Lehman Principal Leaving
The veteran principal of Herbert H. Lehman High School has agreed to step down at the end of the school year, Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein said on Thursday, after investigators found that two of his assistant football coaches had for years been paid overtime wages for time spent at home. The principal, Robert Leder, said he had agreed to retire after 29 years in his post only after Education Department officials said he would otherwise be removed from the school midyear, pending a further inquiry into the payments. According to a report by the special investigation commissioner for the schools, Mr. Leder said that he had approved the off-campus overtime payments, explaining that the assistant coaches were “always working.” But in a telephone interview, Mr. Leder said the report had mischaracterized his statements. He said he had been unaware of the improper payments until the investigation started. June Pinto, president of Lehman’s Parent Association, said her group would continue to press Mr. Leder’s case with various elected officials. “He’s an excellent principal,” she said. “We’re hoping that somebody will be able to help us keep him.”
Panels Approve New Jersey School Financing Plan
By comfortable margins, the budget committees in both the State Senate and Assembly approved Mr. Corzine’s plan directing more money to children who live outside the poorest districts, which now receive more than half of all state aid, in accordance with a court mandate. The plan would also apportion funds to schools based on demographics including family income, population growth, language ability and special academic needs.
Over all, the formula would increase education spending by $532.8 million the first year, with all districts receiving at least a 2 percent increase for the next three years, and some receiving as much as 20 percent more.
The plan will go to the floor of both chambers on Monday, the last full day of the legislative session. But its passage was hardly assured, since several of Mr. Corzine’s fellow Democrats, particularly from urban areas, have promised to reject the new formula for financing unless substantial changes are made.
Over the last two days, Mr. Corzine has met with two Democratic mayors — Jerramiah T. Healy of Jersey City and Cory A. Booker of Newark — who have been among his strongest allies, yet have been sharply critical of the school plan.
Although Mr. Booker said Thursday that Mr. Corzine had given him some reassurances on such issues as improving student performance, he expressed qualms about what he said was the haste with which the formula was being pushed through the Legislature.
“My preference is more deliberation,” he said. “The more deliberation, the better.”
These sentiments were echoed by nearly all members of the Senate budget committee, during the testimony of the education commissioner, Lucille E. Davy.
State Senator Shirley K. Turner, a Democrat from Mercer County who is chairwoman of the Education Committee, was especially curt, noting that all but one of the towns she represents would receive the minimum 2 percent increase.
“They feel that they are being given the shaft,” Ms. Turner said. “I’m in no position to support this school funding formula today.”
But in the end, she was one of four senators to abstain, and the committee approved the measure 7-1, with some changes, including more money for charter schools.
“I really believe this formula is logical, and it’s fair,” said State Senator Barbara Buono, a Democrat from Middlesex County, who sponsored the bill.
The measure was approved on a 9-3 vote in the Assembly committee.
But even if the measure is approved by the full Legislature on Monday, it still requires the approval by the State Supreme Court.
The court has been guiding school financing issues since its ruling more than two decades ago, Abbott v. Burke, found that students in poor and urban districts were not receiving the same education as their counterparts in wealthier ones.
Earlier on Thursday, the proposal cleared another hurdle when Attorney General Anne Milgram released a letter saying that the new formula would not violate the law.
Yet that did not prevent Gary S. Stein, a former State Supreme Court justice who participated in numerous Abbott v. Burke decisions, from warning legislators in a letter that the bill could be “‘one of the most costly and counter-productive votes ever cast by the State’s Legislature.”
School Commendations Come With a Critique
It was supposed to be a day to celebrate the city’s best schools. The schools chancellor, Joel I. Klein, trekked to Public School 46 in Bayside, Queens, to announce that the schools that had received the highest marks on the city’s new school report card were to receive a windfall of extra money.
But when he invited Assemblyman Mark Weprin to the microphone, Mr. Weprin, a Queens Democrat, seized nearly five minutes of the news conference to lambaste the grading system and the Bloomberg administration’s focus on standardized testing to measure achievement.
“Our schools have turned — I know the chancellor is standing here, but — to Stanley Kaplan courses in a lot of ways,” Mr. Weprin said, referring to a large test preparation company.
Lacing his comments with apologies for being “impolite,” Mr. Weprin said, “Too much focus is trying to get the right answers on tests and not enough focus on, in my opinion, on learning. And a good teacher doesn’t just teach how to get the right answers, a good teacher inspires, and a lot of that is being lost in our schools.”
Mr. Klein looked down with a bit of grimace, particularly as parents and teachers who were gathered in the back of the room burst into applause.
“Well, as you can imagine,” Mr. Klein said when he returned to the microphone, “I don’t believe that is an accurate view of what is going on.” He added, “I think learning knowledge is a key part, coupled with challenging our children to think, to be creative and to be imaginative.”
Then, with his voice rising, he added: “And yes, to test them on it, so that you know what they know and what they don’t know. If we don’t do that, we aren’t educating our kids.”
The chancellor did get some support earlier, from Mr. Weprin’s brother David, who represents Bayside on the City Council. He praised the chancellor for “rewarding excellence.” Before the unexpected exchange on testing, Mr. Klein announced that rewards totaling $3.4 million would be distributed to the 134 schools that have received both an A on the city’s report card and the highest mark, “well developed,” in a review by education consultants who visit and evaluate the schools. The reward will amount to $30 per student, so large schools, such as New Utrecht and Franklin Delano Roosevelt High Schools, both in Brooklyn, will receive more than $100,000, while P.S. 46 will get $14,000.
Officials chose to hold the news conference in District 26 in northeastern Queens, partly because parents, teachers and elected officials there had been some of the loudest critics of the new grading system, despite the fact that more than half of the schools in the district had received an A on the city report card — the highest proportion in the city. None of the schools in the district received a mark lower than a C.
Mr. Klein emphasized that it was unusual to give schools more money for performing well, noting that in the past money had been funneled into low-performing schools for years, without producing any improvements.
“Were doing something that’s quite different, and we’re rewarding success,” Mr. Klein said. “I’ve often said we need more money for public education, but we need more money that is spent well and smartly.”
Asked by reporters to respond to Assemblyman Weprin’s comments, the school’s principal, Marsha Goldberg, sidestepped any debate. “What we do here is that we balance,” she said. “I am not going to say that we never do test prep; obviously we do.” She added: “Our children here feel valued and loved. And we celebrate all their successes whether it be academic or nonacademic.”
Mr. Klein, who toured the school before the news conference, emphasized in his remarks that the school did more than the basics, and had robust arts, music and computer programs. In one fourth-grade class, he encouraged students to tell him what they liked about the school. And he seemed surprised when Andrew Xu, the first boy to raise his hand, replied, “They help us get ready for the state ELA test.” Andrew, 9, was referring to the test for English Language Arts to be taken next week by all students in grades three through eight. “They teach us what methods to use and how to write.”
Andrew trailed off as he tried to elaborate, “Oh, I don’t know how to explain it.”
Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a common illness among kids, particularly those under age 12. An itchy rash of spots that look like blisters can appear all over the body and may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms. Symptoms usually go away without treatment, but because the infection is very contagious, an infected child should stay home and rest until the symptoms are gone.
Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Kids can be protected from VZV by getting the chickenpox vaccine, usually between the ages of 12 to 18 months, though sometimes the vaccine is given to older kids, teens, and adults.
A person usually has only one episode of chickenpox, but VZV can lie dormant within the body and cause a different type of skin eruption later in life called shingles (or herpes zoster). Getting the chickenpox vaccine significantly lowers your child's chances of getting chickenpox, but he or she may still develop shingles later.
Symptoms of Chickenpox
Chickenpox causes a red, itchy rash on the skin that usually appears first on the abdomen or back and face, and then spreads to almost everywhere else on the body, including the scalp, mouth, nose, ears, and genitals.
The rash begins as multiple small, red bumps that look like pimples or insect bites. They develop into thin-walled blisters filled with clear fluid, which becomes cloudy. The blister wall breaks, leaving open sores, which finally crust over to become dry, brown scabs.
Chickenpox blisters are usually less than a quarter of an inch wide, have a reddish base, and appear in bouts over 2 to 4 days. The rash may be more extensive or severe in kids who have skin disorders such as eczema.
Some children have a fever, abdominal pain, sore throat, headache, or a vague sick feeling a day or 2 before the rash appears. These symptoms may last for a few days, and fever stays in the range of 100?–102? Fahrenheit (37.7?–38.8? Celsius), though in rare cases may be higher. Younger kids often have milder symptoms and fewer blisters than older children or adults.
Typically, chickenpox is a mild illness, but can affect some infants, teens, adults, and people with weak immune systems more severely. Some people can develop serious bacterial infections involving the skin, lungs, bones, joints, and the brain (encephalitis). Even kids with normal immune systems can occasionally develop complications, most commonly a skin infection near the blisters.
Anyone who has had chickenpox (or the chickenpox vaccine) as a child is at risk for developing shingles later in life, and up to 20% do. After an infection, VZV can remain inactive in nerve cells near the spinal cord and reactivate later as shingles, which can cause tingling, itching, or pain followed by a rash with red bumps and blisters. Shingles is sometimes treated with antiviral drugs, steroids, and pain medications, and in May 2006 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a vaccine to prevent shingles in people 60 and older.
Contagiousness
Chickenpox is contagious from about 2 days before the rash appears and lasts until all the blisters are crusted over. A child with chickenpox should be kept out of school until all blisters have dried, usually about 1 week. If you're unsure about whether your child is ready to return to school, ask your doctor.
Chickenpox is very contagious — most kids with a sibling who's been infected will get it as well, showing symptoms about 2 weeks after the first child does. To help keep the virus from spreading, make sure your kids wash their hands frequently, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom. And keep a child with chickenpox away from unvaccinated siblings as much as possible.
People who haven't had chickenpox also can catch it from someone with shingles, but they cannot catch shingles itself. That's because shingles can only develop from a reactivation of VZV in someone who has previously had chickenpox.
Chickenpox and Pregnancy
Pregnant women and anyone with immune system problems should not be near a person with chickenpox. If a pregnant woman who hasn't had chickenpox in the past contracts it (especially in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy), the fetus is at risk for birth defects and she is at risk for more health complications than if she'd been infected when she wasn't pregnant. If she develops chickenpox just before or after the child is born, the newborn is at risk for serious health complications. There is no risk to the developing baby if the woman develops shingles during the pregnancy.
If a pregnant woman has had chickenpox before the pregnancy, the baby will be protected from infection for the first few months of life, since the mother's immunity gets passed on to the baby through the placenta and breast milk.
Those at risk for severe disease or serious complications — such as newborns whose mothers had chickenpox at the time of delivery, patients with leukemia or immune deficiencies, and kids receiving drugs that suppress the immune system — may be given varicella zoster immune globulin after exposure to chickenpox to reduce its severity.
Preventing Chickenpox
Doctors recommend that kids receive the chickenpox vaccine when they are 12 to 18 months old. The vaccine is about 70% to 85% effective at preventing mild infection, and more than 95% effective in preventing moderate to severe forms of the infection. Although the vaccine works pretty well, some kids who are immunized still will get chickenpox. Those who do, though, will have much milder symptoms than those who haven't had the vaccine and become infected.
Healthy children who have had chickenpox do not need the vaccine — they usually have lifelong protection against the illness.
Treating Chickenpox
A virus causes chickenpox, so your child's doctor won't prescribe antibiotics. However, antibiotics may be required if the sores become infected by bacteria. This is pretty common among kids because they often scratch and pick at the blisters.
The antiviral medicine acyclovir may be prescribed for people with chickenpox who are at risk for complications. The drug, which can make the infection less severe, must be given within the first 24 hours after the rash appears. Acyclovir can have significant side effects, so it is only given when necessary. Your doctor can tell you if the medication is right for your child.
Dealing With the Discomfort of Chickenpox
You can help relieve the itchiness, fever, and discomfort of chickenpox by:
- Using cool wet compresses or giving baths in cool or lukewarm water every 3 to 4 hours for the first few days. Oatmeal baths, available at the supermarket or pharmacy, can help to relieve itching. (Baths do not spread chickenpox.)
- Patting (not rubbing) the body dry.
- Putting calamine lotion on itchy areas (but don't use it on the face, especially near the eyes).
- Giving your child foods that are cold, soft, and bland because chickenpox in the mouth may make drinking or eating difficult. Avoid feeding your child anything highly acidic or especially salty, like orange juice or pretzels.
- Asking your doctor or pharmacist about pain-relieving creams to apply to sores in the genital area.
- Giving your child acetaminophen regularly to help relieve pain if your child has mouth blisters.
- Asking the doctor about using over-the-counter medication for itching.
Never use aspirin to reduce pain or fever in children with chickenpox because aspirin has been associated with the serious disease Reye syndrome, which can lead to liver failure and even death.
As much as possible, discourage kids from scratching. This can be difficult for them, so consider putting mittens or socks on your child's hands to prevent scratching during sleep. In addition, trim fingernails and keep them clean to help lessen the effects of scratching, including broken blisters and infection.
Most chickenpox infections require no special medical treatment. But sometimes, there are problems. Call the doctor if your child:
- has fever that lasts for more than 4 days or rises above 102? Fahrenheit (38.8? Celsius)
- has a severe cough or trouble breathing
- has an area of rash that leaks pus (thick, discolored fluid) or becomes red, warm, swollen, or sore
- has a severe headache
- is unusually drowsy or has trouble waking up
- has trouble looking at bright lights
- has difficulty walking
- seems confused
- seems very ill or is vomiting
- has a stiff neck
Call your doctor if you think your child has chickenpox, if you have a question, or if you're concerned about a possible complication. The doctor can guide you in watching for complications and in choosing medication to relieve itching. When taking your child to the doctor, let the office know in advance that your child might have chickenpox. It's important to ensure that other kids in the office are not exposed — for some of them, a chickenpox infection could cause severe complications.
Reviewed by:
Date reviewed: August 2006
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
Phonics and Whole Language Learning
Children cannot learn to read without an understanding of phonics. All children must know their ABCs and the sounds that letters make in order to communicate verbally. The question in early childhood programs is not whether to teach "phonics" or "whole language learning," but how to teach phonics in context--rather than in isolation--so that children make connections between letters, sounds, and meaning.
Phonics should not be taught as a separate "subject" with emphasis on drills and rote memorization. The key is a balanced approach and attention to each child's individual needs. Many children's understanding of phonics will arise from their interest, knowledge, and ideas. Others will benefit from more formal instruction. There are many opportunities to teach the sound a letter makes when children have reason to know. For example, the first letter a child learns typically is the first letter of her name.
Some teachers worry that encouraging children to learn through experience and invent their own spellings will not provide them with adequate language skills. But literacy is not so much a skill as a complex activity that involves reading, writing and oral language. Ideally, children should develop literacy through real life settings as they read together with parents or other caring adults. Children begin to make connections between printed words and their representations in the world.
Adults should keep in mind that children may learn to read at different paces during kindergarten and first grade. This is true for all children, including those with special needs and those from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. If parents andteachers work together and demonstrate mutual respect, children's learning will be reinforced at home and in the classroom.
How Parents Can Help
Infants
- Talk, read, and sing to infants--they learn from everything they see and hear even in the first stages of life.
- Take your baby to the park, zoo, and the store with you. Bring her attention to objects, signs, and people.
- Always make books a part of your baby's toy selection, even if he enjoys handling books more than being read to. As your child grows, point out pictures of objects and offer their names. Eventually, your child will be able to name the pictures, too.
- Encourage associations between symbols and their meaning--as they get closer to toddlerhood, children may begin to recognize familiar signs for products and logos for cereal or fast food restaurants.
Toddlers
- Help toddlers make the transition from baby talk to adult language by repeating their words and expressions correctly without reprimanding them.
- Let toddlers "read" their favorite picture books by themselves while you remain close by to comment. Or, pause before a familiar word as you read to your toddler, and let her fill in the missing word. This works especially well with rhymes or repeated refrains.
- Provide magnetic and block letters to introduce a toddler to the spelling of his name.
- Before you take your toddler on a new type of outing, read about the events you are about to witness. Talk with your child about the experience, and follow up with further reading to reinforce learning.
Preschooler
- Add new books to your childs collection, but keep reading old favorites. Your preschooler may know them by heart now--this represents an important step in learning about reading.
- Continue to take children shopping with you, and let them help identify products with coupons. Let preschool children join in as you follow a recipe.
- Take books on long trips with you to encourage reading as entertainment.
School-age children
- Continue to read to your child, even if she has learned to read already. Take turns reading pages of your favorite books.
- Encourage story writing by listening to the stories children tell.
- Play word games like Scrabble or Boggle with children and introduce them to crossword puzzles.
Math
It’s the middle of a long, dusty afternoon. Everybody’s tired and hungry, hollering for a snack. You’ve got a bag of goldfish in one hand, and with the other you’re just about ready to give in and turn on the TV.
Unhand that remote! We've got a quick, fun alternative that can keep kids engaged—and reinforce good math learning for your 6-8 year old child, too.
To start, ask your child to sit at a table—inside or outside—and offer a plain sheet of paper and a pencil. Now get prepared for some “goldfish math”! (You can also use small pretzels, crackers, or fruit pieces if that’s what you’ve got on hand). Here are three challenges, easiest first. See which one best fits your child’s level:
- How Many? Tell your child, “You can have any number from one to ten. Show me with your fingers. Now, write how many fingers you are wiggling, and that’s how many goldfish I’ll put on your paper.” Place the goldfish next to the number. In this game, you’re reinforcing a basic concept of early math: the one to one correspondence between objects and numbers in counting. Repeat as long as you can stand it!
- “Password.” Once you see that your child is
fully comfortable with matching numbers and objects, you can move to
short “mental math” math sentences. Say, “Now I’m going to make two
groups of fish. How many in each group? How many all together? Tell me
the total and that’s your password. You get the fish! " Math
specialists call this a “manipulative” activity—you’re using concrete
objects to help kids recognize abstract concepts. Don’t hesitate to use
small numbers in each pile—this helps build fast recognition and
mastery of “math facts.”
- “Make a sentence code.” Say, “Now we put it
all together. Got your pencil ready? I’m going to make two groups of
fish. Write the number for each one. Put a ‘plus’ sign between them,
and an ‘equals’ sign after. How many all together? Write it after the
‘equals’ sign. You’re making a math sentence code! Write it and you get
the fish.” In this activity, you’re helping your child make a
crucial bridge between concrete reality and abstract math symbols for
it. It’s almost impossible to practice this too much. Want to get up
from the table and do something else? Jot some “sentence codes” and
have the kids solve them with pennies or paperclips…or involve older
children by having them come up with the problems. When kids have
figured out the answers, reward them with that many goldfish!
If this sounds different from textbook math, look again: it isn’t. What you are doing is supporting and applying key concepts of first and second grade, topics which underly virtually everything else to come. In fact, teachers use versions of many of these activities in the classroom. When you use them at home, you reinforce more than math: you show your children how learning happens all around and at any time. And while you’re at it, you may even make it through snacktime feeling like you’ve nurtured a young mind without losing your own!
Learning and Thinking Styles
There are approximately 127 different factors identified by researchers
as contributing to "learning styles." When we talk about an
individual's "learning style" we think we're all talking about the same
thing. But, are we really? There is a lot of confusion about
terminology and techniques because we think we're talking about the
same concepts yet we're not. So, hold onto your hats for a whirlwind
tour of "learning styles."
Most individuals develop a preference for one perceptual channel over
another. The vast majority of individuals in our western culture prefer
the "visual" channel. The second most preferred perceptual channel is
auditory. Tactile (touch) and kinesthetic (body movement) are preferred
perceptual channels for a small percentage of the population (sometimes
labeled "learning disabled" due to the fact that schools rarely teach
to their preferred learning styles). Note: "preference" in this case
does not mean a conscious, willful act. It means that for whatever
reason the individual is "wired" in such a way that this perceptual
channel gets "preference" in the brain. The individual learns most
easily via this channel.
10 Signs of a Great Preschool
If your child is between the ages of 3 and 6 and attends a child care center, preschool, or kindergarten program, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) suggests you look for these 10 signs to make sure your child is in a good classroom.
- Children spend most of their playing and working with materials or other children. They do not wander aimlessly, and they are not expected to sit quietly for long periods of time.
- Children have access to various activities throughout the day. Look for assorted building blocks and other construction materials, props for pretend play, picture books, paints and other art materials, and table toys such as matching games, pegboards, and puzzles. Children should not all be doing the same thing at the same time.
- Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day. They do not spend all their time with the whole group.
- The classroom is decorated with children's original artwork, their own writing with invented spelling, and stories dictated by children to teachers.
- Children learn numbers and the alphabet in the context of their everyday experiences. The natural world of plants and animals and meaningful activities like cooking, taking attendance, or serving snack provide the basis for learning activities.
- Children work on projects and have long periods of time (at least one hour) to play and explore. Worksheets are used little if at all.
- Children have an opportunity to play outside every day. Outdoor play is never sacrificed for more instructional time.
- Teachers read books to children individually or in small groups throughout the day, not just at group story time.
- Curriculum is adapted for those who are ahead as well as those who need additional help. Teachers recognize that children's different background and experiences mean that they do not learn the same things at the same time in the same way.
- Children and their parents look forward to school. Parents feel secure about sending their child to the program. Children are happy to attend; they do not cry regularly or complain of feeling sick.
Also ask if the program is accredited by NAEYC. NAEYC accredited programs complete a rigorous self-study and external review to prove that they meet standards of excellence in early childhood education.
Want more information?
Send a self-addressed, stamped, business size envelope to:
NAEYC
Box 517
1509 16th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
You'll receive a complimentary brochure entitled "A Good Preschool for Your Child."
Parent - School Connection
Time and again studies prove family involvement bolsters children’s motivation and learning in school. Peruse our list of helpful articles on homework help and school involvement. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Type it directly into the search bar. With a little focus and a lot of good will, you can make a difference in shaping your child’s education.
