Education Expert: Passion Key To Academic Achievements

By Sam Wechsler - Talk Radio News Service

Harlem Village Academies (HVA), a charter school in New York City, recently set a New York state record for academic achievement with 100% of their eighth grade students passing mathematics. In addition 100% passed science, 92% passed reading, and 96% passed social studies.

Deborah Kenny, founder of HVA, discussed their formula for success Monday morning with former NFL star and HVA board member Tiki Barber at a charter school convention in Washington, DC.

Kenny highlighted autonomy and passion as characteristics of teachers at HVA. “In our schools, the more we trust our teachers, the more we give them a voice in decisions ... the more we give power to our teachers and trust them, the more they are on fire,” said Kenny.

In addition to having passionate teachers, she also stated that the school spends the vast majority of its time dedicated to reading, helping the kids fall in love with it rather than focusing on the technical skills required.

“A passionate teacher creates a passionate learning environment,” Kenny said.

Latinos: The Sleeping Giant?

By Celia Canon- Talk Radio News Service

The U.S is not responding to the needs of its Hispanic citizens even though the population of Hispanics college students in the US rises and many industries are gearing their marketing toward this changing demographic, according to former director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Henry Cisneros.

Cisneros, now Executive Director at CityView and author of “Latinos and the Nation’s Future”, gave a speech on” Latinos and the Nation’s Future” today at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

“A very interesting phenomenon will be the growth of the second generation of Hispanic immigrants. The Pew Foundation says that this number, which is 11 million second generation Hispanics today, will be 30 million in 2030, so it will triple in 20 years or so,” said Cisneros.

Recently, the nomination of Hispanic judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court has brought many criticisms from Republicans, who argue that she is not being sufficiently patriotic because she pronounces her name with a Spanish accent.The criticism of Sotomayor has renewed the debate on immigration integration.

Tamar Jacoby, President and CEO of ImmigrationWorks USA and co-author of “Latinos and the Nation’s Future”, said “For a long time, people have said that Latinos in American politics were the sleeping giant of American politics... The reason they thought that is because they said ‘look at these people, look at these demographics’... The political participation was below the potential.”

But Jacoby rejoiced of this complete turn for the best which began with the most recent presidential election of Barack Obama, saying that “In November 2004, 7.5 million Latinos voted; In 2008, 11 million Latinos voted.”

As a consequence of this Hispanic political awakening, Cisneros says that “We will see that the make up of community schools and colleges will be decidedly different in the time period we are describing... We will see that in markets as consumer products relate to the reality of these markets.”

Cisneros added that “Many industries view the growth of Latinos and immigration as the principal basis by which they will grow.”

“The sleeping giant woke up,” said Jacoby.

Ed. Sec. Duncan: Unprecedented Money Will Lead to Unprecedented Reforms

By Michael Combier-Talk Radio News Service

The $100 billion given to the Department of Education by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is the most expensive piece of legislation since the G.I. Bill which provided college education for returning World War II veterans. The investment is intended to shore up state education efforts, while saving jobs and encouraging educational innovation with its main objective to provide a better future for the youth of this country and the future generations said Education Secretary Arne Duncan at a press conference this morning.

“It is a time of economic crisis, it is a time of educational crisis and I am convinced we need to educate our way to a better economy. The challenges are real, the challenges are profound,the stakes have never been higher but the opportunity is absolutely once in a lifetime,” said Duncan.

“With unprecedented resources we want to push unprecedented reform,” said Duncan, adding that “we have to get dramatically better if we were to retain our spot around the world as the education leader... By the year 2020, we want to have the highest percent of college graduates in the world.”

To reach this ambitious goal, investments will be made in nearly every level of education. $5 billion will be invested to early childhood education. $30 billion will be invested in higher education. “There are no good dropouts, no good jobs today for high school dropouts... condemning them to poverty and social failure,” Duncan said. $2.5 billion will be dedicated over five years to retain students in higher education, and “the goal is not to go to college, the goal is to graduate,” he said.

These students are "competing with students in India and China for jobs... We have to raise the bar,” said Duncan.

For Duncan,”we cannot go backwards”, the crisis should lead people “to think very differently, to invest differently... and show what the country is possible.”

Lift Off to Better Science Education

By Courtney Ann Jackson- Talk Radio News

A boost in math and science education is important for today’s youth according to the Center for Excellence in Education. The Center’s Research Science Institute is the only cost-free for selected students to attend. The Center’s annual Capitol Hill luncheon Tuesday featured an example of the ultimate rise within the sciences field.

The keynote speaker and CEE Trustee was 2006 Nobel Prize Recipient in Physics , Dr. John Mather, who discussed his experiences in the field and his current projects. “I knew from childhood that science was interesting...My parents read to my sister and to me from biographies of Galileo and Darwin,” Mather said.

While discussing the Nobel Prize winners that have helped the Center President Joann DiGennaro said, “they’ve really worked with boots on the ground. They have created. They have been innovated and many of them have come from humble backgrounds.”

New programs from the CEE will help to evaluate the state of skills in American high school students excelling in math and science fields. DiGennaro, said, “We believe we can make a significant difference and we’re not asking the government for the money to do it.”

Honorary luncheon host Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) complimented the CEE’s work of capturing the standard of excellence in education and hard work that are “quintessentially American.”

The Budget: A "Transformative Package"

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

This afternoon, on the eve of President Obama’s 100th day in office, progressive leaders addressed the budget and how it will improve health care, clean energy and education.

The campaign to Rebuild and Renew America Now!, a coalition of 116 national and over 700 state and local progressive, labor and advocacy organizations working together to pass the President’s budget held a press conference this afternoon and said they are confident that Congress will do what is best for the American people, and that is to pass it.

Alan Charney, the Program Director for US Action said that the budget is “transformative.”

“This blueprint totally reverses the failed economic policies of the past and sets us on a road to long term recovery,” said Charney

Tom McMahon, the Acting Executive Director of Americans United for Change criticized the Conservatives and blamed them for leading our nation into one of the most deepest recession in decades.

“Their best and in fact, only prescription for this ailing economy is more and more tax breaks for big corporations that have outsourced American jobs and more tax breaks for multi-millionaires that never manage to trickle down to anyone else and more short change investments in things that will actually grow the economy, like health care and education,” said McMahon.

The coalition members said that a clean energy legislation, health care reform and education are the most pressing issues that they hope the budget will improve.

“Congress now has the choice to stand up for our students and vote for a budget that works or they can continue to play into the pockets of the student lenders,” said Carmen Berkley, the President of the United States Student Association (USSA) and the United States Student Association Foundation (USSAF).

Berkley said that student lenders are ruining credit and dreams of students who are wanting to go to college.

Berkley also said that by eliminating programs that don’t work, like the family federal education loan program, it will put $94 billion more into the Pell grant program for students.

“We know that Congress will make an investment in students this week that works for students and their families,” said Berkley.