More than ever colleges are encouraging students to study abroad to help enhance their education. One local organization is helping students set themselves apart from others when looking for a job.
The Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas provide exchange programs and outreach assistance for American and Nicaraguan students.
"It provides an opportunity for people to have international volunteer experience in relation to areas that they're interested in," says director, Amy Wiza.
UWSP students like Hannah Werner, senior, are able to expand their educations by learning how other people live.
"I did not have a clue how it was going to help my education until I went there and experienced it," Werner says, "Just seeing other cultures, how people live, seeing how much we have here."
Hannah is studying to become a family and consumer science teacher. So working with kids and helping the community grow in Nicaragua has been an eye opening experience for her. She says the language barrier was the most difficult thing to get past.
"To have that barrier, to have that wall in between, to try and teach them something so simple but it takes so much work," Werner says.
But Wiza says the hard work is really worth it, because the trips help students set themselves apart from others with their new cultural knowledge.
"Everyone who has traveled with us has said that is one of the best things I've ever done in my life," Wiza says.
Hannah says the experience will help her become a better teacher, and she has helped the kids she worked with see that there are opportunities beyond their communities.
The program isn't just for students, they've had travelers ages 8 to 80 helping out with a wide variety of community service projects.
jennifer.kliese@wsaw.com
For more information about the exchange, visit their website: http://wisnic.org/
Organization Helps Students Gain Volunteer Experience
High education jobs still growing by Michigan study
If you want a decent economic future, pile on the education.
That's the message from the second annual report by Michigan Future Inc. and a University of Michigan economist on the state’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.
The report found that in the first 13 months of the current recession -- which began in December 2007 but wasn't officially admitted until after the November election -- the United States lost more than 3.75 million jobs in low-education attainment industries, such as manufacturing, construction, retail and hospitality.
However, the economy actually gained 163,000 jobs in high-education attainment industries.
The number of jobs requiring higher education peaked in August 2008, prior to the historic fall 2008 Wall Street meltdown.
“What we found is stunning,” said Michigan Future Inc. President Lou Glazer, who conducted the study with UM economist Donald Grimes. “The trends that we have written about in our previous report have accelerated in the downturn.”
Glazer and Grimes show that the long-term trend is clear: job growth in America is concentrating in the knowledge-based economy.
Employment in low-education attainment industries have grown nearly 16 percent from January 1990 to January 2009, while the number of jobs in high-education attainment industries has grown by 32 percent.
In their report, the researchers analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2001 to 2007 on all 50 states and the 54 U.S. metropolitan areas with populations of at least a million, plus Lansing and Madison, Wis.
They found that the most prosperous places in the country are big metropolitan areas where college educated adults and knowledge-based employers are concentrating. Surprisingly, the largest urban areas not only have the highest proportion of households with incomes of $75,000 or more, but also the smallest proportion of households with incomes under $25,000.
“In a flat world where more and more work can be done anyplace, many predicted an economic resurgence in small metropolitan areas and even rural areas,” Glazer said. “The pattern we found is the opposite.”
Glazer and Grimes say that high-education industries -- such as information, finance and insurance, professional and technical services, health care and education -- accounted for 60 percent of U.S. job growth from 2001 to 2007. The average wage in these knowledge industries is nearly $59,000, compared to about $33,000 in all other industries.
Unfortunately, Michigan and its big metropolitan areas are lagging in the transition to a knowledge-based economy, the researchers say.
In 2007, the state ranked 33rd in per capita income -- down from 16th in 2000 -- 34th in the proportion of adults with at least a bachelor’s degree and 36th in the share of wages from knowledge-based industries. From 2001 to 2007, Michigan ranked last in both overall employment growth and job growth in high-education attainment industries.
Among large U.S. metropolitan areas, Detroit ranked 25th in per capita income, 36th in college attainment and 37th in knowledge-based industries in 2007. Grand Rapids lagged even more -- 51st in per capita income, 44th in college attainment and 53rd in knowledge-based industries.
The story is pretty much the same for Lansing, which substantially trailed the comparable Madison, Wis., area on all economic metrics.
“What most distinguishes successful areas from Michigan is their concentrations of talent, where talent is defined as a combination of knowledge, creativity and entrepreneurship,” Grimes said. “Quite simply, in a flattening world, the places with the greatest concentrations of talent win. Michigan has lagged in its support of the assets necessary to develop a knowledge economy at the needed scale. Building that economy is going to take a long time and require fundamental change. But we believe it is the only reliable path to regain high prosperity.”
According to the researchers, the plan for economic vitality is clear. Michigan must place a higher value on learning and entrepreneurship; create places where young, talented individuals want to live (e.g., vibrant central city neighborhoods); ensure the long-term success of its higher education system by expanding public investment; transform teaching and learning to align with the realities of a “flattening” world; and develop new private and public-sector leadership that has moved beyond the desire to recreate the old economy and that is clearly focused on preparing, retaining and attracting talent.
Glazer and Grimes caution that Michigan must build a diversified knowledge economy based not only on information technology, the life sciences, alternative energy and green technology, but also on finance and insurance, professional and technical services, health care and education.
They also acknowledge that, while in great decline, the auto industry and other manufacturing will continue to be important to Michigan’s economy. However, good-paying, low-skilled manufacturing employment is no longer the path to prosperity or to a broad middle class.
“There is a widespread concern that the decline of good-paying manufacturing jobs will mean the days of a mass middle class in America are coming to an end,” Glazer said. “Far more likely is a change in the nature of good-paying jobs, not their decline. That middle-class employment in the future will come primarily in the high-education attainment industries.”
The report was released Tuesday and shared with business leaders and officials from Michigan’s University Research Corridor, an alliance of Michigan State University, UM and Wayne State University to marshal their collective resources to transform, strengthen and diversify Michigan’s economy.
At an 11 a.m. news conference at the UM Detroit Center, officials from UM, WSU and Detroit Regional Chamber outlined programs they are undertaking to keep talented young people in the state and encourage entrepreneurism. Glazer and Grimes will share their findings with MSU and state officials Wednesday at the state Capitol.
http://www.wwj.com/
Education needed quality, not quantity
Thai governement needed to take changes just like American education recent effort,thanks to President Obama that suggest increment in education budget to reward good teachers and establish uniform academic standards in America, with all that mentioned by him as 'a relative decline of American education"
Read more...
New spending for education increased
After less than three months, the Obama Administration has approved an unprecedented increase in federal spending for the Department of Education (DOE). But if history is any guide, these spending increases will have little if any positive effect on the quality of American education.
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U.S. Chamber Welcomes Secretary Duncan’s Remarks on Education Reform Funding
The FINANCIAL -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on March 5 welcomed remarks by Education Secretary Arne Duncan regarding the use of stimulus funds to tackle such reform issues as teacher accountability, the expansion of school terms, innovation and evaluation, and tying student achievement to international benchmarks.
“The Chamber has always emphasized that a first class education system is the only way for America to compete and succeed in the global economy,” said Arthur Rothkopf, senior vice president at the Chamber. “We applaud Secretary Duncan for the willingness to meet our current education challenges head-on to ensure every child has the opportunity to achieve the American dream.”
Education reform continues to be one of the Chamber’s top priorities. Nationwide, only about one-third of 4th and 8th graders—and less than 20% of low-income and minority children—are proficient in reading and math. The core ideas the Chamber believes are necessary to strengthen and reform the nation’s education system remain:
1. Changing the way we train, pay and evaluate teachers
2. Giving school administrators greater independence to run their schools
3. Collecting more data to accurately measure results such as teacher performance and
return on investment
4. Implementing more rigorous academic standards and a system to measure whether
schools are meeting them
5. Focusing on innovation and evaluation
“We look forward to working with Secretary Duncan and the Obama Administration on addressing the looming education crisis and making sure education reform comes to fruition,” Rothkopf said.
The Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) promotes high educational standards and effective workforce training systems so that they are aligned with each other and with today’s rigorous business demands.
http://finchannel.com/index.php
The head of the committee in charge of overhauling CORE said he wanted to modernize the university's general education curriculum to give students mor
The head of the committee in charge of overhauling CORE said he wanted to modernize the university's general education curriculum to give students more freedom.
"Nobody likes being told what to do - this is America," said Ira Berlin, who will lead the general education committee. "There are general education curriculums around the country that have been modeled after CORE, but it's been 20 years; things change. We are a very different society and university now. We need our general education to evolve like we have."
Provost Nariman Farvardin named Berlin, a history professor, as chairman of the committee yesterday, ending a lengthy search for the position. The task force was jointly appointed by the provost and the University Senate.
"I really had to twist his arm," Farvardin said. "But we were very persistent, and it paid off."
Berlin said he only changed his mind and agreed to chair the task force after giving the offer long and serious consideration. This reluctance delayed the start of the task force, which was supposed to begin work last semester.
"It's a very big job," Berlin said. "I, personally, would be deeply suspicious of anyone who would take on such a big responsibility on a lark."
Berlin said he ultimately hopes to change undergraduate sentiments to be more accepting of a "new CORE" curriculum. University officials have repeatedly said they want students to view general education courses as more than boxes to be checked off before graduating. Berlin said the decades-old curriculum was rigid and outdated, which causes aversion to the program.
"We're going to try to provide students with options," Berlin said. "There's not just one way of doing general education and we'd like to try to think of different possibilities instead of a one-size-fits-all approach."
Farvadin added that though the task force would be looking at and revamping the content of CORE, he hopes they also consider how such education is "delivered" to students, citing smaller class sizes and attracting the best professors on the campus to teach general education courses as key means to this end.
"I want all of the university to participate in general education - especially our best teachers," Farvardin said. "I hope [the task force] will come up with powerful ways to better this program."
Giving general education courses smaller class sizes and prominent professors was also a goal of the Pease Committee, which created CORE two decades ago. However, many of its recommendations were subsequently ignored.
Criticism from sociology professor John Pease, who chaired the commission, as well as fellow Pease Committee members Danny Gulick, a math professor, and Maynard Mack, an English professor, was part of the reason the original plan to overhaul CORE was delayed and the task force was created. Along with other faculty members, Pease, Gulick and Mack said the original proposal focused too much on current issues and not enough on broad philosophical issues students would not likely otherwise consider. In contrast, administrators said the focus on current issues would make students more interested in the classes.
The committee, consisting of 17 professors and administrators and two undergraduates, will begin to meet weekly after spring break, officials said. The provost has set a deadline of the end of fall 2009 for the task force to deliver its report and said the university will begin implementing the new recommendations as soon as the report is filed.
"We would like to move forward with this as soon as possible," Farvardin said. "The budget might be tight right now, but already we have resources behind the existing CORE program that we can use. I don't have any more worries. I am completely focused on the implementation of the strategic plan.
"I consider general education - CORE - a very important thing that separates this university from others," he added. "We want to pay special attention to this distinguishing program and better it, to give students the tools they really need to be successful, no matter what they do in life."
University officials said Berlin was the obvious choice to chair the committee, citing his experience, clout, enthusiasm and familiarity with undergraduate education as key factors in his appointment.
"He'll be very good as chair," Senate Chair Ken Holum said. "He's very enthusiastic about it, and everyone is really very happy. He's absolutely the right person for the job."
"CORE has been around for almost 20 years," Berlin said. "There are a lot of Terps out there who have been affected by CORE. And I think that if the new general education curriculum will be just as influential, it should be something that students embrace. And maybe if 20 years from now, students came back and said, 'You know, that was really important,' we could really feel like we accomplished something."
Marissa Lang
langdbk@gmail.com
International universities: Long-distance relationships
Colleges and teaching-led universities call for more recognition of their overseas ventures
Five vice-chancellors accompanied Gordon Brown across the globe this time last year on a mission to foster stronger higher education links with India and China. But the trip seems to have done little for relations with some of their colleagues back in the UK.
The fact that the prime minister took the leaders of five research-led universities with him, rather sthan a group reflecting a wider mix, clearly still rankles with some of their counterparts in the teaching-led universities.
That episode typifies a level of ignorance in the government and civil service, according to Professor Les Ebdon, vice-chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire and chair of Million+, a higher education thinktank subscribed to by 28 post-1992 universities.
"We often find that ministers don't recognise fully the range of international activities that universities are involved with," he says. "And in particular there is maybe a perception that only certain universities are engaged."
Nottingham Ningbo
He says that whenever he brings up the topic of "transnational education" - the growing phenomenon of UK institutions running courses overseas - the immediate response from politicians or officials is: "Oh yes, we know all about that". And then they mention University of Nottingham Ningbo.
Nottingham was the first foreign university to establish a campus in China. "The Nottingham partnership is very famous, and rightly so, but that's just a few thousand students," Ebdon says. "The concern after that trip to China and India was that it only reflected links with the most selective universities.
"What we are trying to do is remind ministers of the range of activity and to convey to them that the idea that you can supply the Chinese market from a handful of universities is laughable."
Now the newer universities may have what they need to get their message across. Today, at a conference in London entitled International Higher Education Partnerships, Million+ will unveil a report that shows for the first time, it claims, the range and richness of the international partnerships in which its 28 subscriber universities - 24 in England, four in Scotland - are engaged.
It was already known, the report says, that these universities were between them teaching more than 70,000 international students on their UK campuses. The survey therefore focused on the range and extent of international partnerships, and looked at transnational education in particular.
This chimes with the second phase of the Prime Minister's Initiative (PMI), a programme launched in 1999 as a five-year strategy to increase the number of international students in the UK. PMI2 began in 2006. It aims to boost the numbers of overseas students by a further 100,000 - 70,000 of them to higher and the rest to further education. It also intends to beef up the numbers of partnerships between institutions in the UK and abroad, and lists 24 countries where it wants particular efforts made.
But however clear these aims are, the UK is not best geared to achieve them, says Pam Tatlow, chief executive of Million+. "In comparison to Australia, the UK still lacks a comprehensive approach to international HE," she says. "This has resulted in a default position that has reinforced presumptions and hierarchies."
The government, its agencies and universities themselves need a co-ordinated strategy if the UK is to build on the successes revealed in the survey, she says.
The University of Bedford set up one of the first transnational programmes 10 years ago with the Chinese Agricultural College in Beijing, says Ebdon. Since then, the survey informing the Million+ report has identified a broad spread of partnerships for teaching, knowledge transfer and research in more than 70 countries. Its compilers estimate that more than 50,000 non-UK students are studying on higher education-level programmes overseas, yielding an estimated £47m.
"We also estimate that the inflow of international students to the universities is bringing at least £0.6bn to their local communities," the report says. Overall, says Ebdon, the direct benefits to the UK economy of international education are estimated at £5bn.
"There's no way you could make that £5bn if it were only the Russell group universities involved," he says. "Take China, with its thousands of universities. There's no way that a partnership of a very small group of universities can really offer benefit to China or, for that matter, offer the same kind of benefits to UK plc."
In a curious echo of this, further education colleges are arguing that the university sector on its own is not going to gain maximum benefit for the UK from transnational operations - a view supported by the British Council.
Under-appreciated
Like the teaching-led universities, colleges feel that the extent of their global involvement has been under-measured and under-appreciated by the government. "The emphasis has always been on universities and international students," says Geoff Pine, principal of Greenwich College and chair of the British Council's vocational education advisory forum.
Only in the last three or four years has the British Council woken up to the strength of demand for vocational education in developing economies, he says. The Association of Colleges is due to publish a report shortly showing for the first time the true extent of UK further education's international operations.
Universities in emerging economies often run the sorts of courses that would be found in FE colleges in the UK, says Julia Smith, the British Council's regional adviser on vocational education. But, she adds: "The customer might say, 'we're only prepared to deal with a university', but the university doesn't necessarily deliver the package in the end." For this reason, universities should be encouraged to form partnerships with colleges, Smith says.
A collaboration between a UK university and college could more closely match the demand from an institution in an emerging economy than either on their own, she says. "If the customer needs one institution that teaches everything from low-level technical stuff right through to master's degree-level or a PhD, there is no one institution over here that can do it," she says. "A partnership might be the answer."
Pine says one thing that better FE/HE partnerships will not be able to mend is the damage done by the "points-based system" that now governs the entry of migrants to the UK from countries outside the European Union. This means that anyone wanting to come here to study level 1 or 2 courses (the most basic) will not be able to rack up enough points to qualify for a visa. Points effectively begin when people apply to do level 3 courses (an A-level or its vocational equivalent), he says.
Peter Kingston
FAMU administrators plan to cut millions from their budget
Florida A&M administrators are planning for deeper budget cuts going into $10 million to $15 million, according to Chief Financial Officer Teresa Hardee.
Hardee said university administrators met Monday and will continue to meet up to the Feb. 12 board of trustees meeting. Their hope is to have a firm plan in hand to present to university trustees. So far, administrators expect to cut remaining vacant positions.
“Anything coming up we’re not filling it,” Hardee said.
They’re suggesting a five-day furlough for some employees.
“I would think we would put some criteria on that,” Hardee said explaining that not all employees will be required to take the unpaid leave.
And, the third option for the business side of the house is layoffs. Hardee said no number has been discussed yet.
For the academic side of the house, Provost Cynthia Hughes Harris said student numbers will likely have to be increased in classes. Professors will have to juggle more classes.
“We’re going to have to juggle and find that balance between not spending as much money and … maintaining our goals,” Harris said.
Grand jury to investigate Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom
House Speaker Ray Sansom issued a statement declaring his innocence after a grand jury announced that his relationship with a college warranted a criminal probe.
BY ALEX LEARY
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
TALLAHASSEE -- A grand jury decided Monday to launch a formal investigation into Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom and whether his six-figure job at a Panhandle college was payback for helping the school get millions of dollars in construction money over the past two years.
The 21-member panel concluded that Sansom's relationship with the school warranted a criminal probe after reviewing the facts outlined in a series of articles by the Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau.
Many of the stories focused on a $6 million airport facility that Sansom added to the 2007 state budget. The school had not requested the money, but agreed to use it for a large building that will provide classroom space for first-responder courses and will double as a staging area for emergency workers in time of disaster.
Questions about the building arose when the Herald/Times reported that it is almost identical to a hangar that a longtime Sansom ally was hoping to build for his private jet business. The college plans to construct it on land it leases from the jet business owner, on the plot of land where he planned to put his hangar.
''We will now begin to bring them evidence and documents,'' including e-mails, budget records and witness statements, said North Florida State Attorney Willie Meggs.
RESPONSE
Sansom, R-Destin, quickly issued a statement Monday declaring his innocence.
''I have acted honestly in all matters, including in my work as a state legislator,'' he said. ``The complaints are based on news articles, not personal knowledge of the facts. Once the facts are fully aired, I expect the outcome of this inquiry will be positive. I will cooperate fully and look forward to a speedy conclusion.''
The investigation is likely to cast a shadow over the Capitol through most of the Legislature's regular session, which will begin March 3. The grand jury does not meet again until mid-February, and Meggs said it could take several months to reach a resolution.
Also Monday, the House Rules Committee announced it would appoint a special investigator to look into the same reports after a voter made a formal complaint about the issue.
Sansom, who recently hired a criminal-defense attorney, took an unadvertised $110,000-per-year job as a vice president of Northwest Florida State College on the same day in November that he became House speaker. He announced several weeks ago that he was resigning the college job effective Saturday.
EDUCATIONAL USE
Sansom defends his record, saying that all the money the school got was designated for educational use and could not have been used on other state needs. He also noted that the final budget for 2007 and 2008 is, like every other budget, a public document that anyone can read before the Legislature approves it.
Grand jury investigations of state lawmakers are rare. The last time a sitting House Speaker was the subject of a grand jury probe was 1991, when Rep. T.K., Wetherell, D-Daytona Beach, was one of more than two dozen lawmakers accused of accepting trips from lobbyists and not reporting them. The prosecutor: Willie Meggs. Wetherell pleaded no contest in Leon County Court to misdemeanor charges.
HOUSE RULES
Sansom also faces a review of whether he broke House rules. Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, who oversees the House Rules & Calendar Council, said he was recommending that a special investigator look into a citizen complaint that alleges Sansom violated a rule saying public office ``is a trust to be performed with integrity in the public interest.''
Galvano could have asked for a legislative panel to determine whether there was probable cause, but said an independent investigator would provide more objectivity.
Legislative reaction was mixed Monday.
''What's sad is that this is all going on while we go into a session with a $4 billion deficit,'' said Rep. Scott Randolph, D-Orlando. ``It makes it very difficult for him to have the authority that he needs to do to get things done in the House.''
Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa expressed confidence in Sansom. He said it was normal for ranking officials to get money in the budget for their districts, adding: ``I don't think his area was unique.''
Herald/Times staff writers Steve Bousquet and Lucy Morgan contributed to this report.
Irony in Madera
A ruling that invalidated how elections were held for the Madera Unified School District's board may end up making Latino representation harder.
In the long struggle to ensure voting rights for minority groups, a recurring battle has been the one to replace at-large voting systems with district-based systems. At-large systems -- in which each candidate for, say, city council or the local school board is elected by all the voters, rather than by voters in smaller districts -- have long been known to dilute the votes of minorities.
Beginning decades ago in the Deep South and moving on to other communities where voting is racially polarized, the Justice Department and civil rights groups have asked courts to dismantle these systems and to draw smaller districts that allow geographically concentrated ethnic and racial groups a voice in local elections. Lo and behold, African Americans, Latinos, Asians and others have been elected to city councils and school boards and water districts that never had nonwhite representation before.
In California, this is still a significant issue. About 92% of the state's school boards use at-large voting, as do many city councils and other local boards. The California Voting Rights Act, signed into law just seven years ago, does not allow such systems if there is evidence that they "impair the ability" of a minority group to influence the outcome of an election. We support efforts to ensure a voice for minority groups that traditionally have been underrepresented.
But it is not always so straightforward. Consider the case of the Madera Unified School District. Madera's student body is more than 80% Latino. Yet there is only one Latino on the school board. Some of this disparity can be explained by the fact that many of the community's voting-age Latinos are not citizens. But even after subtracting them, there are still an awful lot of eligible Latino voters in Madera.
In August, the San Francisco-based Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights sued the school district on behalf of three students, arguing that its voting system violated the California Voting Rights Act. A judge agreed, nullifying the upcoming election, and the district subsequently promised to dismantle the at-large system.
Here's the complication: Eligible Latino voters are no longer a minority in Madera. According to documents submitted to the court, they now hold a small majority.
So how can they have been disenfranchised? At-large systems work to the advantage of majorities -- even slim ones. Today, the real reason Latinos cannot successfully elect candidates is that they are not registering and turning out to vote in high enough numbers. That's unfortunate, but it's not the fault of the at-large electoral system. Instead of a court stepping in to "protect" them, maybe what theyneed is more community organizers to register voters and to turn them out on election day -- along with more laws aimed at making voter registration quick and easy.
These are tricky issues. We don't want to see groups disenfranchised, but we don't want to encourage unnecessary social engineering either. Civil rights lawyers note that as recently as 2000, Latinos constituted just 44% of the total eligible voters in Madera, and argue that the reason they aren't voting at full strength is because historic patterns of discrimination have convinced them that they can't achieve much through the electoral system. That may be true, but we remain dubious that once a group is in the majority, it still needs the government's protection.
There are two ironies here. First, the creation of district systems works to the advantage of Latinos today -- but won't for long. As they move from 44% of eligible voters to 51% to even larger majorities in Madera and elsewhere, the district system will work to the advantage of other minorities -- including, interestingly, the new white minority, if it continues to vote along racial lines.
Second, although we think the court stepped in for the wrong reasons in Madera, we actually prefer district-based election systems -- because they do protect minorities, and all minorities deserve a voice.
A Guilty Plea for Failing to Test Youth Helmets Properly
By Alan Schwarz
The former president of a company that refurbished sports equipment for hundreds of school districts pleaded guilty in United States District Court in Newark on Monday to charges that included failure to conduct proper tests on thousands of youth football helmets.
David Drill, the former president of Circle System Inc., of Easton, Pa., acknowledged that his company tested fewer helmets than it was required to under guidelines set by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. While the exact number was not specified in the pleading, an official for the national organization said in an interview Monday that about 4,000 helmets were returned to the field improperly during 2005 and 2006.
Circle System was one of the nation’s largest helmet reconditioners, cleaning and replacing any worn parts in about 300,000 helmets used mostly by youth and high school players at a cost of about $50 a helmet.
To earn Nocsae certification, companies must not only visually inspect the helmets for cracks and other problems but also subject about 2 percent to drop tests in which they are hit with substantial forces from different angles.
Drill, 60, who lives in Easton, was the president of Circle System from 1988 until September 2007, when he left near the beginning of the federal inquiry. Circle System had recently been purchased by Schutt Sports, a prominent helmet manufacturer that was not a subject of the investigation.
In a statement, the acting United States Attorney Ralph J. Marra Jr., said that Drill admitted to submitting hundreds of fake invoices and price quotations, sometimes on competitors’ letterhead; bribing school officials with gifts like golf clubs and clothes, billing the cost back to schools under the guise of professional services; and double-billing, sometimes with knowledge of the school officials involved.
Drill pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
United States District Judge Dickinson R. Debevoise did not schedule a sentencing date because of Drill’s continuing cooperation in the investigation, the United States Attorney’s office said.
Drill’s lawyer, Joseph T. Afflitto, Sr., said through an assistant, “My client accepted responsibility and will cooperate when called upon.”
It is not known whether any players were hurt in a helmet reconditioned by Circle System, which did much of its business in the Northeast.
More than 50 football players ages 12 to 18 have died or sustained serious brain injuries since 1997.
Cuts to state education budget
Nanette Asimov
Saturday, January 10, 2009
What's at stake: Five fewer days of school next year are among the cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to save $5.2 billion from schools, community colleges and preschool budgets this fiscal year and next. Immediately, the governor would eliminate cost-of-living increases for all education programs and defer or reduce other payouts to save $2.1 billion. Another $3.1 billion would be slashed next fiscal year (which begins July 1) by offering just 175 days of school and axing the High Priority Schools program for low-scoring schools, among other things.
Reaction: The proposed cuts "will be catastrophic," said David Sanchez, president of the California Teachers Association. "It's like the governor wants to maintain all the requirements and penalties for schools without providing schools with the funding they need to succeed." State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell called the proposal "devastating." Community colleges would get money for a 3 percent growth in enrollment. Community College Chancellor Jack Scott said the budget "would provide the basic resources needed to keep the doors open."
This article appeared on page A - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Panel to explore why black students lag peers
Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, January 9, 2009
As the upcoming inauguration of the nation's first black president reshapes America's debate on race, the state Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to create an "African American Advisory Committee" to ask why black students lag so far behind their peers.
The committee's race-based mission drew praise as well as criticism and confusion.
"Clearly we need to focus on where the greatest need is, and that's where the greatest need is," said state board member Greg Jones. "Some people might find that a little bit politically sensitive."
Critics questioned the need to isolate one racial group for study when other groups - Latinos and Pacific Islanders, among others - also sit on the wrong side of the achievement gap.
The name suggests the issue is a "black problem," said Fred Harris, director for the Center on African American Politics and Society at Columbia University.
Yet, he said, there are probably systemic problems at play - poverty and low education levels of parents, for example - that may not have much to do with race.
Ward Connerly, a former UC regent and a prominent opponent of affirmative action, said he believes the problem is based on cultural attitudes about education and that creating the committee was a "segregated approach to educating black kids."
"On the one hand it's goofy to be doing this at this point in American history," he said. "On the other hand, we do have a problem."
African American students score lower than virtually every other student subgroup, including English language learners and, in some cases, special education students. More than a third of African American students drop out of high school, according to state estimates.
"I deeply believe that you have to directly acknowledge and focus on the struggles of African Americans if we are going to successfully change the status quo," said state Deputy Superintendent of Schools Rick Miller, who applauded the creation of the committee.
The problem and attempts to solve it aren't new.
Schools have done desegregation; they tried affirmative action. Later, the president promised to leave no child behind. Civil rights lawyers, in the meantime, have sued over inequality in classrooms. And politicians have promised to do better.
Yet even as America is about to swear in its first black president, California has created a committee to ask why African Americans lag so far behind everyone else in school.
Brenda Stevenson, chairwoman of African American Studies at UCLA, said the question is appropriate.
"We haven't solved it," she said. "That's very clear. Everyone knows there's a problem. We have to figure out how to fix it."
In recent years, hundreds of books have been written on the topic of African Americans and public education, yet public officials have tended to shy away from addressing academic achievement in racial terms.
"Everybody talks about this forever," said Jones, president of State Farm Mutual Companies and a Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointee to the state Board of Education. "I want to get focused on solutions."
Jones acknowledged the board could have called the committee something more politically correct.
"That might make people feel a little bit better," he said. "But we know that African American students are suffering. They are being challenged."
The committee will include researchers, parents, teachers and community members who can bring solutions to the table, efforts that are already working somewhere, Jones said.
The state advisory group, in name at least, harkens back to a task force created by the Oakland Unified school board a little more than 10 years ago.
The Oakland Board called it the Task Force on African American Students.
The committee came up with a new approach to black students: Ebonics. It encouraged the local school board to adopt a language curriculum policy that became the subject of national ridicule.
"That's not going to happen," Jones said laughing at the comparison. "I assure you."
The 11-member state Board of Education is appointed by the governor and serves as the governing and policymaking body of the California Department of Education. The vote to create the committee was 9-0.
E-mail Jill Tucker at jtucker@sfchronicle.com.
This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
New York Law School Announces New Master's Degree in Real Estate Law
New York Law School, one of the oldest independent law schools in the nation, today announced that it will offer an LL.M. degree in Real Estate Law, the only program of its kind in New York City and one of only four in the nation, to begin in the spring 2009 semester.
"The program will allow our students the opportunity to learn about real estate in the real estate capital of the United States," Dean and President Richard A. Matasar said. "With the launch of the Law School's Center for Real Estate Studies last year and the addition of four wonderful real estate experts to our faculty, New York Law School is developing a leading presence in the area of real estate law."
The degree will initially offer two concentrations: one in Finance and Development and the other in Public Policy and Regulation. The program will help students develop the skills needed to excel in transactional practice or governmental affairs related to real property development, and provide them with a rich understanding of the interrelated legal issues, business principles, and policy concerns involved in real estate transactions, development, and financing. The LL.M. is designed to be flexible, allowing full-time students to complete the 27-credit program in one year, while part-time students can be enrolled in the program for up to four years.
The program will be directed by Professor Marshall Tracht, a real estate expert who was recruited from Hofstra Law School to develop the LL.M. degree at New York Law School. Along with Professor Tracht, the Law School has hired three other leading property and real estate professionals to help develop the School's real estate programs: Professor Richard H. Chused from Georgetown University; Professor Gerald Korngold from Case Western Reserve University; and Professor Elise Boddie from Fordham Law School.
New York Law School's LL.M. program will offer a wide array of courses taught by a mix of full-time faculty and leading practitioners from the New York City bar, and will emphasize business knowledge and skills such as contract negotiation and drafting, as well as more traditional study of legal principles. In keeping with its focus on the challenges and opportunities of practice in the real world, it is the only program in real estate law to require a course in the complex ethical issues surrounding real estate practice, business, and regulation.
"The LL.M. in Real Estate is part of New York Law School's continuing emphasis on developing innovative programs that prepare students to excel in the practice of law," said Professor Tracht. "By allowing students to study advanced topics in law, business, and regulation, and to develop their professional skills through close instruction from leading members of the real estate industry, the LL.M. curriculum will provide the tools needed to practice law at the highest levels, or to make the transition from legal practice to a career on the business side of real estate."
The creation of the new LL.M. degree comes a little more than a year after the Law School launched its seventh specialized academic center, the Center for Real Estate Studies, dedicated to the study of both the private practice of real estate law and the public regulation of real estate. The Center is led by Professor Andrew R. Berman. The Center and the LL.M. program will be integrated, providing real estate opportunities for J.D. and LL.M. students, as well as events for alumni and the real estate community at large. The LL.M. program will also draw on the offerings of the law school's Center for New York City Law, run by Professor Ross Sandler, which offers unique courses and programs on governmental policy and land use in NYC.
The primary faculty members affiliated with the new LL.M. program are Professors Berman, Boddie, Chused, Korngold, and Tracht.
Professor Berman, formerly a partner with Sidley Austin Brown & Wood's New York Real Estate Group, spent nearly 15 years in private practice prior to joining the Law School. He has represented clients in all aspects of commercial real estate finance, including complex financing transactions such as mezzanine loans, preferred equity, and financing intended for securitization markets. He has extensive experience in real estate development projects, the sale and acquisition of real property and mortgage loan portfolios, and complex commercial leasing. He has been teaching at New York Law School since 2002. Some of the courses he teaches are Landlord-Tenant Law, Cooperatives and Condominiums Law, and Real Estate Transactions and Finance.
Professor Elise Boddie joined New York Law School this past year. Most recently, she was Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Fordham Law School. Her expertise includes land use planning and state and local governmental law. Prior to joining Fordham, she was an Associate Director of Litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund. She also worked at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, where she practiced corporate litigation.
Before joining the New York Law School faculty this past fall, Professor Richard H. Chused was Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. He is an expert on an expert on property law, law and gender, copyright law, and cyberlaw. His recently published work includes a work on the treatment of the poor in American landlord-tenant law, a lengthy history of the famous landlord-tenant case Javins v. First National Realty Corporation, and a history of landlord-tenant court in New York City at the turn of the twentieth century.
Professor Gerald Korngold also joined the Law School this past fall, from Case Western Reserve University, where he was a professor and served as Dean from 1997 to 2006. He was a professor at New York Law School from 1979 to 1987 and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 1984 to 1986. In addition to many articles, he is the author of Private Land Use Arrangements: Easements, Covenants, and Equitable Servitudes (2004); co-author of two casebooks, Real Estate Transactions (2004) and Cases and Text on Property (2004); and co-editor of Property Stories (2004).
Professor Marshall Tracht will direct the LL.M. program. He teaches Bankruptcy, Real Estate Transactions and Finance, and Advanced Real Estate Financing. He is co-author of a leading textbook on real estate law, a member of the editorial board of The Banking Law Journal, a contributing editor to the Real Estate Law Report, and has written extensively in the areas of real estate development and construction financing, workouts, and bankruptcy. He is also the co-author of Land Transfer and Finance: Cases and Materials. Before going into academia, Professor Tracht practiced in the real estate and bankruptcy groups at Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington, D.C., and clerked for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia.
For more information about the LL.M. in Real Estate Law, please visit http://www.blogger.com/www.nyls.edu/realestate
Only 3% who barely pass math reach 20 on ACT
Only 3 percent of Chicago students who just barely pass the state's eighth-grade math test go on to hit at least a 20 on the ACT -- a score that could open the door to several state universities, a new University of Chicago study released today found.
Eighth-graders who want a solid shot at college need to do more than just pass the state math test; they need to score well into the "exceeding" state standards category, the study by the U. of C.'s Consortium on Chicago School Research indicates.
The study tracked 40,000 Chicago Public School students who took the Illinois Standards Achievement Test as eighth-graders and went on to take the ACT college admission exam in 2005, 2006 or 2007 as part of their junior-year state test.
It examined which CPS students made it to a 20 on the ACT -- a score CPS has set as a districtwide goal. In 2008, the average CPS graduate scored 17.7 on the ACT compared to 20.5 statewide.
John Easton, director of the U. of C. Consortium, was stunned to find that only 3 percent of CPS eighth-graders who hit the minimum passing score -- called "meeting state standards" -- in the math ISAT later scored a 20 on the ACT.
"I can't tell you how many times we checked to make sure it was right," Easton said.
At the very highest end of the "meets" category, the chances of making a 20 on the ACT rose to 56 percent, Easton said. Most CPS students in the "meets'' category were in the low to middle range. The average CPS "meets" student scored only 17.5 on the ACT.
Those who just made it into the "exceeding" state standards pool had a 62 percent shot of getting at least a 20 on the ACT.
Easton said the standards the eighth-grade exam tests may be too low for college-bound students.
State Schools Supt. Chris Koch said passing ISAT should reflect hitting grade level. However, he noted that several districts have complained that some eighth-graders who pass their ISATs need remedial help once they reach high school.
A recent study by the non-profit Achieve Inc. found many of the Illinois learning standards that ISATs and Illinois junior year exams test lack precision and suffer from "key gaps" in areas that "are essential for student success in college and the world of work." As a result, Koch said, the state has joined the American Diploma Project to compare its standards with national and international ones
BY ROSALIND ROSSI Education Reporter
www.suntimes.com
African-American enrollment increases in University of Michigan freshman class
After falling for several years, enrollment of African-American freshmen has rebounded at the University of Michigan, while two other underrepresented groups - Hispanics and Native Americans - dropped this year.
New enrollment numbers released today by U-M for the fall 2008 freshman class offer a mixed picture of how the voter-approved constitutional amendment banning affirmative action has affected university admissions.
The class includes 374 American-American students, an increase of 40 students over last year. The total is 6.8 percent of the freshman class, up from 5.8 percent last year.
The 199 Hispanic freshmen make up 3.6 percent of the class, down from 4.7 percent last year. The 31 Native American students make up 0.6 percent of the class, a slight drop as a percentage of the class.
As a percentage of the class, enrollment of underrepresented minority students, including black, Hispanic and Native Americans, dropped slightly.
"While we are pleased with holding our own with regard to enrolling underrepresented students, we cannot become complacent in our diversity efforts," said U-M President Mary Sue Coleman in a press release. "There is still much work to do."
The freshman class this fall includes 5,783 students, smaller than last year's. That includes international students and those who did not indicate their race.
White student enrollment, at 3,796, increased by 55 students. Enrollment of Asian American freshmen, at 686 students, decreased by 71.
This was the first class admitted entirely under a race-neutral system mandated by a voter-approved constitutional amendment in 2006. It took effect midway through the admissions cycle used to admit last fall's freshmen class.
"Underrepresented minority student enrollment has plummeted at several major public universities operating under similar laws in other states," said Senior Vice Provost Lester Monts. "We have worked hard to reach out aggressively to prospective students, to be sure they are aware of U-M's ongoing commitment to diversity."
by David Gershman - The Ann Arbor News
University of Arkansas' Free Fall Festival of the Arts Kicks Off Nov. 3
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Free Fall Festival of the Arts committee is pleased to present this year’s fall programming with a kickoff event in the Arkansas Union Connections Lounge with live art, free food and more, 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3.
The committee would like to invite everyone in the community to attend the various concerts, theatre productions, exhibits, readings and special performances that talented students and faculty produce throughout the year. On average, the university offers more than 300 concerts, eight main stage drama productions, and 10 art exhibits each year. The majority of these are free, or offered at a very affordable cost.
The university is proud to collaborate with the Walton Arts Center for this endeavor. The center offers an amazing number of diverse events in the arts throughout the year. Members of the festival committee hope the Fayetteville campus and community will enjoy themselves as they discover the myriad pleasures that the arts offer. The committee urges community members to explore the various festival offerings and join the campus in celebrating the value and the vitality of the arts. For a full schedule of events please call Natalie Feldman at 479-575-2240.
Monday, Nov. 3
12:30 p.m. — Living Sculpture Live Art in the Arkansas Union Connections Lounge
8 p.m. — Student Ensemble: Percussion Ensemble Recital. Walton Arts Center. Admission will be $10 for the general public, $5 for senior citizens and $1 for students.
Nov. 3-26
“2008 Small Works on Paper” will be presented in the Fine Arts Center Gallery.
Wednesday, Nov. 5
8 p.m. — Special screening of the silent film Redskin (1929), by director Victor Schertzinger, in honor of the University of Arkansas 15th annual Native American Symposium.
8 p.m. — Faculty Recital: Lyrique Quintet Recital. Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, Fine Arts Center.
9 to 11 p.m. — Pentomino Jazz Lecture in the Arkansas Union Connections Lounge, sponsored by University Programs
Thursday, Nov. 6
7 to 9 p.m. — J.W. Baz Slam Poet in RZ’s, sponsored by University Programs
Friday, Nov. 7
8 p.m. — Choir Concert: “Faure Requiem” Concert. Schola Cantorum, Concert Choir, Master Chorale and UA Children’s Choir. Walton Arts Center. Admission will be $10 for the general public, $5 for senior citizens and $1 for students.
Saturday, Nov. 8
7:30 p.m. — Choir Concert: Inspirational Singers Concert. Walton Arts Center. Admission will be $10 for the general public, $5 for senior citizens and $1 for students.
Sunday, Nov. 9
3 p.m. — Faculty Concert: A Nonet Concert. With UA faculty and guests. Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, Fine Arts Center.
7:30 p.m. — Symphony Concert: Wind Symphony and University Symphony Orchestra Concert. Walton Arts Center. Admission will be $10 for the general public, $5 for senior citizens and $1 for students.
Tuesday, Nov. 11
7:30 p.m. — Band concert Band spectacular. Walton Arts Center. Admission will be $10 for the general public, $5 for senior citizens and $1 for students.
Thursday, Nov. 13
8 p.m. — Guest Artist Recital: Vitaly Margulis Piano Recital. Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, Fine Arts Center.
Monday, Nov. 17
10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. — International Bazaar in the Arkansas Union Connections Lounge. Sponsored by International Students and Scholars.
Thursday, Nov. 20
5 p.m. — Christopher B. Crosman, chief curator of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, will present an update on the museum’s art collections in Fine Arts Room 213.
6 p.m. — Sam King Reception Thursday in the Anne Kittrell Art Gallery
7 p.m. — Student Ensemble Recital: U of A Saxophone Chamber Ensemble Recital. Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, Fine Arts Center.
Friday, Nov. 21
7:30 p.m. — Student Ensemble Recital: UA Jazz Ensemble Recital. Arkansas Union Theater.
Monday, Nov. 24
7:30 p.m. — Faculty Recital: Boston Mountain Brassworks Recital. Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, Fine Arts Center.
Contact
Scott Flanagin, director of communications and outreach
Division of Students Affairs
479-575-6785, sflanagi@uark.edu
Natalie Feldman, graduate assistant, Free Fall Festival of the Arts
University Programs
479-575-2240
Daily Headlines - University of Arkansas
Kiplinger's declares UW-Madison a top value
Business magazine Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked the University of Wisconsin-Madison No. 14 in a national ranking of the best values in American public universities.
Kiplinger.com analyzed records for about 120 universities, focusing on measures of academic quality, overall cost and financial aid availability. For example, the magazine looked at standardized admission test scores, student-faculty ratios and overall graduation rates to determine quality, while focusing on tuition, available need-based assistance and average debt after graduation to determine affordability.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was deemed the nation's top value among publics. UW-Madison is the highest-ranked Big 10 campus, followed by Michigan (26th), Ohio State (27th) and Indiana (40th). UW-La Crosse (38th) and UW-Eau Claire (65th) also made the list.
UW-Madison ranked 14th in affordability for in-state students and 15th overall for non-resident students.
by Brian Mattmiller
http://www.news.wisc.edu/
