Award www.EDUCATIONUPDATE.com Volume VII, No. 9 • New York City • MAY 2002 Winner FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS Dr. Irving Hamer, Jr. U.S. POSTAGE PAID U.S. POSTAGE VOORHEES, NJ Permit No.500 PRSRT STD. Technology Leader 2 Award EDUCATION UPDATE ■ FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS ■ MAY 2002 Winner GUEST EDITORIAL EDUCATION UPDATE Why do the schools within every district show diversity, and the overall educational approach. Mailing Address: “ANALYZE THIS” such variable results? It can’t all be explained But let’s not guess, let’s find out. The Chancellor 276 5th Avenue, Suite 10005 By STUART DUNN by racial and income difference alone. PS 6 is should establish a special committee, preferably New York, NY 10001 an outstanding school, but, just what are they made up of people outside the school system, to email: [email protected] In March 2002, New York State, for the first doing to have 83 percent of the Hispanic stu- evaluate the data and determine the underlying time, released school-by-school test score report dents, 80 percent of the black students, and 58 causes of the differences and what changes need www.educationupdate.com cards showing the number of students tested and percent of the low-income students meet state to be made to reduce them. Tel: 212-481-5519 the percentage meeting state performance stan- ELA standards? (Within District 2, PS 77, 234, Data analysis is not the end of the process, we Fax: 212-481-3919 dards in English language arts (ELA) and math- MS 114, and 255, and 412 Lab also do well, have to do something with the information or ematics in grades 3-8. The results were broken while PS/IS 111, MS 131, and IS/HS 887 do we are wasting everyone’s time. This could PUBLISHER AND EDITOR: down by race (Asian, Black, Hispanic, White), poorly. Why the differences?) involve personnel reassignment, resource real- Pola Rosen, Ed.D. and by income (low and mid/high). Although In Queens, similar comparisons can be made location, and organizational changes. It will cer- the breakdown is imperfect, this data can be between District 26, and Districts 25, 28 and tainly involve additional funds to motivate the ASSOCIATE EDITORS: very useful, but only if it is analyzed to deter- 29. If District 26 can have 52 percent of the best teachers to take the more difficult assign- Heather Rosen, Adam Sugerman, mine the factors which contribute to the results. Hispanic, 62 percent of the Black, and 63 per- ments, attract and retain qualified teachers, Rob Wertheimer The data raises a number of interesting ques- cent of the low income kids meet ELA stan- reduce class size in troubled schools, and pay ASSISTANT EDITOR: tions. For example: In Manhattan, why are the dards; and 53 percent of the Hispanic, 49 per- for special services and additional in-school Marylena Mantas results in District 2 so much better than those in cent of the Black, and 62 percent of the low time. Let’s set as our first objective the raising Districts 1, 3 and 4? At first, this might seem to income kids meet math standards, why can’t of student performance for all racial and income GUEST COLUMNISTS: be due to the racial and income mix in each dis- the other districts? categories, in all schools, to at least 50 percent Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Matilda trict, and on an over-all basis, I’m sure these are The differences probably result from a meeting state standards. We are doing a lot more Raffa Cuomo, D.A. Feinfeld, M.D., factors. But, why do the Black, Hispanic and number of factors, including: the quality of the testing now. Let’s make use of the data that Dr. Carole G. Hankin, Jill Levy, Richard low-income students do so much better in administration and the teachers, parental comes from these tests to improve our chil- Littlebear, Dr. Lorraine McCune, Susan District 2 than in the adjacent districts? involvement, facilities and resources, student dren’s education. # J. Moesker, Dr. Alfred Posamentier, Randi T. Sachs, Assemblyman Steven COMMENTARY IN THIS ISSUE Sanders STAFF WRITERS: FIRST MATHEMATICIAN TO WIN A NOBEL PRIZE Editorials & Letters . 2 Jacob Appel, Joan Baum, Ph.D., There is much talk these days about Dr. John Research Institute in Buffalo, NY. Commentary . 2 Tom Kertes, Katarzyna Kozanecka, Forbes Nash after his life was presented to the But perhaps most noteworthy for the educa- Spotlight on Schools . 3-9 Sybil Maimin, Chris Rowan, Andrew general audience in the film “A Beautiful tion world is that in recent years he has con- Conferences, Workshops & Events . 9 Schiff, Deborah Young Careers . 10 Mind.” There is no Nobel Prize in mathemat- tributed to the teaching profession by coauthor- EDITORIAL INTERNS: Special Education . 11-13 ics, so it is interesting to note that John Forbes ing a book with Dr. Alfred S. Posamentier, Marie Holmes, Bruce Myint, Laura MEDICAL UPDATE . 14-15 Nash is only the second mathematician to win Dean of the School of Education at City Pretto, Jessica Shi, Ricky Berkowitz the Nobel Prize. The first mathematician to win College, entitled 101 Great Ideas for Children’s Corner . 16 the Nobel Prize (Chemistry ’85) was Dr. Introducing Key Concepts in Mathematics Modern Languages . 17 BOOK REVIEWERS: Herbert A. Hauptman, who upon graduating (Corwin, 2001). This book presents unusual COVER STORY. 18-19 Harris Healy, III, Merri Rosenberg, CCNY in 1937 (fortunately), failed the speech and clever ideas for developing concepts and Book Reviews . 20 Lillian Shapiro, Selene Vasquez Colleges & Grad Schools . 21-24 test for a math teacher license because of a teaching mathematics in the secondary schools. COMICS: College Directory . 23 Bronx dialect. Dr. Hauptman, spurned from In 1998, he wrote the foreword to another book Bruce Wotring teaching in the New York City high schools, for math teachers coauthored by Dr. Movie & Theater Reviews. 25 went on to a distinguished career as a research Posamentier and Dr. Stephen Krulik entitled Music, Art & Dance . 26-27 MEDICAL EDITOR: scientist. Problem-Solving Strategies for Efficient and Camps & Sports. 28 Herman Rosen, M.D. Technology & Software . 29-31 After serving in the armed forces during Elegant Solutions: A Resource for the MODERN LANGUAGE EDITOR: Museums as Educators . 32 World War II, he went on to collaborate with Mathematics Teacher (Corwin, 1998). This Adam Sugerman Chemist Dr. Jerome Karle (also CCNY class of book presents ten problem-solving strategies Metro Beat . 33 1937) with whom he shared the Nobel Prize. that can be used to deal with everyday life situ- Tutors . 33 MOVIE & THEATER REVIEWS: Interestingly enough, the two scientists did not ations as well as to solve mathematics prob- Classified . 34 Jan Aaron know each other at City College. They collab- lems adeptly. Many of these illustrations are Resource & Reference Guide . 35 MUSIC EDITOR: orated to solve a 40-year old problem in crys- very motivating since they present many Irving M. Spitz tallography, with Dr. Hauptman providing his unusual solutions, after which the reader is superb mathematical skills to crack the prob- often caught saying, “Why couldn’t I think of To the Editor: PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: lem. Dr. Hauptman is still a very active that extraordinarily clever solution.” My reason for writing this email is to hope- Christopher McGuire researcher at the young age of 85, and is also Dean Posamentier is the Dean of School of fully be put in touch with Oscar P. Cohen or POLITICAL COMMENTARY: the CEO of the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Education at The City College - C.U.N.Y. anyone who is familiar with the debate sur- Stuart Dunn rounding deaf inclusion in schools. I am a stu- dent at George Washington U. doing a research SPORTS EDITOR: LETTERS paper on the debate surrounding deaf inclusion M.C. Cohen To the Editor: for her agent or manager? in schools. I am very interested in what people WEB DESIGN: The students at Oak Grove Elementary are so We were named a 2001 National Blue inside and outside of the deaf community have Neil Schuldiner, Rick Sulz proud of Vonetta Flowers, and many wrote Ribbon school, and this year would be the per- to say about it. What are your views? Who is essays and cheered her accomplishments fect chance to commemorate her accomplish- for it? Who is against it? ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: [Education Update, March, 2002]. We would ments, while celebrating ours. P.G., Martin Lieberman, Manager. Rosalyn like to invite her to speak to our school in Melanie Sapp, Washington, D.C. Bacani, Steve Bailey (212) 721-9444, Atlanta, Georgia, but are having trouble con- Oak Grove Elementary School, [Responses to these letters have been Dawn Clayton, Mitchell Levine, Chris tacting her. Do you have a telephone number Atlanta, GA emailed. -Ed.] Rowan, Andrew Schiff GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: TO Neil Schuldiner, Rick Sulz Education Update Education Update is published monthly by Education Update, Inc. All material is copyrighted and may not be printed FROM Winner without express consent of the publisher. Silver Hill Hospital of the POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Mental Health Excellence in Education Best Education Update Media Award Journalism, 1999—2000 P.O. Box 20005 2000 Columbia University Business NY, NY 10001 Teachers College, Phi Delta Kappa Subscription: Annual $30. Dr. Pola Rosen Award Copyright © 2002 Education Update MAY 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS SCHOOL 3 Healthy Role-Modeling messages to share with their peers about the impor- Between T-Rex & King Kong a ratio in their schools. Do you know what another tance of what you eat and how much you exercise. By JILL LEVY executive said when I told him about our staffing By MATILDA Mentoring USA staff is involved in the develop- I recently found myself ratios? “That’s unbelievable!” He’s right! It is! RAFFA CUOMO & ment and promotion of nutrition and fitness mes- talking to the captains of And that’s what a program like PENCIL can SUSAN J.