at least acknowledge the allure of certain downtown buildings for actors, writers and rock stars. Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane and Blythe Danner are among those who prefer the lower Manhattan streetscape. The authors also explore the mysteries of co-op approval, one of the more baffling and frustrating features peculiar to the Manhattan market. They write, “The collective thinking process of the residents of River House has been called an enigma. The co-op board that runs this kingdom abhors the merest jot of publicity. Clearly the notorious need not apply.” Still, it’s these glimpses of the notorious and the secretive processes at work behind the daunting doors of many of these co-ops and condos that keep one turning the pages. Go on—indulge, and have some fun in these dreary times. # which included direct student observations, interviews, and surveys, with other accreditation systems, would be a step in a better direction. As they write, “New and broader accountability systems are needed to promote more effective school programs. These new systems will be considerably more expensive than the tests currently employed, many of which are seriously flawed. “America’s education policy can continue to focus on schools alone and on narrow, test-based accountability—and be content with modest improvements. Or we can ratchet up our ambitions and adopt a broad new strategy to enable all our children to pursue the American dream.” Their Broader, Bolder Approach encompasses continued school improvement (with such measures as smaller class sizes, at the younger grades, for disadvantaged students), but acknowledges that attention must be paid to early childhood education as well. Similarly, the whole child’s needs have to be met, with basic health care provided and after-school programs designed to reinforce academics, but also offer cultural and athletic opportunities, too. “Test scores alone should not define school effectiveness.” Amen to that—and to this brave book that shows a new way. #
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EDUCATION UPDATE
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Rwandan Med Students Reflect on Their African Role Models SPECIAL TO EDUCATION UPDATE By ANITA REETZ Rwanda: During the week of April 7, people in Rwanda and around the globe took time to remember the Rwandan genocide. This is an appropriate time to turn towards Rwandans and to learn more about their current peaceful situation. The following are sample writings by Rwandan first-year medical students who were teenagers 14 years ago at the time of the genocide. At Kigali Health Institute (KHI) in Rwanda, first-year students in the Class of 2010 range in age from 19 to 39. Practically everyone on the planet who hears international news knows of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. What they probably don’t know, however, is that the country itself is beautiful, like the Garden of Eden, green in lushness, pleasingly temperate in climate; it is a landscape of cultivated hills that roll, one after the other, to the horizon. They also probably don’t know much of the aftermath of the genocide. The disruption of education is clearly one. Families decimated, smaller units reconstituted, lives in exile, lives in orphanages, hunks of time spent hunting for disappeared family members, scratching for subsistence. In
the fall of 2007, a visiting American teacher could only imagine the life differences these students had experienced over the past 14 years. English is now the language of instruction in higher education in Rwanda. It is also being introduced in the primary and secondary levels. Years ago, when the Belgians ran the country and later supported the newly independent government, French was the language of higher education. After 2000, the new government, headed by Paul Kagame, who grew up as a Kan Rukundo-Director of KHI’s Language Center, Anita Rwandan refugee in EnglishReetz-English Language Fellow, C. Rwiranga-wife of KHI speaking Uganda, adopted Secretary, and Jim McGiffert- journalist, at Home Saint English to create a trilingual Jean on Lake Kivu, Rwanda system of Kinyarwanda (the indigenous language) at the primary level, and French and English at the politically, culturally, and educationally, beginning secondary and university levels. Political events with Rwanda’s entering the East African Union of have conspired to move English to the forefront Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania (all English speaking),
BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAYS Steven Biko By SCHADRACK HABUMUREMYI,
SYLVAIN MUSAYIOIRE, DONATHA IYATOBOYISARO, AND JUDITH TUYISENGE Steven Biko was born in Sun City, South Africa, just north of Johannesburg, in 1923. At 13, he began secondary school Johannesburg in justice lessons. After secondary school he continued his studies at Johannesburg International University, where would he meet Nelson Mandela. At 25, he began to fight against Apartheid openly. He prepared a meeting with his colleagues at all South African universities, but South African police
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and adjacent Burundi, which is culturally a brother to Rwanda. KHI uses the New Cambridge English Course, Books 1 and 2, designed to introduce “true and false beginners� to English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. It is a good series that provides a detailed Teacher’s Manual with lesson-by-lesson suggestions for expansion of the language points through individual and group practice. One lesson focuses on Famous People with use of past tense as the grammar point. The illustrative examples in the text include Shakespeare, Einstein, and Madame Curie. The class was instructed to think about famous people in Africa and use the rubric in the lesson: When were they born? What kind of education did they have? What did they do? Why do we remember them? Students brainstormed famous Africans and formed groups, each choosing a different personage and collaborating to write a brief biography of that person. The lives of patriots, poets, presidents, reggae singers, and other characters well known to the students emerged in simple prose. The samples below give you, American educators, a better idea of who these men (sorry, only men) are and why they are famous in the eyes of young Rwandans.#
RWANDAN MEDICAL STUDENTS
prevented it from ever occurring. The Apartheid government saw that Steven Biko was a threat to its authority, so the police began to search for him to arrest him. Biko and Mandela created an association of students that fought for human rights, particularly for black South Africans. Their group started making demonstrations, but Biko was found and sent to prison. He continued fighting for his cause and, in 1945, two years after he was sent to prison, returned home; his drive to achieve his human rights goals did not diminish while in prison. In 1949, both Biko and Mandela continued to prepare other student demonstrations, consisting mostly of black students, but also some white
students. The demonstrators met in Soweto (south of Johannesburg), but they encountered resistance; many of them were killed by South African police. After this wave of protests, Biko was arrested again. He died while in prison in 1955 at the age of 32.
Alexis Kagame By: JOSEPH MUNYANDAMUTIA, NARCISSE NIYIKORA, AND DONATILLE TWIZERIMANA Alexis Kagame was born in 1912 at Remera in Rural Kigali Prefecture. His family was quite rich. He studied at Remera Primary School then he
continued his studies at Petit Seminaire de Kabgayi. He studied in Grand Seminaire at Nyakibanda, then went on to study philosophy in Rome. After completing his studies, he taught at Grand Seminaire of Nyakibanda, National University of Rwanda, and at other seminary schools. He was a lecturer of philosophy and languages while also working as a priest. He was an amazing artist and also wrote many books about Rwandan culture and Rwandan history. He wrote a famous poem, called Inoyoheshabirayi, describing a pig’s mythic journey from Butare to Kigali. He also wrote many, many books about the Kingdom in Rwanda. Kagame died in 1982 in Nairobi, Kenya of natural causes.#
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w o R a n i s r a e Y 5 s p i h DON GOMEZ, Colin Powell s r a l o Fellow at City College, is the 5th CUNY h c S student in 5 years to win up to $30,000 for graduate study n a m from the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. In the last 6 years, Tru CUNY students have also won ten $7,500 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships in undergraduate mathematics, natural sciences and engineeering. CUNY students continue to win the nation’s most prestigious awards, including Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, Fulbrights and National Science Foundation grants.
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