Fewer Cubans Make Crossing to US; Economy Cited

Fewer Cubans Make Crossing to US; Economy Cited: MIAMI - The number of Cubans attempting to cross the Florida Straits has fallen by more than half, putting 2009 on track to be perhaps the lowest for migration from the communist island in almost a decade.

Experts say it's hard to pinpoint what has caused such a drastic drop but attribute it to combination of factors, with the U.S. economic downturn topping the list. They also point to stepped up U.S. law enforcement against smugglers, eased U.S. restrictions on Cuban-Americans who want to travel to the island and send money to family there and a clampdown by the Cuban government.

“To be honest, there's really no way of telling. This isn't a science,'' said Andy Gomez, a senior fellow at the University of Miami's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.

The Miami area's unemployment rate may be one of the main reasons for the drop -- at 11.6 percent, it's nearly double from a year ago, making it harder for Cuban-Americans to pay smugglers to help their families leave the island.

HBCU Leaders Gather for ‘Seizing Capacity to Thrive’ HBCU Conference

HBCU Leaders Gather for ‘Seizing Capacity to Thrive’ HBCU Conference: At the 2009 National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Conference this week in Washington D.C., the baton of leadership at the White House Initiative on Black Colleges and Universities will switch hands. Bush administration appointee Dr. Leonard Haynes will pass the baton to Dr. John Wilson, an Obama administration appointee.

In July, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced Wilson executive director of the White House Initiative. As executive director, Wilson will work with the presidentially appointed HBCU Board of Advisors and assist Duncan in advising President Barack Obama on important matters concerning Black colleges.

And while both Haynes and Wilson are Black college graduates who care about preserving the legacy of these institutions and sustaining their future, pundits suggest that the change in leadership could represent a new and more progressive agenda for the nation's Black colleges and universities.

The Nation: Katrina's Race War Four Years Later : NPR

The Nation: Katrina's Race War Four Years Later : NPR: A segment on Anderson Cooper 360 investigates the white vigilante justice that tore through New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 'Katrina's Hidden Race War', a cover story featured in The Nation, supported by the Investigative Fund at the The Nation Institute, and reported by A.C. Thompson (now a staff reporter at ProPublica), was the first to reveal how white residents of New Orleans shot at African-American men.

The PS 22 Chorus: Fifth-Graders Become A YouTube Sensation : NPR

The PS 22 Chorus: Fifth-Graders Become A YouTube Sensation : NPR: They're an Internet sensation with more than 40 YouTube videos. They've been courted by celebrities, they've been on Nightline and MTV, they've sung songs with Tori Amos and Stevie Nicks, and they're only 10 and 11 years old. They perform in the fifth-grade chorus from Public School 22 on Staten Island, N.Y., and their singing has captivated millions.

It's a hot summer day in Central Park. School is still out, but Gregg Breinberg, the choral director of the PS 22 Chorus, is rehearsing with the kids for a performance only hours away. They start with warm-up exercises.

Because it's summer, only half of the chorus is here, and for many of the kids, it's a bittersweet experience, because all these children will leave for the sixth grade in a few weeks. They will all go to different middle schools, some of which may not even have a music program, given current budget cuts. But with only half of them present, and even though they have not practiced in months, you can feel their magic immediately.

Does Paying For Good Grades Cheapen Education? : NPR

Does Paying For Good Grades Cheapen Education? : NPR: As a new academic year begins, hundreds of schools around the country are experimenting with programs that offer students pay for performance. Even young children can earn cash for reading books, showing up for study hall, improving test scores and meeting other goals.

Many teachers are reporting good results, saying students work harder when given immediate incentives such as money or, in some cases, prizes such as MP3 players and cell phones loaded with free minutes. Various pilot programs have been undertaken in New York, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Dallas and elsewhere.

The programs can be fairly lucrative for children. In a Washington, D.C., pilot program, for example, students can earn as much as $100 every two weeks. Funds for such programs typically come from taxpayers, foundation grants or some mix of private and public money. The programs generally aim to motivate poorer children to improve classroom attendance and performance.

Jenkins' remark raises eyebrows | CJOnline.com

Jenkins' remark raises eyebrows | CJOnline.com: U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins offered encouragement to conservatives at a town hall forum that the Republican Party would embrace a 'great white hope' capable of thwarting the political agenda endorsed by Democrats who control Congress and President Barack Obama.

Jenkins, a Topeka Republican in her first term in Congress, shared thoughts about the GOP's political future during an Aug. 19 forum at Fisher Community Center in the northeast Kansas community of Hiawatha.

In response to inquiries by The Topeka Capital-Journal, a Jenkins spokeswoman said Wednesday the congresswoman wanted to apologize for her word choice and to emphasize she had no intention of expressing herself in an offensive manner.

Study: Policy Changes Needed to Help Latinas Graduate High School

... A report issued Thursday by the National Women’s Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund attempts to call attention to the high secondary school dropout rate of Latinas and the factors contributing to the dismal number. The study, which surveyed hundreds of high-school age Latinas throughout the country, cites statistics from the U.S. Department of Education. The data shows that 41 percent of Latinas do not complete high school in four years or drop out altogether.

“Latinas are the fastest growing group of female school-age youth,” says Lara Kaufmann, senior counsel for the National Women’s Law Center in Washington D.C. “If Latinas continue to drop out at these rates, we will surely have a huge work force without education and that’s going to be a huge problem for this country.”

The study blames the high dropout rate on a variety of factors that include a need for many Latinos to work to help support their families as soon as they come of age. Latinas often have increased responsibilities at home like having to take care of their younger siblings, the study notes. For many, this means having to sacrifice their studies for domestic duties. A high teen pregnancy rate among Latinas also makes it difficult for many of these young women to continue with their education, the study said.

The study cites statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, which show that 53 percent of Latinas become pregnant before age 20.

Kennedy Remembered as Social and Civil Rights Giant

Kennedy Remembered as Social and Civil Rights Giant: Reflecting on the legacy left by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, President Barack Obama called the late Massachusetts legislator one of the 'most accomplished Americans' in history and a man whose work in Congress helped give new opportunities to millions.

'Including myself,' added the nation's first Black president, while speaking to reporters Wednesday at his rented vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. The president ordered government flags lowered to half-staff to honor Kennedy who died at age 77 late Tuesday after battling brain cancer.

Obama wants states to overhaul failing schools

Obama wants states to overhaul failing schools: Obama wants states to overhaul failing schools

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is making good on a promise to use federal dollars to prod local officials to turn around failing schools.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Wednesday told states how he wants them to spend $3.5 billion in money from the federal School Improvement Fund.

The fund is for struggling schools, but states have had wide discretion in how they spend it. The $3.5 billion is from the economic stimulus and the regular budget.

Under the new rules, states are to award the money to districts that take one of these approaches:

-Close and reopen failing schools with new teachers and principals.

-Close and reopen failing schools under management of a charter school company or similar group.

-Close failing schools and send students to high-achieving schools in the same district.

-Replace a failing school's principal and overhaul its operations.

Latinos in history add to social studies debate | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Latinos in history add to social studies debate | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: AUSTIN — Scratch Henry Cisneros, but add Dolores Huerta, Dr. Hector P. Garcia, Sandra Cisneros, Henry B. Gonzalez and Irma Rangel to the list of important Hispanic figures that Texas school children might be discussing in the future.

State education leaders are still in the early stages of writing new curriculum standards for social studies that will shape future history and geography books.

And by the time those new textbooks arrive in fall 2013, a majority of the children attending Texas public schools will be Hispanic.

A debate on which — and how many— Hispanic historical figures should be included is coming to the 15-member State Board of Education, which expects to take a final vote next spring.

It's already under way among the review panels the board appointed, who will huddle with the board this fall.

The board is expected to discuss the social studies issue with experts it appointed to develop new standards at the Sept. 16-17 meeting.

More Diversity Among 2009 SAT Test-Takers, Scores Slightly Down

More Diversity Among 2009 SAT Test-Takers, Scores Slightly Down: Although college-bound high school seniors from the class of 2009 rank as the most racially and ethnically diverse group ever to take the SAT, average scores fell slightly from 2008, according to the College Board. In a report released by the College Board on Tuesday, data revealed that of the 1,530,000 college-bound seniors taking the exam roughly 40 percent were minorities, an increase of nearly 11 percent from a decade ago. Blacks and Hispanics accounted for 12.2 percent and 13.5 percent of the minorities taking the test this year, respectively.


Hispanic students, which include those of Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Latin Caribbean and Latin American descent, comprise the largest and fastest growing minority student bloc taking the SAT. In 1999, Hispanics accounted for 7.8 percent of students taking the exam.


The 2009 national average SAT math score of 515 remained unchanged from last year. However, the nation’s average math scores have increased four points overall in the last decade. In contrast, national averages for critical reading (501) and writing (493) each fell a point from their 2008 scores.

Minority Participation, Scores Up for Some of the Washington Area's Class of '09 - washingtonpost.com

Minority Participation, Scores Up for Some of the Washington Area's Class of '09 - washingtonpost.com: Four out of 10 students who take the SAT are racial or ethnic minorities, the College Board reported Tuesday, a milestone for the college admissions test most widely used in the nation and the Washington region.

But scores of the wealthiest students are growing faster than scores of the poorest, and some racial disparities in test performance are widening.

Narrowing such achievement gaps has become a key issue. Loudoun County schools, contrary to the national trend, reported that average SAT scores for black and Hispanic students rose faster than for white students.

For the 1.5 million students nationwide in the Class of 2009 who took the 3-hour, 45-minute test, composite scores were 501 in critical reading, down one point from the year before; 515 in mathematics, unchanged; and 493 in writing, down one point. Those figures include results from public and private schools. The grading scale is 200 to 800 points for each section.

Sonia Sotomayor and Diversity on the Federal Bench - washingtonpost.com

Sonia Sotomayor and Diversity on the Federal Bench - washingtonpost.com: ...Diversity on the federal bench is relatively low, though it's increasing. Sotomayor is part of a pattern among judges nominated by recent presidents, both Democratic and Republican, according to Russell Wheeler, a scholar at the Brookings Institution.

'Sotomayor has been part of three trends since the 1950s -- an increase in the proportion of women and in members of racial and ethnic minorities and a decrease in the proportion of district judges appointed, as was she, from among private lawyers,' Wheeler wrote in a new report, 'The Changing Face of the Federal Judiciary."

Determining Next Step for Women of Color in College Athletics: Mini-Forum Convening This Week at Rutgers

Determining Next Step for Women of Color in College Athletics: Mini-Forum Convening This Week at Rutgers: It’s one of the busiest weeks of the year in college athletics—with classes starting or about to start and training and practice for fall sports in full swing. Yet approximately 40 women of color who work in college athletics will convene at Rutgers University on Wednesday for a mini-forum designed to explore and overcome the barriers facing minority female administrators and coaches.

“One of the things in college athletics is we all get so busy in our individual work lives and our individual niches that we don’t always spend enough time utilizing the resources that are readily available and reaching out to each other in a way that promotes mentorship, guidance and leadership,” says Jacqueline Blackett, associate athletics director for student-athlete support services at Columbia University.

Blackett, who will participate as a panelist in the mini-forum, is most eager to meet people that she’s either never met or only met in passing because networking is a vital tool for anyone who works in college athletics.

Change in Perspective - washingtonpost.com

Change in Perspective - washingtonpost.com: Anthony Wright is learning that life can depend on how you frame it. He is an Alexandria middle-schooler participating in the city's iMovie Mentors program. Each year, the project matches male mentors, including photographer Alexey Tolchinsky, with 10 to 12 at-risk boys -- who might be having trouble in school or lack a positive male influence. The mentor-student pairs meet weekly from April through December to form relationships, make video documentaries and work on life skills such as anger management and problem-solving. In late spring, Anthony, Alexey and the other participants spent a weekend at Camp Kekoka in Virginia's Northern Neck, where they built bonds from breakfast to bonfire. Between working on their filming, the boys fished, swam, kayaked and drenched one another with water balloons. Anthony, 13, recorded the life around him, capturing joyous action shots of a fellow camper snagging a Frisbee and of a dog eagerly fetching a stick. In December, the boys will screen their documentaries at an Academy Award-like program at Old Town Theater -- stretch limos, red carpet, cheering crowds and all.

Robert Bobb hits streets to coax students back - washingtonpost.com

Robert Bobb hits streets to coax students back - washingtonpost.com: ...Detroit Public Schools emergency financial manager Robert Bobb is walking some of the city's toughest neighborhoods to bring back Harvey and other parents who have abandoned the district by the thousands.

It's an imposing sales job, especially with the district's $259 million deficit and his decision to close 29 schools and lay off more than 1,000 teachers before classes start Sept. 8.

'You hear all the negative,' Harvey said this week following a surprise visit from Bobb to her west side home. 'My theory is change doesn't come overnight. I'm not saying I'm willing to put my foot in the door. I have to wait and see.'

Urban schools use marketing to woo residents back - washingtonpost.com

Urban schools use marketing to woo residents back - washingtonpost.com: ...The $50,000 campaign by a school system still trying to rebound from a long history of racial segregation and white flight is an example of efforts under way in several cities to retain students. School districts are highlighting improvements to halt declining head counts so they can retain their funding, especially in light of drastic state budget cuts.

'People are still stuck with perceptions of yesteryear, and are not really aware of what we have to offer today,' Richmond Superintendent Yvonne Brandon said. 'It's not perfect, but be a part of the solution and become invested now.'

Like other urban school districts, Richmond, where 88 percent of students are black, 7 percent are white, and 71 percent are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, has struggled on many fronts.

Black Youth Invents Surgical Technique - at 14

Black Youth Invents Surgical Technique - at 14: Tony Hansberry II isn’t waiting to finish medical school to contribute to improved medical care. He has already developed a stitching technique that can be used to reduce surgical complications, as well as the chance of error among less experienced surgeons.

'I've always had a passion for medicine,' he said in a recent interview. 'The project I did was, basically, the comparison of novel laparoscopic instruments in doing a hysterectomy repair.”

By the way, Hansberry is a 14-year-old high school freshman.

In April, the brilliant teen presented his findings at a medical conference at the University of Florida before an audience of doctors and board-certified surgeons.

Hansberry attends Darnell-Cookman, a special medical magnet school that allows him to take advanced classes in medicine. Students at the school master suturing in eighth grade.

Burl Toler, First Black N.F.L. On-Field Official, Dies at 81 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

Burl Toler, First Black N.F.L. On-Field Official, Dies at 81 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com: Burl Toler, who as perhaps the best player on one of college football’s greatest teams became the focus of racial discrimination, and who went on to become the first black on-field official in the National Football League, died Sunday in Castro Valley, Calif. He was 81.

The story of Toler’s college team, the 1951 University of San Francisco Dons, is one of the most extraordinary in sports. Called by Sports Illustrated “the best team you never heard of,” the Dons sent nine players to the N.F.L., three of whom — Gino Marchetti, Bob St. Clair and Ollie Matson — were eventually inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame. Its head coach was Joe Kuharich, who went on to coach at Notre Dame and for three professional teams; and the athletic publicity director was Pete Rozelle, who became the N.F.L. commissioner.

Toler, who played on the line on offense and linebacker on defense, was drafted by Cleveland, but he never made it to the pros because of a severe knee injury in a college all-star game.

What Will They Learn? - A guide to what college rankings don't tell you about core curriculum requirements

What Will They Learn? - A guide to what college rankings don't tell you about core curriculum requirements: The search for the right college can be overwhelming. So many guides, so many rankings. There is one thing none of them will tell you: which universities are making sure their students learn what they need to know.

This free resource does just that, focusing on seven key areas of knowledge. It's designed to help you decide whether the colleges you're considering prepare their graduates to succeed after graduation.