Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, February 6, 2012

NYC Public School Parents: NO more school closings: IT'S TIME TO OCCUPY THE PEP!

NYC Public School Parents: NO more school closings: IT'S TIME TO OCCUPY THE PEP!:

NO more school closings: IT'S TIME TO OCCUPY THE PEP!


IT'S TIME TO OCCUPY THE PEP
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH, 5:30PM
Brooklyn Technical High School, 29 Fort Greene Pl (between Fulton and Dekalb) in Brooklyn
Near the Nevins 2/3/4/5 or the Dekalb B/D/N/Q/R


Background
On Thursday, February 9th, the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) will hold an open meeting and then a vote to close down dozens more schools. The PEP is an un-elected 13-member body (the majority of whom are appointed by Mayor 1% Bloomberg) whose decisions dramatically affect the lives of the 99%. Every time a vote for school closings has come before the panel, they have voted on behalf of their puppeteer, Mayor Bloomberg. No matter what impassioned students, parents, educators or elected officials have said in the past,the PEP has ALWAYS voted against the people. PEP meetings are open to the public.

We, students, parents and educators from the 99%, invite you to join us in having our OUR OWN VOTE on the fate of our schools.

If you don't believe Mayor 1%'s puppet board should be empowered to make decisions about our schools, come help us OPEN THE MEETING UP! In October, the panel walked out of their meeting and we held our own meeting. Click here to see how it went down. Now, let's do it with thousands!

Ways YOU can Occupy the PEP:

Option A: Are you a student, parent, educator or elected official from a school that the PEP has targeted for closure? Members of your school community should plan to use THE PEOPLE'S MIC to speak out about the mayor's policies and about your school! To see how the people's mic works, click here.

EXAMPLE: I am here because the panel shouldn't be voting without the community's consent to close down schools. In my school...

EXAMPLE: I am here because the mayor has it all wrong, and because he wants to take over space in our public schools to hand it over to charter schools. Our school is an amazing community...

EXAMPLE: I am here because what is happening here is wrong! Because the people have spoken and they say enough is enough!...

Or you can plan a song, performance, or skit. Every school that the PEP plans to vote on will have a chance to speak out and use the people's mic. Please practice! The people's mic can be tricky and you have to speak in short phrases of three to seven words and wait for people to respond. But it's a powerful tool that can change the balance of power in the room! Let's use it!

Then the PEOPLE (not the puppet panel) will vote on the state of your school!

Option B: Not from a closing school? Well then we need your help to support the occupation of this undemocratic meeting! There are definitely ways you can participate. We need your voice to help amplify the voices of those speaking on behalf of their schools. We also need folks to sit near the aisle to protect the people's mic. And we're asking folks to wear shirts or stickers that identify who the occupiers are and what we stand for. For example, you might consider wearing a shirt or sticker that says "Student Against School Closings" or "Parent for Community Control of Schools", etc. There will be speeches, performances, skits, signs to hold, and more! Join us.

Please contact occupythedoe@gmail.com with any questions. Let's open up the PEP and put the decision making power where it belongs—with the people!

Background on the Exhibits, Students and Competitions at the White House Science Fair | The White House

Background on the Exhibits, Students and Competitions at the White House Science Fair | The White House:

Background on the Exhibits, Students and Competitions at the White House Science Fair

Background on the Exhibits, Students and Competitions at the White House Science Fair
The second White House Science Fair celebrates over 100 students from over 45 states, representing over 40 different competitions and organizations that work with students and inspire them to excel in STEM. A subset of the students being honored today will have the added opportunity to exhibit their award-winning work. More than 30 student teams will have the opportunity to exhibit their projects this year, almost twice as many as the first White House Science Fair. In addition, senior Administration officials and leading STEM advocates and educators will attend the White House Science Fair and meet the students.
Expected attendees include:
Senior Administration Officials
John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Charles F. Bolden, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Subra Suresh, Director, National Science Foundation (NSF)
Jane Lubchenco, Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Patrick Gallagher, Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Stephen Van Roekel, Federal Chief Information Officer
Harold Varmus, Director, National Cancer Institute
Carl Wieman, Associate Director for Science, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Leading STEM Educators and Advocates
Bill Nye, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Executive Director, Planetary Society
Craig Barrett, former Chairman of Intel
Neil deGrasse Tyson, American astrophysicist, Director of Hayden Planetarium
Alan Leshner, CEO, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Michelle Cahill, Vice President of Carnegie Corporation of New York
Linda Rosen, CEO, Change the Equation
Jo Handelsman, Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the Yale School of Medicine
A sampling of the exhibits that the President will see include:
  • Student “Making” and Starting Small Business to Sell his Invention. Fourteen year old Joey Hudy from Phoenix, Arizona is already a Maker Faire veteran. He invented an Extreme Marshmallow Cannon and an LED Cube Microcontroller Shield, which he has exhibited at Maker Faires in New York, San Francisco, and Detroit. He received 2 Editors Choice Awards from Maker Faire, and has started a small business selling the microcontroller (Arduino) shield kits on several websites. As the World's Largest Do-It-Yourself Festival, Maker Faire is the premier event for grassroots American innovation.
  • Designing a More Efficient Way to Collect Solar Energy. Aidan Dwyer, a middle school student hailing from Northport, New York, won first place in the American Museum of Natural History’s 2011 Young Naturalist Award for his study of a more efficient way to collect solar energy. Modeling the natural design of tree limbs which Aidan predicted must serve a benefit for the trees to optimize sun collected to feed photosynthesis in the short, dark days of winter, Aidan worked to devise a potentially more efficient way to collect solar energy.
  • Seventeen-Year Old Girl Designing Targeted Cancer Treatment. Angela Zhang, a seventeen year old senior from Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California, won the $100,000 Grand Prize in the Individual category of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology for using nanotechnology to eradicate cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for initiating and driving tumor growth yet are often resistant to current cancer therapies. In her research, Angela aimed to design a nanosystem to target drug delivery to these cancer stem cells, which could potentially help overcome cancer resistance, minimize undesirable side effects, and allow for real-time monitoring of treatment efficacy.
  • Teenage CEO Inventing Dissolvable Sugar Packets to Reduce Waste. Hayley Hoverter, a 16 years old student from Downtown Business Magnet High School in Los Angeles, California, won first place at the 2011 Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship's National Challenge for her idea for patent-pending ecologically conscious dissolvable sugar packets. Hayley, now CEO of Sweet (dis)SOLVE, started her business as a part of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s (NFTE's) business plan competition.
  • Improving the Environment One Community at a Time.Isabel Steinhoff, Rico Bowman, Genevieve Boyle, and Mina Apostadiro, of Kohala Middle School in Kapaau, Hawaii, took first place in the grade 6-8 division of the Siemens “We Can Change the World” Challenge, for their household battery recycling effort to collect 6,000 batteries in 60 days. The team, named 6000 in 60, embarked on a campaign to improve their community’s use and disposal of batteries by giving local people information on the environmental harm of batteries disposed improperly along with providing local opportunities for recycling.
  • Fifteen-Year Old Student Modeling Brain Control of a Robotic Arm. Anand Srinivasan, a fifteen-year old sophomore from Roswell High School in Roswell, Georgia, qualified as a top 15 Finalist in the 2011 Google Science Fair. Anand used data recorded via electroencephalography (EEG) from his brain and, after coupling it with the custom software that he wrote, used it to control a home-built robotic arm. Anand believes that this technology could be put to use for amputees and patients suffering from paralysis and muscular dystrophy.
  • Team of Girl Scouts Seeking Patent on Prosthetic Hand Device Which Enables a Young Girl to Write. A group of middle school-aged Girl Scouts from Ames, Iowa, including Gaby Dempsey, Mackenzie Gewell, and Kate Murray developed a patent-pending prosthetic hand device, winning them the inaugural Global Innovation Award at the FIRST LEGO League competition, beating out nearly 200 other submissions. Their invention was in response to the need of a little old girl in Duluth, Georgia, enabling her to write for the first time although she was born without fingers on her right hand. Their patent pending BOB-1 has earned the girls the Heartland Red Cross Young Heroes Award, scholarships at Iowa State University College of Engineering, recognition on the Floor of the Iowa and the US House of Representatives, and the title of finalists for the 2011 Pioneer Hi-Bred Iowa Women of Innovation Awards.
  • Using Genes to Improve Farming. Dyersburg High School senior, Maryanna McClure, made Tennessee Future Farmers of America history by becoming the first student from the Tennessee FFA Association to win the National FFA Agriscience Fair, placing first in Division II of the Zoology event, for her study of Cotswold sheep genetics. Maryanna breeds, raises, and markets sheep and their fleece and was inspired to do a project to research how to breed the natural color of sheep back into the industry. The National FFA Agriscience Fair is a competition for FFA members grade 7-12 who conduct a scientific research project pertaining to the agriculture and food science industries.
  • Young Women Rocketing to Nationals. Janet Nieto and Ana Karen of Presidio, Texas were members of the Presidio High School Rocketry Team that competed as a National Finalist in the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Gwynelle Condino, a 7th grade student at Lucy Franco Middle School, also of Presidio, Texas, is the leader of her TARC team this year. All three girls have successfully competed in a number of rocketry challenges and have attended the NASA Student Launch Initiative Advanced Rocketry program.
  • Detroit Students Imagining the Energy Efficient City of the Future. The Paul Robeson/Malcolm X Academy student team from Detroit, Michigan, competed in the Michigan Regional Contest of the National Engineers Week Future City Competition for the second year in a row. Lucas Cain Beal, Jayla Mae Dogan, and Ashley Cassie Thomas, all aged 13, were part of a team that won the Excellence in Engineering Award at the 2012 Michigan Regional Competition focused on designing a city around the theme of "Fuel Your Future: Imagine New Ways to Meet Our Energy Needs and Maintain a Healthy Planet." After being named Best Rookie Team in 2011, the students had to overcome losing their school to a fire. Despite the adversity and having to merge with another school, the students were energized to take on the Future City challenge again, saying “(Future City) helps me make a better city to live in.”
  • High School Student Developing System to Detect Nuclear Threats. The Davidson Academy of Nevada student Taylor Wilson, 17, of Reno, Nevada conducted researchon novel techniques for detecting nuclear threatsand developed an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and highly sensitive system capable of detecting small quantities of nuclear material. Taylor’s system, which won him the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award and Best of Category in Physics, could be used as a monitor at ports to scan cargo containers for Uraniam-235, Weapons Grade Plutonium, and Highly Enriched Uranium.
  • Young Students Developing a Sanitizing Lunchbox. Sixth graders Ma’Kese Wesley and Isis Thompson and their LEGO robotics team from the ACE Collegium Campus in Kansas City, Missouri researched ways in which they could improve food safety. Their invention, a UV-light lunchbox, sanitizes food between when it is packed in the morning and a student opens to eat it at lunchtime. A UV light, which is turned on by a darkness-detecting sensor when the lunchbox is closed, kills bacteria that could make the food unsafe to eat. The FIRST LEGO League competition aims to engage kids ages nine to fourteen in engineering.
  • Succeeding at Science Even in Difficult Circumstances: Samantha Garvey, 18, of Bay Shore, New York, attends Brentwood High School -Sonderling Center in Brentwood, New York. From a field of over 1,800 applicants, Samantha has been named a semifinalist for her Intel Science Talent Search 2012 environmental sciences project examining the effect of physical environment and predators on a specific species of mussel. Despite personal obstacles, Samantha believes her education will bring her and her family a better life.
  • Student Designing a Robot to Connect Senior Citizens with their Families. Concerned with the loneliness of seniors at his grandmother’s senior living center, fourteen-year old Salesianum High School (Wilmington, DE) student Benjamin Hylak of West Grove, Pennsylvania, built an interactive robot, which qualified him as a BROADCOM Masters 2011 Finalist. His telepresence robot which moves around the center and allows seniors to connect via Skype with their family and friends when they are unable to visit in person, earned him second place in the BROADCOM Masters Engineering Category.
  • Building an Award-Winning Robot and Learning Entrepreneurial Lessons. Morgan Ard, Titus Walker, and Robert Knight, III, 8th grade students at Monroeville Jr. High School in Monroeville, Alabama won high honors at the South BEST robotics competition. BEST teams mimic industry by designing and developing a product and delivering it to market, including a marketing presentation, engineering notebook, trade-show style exhibit booth and robot competition. Through the experience, these middle school students not only learned the innovation and engineering necessary to develop an award-winning robot, but the marketing and business skills that spark true entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Writing a Video Game that Focuses on Saving the Environment. Eleven year old Hannah Wyman who attends St. Anna's School in Leominster, Massachusetts, won the grand prize in her age group (9-12) for her video game Toxic, in Microsoft's first-ever U.S. Kodu Cup. In Hannah’s game, which is now available for free on the Kodu Game Lab site, a player must solve puzzles and collect coins in order to remove soot from trees, zap pollution clouds to clean the air, and convince friends to plant more trees, all in an effort to save the environment.
  • Developing a Portable Disaster Relief Shelter. Jessica D’Esposito, Colton Newton and Anna Woolery from Petersburg, Indiana are representing the Pike Central High School InvenTeam, one of fifteen schools selected nationwide. They won a grant from the Lemelson-MIT Program to develop a lightweight, portable disaster relief shelter, designed to be complete with a water purification system and a renewable energy source to power an LED light, which could be used after disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, or tornadoes to house people who have been displaced.
Additional exhibits at the White House Science Fair include:
  • A Mobile Medical Alert Device That Could Save Your Life. Ada Taylor and Katrina Gutierrez, both 17, along with Greeshma Somashekar, 18, all seniors at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, North Carolina, are members of the award winning Unisecurity team which took the 2011 Grand Prize in the Cyber Security category at the Conrad Innovation Summit. The team’s product, MedPAL, is a smartphone app that works in conjunction with a Bluetooth-enabled heart rate monitor to notify contacts in the event of a medical emergency, version 1 of which is currently available for purchase on the Web.
  • Designing a Next-Generation Airplane Wing. John William Voelker and Miraj Rahematpura, seniors atXavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut, are co-captains of the Xavier High School Engineering Team which won the 2011 National Championship of the Real World Design Challenge (RWDC) for designing a next-generation airplane wing that maximizes fuel efficiency and enhances performance.
  • Developing a Device to Help in the Clean Up of Oil Spills. Caroline “Carlie” Schulter and Matthew Tompkins hail from Marietta, Georgia and are members of the Carlton J. Kell High School InvenTeam, one of fifteen schools selected nationwide. They won a grant from the Lemelson-MIT program to develop a remotely operated watercraft that skims oil off the surface of shallow water after offshore oil disasters. In addition to their invention, the team has assisted in the development of the community-based Innovation Center for youth interested in invention, innovation and robotics.
  • Ohio High School and Middle School Teams Sweeping National Science Olympiad. Andrew Mikofalvy and Lisa Guo, both seniors at Solon High School, in Solon, Ohio were members of the Solon 2011 National Champion Science Olympiad team in addition to the Solon Middle School National Championship teams of 2008 and 2009. Kevin Sun and Katrina Mikofalvy, now sophomores at Solon High School, were co-captains of the 2011 Solon Middle School National Champion Science Olympiad team and members of the Solon Middle School teams that took home first prize in 2009 and 2010. The 2011 teams continued the tradition of Solon High School and Middle School success in the Science Olympiad, qualifying for Nationals twelve times and nine times, respectively.
  • Research on Patient Attitudes Toward their Health. Seventeen-year old Manasa Bhatta of Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek, Georgia, was a Regional Finalist in the Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition. Manasa conducted a case-control study, surveying women at a health clinic and found certain personal beliefs had a strong negative influence on the likelihood of patients being open with their physicians and having the recommended screenings.
  • Exploring Improvements to Cancer Treatments by Overcoming Chemotherapy Resistance. Shree Bose, a 17-year old senior at Fort Worth Country Day School in Fort Worth, Texas, took top honors at the 2011 Google Science Fair for her discovery of a way to improve ovarian cancer treatment for patients when they have built up a resistance to certain chemotherapy drugs. Her conclusions hold tremendous potential for the improvement of cancer chemotherapy treatment and for future research. Shree has presented her research at numerous international competitions and has been honored as one of Glamour Magazine's 21 Amazing Young Women of 2011, spoken at TEDxWomen 2011, and served as a panelist at Google Zeitgeist.
  • Studying Sickle Cell Disease. Prarthana Dalal, now an 18-year old freshman atNorthwestern University in Evanston, Illinois,took First Place at the International BioGENEius Challenge, for herproject on hemoglobin genetics and how sequence changes can effect fetal hemoglobin production in mouse models, research which can be used to understand treatment mechanisms for sickle cell disease. Prarthana is originally from Leawood, Kansas where as a senior she attended Shawnee Mission East High School.
  • Middle School Team Studying Environmental Impacts of Chemicals on their City’s Groundwater Resource. Team “DR. MED” from San Antonio Texas is comprised of NEISD STEM Academy students Jocelyn Hernandez, Ricardo Rodriguez, Nathaly Salazar, and Carlos Zapata, all aged 13. The students studied the effects that the improper disposal of pharmaceutical chemicals has on Edwards Aquifer, a groundwater resource for the city of San Antonio, Texas. The team discovered that the introduction of pharmaceuticals has an impact on the pH, alkalinity, hardness, and nitrates in water sources, resulting in negative implications for the ecology of Edwards Aquifer, winning them recognition as an 8th Grade National Finalist for the eCYBERMISSION competition.
  • Developing A Concussion-Detecting Helmet to Combat Sports Injuries. Fifteen year old Peninsula High School (Rolling Hill Estates, CA) freshman Braeden Benedict from Rancho Palos Verdes, California developed a low-cost impact detection device for use on youth and high school contact sport helmets. Braeden’s invention, winning him the top prize of America’s 2011 Top Young Scientist at the 2011 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, will allow coaches and trainers to be alerted that a player has received a hit with enough force to cause a concussion.
  • Developing a System to Improve Water Quality in Underdeveloped Countries. Eighth graders Emily Ashkin, Matthew Howard, and Alexander Roupas, all 15, of Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina developed an inexpensive and easily accessible method for improving unsanitary water conditions in underdeveloped countries. Their water purification system filtered out large particles, reduced turbidity levels, and increased the pH level to a value closer to that of pure water, winning the team the eCYBERMISSION Southeast Region for 8th grade.
  • Re-Designing a Helmet to Better Protect U.S. Troops. Eleven-year old Jack Dudley of Stone Hill Middle School and Sydney Dayyani of Belmont Ridge Middle School are members of a Virginia team that designed a military helmet to protect soldiers from traumatic brain injuries on the battlefield due to improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Both young students have previously competed in national science competitions and this past year won first place in the 2011 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition with their HEADS UP! Helmet. The helmet is a redesign of the standard-issue military helmet and is equipped with bullet and shrapnel-stopping gels and highly sensitive temperature and air pressure sensors to notify medical personnel of the presence and level of brain injury.
  • Designing a Mine Detecting Device. Marian Bechtel, a 17-year old Hempfield High School student from Lancaster, Pennsylvania was inspired to take on the serious issue of abandoned landmines which are still found in many places around the world and investigated an innovative method for safe demining. Marian’s design could lead to a simple, cheap, and reliable humanitarian demining tool and earned Marian honors as a Finalist at the 2011 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Marian also won a second place award from the American Intellectual Property Law Association, a merit award from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, a $1,000 award from the U.S. Army, and has recently been named an Intel Science Talent Search 2012 finalist.
  • Student Programmer Creating Dynamic Educational Video Game. Jasper Hugunin, a thirteen year old eighth grade student from Island Middle School on Mercer Island, Washington, developed a video game which introduces players to programming concepts as they provide instructions to guide a robot through increasingly challenging mazes. This clever design of “Robot Commander” won Jasper the Playable Game, Open Platform and Playable Game, and Incorporating STEM Themes categories at the National STEM Video Game Challenge.
  • All-Girl Team Winning National Award for Solving Community Problem. Bethany Slayton and Christian Hanna, both 13, along with MaKayla Arteaga, 12, middle school students from South Carolina, are the River Rangers, a Christopher Columbus Awards team from Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina who took home the 2011 $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant award. The girls addressed the issue of abandoned boats crowding the waterways, posing threats to wildlife and humans in the area. The team helped pass a law, assisted with the removal of abandoned boats, and launched a website to provide warnings about abandoned boats sighted in the area.
  • A Winning Robotics Alliance, with Astronauts Cheering Them On. John Drake of Schaumburg, Illinois along with Sean Murphy of Atascadero, California and Eric Bakan of San Jose,California, represent the Winning Alliance of the 2011 FIRST Robotics Competition Championship. A NASA Ames Research Center-mentored team, Team 254 which goes by the name The Cheesy Poofs, Team 111 or WildStang, and Team 973 or the Greybots, came together to form the Winning Alliance at the 2011 FIRST international competition for high school robotics teams.
  • Observing Earth Surface Temperatures, Alongside Teams Around the World. Huntington High School Students, Ben Jones and Emily Waybright, both 16, along with Derek Carson, 17, from Huntington, West Virginia, were recognized by the GLOBE program for their project examining the effects of cloud cover on Earth surface temperatures. The project involved students developing a question that data from the GLOBE website could help inform.
In addition to the exhibiting teams, student winners invited to White House Science Fair include:
  • Jayme Warner, 11th grade
    Intech Collegiate High School, North Logan, UT
    Dupont Challenge Science Essay Competition Sr. Division 1st place winner
  • Michelle Woods, 10th grade
    Waubonsie Valley High School, Aurora, IL
    DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition Jr. Division 1st place winner
  • Jessica Steinort, 8th grade
    Scarborough Middle School, Scarborough, ME
    DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition Jr. Division 3rd place
  • Shireen Zaineb, 8th grade
    Milwaukee Montessori School, Milwaukee, WI
    National STEM Video Game Challenge Playable Game – Gamestar Mechanic category winner
  • Kevin Burdge
    Heidelberg High School, Germany DoDDS-Europe, MIT
    DoD Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
  • Elmer Tan, 17
    John P. Stevens High School, Edison, NJ
    Silver Medal winner, International Chemistry Olympiad
  • Ziyuan Liu and Cassee Cain, 12th grade
    Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge, TN
    Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology
  • Kyra Smith, 13
    Stuart-Hobson Middle School, Washington DC
    Student Spaceflight Experiments Program
  • Suzan Shalhout, 7th grade
    O.W. Holmes Elementary-Middle School, Detroit, MI
    DoD STARBASE program
  • Priyen Patel, 11th grade
    Sussex Technical High School, Seaford,DE
    Media Award, 2011 U.S. National BioGENEius Challenge
  • Naomi Shah, 11th grade
    Sunset High School, Portland, OR
    Google Science Fair 15-16 age group winner
  • Lauren Hodge, 14
    Dallastown Area High School, York, PA
    Google Science Fair 13-14 age group winner
  • Gavin Ovsak, 17
    Duke University, Hopkins, MN
    Google Science Fair finalist
  • Anthony Edvalson, 13
    Mont Vernon Village School, Mont Vernon, NH
    Christopher Columbus Awards winning team member
  • Cassandra Lin and John Perino
    Westerly, RI
    Christopher Columbus Awards winning team members
  • Abhinaya Gunaseker, Fatima Elsheikh, Lauren Meyer, 9th grade
    John F. Kennedy High School, Cedar Rapids, IA
    National Engineers Week Future City Competition, National Best Research Essay award
  • Audrey Thimm, 12th grade
    Bishop Kelly High School, Boise, ID
    Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam member
  • Travis Ramsey, 10th grade
    Eureka Spring High School, Eureka Spring, AR
    Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam member
  • Baxter Bond, 12th grade
    Tununak, AK
    Alaska Summer Research Academy / MIT Edgerton
  • Eta Atolia, 18
    Rickards High School, Tallahassee, FL
    Intel Science Talent Search finalist
  • Emily Chen, 18
    Brownell-Talbot School, Omaha, NE
    Intel Science Talent Search finalist
  • Tanner Coppin, 19
    Hankinson High School, Hankinson, ND
    Intel International Science and Engineering Fair finalist
  • Taide Ding, 17
    Oxford High School, Oxford, MS
    Intel International Science and Engineering Fair finalist
  • Michelle Hackman, 18
    John L. Miller Great Neck North High School (currently Yale University), Great Neck, NY
    Intel Science Talent Search 2nd place
  • Coleman Kendrick, 13
    Los Alamos Middle School, Los Alamos, NM
    Broadcom MASTERS 2011 finalist
  • Scott Wu, 9th grade
    Baton Rouge, LA
    2011 MATHCOUNTS middle school champion
  • Alex Kimm, 9th grade
    Brookings, SD
    2011 MATHCOUNTS finalist
  • Zachary Farr
    St. Albans, VT
    2011 MATHCOUNTS finalist
  • Arimus Wells, 12th grade
    Fountain-Fort Carson High School, Fountain, CO
    National Math and Science Initiative APTIP
  • Kayla Burriss, 14
    East Mecklenburg High School, Charlotte, NC
    National Academy Foundation
  • Tayo Ogunmayin, 14, and Eva Perez, 14
    Berkeley High School and Envision High School, Berkeley, CA and Oakland, CA
    Girls Inc. InnovaTE^3
  • Victoria Xia, 11th grade
    Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Vienna, VA
    2011 USA Mathematical Olympiad; 2011 China Girls Math Olympiad
  • Jacen Sherman, 15
    Springbrook High School, Silver Spring, MD
    Microsoft Kodu Cup First Prize
  • David Hayden
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology, originally from AZ
    Microsoft Imagine Cup Team Note-Taker member
  • Noor Muhyi, 18
    Las Cruces High School, Las Cruces, NM
    NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing 2012 National Winner
  • Travis Sylvester, 18
    Greybull High School, Greybull, WY
    Wyoming State Science Fair
  • Landon Fisher, 12th grade
    Rockwall Heath High School, Heath, TX
    2011 Team America Rocketry Challenge National Champion team member
  • Steven Colon, 17
    New York, NY
    Posse Foundation
More details on the more than 40 competitions and organizations represented by students include:
  • Alaska Summer Research Academy at the University of Alaska – Fairbanks, works with the Lemelson Foundation and MIT, through the MIT Edgerton Center, to inspire youth in their area to invent.http://www.uaf.edu/asra/
  • BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology),headquartered at Auburn University, BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) is a free robotics program for middle and high school students that demonstrates real-world relevance and exposes student teams to industry practices by challenging them to design and develop a product and deliver it to market. http://www.bestinc.org/
  • Broadcom MASTERS(Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars), a program of Society for Science & the Public, is a new national science, technology, engineering and math competition for 6th, 7th and 8th graders, launched in the past year. www.societyforscience.org/masters
  • Chemistry Olympiad, organized by the American Chemical Society, is a competition that identifies the top chemistry students across the nation. This year, the International Chemistry Olympiad will held in the United States at College Park, Maryland in 2012. www.acs.org/olympiad
  • Christopher Columbus Awardsis a national, community-based STEM program for middle school students that challenges teams to identify a problem in their community and apply the scientific method to create an innovative solution. www.christophercolumbusawards.com
  • Conrad Foundation Spirit of Innovation Awards,a flagship program of the Conrad Foundation, is an annual competition that challenges high school students to develop commercially-viable, technology-based products that address real-world issues. http://www.conradawards.org/
  • Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a premier science competition for middle school students, cultivates the nation’s next generation of great thinkers and innovators by encouraging and rewarding students for their science acumen, curiosity, and how they share that passion through the creative communication of their findings. www.youngscientistchallenge.com
  • DoD STARBASEis an educational program sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. At DoD STARBASE, students participate in challenging "hands-on, mind-on" activities in STEM. They interact with military personnel to explore careers and observe STEM applications in the "real world." The program provides students with 20-25 hours of stimulating experiences at National Guard, Navy, Marine, Air Force Reserve and Air Force bases across the nation. http://www.starbasedod.com/
  • DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competitionseeks to increase science literacy among students and to motivate them to excel in communicating scientific ideas. The annual challenge encourages students to write a 700-1,000 word essay discussing a scientific discovery, theory, event, or technological application that has captured their interest. http://thechallenge.dupont.com/
  • eCYBERMISSION, as part of the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program, is a web-based, STEM competition free to students in grades six through nine, that awards teams based on their ability to identify a problem in their community and use the scientific method/inquiry or the engineering design process to propose a solution. www.usaeop.com
  • FIRST Lego Leagueis a competition created by inventor Dean Kamen to get young students interested in science and technology. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Teams (grades 4-8), build LEGO-based robots and develop research projects to develop valuable life skills and discover exciting career possibilities while learning that they can make a positive contribution to society.http://www.firstlegoleague.org/
  • FIRST Robotics Competitionis an international high school robotics competition run by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) dubbed by its creator Dean Kamen as a "varsity sport for the mind." It combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology by challenging teams of 25 students (grades 9-12) or more to raise funds, design a team "brand," hone teamwork skills, and build and program a robot to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. The program is one of the five effective programs being scaled by CEO-led coalition Change the Equation.http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc
  • Girls Inc.InnovaTE^3, developed by Girls Inc. of Alameda County, in conjunction with SRI International and TERC and with funding from the National Science Foundation, is a STEM curriculum in which Girls participate in engineering teams, develop green innovations, and present their designs to STEM professionals. www.girlsinc-alameda.org
  • GLOBE(The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) program is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program which promotes and supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate on inquiry-based investigations of the environment and the Earth system working in close partnership with NASA, NOAA, and NSF. http://globe.gov/
  • Google Science Fair: TheGoogleScienceFair, held for the first time in 2011,is an online science competition seeking curious minds between 13 and 18 years of age from the four corners of the globe. In the first year, over 10,000 students from over 91 countries participated, with three exceptional young women from the United States winning. www.google.com/sciencefair
  • Intel Science Talent Search,a program of Society for Science & the Public, is the United States’ oldest and considered the most prestigious pre-college science competition. Every year, roughly 1,600 students enter with original science projects and the winners represent some of the brightest young minds in the United States. www.societyforscience.org/sts
  • Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science &the Public, is the premier science competition in the world and provides a forum for more than 1,500 high school students from 70 countries, regions, and territories to showcase their independent research and projects for a chance to win over $4 million in prizes and scholarships annually. www.societyforscience.org/isef
  • International BioGENEius Challenge,organized by the Biotechnology Institute and co-led and sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur and Janssen Pharmaceutics, Inc., provides high school students the opportunity to compete for the chance to showcase their biotechnology research to the 16,000 attendees of the leading international biotech industry convention. http://www.biotechinstitute.org/programs/9
  • Junior Science and Humanities Symposium,jointly sponsored by the Military Services and administered through the Academy of Applied Sciences, is a program that encourages students (grades 9-12) to do original research in STEM disciplines by competing for scholarships and recognition. http://www.jshs.org/
  • Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams, The Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam™ initiative inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention by granting teams up to $10,000 each to conceptualize, design and build technological solutions to real-world problems, the products of which are showcased at MIT at the Lemelson-MIT Program’s EurekaFest event. http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/index.html
  • Maker Faire is one of the premier movements for grassroots American innovation. Dubbed the"The Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth," Maker Faire celebrates the growing Maker Movement by showcasing the work of makers, including students, through events in over 25 cities worldwide. www.makerfaire.com
  • Math Olympiads, established in 1979, stimulates a love of mathematics and understanding of mathematical concepts in students at the elementary and middle school levels (grades 4-8) through regular contests and extracurricular clubs. http://www.moems.org/contests.htm
  • MATHCOUNTSis a national enrichment, club and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement in every U.S. state and territory through a number of activities including a national 100,000 student multi-level math competition. https://mathcounts.org/
  • Microsoft U.S. Kodu Cup: Kodu, by Microsoft, helps children learn how to use computers while developing useful skills such as problem solving, creative thinking and planning in a fun and engaging way through the creation of games. The competition challenges students across the United States (ages 9 to 17) to create their own game. http://www.kodugamelab.com/
  • Microsoft U.S. Imagine Cupis one of thepremier technology competitions for students ages 16 and up, providing an opportunity for students to use their creativity, passion and knowledge to help solve global challenges and make a difference in the world. Since 2003, over 1.4 million students have participated and last year, over 358,000 students from 183 countries participated. http://www.imaginecup.com/
  • National FFA Agriscience Fair is a competition for Future Farmers of America (FFA) members who are interested in the science and technology of agriculture. FFA was founded in 1928 as a national network to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population and the Dyersburg FFA Chapter is recognized as one of TN’s best and most historic FFA chapters. www.ffa.org
  • National Math Science Initiative’s Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program(APTIP) focuses on dramatically increasing the number of students taking and passing AP math, science and English exams, and expanding access to traditionally under-represented groups and children of military families. The program is one of the five effective programs being scaled by CEO-led coalition Change the Equation.http://www.nationalmathandscience.org/programs/ap-training-incentive-programs
  • National Academy Foundation(NAF) is leading a movement to prepare young people for college, with a focus on industry-focused curricula, work-based learning experiences and business partners, and including engineering and informative technology. The program is one of the five effective programs being scaled by CEO-led coalition Change the Equation. http://naf.org/
  • National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)’s Aspirations in Computing: The National Center for Women & Information Technology is a coalition of more than 300 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profits working to increase women's participation in technology and computing. NCWIT’s Aspirations in Computing is the only nationwide recognition for young women in computing and information technology. www.ncwit.org
  • Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)’s National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is a business plan competition that helps young people unlock their potential for entrepreneurial activity. Since 1987, NFTE has reached more than 350,000 students and runs programs in 21 states.http://www.nfte.com/what/competition
  • National Engineers Week Future City Competition,a program of the National Engineers Week Foundation, encourages teams of middle school students to work with a teacher and engineer mentor to imagine, design, and build cities of the future. http://www.futurecity.org
  • National STEM Video Game Challenge, inspired by the Educate to Innovate Campaign, President Obama’s initiative to promote a renewed focus on STEM education, is a multi-year competition whose goal is to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games. http://stemchallenge.org/
  • Posse Foundation is an effective program to bring under-represented, urban students from diverse backgrounds to college and help them graduate. The Posse Foundation started because of one student who said, “I never would have dropped out of college if I had my Posse with me.” Since its founding in 1989, Posse has sent 4,223 urban public high school students to college in multicultural teams of 10 students—Posses – with a persistence and graduation rate of 90 percent.http://www.possefoundation.org/
  • Real World Design Challenge isan annual competition that provides high school students, grades 9-12, the opportunity to work on real world engineering challenges in a team environment. Each year, student teams are asked to address a challenge that confronts our nation's leading industries. Students will utilize professional engineering software to develop their solutions and will also generate presentations that convincingly demonstrate the value of their solutions. http://www.realworlddesignchallenge.org/
  • Science Olympiadencourages teams of students in grades 6-12 to develop their interest in science and technology through competing in 23 events in the areas of chemistry, earth science, physics and technology. http://soinc.org/
  • Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technologyis a premier science research competition for high school students. Administered by the College Board, the Competition is a program of the Siemens Foundation and was launched in 1998. http://www.siemens-foundation.org/en/competition.htm
  • Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, which encourages students to learn about science and conservation while creating environmental solutions that impact the planet,is the premier national environmental sustainability challenge for grades K-12 and is a collaborative effort of the Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, the College Board and NSTA. http://www.wecanchange.com/
  • Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) launched in June 2010 by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE), in partnership with NanoRacks, LLC, is a U.S. STEM education program that immerses an entire community of grade 5-12 students in real science. Student teams propose microgravity experiments for flight in a research minilab. The minilab is provided to the community and flown to the International Space Station with the community’s selected flight experiment. SSEP is the first pre-college STEM education program that is both a U.S. national initiative and implemented as an on-orbit commercial space venture. SSEP is enabled through NanoRacks working in partnership with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory. http://ssep.ncesse.org/
  • Team America Rocketry Challenge(TARC), created in 2002, is the world's largest rocket contest, sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). It was created in the fall of 2002 as a one-time celebration of the Centennial of Flight, but the enthusiasm about the event was so great that AIA and NAR were asked to hold the contest annually. Approximately 7,000 students from across the nation compete in TARC each year. Teams design, build and fly a model rocket that reaches a specific altitude and duration determined by a set of rules developed each year. http://www.rocketcontest.org/
  • Toshiba/NSTAExploraVision has, since its inception in 1992, involved more than 287,000 students from across the United States and Canada. The competition encourages K-12 students to simulate real research and development as they study a technology of interest and predict and model what the technology might be like 20 years from now. http://www.exploravision.org/
  • Wyoming State Science Fair(WSSF) is supported by the University of Wyoming and provides a forum for over 300 Wyoming scientists to share their research. It encourages students in Wyoming grades 6-12 to plan, organize, research, prepare, and present a project of their interest. http://www.uwyo.edu/sciencefair/
  • Young Epidemiology Scholars Competition(YES) was established in 2003 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the College Board to inspire talented high school students to apply epidemiological methods to the investigation of health problems and, ultimately, encourage the brightest young minds to enter the field of public health. http://yes.collegeboard.org/
  • Young Naturalist Awards, now celebrating their fifteenth year, are a research-based science competition for students in grades 7 through 12 run by the American Museum of Natural History, recognizing the accomplishments of students who have investigated questions they have in the areas of biology, Earth science, ecology, and astronomy. http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/select.html
##

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-6 #edreform #ows


California Honors Teachers of the Year « InterACT

California Honors Teachers of the Year « InterACT:California Honors Teachers of the YearFEBRUARY 6, 2012tags: CATOY, CDE, teacher of the yearby David B. CohenIn my work with Accomplished California Teachers, it has been my good fortune to collaborate with some true leaders in our field, who found their way to the spotlight by being named California Teachers of the Year. Alex Kajitani was the first: a rappin’ mathematician from San Diego, Alex represented our state in the national Teacher of ... more »

Jack Hassard: We Have Low Expectations for American Students in Math & Science - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Jack Hassard: We Have Low Expectations for American Students in Math Science - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:Jack Hassard: We Have Low Expectations for American Students in Math Scienceby Anthony CodyGuest post by Jack HassardWho the #@!% would make such a statement? Why would such a statement be made about America's youth?If you go the Broad Foundation Education page you will find the answer to the first question. This is the first of four statements about American youth, ... more »

Model Continuation High Schools for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Model Continuation High Schools for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Selects 25 CaliforniaContinuation High Schools for Model StatusSACRAMENTO—Twenty-five outstanding California schools were named today by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson as 2012 Model Continuation High Schools for their programs designed to help struggling students stay in school."Every student comes to school with a different set of needs, and our job is to provide them with the best chance to succeed," said ... more »

Parents: make your voice heard on your state’s NCLB waiver! « Parents Across America

Parents: make your voice heard on your state’s NCLB waiver! « Parents Across America:Parents: make your voice heard on your state’s NCLB waiver!by leoniehaimsonDear all:As you know, the U.S. Department of Education is offering a “waiver” of NCLB requirements (ESEA flexibility) to those states that agree to specific requirements.Unfortunately, these new requirements may be as onerous and expensive, if not more so, than NCLB itself. States must adopt new curricula, new tests, new sanctions/supports for the 15 percent lowest scoring ... more »

New legislation seeks to lessen FHSAA's power, allow charter schools to operate like private schools

Florida high school sports | New legislation seeks to lessen FHSAA's power, allow charter schools to operate like private schools:New legislation seeks to lessen FHSAA's power, allow charter schools to operate like private schoolsTALLAHASSEE — Lawmakers last week battled over a pair of proposals that would make sweeping changes to the Florida High School Athletic Association, which has governed public and private school sports for nearly a century.The most dramatic — allowing private and charter schools to have their own ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 2-6 Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform

RheeFirst! » Michelle Rhee comes to Alabama #edchat #edreformBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-9 minutes agoRheeFirst! » Michelle Rhee comes to Alabama:Michelle Rhee comes to Alabamaby adminOriginally posted on Blue in Alabama. Read the entire post here.“It was recently announced, and not very publicly, that Michelle Rhee, the HIGHLY controversial ex-Washington, D.C. superintendent was coming to the state of Alabama at the request of Dr. Bentley (yes the Michelle Rhee from the Waiting for Superman documentary). It’s still unclear ... more »

SEPARATE AND Digital | In some cash-strapped schools, kids bring their own tech devices

Digital | In some cash-strapped schools, kids bring their own tech devices:In some cash-strapped schools, kids bring their own tech devicesby Jennifer RolandPhoto by Lexie FlickingerAt Mankato Public School System in Minnesota, students bring their homework, their lunches, and books to school like most students across the country. But they also bring whatever tech devices they own — and they don’t have to hide it or turn it off when they walk into class.Mankato has joined the growing Bring Your ... more »

Why REALDemocrats Are Opposed to Charter Schools

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Discussion at the 32nd Democrats:Charter Discussion at the 32nd Democratsby Melissa WestbrookSeveral Democratic districts have taken up the issue of charter schools; of those that have, most have come out against them. Here is a program from the 32nd Dems happening this week.32nd District Democrats Program February 8, Wednesday 7pm Masonic Hall Shoreline, 753 N 185th St, Shoreline (map) Why Democrats Are Opposed to Charter SchoolsIt would be hard not to notice the intense lobbying ... more »

Michael Winerip Exposes the Flaw in One-Size-Fits-All | Truth in American Education

Michael Winerip Exposes the Flaw in One-Size-Fits-All | Truth in American Education:Michael Winerip Exposes the Flaw in One-Size-Fits-Allby James BellMichael Winerip, writing in the New York Times, analyzes what went comically wrong in the education system of New York state. He says:State officials have instead chosen to use one English test to assess every high school student in the state, which has caused another fairly gigantic problem: How do you create a single graduation exam for 200,000 seniors when some ... more »

RheeFirst! » Michelle Rhee comes to Alabama #edchat #edreform

RheeFirst! » Michelle Rhee comes to Alabama:Michelle Rhee comes to Alabamaby adminOriginally posted on Blue in Alabama. Read the entire post here.“It was recently announced, and not very publicly, that Michelle Rhee, the HIGHLY controversial ex-Washington, D.C. superintendent was coming to the state of Alabama at the request of Dr. Bentley (yes the Michelle Rhee from the Waiting for Superman documentary). It’s still unclear who’s going to be footing the bill for her visit. Apparently she and her group StudentFirst ... more »

WTF Analysis: Why a charter school trumped a neighborhood school for space | school, charter, schools - News - The Orange County Register

Analysis: Why a charter school trumped a neighborhood school for space | school, charter, schools - News - The Orange County Register:District: Charter law forced school's closureMission Viejo’s award-winning Barcelona Hills Elementary School will close in June to allow the 5-month-old Oxford Preparatory Academy charter school to grow.By SCOTT MARTINDALE / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERMISSION VIEJO – Barcelona Hills Elementary is closing in June, but not because it's an underperforming school or because neighborhood parents are demanding sweeping changes.The 34-year-old ... more »

TEMECULA: Board surrenders charter to district

TEMECULA: Board surrenders charter to district:TEMECULA: Board surrenders charter to districtStoryDiscussionBy JENNIFER KABBANY For The Californian | Posted: Saturday, February 4, 2012 6:00 pm | 1 CommentFont Size:Default font sizeLarger font sizeRelated StoriesTEMECULA: Context founder wonders what's nextTEMECULA: Context charter school to closeThe remaining three members of Context Middle School's board voted to surrender the embattled school's charter to the Temecula school district at a short but fiery meeting Friday night.After the 3-0 vote, which came without discussion, sever... more »

Lost Malcolm X Speech Heard Again 50 Years Later : NPR

Lost Malcolm X Speech Heard Again 50 Years Later : NPR:Lost Malcolm X Speech Heard Again 50 Years Laterby GUY RAZ Last semester, Brown senior Malcolm Burnley took a narrative writing course. One of the assignments was to write a fictional story based on something true — and that true event had to be found inside the university archives."So I went to the archives and started flipping through dusty compilations of student newspapers, and there was this old black-and-white photo ... more »

Issue: Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress:S.2051A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the reduced interest rate for Federal Direct Stafford Loans.Introduced Jan 31, 201260 ViewsH.R.3845 - Growth to Excellence Act of 2012To establish an alternative accountability model.Introduced Jan 31, 201261 ViewsS.2047 - Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Act of 2012A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to make demonstration grants to eligible local educational agencies for the purpose of reducing...Introduced Jan 31, 2012135 ViewsS.Res.364A resolution ... more »

School choice: Don't choose to rob even more money from education - phillyBurbs.com : Guest Opinions: guest opinion, senate bill 1, education funding, pennsylvania schools,

School choice: Don't choose to rob even more money from education - phillyBurbs.com : Guest Opinions: guest opinion, senate bill 1, education funding, pennsylvania schools,:School choice: Don't choose to rob even more money from educationStoryComments (3)ShareSharePrintCreate a hardcopy of this pageFont Size:Default font sizeLarger font sizePosted: Monday, February 6, 2012 6:00 am | Updated: 6:46 pm, Fri Feb 3, 2012.By JANE K. CURRY | 3 commentsGov. Tom Corbett and the Legislature have a legal obligation to support public schools. They ... more »

Arizona judge rules for teachers in pension suit. « Fred Klonsky

Arizona judge rules for teachers in pension suit. « Fred Klonsky:Arizona judge rules for teachers in pension suit.by Fred KlonskyIn a ruling that has implications for teachers in Illinois, an Arizona lower court judge ruled in favor of teachers and their pensions.The Arizona Times:A judge has struck down an Arizona law that increased the amount state employees must contribute toward their pensions as unconstitutional.Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Eileen Willett wrote in a Friday ruling that a state law that ... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: AUSL's clout-heavy "turnaround" schools among city's worst

Schooling in the Ownership Society: AUSL's clout-heavy "turnaround" schools among city's worst:AUSL's clout-heavy "turnaround" schools among city's worstby Mike KlonskyClout-heavy banker David Vitale, former AUSL board chairman, now runs the Board of EducationFounded and run by Chicago venture capitalist, Martin Koldyke, the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUS) has used its connections and political clout to become a powerhouse in the school turnaround business. Despite its schools ranking at or near the bottom of the system, AUSL has benefited from ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:WEEKEND QUOTABLESby Mike KlonskyChicago Mayor (right) with Krupp CEO Torsten GessnerRahm Emanuel“By combining transportation, infrastructure, and the best workforce in the world, Chicago is a destination for the greatest companies around the globe, and ThyssenKrupp is a perfect example of this.” -- City of Chicago press releaseBrian Jackson, ThyssenKrupp's lawyer"We look forward to having our day in court." --Chicago TribuneDeborah Meier "As we once reminded colleagues, Nazi Germany had a successful school system—so what?" --Bridging ... more »

Jerry Brown's call for fewer school tests conflicts with state's new education blueprint - Sacramento Bee

Jerry Brown's call for fewer school tests conflicts with state's new education blueprint - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:Jerry Brown's call for fewer school tests conflicts with state's new education blueprintShareBy Diana Lambertdlambert@sacbee.comPublished: Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 1BLast Modified: Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012 - 2:12 pmWant to make a public school teacher cringe? Say the words high-stakes testing.Tests, test and more tests.Teachers unions rail against them. Parents complain about ... more »

Schools Matter: Jeff McQuillan: Books before bytes

Schools Matter: Jeff McQuillan: Books before bytes:Jeff McQuillan: Books before bytesby skrashenJeff McQuillan: "Books before bytes"re (Michael Hiltzik)Sent to the Los Angeles Times, Feb. 5, 2012To the Editor:Kudos to Michael Hiltzik for his column ("Hyping tech will not help students," February 5) criticizing federal officials for overselling the benefits of technology to K-12 schools. As co-producer of the most popular educational podcast in the world (ESLPod.com's English as a Second Language Podcast), I'm no enemy of new technology.But our students ... more »