education

Event showcases student innovation and creativity

Ashley Hassett — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:36:00 +0000

More than 100 kids showcased their ideas at the 11th annual Western New York Invention Convention, held recently at Medaille College in Buffalo. It was created to promote creative thinking and encourage scientific problem solving.

Program aims to promote manufacturing careers to students

Ashley Hassett — Fri, 10 May 2013 21:11:25 +0000

A new program aims to promote high-tech manufacturing careers in high schools across Western New York. Dream it, Do it WNY educates high school students about the broad range of careers available in the industry.

Teachers, parents, raise concern over Common Core testing

Ellen Abbott — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:35:00 +0000

Voices opposed to Common Core testing are rising in central New York, as teachers and parents met this week at a forum in Syracuse to discuss these new education standards that bring major changes to the way math and reading is taught in public schools.

Syracuse school district considers opening a Latin school

Ellen Abbott — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:02:00 +0000

The Syracuse City School District is proposing a new school that will offer a classical education for high achieving students.

Gene Koo on the Campbell Conversations

Grant Reeher — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Younger citizens may be more active in volunteer and service efforts than previous generations, but many remain profoundly uninterested and disengaged from anything they regard as political. One organization trying to combat that is ICivics, created by former Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, to provide online, interactive educational resources for middle school students. On this edition of the Campbell Conversations, Gene Koo, executive director of ICivics, outlines the challenges to civic engagement and how the organization is trying to address them.

Images of the brain could unlock learning difficulties

Kate O'Connell — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:38:19 +0000

Researchers in western New York have been using brain scans to add to our understanding of how humans comprehend numbers. The new data could have implications in diagnosing learning disabilities earlier on, and aid in our understanding of why some kids struggle at school.

Cary Nelson on the Campbell Conversations

Grant Reeher — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:45:30 +0000

Are colleges and universities failing to meet proper ethical standards in the treatment of their faculties? In this edition of the Campbell Conversations, Cary Nelson, a recent past president of the American Association of University Professors and the author of No University Is an Island, argues that many schools are falling short, and that the explosion of what he calls contingent faculty--the faculty outside of the tenure system--hurts all higher education, and furthers social and educational inequalities.

State budget has some good news for education

Ellen Abbott — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:07:06 +0000

An on-time state budget is good news for school districts across the state, as they plug in the hard numbers to proposed budgets.

North Country Arts Council brings out kids' creativity

Joanna Richards — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:40:00 +0000

The North Country Arts Council has been a growing force for cultural activity in the Watertown area since its inception in 2009. The group aims to spotlight the work of regional artists, but it also hopes to draw more community members into arts activities too. Over the schools' winter break this year, the organization offered a day full of different art workshops for kids at its home on Public Square.

New York, IBM partner in STEM education program

Sarah Harris — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced earlier this week that IBM and New York state are teaming up to provide science and technology education, otherwise known as STEM, to high schoolers.

SUNY Adirondack, BOCES partner on high school program

Sarah Harris — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:00:12 +0000

SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury and the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, or BOCES, serving the surrounding counties are partnering on a new science and technology program for high school students.

Russell legislation would redistribute school aid to help poorer districts

Joanna Richards — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:27:00 +0000

Democratic Assemblywoman Addie Russell, of Theresa, thinks the current state school aid formula is broken, benefiting wealthier districts at the expense of poorer ones. She says legislation she's introduced would make the formula more equitable.

Cuomo's "no drama" budget may still cause some theatrics

Karen Dewitt — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:50:41 +0000

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is trying to have a no-drama budget this year, with a low-key presentation and a fiscally austere spending plan -- and no major cuts or new taxes. But, growing opposition from the teachers’ union and local governments may yet result in some sparks flying before the deal is settled in late March.

Cuomo proposes budget with "no new taxes"

Catherine Loper — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:41:09 +0000

Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed a $137 billion state budget Tuesday afternoon. In a speech in Albany before state legislators, he presented his plan to increase spending by about two percent.

Cuomo delivers 3rd State of the State speech Wednesday

Karen Dewitt — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 06:33:00 +0000

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers his State of the State message at 1:30 pm Wednesday, he says he plans to pursue a “robust” agenda.

School health programs awarded $5 million

Kate O'Connell — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:42:30 +0000

The department of Health and Human Services awarded more than $5 million to school-based health centers in New York state this week. The funding is part of an $80 million dollar pot distributed to 197 centers around the nation.

Cuomo takes hard line on teacher evaluation plans

Karen Dewitt — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 12:16:00 +0000

Just two-thirds of school districts in New York state have completed new teacher evaluation plans, one month before a deadline imposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The governor says if the rest don’t finish on time, they won’t see any increased school aid next year.

Students take anti-bullying message to the streets

Ellen Abbott — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Students from the Southside Academy Charter School in Syracuse marched around the neighborhood this morning to make a statement that bullying won't be tolerated in their school.

Western NY school to have "living building"

Kate O'Connell — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:28:18 +0000

An upstate school is adding a structure that generates its own energy, heating and cooling using renewable energy sources for its teaching spaces. The Harley School in Rochester broke ground on the $3 million project Monday.

Summer school for science teachers

Daniel Robison — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:15:43 +0000

Educators across the country agree schools need more students to excel in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Yet hooking students on these subjects remains a challenge, especially for generally low performing schools with few resources.

Closing the gender gap in STEM education

Marie Cusick — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 11:43:13 +0000

In the latest Innovation Trail report for New York NOW, we're taking a look at STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in the Capital Region. High-tech multinational companies have moved into the area and they're hiring. Meanwhile some local school districts are struggling with graduation rates around 50 percent.

Say Yes "has potential" to improve Syracuse's economy

Ryan Delaney — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:03:01 +0000

Instead of trying to have as much pre-college life fun as possible, or maybe earning some spending cash for the upcoming semester, one of group of college-bound Syracuse teens spent the summer months getting a head start on college. They were rewarded for their efforts during a small ceremony at Onondaga Community College (OCC), where the 29 students are currently hitting the books, with a small ceremony.

Technical education programs boost graduation rates in Syracuse high schools

Ellen Abbott — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The graduation rate in the Syracuse City School District continues to be one of the worst in the state, with less than half the students getting their diplomas after four years of school. Technical education programs may be a solution.

NY school districts struggle to form new teacher evaluation plans

Ellen Abbott — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 20:04:27 +0000

As the school year starts, many school districts across the state still need to grapple with the issue of a teacher evaluation system, especially if they want to continue to receive state aid. Only a small percentage of the state's schools have turned in an evaluation plan the state is happy with so far.

Common core standards make debut in New York

Catherine Loper — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 20:03:53 +0000

As children all over upstate New York head back to school this week, the curriculum for some of them will be a little different this year.

Syracuse City School District adopts new strategic plan with lofty goals

Ellen Abbott — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:04:21 +0000

The Syracuse City School District now has a blue print for the next five years, that administrators hope will take it from being one of the poorest performing districts to one of the most improved urban school districts in America. The plan calls for changes across the board.

Say Yes scholars get head start for college life at OCC

Ryan Delaney — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:25:12 +0000

Twenty-nine students attending Onondaga Community College this fall through the Say Yes to Education program were so excited to hit the books, they started early.

They wrapped up OCC's Summer Success Academy yesterday with a small closing ceremony full of encouraging words from Say Yes and OCC staffers.

State legislature approves Cuomo's teacher evaluation plan

Karen Dewitt — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Cuomo’s proposal to make teacher evaluations public will become law, now that the Senate and Assembly passed the measure on the final day of the legislative session.

Senate Republicans, after a closed door meeting, agreed to take up Gov. Cuomo’s bill to make all evaluations public, without names attached.

Cuomo offers teacher evaluation bill with no compromises

Karen Dewitt — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:55:02 +0000

Governor Andrew Cuomo is telling the legislature to "take it or leave it" over a new bill he’s released outlining how to make teacher evaluations public.

Cuomo says he introduced legislation on the publication of teacher evaluations just before his own self-imposed deadline of midnight Monday in order to clarify his position on the issue. He says it’s up to the Assembly and Senate whether they want to pass it, exactly as is, or not.

“That’s the bill, the bill is not going to change,” said Cuomo. “They act on it or they don’t. But there’s not going to be changes and discussions at this time.”

City of Syracuse faces tough school budget decisions

Ellen Abbott — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:54:34 +0000

School spending is the focus of tonight's budget hearing in the City of Syracuse. One portion of the district proposal that's expected to sail through is the closing of a school.