Education Update - July 2002

AwardWinnerVolume VII, No. 11 • New York City • JULY 2002FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTSwww.EDUCATIONUPDATE.comPRSRT STD.U.S. POSTAGE PAIDPermit No.500VOORHEES, NJInside: Suicide in CollegeHomeschooling In NewYork

2 AwardWinnerEDITORIALVOUCHERS, THEINCOMPLETESOLUTIONBy ADAM SUGERMANSolutions to perceived problems at ournation’s public schools evoke “The WorldTurned Upside Down,” the march the Britishband played as Cornwallis surrendered toWashington at Yorktown. Rather than tacklethe real issues — teacher shortages, uncompetitivesalaries, lack of cohesion in teacher training,super-sized teacher-to-student ratios, andmost importantly, changing our school-age students’preference from entertaining over training— society prefers Mickey Mouse fixes toreal cost-effective long-term solutions. Indeedsubsidizing private- and religious-school educationwith vouchers will inject much neededcompetition into our lowest-performing standardizedtest-givers. However, schools thatpass this testing game do not and will notalways provide the quality of education ourworld needs. Schools need to make sure thateach student has learned the 3Rs well, and providesupport for those students who need theextra help. Schools must not graduate studentswho cannot read, write, and perform to establishedacademic standards. It is their job toidentify these students and to offer them help.For high-school students who have notacquired the basic skills, it is their responsibilityto seek the help they need to catch up totheir peers. As taxpayers, we must overcomeour hebetude and make sure that our educationsystem has the funding necessary to do its job.We need to ensure that our money is not misspent.Furthermore, we might need to increasetaxes to funnel more money into education, toshow administrators, teachers, and studentsthat we are serious about supporting them.Education is our society’s great equalizer. Wemust not capitulate in our goal to providing aquality education to all, despite the temptingallure of vouchers.#LETTERSTo the Editor:Thank you for your story about the studentsfrom metro NY who competed in the“Entrepreneurial Expo” sponsored last monthby The Goldman Sachs Foundation. The writingwas good, the facts were straight, and theexposure for this program in your newspaperwill have New York educators take notice sothat more bright students from underservedneighborhoods can receive scholarships fortheir participation in Center for Talented Youth(Johns Hopkins University) summer programand related school-year events.Chuck Beckman, Director, CommunicationsCenter for Talented Youth, Johns Hopkins, MDTOEducation UpdateFROMSilver Hill HospitalMental HealthMedia Award2000EDUCATION UPDATE ■ FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS ■ JULY 2002By STUART DUNNIf politics is the art of the possible, MayorBloomberg has proven himself to be a consummatepolitician. He played off the need of theUFT leadership to conclude a contract grantingteachers significant salary increases to gaintheir support in Albany for a bill restructuringthe governance of New York City’s publicschools which gives him virtually completecontrol of the schools. While it would seem thatboth sides got what they wanted, in fact, the bigwinner was the mayor.It is true that the mayor did not get the unioncontract he wanted. He had to give away largersalary increases than he desired, which will bedifficult to fund. He did not get the workassignment changes or the merit provisions hewanted. The UFT contract will be all thatstands in his way to making the changes hewants and needs. But, little matter. Theteacher’s contract will only run until May 31,2003, and, he can afford to wait. In many waysthe wait will be beneficial. It will give him timeto put a new Chancellor and a new Board ofEducation in place. It will give him time torevise the management structure of the schoolsand take on 110 Livingston Street. The unionwill have little leverage next year, and themayor will then be able to insist on the changeshe wants, even in the face of a strike threat.Just how much the take-over of the schoolsystem will effect the quality of education inNYC is unclear, but it can only help. Themayor has yet to tell us what he plans to dowith his new-found power. Now that he hasachieved the governance changes he wanted,he must deal with “the vision thing.” He willhave to show that he can manage as well in thepublic domain as he did in the private one.Meanwhile, the increased teachers salaries willcertainly help in the recruitment and retentionof qualified teachers.Unfortunately, the parents and the studentswere not represented in the negotiation. Whilethe elimination of the community schoolboards is, on balance, desirable, parents willlose an important input channel. A new channelof communication will have to be established. Isuggest an ombud service, with representativesin each district who have direct access to thedistrict superintendents. I’m sure there will beCOMMENTARYThe Mayor Is Our Last, Best HopeTo the Editor:I just wanted to thank you for giving me theopportunity to speak to you about educationand in particular District 4. The article was sowell written. It truly captured the essence ofour “long” and engaging conversation. Mykudos to Education Update. I commend you onthe entire newspaper. Keep up the great work!More like you are needed if public education isto survive.Evelyn Castro, Superintendent, District 4New York, NYExcellence in EducationJournalism, 1999—2000Columbia UniversityTeachers College, Phi Delta KappaDr. Pola Rosenmany other suggestions. This is something themayor will have to address.From the perspective of the taxpayers, thesettlement with the union looks ominous. Theincreases in teacher salaries will cost over $1billion a year, and, that is just the start of theproblem. The other municipal unions may beexpected to increase their demands proportionately.This comes on top of a projected deficitfor next year of $5 billion. How the mayorplans to fund these costs is undefined. To date,he has been reluctant to call for tax increases,but this probably has to do with avoiding thisissue during the forthcoming election in whichthe state legislators and the governor will beseeking reelection. In an apparent trade for notraising the tax issue, the State will pick upmuch of the cost of the teacher’s contract thisyear. Once we get past November, the deficitwill have to be addressed. This will have toinclude increased municipal taxes andincreased state aid to the City’s schools.No matter how you feel about the change ingovernance, it now behooves us to get behindthe mayor and support the changes in theschools he deems necessary to provide a qualityeducation to all of the children. The mayor isour last, best hope to improve our publicschools and to resist the demands for vouchersand privatization. #IN THIS ISSUEEditorials & Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Commentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Spotlight on Schools . . . . . . . . . 3-10, 26Conferences, Workshops & Events . . 10Careers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Modern Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11MEDICAL UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13Children’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15COVER STORY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17Special Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19Music, Art & Dance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Homeschooling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-24Colleges & Grad Schools . . . . . . . 25-27College Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Technology & Software . . . . . . . . . 28-29Camps & Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Metro Beat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Tutors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Resource & Reference Guide . . . . . . . 31CORRECTIONSIn the May 2002 article on the 50th anniversary ofthe Barnard College education program, the correctidentifications for the people in the photograph are: (L-R) Alisa Berger, Laura Rodriguez, and Ron Scapp.Winnerof theBestBusinessAwardEDUCATION UPDATEMailing Address:276 5th Avenue, Suite 10005New York, NY 10001email: ednews1@aol.comwww.educationupdate.comTel: 212-481-5519Fax: 212-481-3919PUBLISHER AND EDITOR:Pola Rosen, Ed.D.ASSOCIATE EDITORS:Heather Rosen, Adam Sugerman,Rob WertheimerASSISTANT EDITOR:Marylena MantasGUEST COLUMNISTS:Mayor Michael Bloomberg, DaveCoddington, Matilda Raffa Cuomo,Margaret Cuomo Maier, M.D., RichardFrances, M.D., Dr. Carole G. Hankin,Glen Hirsch, M.D., Jill Levy, AlfredPosamentier, Ph.D., Lynn Robins, RandiT. Sachs, Assemblyman Steven SandersSTAFF WRITERS:Jacob Appel, Joan Baum, Ph.D., TomKertes, Katarzyna Kozanecka, SybilMaimin, Chris Rowan, MerriRosenberg, Andrew Schiff, DeborahYoungEDITORIAL INTERNS:Priya Athiappan, Ricky Berkowitz,Hope Glassberg, Zaher Karp, AriMcKenna, Christina Perpignano, MollyWallace, Tamara WiesenBOOK REVIEWERS:Harris Healy, III, Lillian Shapiro, SeleneVasquezCOMICS:Bruce WotringMEDICAL EDITOR:Herman Rosen, M.D.MODERN LANGUAGE EDITOR:Adam SugermanMOVIE & THEATER REVIEWS:Jan AaronMUSIC EDITOR:Irving M. SpitzPHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR:Christopher McGuirePOLITICAL COMMENTARY:Stuart DunnSPORTS EDITOR:M.C. CohenWEB DESIGN:Neil Schuldiner, Rick SulzADVERTISING DEPARTMENT:Martin Lieberman, Manager. RosalynBacani, Steve Bailey (212) 721-9444,Dawn Clayton, Mitchell Levine, ChrisRowan, Andrew SchiffGRAPHIC DESIGNERS:Neil Schuldiner, Rick SulzEducation Update is published monthlyby Education Update, Inc. All materialis copyrighted and may not be printedwithout express consent of the publisher.POSTMASTER:Send address changes to:Education UpdateP.O. Box 20005NY, NY 10001Subscription: Annual $30.Copyright © 2002 Education Update

JULY 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLSSCHOOL3INSIDE THE SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE: BETTY ROSABy MARYLENA MANTASClassical music echoes through the hallwaysof IS 101, an intermediate school inCommunity School District 8 in the Bronx.Visitors can witness group work at its best, withstudents sitting together engaged in problemsolving and discussion. More impressive, however,remains the joyful, uplifting spirit of theschool, whose establishment in 1995 was partlydue to the district’s efforts to celebrate itsdiversity—District 8, located in the East Bronx,runs along the Bruckner Expressway, extendingfrom the Hunts Point peninsula and theMorrisania area in the south, through theSoundview Classons Point area in the center,and bounded on the north by Pelham Bay andThroggs Neck.Today, the school is the academic home ofstudents who call themselves “ambassadors” asthey are enrolled in IS 101 to represent the elementaryschool they came from.“This school binds us as one district,” saysBetty Rosa, Superintendent of District 8. “Itdoes not matter what local community youcome from. The school is symbolic of ourdiversity [and it is] a place that belongs to students.They own this school.”IS 101 is only one of 30 schools located inDistrict 8, which serves about 24, 000 students.“My first accountability is to the children inmy community,” says Rosa, who considers therole of the superintendent as that of the “masterteacher.” “Myprincipals are mystudents and thedistrict is myclassroom,” shesays.Her “lessonplans” stem fromher own experiencesas a teacherand a principal,but most importantlyfrom herown value system.The coreelements of thesevalues appear inthe form of a quotationwritten onBetty Rosaa blackboard in heroffice: “Go to the people, live among them,plan with them. Start with what they know andbuild on what they have. And, when the currentleaders leave, the people will say we have it.”“I serve the people, the children and the community…Iam here to provide guidance,” saysRosa, adding that she considers her job “themost humbling experience” and is guided byone of her grandmother’ssayings, “the best kind ofperson is the one that hashumility…no matter whatyour attainments.”Although she remainscommitted to her values andacknowledges that she is “acollection of her own experiences,”Rosa underscoredthat she embraces the differentcharacteristics of everyschool and the leadershipstyles of principals.“Every school in my districtis different,” she says.“[When I visit a school] Ialways ask myself ‘if I wasthe principal in this schoolwould I run it this way? [Theanswer might be no], but that does not meanwhat that principal is doing is wrong.”She will take advantage of any opportunity tomodel for a principal or teacher and whenobserving classrooms, or visiting occasionallyshe takes over. When hiring new principals shelooks for individuals who are strong leaderswith competitive spirits that know how to teachchildren in different ways. The qualificationsare similar for new teachers.“We look for teachers with content knowledgeand an ability to reach out to children. Welook for teachers who want to enhance the livesof children and teachers with a sensitive sidefor the struggling child,” says Rosa.On hot topics, like testing, the superintendentis bold and direct, saying that a child’s lifeshould not be judged by one snapshot. “It’s asad statement about what real learning is. Wekill natural curiosity in children,” she says.She supports maintaining and enforcing standardsfor children, as long as the learningprocess does take place and teaching is notrelated only to the test.“We have sterilized some of the stuff relatedto the joy of learning,” she says, adding thatit’s good to create frameworks as long as theyare not internalized. “I am a superintendent ofchildren, not of adults.”#Visitwww.EDUCATIONUPDATE.comFrom Coney Island to Paris to Miami: An Assistant Principal Shares Her ViewsBy LYNN K. ROBBINSRuby K. Payne states in A Framework forUnderstanding Poverty, “An individual bringswith him/her the hidden rules of the class inwhich he/she was raised.” However, he added,the impact an educator can have on a child canmodify those rules and change that child’s future,regardless of their socio-economic status. I’vebeen around public and private education for 36years, sometimes in a classroom, sometimes inan office, but always a learner as well as ateacher. I’ve certainly learned from my peers, butmore importantly, I’ve learned from the childrenby listening to who they are, where they comefrom and what it is that they need.I’ve taught in Paris at one of the most elite privateschools in the world; in Coney Island, ahaven for drug pushers and prostitutes; and asimilar neighborhood in South Florida. Based onmy experience as an educator I will argue the presumptionthat social ranking is the predominantfactor in determining what an individualbecomes and the contributions that he/she makesto society. The following are three stories aboutchildren that I’ve met. One was from a wealthybackground and the other two from poverty.They all needed to be heard.I met Sylvia in France during my first full-timeteaching experience. All of her permanent teethwere pulled when she was 14 because she had agum infection. Her mother didn’t want to gothrough the hassle of supporting her daughterthrough a year’s worth of dental surgery so falseteeth became an easier option. She had no selfesteem,and would even joke around by takingout her false teeth and making grotesque faces.Sylvia was last in her class at an elite internationalprivate school in just outside of Paris,France. She slept until 11:00 A.M every day andmissed most of her classes. The administrationcouldn’t do much with Sylvia so they let hersleep, took her parents money and moved herfrom grade to grade. I would wake her up in themorning to go to class. It was a Catholic schooland I remember Sister Anne not appreciating myinterference because I wasn’t Catholic. She wasafraid I might influence her religious beliefs.They had no clue that Sylvia had none. Her parentsasked me to escort her to their apartmentacross the street from Harrods, in London, duringChristmas and Thanksgiving. They weren’tgoing to be there and the only other option for herwas to be alone during those vacations, so Iagreed to her parent’s request. We were picked upin a Bentley and had a chauffer, a butler, plus allexpenses paid. I did it for Sylvia. She oftentalked about what sixteen year olds talk aboutwith their parents or someone they trust. But,mostly, we talked about math. She hated math.We discussed what she could do in life if she didn’tlearn math. There wasn’t much. Six monthsbefore graduation, all of the seniors were asked towrite a valedictorian speech. Sylvia’s was thebest. But she was last in her class and the administrationrefused to use her speech even thoughthey knew it was written with great passion andinsight. I talked with Sister Anne and she finallyagreed that Sylvia’s speech could be read by thetrue valedictorian. Following her graduationSylvia moved back to the New York area with herparents. Although her grades did not support heradmission to any college, I was able to convincesome friends at a local community college toenroll her in a probationary program. Sylvia wenton from there. She now has a doctorate, has publishedtwo books and developed her own business.Tranisha was a 12-year-old girl who lived inConey Island but rarely came to school. She wasretained twice and far too mature for her presentgrade. Her father was killed one day while tryingto save the life of a child who had fallen into ariver. Not soon after, her mother became an alcoholic.Every morning before 7:00 a.m. I wouldset out to find her underneath the Coney Islandboardwalk. She would come to school with menow and again, but not often enough. One day Iasked what it would take for her to come toschool every day. She told me simply that if shecould be a cheerleader, she would come toschool. I told her that could be arranged. I’vebeen an athlete all my life and had little respectfor cheerleaders, pom poms and all, but if thatwas what it would take for her to come to school,I would make it happen. I was an interventionspecialist at the time and was part of a restructuringteam at a struggling Coney Island elementaryschool. The principal knew that if I asked forsomething special for a child, he would see to itthat it was done. And so it happened. Tranishabegan coming to school every morning at 7:00a.m. with some of her friends and created acheerleading squad, (we had no teams, but thatmattered little.) She went to the gym and wassupervised by the security guard while I went tomy office. There was much to be done at theschool and we put in long hours. Tranisha cameto school every day for two weeks, worked withher group, went to cafeteria for breakfast andthen to class. She was smart, and the teachersknew it. One day she asked me to stay for themorning practice. I agreed. What I observed wasremarkable and had no resemblance to cheerleading,as I knew it. She had recruited overtwenty of her classmates, mostly girls but someboys as well. She stood in front of her troupe,four lines of children, one head behind the other,standing perfectly straight and silent, with handsat their sides. Then she gave the command tobegin. They performed intricate maneuvers inunison including clapping, stomping, tumblingand chanting. I do remember that when she gavethe command to halt, one girl said something toanother. Tranisha called her name and pointed tothe door. The girl left the gym without a sound.She had violated the rules and she knew it. Icalled schools in the neighborhood that hadteams, secured funding for a bus and we becameregulars at many halftime shows. Tranishabecame a great leader of her peers. I nominatedher for a leadership award presented by BoroughPresident Golden. There were 600 winners butonly one was to receive the top award. It wasTranisha. As the award winner, she had to preparea speech to present in front of the other 600nominees and their parents at City Hall. Not onlydid we help her with her speech but we had todress her as well. There she stood, at the podium,in a donated white satin dress with matchingheels. She was brilliant. After the speechBorough President Golden presented her with aplaque and put his arm around her for a photoopportunity. I knew she was a leader and so didshe. More importantly, her mother did as well.She was sitting in the audience, for the first time,acknowledging her child’s accomplishments, andshe was sober. She, too, had prepared for thisoccasion.When John was eight years old he saw hismother and grandmother raped and sodomized atgunpoint by someone he knew. He became amute for a year. He was retained for one year andhad a list of discipline referrals that made himundesirable to most school administrators. A fewyears later, a community leader brought him tomy attention and asked that I enroll him in thespecial school in South Florida. I met with hisgrandmother and then with him. There wassomething in his eyes. I enrolled him and becamehis mentor. I was called when things happenedwith John, when he bullied a child or disrespecteda teacher. I do think that he was testing me,and my commitment. I left for New York thatsummer and gave John four envelopes with myNew York address and stamps on them. Ireceived four letters. He received postcards fromMontauk and Manhattan. When I returned inAugust, I opened a bank account for him with theproviso that whatever money he made workingas a babysitter or at other odd jobs, he had to put50 percent of it in the account. The rest he coulduse for whatever he wanted. The account wasopened with $25. After 4 months he had over$80. I told him by the time he entered college, hewould be able to buy whatever he needed. Henever thought about college before and now hedoes.These children have reacted to the images andsounds of their different environments and havemoved beyond those experiences. With borderscollapsing, human dignities being devalued andpersonal hopelessness growing, we need to lookcarefully at the impact that educators can have onunderstanding and nourishing each student’sability and willingness to learn. As an administratorand a teacher I have learned to listen andthen try to engage, inspire and create excitementin the process of learning. The goal is to broadenperspectives and offer greater choices. That is theultimate role of anyone who has taken on theresponsibility of educating our children.#Lynn K. Robbins is currently an educationaladministrator in Palm Beach County and has anM. S. in Sports Psychology from BrooklynCollege and M.S. in Administration andSupervision from CCNY. She is past VicePresident of Phi Delta Kappa, ColumbiaUniversity, and is currently pursuing her doctoratein Educational Leadership from FloridaAtlantic University.#

4 SCHOOLSPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ JULY 2002Who’s Minding the Schools?By JILL LEVYBy the time we go to press,elected officials will havehammered out the detailsof the NYC school governancelegislation. The big questions, however,remain: What impact will this change haveon our schools, the children and educationaloutcomes? How will our roles, responsibilitiesand professional relationships look in thefuture?My career began in 1959 in a red, woodframeschool. My first memory of that forbiddingplace was on a hot, August day when myhusband and I drove by, for the first time, to“scout it out.” My mother and her siblingsgraduated from that school, and I knew that theprincipal was renowned for her autocratic temperament.But I was unprepared for the terrorthat gripped me when I saw the dark structurewith its dozens of broken windows. A fewweeks later, I found myself teaching in one of14 first-grade classes, managing 38 non-English-speaking children. I used orange cratesfor bookcases. The school had no librarybooks, and the readers–don’t ask. I cherishedand relied on my teacher guides, gifts from thecentral board.School governance? I knew there was aBoard of Education, and that the Board had apresident, but what did the Mayor have to dowith education? For my colleagues and me,education was simply a matter of day-to-daysurvival. When the Ocean-Hill Brownsville crisisended in a decentralized system in 1969,classes remained overcrowded. School facilitiescontinued to crumble. Non-existent suppliescrimped lesson plans. And it was to getworse. We were heading towards the 1975 economiccrisis, a financial disaster from whichour schools have yet to recover. School governancebecame a popular refrain. NYC mayorscame and went, each one castigating centralizedor decentralized systems. While screamingfor control of the schools, those mayors starvedthem of resources. Governors, too, came andwent, but still NYC public schools were shortchangedyear after year. All fingers pointed atthe Board of Education as the one majorimpediment to educational success. Ultimately,community school boards took the fall and inthe 1990s, we stripped these elected bodies ofmost of their power over personnel and policy.It hasn’t mattered. With all the tinkering, theadjustments, the finger-pointing, school buildingsstill continue to deteriorate. Overcrowdingis rampant. The state’s list of failing schoolscontinues to grow. We still have so much to do.We must attract and retain certified teachersand supervisors. We used to attract more than100 candidates for principal and assistant principalpositions. Now, we’re lucky to attract adozen. We must do much more to encourageour school professionals to stay in the city systemand not take refuge in the suburbs.With change, extraordinary opportunitiesarise. But, if conditions in the schools remainunchanged, it is unlikely that changing who’sin charge will result in the widespread educationalimprovements we want to see. If principalscannot allocate resources the way they seefit, if schools do not have a reasonable supervisor–to-staffratio, if we cannot attract and retainthe best teachers and supervisors, our schoolswill continue to struggle. And in that case,who’s in charge of the Board of Education, whosits at the top of the heap, will not matter verymuch at all.#Jill Levy is the president of the Council ofSupervisors and Administrators (CSA).Is your child Dyslexicor experiencing school failure?If so, we may be the solution.We strive to help children not only havethe skills needed to learn, but to want to learn.Warning Signs of Depression and SucideBy MATILDA R. CUOMO& MARGARET I.CUOMO MAIER, M.D.The three pillars of supportfor children are the home, theschool and the community.When one of these supports isinadequate or even missing, the child suffers. Thechildren who are at risk of dropping out of schoolare designated by their teachers to the MentoringUSA program. We recruit and provide trained volunteermentors for each child, establishing a oneto-onerelationship. The mentor is given trainingand many resources to help the relationship flourishand become meaningful. The mentor is a positiverole model who can direct and counsel thechild through many challenging situations in life.During the bonding of the mentor and the mentee,the mentor is able to assist the child in solving his orher problems. Especially during the teenage years,the children can express their anxieties and fears. Ina real sense, it is the mentor who can fill a void inthe child’s life, listen to the child; realize the needfor professional assistance and get the help the childneeds. Mentoring USA’s concept is to help the childas early as possible, from grades K-12.During the sensitive adolescent period, childrencan lose their self-esteem and can becomedepressed. When the mentor becomes aware of thechild’s symptoms, which can be serious, the parentsare informed. According to the NationalInstitute of Mental Health (NIMH), up to 2.5 percentof children, and up to 8.3 percent of adolescentsin the United States suffer from depression.In more recent decades, the onset of depression hasbeen occurring earlier, and often recurs and continuesinto adulthood. In fact, once a young personhas experienced an episode of major depression,she or he is at risk for yet another episode withinthe next five years.At higher risk for depression are children whohave an attention or learning disorder or who areunder stress, or experience loss, such as the deathof a parent. Other risk factors include abuse or neglectand the break-up of a romantic relationship.Depression in children and adolescents is associatedwith an increased risk of suicidal behavior.Boys and girls are at equal risk for depressive disordersin childhood, but girls are twice as likely asboys to develop depression during adolescence.The increase in the rate of adolescent suicideover the past decade has been widely attributed tochanges in the social environment, and in particular,in the diminishing quality and cohesion of thefamily unit.What are the symptoms of depression in childrenand adolescents? Here are several that have beenreported by the American Psychiatric Association:inappropriate guilt, or feelings of worthlessness;persistent sad or irritable mood; loss of interest inactivities once enjoyed; difficulty sleeping or oversleeping;psychomotor agitation or retardation; lossof energy; significant loss of change in appetite orbody weight; difficulty concentrating; thoughts ofdeath or suicide.Another serious concern is a child who is contemplatingsuicide. Some of the warning signs ofsuicide as noted by the NIMH are: anger and rage;missed school or poor performance; difficulty withrelationships; drug and/or alcohol abuse; recklessbehavior. Herbert Hendin, M.D., author of Suicidein America, notes that the parents of suicidal childrenconvey a sense of emotional detachment fromthe child. It has been suggested that when thesechildren experience academic failure, they also riskthe loss of parental love. Other possible causes ofdepression, as noted by the NIMH, are genetic vulnerability,hospitalization, especially for a chronicillness and rejection of the child by a caretaker. Anincreased rate of depression is found in children ofparents with bipolar disorder.Alan Lipschitz, M.D., author of College StudentSuicide, reports that in contrast to the rebellious andaggressive behavior frequently observed in suicidalteenagers in high school, suicidal college studentstend to be quiet and withdrawn, and are notusually drug and alcohol abusers. While there aremany reasons why college students attempt suicide,hopelessness and the pressure to succeedappear to be key factors. How should parents, caregiversand friends relate to the suicidal young person?Above all, it is important to be a good listener,trustworthy and nonjudgmental. The young personat risk for suicide must believe that she/he isrespected and accepted.Awareness of mental health issues that affectchildren and adolescents is essential for parents,teachers, and mentors. By providing a caring,attentive, mature adult presence in a young person’slife, a mentor can serve as a significant supportsystem for a young person at risk.#Matilda R. Cuomo is the Founder and Chair ofMentoring USA, Margaret Cuomo Maier is aphysician.We take our commitment seriously• Orton Gillingham trained staff• Small classes with individualized attention• Art, music, culinary arts, and computers for arich educationCall 718-625-3502 or contact: Ruth Arberman,Director of The Sterling School299 Pacific Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201Now Accepting AdmissionsCO-ED SEMESTERED BOARDING HIGH SCHOOL• High academic standard• Co-ed semestered boarding school• University preparation: advancedcourses for entrance into NorthAmerica’s finest Universities: taught inEnglish; grades 10 through high schoolgraduation• Medieval Lanciano on the Adriaticcoast in central Italy• Safe, quiet, utterly charming• Exquisite college residences• Expert qualified teaching staff• Supervised excursions to citiesthroughout Italy and Europe• Study with the best of Europe and NorthAmerica in a culturally rich environment• A unique education experiencethat lasts a lifetime!Now enrolling - full year September 2002Tel: (905) 508-7108 1-800-422-0548 Fax: (905) 508-5480Email: cciren@home.com www.ccilanciano.com

JULY 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLSNew Series: Parents are seeking alternatives to public schools. Education Update reports on two in this issue.New Middle School at MarymountBy SYBIL MAIMINStudents in the fourth through seventh gradesat the Marymount School are moving intobright new quarters in the fall. The independentCatholic girls’ school (nursery through 12),now housed in three beautiful adjacent townhouseson Fifth Avenue, has acquired and isrenovating a Beaux Arts building on nearbyEast 82nd Street which will serve MiddleSchool students exclusively.As explained by headmistress SisterKathleen Fagan, this is an effort to give youngstersin a sometimes difficult stage of life “aspecial place where they can shine.” The schoolwill be a blend of the old and the new, a selfcontainedunit with its own program, faculty,dining hall and commons, library, science lab,computer center, and technical facilitator. Aspecial advising system is being established.The students will interface with girls from theupper and lower schools in shared use of thechapel, gym, and assembly as well as in schoolservice programs. The addition of a building,more a reflection of the need for “breathingroom” following several years of increasedenrollment than of plans for further growth,will be followed by incremental renovations ofthe original mansions including expansion ofdining, library, technology, music, drama, andart facilities.Though the stately buildings recall anotherera, the activities within are cutting edge. DonBuckley, director of technology at Marymount,oversees integration and faculty development.The key, he says, “is to get teachers to discoverwhat technology works for them and getthem to run with it.” The school has grantmoney to reward teachers who come up withinteresting proposals about classroom applications.Marymount conducts summer technologyworkshops open to professionals from otherinstitutions. Utilizing online learning, it was thefirst school in Manhattan to enroll students in aColumbia University course in Java, a computerlanguage. Technology is introduced inkindergarten and, as they advance in grade,pupils do everything from creating fictitiousonline businesses to making videos of frog dissections.Marymount is part of a religious order foundedin Beziers, France in 1849. It is devoted toeducation and today has schools in 14 countries.They are not parochial (church or parishaffiliated). Marymount, New York is part of anetwork that includes schools in London, Paris,Rome, and Los Angeles. Representatives ofnetwork institutions meet annually and setgoals and objectives. Each has an implementationcommittee. Instilling values is central tothe school mission, and each year a particularvalue, such as the current “Unity ThroughDiversity,” is chosen by the network for specialfocus. Recognizing changes in the Church andsociety, the network is presently developingplans to pass the schools on to lay leaders. InNew York, only three sisters remain on a facultyof 75. As fewer people choose a religious lifeand the community work that needs to be donegrows, schools that lose clergy must transfertheir governance or close down. MarymountNew York has been administered by a layBoard of Trustees since 1969, but has continuedto be headed by clergy. Headmistress SisterKathleen welcomes the coming changes notingthat, previously clergy were considered an eliteclass, but now we are all equal in our possibilitiesof goodness.#Private or Public Education?By CHRISTINA PERPIGNANOAND ZAHER KARPRecently on WNYC radio, Brian Lehrer featureda panel of authors and consultants discussingthe choices that a parent must gothrough when caught between the accessibilityof the public school system and the exclusivityof the private schools of New York. The panelconsisted of Clara Hemphill, author of NewYork City’s Best Public High Schools. AParents’ Guide, Catherine Hausman, author ofThe Manhattan Family Guide to PrivateSchools and Robin Aronow, psychotherapistand educational consultant.The panel discussed the many different issuesin the debate of private vs. public school.Topics such as financial and social considerationsas well as cultural issues were included.Private schools are unattainable to many familiesbecause of their high tuition. However, asthe speakers pointed out, scholarships andfinancial aid are available. One of the callerswas concerned with the lack of diversity withinthe private school system. This was confirmedby the panel. However, they noted thatmany private schools are making an effort tointroduce a multicultural element into the studentbody.As the panel pointed out, the disadvantage tofamilies that must rely upon the public school systemis that there are few choices within the district,while a private school student has no such constraints.The advantages of private schools is thatthey have the facilities to concentrate on the studentas an individual and “make sure the child iswell rounded,” according to Aronow.Ramaz Lower SchoolBy POLA ROSEN, Ed.D.Established 65 years ago, the Ramaz LowerSchool is a modern, orthodox Jewish day schoolthat was originally built for the community andhas continued with that vision. Head of the schoolRabbi Alan Berkowitzexplained that “Ramaz representsa standard of excellencein the world of Jewisheducation. Starting in nursery,we try to provide a qualityprogram that will lead toan outstanding education.”The student-teacher ratio islow: about 15 students to aclass with a head teacher andassistant teachers.The curriculum is half–religious and half–secular.Our children are expected tofollow the laws and principlesof Judaism. The firstgraders participate in aCommunity service has always been anaspect exclusive to private schools, but recentlymore and more, public schools are requiringit as well. In public schools, parental control ofthe curriculum and administration is at a minimum,but at a private school, parents havegreater control of the system. The speakersindicated that some public schools lack leadershipespecially because their principals andadministrators are paid poorly.The panelists agreed that private schoolsSCHOOL7Hebrew language immersionprogram. In the secondgrade, the entire religiouscomponent is taught inHebrew, which is considered the heritage language.French and Spanish are introduced in themiddle school. Project Community takes placein the middle school. Once a week students volunteerunder the supervision of their teachers.“Our school has a strong sense of commitmentbecause many of the parents are Ramazgraduates,” said Rabbi Berkowitz. The missionof Ramaz is for students to be outstanding citizensof the world and to excel. In recruiting students,parents must share the mission. Studentsare recruited by an interview process with parents.In the lower school students come fromall boroughs. In the upper school, students alsocome from Connecticut and New Jersey. Mostgraduates spend a year in Israel studying andexploring roots. Then they enroll in many ofStudents at Ramaz Lower Schoolperforming with Hebrew letters.the best universities in the country.On teacher recruitment, Berkowitz looks foreducators who have long-term experience and acommitment to their mission. Most of theteachers have Master’s degrees in education.Judaic studies teacher must be fluent inHebrew. An unusual feature of the school is theday-care center for faculty children.The atmosphere of the school is nurturingand caring. No wonder then, as Berkowitznoted, “Parents have an enthusiasm about thisplace; the school has charisma.”#seem to be the best environment for a youngchild who needs individual supervision, whereaspublic schools require the child to have acertain degree of independence and self sufficiency.Parochial schools, on the other hand,seem to be a good balance between the twobecause the tuition is less than the majority ofthe private schools.#Christina Perpignano & Zaher Karp are studentsin private schools in NYC and interns atEducation Update.

8 SCHOOLSPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ JULY 2002NASA’s Education Programsfor High School Students“START SOMETHING” & TIGERWOODS FULFILL KIDS’ DREAMSBy FRANK SCALZO, Ph.D.NASA’s Educational Programs provide supportfor systemic improvement, teacher preparation/enhancement,curriculum support anddissemination, student support, educationaltechnology and research and development.Some notable NASA student and teacher supportprograms in the NYC/Metropolitaninclude the American Museum of NaturalHistory’s Planet Earth interactive exhibit,Summer High School Apprentice ResearchProgram (SHARP - provides gifted and talented,ethnic minority students with an opportunityto work with a scientist or engineer onNASA research and development projects),New Jersey Middle School Distance Mentoringproject at Stevens Institute of Technology(implemented at five Hudson County schools),the NASA Educational Resource Center at CityCollege of New York, and a number of researchprojects at colleges throughout New York, NewJersey and Connecticut..NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies(GISS), founded in 1961 as a division of theGoddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) inGreenbelt, MD, is located at 2880 Broadway inNYC. Current research, under the direction ofDr. James Hansen, emphasizes a broad study ofGlobal Change, which is an interdisciplinaryresearch initiative addressing natural and manmadechanges in our environment, which is aninterdisciplinary research initiative addressingnatural and man-made changes in our environmentthat occur on various time scales andaffect the habitability of our planet.In 1994 Carolyn Harris and Dr. Hansenfounded the Institute on Climate and Planets(ICP), by recruiting talented and underrepresentedstudents and teachers from NYC areahigh schools and CUNY undergraduates, toparticipate on summer research teams and workwith graduate students and NASA scientistson research projects to improve what is knownabout Earth’s Climate and Global change.ICP faculty fellows formulate and implementEarth Science curriculum materials, whichare aligned with national standards andintegrated into existing high school and collegecourses.#Frank Scalzo, Ph.D. is an EducationSpecialist at NASA in NYC. He can be reachedat 212-678-6038.By TOM KERTES“Start Something”, an educational programborn out of the cooperation between the TigerWoods Foundation and Target Corporation,encourages kids between the ages of 8 and 17to identify a specific personal desire or goaland begin taking actual and specific stepstoward achieving their dreams.It all started when Earl Woods, Tiger’s father,wrote a book that propounded the theory thatall kids carry something special within themselves.“As parents and educators, it is our roleand our duty to help kids figure out their goalsand then show them how they can achievethem,” Earl Woods said.Woods partnered with Target Corporation, asocially-minded company that spends 5 percent of its taxable income – around $ 2 milliona week – on the community, particularly onchildren and their education. Thus, in the year2001, “Start Something” was born.When Tiger first described to kids the spiritdriving the project he said, “I challenge you. Idare you. I challenge you to be a winner inwhatever you choose to do, whatever you careabout. I challenge you to make a difference inthe world, to reach higher and farther than youever imagined. I challenge you to “StartSomething.”“Start Something” offers 10, two-hour sessionsthat students can attend individually or ina group. The first five sessions help kids thinkabout their dreams and goals in order to comeup with an Action Project, which is based onthose ideas. Sessions six and seven are devotedto completing the Action Project. During sessionseight through 10 kids have an opportunityto reflect upon their efforts.Upon completion of the program, the studentscan apply for scholarships ranging from$100 to $5000, which are used to fund theirspecial interest or hobby. Over the course of theyear, over $300,000 are awarded in scholarships.“Start Something” aims to build character, tohelp kids learn to care about others and to teachthem right from wrong. Though many of thechildren’s goals and dreams involve buying aninstrument or attending music or soccer camp,some has dealt with providing medical supportto a village in Africa or traveling to Australia tospeak at a conference on Fetal AlcoholSyndrome.“We’ve had a great success so far,” said AnnAronson, director of Community Relations atTarget. “Over 77,000 children are participatingin the program this year, led by teachers, coachesand a host of other volunteers.”Dr. Richard Gallagher, the noted child psychologistwho is the director of the ParentingInstitute at the New York University ChildStudy Center, is a great supporter of the program.“Start Something” is special because itengages kids in the active pursuit of concretegoals,” he said. “Other programs may talkabout goals in a positive way. But most neverchallenge kids to actually do something aboutthem.”#DR. JOYCE COPPIN HONOREDBY ALFRED POSAMENTIER, Ph.D.As a part of the celebration on April 3, 2002in Vienna, Austria to commemorate the tenthanniversary of the very fruitful cooperationprogram between the Austrian school system,the New York City Board of Education and theCity University of New York, the Minister ofEducation, Elisabeth Gehrer bestowed uponDr. Joyce Coppin, Supervising Superintendent,New York City Board of Education, theAustrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art(first class). This is one of the highest honorsthat the Austrian government rewards thosewho have done extraordinary service to theircountry. Dr. Coppin has not only been involvedwith this cooperation since its inception, buthas been one of the main promoters of themany activities that have linked the educationalsystems in the two countries. Thus the government(nominated by the ministry ofEducation, approved by Parliament, andbestowed by the President) showed its appreciation.It is often asked how a small country, whosepopulation is about that of New York City, canrelated to just a city. The response is that bothlocales have been havens for immigrants, bothare hosts to the United Nations, and both arerespective cultural centers. Some of the cooperativeventures are the New York City VirtualEnterprises program, the visiting math and scienceteachers program, lots of student, class,teacher, and administrator exchanges, and aCCNY masters degree program for Englishteachers in three cities in Austria.#Alfred S. Posamentier is the Dean, School ofEducation, The City College of New York,CUNY

JULY 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ SPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLSSCHOOL9Paige Discusses After-School ProgramsBy TOM KERTES(Exclusive to Education Update)President George W. Bush’s “No Child LeftBehind” initiative has a quartet of major components:accountability for results; flexibilityand local control; expanded parental optionsand doing what works in the classroom. “Andthese points apply equally to after-school andsummer programs, whether they’re provided inor out of the classroom,” Secretary ofEducation Rod Paige said recently at a SatelliteTown Meeting.According to Secretary Paige, after-schooland summer programs are extremely important.“The parents of more than 28 million schoolage children work outside the home and asmany as 15 million “latch-key” children returnto an empty house on any given afternoon,” hesaid. “All studies have shown that after theschoolbell rings, too many children withoutadequate supervision may neglect necessaryschool-work or, worse, fall prey to negativeinfluences. In fact, children are at a greater riskof being involved in crime, substance abuse,and teenage pregnancy in the hours afterschool– peaking between 3-4 p.m.”“Yet, since, in spite of all this, after-schoolprograms are so inadequately funded, creatinglocal partnerships with corporations, faithbasedorganizations, and the community isextremely important,” said Michael LeFlore,the Director of IMPACT Afterschool Programin Phoenix, Arizona. “Our success in doing thathas allowed us to keep our programs in linewith state standards and provide a diverse outlookon education that has led to higher gradesand greater parent participation.”Variety in quality programming is also of theessence. “In the INTEL Computer Clubhouse,we really try to keep a club atmosphere – itseems to inspire children,” said RomaAvellano, Education Manager on INTELCorporation. “The computers are organized inclusters, they are not facing the wall. The studentslearn skills that people use as professionals– so we use the very highest technologyavailable in our music studio and video editingcenters. And the students’ creativity is furtherencouraged and enhanced by the presence ofadult and older student mentors.”“We did this because we felt that society hasdeveloped a technology gap between childrenof different backgrounds,” Avellano added.“And we could not allow this technology gapbecome first a skills gap, and then an achievementgap.”Carla Sanger, Executive Director of LA’SBEST, one of the nation’s most outstandingafterschool programs, spoke of accountabilityand results. “We must work within articulatedhigh standards,” she said. “We have 17,500kids coming to work with us each and everyday. And the outcome measures are sometimessurprising: among others, one that made us feelgood was that children have reported greaterconfidence in going to adults in problem-solvingsituations after working with us.”LA’S BEST has also shown positive resultsin reading ability, increase of self-esteem, andpride in learning. According to one of the highschool mentors “this is great; when I have childrenI’ll be able to teach them myself about awhole variety of different things.”All participants agreed that the No. 1 key to aquality afterschool or summer program isinvolvement in the school, talking to teachers,talking to parents, talking to kids. “We have tofind out what’s real to the children, we must haveadult mentors who really, really listen,” Sangersaid.#HOW THE CONSTITUTIONWORKS FOR STUDENTSBy ARI MCKENNAIn a sparsely furnished courtroom inManhattan recently, students from IS 89 hadthe opportunity to mock-try a Supreme CourtCase on National Security vs. The FirstAmendment. Equipped with suits, some robes,a large wooden hammer and some soundknowledge of the Constitution, the studentsplayed out the case, which lingers in the shadowof the September 11 th attack on the WorldTrade Center and explores democracy.IS 89 is only one of approximately 400schools in the New York area that take part insuch activities, due to their collaboration withthe Constitution Works (TCW) program. Nowin its fourteenth year TCW is a veritable harbingerof conscious and active future citizenswho will participate in government.Here is how The Constitution Works works:The Board of Education offers a supplementaryprogram, which satisfies requirements in socialstudies and language arts to teachers of civics,social studies, and related subjects. TCW,whose full-time staff includes Thomas Stokes(Executive Director), Rosa Taveras (ProgramManager), and Eric Neutoch (ProgramAssociate), holds training workshops for thoseteachers, brushing them up on their constitutionalknowledge, introducing them to methodologiesconcerning group work, interdependence,and active student participation, andeventually putting them through a role-playedcourt case.Before they return to the classroom they aregiven a “unit” to introduce to their respectiveclasses. While some units may be moreinvolved with the Executive or Legislativebranches, most deal with the Judicial branchand are usually recent Supreme Court caseswith current implications.Students start with groundwork introductionon relevant excerpts from the Constitution andthe Bill of Rights. As the process continuesthey receive roles and engage specifically withtheir own “unit.” Upon the teacher’s request,TCW provides technical support in the form oflaw students from Fordham University, volunteerattorneys, and TCW staffers who are ableto help kids on a more one-on-one basis.TCW is involved with public, private,Jewish, and Catholic schools as well as someadult education centers. It is privately fundedbut has recently been seeking public fundingwith the help of Borough President VirginaiFields.While working with a bilingual class thatTCW services, Taveras noticed an interestingphenomenon: many of the South American studentsrefused to take the side which was inopposition to the government because theywere “afraid of punishment.” At this point,Taveras explained the first amendment’s secondclause, involving free speech and freepress. Taveras notes that the American studentshad no such qualms about opposing the state;“they don’t see it as going against the government,they see it as ‘this is my right.”The Constitution Works has reached about100,000 students, establishing and sending outinto the future a “Reserve of Uprights” of sorts,emerging young citizens aware of their ownpersonal-political contexts who will participatein government with acuity, awareness andknowledge.#Skills for school. Confidence for everything else.For more than 20 years, Sylvan has helped over a million childrendevelop a love of learning. We get results through a proven process thatworks — the Sylvan Advantage ṬM• We begin by identifying each child’s specific needs, then we provideindividual attention and personalized lesson plans.• Sylvan teachers are highly trained and certified — and just loveteaching.• We keep you updated every step of the way with regularly scheduledconferences and progress reports.If your child is struggling in school or just isn’t being challengedenough, call Sylvan today.www.educate.comNow with 6 convenient locations in New York CityCall us today at 1-800-EDUCATEREADING MATH WRITING STUDY SKILLS SAT ® /ACT PREP

10 SCHOOLSPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLS ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ JULY 2002Bloomberg and Soros Announce Planto Fund After-School ProgramsMayor Michael R. Bloomberg, joined byGeorge Soros at PS 130 in the Bronx, announcedrecently that the City and the Open SocietyInstitute (OSI) will devote over $30 million tosupport after-school programs during the 2002-2003 school year. Mayor Bloomberg committed toallocating $10.5 million in the FY 2003 executivebudget and OSI will contribute $20 million. Thecombined funds will benefit more than 40,000 citystudents.“Our goal is to provide first-rate after-schoolprograms to produce high-quality students,” saidMayor Bloomberg. “Given the City’s fiscal crisis,we need partners like the Open Society Institute tosustain many of the programs our children andfamilies rely on. Today is just the beginning ofwhat I hope will be one of the banner public-privatepartnerships of my administration.”“Mayor Bloomberg’s commitment of $10.5 millionto support after-school programs is especiallysignificant, given the City’s fiscal situation,” saidGeorge Soros. “The fact that he has pledged hissupport in such hard times affirms the importanceof after-school education even more.”The funds will be awarded to The After-SchoolCorporation (TASC), a non-profit group that distributesgrants to community organizations to conductafter-school programs in public schoolsacross New York City and state. Together, thefunds will allow TASC to leverage millions ofadditional dollars from the federal and state governments,the Board of Education, and other privatedonors. The City’s and OSI’s contributionwill raise $80 million to support after-school programsthis coming school year. In total, the fundsensure a safe, productive environment for morethan 40,000 children in 157 schools. In addition,the programs preserved by today’s announcementwill provide 11 million hours of reading and mathinstruction, sports, arts, and community serviceprograms this upcoming year.#Bard HS Early College Moves to Lower East SideBeginning in September 2002, Bard HighSchool Early College, which opened this yearin shared space in Brooklyn, will have a placeof its own. The school is moving to 454 EastHouston St., currently the site of PS 97, whichis closing because of low enrollment and lowLexington School for theDeaf Honors Ralph LaurenStudent performers duringthe dedication of the center.The students and board members of TheLexington School/Center for the Deaf recentlyhonored Ralph and Ricky Lauren at a gala eventcelebrating the opening of the school’s new stateof-the-artRalph and Ricky Lauren Center for thePerforming Arts. Comedian Robert Klein emceedthe event. The event acknowledged Mr. and Mrs.Lauren’s $2 million dollar gift, which convertedthe school’s auditorium into a performance centerwith cutting edge technology. A special one timetimeperformance of “Blue, White, and Red” hostedby Robert Klein featured the LexingtonStudents. The Ralph and Ricky Lauren Center forthe Performing Arts is a unique 427-seat performingarts venue representing the transformation of a33-year-old school auditorium into a model theatricalspace for dramatic, dance, musical andmultimedia productions. Founded in 1865, TheLexington School and Center for the Deaf providesexemplary education and service to deaf andhard-of-hearing students, ages pre-kindergartenthrough age twenty-one.#Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan(L-R) George Soros & Mayor Bloombergscores. Currently, there are 300 students in theHigh School and enrollment will grow to 500in September.Bard High School Early College is a fouryearschool that serves as an alternative to traditionalhigh schools. The early college programoffers a rigorous core curriculum in generaleducation geared toward highly motivatedhigh school-aged students who are academicallyready and eager to begin college in the 11 thgrade. At the end of the four-year program, studentswill receive an Associate of Arts degreein Liberal Arts and Sciences from BardCollege. Students will also earn credits that canbe applied to any four-year college.“In its first year the Bard High School EarlyCollege has truly delivered on its potential,”said Chancellor Harold Levy. “It has become amodel for a national program announced earli-M ake this the FITTESTsummer of your life!A seasoned, professional,private fitness trainer with anextensive Manhattan-Hamptonreference list will be available forprivate or semi-private fitnesstraining in your Hampton area homeor facility Friday throughSunday this summer•Former assistant program directorat Manhattan’s prestigious SportsTraining Institute•Personal Training Instructor for acertifying organization•Former head student athletictrainer at Brooklyn CollegeMike Silverstein(917) 450-7338 [mobile](516) 520-9234Call now toreserve your spot!SUMMER TRAVEL & EDUCATION:HERITAGE SEMINARSBy RICKI BERKOWITZSince the shocking horrors were brought toan end over half a century ago, memories of theHolocaust have become a substantial componentof Jewish identity for three generations. Itsbearing on the World and Jewish communitiescan be recognized in the vast amount of literatureon the subject, the hundreds of museumsworldwide, the tales of survivors and witnesses.Yet despite this wealth of information, thereare many who feel that in taking a look forthemselves at the world in which such devastatingtragedy occurred, a stronger connectionto the past is formed. As Marc Blanco, a studentat the University of Pennsylvania put it,“After years of reading and learning about theHolocaust, I had my first really personal experienceonly when I saw these sites for myself.”This year, over 400 students participated inHeritage Seminars, a program that travels toEastern Europe and Israel for a first-hand experience.The program describes itself as “unique educationalexperiences that study Jewish ancestralroots, research the sources of Jewish life inEastern Europe and identify with our heritage.Through extensive visits to the destroyed centersof Jewish culture and Torah scholarshipand a course of creative academic study thattakes place throughout the seminar, participantsstrengthen their Jewish identity, awareness, andcommitment to the Jewish people and the Stateer this year by the Bill and Melinda GatesFoundation, which plans to replicate the programwith 40 new schools nationwide. I ampleased to see New York City set the pace forcontinued high school reform and I expect theschool to continue to flourish in its new home.”Admission to Bard High School EarlyCollege is by application and includes an essayand an interview with the students and the student’sparents. All New York City students areeligible to apply.#of Israel.” They must enjoy a measure of successin their mission, because, as RachelFortgang, a senior in Ramaz expressed, shegained a strong insight from a comparablePoland-Israel program. “After visiting the sitesof Poland, I felt a greater sense of Jewish identityand the importance of Israel.”Approximately 40 Ramaz seniors (an orthodoxJewish day school on the upper east side)participated in Heritage Seminars to Polandand Israel this May. The first days were spentvisiting old Jewish cemeteries, synagogues inWarsaw and Jedwabene, yeshivot, places ofhigher Jewish learning of traditional texts, andthe Schindler factory, attending aCommemorative Ceremony in Treblinka, andlearning from witnesses during evening sessions.During that time, participants were ableto commemorate and even celebrate the heritageof thriving Jewish communities that oncewere. Toward the end of the Poland part of thetrip, participants confronted the cruel realitiesin Auschwitz, a concentration camp, where aworld now better understood had beendestroyed by hatred. Many of the students continuedon to Israel for the next four days to tourZefat, the Golan Heights, and Tiberias. In Israelparticipants were able to hike, volunteer to helpprepare packages for soldiers, and even had achance to purchase Israeli crafts Jerusalemmerchants brought to their hotel.The goal of trips like the Heritage Seminar isto both educate and inspire, providing participantswith a unique opportunity to encounterthe rich legacy of pre-Holocaust Jewry and, aswitnesses, see the site of the devastation ofEuropean Jewry. As Jon Krause, anotherRamaz senior explains, “These days, as survivorsgrow older, it becomes more importantto better understand what happened during theHolocaust. Actually being there could reallylend greater meaning to our history.” #Ricki Berkowitz, an intern at EducationUpdate, is graduating from Ramaz and enteringBrandeis in the fall.Calendar of EventsJuly 2002Open HousesAlthough it is not specifically requested by every school, readersare strongly advised to call schools to confirm dates andtimes and verify if appointments are needed.Community School District 3:Gifted & Talented Program, (212) 678-2897, MarilynCarella300 West 96th St., NY 10025.Program is available at 8 different schools in Manhattan.Touro CollegeCisco & Microsoft Networking Certificates:(718) 265-6534, ext. 1002Information session in Brooklyn;Thursday, July 11 at 6:30 pm;1870 Stillwell Avenue (at the corner of 82nd Street), First FloorPhysical & Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs:(718) 265-6534, ext. 1003Wednesday, July 24 at 6: 30 pm;1870 Stillwell Avenue (at the corner of 82nd Street), First FloorSmith School:(212) 879-63547 East 96th Street (between 5th & Madison Ave.), NYC.Call for appointment.WorkshopsThe ADD Resource CenterPractical help for living with attention and related disorders,seminars, courses, workshops and services for children, parents,adults, employers and educators.Call for a schedule at 212-724-9699 x59 or 914-763-5648.Bringing Liberty Science Center to You!Host LSC at your school, camp, fair, or community center.Through assembly shows and classroom workshops, we bringthe excitement of LSC right to your location. Yes, we travel tosummer camps, schools, and enrichment programs!Classroom WorkshopsOur classroom workshops, like our famous StarLab, are 30-45min. in length and are designed to accommodate up to 30 studentsper session. The initial program fee covers 4 workshopsat the same site, on the same day. Additional programs can bepurchased for an additional charge.Assembly ProgramsOur assembly programs are 45 min.- 1 hr. in length and aredesigned to accommodate up to 350 students at a time. The initialprogram fee covers one assembly program. An additionalprogram fee is kept low to encourage to break-up audiences ofvarious ages into smaller groups for a more meaningful, ageoriented experience. Create some real summer fun with ourScience Sportacular!All our current workshops and assembly programs can beviewed under Educational Experiences at www.lsc.org. Pleasecall (201) 451-0006 and speak with either John Herrera x218,jherrera@lsc.org, or Jim McGlynn x340, jmcglynn@lsc.org, forfurther details.

JULY 2002 ■ FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS ■ EDUCATION UPDATESCHOOL11LANGUAGESMY EXPERIENCES IN ITALYBy MOLLY WALLACESuor Paola was a nun, a sports commentatorand a teacher. It was the day of my tenth birthdaywhen I started as a student in her fifthgrade class. It was my third year in Italy, so myItalian had progressed beyond its starting pointof, “Io sono Americana, non parlo Italiano.”(I’m American, I don’t speak Italian) My nextdoorneighbor and close friend was half Swiss,half Italian and went to French school. Shespoke passable German, and fluent French andItalian. Even though I spoke none of these languages,with her intuitive grasp for communicationI learned from her quickly. Fifth gradewas going to be a different matter altogether.The difficulties of writing and reading comprehensionwere not the only ones I would haveto face. The notation they used for math wasdifferent: decimal points were represented bycommas and commas by points. Long divisionwas done not on the same scheme I had beentaught. When we studied America in geography/historythe textbook stated that people ofcolor were not allowed on the same buses aswhite people. This was in 1994. When I argued,the teacher seconded the textbook’s claim.Another time a boy was teasing me, so Ipopped my umbrella near his face. With a smileon her face Suor Paola decided that for punishmentI should have to kiss him. The wholeclass, including the teacher began chanting,“Bacio! Bacio! Bacio!” (Kiss!). They stoppedwhen I started crying. In America this couldeasily have been turned into a sexual harassmentcase. I realize in retrospect that in a countrywhere a kiss on the cheek is equivalent to ahandshake, this would have been nothing but asymbol of reconciliation.Though my peers were for the most part helpfuland supportive, there were times when theywere less than understanding. English lessonswere part of the curriculum and generallyinvolved learning how to conjugate the presenttense of the verb “to be”. For someone who hadrun out of Roald Dahl books to read, this wasfrustrating. So I got permission from theEnglish teacher to go to another room and read.Throughout the English lessons, the other studentswould ask to go to the bathroom. InsteadWarm, dedicated professional(20 yrs. experience) will cometo your home. Will help to improve:• reading • writing • spelling • studying• organizing • test taking skills.Special methods help your child excel.Call 212-473-3313N.Y. State Lic TeacherM.S. Special Ed.they would come to the room where I was readingto tell me that they had to study Italian inschool, so I should have to study English.Responding that they were not studying Italianat the same level they were studying Englishwas to no avail. I ended up preferring theEnglish lessons to the lectures I got from myclassmates. Another area in which I didn’t getmuch support from my classmates was on thesoccer field. Italy is soccer crazed – boys playand girls watch, which made me the only girlon the soccer team. When I complained to aboy that he never passed me the ball he told me,“Torna a quel paese!” This expression wasRoman slang, and I was not familiar with it.Literally it means, “go back to that country,” sothat’s what I took it to mean. When the coachforced him to apologize he explained that it didnot have anything to do with me beingAmerican, it was just a generic insult.Soccer was one place where Suor Paola camein handy. When the school was starting out shewrote off to the Rome soccer team and askedthem to donate uniforms. She got no reply soshe wrote to the Lazio soccer team, Rome’srival. They sent her everything she requested.From then on she was an avid fan and went tothe stadium on Wednesdays and Sundays towatch her team play. It is illegal to transmit fullgames on TV in Italy so TV spectators have tosettle for shows with commentators, variousdistractions and the clips of live highlights.One such show came across Suor Paola in thestadium one weekend, listened to her cheer, andhired her. She became somewhat of a nationalcelebrity. Compared with a nun sports commentator,a girl on the soccer team was not thatweird. Thankfully she came to our games andthis contrast was apparent to the other teams aswell.When fifth grade was over I took the nationalexams to pass elementary school, and didfine. I looked at some Italian middle schools,but could not find anything that would matchthe intimacy that a small school like the one Iwent to provided. I ended up going to an internationalschool where the Italians spoke to mein Italian, the English speakers in English, andeveryone else in whatever language was mostconvenient. Now I am at college in New Yorkwhere one of my two majors is Italian.Studying the language and culture in a classroomis a different experience, and while I amlearning new specifics about Italy’s historyand culture, it all rings true to my experiencethere.#Molly Wallace is a student at BarnardCollege and an intern at Education Update.EDUCATION UPDATEPut Put it it at at the the TOP TOP of ofyouryoursummersummerreading!CAREERS“Sopranos” Writer Tells His StoryTerry WinterBy SYBILMAIMINHow’s this fora dream job?Become a writerfor the hitTV show TheSopranos, theh i g h l y -acclaimed situationcomedyseries that takesthe unorthodoxview that a mobboss is in manyways like youand I, with, forexample, a daughter at Columbia Universityand a weekly session with a psychiatrist.Terence Winter landed that job after an unlikelypath with stabs at many careers and a lot ofsoul searching.Born in a blue-collar neighborhood inBrooklyn, the Sopranos writer attendedWilliam E. Grady Vocational High Schoolwhere he trained to be an auto mechanic. Theatmosphere was decidedly unacademic but heread and wrote stories weekly which caught theattention of English teacher Lannie Gilbert whosupported and encouraged him. After graduationhe became a partner in a delicatessenowned by friends but left in a year unsure ofwhat path was best for him. Wandering aroundGreenwich Village, he spotted New YorkUniversity and, although completely unfamiliarwith the culture of college and without academiccourses or SATs, he decided to apply. Toenhance his chances of admission he chose anobscure major which together with his unusualbackground gained him entry on the conditionhe take remedial courses. He attended collegefull time during the day and worked full time atnight, including stints as cab driver, securityguard, and, best of all, as night doorman on theUpper East Side for two years which providedopportunities to read and make up for hugegaps in his schooling. While at NYU he discoveredjournalism and took many courses inthat discipline, building confidence in hispotential but not imagining a life as a writer.Instead, he chose what seemed like a practicalpath – law school.He graduated from St. John’s Law School inQueens and accepted a corporate law position.“Miserable” in his job which “did not fit mypersonality,” he began serious soul searching todetermine “what is it you want to do when youwake up in the morning?” To counter therestraints of his profession, Winter had donestand-up comedy while lawyering, leading himMichael R. Silverstein is not just a trainer.His knowledge of the human body, nutrition,physical education and athletic training culminatingin a B.S. from Brooklyn College in1991, has made him outstanding in the field.He has a successful career as the AssistantProgram Director of the Sports TrainingInstitute, the personal training instructor for theWorld Instruction Training School (2002) andsince 1996, is the President of ProfessionalHealth and Fitness Management, a Manhattanbasedpersonal training organization. WhenSilverstein assigns exercises, he alwaysexplains what part of the body is being usedto realize he wanted to do sitcom writing.Moving to Los Angeles for “a fresh start,” hetook a job as a paralegal that left lots of time towrite. His attitude embraced a “single-mindedpurpose. I was going to make this happen. Inever looked at failure as an option.” Afterbeing rejected twice, he was accepted toWarner Brother’s Sitcom Writer’s Workshopwhich takes 15 out of 1500 applicants a year.The ten-week long program that concludeswith placement on an existing show providedimportant breaks. Working on The GreatDefender, which had a brief, successful runenabled him to establish a reputation. Gaininga reputation and being deemed employable getsyou an agent, a difficult yet essential feat in thebusiness. While at Defender, he met the writerFrank Renzulli who introduced him to DavidChase, head writer and executive producer ofThe Sopranos. Winter is ideally suited to TheSopranos, having grown up in a similar milieu.He does some research on criminal law, psychologicalterminology, and medical facts, butthe characters are so alive to him, he “can’t stopthem from talking.”He is part of a four-person team of writersoverseen by Chase who presents them with abroad road map for the season. The four gettogether for 10-12 hour days hashing out anoutline of 30 scenes for each script. One thenwrites a script from the outline and presents itto the others for further editing and changes. Acouple of days before shooting, the script isread aloud, fixed, and read again for furtherrefinement. “Like planning an invasion,” theshow involves finding locations (95 percent arein New Jersey, the studio is in Queens) andprops and hiring actors, stunt people, andwardrobe handlers. During production, theworkday is 14-16 hours long. Thirteen episodesare completed in nine months.The most exciting part of being a writer, saysWinter, is “seeing something you created cometo life in the mouths of actors you respect” andknowing that “something that starts as a notionin your head makes hundreds or millions ofpeople laugh.” His advice to aspiring writers is:read and compare scripts, take writing classes,believe in yourself, and “don’t fall into the trapof thinking you can just sit down and write ascript. It is a real craft and skill. Lots of workand training go into it.” The hardest part of theprocess and 50 percent of the equation for successis getting an agent (the other half is goodwriting). Have strong samples, pound the pavement,and work the phones daily. “Keep at itand don’t wallow in self-pity. Ultimately, if youwrite a good, professional script, someone willnotice it,” he promises.#Physical Fitness With a Proand why it’s important. Core strengtheningexercises as well as specific muscle groups areimportant for every age, according toSilverstein. Research tells us how effectiveexercise is for heart health, osteoporosis andlongevity. Silverstein, with a great sense ofhumor, makes you laugh while your musclesare doing what they should.A trainer brings discipline and exercise intoyour life. You may break an appointmentyou’ve made for yourself, but you won’t wantto change your schedule with Silverstein.#For more information call (917) 450-7338.

MEDICAL UPDATENew York City • JULY 2002FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS• 12Talking with Pioneer Dr. Ira Black About Parkinson’s DiseaseBy JOAN BAUMIt’s hard to believe that this internationallyknown clinical neurologist and neuroscientist,at the cutting edge of research, wasn’t thinkingof medicine when he was in college. Althoughhe was graduated from the Bronx High Schoolof Science, he went on to Columbia Universitywhere he got a B.A. in philosophy. Somewherealong the way, however, and certainly by thetime he entered Harvard Medical School, hehad become “more interested in the organ thatphilosophizes than in philosophy.” And sobegan the career of one of the most distinguishedresearch scientists in the country. Forthe past 10 years Dr. Ira Black has been professorand chairman of the Department ofNeuroscience and Cell Biology at the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School,Director of the Joint Graduate Program inPhysiology and Neurobiology there and atRutgers, and is past president of the Society forNeuroscience of North America. A descriptivelisting of agency, society, committee, and boardaffiliations; of publications, including majortexts; of patents granted and pending; of peerjournaleditorial positions; and of visiting professorshipsat major universities would consumethis entire newspaper. It’s said that hemay be the most significantresearcherworking on Parkinson’sDisease (P.D.)today. A modest man,with an engagingsense of humor, hestated, “Maybe at onetime a singleresearcher paved theway; our societydotes on heroes,” butthe truth of the matteris that “scientistswork in communities,”and medicaladvances “derivefrom the work of alarge number of people.”In fact, Dr.Ira Black, M.D.Black is even moreecumenical. He believes that all modes of treatingP.D. and all avenues of research should bepursued, regardless of what he, himself, isworking on. “We must proceed on all fronts, wemust customize for each patient.” He has greatrespect for Parkinson’s advocacy groups, suchas the Michael J. FoxFoundation.“ They haveplayed an immenselyimportant role in supportingresearch andrecruiting scientists,” hepoints out, adding thatthey are also reliablesources of informationfor the lay public. It isto those foundationsthat fearful, newly diagnosedpatients mightturn, rather than jumptoo quickly into clinicaltrials.Certainly Dr. Blackappreciates more thanmost the desperate hopethat often attends mediacoverage of a procedurethat would appear dramatically to retard or temporarilyarrest the progress of degenerative andacute neurologic disease. But the reality is thatdespite promising drugs and surgery, there is atthe moment no course of action for Parkinson’sDisease that will stop its slow, erratic andimplacable course. In fact, by the time mostpatients realize they have P.D. they havealready suffered 70 – 80% loss of vital braincells. Is timely diagnosis of any value then?Indeed it is, he replies. Though diagnosis maybe difficult, because there is no test, anddelayed until symptoms have set in—slowedmovements and stamina, halting gait, stiffeningof muscles and “mask like” facial expression—the difference between knowing and not knowingis critical for the way one lives. Much canbe done.A first step for those who suspect they mayhave a neurological problem, Dr. Black advises,would be to see a good old-fashioned neurologistwho will do a close hands-on examination.As for the cells that have already suffereddamage or died, Dr. Black explains in sympathetictones that “the brain is fault tolerant,”explaining that even where a great preponderanceof nerve cells has been damaged ordestroyed, it is possible to replace them. This isimportant information for P.D. patients to hear,especially as the debate continues on the directionof stem cell research. Meanwhile, there isgood argument to be made for taking advantageContinued on page 27ADD children show undiagnosed vision problemsA free screening may find the cause of yourchild’s concentration problems and thesesymptoms:1) Avoids reading, incomplete work, eyestrain, restless. This is often caused byfocus disorder or problems with eyeteaming.2) Loses place while reading or uses fingerto follow. Omits, inserts, or rereadswords. Poor control of eye movementswill bring this result.3) Slow work, poor handwriting (may evenbe a detailed artist). This can be the resultof poor eye-hand coordination.4) Poor word recognition, poor spelling,reverses letters, poor reading comprehension.This is often the result of poor visualization.RELIEF FROM HOMEWORKFRUSTRATIONThe Vision Improvement Program (VIP), anationally-known program developed by anoptometrist, an educator and a psychologist,corrects visual deficiencies that interfere withDr. Ettinger assists student with aprocessing speed procedurelearning. The 10-week program has resulted inimprovements of 4+ years in concentration insome cases. And this is without medication.“Reading involves more than 20/20 sight.Readers must have a variety of scanning,focusing and visualization skills” states Dr.Henry Ettinger, director of a local VisionImprovement Program. “Many of my patientshave gone from failing or special ed to A’s andB’s by the 10th week of therapy.”FREE EVALUATIONThe VIP offers free testing for learning-relatedvision problems. It’s a wonderful opportunityfor parents to determine if poor vision isaffecting their child’s learning. Call theManhattan office, (212) 265-4609.“We were at our wits end. Our daughter waseasily distracted and was at risk of failing.Handwriting was messy. Homework becamean all-night burden. Now her improvement isremarkable. She loves to read and write nowlike never before. Her self-esteem has soaredand family time together has improved. Yourprogram is literally a God send.”-Lillian Sanchez-Perez212-265-4609 Manhattan • Brooklyn • Queens • Westchester www.nyvision.org

JULY 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ MEDICAL UPDATE13Risky Teen BehaviorDepression in TeenagersBy RICHARD FRANCES, M.D.Early detection and treatment of major psychiatricdisorders that afflict young people,including addiction, depression, bipolar disorder,anxiety disorder, attention deficit disorder,and schizophrenia can be the best way to preventthe serious consequences of mental illness,including suicide.Teenage suicide has doubled in the last 20years and 70 percent of suicides among youngpeople involve chemical abuse or dependence.Normal youngsters rarely attempt or succeed insuicide, and most suicides are associated withtreatable psychiatric conditions includingaddiction. Parents, teachers and peers need towatch for signs of low self-esteem, hopelessness,social isolation, smoldering anger, cripplingsadness and anxiety, use and abuse ofalcohol, marijuana and other drugs, impulsivity,poor judgment, and poor communicationwith family, peers and teachers.Screening and early treatment for psychiatricproblems helps prevent the progression andworsening of conditions that can lead up to disaster.Other important signs include a positivefamily history of major illnesses, includingaddiction, depression, bipolar illness, anxietydisorders, and suicide. Watch for signs of theseproblems in first degree relatives, includingsiblings. Most of the major psychiatric illnessesbegin in the teenage and young adult years,and the earlier they are detected and treated, thebetter the result. A variety of cognitive behavioraland psychodynamic treatments are availableand are most effective when combinedwith medications in the treatment of these disorders.For young people with substance abuseand additional psychiatric diagnosis, it is crucialto make sure that both diagnoses are welltreated and that the individual is substance freewhile engaged in medication treatment andpsychotherapy.By HARVEY K. FRIEDLAND,J.D., B.E.E.It started with a twitch in one of my fingers. Itpulsated then quickly abated. For reasons thenbeyond my comprehension, it started again.This is what I told my physician half a decadeago. She immediately told me “You haveParkinson’s disease. I’ll make an appointmentDO YOUHAVE ASTHMA?Volunteers NeededFor Asthma Study.Harlem Hospital & ColumbiaUniversityAre Studying WaysTo ImproveThe Treatments Of AsthmaAt No Costs To YouYou Can EarnUp to $1100 For ParticipatingFor Information Please Call:212-939-8360Twelve step, peer led and group, family andnetwork therapy techniques can be very helpfulin working with this age group. An especiallycritical time is the adolescent’s first year awayfrom home at college with its often concomitantincrease in substance use and decrease inparental presence. One example of a psychiatricillness that has a 15 percent mortalityrelated to suicide is manic depressive disorderwhich can be effectively treated with lithiumand mood stabilizers, and which is frequentlyassociated with alcohol and drug problems.Both problems must be successfully treated toavoid the roller coaster ride of relapse. Welltreated individuals with this disorder can go onto productive lives and are often among ourmost creative and effective people. Undetectedor untreated bipolar illness leads to enormoussuffering in patients and their families. Somecharacteristics for evaluating suicide riskinclude presence of suicidal or homicidalideation, intent or plans; access to means forsuicide and the lethality of those means; presenceof command hallucinations, other psychoticsymptoms or severe anxiety; presence ofalcohol or substance use, history and seriousnessof previous attempts and family history ofor recent exposure to suicide. Abuse of substancesincreases impulsivity and worsensjudgment which can add fuel to self-destructiveimpulses.It is important that schools, parents and themental health community work closely togetherto provide better screening, detection andpreventative treatment for major psychiatric illnesses.This will lead to reduction of the devastatingeffects of suicide on family, schools andcommunity. #Dr. Richard Frances is President andMedical Director of Silver Hill Hospital in NewCanaan, Connecticut.with our neurologist, a young physician whowent to Harvard Medical School. He’ll examineyou, perform exclusionary tests, make an officialdetermination and put you on a schedule formedication. Okay?”It’s now four years later. I’ve been on the usualParkinson’s medications–Elderpryl and L-dopa.I recently entered the advanced stage ofParkinson’s, which means that those hours of theday when I become rigid and lethargic are arrivingat increasing intervals. During the cherished“on” times, when the medication is working theway it’s intended, PD sufferers such as myselffeel normal and energetic, but these hours dwindleto mere moments and become more elusiveand fleeting as the disease progresses and thebody deteriorates. New symptoms have startedoccurring; I’ve now found myself plagued withAttention Women21 - 28 Years OldLooking to earn extra income.Help a loving couple have a baby.Become an Egg DonorCharacteristics:Attractive, Caucasian, Brunette, Big Brownor Hazel eyes. Small or Medium boned.105 - 125 Lbs.Intelligent, Compassionate anda Good Temperament/Personality.Excellent CompensationFor More Info:E-mail: Gratefulwomen@aol.comCall: 917-747-5016Choices: Perspectives of a Patient With Parkinson’s Diseaseshuffling, dizziness and intermittent loss ofequilibrium.When I was first diagnosed with PD, I read atremendous amount about the disease. As Ifamiliarized myself with PD by following cutting-edgeresearch, attending lectures (such asthose given by Dr. Jeff Bronstein, Director ofMotion Disorders at UCLA) and going to supportgroups, I found that: there are really only afew options available to the Parkinson’s sufferer.A patient can opt to take medication and letthe disease take its ineluctable toll on his body,or he can elect to have DBS – Deep BrainStimulation – a serious surgical procedure thathas shown promising results but is still a far cryfrom a cure. DBS only lessens certain symptoms(such as tremor) and still requires somepatients to maintain their regimen of drugs.Also, DBS sometimes requires patients toundergo the procedure more than once.There is a third choice – a third hope – on thehorizon. “Spheramine”, a procedure not yetauthorized by the FDA (but on the fast-track forapproval and granted funds by the NationalInstitute of Health), utilizes cell-coated microcarriers(CCM) to inject human retinal pigmentedepithelial cells into a person’s brain sothat a patient can begin regenerating thedopamine-producing cells that have been dyingsince he began suffering from Parkinson’s. Ifand when approved by the FDA, spheramineoffers the best hope to patients such as myself,since it is a site-specific, minimally invasiveprocedure and has the potential of emancipatingthe PD sufferer from both his symptomsand his dependence on side-effect causingBy GLENN S. HIRSCH, M.D.Adolescence and the beginning of adulthoodis a developmental phase burdened with stressfulevents: high school, starting college, pursuingcareer goals, forming relationships withfriends and significant others, coping withchanging family roles. These stresses can precipitatelife-threatening illnesses and behaviorssuch as depression, anxiety disorders, substanceabuse, eating disorders and even suicide.Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder often havetheir onset during this time.During adolescence there is a rapid increase inthe number of youngsters who suffer fromdepressive illness and have suicidal thoughts.Several studies indicate that up to 8.3 percent ofadolescents suffer from depression, 20 percentof America’s teens have had thoughts about endingtheir lives and suicide is the third leadingcause of death among teens and young adults.The most important risk factor in teenage suicideis having a psychiatric illness. About halfof youngsters who kill themselves have adepressive disorder. Other disorders that placeteens at high risk include aggression, behavioraldisorders and substance abuse.While twice as many girls attempt suicide asboys, boys are more than ten times as likely tokill themselves. This difference appears to bemainly due to the method used. Girls tend tooverdose with pills which is often less lethalthan the use of guns which has been implicatedin more than sixty percent of teen suicides.Since depressive disorders are implicated inthe majority of teen suicides, an importantpathway to preventing suicide is the identificationand treatment of mood disorders. Some ofthe signs that a teen or young adult is sufferingfrom depression include: persistent sadness,irritability or boredom, complaints that nothingis enjoyable or a decrease in interest in activitiesor peers, sleep or appetite changes, difficultyconcentrating and poor school performance.Youngsters with these symptoms shouldhave a diagnostic evaluation with a mentalhealth professional for possible interventionand treatment. The two treatments that showthe most promise include antidepressant medicationand specialized psychotherapies. Theyinclude cognitive behavioral and interpersonaltherapy. (For further information about mentalillness and its treatment in children and adolescentssee www.AboutOurKids.org.)The National Institute of Mental Health iscurrently sponsoring a treatment study ofteenagers age 12-17 who are suffering fromdepression. The NYU Child Study Center isone of the sites in NY. For further informationcall 212-263-8613.For some teens and young adults outpatienttreatment may not be sufficient or the danger ofsuicidal behavior may be great. For them hospitalizationmay be necessary. The Young AdultProgram at the New York University ChildStudy Center was established several years agoto help older teens and young adults whosepsychiatric condition requires hospitalization.It is an intensive psychiatric inpatient program,which serves the mental health needs of theoften-neglected population of 15 to 24 yearolds.Experts from NYU in the fields of psychiatry,psychology, social work and nursing,draw on leading-edge therapeutic techniquesand breakthrough pharmacological research intreating patients. Emphasizing rapid assessmentand individualized attention, this team ofexperts strives to restore balance to a young lifein turmoil and help the young adult return toactive life. For further information about theprogram call Dr. Naomi Weinshenker at 212-263-5956.#Glenn S. Hirsch, M.D. is the DeputyDirector of the NYU Child Study Center andAssistant Professor of Psychiatry.drugs. The true innovative genius ofspheramine, which was pioneered by the brilliantneurologist Dr. Ray Watts of EmoryMedical School, is that the replacement cellsinjected into a patient don’t eventually witherand die. They maintain their potency for anextremely long time. What’s more, as many as10,000 patients could be treated by a singlebatch of retinal cells!My personal neurologist, the aptly-named Dr.Donna Masterman of UCLA, firmly believes Iam making the right choice in pursuingspheramine therapy versus DBS or another formof treatment. Dr. Masterman is expertly familiarwith the tribulations of Parkinson’s and feels thatreplacement cell technology is right for my bodyand stage of the disease. Replacement cell technologybears such unique promise that MichaelJ. Fox’s foundation has donated over four milliondollars to its furtherance.During my intensive research in the lastfew years, I learned that spheramine is the firstproduct of a company called TitanPharmaceuticals. Though spheramine has yet tocomplete the necessary clinical trials to attainFDA approval, it has completed phases I and IIof safety and efficacy and all six patients inthe clinical trial of spheramine have demonstratedmarked improvement. In an April 18,2002 news release, Alison Roselli, Titan’s directorof corporate communications, reported onthe six individuals in the pilot study, “Patientsexperienced an average of 48 percent improvementin motor “Universal Parkinson’s DiseaseResearch Score” (UPDRS) over all otherParkinson’s medications. [They also experienced]an average of 43 percent improvement incontinued on page 30

14CHILDREN’S CORNER ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ JULY 2002ASK DR. MCCUNEAbout Children and DepressionBy LORRAINE McCUNE,Ph.D.Every moment of infant andchildhood happiness is precious.As the adults in charge,parents or professionals, we hold the possibilityof children’s happiness, sadness, or depressionin our power. A natural state of healthy wellbeingcomes from a sense that we are safe, thatwe know our powers and their limits, and weknow that a cushion of support, parental, familial,societal, surrounds us, taking up the slackwhere our own powers are limited. For veryyoung children, their powers are limited indeed,and the sense of an adult at the ready, some oneespecially for them, is essential to well-being.This is the simple basis of attachment theory. Ininfancy one or both parents, perhaps other relatives,and in some cases, professional caregiversfulfill this essential role. The seeds ofchildhood well-being, a general sense of happinessrather than sadness or depression is sownin the early years through the availability of anadult to “attune” to the young child, providingpsychologically intimate understanding, as wellas nourishment and physical contact.During the early months, infants of depressedmothers have been found to show much lower frequencyof happy facial expressions, and muchmore frequent sadness or anger than comparisoninfants whose parents were not depressed. Adults’own mental health is a serious contributor to children’semotional well-being. We may not thinkthat young children can be “depressed” as adultscan, and the situation is, of course very different.However, children of any age can experience adiminution of interest, activity and learning due tofeelings of sadness and insecurity. Sometimestheir depressed state is expressed by excessivequieting, a dangerous situation for pre-school andschool age children, whose troubles may go unnoticedbecause they are so “good”. At the otherextreme, childhood depression is transformed intoanger and acting out. Children who have experiencedabuse are more likely than others to injurethemselves accidentally, through diminishedattention to the environment, or a lack of sufficientcaring for their own well-being. They are morelikely to attribute malevolent intentions to peers inambiguous situations, leading to fighting and bullying.These disruptive behaviors are alwayssymptomatic, so that along with disciplinarystrategies, therapeutic attention need also be paid.Parents and professionals need to monitor theemotional well-being of the children in their care,just as they monitor physical health and progressin learning and development. Within the family,proactive support such as listening to your childrenwith attention as they report the sometimesmundane interests of their world, broadening thoseinterests through book reading, joint televisionwatching, and trips with your child to fun places,especially with the summer months upon us, areall ways of enhancing the sense of well-being andpreventing potential mental health problems.It is also important to assist children with thenecessary challenges of their lives. Divorce andloss through death come to mind as circumstancesextremely challenging to children. Theseare also challenges which cast adults into emotionalupheaval or deep sadness. It can be difficultin these circumstances to remember the specialneeds of children who may seem happy-goluckythrough it all. Don’t be fooled by bravado.Sometimes children need to hide their sadnesseven from themselves until it diminishes naturallyin intensity, or until an adult reaches out. #Dr. Lorraine McCune is a professor at theRutgers University Graduate School of Educationand serves as advisor to educational toy company,General Creation. She can be reached at www.generalcreation.comin the “Ask Dr. McCune” section.FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT’S SEATBuilding Self Esteem IsImportant For All ChildrenBy DR. CAROLE G.HANKIN WITHRANDI T. SACHSBy age nine or 10, children begin to take morenotice if a classmate looks, acts, or dresses differently.As much as parents and teachers would liketo protect all children from being hurt, we need tofirst teach them why it is wrong to view differencesin others as negative, and also to teach themhow (and if) to respond, if they are the subject ofan attack, either verbal or physical. One way tomake an impression is to have the childrenobserve this type of behavior in a controlled setting,and then discuss how they feel about it.In Syosset, we have a program that bringstogether high school students to serve as role modelsfor all of our districts’ third grade students.“Peer Educators,” are high school students selectedfor this program. They undergo training on interactingwith the younger students for the first half ofthe year, and then visit each of the classes severaltimes in the spring to implement their lessons on“anti-bullying and anti-aggressiveness.” One of themost popular methods they have used over the pastseveral years is to put on skits for the children to gettheir message across. This year, they tried anotherapproach to teaching the children about respectingthemselves and one another. The Peer Educatorshelped the younger children to produce a musicalproduction of their own with a very strong message.The play gave the children very concreteexamples on why name-calling is hurtful, but evenmore importantly, gave them strategies for handlingthese types of situations should they arise.The play is meant to teach children to appreciatedifferences in others and to accept that differentdoes not mean worse. When one group of childrendeclares another group to be “nerds” the responsethey receive is quite disappointing. Instead of gettingupset, the second group of children simplyresponds with matter-of-fact answers or attempts toturn the conversation away from criticizing andsteer the others toward accepting one another, evenmaking jokes to try to cool down hot tempers.Not only are the children not devastated by therejection of the others, but they also demonstratethat they feel good about themselves and that theyhave their own unique qualities. Song and dancenumbers in the production give each student theopportunity to take center stage and to show thatthere are many different ways to be “cool.”There’s something about a production like thisthat transcends even the message it so bluntlydelivers. It requires cooperation, teamwork, anda willingness to take a little risk by appearing onstage. The students all clearly felt good about thejob they did, and they received the applause andappreciation of the second and first graders whowere the lucky audience members.Most experts agree that one reason childrenwill bully others is because they lack enough selfesteem to feel good about themselves withoutpicking on someone who is smaller or has lessdefenses. Through these kinds of programs wecan reach out to young children and show themthat each and every one of them has tremendousself worth for who they are. Teachers report thatit works. They have found that there is betterharmony in their classes after meeting with thehigh school students.#Dr. Hankin is the Superintendent of the SyossetSchool District in Long Island.The Preschool that makes housecalls.Keep Your Child’s Mind Fresh During the Hot Summer MonthsA study conducted a few years ago found thatover the summer vacation, children can lose aquarter of their reading and math skills.Parenting and family author Penny Warnerhas the educational projects these parents needin Summer Smarts for Cool Kids: Over 150Fantastic and Fun Learning Activities to HelpKids Beat the Summer Blahs. Using materialsfound around the house or inexpensive to purchase,Warner outlines activities that will captivateand challenge children of all ages. Ages 3-9: Watch the Marble: A simple but amazingtrick; Ages 7-12: Bug Detective: How manycritters can you find?; Grass Head: Grow afunny fuzz head; Tales of Super Pet: Turn yourpet into a super hero.#The New 14th Street YThe Sol Goldman Y’sQUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS(212) 780-0800GANI NURSERY SCHOOL, ext. 238Ages 2.0-4.8, Full and Half Day Programs, 2,3 or 5 days,Nurturing, Experienced Staff, Rooftop Playground,Shabbat CelebrationsPARENTING AND FAMILY CENTER, ext. 239Classes for Infants, Toddlers, Two’s, Moms, Dads, Caregivers,Couples and Single Parents, A variety of Play and Discussion Groups,Days, Evenings and Weekends, Ages Birth-Adolescence• Early C hildhood Education C lasses• Small C lass Sizes (3-6 students per class)• Starting at age of 18 monthsAFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM, ext 241Exciting Afterschool Program for Grades K-6, Mon.-Fri.from 3-6 PM,Pickup from Neighborhood Schools Available, Swimming, Art,Science Workshops, Cooking, Homework Help, Outdoor PlayDAY CAMPS, ext. 241New Town Day Camp for Ages 2.9-6.0New Country Day Camp for Ages 5.5-11.6Music, Arts & Crafts, Sports, Cooking, Drama, TripsJAPANESE PROGRAMS, ext. 243Japanese Programs for Children and ParentsThe Sol Goldman YM-YMHA of The Educational Alliance344 E.14th Street, New York, NY 10003tel: (212) 780-0800 fax: (212) 780-0859www.homeschoolpreschool.comcall 1-866-258-3475 for a brochure

JULY 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ BOOK REVIEWS15Logos Bookstore’s RecommendationsBy H. Harris Healy, III, President, Logos Bookstore,1575 York Avenue (Between 83rd And 84th Sts.), New York, New York 10028(212) 517-7282, Fax (212) 517-7197; WWW.NYCLOGOS.CITYSEARCH.COMIt is summertime in the city. It is just the timeto come up to Logos Bookstore, sit outside inour backyard on sunny, cooler days andevenings, sipping on a beverage of your ownchoice, and looking over books for your summerreading. On hotter days, you can enjoy ourwell air-conditioned store browsing for books,cards, music, bibles and other gift items. Whileat the store, take a lookThe Mr. MenSeriesby RogerHargreaves(Price, Sloan,Stern, $2.99each book)at the Mr. Men seriesthat includes such titlesas: Mr. Grumpy, Mr.Cheerful, Mr. Clever,Mr. Clumsy, Mr. Busy,Mr. Grumble, Mr.Perfect and Mr.Impossible. RogerHargreaves’ texts andillustrations are wellsuited to convey to children, with great humor,those character traits and the foibles these littlemen have.A compelling first novel, just published, isTwelve written by Upper East Sider NickMcDonell, seventeen years old at the time andin school. McDonell engages the reader in achilling world of sophisticated, boredManhattan teenagers who must enjoy the ultimatesensation in drugs, weapons or any otherpet indulgences to find meaning in their lives.The author’s ability to tell a good story keepsthe reader’s full attentionright up to the last page.Twelveby NickMcDonell(Grove Press,$23)During the month ofJuly from Monday, July8 through Wednesday,July 31, 2002, enjoy theLogos Summer Sale of20% Off All Hardcover Books. Come on over!Transit: #4, #5, #6 Lexington AvenueSubway to 86th St., M15 Bus (First & SecondAves.), M86 Bus (86 th St.), M79 Bus (79thSt.), M31 Bus (York Ave.)Upcoming Events At LogosWednesday, July 3, 2002, 7 P.M., KYTVReading Group will discuss The Sea, The Seaby Iris Murdoch.Logos Summer Sale: Monday, July 8 throughWednesday, July 31, 2002, All HardcoverBooks 20% Off.Wednesday, August 7, 2002, 7 P.M., KYTVReading Group will discuss Howard’s End byE.M Forster.Night Falls Fast: Understanding SuicideBy MERRI ROSENBERG‘Behold, I am a dry tree’ (Isaiah)When Kay Redfield Jamison uses this quotefrom a suicide to explainNight FallsFast:UnderstandingSuicideby KayRedfieldJamison.Published byVintage Books,New York:2000 (432pages).the degree of hopelessnessthat the successfulexecution of this actembodies, it is hard forthe reader not to feel justas overwhelmed by thosefeelings of despair.As Jamison explains inthis thorough, beautifullywritten and oddly compellingbook, suicide isone of those acts thatmocks those who survive,whether they are familymembers, health professionals,compassionate friends, or simplybewildered bystanders. She writes that we nowknow almost everything about suicide exceptthe ‘why’, and to a large extent, this book is herattempt to bring us closer to some comprehensionof this tragic mystery. Be careful, though.It’s not a book to attempt in one sitting; thatwould be almost too much to bear.“Most suicides, although by no means all,can be prevented,” says Jamison. “The breachbetween what we know and do is lethal.”The statistics that Jamison, a professor ofpsychiatry at Johns Hopkins University Schoolof Medicine and an honorary professor ofEnglish at the University of St. Andrews inScotland, cites are sobering: 30,000 Americanskill themselves every year; half a million makean attempt that is serious enough to land themin a hospital emergency room. Jamison – herselfa sufferer of manic-depression, and a failedsuicide– knows her subject all too intimately.The risk of suicide is especially great amongteenagers and young adults. Suicide is the thirdleading cause of young people, and the secondamong college students. She writes, “Collegeagechildren are at particular risk for mental illnessor suicide because first episodes of depressiveillness or schizophrenia are most likely tooccur at this time.”And according to a 1997 Youth RiskBehavior Surveillance Study that the authormentions, 20 percent of high school studentshave seriously considered suicide. Anotherstudy, based on New York high school students,suggests that 50 percent of them have thoughtabout killing themselves.Jamison is particularly stringent in her condemnationof diagnosis and treatment of mentallyill children and adolescents, who areat risk for suicide. One problem is that bipolardisorder and manic-depression are often misdiagnosedas attention deficit disorder. Another isthat too many school-based programs aren’teffective in their interventions. Jamisonbelieves that some do harm, by presentingstudents with inaccurate or misleading information.One program she does like, based on thework of David Shaffer at Columbia, is effectivein part because there is no responsibility forteachers or students to assume the role of mentalhealth professionals.In one of the more disheartening narratives,following the fallen trajectory of a successfulAir Force cadet who succumbs to mental illnessand ultimately suicide, Jamison writes,“Each way to suicide is its own: intensely private,unknowable and terrible.”To be sure, there are some definite risk factorsthat contribute to the likelihood of suicide.Having a bipolar disorder, manic depression,schizophrenia, especially when combined withalcohol or drug abuse, clearly contribute tosuccessful suicides. In general, according toJamison, suicide is more likely to be linked toa psychiatric, rather than a major medical,condition. Still, she cautions, “Psychologicalpain or stress alone—however great the lossor disappointment, however profound theshame or rejection—is rarely sufficient causefor suicide.”It’s hardly coincidence that suicides oftenappear to run in families. In one of the moreprovocative chapters, Jamison suggests thatperhaps there is an evolutionary, or even biologicalbasis for suicide. She asks, “Is suicide aprice to pay for diversity?”, wondering whetherContinued on page 29A MEMOIR OF MICHAEL J. FOXBy JOAN BAUMSafe to say that if it were not for Michael J.Fox’s bold statement before the press inSeptember 1998 and subsequent appearances inCongress and on T.V., Parkinson’s Disease(P.D.) would be not so prominent a subject todayor at the center of the controversy surroundingstem cell research. (The “J,” by the way, wasmade up to distinguish MJF the actor fromanother Michael Fox with an Actors Equitycard.) Simply put, what MJF did four years agowas to make it all right forLucky Man: AMemoirby Michael J.Fox(HyperionBooks, 260 pp.$22.95)thousands of secret sufferersto acknowledge thisdegenerative neurologicaldisease. In a way, Fox’sannouncement was likeBetty Rollin’s years agoabout breast cancer in herbook, First You Cry – abreakthrough Lucky Manis certain to encouragethose who feel victimized by P.D. to converttheir fears to action and join the campaign for away to slow or stop the inevitable course of thedisease. Of course, Fox may have had no choicebut to go public, since the tabloids were alreadysuggesting that his withdrawal from the phenomenallysuccessful “Spin City” and his slowdownin accepting more movie roles pointed toa serious neurological disease. In fact, by 1998,it had already been seven years that the now 37-year old actor had been keeping his conditionsecret. That story and much more is the subjectof his inspiring memoir.Lucky Man has the odd distinction of probableappeal to two different audiences:1) younger fans who will revel in MJF’srecounting of how a hell-raising, high school dropout from a working-class Canadian family becamea star; and 2) an older audience who will read thebook, mainly for the information it provides aboutdiagnosing P.D. and learning perhaps how toaccept the inevitable. What links the parts is Fox’srepeated moving tribute to his loving and supportivewife, Tracy Pollan and their children, most ofwhom were born after he learned he had P.D. Evenhe finds it ironic that the mischievous star of theTV series Family Ties should finally embrace familyvalues. In truth, however, Tracy seems to haveserved him well before the onset of the disease.This is a well written book and there is no doubtthat the voice is his. Although Fox entitles thebook Lucky Man, it is more than likely that whatgot him through denial to resignation and acceptance,has less to do with luck than with innerresources: humor, drive, and focus. Luck mightalso be ascribed to his choice of wife, but in truthhis choice–and hers–would seem to reflect innatevalues and sound intuition. It was Tracy who keptafter him to look into why, one hangover morninghe can hardly recollect, he could not control a suddenodd twitching in his left pinky.Lucky Man has much to recommend to thatsecond readership–indeed, perhaps, even to theyounger first, since Fox himself came down withthe disease at the relatively rare young age of 30.Because of his extraordinary book and efforts,P.D. is now as well known as Alzheimer’s andALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), an etiology it partiallyshares with these other neurological disorders.Fox believes that of the three, P.D. will be“the first domino to fall” in the efforts to prevent,treat, or cure the disease. At the very least, however,this memoir will be instructive to those wholive in silent and lonely fear. The title might bemisleading — the book has an upbeat tone andcomforting message: reassess your life, find yourtrue values, seek and keep love — an exhortationnot unlike what has been offered to the victims of9/11. One cannot be comforted, however, for gettinga debilitating illness, but one can findstrength and, absent that, perhaps with a bit ofluck, others who can help in the struggle to findit. In one of the most touching parts of the book,MJF extends a wise and compassionate invitationto his curious and no doubt frightened youngson to be his scout for the twitching hand — totake charge, squeeze it, control it . . . for themoment. This moving scene, of many, no doubt,the author hopes, will move readers to supportthe efforts to combat P.D.All proceeds from Lucky Man are beingdonated to The Michael J. Fox Foundation forParkinson’s Research.#(See Medical Update pages 12,13)

16STUDENTS AGAINST SUICIDEBy HOPE GLASSBERGIf the saying “all press is good press” ringstrue, mental health issues have had quite a successfulpress run of late. From the popularity ofA Beautiful Mind, the dramatization ofPrinceton University professor John Nash’sstruggle with schizophrenia, to the highly publicizedsuicide of MIT sophomore ElizabethShin (and the ensuing legal battle) mental illnesswas, very literally, on the brain this year.In the wake of the media blitz and a real needfor better mental health services on collegecampuses, many student run organizationshave sprung up to address this growing epidemic.While these groups differ in theirapproaches and configurations, they all evoke acommon tenor: mental illness must be understoodand dealt with proactively.Sarah Ramer, Harvard ’03, is co-chair of astudent created and run organization calledMental Health Awareness and Advocacy Group(MHAAG). After two of her floor matesattempted to commit suicide during her freshmanyear, Ramer says she was confounded bythe lack of open dialog about mental illness.“Two people on my floor out of 24 peopletried to kill themselves and there was very littlesaid about it. It seemed like there was very littlesaid in general about mental illnesses. I justin general always thought it would be nice if agroup of people came to the freshman studygroups and talked about [mental illness]. Ithought that’s what I want to be involved in, agroup by students for students,” Ramer said.Ramer discovered that such an organizationhad been created in 1997 after a student wrotea piece in the Harvard newspaper The Crimsonabout her experience with mental illness. Thepiece generated such a positive response thatseveral students, including the author of thepiece, decided to form a mental health awarenessgroup, MHAAG. Ramer says the grouphad “fallen into disrepair” since their graduationbut thanks to her and others’ efforts hasenjoyed a renewed success and presence onHarvard’s campus.MHAAG is one of a number of relativelynew groups of this nature. Brown Universityhas a counseling network called BSPAN; atColumbia University, a group called StudentsAgainst Silence (SAS) was developed this yearto both respond to suicides and lead a proactive“campus climate change,” to name a few. Butwhile SAS and MHAAG are student run andbroadly focused, a mental health task forceformed at MIT this year, claims students,administrators, and faculty to its staff and ismore immediate in its aims.Efrat Shavitz, MIT ’02, a student chair on thetask force, says the group was designed toundertake what ended up being a Herculeantask: evaluating the preexisting mental healthapparati at MIT.“We surveyed 1000 students and had veryparticular concerns that mainly fell under thepoint of accessibility. The support services thatare on campus themselves are really good andthere are multiple entry points, but the coordinationof these points isn’t good. We developedrecommendations on how [these systems couldbe coordinated.” The students also wantedevening hours because they have classes on a9-5 schedule, faster appointment times, andbetter training for some of the people,” Shavitzsaid.Shavitz says that she and the other membersof the task force took these concerns and prioritizedthem and developed a list of recommendations,many of which have already beenimplemented or are being implemented thissummer.Despite their groups’ different approaches,Ramer and Shavitz espouse similar beliefsabout the state of mental health affairs on collegecampuses. Both explain that their groupsare not designed to simply address suicide ordepression.“Suicide is always at the back of your mindbecause you know it could come to that,”Ramer said. “I try to be very clear about thereare other mental illnesses out there: obsessivecompulsive disorder, for example. Other men-Parents Respond to Suicide: TheJed Foundation Tries to Save LivesBy POLA ROSEN, Ed.D.You have suffered the greatest nightmare ofparenthood: you have lost a child to the violent,self-inflicted torture of suicide. Your life willnever be the same.Some parents feel guilt: they should havebeen more insightful and seen the pain. Otherscan’t go on and feel their lives are destroyed.Some few find that through blazing a path tohelp other young adults, they are helping tomemorialize the child they lost. Donna Satowis one such parent. After her son Jed committedsuicide at the University of Arizona in Tucson,she and her husband decided that services tohelp their son and others was almost nonexistenton many college campuses. They createdUlifeline.org, a web site dedicated to collegestudents and their mental health. The plan callsfor customizing a website for each collegecampus which will only be available to the collegecommunity via password. It will be anonymous,and will contain a self-screening questionnaire(developed at Duke University), aplace to ask questions of mental health professionals,link directly to appointments, have adialogue and have access to a mental healthlibrary (Harvard Medical School). The purposeis to provide a safety net for students at risk andto reduce the suicide rate in people 18-24. TheJed Foundation, only one year old, has justraised one million dollars and already has customizedwebsites for 60 colleges.Satow has pulled together a series of expertsincluding lawyers, psychiatrists and collegepresidents to come up with a blueprint for suicideprevention. The Satows are also developinga Parents Program to assist families of studentswho may need help currently enrolled inuniversity or those soon to enter.When asked what parents can do to help theirchildren, Satow responded, “They should askwhat safety net your child’s college has and theservices available, ‘just in case.’” Parentsshould know about mental health services andbe alert for warning signs.Ron Gibori, the fraternity president who wasa friend of Jed’s now runs the Ulifeline.orgwebsite. He can be reached atrgibori@yahoo.com.For more information about the JedFoundation contact www.jedfoundation.org orwww.ulifeline.org or email: emailus@the jedfoundation.org.tal illnesses can inflict the same pain and damageas depression.”Shavitz says she dislikes the term “suicideprevention” because “you can’t necessarilyprevent suicide, you can setup all of your supportsystems in such a way that gives people allthe help they could get. Our main objective wasto look at the safety net available see how wecould maximize it.”Both suggest that the apparent rise in thenumber of college age students afflicted withmental illness has more to do with the agegroup and the effectiveness of modern medicinethan a fundamental change in the collegecampus milieu.“Most students who wouldn’t have made it tocollege before because of their mental illnessesare making it to college now because of medicationsthat control the illness,” Ramer said.“A lot of students are entering college with illnesses.”Shavitz also says that she believes the “trendwill continue to grow” unless colleges and universitiesstart dealing with mental illness in afrank and open manner.“In the past, [mentally ill students made up] arelatively small population so colleges did avery good job of brushing the subject under therug. It was a closed mouth sort of policy,”Shavitz said.Many students find an exclusively administrativeapproach to mental health issues overlyantiseptic and out of touch with real studentResources for Parents& StudentsAmerican Foundation for SuicidePrevention (www.asfp.org/)National Survivors of Suicide Day – TheAmerican foundation for SuicidePrevention (AFSP) will host its annualNational Survivors of Suicide DayTeleconference on November 23, 2002throughout the country. Go to(www.afsp.org/survivor/conference.htm) toread about last year’s conference.AFSP has put together a list of SupportGroups throughout the country. Find agroup in your area (www.afsp.org/survivor/groups.htm)AFSP has compiled a bibliography on suicideand surviving.(www.afsp.org/about/biblio.htm)General Information for Survivors fromAFSP(www.afsp.prg/survivor/information.htm)Bereavement Information Pack(www.rcpsych.ac.uk/publications/gaskell/berav/index.htm) from England’s RoyalCollege of PsychiatristsCrisis Hotlines1-888-SuicideYouth Crisis Line 1-800-999-9999Trevor Project (for gay, lesbian, transsexual,bisexual youths) 1-800-850-8078National Support for Survivors of suicide– Friends for Survival, Inc. 1-916-392-0664Suicide Prevention and ScreeningVisit the National Youth ViolencePrevention Resource Center(http://www.safeyouth.org/topics/suicide.htm) site for information on prevention andintervention programs, publications,research, and statistics on youth suicide.Education Update received the aboveinformation from the AmericanFoundation for Suicide Prevention(AFSP). For more information go towww.afsp.org.needs. Ramer says that even the Harvardadministration’s most earnest attempts to reachout to students were often met with indifference.“The provost’s office put together this reallynice brochure about depression. I was in themailroom and when people found it, theytossed it in the trash, they didn’t care what ithad to say or what it was about,” Ramer said.Since her freshman year, Ramer has been afirm believer in the power of the personal testimonial.“During my freshman year we had some studentscome and tell us stories about how theyknew they were gay. I was struck by how frankthey were. If you were struggling with theissue, you could relate to them and feel that itwas ok. If you weren’t struggling with it, youcould see that they looked just like you or me,”Ramer said. “We should have the sameapproach to mental health issues. Studentsshould tell their own stories.”Ramer and Shavitz emphasize that cooperationwith administrators is key to the success ofany mental health or awareness program.MHAAG has worked closely with Harvardadministrators, particularly the office of theprovost, and the task force at MIT is comprisedof undergraduates, graduates, faculty, andadministrators. Shavitz says this cooperationhas been integral to task force’s ability toobjectively analyze the problem at MIT andthat mental health cannot be the exclusiveprovince of concerned students.#Hope Glassberg is a student at ColumbiaCollege and an intern at Education Update.Truth (painted by an 18 year-old f

17emale)Suicide Prevention On College CampusesBy MOLLY WALLACESuicide is the second leading cause of deathamong college aged students. In his 2001 bookNoonday Demon, Andrew Solomon wrote that“Someone in a first depressive episode is particularlylikely to attempt suicide.” Many experiencetheir first bout of depression in college. Asa result, college counseling services and administrationsare crucial to preventing suicide.“When we’re talking about suicide among collegestudents, generally we’re talking aboutmental illnesses,” says Dr. Laura Smith, Directorof Barnard College Counseling Services.Confirming Dr. Smith’s comments are Solomon’sstatistics from the National Institute of MentalHealth : 90-95 percent of suicides, especially atthe college age, are the result of mental illnesses,the most prevalent being depression. Studies citedin Kay Redfield Jamison’s noteworthy book onsuicide Night Falls Fast (reviewed in this issue),depressives are at approximately twenty times thesuicide risk of the general population. Those whohave previously attempted suicide are at thirtyeighttimes the risk: “Contrary to popular myth,those who talk about suicide are the most likely tokill themselves,” states Solomon’s book.Targeting these populations can cut suicide rates.Dr. Smith contends that peer support and studentgroups play an invaluable role in raising awareness,de-stigmatizing the seeking of help and helpingothers recognize depression in themselves.There is less stigma attached to therapy than thereonce was, Dr. Smith explains, but still not everyone who needs help seeksit. Some want to provethat they can handle theindependence that comeswith college withouthelp. Others, especially athighly selective institutions,are used to succeedingon their own andlooking for help simplydoes not occur to them.For those adjusting tocollege, or who are underacademic or other formsof stress it can be difficultto draw a line betweenwhat is an appropriateresponse and what constitutesymptoms ofdepression. In these casesstudent groups can helpby having students beingopen about their experienceswith counselingand referring students tothe services they need.Jamison writes of ayoung man who took hisown life, “Drew’s family,whose warmth andunderstanding of himwould have been, in afairer world, more thansufficient to keep himalive, could not competewith a relentless andruinous disease,”explaining that all thekindness and supportshown to a suicidal personis not necessarilyenough. As AndrewSolomon points out,“Illness of the mind isreal illness…and itrequires treatment.”So what do collegeReprinted with permission from Childhood Revealed by Harold S. Koplewicz and Robin F. Goodman.counseling services do once a patient is in theirhands? Both Dr. Smith and Dr. Paul Buckingham,Director of Counseling Services at Brigham YoungUniversity (BYU) Hawaii explain that there is notextbook response to how to handle a severelydepressed or suicidal patient. Each case must beevaluated on an individual basis. Doctor/patientrelationships remain confidential unless the student’ssafety is at risk. Students at both institutionsare encouraged to contact family members, ifappropriate, and generally they are willing. If itwere necessary and appropriate, family memberscould be contacted without consent of the patient.If the situation calls for it, students can be hospitalized.Dr. Smith observes that generally studentswho bring themselves in know they are struggling,and in that sense they are better off than those whoare brought in by others. The latter tend to requirehospitalization more often.“Colleges are not equipped to be mental healthcenters,” says Dr. Buckingham justifying the hospitalizationof students. At BYU Hawaii suicide isan honor code violation. Consequently, if a studentis talking about suicide and refuses treatmenthe or she can be forced to leave the school inorder to get treatment. In such a case acceptanceis guaranteed with reapplication provided that thestudent includes a letter from a mental health professionalstating that he or she has been treatedsuccessfully. Hospitalization also has the advantageof taking pressure off friends. Dr. Smithemphasizes that although it is important for studentsto have peer support, friends of depressedpatients need to put their own well-being first.Dr. Smith’s statistics show that around 23% ofBarnard students use counseling services (numberswent up after September 11th), and Dr.Buckingham’s numbers show that at BYU Hawaii8%-12% of students do. Few of these cases aresevere enough to require hospitalization. Both Dr.Buckingham and Dr. Smith say that a large numberof people who come in complain of depression.The causes range from academic stress to familyproblems to romantic problems, and at BYUHawaii where a large part of the student populationis international, adjustment difficulties. Both doctorssay treatment for less severe cases of depressionvary. In some cases medication is suggested.“We would never put a student on medication,without following through with therapy,” says Dr.Smith. In other cases only therapy is used.The University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaignhas a successful suicide prevention program thatfollows up every suicidal gesture or attempt with anincident report and four weeks of mandatory assessment.Approximately 1,500 students have gonethrough this program in seventeen years. None havecommitted suicide. Considering the high risk thatthese students were at, this is a remarkable feat.Another program called Columbia Teen Screen,researched at Columbia University under DirectorDr. David Shaffer, has been successful in highschools. The program has four steps: obtaining permission,then completing a questionnaire. If the participantscores positively on the first screening, theyare more thoroughly assessed by a computerizeddiagnostic interview called the Voice-DISC(Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children). TheDISC allows for youth to complete the interviewindependently and eliminates the cost of havingtrained interviewers. Those who are identified by theVoice-DISC as meeting criteria for a disorder areevaluated by a mental health professional. The clinicianmay then recommend further evaluation and/ortreatment to the child and the child’s parents after discussingthe results. The advantage of this program isthat it catches young people before they attempt suicidethereby helping to predict or prevent depressionlater in life. Dr. Ted Greenberg, a coordinator of theprogram says, “it should be used in colleges”.AWilderness Camp Helps HealBy POLA ROSEN, Ed.D.By the time Jacqueline Danforth, a Dalton student,was fifteen years old, she was into drugs,gangs, and alcohol. It was time for drastic action.Her mother, Barbara Walters, researched differentoptions and Jackie entered the RockyMountain Academy, a 3-year degree-granting(high school diploma) wilderness school inIdaho. After 3 and 1/2 years, Jackie graduatedwith much more than a high school degree. “Itwas a place where people cared, where peopleunderstood and were honest.” Although notagreeing with certain techniques used such assleep deprivation, the program helped her andothers achieve self-esteem and feel good aboutthemselves. Jackie did not return to her home inNew York, a place she had not had much happiness.Instead, she lived with older students fromthe school in Oregon, then Washington state,finally enrolling in a marine biology program atthe University of Maine. Feeling uncomfortableand isolated at the age of thirty, in a collegecommunity of 18 year-olds, she soon decided toopt for establishing her own wilderness camp fortroubled teenage girls, ages 13-17. NewHorizons Wilderness Camp, completing its firstyear, “is an unlocked, nurturing and caring environment,”says Danforth. Her husband, a registeredMaine guide, is a vital part of the program.Along with hiking, canoeing, camping and cookoutsin summer and snow-shoeing, cross-countryskiing and cabin life in winter, the girls get “freshair, time and peace and the freedom to be yourselffor 8 weeks.” Danforth’s message is “It’s youand me; I really want to help you!”There are 4-5 staff per group of 7 girls, and twotherapists to supervise. Group discussions areinterwoven throughout the day and may last 1-3hours depending on the needs of the girls.Danforth feels that computers make kids sociallyinept. “Kids, especially women, need companionship.”On a typical day, girls wake at 7 am, wash up,cut and gather wood, cook meals with the staffover a fire, and then do journal writing. They areonly allowed to receive letters from home, notGirls enjoying the wilderness experiencephone calls. Danforth explained, phoning canlead to shouting and disruption. The girls thenpack up, canoe to the next site and have lunch.After a group session, they set up camp, havedinner and do more journal writing. Readingcomes next. Books on hand are, for example,Reviving Ophelia.The girls work on different values each week.Truth (what is the truth about you?), friendship,forgiveness, transition, acceptance. Each phasedeals with them, their families and peers.Horizons provides excellent food and all clothing.Currently there are 55 girls who are trackedfor four years after they leave the program.Who benefits from this program? Girls who aredepressed, mildly self-abusive, have poor bodyimage or are bipolar (who are stabilized on medication).“Borderline personality disorders aretough” said Danforth. “They take a lot of attention,and are disruptive to the point of hurting theothers because they want all the attention.”For suicidal girls we make a contract. Sheagrees to come and talk to us before she doesanything. The contract gives her a measure ofcontrol.There are also contracts for self-mutilationand running away. Said Danforth, “We setboundaries; that leads to a set of values and selfrespect.”To the question, what role do you play in thecamp, Danforth answered, “A big sister.” Shetalks to the girls about her own experiences,about adoptive issues and is a resource personwho has “been there, done that.” Her vision forthe future is to run a school that will be separatefrom the wilderness program. “It will be a threeyear program with individual and group therapy.There will be no home visits; the girls will go onexpeditions in the first year and gradually tapertherapy and include more home visits by the thirdyear. There will be high quality academics andnon-competitive sports like yoga, ballet and martialarts.”The high points of Danforth’s life are the “hugsand embraces whenever a girl leaves and sayshow wonderful we are and that she wants tocome back and work for us.”#Programs like the University of Illinois’ andColumbia Teen Screen’s only exist in a few communities.In 1997 Senate resolution #84 thatdeclared suicide a national problem, passed unanimously.In 1998 a similar resolution (HouseResolution #212) passed unanimously in the Houseof Representatives. The Surgeon General has alsomade suicide one of his priorities. All these are signsthat help is on the way. Part of the senate resolutionstates, “the Senate acknowledges that no single suicideprevention program or effort will be appropriatefor all populations or communities,” pointing outhow important it is for every community to take itsown initiative. Organizations such as the AmericanFoundation for Suicide Prevention, and theAmerican Association of Suicidology have alreadybeen established to provide such initiatives with thenecessary resources, and to encourage networking.#Molly Wallace is a student at Barnard Collegeand an intern at Education Update

18SPECIAL EDUCATION ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ JULY 2002SPECIAL ED STUDENT BENEFITS FROM INCLUSIONBy MIKE COHENAlex’s eyes were darting side to side lookingfor a student on the other team to challengewith a fast throw. Then with an explosive forwardarm motion, Alex let loose a dart of a tossthat was headed right to a girl on the otherteam. With lightening quick reflexes, shequickly raised her hands and caught the spongyball, firmly in her hand. “Yea,” screamed thejubilant girl. “Ohh,” said Alex, his smile stillbeaming brightly. A teammate quickly tappedAlex on the shoulder, and in this cooperativebrand of dodge ball, where no one sits out,Alex never had to leave the game he was havingso much fun playing.For Alex, age 10, this was more then just theordinary gym class. As a student at The JewishGuild for the Blind’s Guild School, Alex wasparticipating in his first mainstream physicaleducation class at Columbia Grammar andPreparatory School.“It’s an opportunity for him to participatewith other kids that are close to his level of athleticability,” says Debbie Workman, Alex’steacher for the past two years. “The way heperforms on a basketball court allows him tohave social interactions with typically developingkids.”Alex, who has vision and hearing impairments,has a talent and love for sports. Theultra fast and agile Alex, can shoot a basketball,throw a football, and hit a baseball despitehis apparent disabilities. Thus, taking a physicaleducation class with kids close to his sportsability, plays to his strengths and speaks to theprinciples behind the inclusion of students withspecial education needs into regular education(The Regular Education Initiative).The Regular Education Initiative (REI)began to gather momentum in 1975 when congresspassed the Education for AllHandicapped Children Act. In 1990 a reauthorizationof this law, The Individuals withDisabilities Education Act (IDEA), broughtfocused attention to where children with disabilitiesshould be educated. Today, even withthe legislative mandate the question remains:Should students’ with special learning needs betaught in regular education?“I think it’s great,” says Mark Alter,Steinhardt School of Education professor atNYU when asked about Alex attending gymAlex prepares for his gym class at Columbia Grammarwith his teacher Mike Cohenclass at Columbia Grammar. “We live in anintegrated culture and no one should be deniedaccess to and participation in any environmentbecause of a physical barrier, a disability, or alabel.”At Columbia Grammar, Alex’s first physicaleducation experience was, indeed, great—and,not just for him. The children at ColumbiaGrammar quickly accepted Alex into theirclass and supported him during the group’sactivities. As we often see, kids can becomeoverly competitive, so to accept Alex into theirclass required the other children to adapt theirway of playing.ADD?Develop Individual Strategiesfor Work, Learning, and Life:• Time management• Organization• Prioritizing and decision-making• Interpersonal skillsYour goals are possible!Call for a ComplimentaryPhone Consultation212-614-7317Bonnie MincuADD Coach, adults 17+ • www.bonniemincu.comPhoto Courtesy of the Jewish Guild for the Blind School.“Our kids learned alot about themselves,”says the physical educationteacher JeanneLevin. “They saw howwell they were able tointeract with Alex andthe game took on amore significant meaning.”Alex also did his part.“He adjusted verywell,” says Levin. “Heseemed so comfortable.He watched me and followeddirections closely.He was respectful ofmy lesson.”In fact, Alex proved toLenore Ruben,CSW, BS Special EdLevin and to me that all kids are basically thesame. While receiving the pre-game instructions,Alex was no more fidgety then any of theother students in the class. “He was excitedlike the rest of the kids,” says Ms. Levin. “Hewas basically looking at me and saying ‘let’splay teacher,’ no more talking.” His classmatesfor the day were no different.While this experience was a new one forAlex and the Columbia Grammar third graders,they played together like “old” friends. Theirdifferences seemed to disappear as theyplayed. The students from Columbia Grammarwere impressed with Alex’s ability and attitude,and Alex was made to feel like a memberof the class. Guild School principal, Dr. CaroleGothelf, couldn’t hold back her enthusiasm;“We are strengthened by the fact that onceagain, our kids can make it in the mainstream.”#Mike Cohen is the Adaptive PhysicalEducation teacher at the Jewish Guild for theBlind, Guild School.Family, Child & Individual therapy- Hypnotherapy - EMDR -Support groupsSpecializing In:• Attention Deficit DisorderAdults and children with symptoms ADD/ADHD* Official medical diagnosis not required• Stress management & meditation groups212-734-2047171 East 74th Street, C2WINDWARD TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE13 Windward Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605ADD / ADHDLearning DisabilitiesDepression, Anxiety.Gabriela Hohn, Ph.D.Clinical Neuropsychologist153 Waverly PlaceNYC 10014Call for information on upcomingparent education seminars212.691.0291geh6@columbia.eduhttp://G.E.Hohn.PhD.att.home.net• Expository Writing InstructionDates: July 8-11or July 22-25SUMMER COURSESTime: 9 AM - 1 PM Fee: $425(manual included)• Multisensory Reading Instruction, Parts IDates: July 15-19 Time: 9 AM - 1 PM Fee: $475(manual included)• Multisensory Reading Instruction, Parts IIDates: July 29 –August 1Time: 9:00 AM –12;30 PMFee: $400Instructor: Judith C. Hochman, Ed.D.Sheila Okin, M.P.S.Instructor: Phyllis Bertin, M.S.Janice Bochicchio, M.S.Instructor: Phyllis Bertin, M.S.Maria Harris, M.S.• Language and LearningDates: July 22-24 Time: 9 AM - 1 PM Fee: $300 Instructor: Lydia Soifer, Ph.D.• Improving Math CompetenceDates: July 29-30 Time: 9 AM - 12 PM Fee: $200 Instructor: Eileen Perlman, M.S.Grades: 1-5For further information call 914-949-1279.www.windwardTTI.orgWindward Teacher Training Institute is part of Windward School,a co-educational, independent school for learning disabled students located in White Plains, NY.

JULY 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ SPECIAL EDUCATION19INCLUSION PROGRAM ATFRANCIS LEWIS HSBy DAVE CODDINGTONOur Inclusion Program at Francis LewisHigh School in Queens has been an everchangingwork in progress. We began the programin September of 1997 without any priorplan. One day before school started, I wasassigned as the Methods and Resource Teacher,which was the title given to the SpecialEducation Teacher in charge of adapting andmodifying the curriculum in an inclusion program.I believe the title is now just plainSpecial Education Teacher.Word went out to the Committees on SpecialEducation that a new high school inclusion programwas canvassing for students with emotionaldisabilities who might be appropriate toreturn to a mainstream high school setting.These students would be on the same level astheir General Ed. peers as far as testing andother requirements. We started with threeyoung men, two eighteen year olds and one sixteen-year-old.The Principal of Francis LewisHigh School, where we were “guests,” had noprior knowledge of inclusion and was not toothrilled by our start up student populationbecause of their age and prior anti-socialbehaviors. She was, however, diplomaticallysupportive and has become more than a friendto inclusion over the past five years.Just before Thanksgiving in 1997, the twoolder students got into a serious fight in thecafeteria and they were reassigned to anotherprogram. About the same time, our third student,who was an undeclared graffiti artist, wascaught creating a masterpiece in a stairwell.The artist was also removed from the schooland was placed in Home Instruction for lack ofa better placement. I became his tutor in GlobalHistory, Spanish and English after schooleveryday for the remainder of the school year.Over the years, I kept in touch with the artist onHome Instruction. He did well with the one-ononeeducational support that I gave him. Hepassed my classes and was placed in a vocationalprogram, which he dropped out of; butlast I heard, he did finally receive his GED.Success from failure!Our program now includes students with varieddisabilities. We try to start students in ourprogram at age14, the same as their high schoolfreshman peers. First, we set up an interview todetermine if the student and family are acceptingof this style of education. Since we offerboth a full academic program and a truncatedvocational/academic program for students, studentsand parents can choose which programwill best meet their needs.At the beginning of each term (and there aretwo terms a year), I meet with each student’ssubject teachers. We set up goals and anyrubrics that might be needed in each class forgrading my included student’s work. This is amammoth challenge: I meet with 30 or moreteachers each term. Fortunately, it has becomeeasier with repeat teachers. As teachers becomemore accepting of the inclusion process theysometimes seek me out when a student’s workneeds adaptations. That’s a very good sign andit means they are buying into the process andthere is hope for the future. Newly graduatedteachers with some background in inclusiveBy CHRIS ROWAN“In the late summer of that year we lived ina house in a village that looked across the riverand the plains to the mountains.” Name theNobel winning author and the title of the work.Literary Riddleseducation tend to accept my students a lot betterthan the “Chalk and Talk” old timers. Thenew teachers are usually more comfortablewith collaboration and team teaching techniques,and they are more accepting of theParaprofessional’s role in the classroom.It took five years to finally program myinclusion students into General Educationclasses without too many problems. The computersystem did not recognize my students asbeing enrolled in the high school since theywere already enrolled in an off-site SpecialEducation school. We were “guests” in theschool without I.D. numbers and without officialclass designations, which resulted in mystudents not being able to go to class. In otherwords, there were serious obstacles to overcomein setting up official class schedules. Adesignated code called “Shared Instruction”was finally created last September and thissolved the dilemma of including our students. Ihad ten students and the high school had threethousand five hundred students. I found outthat I had to wait for my turn to program mystudents and adjust their schedules, just likeany other grade advisor, which added anotherrole to my job. As a grade advisor I had to learnthe requirements for graduation, find out theschedule of standardized testing, learn programmingcodes for classes offered, and a hostof other concepts foreign to a Special Educator.Many times, my biggest obstacles were overcomeby just good public relations. If you can“shmooze” people it will take you a lot lesstime to create a good working program. At thehigh school level collaboration with theGeneral Education teachers is done on a “catchme when you can”, basis and “if I have time,we’ll talk about your student.” I make it a pointto “catch” teachers during their preps or lunchhours to discuss student work and progress. Ijoined the high school Executive Board and theSchool Safety Plan Committee with the intentionof presenting myself as less of a “guest”and more of a member of the high school faculty.I learned what the issues were in theschool and attending the meetings gave me theopportunity to advocate for my students.Inclusion is still considered a SpecialEducation project or program and not a sharedresponsibility of the educational community asa whole. Economics plays a big factor in thedivision of responsibility but that’s a wholenew ball of wax to investigate. I believe thiswill change as more students with disabilitiesfind their rightful place among the mainstreampopulation. It is easier to include students whenthey are younger and it is easier for the generalpopulation to accept them. I have seen a positivechange in my school over the past fiveyears. Three of my students participate in thehigh school chorus; peer tutorials are up thisyear, socializing with peers in classes hasincreased, and a general feeling of acceptancefrom teachers and students is taking hold.When everyone accepts the fact that we alllearn in different ways and at different speeds,then that will be the day when my job will nolonger be necessary.#Dave Coddington is a teacher at FrancisLewis High School.Answers to this month’s riddle:A Farewell to Arms (1929) by ErnestHemingway. It was set during World War I inItaly and Switzerland.Heiskell Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped40 WEST 20TH STREET • NEWYORK, NY 10011-4211 • (212) 206-5400;Summer Programs: Saturday concerts startingat 2:00 p.m. on July 6 & 13. Summer Reading Club for children and teens: Aug. 24.Picture Book Reading, children ages 5-8: M, T,Th, Fri at 2 pm, July 1-Aug. 23.

20MUSIC, ART & DANCE ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ JULY 2002Music in BerlinFew cities can compete with thiscity’s musical quality and variety.By IRVING SPITZWith three active functioning opera companies,in addition to several symphony orchestras,including the venerable BerlinPhilharmonic, Berlin’s rich choice of musicalofferings can easily overwhelm the casual visitor.I had this fortunate experience some weeksago during a visit to Berlin, when I enjoyedsome of these rewarding offerings.At the Deutsche Opera, a revival of Wagner’sTannhauser with the American John FredricWest in the title role was particularly enjoyable.Singing with assurance and dignity, West gavea magnificent portrayal of the role. Venus wassung by Nadja Michael and Elizabeth by EvaJohansson, both gave very commendable performances.At the very outset, Johansson tendedto strain with her fortissimo passages, butshe rapidly settled into the role. The other principals,including Markus Bruck as Wolframand Stephen Milling as the Landgraf, were upto the demand of their roles. The production byGotz Friedrich and the staging and costumes byRolf Glittenberg were modern and tasteful, thescenes in the Venusburg being particularlyeffective. Conductor Marc Albrecht showed hisskill at supporting his singers while allowingthe orchestra to express itself to the maximum.The revival of Handel’s operatic masterpiecescontinues. The Komische Opera stagedhis opera Tamerlano composed in 3 weeks in1724. Although a brutal leader, Tamerlano(Timur) is portrayed by Handel with dignityand charisma. Indeed, his personality is sufficientlywinning to jeopardize the love betweenAsteria, daughter of Bejazet and the GreekPrince Andronico. Tamerlano holds captiveBejazet, the Turkish emir whose country he hasconquered. Asteria begs Tamerlano to releaseher father. This he will do if Asteria agrees tomarry him, even though he is engaged to theprincess Irene. This demanding opera requirestwo countertenors. The Komische Opera certainlydelivered the goods and provided twooutstanding artists, Axel Kohler in the role ofTamerlano and the Australian, Graham Pusheeas Andronico. Both were superb and kept theaudience in thrall. These artists both had theremarkable ability to move from a forcefulmiddle register to high notes whilst maintainingfull tone. The rest of the cast was alsoexemplary. Peter Bronder as the sultan Bajazetbrought the required mixture of a regal presenceand pathos to the role. His final aria beforehis suicide was one of the highlights of theevening. Produced by David Alden with stagingby Charles Edwards, this was a handsomeproduction. Michael Hofstetter’s conductingwas vigorous and produced committed playingfrom the orchestra, while allowing the singersample freedom of phrasing and expression.While the Staatsoper were on an official tourof Japan, their house hosted a performance ofHaydn’s comic opera Il Mondo della Luna, in ajoint production from the Innsbruck Festival.This opera, based on Goldoni’s witty farce, is aforerunner of Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte. In theplot, the astronomer, Ecclitico and his accomplices,Ernesto and Cecco persuade a simpleton,the old man Buonofede, to take a trip to themoon. The aim is to hoodwink the old man intoallowing Ecclitico to marry his daughter,Clarice, and Cecco to marry the second daughter,Flaminia. In the end, Buonofede getsdeservedly duped for his stupidity. This farfetchedplot requires much imagination andingenuity to stage effectively. KarolineGruber’s stage direction went for overkill. Inplace of Haydn’s nymphs and shepherds, thescene on the moon was replete with transvestitesin fanciful costumes. Rene Jacobs, theBelgian conductor who has made baroqueoperas his speciality managed to coax the maximumout of the Akademie fur alte MusikBerlin, but there were nevertheless some roughpassages. All principal singers acquitted themselvesadmirably, particularly noteworthybeing Kobie van Rensburg as the astronomerEcclitico and the bass Enzo Capuano as the oldfather, Buonofede.Finally, I attended a performance of theBerlin Philharmonic under their director,Claudio Abbado. Abbado certainly pulled outall the stops with a masterful performance oftwo minor works by two great composers.Beethoven’s Fantasia for Piano, Choir andOrchestra consists of an introduction for pianosolo, several variations for piano and orchestraand a short choral conclusion. This was a forerunnerof the composer’s ninth symphony.Mendelssohn’s second symphony with theeinstrumental movements, followed by a multisectionalfinale with chorus and soloists, isopenly modeled on Beethoven’s ninth.Mendelssohn’s symphony, known as theLobgesang or Song of Praise, was composed tohonor the 400 anniversary of Guttenberg’sinvention of printing. Although the work hasnot been without its defenders, few other nineteenthcentury symphonies have provoked suchcriticism. In this performance, Maurizio Polliniput his expected masterful stamp on theBeethoven, and together with Claudio Abbado,this proved to be a magisterial and unforgettablepartnership. Sopranos Karita Mattila andLioba Braun and tenor Peter Seiffert all gaveBROOKLYNC O N S E R V A T O R YofM • U • S • I • C58 Seventh Avenue(Corner of Lincoln Place)718-622-3300Fall Semester Begins September 9.Register your child for lessonsor classes. 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It is possible that theyeven play with more warmth and passion thanever. Abbado’s predecessor, Herbert vanKarajan, refused to have women players in theorchestra. Today he would turn in his grave: Icounted 12 female instrumentalists.#Phone 718-377-5188 Fax 888-692-0056www.VanguardCrafts.comSAVE 15% WHEN YOU PRESENT THIS COUPON (EXPIRES 12/31/02)(IF CALLING YOUR ORDER IN, MENTION SALES CODE “ED2002”)Shakespeare Program at LI Elementary SchoolSince the 1999-2000 school year The ShubertElementary School has been engaged in aninnovative after school theatre program. Underthe leadership of founder Joseph A. DeLeo, TheShubert Shakespearean Players have developedan outstanding dramatic ensemble.Focusing exclusively on the works of WilliamShakespeare, students gain a deeper understandingand appreciation of the world’s mostimportant playwright. To reach the readiness toperform, students are guided towards an understandingof the universal commonality ofhuman feelings and emotions inherent inShakespeare’s works.With Board of Education approval in 1999,The Shubert Shakespearean took its first stepsas a fledgling after school drama club.Shakespeare’s popular play, Romeo and Juliet,became director DeLeo’s initial attempt at staginga serious drama along with co-directorKimberley Wood and set designer Jeff Smith.Set in Verona, New Jersey in the Disco 70s, thisproduction became an instant success with students,teachers and parents alike. Shubert’sPTA honored each one of its young stars with amini Tony Award. 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HOMESCHOOLINGSCHOOLPut Homeschooling Programs to the Test Before You Invest21Finding a homeschool curriculum thatmatches the needs of you and your child isone of the most difficult and importantdecisions a homeschool family makes.It isn’t easy. There’s a great deal of goodinformation about homeschooling availablefrom friends, neighbors, relatives, otherhomeschoolers, and the Internet. However,knowing what to look for will help you find aprogram that is right for your family andchild.A homeschooling program is a lot like a pairof shoes: It has to fit well to be comfortableand effective day after day. If you start offwith a good program, you can tailor it withconfidence.Careful evaluation is critical to success, sayexperts.“You want appropriate, academicallychallenging lessons that inspire your child to dohis best,” says Jean C. Halle, president ofCalvert School Education Services, based inBaltimore, Md. The company is thehomeschooling provider arm of CalvertSchool, which in 1906 started to offer itsprivate school curriculum to families whowanted to teach at home. Today, Calvert enrolls17,000 students each year in its prekindergartenthrough eighth grade programs.Calvert School receives thousands of callseach year from families investigating whetherthe school’s complete classical curriculum isright for them.“We put a lot of time into helping familiesselect what’s right for them, based on thestudents’competencies.” says Halle. “Sometimesa student is placed ahead or below his agegradelevel. In math, for example, he may beplaced at a different level than the balance ofhis studies.”“It’s critical that the curriculum be wellsuitedto that child’s needs in order for him orher to be successful.”Parents should explore four maincomponents of a provider’s offerings whenchoosing a homeschool curriculum.enrichment. At the appropriate age, themanual should be directed to the student, andthe role of the home teacher should turn tomore of an advisory role. If the provider offersanswer keys for all daily work, parents canconfirm their child’s performance.The bestof a privateschooleducation,delivered toyour home…Calvert School offers families“You want appropriate, academicallychallenging lessons that inspire yourchild to do his best.”— Jean C. Halle, President ofCalvert School Education ServicesEducational professionals, who can offerstrategies for teaching children with alllearning styles, should be available by phone,fax, or email, to answer any questions youmay have and offer suggestions foraccelerated or remedial work.TESTINGKnowing if your child is learning is important.A good program will include tests, whichevaluate both content mastery and skilldevelopment. The availability of tests withanswer keys can be helpful. If you have difficultyevaluating your child’s composition and othersubjective work, you should look for a providerthat offers testing support in these areas.Another key to success is evaluating theprovider’s materials. “Take time to reviewsample lessons, if offered by the provider, tobe sure that the curriculum delivers aspromised,” says Halle.“Your family is making a commitment forthe entire school year, so the time you investin evaluating your options is well spent.”PLACEMENTThe first step in a child’s academicexperience should be appropriate placement ina grade. The ideal placement assessment takesinto account how your child arrived atanswers in order to evaluate both conceptknowledge as well as his ability to apply thoseskills. Because they offer details about achild’s writing mechanics, vocabulary andspelling levels, sentence structure, content,and organization skills, evaluations of writingsamples are important.CURRICULUMA good curriculum will draw material from avariety of sources, incorporate opportunitiesfor practice to improve written and oralcommunication, and help your child to learn,analyze, and interpret information, not simplymemorize facts. An integrated curriculum allowsthe student to write about all subjects, to thinkmathematically about subjects other than math,to compare and contrast geographical statisticsto history facts, and to review and obtainvaluable reinforcement of concepts taught.INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORTLesson manuals should provide good detail,including lessons that introduce topics,explain concepts, coordinate subjects witheach other, and suggest added practice anda complete curriculum developedin a real classroom with realchildren. We provide you withthe tools to make the best useof your teaching time and tominimize your concerns abouttaking the leap into homeschooling.We also offer enrichment andsupplemental courses.For your free catalog, visitwww.calvertschool.orgor call 1-888-487-4652.Calvert School, established 1897Baltimore, MarylandInspire the best in your childwith the best in homeschooling.EU0602

22HOMESCHOOLINGSCHOOLSTARTWRITE SOFTWARE – THE HANDWRITING WORKSHEET WIZARDWhen David Sharp was trying to help his youngdaughter, Emily, practice her handwriting skills, hethought he’d make a worksheet by hand. He createdthe letters with dots so Emily could trace them. Aftermaking a few dotted letters, Dave found it very timeconsuming. He thought there probably would be softwarethat could do it much easier, but there wasn’t. SoDave and Wayne Wylie created StartWriteHandwriting Software.StartWrite lets parents and teachers easily createand print fun, meaningful worksheets, ready for anychild to trace and start improving their handwritingskills. The letters print in dot or solid format, from lightto dark shades and from 1/4 to 2 inches in height.StartWrite can print guidelines and stroke arrows.Clip art is also included. StartWrite provides the 4most often taught manuscript fonts and cursive fonts,including Italic.Teachers love StartWrite because it saves hours inlesson preparation time. Parents love StartWritebecause their children actually ask for practice sheets.StartWrite lets parents create letters to grandparents,scrapbook pages, diary entries or invitations to a birthdayparty – all to be traced in the child’s own handwriting.Parents and teachers alike will see real improvementin their children’s handwriting skills. One parent’se-mail read, “StartWrite is an answer to a prayer.” Ateacher wrote, “It has been one of the best items I everpurchased. What a wonderful concept.”Just Type it, Print it and Trace it. You’ll Love StartWrite.www.startwrite.com. For further information call 1-888-974-8322.#From Arithmetic to Algebra through Pre-Calculus:A Successful New Approach to Learning Math.Our High School and College Texts Foster Reading,Understanding & Computation, Reducing the stress on Memorization.M.T.E. Texts create a stairway to Calculus,An easier climb for students at any step.Visit our Website and Learn More About Us and our ProductsM.T.E. Ltd. • 3095 So. Trenton St. • Denver, CO • 80231-4164• 3-Step Program• Art History - Art Technique -Art Activity• 4 Age-Appropriate levels• Standards–Based• No Art BackgroundRequired• Video–Based Staff TrainingA new study shows that students participating in the arts are 4 times morelikely to be recognized for academic achievement, and 3 times more likely towin an award for attendance.MEET THE MASTERS is a self contained, multimedia curriculum providing completeart enrichment for elementary students in grades K - 6. Thanks to MEETTHE MASTERS’ exciting, multi-faceted program, more than 1 million students inover 200 schools nationwide have experienced the benefits thatonly quality art education can provide!"A blueprint for acultural renaissance."-Karen Cochran,Deputy Director, Cultural Initiatives1-866-MTM-4ARTAGES21/2 - 12MONTESSORI PHONETIC READINGCD1CD2CD3$99$99FREE($600 Value)($708 Value)($108 Value)6 Modules15 Titles!Math, History, Science, Geography & More!Visit our website for complete information and a FREE DEMO!Average & GiftedMontessori EducationalSoftware1-800-995-5133www.mecssoftware.com/home.htm Spend an hour preparing for a 10 minute lesson? Follow a boring script that even confuses you? Forget flexibility, eliminate your input and ignore your child’s pace?MECS88% OFF! SAVE up to $1,211!ADD & DyslexiaTRISMSHOMESCHOOLCURRICULUMTime Related Integrated Studies for Mastering SkillsTRISMS offers the most complete, fullyintegrated curriculum available for juniorand senior high, with online help throughour TRISMS online help website!Award-winning TRISMS makes anyone a successfulhomeschooler with its easy to use format and readilyavailable materials.(918) 585-2778 ❧ www.TRISMS.comRated #1 by Mary Pride’s Readers Award!Serving the Homeschool Community Since 1990❧

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24HOMESCHOOLINGSCHOOLHome Study InternationalThinking of homeschooling, but don’tknow where to turn? Of the many choicesavailable, you may want to consider HomeStudy International (HSI). HSI has thedistinction of being the only accredited curriculumprovider for kindergarten throughcollege. Established in 1909, HSI providesan American education for any student anywherein the world (hence the name).HSI’s flexibility allows students to enroll forone course or an entire grade. Each courseincludes a minimum of a textbook and aguide that maps the textbook into dailyassignments and then navigates the studentthrough them. The elementary (K-6) guideis written for the parent/teacher. Standardcurriculum is offered for the elementaryHomeschool.Home school.Home study.Home Study International.Study at home.Any time.Any where.Accredited. K-college.1 800 782 476912501 Old Columbia PikeSilver Spring, MD 20904www.hsi.edugrades. The junior high level (Grades 7 and8) offers standard curriculum as well asSpanish and keyboarding.High school courses include business,English, fine arts, health and home economics,history, foreign languages, math, science,and religion. New to the high schoolcurriculum are select online courses. HSIoffers a state-approved high school diploma.HSI manages distance learning programsof three colleges, making it possible toobtain a B.A. or a B.S. degree at home aswell.Consider Home Study International, agood homeschooling option for the discerningparent. For further information call 1-800-782-4769.#HOME STUDY INTERNATIONAL• Educationally sound• Cost-effective• Certified teachers• Quality instruction• Online research facilities• Home accessibility• Elimination of isolation• Enrichment opportunitiesThe Babbage Net School has ushered high school education into the 21st centuryby offering live online, highly interactive instruction.Taught by certified teachers in a virtual classroom featuring interactive audio andsynchronized web browsing, each course satisfies accepted requirements fromtraditional junior or senior high school settings, with additional enrichment provided.Babbage Net School(631) 642-2029www.BabbageNetSchool.comAVirtualClassroom...Just A Click Away!• Interaction with otherstudents• Alternative setting fordifficult students• Extra classes foraccelerated students• Expand Districts’ courseofferings• Reduce difficulties of homeinstructionMeeting Unique Educational Needs Since 1969!Distance Learning Academic ProgramInternet & Print-Based CoursesAccredited byNorth Central Associationof Colleges and Schools since 1981Contact us online:www.phoenixacademies.orge-mail@phoenixacademies.orgPhoenix Special Programs & Academies1717 West Northern, Suite 104Phoenix, AZ 85021-5469Perfect for youthful learners:Home school studentsTraveling ScholarsAccelerated pupilsFree catalog available602-674-5555Language Tune-Up Kit ®Orton-Gillingham Phonics on CD-ROM!“• A multi-sensory approach toself-directed learning• Designed for children 7 andolder, teens & adults currentlyreading at grade levels 0 - 4• 87 lessons and over 4400 words• Can advance students to an 8thgrade reading level• Full reporting capabilities allowyou to monitor students’ progressAfter ordering LTK At Home ®for our 7-year old son, we canceledthe tutor he had for over 1year and just worked on theLanguage Tune-Up Kit ® ! I wish”it hadn’t taken us a year to find it!-NJ Certified Reading TeacherMention this ad and save $50 off the $199 list price(+$10 shipping/handling) for LTK At Home ® (supports 2 students)!JWor Enterperises, Inc.(888) 431-6310www.jwor.com

JULY 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ COLLEGES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS25An Ongoing Series of Interviews with Deans of EducationEDUCATION DEAN JERROLD ROSS HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTESBY JOAN BAUM, PH.D.If music be not only the food of love, asDuke Orsino proclaims in Twelfth Night, butalso the sustenance of culture and civilization,as Dr. Jerrold Ross believes, then we must all“play on.” To Dr. Ross, who has a Ph.D. inMusic Education from NYU and is Dean of theSchool of Education at St. John’s University,educational improvement is music to his ears.How do the arts fit in? “Music is the mostabstract of the arts,” requiring a high developmentof thinking,” he says. It commands attentionfor content and “is not dependent on whatsomeone else says.” In fact, the dean is supportiveof all the arts and concerned that education,already “badly hurt” by a diminution ofsupport from the Annenberg Foundation, maybe cut to the detriment of the arts. Next year,when the new budget kicks in, category allocationsper capita will be obvious. The arts arecentral to the education program at St. John’s,he points out, “a complete turnaround” fromyears ago. Every undergraduate now is giveninstruction in performance, and in select coursesgets to interact with faculty from the LincolnCenter Institute.Of course, as dean of the School ofEducation at St. John’s, a post he has held forseven years, not to mention as a member of theboard of the Teacher Education AccreditationCouncil, a nation-wide higher education group,Dr. Ross has wide vision and interests. Senioramong education school deans, he heads agroup committed to the idea that higher education,public and private, must be involved inserving the schools of the city. Soon after heconceived of such an association, he met withTouro Collegewww.touro.eduDon't miss a golden opportunity!The TIME is now to join us at TOURO where we arecommitted to academic excellence and personal attention!Associate & Bachelor Degrees• BUSINESS MANAGEMENT• COMPUTER SCIENCE• HUMAN SERVICES• HEALTH SCIENCES• EDUCATION• LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCESESL CLASSESCERTIFICATE PROGRAMSGraduate & Professional Programs (212)463-0400 ext.500Financial aid for qualified studentsDay and evening classesOnline courses availableTransfer students welcomeJob Placement assistance for all graduates(718)265-6534 ext.1003BROOKLYNBensonhurst, Brighton, Boro Park, Starrett City,Sunset Park, Kings HighwayOther sites are located in Manhattan, Queens, BronxMEDICAL CODING & BILLING CERTIFICATE(718)871-7292CISCO & MICROSOFT NETWORKING CERTIFICATES(718)265-6534 ext.1002MICROCOMPUTER SUPPORT TECHNICIAN(718)871-7292Open HouseJuly 24at 6:30 p.m.Deputy Mayor Dennis Wolcott and foundstrong support. “Everyone wanted to jump in,”and so a first and private meeting was held onJuly 2, which will be followed in the near futureby one open to the public.“Every university dean ofeducation is on board,” notto mention CUNYChancellor MatthewGoldstein. The days ofpolitical competition seemto be over, Dean Ross suggests.There is united feelingthat higher educationmust have “more voice” inhelping the city’s schools.Certainly, Dr. Ross will beplaying a major role in recommendingpolicies andprocedures, as will St.John’s.The St. John’s programalready boasts impressive figures, including anundergraduate retention rate of 80-90 percent.Even before students are graduated, Dean Rosspoints out, they are offered jobs “sight unseen,”such is the program’s reputation. Surprisingly,it is a large program – 2500 students on threecampuses – Queens, Staten Island and Oakdale,LI. The dean has no problem meeting the needsof affiliated districts —14 in Brooklyn and 24and 27 in Queens. He does, however, concedethat many St. John’s graduates wind up in lesschallenging schools, a problem that will beaddressed, he hopes, by the Teaching Fellowsprogram. In this area, too, St. John’s can takepride. Of 44 Teaching Fellows this year, theOpen HouseJuly 11at 6:30 p.m.PHYSICAL & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANTPROGRAMS (718)265-6534ext.1003dean points to an almost 100 percent retentionrate and a designation by the state as a “model”program. He is particularly pleased with thisachievement, given the fact that private universitiesreceive only 50percent of their fundingfrom governmentand so must subsidizethe rest, a “real problem”for some privateinstitutions. Next yearthe number ofTeaching Fellows atSt. John’s will be 70.What is it that St.John’s seems to doparticularly well? Thedean, modest, direct,reflective, quietly suggeststhat the answerlies in “close collaboration”between the universityand the district principals, an associationthat focuses on mentoring at both the universitylevel and the receiving schools. St.John’s teachers work on research projects in theschools, not from a distance. They bring backto the classroom “reality,” such as the challengesfacing those who are teaching in a boroughthat has been called the “epicenter ofimmigration in the United States.” St. John’shas a 132-year-old “mission to invest in newpopulations,” especially where others havebeen slow to do so. St. John’s, the dean adds, isalso a “caring” university, where educationmajors are more than social security numbersor application test scores. “Economically poor”Jerrold RossSTUDIES IN EDUCATIONBACHELOR OF ARTS MASTER OF ARTS MASTER OF EDUCATIONCERTIFICATE OF ADVANCED GRADUATE STUDYWhatdo you wantto study?Individualized StudyBrief ResidenciesLicensure Optionsis not automatically equated with academicallyand socially disadvantaged, though for surethere are reasons to make such connections.Instead, St. John’s accepts education majorswho, despite various hardships, manifest acuriosity for learning and a commitment toteaching. No fall-back majors need apply.Are there overall education goals the deanwould like to see realized some day? Yes.Nation-wide standardization in certification,though he knows, of course, that state and localpolitics are likely to override common cause.He looks to a time when the most experiencedteachers go into the neediest schools; whenthere are more principals; when principals aregiven “more authority”; and when principalsare better educated about how to deal with localcommunities, parents, the media, and socialagencies. He is pleased that the New York StateRegents mandated professional development(175 hours of continuing education after 5years of certification) and points to courses inthe St. John’s curriculum that respond to theneed for the social education of principals.Dr. Jerrold Ross, who in 1965 was theyoungest college president in the nation (NewYork College of Music); who when he wasDirector of Town Hall was described by TheNew York Times as a “Man Full of Ideas”; whowas the country’s first government-fundeddirector of a research center for the arts in education– feels hopeful that as the newly formedorganization of university deans of educationproceeds with its work the city’s schools aregoing to benefit. As they say in music, let thepace and mood be allegro.#36 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 • 800.336.6794vcadmis@tui.edu • www.tui.edu/vermontcollege

26 AwardWinnerROBERT LEE COLVIN MOVES TOHECHINGER INSTITUTE ATTEACHERS COLLEGERobert Lee Colvin an award-winning educationwriter of the Los Angeles Times willbecome the new deputy director of theHechinger Institute on Education and theMedia at Teachers College, ColumbiaUniversity this summer. The Institute organizesand sponsors seminars for journalists, top policymakers and researchers on timely issues ineducation. The seminars are tailored to theinterests of different groups of journalists,including editorial writers who cover education,education editors, reporters who specializein higher education issues and reportersnew to the beat.Colvin, 48, said the new position provideshim with a unique opportunity to representDiscover why the National Commission onTeaching and America’s Future calledBank Street’s graduate programs ineducation “extraordinary.”At Bank Street you will find small classes,supportive advisement, and a progressiveapproach to teaching, leading, and learning.studyabroad.comEDUCATION UPDATE ■ FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS ■ JULY 2002Studyabroad.comis the #1 online resourcefor study abroad information.journalism as well as education. “I want toleverage what I’ve learned in my many yearson the beat to benefit other reporters in theircoverage of education,” Colvin said. “At thesame time, I’ll continue to be a working journalist.”Colvin said in addition to his work withthe institute, he intends to remain active as awriter on education topics.The Hechinger Institute is named in memoryof Fred M. Hechinger, who was a reporter andeditor at The New York Times, specializing inthe coverage of education. It is supported bygrants from many foundations including theCarnegie Corporation, the John S. and James L.Knight Foundation, the Broad Foundation andthe New York Times Company Foundation.#For information ongraduate programscall:212-875-4698e-mail:GradCourses@bankstreet.eduvisit our Web site:www.bankstreet.eduOffice of AdmissionsBank Street CollegeGraduate Schoolof Education610 West 112th StreetNew York, NY 10025http://www.studyabroad.comA service of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc.TEACHING • LEADING • LEARNINGSPOTLIGHT ON SCHOOLSBank Street Conference at Museum of Natural HistoryBY DEBORAH YOUNGEducation’s place and potential in a democracyis an assumption that needs frequent revisiting,agreed speakers Deborah Meier, Dr. CarlGlickman and conference moderator RichardRothstein, during an exchange of ideas at arecent Bank Street College conference held atthe American Museum of Natural History.Public education still has a long way to dissolveentrenched inequity, said Meier, a learningtheorist and founder/principal of CentralPark East Secondary School whose booksinclude The Power of their Ideas and WillStandards Save Public Education?“The concept of elitism cannot be democratized,”she said. “The culture of the ruling classis a closed system, complete with its own language,and other mechanisms to keep othersfrom joining.” School should be where studentsget the tools to question the system they live in,she added.“What kind of power and education do I needso I can get my education without thinking thatthey rule me?” she urged educators in the audienceto help their young charges consider.“Empowering students to think this way startsby honoring their different backgrounds andexperience in the context of the classroom,”Meier stated. But conference moderator andNew York Times educational columnist RichardRothstein wondered if the pedagogy of empowermentmakes for a stronger democracy than ateaching approach which might “for example,force students to memorize the FederalistPapers.”“We preach to the choir so we don’t feel as ifOpen HousesThursday, September Thursday, September Tuesday, September Wednesday, October Sunday, October Tuesday, May :-: PM:-: AM:-: AM:-: AM:-: PM:-:AMPlease RSVP by callingthe school at --A School for Boys and GirlsWHAT EDUCATION CAN THERE BE WITHOUTFREEDOM OR WITHOUT TRUTH?“TRUTH IS EVERYTHING”ABRAHAM LINCOLNwe need any evidence to prove us right orwrong,” he said, urging for more long termstudies of different educational methodology.Progressive educators labor under the defaultassumption that if you give students an educationwhich encourages their input, they willautomatically agree it’s the best way to learn,said Dr. Carl Glickman, the Endowed Chair inSchool Improvement at Southwest Texas StateUniversity, who has authored a dozen books onsuch topics as school leadership and the moralimperative of education.“But this kind of education helps them makeup their own minds,” he said. “The DNA of ademocracy is where citizens use education tohelp each other.”All students must first feel respected beforelearning to make their own decisions and thenultimately taking the next step to help others,concurred conference participant Briana Nurse– a fourth-grade teacher at 15th Avenue Schoolin Newark.But foremost in her mind are the everyday,nitty gritty details of teaching in a school where100 percent of the students fall below the federalpoverty guidelines, she said, before headingto a workshop to develop strategies forteaching about the community – one of manyafternoon sessions offered around the theme“Social Studies: Where We Are in 2002.”“My students are trying to make it throughthe present,” she said. “For the first time lastweek during a lesson about neighborhoods, oneof them broke down and cried to me because hewas scared just walking to school. Those arethe stories we hear.”#The Ark is dedicated todiscovering unlimitedpotential in each child.We encourage thechildren to use theirtalents for the benefit ofall.Abraham Lincoln Schooland the Ark Nurseryprovide for thespiritual, mental, andphysical development ofchildren fromNursery through grade 8.The Abraham Lincoln School& The Ark Nursery East th Street New York, () -www.abrahamlincolnschool.org

JULY 2002 ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ COLLEGES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS27College & University Directory1 2 3 4erspectiveson of Continuing EducationStreet Collegeest 112th Streetork, New York 1002556To receive our catalog or get informationabout upcoming courses and workshopscall 212 875-4649 or visitwww.bankstreet.eduNew Perspectives -Division of Continuing EducationBank Street College610 West 112th StreetNew York, NY 10025Master of Education• Brief residencies• Licensure options• Individualized study• NEASC accreditedVermont UniversityTHE UNION INSTITUTEMontpelier, Vermont 05602800/336-6794 vcadmis@tui.eduwww.tui.edu/vermontcollegeCertificate of AdvancedGraduate StudiesBrief residencies Licensure optionsStudies in School Psychology, Leadership,Educational Administration, Guidance,Community Psychology, Integrated StudiesVermont UniversityTHE UNION INSTITUTEMontpelier, Vermont 05602800/336-6794 vcadmis@tui.eduwww.tui.edu/vermontcollegeTouro CollegeAssociate & Bachelor Degrees• Business Management • Health Science• Human Services • Education• Computer Science • Liberal Arts & Sciences• ESL Classes• Day & Evening Classes •Transfer students welcome• Financial aid for qualified studentsManhattan: Midtown:212-463-0400 ext.500Uptown: 212 722-1575 ext. 101Brooklyn, Queens: 718 2-School ext 1003Mail or Fax this CouponGRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONDiscover the learner-centered,interactive approach to education.Call 212/875-4698for more informationGradCourses@bankstreet.eduwww.bankstreet.edu610 W. 112th St., NY, NY 10025Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________City: ________________________________________________________________________________________State:_____________________________Zip:________________________________________________________Phone (include area code): _____________________________________Fax:______________________________Please circle catalogs you wish to receive:I Am Interested In Applying As❑ Freshman❑ Day❑ Weekend❑ Transfer❑ Evening❑ Graduate Student✄Please mail to:College Directory-Education UpdateP.O. Box 20005New York, NY 100011 2 3 4 5 6❑ H.S. Student❑ Teacheror Fax to:College DirectoryEducation Update(212) 481-3919My Status❑ College Student❑ Working AdultPLEASE INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER JULY 2002MCC Awards College Scholarships(L-R) Janice Consu, Emil Isanov, Candace Arnold,Dina FormanThree students from Talent UnlimitedHigh School recently received collegescholarships from the Manhattan Chamberof Commerce, based on essays delineatingtheir plans for rebuilding the site of theWorld Trade Center. Winner of the $1000award, Emil Isanov, stated that the originaltowers should be rebuilt because they are“symbols of the economic power of theUnited States, [they] were the pride of ourcountry, and the “rebuilding . . .will reinvigoratethe spirit of our great nation.”Candace Arnold, awarded $500 wroteabout building a memorial site that “needsto be honorable and memorable to all thevictims.” Her vision includes a wall of blackmarble where all victims names should beinscribed. “The inside . . should consist ofwaterfalls symbolizing the cycle of life. Thismeans that even though we lost a tremendousnumber of lives, their children will grow upand keep their dreams, hopes and aspirationsalive.”Janice Consu proposed a World Trade CenterMemorial Park which would be as tall as theEmpire State Building, surrounded by a grassfield with play areas for children. On the firstfloor, the names of those lost would beinscribed on tiles. The remainder of the buildingwould be leased to businesses to revitalizeour economy. ”It will help NY become the economicpowerhouse it once was while payinghomage to all victims and their families.”Principal Dina Forman gratefully acknowledgedthe work of the Manhattan Chamber ofCommerce, in trying to help students achievetheir educational goals. Chamber Board membersmaking the presentation at the school,located on East 68th Street, were Dr. PolaRosen, publisher of Education Update, LeslieYerman and Linda Lopez. Don Winter,President and Nancy Ploeger, ExecutiveDirector were unable to attend. #Dr. Ira BlackContinued from page 12of approved drug and surgical therapies.Dr. Black carefully separates what’s availablefrom what’s still in experiment. Most of what thelay public hears that sounds promising is in animal-basedtrials. Even where the literature showsthat there’s been a marked clinical impact treatingadvanced P.D. in humans, such cases are “rare.”L-dopa, the drug that created a “revolution in neurology”when decades ago it was found to replacemissing or deranged brain signals is still “themainstay of treatment today for Parkinson’s.”Whether taken alone or in combination with otherdrugs (perhaps the most effective course of treatment),it can provide on average from 5 to 7 yearsof good life. What about the media-ballyhooedsuccess of certain surgeries, such as “deep brainstimulation,” which was undertaken on Michael J.Fox? Dr. Black is supportive but cautious. Theprocedure, a pinpoint electrical stimulus of partsof the brain, is “a real step forward,” a “viablealternative” for those for whom other therapieshave not been particularly effective, but treatmentsshould be careful and measured.Some of the most exciting work going on is hisown, reported recently in The New York Times. Ithas to do with transforming stem cells in humanbone marrow into stem cells that can function inthe brain. He and his team have grown braincells from bone marrow, which means that cellsone thinks of in association with muscle, tendons,cartilage, can become nerve cells. For thelast ten years, the neurological offensive has alsoincluded gene therapy, which is related to celltherapy. A hormone called GDNF, “the full nameis one only a mother could love,” administeredby way of mechanical pump to damaged parts ofthe brain, has had striking effect in recoveringbrain functioning in animals. Of course, all drugshave a down side. It sounds almost trite, Dr.Black says, but the goal is to “maximize benefitsand minimize side effects,” and that is a “frightfullydifficult” job. Too much L-dopa, forinstance, can cause hyperkinesis.Overall, Dr. Black concludes, “we have ageneral map” of the area. As to the controversyin Congress over stem cell research, his ownresponse is looking forward to continue the battleagainst degenerative neurologic disease “onmultiple fronts” with respect for human dignityand the values of humanity. Impedimentswould be unfortunate. The beneficiaries of hiswork and of related investigations by others,when perfected for humans, will be not onlysufferers of P.D., but those with Alzheimer’s,cerebral palsy, stroke, Lou Gehrig’s disease,multiple sclerosis, mental retardation and more.Referring to his great mentor, Nobelist Dr.Julius Axelrod, Black cites his “boundlessenthusiasm and intuitive grasp of how natureworks, a free spirit” still at age 91. In Dr. IraBlack, Dr. Julie Axelrod’s boundless enthusiasmwould seem to have found a natural heir.#

28@TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE ■ EDUCATION UPDATE ■ JULY 2002ELIZABETH ROHATYN BRINGSTECHNOLOGY TO SCHOOLSBy TOM KERTESEight years ago, in response to a growingconcern that students in affluent schools hadgreater access to technology than those in lessaffluent neighborhoods,Elizabeth Rohatyn, along witha group of former teachers,founded Teaching Matters, anonprofit organization devotedto promoting excellence inteaching and learning throughthe use of technology in theclassroom.“I did not want the technologygap to become a skills gapand then a more or less permanentachievement gap,” she said.“The idea first occurred to mewhen my husband Felix and Iwere participating in the “I Have a DreamFoundation” founded by Eugene Lang. I wantedto go beyond that. I wanted to touch children’slives, to be hands-on. I felt that it was nolonger enough to make charitable donations, nomatter how generous they might be.”Of course, there have been a number of otherorganizations devoted to the same cause, butTeaching Matters’ low-keyed yet persistentapproach makes a difference. “First of all, wedon’t go into schools telling them what theyshould do,” Rohatyn said. “We go into schoolsand ask them ‘What do you need? How can wehelp you?’ We assess the school, its needs, andthe teachers’ level of computer use. And thenwe go to work.”Teaching Matters believes that the best wayElizabeth Rohatynto prepare children for success in theInformation Age is to prepare the educators.“The fact is, that some teachers are hungry forthe help,” Rohatyn said. “Others are not, butare willing to learn. And stillothers are not at all willing butare eventually kind of draggedalong into the 21 st century inspite of themselves.”Teaching Matters holdsextensive workshops to helpteachers understand how technologyworks, and how theycan best use that technology inthe classroom to help their students.“The difference is thatwe stay with the teachers followingour workshops,”Rohatyn said. “We go into theschool, we follow up, we do complete re-trainingif necessary. We understand quite profoundlyhow difficult the absorption of all thisnew information can be, especially after a fullworkday.”Teaching Matters constantly works on updatingand customizing its materials to respond toparticular needs. “To be optimally effective, wemust be flexible,” said Rohatyn. “So we alwaysadjust our model.” There is also an onlinelearning component, with a prominent teacherfrom Arizona providing up-close guidance.To date, Teaching Matters has provided professionaldevelopment training for teachers andprincipals in over 500 public schools in NewYork City and around the country. In spite of itsimaginative platform, dare-to-be differentDon’t Let A TestKeep Your Child FromThe School OfHis Or Her Choice!!!Test PrepSAT I & II • PSAT • ISEE/SSAT • etc.Experienced Private TutorExpert At RaisingStandardized Test ScoresAcademic Tutoring Also AvailableSupportive And FriendlyIvy League GraduateCall Jeffrey212-529-8075jeffbergman@rcn.comapproach, and notable success, some changesappear to be inevitable in the near future.“I’m concerned about the upcoming budgetcuts in education,” Rohatyn said. “I want to getout of the discretionary budget for schools,which are always the first to go. I intend toMath TutoringHigh School & Junior High$40/hr - 2 Sample Hours, No Charge212.228.1642917.297.2389TutoringAndEnrichmentYour Child Can BlossomExperienced in:Traditional & Progressive TeachingPractices, K-6, Standards Based,Individualized, CreativeReading Skills • Writing Skills • MathAll Test Preparation • Homework HelpMs. Caroll 212-348-9366Upper East Side LocationLicensed Teacher NYC, NYSOrton Gillingham Trained • References Availablemove more into the funded area, acquire grants,build partnerships, perhaps even form a consortiumwith similar organizations. I fell thatthere’s room for all of our ideas. And what wedo is just too important; this may be the onlyway for us to survive and thrive.”#NEW! PC & Mac Compatible!Waterproof - can’t bedamaged by spilled liquids.Durable - rugged siliconeconstruction is hard to damage.Quiet - no “key-click“ makestyping almost silent.Portable & Light just roll itup & toss it in your backpack!Ergonomic - flat-angledesign with “soft-touch” keys.Full Size Keyboard106 full-size keys, numerickeypad included.Easy Cleanup - inkresistant. Disinfectant safe.USB or PS2 Interface.Volume discounts available.ORDER NOW:866-266-5622Unlike Traditional Keyboards, the EnablingKeyboard cannot be damaged by spilled liquids,dirt or debris under the keys or by being droppedor roughly handled.The soft-touch, full-size, 106-key flat-angledesign is easier on the wrists than “mini” portableKeyboards.CRYWOLF: EDUCATION BY DESIGNAvailable exclusively at:

JULY 2002 ■ FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS & STUDENTS ■ EDUCATION UPDATEAwardWinner29INNOVATIVE USE OF CABLE IN THE CLASSROOMAWARD TO TIME WARNER CABLETime Warner Cable of New York City waspresented with a 2001 Gilbert Award forCommunity Service for Innovative Use ofCable in the Classroom by a New YorkEducator in a statewide competition that recognizesoutstanding community service programsconducted by cable television companies inNew York.Laraine Mirabile, an educator at PublicSchool 5 in Staten Island, used programmingpertaining to Afghanistan and the September11th tragedy on CNN and Nickelodeon to motivatestudents to write letters to the rescue workersat Ground Zero. A New York CityFirefighter, Mark Solari, received the lettersand began working with Mirabile to coordinatea school wide project to benefit the children ofthe Staten Island victims of this disaster.Students gathered teddy bears and wrote lettersELEMENTARY SCHOOLSCHEDULING SUITEAll the pieces to the elementaryscheduling puzzleSchedulerElementary SchoolSchedulerCreates master, lunchand teacher schedules.Considers:• Block Schedules•Part time teachers•Variable period lengths• Common planning•Wizards speed data entry•Explore alternativeschedules (What if?)Produces:•Teacher schedules• Master schedule•Lunch schedule with tableassignments• Schedule conflicts•Staff utilizationWe provide:District Scheduler•Training and technical support viaphone, fax and e-mail.• What you need to be successful.Mascomm takes great pleasure in seeingtechnology serve administrators, freeing themto focus more energy on improving education.Visit www.mascommsys.com for moreinformation about these time saving tools.TECHNOLOGYClass Aggregator(Rosters)Equitably distributesstudents to classes.Considers:• Placement — teacher/parent requests• Interface w/studentadministration system• Multiple student attributesProduces:•Parent conferenceschedules• Class/Working rosters•Teacher/Student lists•Family track assignmentsof support for the children. Members of the PS56 PTA, firefighters and police officers distributedthe teddy bears.“Time Warner Cable was proud to nominateMirabile for a Gilbert Community ServiceAward for her exemplary use of Cable in theClassroom,” stated Harriet Novet, VicePresident, Public Affairs, Time Warner Cableof New York City. “Not only is Cable in theClassroom a vital teaching tool, she used thisresource to inspire her students to make a differencein their community.”Each year, an independent panel of judgesrepresenting the Governor’s Office, the NewYork State Assembly and Senate, and NewYork State Conference of Mayors selects theGilbert Award winners. For more information,visit www.cabletvny.com .#Class AggregatorSupportDistrict SchedulerMaximizes specialteacher assignment.Considers:•Variable allocationrequirements• School personnel requestsvia web• School scheduling requests•Teacher assignmentrequests•Travel timeProduces:• School staffingrequirements and requests• School and teacherassignment schedule• Allocation conflicts•Teacher availability• Better staff utilizationMasComm systems, inc.11-b East Colonial HighwayHamilton, VA 20158Tel. 888-729-8223email. info@mascommsys.comBuilding Fields, Building CharacterBy TOM KERTESThe crumbling athletic fields of New YorkCity Public High Schools haven’t had publicfunding in 25 years.Shocking, isn’t it? And this is only mademore shocking by the fact that New York Cityhas the highest percentage of students not participatingin physical activity; that the City hasthe highest percentage of child obesity andother health problemsof any majorAmerican city; andthat it has the highestpercentage ofschool absenteeism,while athletics hasalways been knownto serve as the greatequalizer when itcomes to schoolattendance.Based on the principleof “better latethan never”, threepowerful New York personalities—New JerseyGiants owner Bob Tisch, urban plannerRichard Kahan, and community activist TonyKaiser—have decided to respond to this sorrysituation. The result was the formation of Takethe Field, a private-public partnership aimed atfixing public athletic fields.“The pilot program, established two yearsago, was a three-to-one challenge,” saidExecutive Director Mary Musca. “Take theField was going to raise $4 million if the Cityprovided $12 million.” The program was sucha sizzling success—seven horribly damagedfields have already been fixed up—that, a yearago, then-Mayor Giuliani said in his State ofthe City address: “I’ll make sure any field theywant to fix will have funding.”Twenty-one fields are slated to be completedby the end of the summer, including the ancientNight Falls Fastcontinued from page 15manic-depressives, for example, benefit societyby conserving resources when they are depressed,and contributing disproportionately to a culture’sacademic and creative endeavors during themanic cycles.Ultimately, however, Jamison concludes that“suicide usually requires multiple ‘hits’–a biologicalpre-disposition, a major psychiatric illness,and an acute life stress—but only some of these‘hits’ are amenable to change.”And perhaps that is the ultimate value, and lesson,of this book: that those left behind, strugglingto understand the unfathomable and find a peacethat eluded the one who left, cannot carry the burdenof responsibility forever. Ultimately, suggestsJamison, the suicide made his or her choice.#TEXTBOOKS BOUGHTK-12 & College TextsFor price quote, please send list to:Textbook Exchange, P.O. Box 447Jersey City, New Jersey 07303Email: alsaunders45@hotmail.comCall 917-443-4505Please include author’s name,title of book, ISBN# and copyright date.SPORTSathletic facility at Brooklyn’s South Shore HighSchool. “It hasn’t been as much as touchedsince 1970,” Principal Steven Berger said. “It isa mess.” Remarkably, in spite of the horribleconditions, South Shore has been fielding outstanding,sometimes even nationally ranked,football and track teams for years.In fact, it was the great track team thatcaught the attention of John Whitehead, the formerchairman ofGoldman Sachs.An enormous trackand field fan allhis life, Whiteheaddecided to team upwith Take the Fieldto give a leg up toSouth Shore byputting up a significantportion of thecost of the $4.5million project personally.South Shore HS Field“High school athleticsare a very important part of a young person’sdevelopment,” he said. “Among otherthings, it keeps them away from temptationsthat are all over the city.”The building of the new athletic complex,which shall bear Whitehead’s name, has been atremendous boon to the school and its 2,600students. “They’re ecstatic,” Berger said. “Wehave a great deal of athletic prowess at theschool—and now we’ll have the facilities tomatch that.”Whitehead had nothing but praise for theefforts of Take the Field. “There are importantlessons to be learned through playing sports, inleadership, discipline and character,” he said. “Ihope this organization merely scratches the surfaceright now. There’s so much more to bedone.”#Of Historical NoteOn February 24, 2002 The New York Times(front page) reported that lexicographers werenow going to include 9/11 in future editions ofthe American dictionary. Naturally this wouldbe entered under N. It struck me that theEuropeans must have long since included“9/11” in their dictionaries, since for them thisalso refers to a significant date in history.Using the European style for writing dates,9/11 refers to November 9th. On that dayquite a bit happened in history:On Nov. 9, 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicatedthereby ending WWI;On Nov. 9, 1923 Hitler staged a takeovermarch in Munich;On Nov. 9, 1938, Reichs kristallnacht–thatresulted in the destruction of Jewish propertyin Germany and Austria;On Nov. 9, 1940, Germany invaded Norwayand Denmark; andOn Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell to openup the east bloc.And don’t we always ask “Where were youwhen the lights (on the East Coast) went out”on November 9, 1965!All just part of history instruction!Alfred S. Posamentier,Dean, School of EducationThe City College of New York, CUNY

30 • JULY 2002MetroBEATEDUCATION UPDATESchool Reform: PuttingOur Kids FirstBY MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERGFor years, New YorkCity’s public school systemhas been floundering. And the heart of the problemis the lack of clear direction and accountabilityat the top. The current structure for runningthe school system promotes diffused, confusedand overlapping layers of authority. It createsclouds of uncertainty just where clarity ofpurpose is desperately needed.Mayors Koch, Dinkins, Giuliani and I have allagreed that this structure for running the schoolsdoes not work, and we have fought to change it.The Mayor should have sole control over theappointment of the Schools Chancellor, and theChancellor should report directly to the Mayor.That establishes democratic accountability—and if democracy can be trusted to safeguard oursocial services, police forces and other essentialservices, why wouldn’t it work to protect ourmost precious resource, our children?Now, thanks to the leadership of Gov. Pataki,State Senate Majority Leader Bruno, andAssembly Speaker Silver we stand on the vergeNew York TeachersBring yourteaching degreeto CaliforniaCalifornia is looking for talented teachers to lead ourclassrooms in grades K-12. Our school districts especiallyneed teachers in the subject areas of special education,math, science, bilingual/ESL and reading.In California, you’ll have more choices for school locations,teaching environments, climate, entertainment and places tolive than in any other state. And you’ll be welcomed withopen arms and minds eager to learn. CalTeach is yourone-stop information, recruitment and referral source forteaching jobs in California. For more information or to viewour online job database, visit www.calteach.com.1-866-CalTeach(1-866-225-8322)of a new era in running our school system. Thedetails of a new blueprint for running our publicschools are still being decided. But, I promiseyou this: the end result will be a system for runningthe schools that puts kids, and parents, first.We’re going to build on what works in ourschools. And a common denominator among allof our city’s most successful schools is strongparental involvement. We’re going to make surethat our schools are safe and orderly. We’regoing to make first-rate education the reasonwhy the city’s 80,000 schoolteachers come towork. And we’re going to overhaul the currentcrazy-quilt system of building, maintaining andmanaging school buildings.“The buck stops here.” That’s the sign thatPres. Truman used to keep on his desk. It was areminder to everyone about who had the ultimateresponsibility for success or failure in runningthe country. For too long it’s been too easyto pass the buck for our failing schools. Not anymore;from now on, the education buck will stophere, at the Mayor’s desk.#A New Era for City SchoolsBy ASSEMBLYMAN STEVEN SANDERSThe new school governancelaw, which SpeakerSilver and I spearheaded innegotiations with theMayor and his top aides, will dramaticallyrestructure the way the school system operates,and I believe it will prove to be a huge victoryfor the children and the future for our schoolsystem.As Chairman of the Education Committee,I worked intensively to negotiate the deal withthe Bloomberg administration to make the newlaw possible. We won a tremendous–—and veryimportant victory—by requiring in law that theMayor, who will now have central but not totalcontrol of the schools by way of appointingthe Chancellor and naming a majority of membersto a newly configured Board of Education(BOE) will be legally bound to sustain, if notincrease, the City’s appropriation for the Boardof Education from one year to the next.Also, I applaud the Mayor for dropping hisinsistence that he be granted absolute control ofthe schools and that there no longer be any formof central board. What we have achieved, in asense, is the best of both worlds: accountabilityplus continued public debate with parentalinput. It was never acceptable to the Assemblymajority that the Mayor—any Mayor—shouldbe given absolute autonomy over education policywith no vigorous public debate. This legislationensures that decisions will be made openlyand in a manner that includes the public andthe voices of parents and the community.Under provisions of the legislation, the Mayorwill have sole power to appoint the SchoolsChancellor, who will head a 13-member BOE,as well as sole power to appoint seven othermembers of the board. The remaining boardmembers, appointed by the borough presidents,must be parents of children currently in publicschool in New York City.This is unprecedented. Never before werethere any qualifications at all for any membersof the BOE, but now at least five —all of theappointees of the borough presidents—must beparents, ensuring that the parents’ voice will berepresented in each and every policy decisionmade by the Board.District superintendents will be appointedby the Chancellor. The board will no longerhave a role in day-to-day management decisionsbut will approve the school system’s budget,capital spending plan and citywide educationalpolicies and standards. The Mayor will alsohave sole control of the School ConstructionChoicesContinued from page 13total UPDRS score. Improvements were notedin quality of life and activities of daily living.Half the patients also demonstrated a reductionof dyskinesia [involuntary movement].”As one for whom the very act of walking hasbecome an extreme trial akin to traversing aAuthority.The plan will eliminate the city’s 32 communityschool boards on June 30, 2003, and theLegislature will hold public hearings in eachborough in the fall to get the input of parentsand communities to ensure their involvementand participation in the development of a newgovernance system at the community level.That process is expected to lead to further legislationcreating some form of local or boroughwideentities that will effectively replace theschool boards. The school governance planalso stipulates that the City may not reduce itscontribution to the education budget from oneyear to the next, except if City revenues decline,which has happened only once in the past 25years. Even then, if the revenue to NYC fromall sources combined drops— excluding Stateand federal aid—any year-to-year budget reductionof City funding for the Board of Educationwould have to be proportional to that drop. So aone percent drop in City revenue could be followedby no more than a one percent cut in Cityfunding for public schools.No Mayor will ever again be able to balancethe City’s books on the backs of our schoolchildrenor respond to a dramatic rise in Stateaid to education by actually cutting the City’scontribution. The Assembly Majority has longbeen dedicated to ensuring that every child inour state receives a quality education, and werecognize that achieving this goal requiresresources as well as partnerships with educators,parents and other community members.We have been successful in our efforts to createa new structure for New York City school governancethat incorporates these principles.Finally, because history has shown that it isessential that we have a chance to review resultsof sweeping governance changes, the new law“sunsets” after seven years, when we’ll have theoption to renew it or make adjustments. We’llsee what will have worked with Mayoralaccountability and what may need to beimproved.With the governance debate over and a newcontract in place between the City and theteachers, it’s time to put the focus back on theclassroom. All in all, I am confident that whatwe’ve achieved will—over time—make a differencethere, where it really counts.#Assemblyman Sanders is Chairman of theEducation Committee. You can contact him atsanders@assembly.state.ny.us or by mail to 201East 16th Street, New York, NY 10003.balance-beam, I read the news release withgreat hope and optimism. I discussed Titan’sspheramine with Dr. Masterman and believethe therapy procedure offers me the best hopeof living a high quality life. I’m bolstered inthis belief by the confidence of the drug companySchering AG, which is pleased withspheramine’s intial trial results and looks forwardto further testing in the near future.#

34To most people R & R means rest & relaxation. ToEducation Update, R & R means Resources & Referencesaround the city. The listings that follow will help you gaingreater knowledge of the city’s enormous and enrichingarray of offerings.BOOKSBank Street Bookstore, 112th St. & Bway; (212) 678-1654Exceptional selection of books for children, teachers and parents.Knowledgeable staff. Free monthly newsletter. Open Mon-Thurs10-8 PM, Fri & Sat 10–6 PM, Sun 12–5 PM.Logos Books, 1575 York Avenue , (@ 84th Street), (212) 517-7292A charming neighborhood bookstore located in Yorkville featuringquality selections of classics, fiction, poetry, philosophy, religion,bibles and children’s books, as well as greeting cards, gifts andmusic. Books can be mailed. Outdoor terrace.HIGH MARKS IN CHEMISTRY1-877-600-7466Over 40,000 books sold. HIGH MARKS: REGENTS CHEMI-ISTRY MADE EASY BY SHARON WELCHER (College Teacher,Chairperson and teacher of high school review courses). This bookis your private tutor- Easy review book for NEW regents (second edition)with humdreds of questions and solutions, Get HIGH MARKS$10.95. Available at Leading book stores or call (718) 271-7466.www.HighMarksInSchool.comCAMPS.Sol Goldman YM-YWHA of the Educational Alliance,344 E. 14th Street, New York, N.Y. 10003,(212) 780-0800The New Town Day Camp, for children ages 2.9-6.0 years, islocated at the Sol Goldman Y of The Educational Alliance, 344 E.14th Street. The camp provides outdoor activities includingrooftop playground and sprinkler time, and indoor fun with music,arts & crafts and drama. Field trips to The NY Aquarium, CP Zoo,and other interesting places play an integral part in the camp program.Call 212-780-0800 Ext. 241. The New Country Day Camp,for children ages 5-11.5 years, is located at the Henry KaufmanCampgrounds in Staten Island. The campgrounds feature twoswimming pools, boating ponds, athletic fields, and hiking andnature trails. Call 212-780-2300, Ext.. 357. The Edgies and TorahTots Day Camps are located at the Educational Alliance, 197 E.Broadway. Both camps are for children ages 2-5 years and provideoutdoor/indoor play, art activities, dramatic play, music, waterplay, trips, picnics, and more. Torah Tots features strong emphasison Jewish practice. Call 212-780-2300, Ext. 360.COMPUTERSDoublecase Corporation1-800-475-0707; www.doublecase.comManufacturers of the Doublecase line of products, the most protectivecarrying cases for laptop computers, PDAs’ and othertypes of mobile technology that money can buy.CONTINUING EDUCATIONJASA , Jewish Association; For Services For The Aged ,132 West 31st Street, 15th Floor, NYC ; (212) 273-5304Sundays at JASA, Continuing Education for Adults 60 and Overat Martin Luther King High School. Call 212-273-5304 for catalogand information about courses.DANCE PROGRAMSNew Dance Group Arts Center,254 West 47th St., NY NY 10036, (212) 719-2733; www.ndg.orgMusical Theater Program for kids/young adults. Dance classes inall disciplines. Teaching/rehearsal space available.Locatedbetween Broadway and 8th Avenue.EDITING SERVICESEditing Services,(212) 423-0965, (646) 479-5433Theses, Dissertations, Manuscripts, Articles and Reports. I’llmake your work look its best and sound its best. Reasonablerates call (212) 423-0965 or (646) 479-5433Ralph W. Larkin, Ph.D.;(212) 889-3428,(800) 352-9139Thesis problem? Help in all phases, academic research, consultingservices. Visit us at www.academicresearchsvc.com.CHILD CAREResource&EDUCATIONAL SOFTWAREInfinity Softworks,(503) 690-3134, www.infinitysw.comManufacturers of Power One Graph, a graphing application foryour Palm compatible PDA designed to duplicate all the functionsof an advanced scientific calculator and more.Sleek Software,(512) 327-5167, www.sleek.comManufacturers of educational titles including Incredible Tutor, astandards-based tutoral software package designed to developreading, writing, and mathematics skills.Webroot Software,1-800-772-9383, www.webroot.comProducers of Childsafe 5.0 and Winguardian, software internet filtrationand monitoring utilities for both school and home.EDUCATIONAL TOYS AND AIDSVanguard Crafts,1081 East 48th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234.Compare and Save on Arts & Crafts Supplies & Group Project Packs, (718)377-5188Our low, low prices, big selection and speedy delivery help you tocreate a fabulous Arts & Crafts program without blowing yourbudget. Start SAVING NOW! Call for a free catalog: (718) 377-5188.GUEST PASSES TO HEALTH CLUBSAmerican Health & Fitness Alliance,(212) 808-0765Be their guest—get the Fitness Access Passbook—swim, exercise,have fun. For $65.00 you’ll get over 200 guest passes to over 75 ofthe best fitness clubs in New York and the tri-state area. Includes NYHealth and Racquet, Bally’s, Crunch, New York Sports, Gold’s Gym,World Gym, all the Y’s, and much more. Call the American Healthand Fitness Alliance at 212-808-0765 (24 Hrs.) to order or for info.Hurry, they’re going fast!INTERNET SERVICESiParadigms(510) 287-9720, www.turnitin.comPurveyors of Turnitin.com, a web based online service designedto help prevent digital plagiarism in student papers and assignments.LANGUAGESSINGLISH877-375-7464(SING); www.singlish.comBuild Languages The Fun Way! Accelerating language and learningthrough traditional kid’s songs. Visit our website or call: 877-375-SING.MEDICINE & HEALTH SERVICESPsychotherapy, A Jungian Approach,(646) 221-9135• Dreams • Gender • Culture • RelationshipsPaul Stein • Licensed • 30 years experienceHenry Ettinger, O.D., F.A.A.O.,(212) 265-4609Is Your Child Easily Distracted?Concentration is adversely affected by poor visual processingskills. Recent studies show these skills can be dramaticallyimproved (three year + gains in 10 weeks, in some cases) withone-on-one therapy. Dr. Henry Ettinger and staff provide a freescreening for children who struggle with reading. For more informationplease call (212) 265-4609, www. nyvision.orgNYU Child Study Center,550 First Avenue, NYC; (212) 263-6622.The NYU Child Study Center, a comprehensive treatment andresearch center for children’s psychological health at NYUMedical Center, now offers specialized services for attentiondeficithyperactivity disorder, anxiety-related problems, consultationsfor learning disabilities and giftedness, and seminars on parentingand child development. Call for more information.Columbia University - Harlem Hospital Lung CenterDo you have Asthma? Volunteers needed for Asthma study.Harlem Hospital & Columbia University are studying ways toJOBS FOR EDUCATORSManhattanPlacements501 East 79th Street, #6ANY, New York 10021 • (212) 288-3507Claude Kunstenaar, DirectorSylvie Falzon-Kunstenaar, Assistant DirectorA personal and highly effective placementcompany for teachers, administrators& department heads servingNew York, New Jersey andConnecticut independent schools.TEACHERS and ADMINISTRATORSseeking positions in independentschools, please send your resumes.* No fees to candidatesReference Guideimprove the treatment of Asthma at no cost to you. You canearn up to $1100 for participating. Call (212) 939-8360.Weight Loss Study; 1-800-782-2737; www.rucares.orgLose Weight Under Medical SupervisionHealth Overweight Women, Age 20 to 40Join An Inpatient Study on Weight Loss.Work and School allowedRockefeller University HospitalAdvanced Degrees in Medicine, Science, and the HealthProfessions at New York Medical CollegeValhalla, New York; (914) 594-4000; www.nymc.eduSCHOOLSTEEN HELPEffective Affiliated Programs: 800-220-4908• Results backed by a Warranty• Hundreds of Testimonials• Strong Family Values• Starting at $1,990 per monthThe Harlem School of the Arts, 645 St. Nicholas Ave., NYC;(212) 926-4100 ext. 304Learning continues after school at The Harlem School of the Arts,an afterschool conservatory where the arts educate, stimulateand motivate your child. Music, dance, theater, visual arts andmuch, much more!!The International Center in New York; (212) 255-9555Assists international students and immigrants improving theirEnglish and learning American customs/culture. Volunteer conversationpartners needed. Minimum commitment; maximum satisfaction.SPECIAL EDUCATIONThe ADD Resource Center(212) 724-9699, Ext. 59 or (914) 763-5648Practical help for living with attention and related disorders, seminars,courses, workshops and services for children, parents,adults, employers and educators. Call for schedule.The Smith School(212) 879-6354The Smith School, is a fully accredited Regents registered independentday school for special needs students (grades 7 through12) located on the Upper East Side. Our staff is experienced inteaching students with such problems as Attention Disorders,Dyslexia, Phobias and emotional issues. If your child needs anacademic setting, extra attention, close monitoring and extremelysmall classes call The Smith School at 879-6354 becauseBETTER GRADES BEGIN HERE.The Sterling School,(718) 625--3502Brooklyn’s private elementary school for Dyslexic children offersa rigorous curriculum, Orton - Gillingham methodology andhands-on multi-sensory learning. One-to-one remedation is alsoprovided. If your bright Language Learning Disabled child couldbenefit from our program please do not hesitate to contactDirector: Ruth Aberman at 718-625-3502.Windward School, (914) 949-8310Windward is a co-educational, independent day school for learningdisabled students, grades 1–12, located in White Plains, NY.The school selects students of average to superior intelligencewho can benefit from the unique educational approach it provides.Students stay at Windward approximately 2–5 years andthen return to mainstream settings. The upper school is designedto prepare students for a successful college experience.TEACHER PLACEMENTManhattan Placements,501 East 79th Street, (212) 288-3507A personal and highly effective placement company for teachers,administrators and department heads serving New York, NewJersey and Connecticut independent schools.TUTORSKumon Math & Reading Centers,1(800)ABC-MATH www.kumon.comKumon offers students of all ages and abilities a convenient,affordable learning program to build academic skills. Over 100locations throughout New York and Connecticut. For generalinformation call: 1-800-ABC-MATH. Visit our website atwww.kumon.comSylvan Learning,1-800-EDUCATESylvan Learning Centers are the nations leading provider of supplementaleducation. Individualized instruction in reading, mathematics,writing, and study skills and test prep is offered in centersconveniently located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens,and Staten Island. Instruction is offered year-round. Hours areflexible. Contact us today at 1-800-EDUCATE or at www.educate.com.Math TutoringHigh School and Junior High $40 per hour.Two sample hours, nocharge. Call (212) 228-1642 / (917) 297-2389Quick Results TutoringMath, English, ESL and tests for K-12 and College students.Editing, proofreading and writing services (Business/Technologyresearch for businesses and students. 718-466-8073 / gtrzbbi@yahoo.com.VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONSArtWorks,(212) 213-3370Trained volunteers introduce art and architecture to third gradersin public schools in NYC. Each program lasts 6 weeks with 5 sessionsin the classroom and a guided visit to the MetropolitanMuseum of Art to see the works studied. Training and curriculumprovided. All sessions meet during the school day; training in theevening or daytime. 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