2tor, Inc.

Race to the Top Competition Inspires much needed Education Reform

Think this is a bad time to become a teacher? Think again. America is seeing an unprecedented amount of energy being put into nationwide education reform. Through President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment act, billions of dollars are being poured into our public schools in an attempt to revamp and rebuild our way of teaching American youth. Part of this plan was unveiled on November 12^th in the form of the “Race to the Top Competition”.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released the final application of the $4.35 billion incentive based plan. The idea is to reward the states that can best raise student performance and inspire achievement through innovative education reform. “The president said last week that Race to the Top will require states to take an all-hands-on-deck approach,” Duncan said, according to a Thursday press release. “We will award grants to the states that have led the way in reform and will show the way for the rest of the country to follow.”

The plot was fueled by public input, as more than 1,100 people left comments, critiques, and suggestions ranging from a paragraph to 67 pages. Through this feedback, the Department of Education was able to construct a more refined and complete application. States hoping to qualify for the reform reward money will have to have plans approved by the Department and must have no legal barriers to linking student growth and achievement data to teachers and principals for the purposes of evaluation.

Because this grant money is given in the form of a competition, states will have to work hard to separate themselves and create the most progressive reform programs possible. This gives struggling states the chance to revamp and heal internal education programs. Different states are responding differently to the chance of receiving millions in grant money. New York and California, among others, will have to do away with foolish laws that prohibit school districts from linking student performance to teacher pay. This gives our teachers added incentive to do the best they can to raise overall performance.

With more attention than we are used to being poured into education programs, this is as important a time as ever for more people to get involved in teaching America’s youth. Whether or not a state wins the competition, this program is clearly a win-win scenario for our schools and students. Find out what your state is doing to bring education into the 21^st century and how you can help make it happen.

My Teacher, My Hero Hits the Red Carpet

On Tuesday, October 20^th, “My Teacher, My Hero” hit the red carpet at the 2009 Angel Ball. In it’s the sixth go-around, the Angel Ball drew a number of celebrities, attending to show support for Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research and to participate in a night of entertainment and auctioning in order to generate money for the cause. The event, initiated with a gala in 1998, took place in New York City at Cipriani Wall Street.

Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research was launched in response to actress/model Gabrielle Rich Aouad’s struggle with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Following a battle Hodgkin’s disease in 1993 and a period of remission, Gabrielle was diagnosed with AML in 1996. She passed away that same year, but not without bestowing her family with the vision of a better method of treatment for Leukemia and other forms of cancer; one that would not cause the pain and damage of chemotherapy. Her mother, Denise Rich, would start the foundation in 1997 so that her dream could be one step closer to realization.

The gala is an illustrious event that attracts a multitude of big name celebrities and well-to-do guests ranging from Ivana Trump to astronaut Buzz Aldrin who are given the opportunity to enjoy live entertainment and bid on several items up for auction. The items are provided by sponsors and can range from items provided by Audi to Louis Vuitton.

“My Teacher, My Hero” took the opportunity to ask some celebrities walking the red carpet which teacher had the greatest impact on their otherwise well-documented lives, providing rare insight into a source of inspiration for some unusually successful people. Though this is not your everyday, gossip-fueled, fashion obsessed line of red carpet questioning, many stars were happy to oblige with some humorous, interesting, and genuine responses. Among the interviewed celebs were Kathie Lee Gifford, rapper/producer Swizz Beatz, model Bar Refaeli, and radio personality Howard Stern.

Howard Stern, a bit taken aback by the nature of the question: “Did a teacher change your life?”, discussed a professor at Boston University. “Adults never paid any attention to me. There was a guy named Jim Wilcox, a professor at Boston University who was actually very nice to me. He encouraged me to write and I became something of a writer in college…” After finishing, Stern turned in response to a commotion and quipped; “Oh, some controversy, must be my teacher Jim Wilcox!”

Bar Refaeli, Israeli model and 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition cover girl, graced our correspondents with her presence, offering a somewhat unorthodox answer. “Probably my mom, Tzipi. She always taught me to give, and the most important thing is to help other people…[put] yourself out there and you will get twice as much back, it works!”

Mr. Lee taught Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) the virtue of accountability. “If you were bad, you got hit with the ruler…He let me know that you are accountable for every action that you make, and I live by that.” While we do not endorse corporal punishment, the discipline he learned from first grade teacher Mr. Lee is an admittedly invaluable asset.

Finally, the ever-stunning Kathie Lee Gifford paid tribute to the woman who inspired her to develop her gift of communication and presentation in a Maryland state pageant. “It was my senior high school honors English teacher, and she threatened to flunk me if I didn’t enter the Maryland Junior Miss pageant. Now back in 19…70, ehrm…” pausing as she blushes with the realization that she has just all too precisely dated herself, “pageants were not the thing to do…but this teacher said ‘you must, it’s going to take you to the next level…’” Clearly, the teacher saw keenly what was one of the greatest television hostesses in America in the making.

Everybody has a teacher who has taught him or her something invaluable, inspired them to keep trying, or who saw something in them that they could not see themselves. Even celebrities have this source of inspiration and cultivation of talent and virtue. This year, at Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research, “My Teacher, My Hero” was able to give some stars the opportunity to thank that special source, and to give us an inside look at what helped these celebrities rise to a life of limelight and affluence.

Special thanks to Gerardo Velez of Gerardo Velez Productions for giving “My Teacher, My Hero” the opportunity to attend this important event and spread appreciation for our teachers. For a full list of celebrity red carpet videos, visit “My Teacher, My Hero” today.

My Teacher, My Hero: Honoring the Teachers that Have Changed Our Lives

My Teacher, My Hero today announced the launch of MyTeacherMyHero.com, its new user-generated video sharing website that allows users to share stories with the rest of the world about teachers that have changed their lives. MyTeacherMyHero.com is the first web site dedicated to allowing anyone with an internet connection to upload user-created videos that highlight the impact a great teacher can have on the life of a student.

In addition to user-created videos, MyTeacherMyHero.com has interviewed high profile people from celebrities, leaders of the business world, sports stars, and politicians to honor the teachers that helped make them who they are today.

A quote from Alan Mulally, the President & CEO of Ford Motor Company shows just how profound an impact teachers can have on all of us:

Teachers open windows to the world for their students by giving them the tools and desire to discover their fellow humans. It is through this discovery that we learn one of the most important lessons in life — we have more in common than we have differences.

New MAT@USC Website Goes Live

Along with its updated design that offers ease of navigation with a contemporary style, the new MAT@USC Master of Arts in Teaching website has several new features to offer prospective and current students.

Included in these new features is a virtual tour of the MAT@USC program. The tour takes you from the basics of the Rossier School of Education, through specifics about the faculty and curriculum of the program. With a wealth of useful information and some great pictures represnting life at USC, the tour is a great introduction for anyone interested in the program.
Another big addition to the new site is the Inside the MAT@USC Blog. It will offer updates on program related changes as well as information on current events and helpful resources in the education world.

Welch Bets Education Will Thrive Online

According to the Wall Street Journal former GE CEO, Jack Welch, is paying $2 million for a 12% share in the Chancellor university System LLC, which will convert the formerly bankrupt Meyer University of Cleveland into Chancellor University. Chancellor University aims to exploit a rising interest in online education by offering most of their classes online, including an online MBA program.

This news is in line with some notable trends; after years of serving the non-selective, unbranded college-going market, the for-profit schools are muscling into the turf of non-profit schools. And students are increasingly excited about learning online.

Boston research firm EduVentures Inc. estimates that 11% of the roughly 18.5 million U.S. college students took most of their classes online in the fall of 2008, up from 1% a decade ago. Online higher education will generate revenue of $11.5 billion this year, EduVentures says. But “there is a concern about quality,” says EduVentures Chief Executive Tom Dretler, because there’s “much, much less selectivity” of students in the admissions process.

This long standing issue of selectivity and quality has plagued online education programs since the very beginning. The way around it is to associate online education with reputable, competitive universities and rigorous, comprehensive course materials. It’s about offering a brand that people can trust and backing that up with the kind of educational program they would expect from such an institution.

Half the expense of graduate school is the opportunity cost of leaving a job. As students look for the convenience and savings of an online degree, schools with a top-notch program and reputation are poised to benefit. People like Jack Welch jumping into online education provides evidence that this shift is proceeding, and underlines the risks to and potential for existing schools.

USC Goes Beyond Text with its Innovative Online Graduate Education Program

Click here for the article.

Rossier Forms Distinguished Advisory Council to New MAT@USC

Council to Advise Rossier’s Unprecedented Online Master of Arts in Teaching Program to Prepare High-Quality Teachers for High-Need Schools.
Read the Article.

A Fresh Start: Sec. Arne Duncan’s Plan to Revitalize Failing Schools

So goes the saying that you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet. But Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan plans on doing more than just cracking a few eggs. He’s drawing on his experience as the chief executive of Chicago Public Schools where he shut down almost a dozen schools to re-open them with new teachers and administration.
Now, Sec. Duncan plans to take his approach national – citing around 250 schools to apply this reconstitution program. This means thousands of teachers will have to be replaced. Most teachers, despite great protests, are finding jobs in other schools around their area. Duncan, however, claims that this dramatic shake-up is a necessary one in turning around our nations failing schools.
With the infusion of money into Duncan’s budget (almost $3 billion), he might just be able to replicate some of the promising results seen in Chicago. “Another challenge will be recruiting the high-quality educators crucial to helping reconstituted schools succeed.” This is where we come in: it’s time to start training a new generation of highly qualified teachers ready to enter this new educational enviornment and ensure equal opportunity for success across America.

A Solution to the Education Crisis

As debate rages on over how to deal with the economic crisis, another crisis has gone largely unnoticed. According to the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, the entire country is suffering from a shortage of teachers who are qualified and rigorously trained to effect real change, particularly within high-need and urban school districts.
But great teachers can be found anywhere: a religion major, a stay-at-home mom or a Wall Street trader all have potential. So how can we ensure that we are producing a new generation of high-quality teachers?
It is clearly time to consider new options for educating, training and preparing future teachers. This country needs to employ a new generation of learners, wherever they currently may be. The teacher shortage coupled with the current economic crisis makes a great case for the possibilities of an online degree program, especially for those entirely new to teaching.
Emory’s Division of Educational Studies offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program to provide initial certification and accreditation for teachers at the master’s level, a master’s degree in educational studies and a doctorate in educational studies. All of the programs offer scholarships for all students, from 75 percent aid to full-tuition grants. This scholarship program allows students to earn a higher degree or more teaching accreditation without the stress of paying large sums for schooling.
But Emory’s program is relatively small, and for all the qualified teachers who cannot move to Atlanta and put their life on hold to attend school, the options are limited elsewhere. We are restricting our pool of entrants at a time when the nation’s schools need us most.
Online degree programs do exist and offer flexibility, but schools like the University of Phoenix and DeVry University come with doubts of quality and reputation — they are often at least perceived as providing less valuable degrees for the job market. Established and well-reputed universities like Emory have a great opportunity to fill this need for a rigorous and flexible online program.
Other schools have given signs that they are starting to act. A new program from the University of Southern California called MAT@USC, offered by the Rossier School of Education, is an online MAT program that not only educates aspiring teachers, but also provides resources to help students apply for teaching credentials both in California and other states.
Through the use of familiar social media tools and interactive lectures using streaming video, animation and Web 2.0 technologies, MAT@USC has the potential to produce fresh, talented teachers. The program includes job placement, mentorship and tuition reimbursement options for students upon graduation.
The challenge associated with new programs like this one is that students are unable to actively teach in a classroom in addition to watching others teach. Aspiring teachers need those practical, hands-on experiences that cannot be found on the Web. But innovative online programs like MAT@USC also provide field-based experiences and a mentor program for all students to ensure there is a face-to-face, local element to the program.
We, as the future generation of potential teachers, have a responsibility to be more aware of the growing options for top education degrees across America. Schools wary of investing the resources necessary to launch a comprehensive program like MAT@USC can start small by integrating more new technologies into the classroom and offering more classes online.
What’s most important is that universities begin to act on the growing trend of online learning that will better prepare them to relate to and meet the needs of young students today and that, for many students, will be the best option for an advanced education degree — something that’s well worth the investment.
Article written by Stephen Hom, a Business School junior from Marietta, GA.

Where The Education Community Connects

The purpose is simple, yet unmistakably ambitious as it drives the development of edweb.net.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with founder and CEO, Lisa Schmucki about edweb, its past roots and its future growth.
For Schmucki, who holds a wealth of experience in the education publishing industry, the edweb began somewhat suddenly.
“I was just driving around one day and all of a sudden I just started thinking, there should be a facebook for teachers. Teachers have such a need to connect with one another and collaborate.”
It is a need edweb seems to satisfy sufficiently, as it nurtures online communities for education professionals. And though there are already several online communities for educators (Classroom 2.0 is one notable example), Schmucki sees the edweb as a community with a purpose and identity distinct from other education-focused social networking endeavors.
“I think what we are offering is something a little bit different, and that probably comes from my education publishing background. Most of those sites are peer-to-peer with teachers talking to teachers. And the education community buys an enormous number of educational products and services. What I heard on both sides is both companies selling to schools talk about being partners with educators and then the educators themselves were talking about vendors being their partners. We have created a platform where the publishers and the teachers and the associations can all interconnect and can be equal members.”
Such a platform provides an unparalleled resource for publishers and other vendors looking to partner with teachers, who presumably share equal interest. It is important to note that while teachers join absolutely free of charge, education vendors must pay a fee to create communities in edweb.
After all, edweb is perhaps the most legitimate online community which is bringing together teachers and vendors. As Lisa said, many social networking sites for teachers are reluctant to cater to education vendors. They remain teacher-centric and surely, that disposition holds some advantages.
But in a lot of ways, edweb is far more reflective of what is truly a dynamic and diverse education community. I personally experimented with membership and peeked into a few communities. The interactions seem vibrant and substantial—helped in part by an accessible, easy to use design and platform.
Edweb utilizes basic social networking tools that have been pioneered by web giants like Facebook, providing messaging capabilities, wall-writing, video and image sharing and its hallmark communities. Schmucki also revealed that plans for a bulletin board on each member’s profile are currently in the works, which would showcase what each member (who chooses to use it) is working on.
When I asked Lisa where she would like to see edweb in five years, she insisted that edweb would remain close to its founding principle: to create a community for the education community. She and the edweb team remain dedicated to improving tools and features on the site as they pursue a basic objective: “to build it out as far as it can go within the professional education community.”