| Dan Walters: Vocational ed conflict heating up
When local dignitaries and the media were invited recently to tour a new high school in Sacramento geared toward students interested in health care careers, it was touted -- with some justification -- as an example of how "career and technical education," the new-fangled name for vocational education, was gaining public and political acceptance. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, trained as a salesman as a high school student in Austria, has made revival of CTE a personal cause. "We must also continue to reinvigorate career tech education," Schwarzenegger told legislators during his State of the State address in January. "I love career tech, love it." Schwarzenegger's crusade is underscored in a new study by the Palo Alto-based Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy.
Special-needs education gets special action
At an organizational meeting Tuesday, those teachers led a discussion with district officials and parents about improving education for students with special needs at Frankfort High School and Second Street School. Cindy Greer, a special-education teacher at both schools and the parent of a special-needs student, said the groups goal is to address key issues for those students, teachers and parents and strengthen the districts program. "We know as parents what its like, we know as teachers what its like, weve seen both sides of the table," Greer said. One of the issues addressed at the organizational meeting formally a Special Student Services Focus Group was professional development or PD. Greer said development shouldnt be limited to teachers and that sessions focusing on how parents can help their special-needs students are one possible avenue the group could explore.
Rowan U. endowment growing by the millions
GLASSBORO Nearly 15 years after a $100 million gift from businessman Henry Rowan ushered in a new era for a college now bearing his name, the endowment and the subsequent benefits being reaped from the historic donation and the dozens of gifts that have followed are continuing to grow. In a recent survey of the top 765 higher education endowments in the country published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Rowan University's Foundation ranked 286th with a June 30, 2006 market value of $147 million, a 7.7 percent increase from the previous year. That number has already grown considerably 12 percent in the months since the figures calculated in the annual survey were compiled. When the board of the Rowan University Foundation prepares to make its annual transfer of funds to the university from the endowment next month, it will be considering withdrawing somewhere between $6 and $7 million from a $167.7 million pot, according to Philip Tumminia, executive director of the foundation.
Misericordia holding free workshop for teachers
The workshop is being presented by John Sumansky, Ph.D., director of the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurship Education at College Misericordia, and will feature Joan Alles, a business teacher, and Susan Ferentino, an economics teacher, both of Lake Lehman High School. It is made possible by a grant from the National Council on Economic Education and is affiliated with EconomicsPA. The workshop is geared for economics, business and career education teachers, and curriculum supervisors and planners. Participants will learn about state academic standards related to entrepreneurship; economic and career education; how a business plan competition can enliven and enrich the classroom; the state economic and entrepreneurship organization's business plan competition; a business plan outline; and what other teachers have said about using the business plan competition in their classrooms.
AES Achieves All-time Low Default Rate
HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Education Services (AES) today announced a historically low draft cohort default rate, which is a direct result of its industry-leading, award-winning default prevention efforts and represents a great savings for taxpayers. AES' draft cohort default rate for the 2005 fiscal year fell to an all- time low of 2.99 percent, significantly below the prior fiscal year national average of 5.2 percent and a 23.1 percent decrease from the 2004 fiscal year rate. "We work to help students achieve a higher education without the burden of unnecessary student loan debt," said Dick Willey, President and CEO of AES. "So when borrowers do find themselves struggling with debt, we help them to avoid the pitfalls of default.
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