GAE urges Gov. Perdue to apply for and use Ed Jobs Fund monies now

"I ask that you help alleviate the anguish and frustration taking place - right now - throughout our schools and communities by accepting U. S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan's invitation," said Calvine Rollins, president of the 43,000-member Georgia Association of Educators (GAE). This was an excerpt from a letter she recently penned to Gov. Sonny Perdue urging him to meet the September 9, 2010 deadline for states to apply for their share of the recent $10 billion approved for states under the Education Jobs Fund Program. Georgia's share comes to roughly $322 million.

Rollins stresses that not only is it important that we ask for the money, but that it is utilized during the 2010-11 school year as much as possible. She said, "Our schools and children are feeling the pain of budget cuts right now and wherever these monies can be utilized for relief it would be inexcusable not to do so." She points to using the funds to help bring back some of the dedicated and quality teachers and support professionals who were victims of recent cuts, help eliminate the need for furloughs, help bring relief to recent class size increases in order to make our children's learning environments less stressful, and to possibly help restore valued programs or classes that districts were forced to cut.

"Even if these restorations are only for this year, these are experiences our children would not have lost," said Rollins. "And we do not have a crystal ball to predict what's in store for next school year. We do know what we have available to us right now!"

Rollins notes that Georgia should anticipate receiving the funds within two weeks of receivng Gov. Perdue's application according to the program's guidelines. From there she says the state is to make awards to local districts on a timely basis so they can be used during this school year via either the state's funding formula or Part A of Title I of ESEA.

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Robinson to launch Executive Master’s in Finance

Beginning in January 2010, Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business will offer an Executive Master of Science in Finance with a specialization in corporate finance. It will be the first such program offered in Atlanta.

Designed for rising as well as mid-career finance professionals who seek to expand or update their functional knowledge, Robinson’s Executive MS-Finance is a one-year, three-semester program. Class size will be limited and students will proceed as a cohort-a structure that fosters peer learning and collaboration.

“We developed the Executive Master of Science in Finance in response to market demand for an accelerated degree program in finance,” said Jane. F. Mutchler, Robinson associate dean for academic planning and programs.

“A traditional master’s program takes, at minimum, two years to complete,” said Mutchler. “In today’s uncertain and changing economic environment, many professionals want to shorten the time it takes to complete their studies in order to apply their knowledge and acumen more rapidly.”

The rigorous, 30-hour curriculum was created and will be taught by the faculty of Robinson College’s Department of Finance. Renowned for their broad experience in research, executive education and practice, they also teach in the college’s top-10-ranked MBA program for working professionals.

Robinson’s Executive MS-Finance will be offered at Georgia State’s Executive Education Center in Buckhead and will meet every Monday evening, every other Wednesday evening and three Saturday mornings per semester. Applicants should possess four or more years of full-time work experience during which they have demonstrated potential for managerial advancement. They must also hold a four-year undergraduate degree. For additional information, please visit http://robinson.gsu.edu/finance/execms.htm.

The largest business school in the South and part of a major research institution, the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University is located in Atlanta, an epicenter of business and a gateway to the world. With programs on four continents and students from 150 countries, the college is both worldwide and world class. Its part-time MBA program is ranked number seven in the nation and has been in the top 10 for 14 consecutive years. The college has 200 faculty, 7,400 students and 65,000 alumni.

Noted for an emphasis on educating leaders, the Robinson College of Business and Georgia State University have produced more of Georgia's top executives with graduate degrees than any other school in the nation.

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Sept. 11th Education Trust/Social Studies School Service Launch Free Resources to Address Call for Teaching About 9/11

/PRNewswire/ -- The following was issued today by Social Studies School Service and Sept. 11th Education Trust:

Who: The Sept. 11th Education Trust and Social Studies School Service

What: Free video-streaming Remembrance Video, Classroom Discussion Questions, and Website designed to share thoughts and questions.

Where: www.learnabout9-11.org, available August 31, 2009 - December 31, 2009

Why: The Sept. 11th Education Trust, a prominent 9/11 nonprofit organization, and Social Studies School Service, a leading provider of materials for K-12 schools, have created The Sept. 11th Education Program: A National Interdisciplinary Curriculum, the first comprehensive curriculum on the subject. They are making available for a limited time a free resource for teachers designed to spark an historical discussion about Sept. 11th. The video Remembrance features moving primary-source interviews with survivors, family members of those who perished and others who were a part of the events that transpired following the terrorist attacks. It comes with thoughtful discussion questions and may be used independently or as a starting point for teaching the entire curriculum.

"On Sept. 11, 2001 thousands of innocent civilians were attacked by terrorists on U.S. soil. Educators and parents need a resource that provides the tools to think critically about these historical events and to share information on a subject that affects us all," said Dr. Aaron Willis, Chief Education Officer for Social Studies School Service. "This Remembrance Video is a great way to start teaching The Sept. 11th Education Program curriculum, or it can be used independently to build understanding of this critical part of American history."

"Our driving force in creating this curriculum is to ensure that our future generations never forget the sacrifice thousands of individuals made at the hands of terrorists. By making this primary source video and the discussion questions available free of charge, we are helping students learn to think critically and civically," Anthony Gardner Founder and Director of The Sept. 11th Education Trust and brother of 9/11 victim, Harvey Joseph Gardner III.

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Shorter College Establishes Online Program, Names Director

A Shorter College education is becoming more accessible thanks to the addition of online programs. College President Dr. Harold E. Newman today announced Shorter’s plans to offer classes through an online format beginning this summer.

Initial course offerings are for students enrolled in traditional college programs who wish to complete core curriculum requirements. This summer’s courses include COM 1010 Oral Communication, ENG 1020 Freshman English II, HIS 2010 Development of Civilization to 1648, MAT 1110 College Algebra, BUS 3990 Personal Leadership and SPS 3990 Sports Leadership.

Also planned for this summer are professional development courses for practicing teachers to assist them in their license renewal requirements.

“The addition of online programs was highlighted as a priority in our strategic plan,” Dr. Newman said. “We recognize that we live in a technological world and that people are turning more frequently to the Internet for educational services. We also recognize that not everyone can go to a campus and attend classes. By utilizing an online format for the delivery of our programs, we allow that segment of the population to have the educational experiences that they need.”

Rome resident Sean Butcher has been tapped to serve as director of online programs at the college. Mr. Butcher has more than 10 years’ experience in the marketing and development of Internet services. He has served as director of product development and product management at several California, Bay-area Internet service companies. Before that he worked as a commercial litigation lawyer at Lovell White Durrant in England, one of London’s most prestigious law firms.

Mr. Butcher has an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business with concentrations in management information systems (MIS) and entrepreneurship. He was a Sord Scholar Honors Graduate. Butcher also holds a law degree with honors from the University of Birmingham, England.

Mr. Butcher lives in Rome with his wife and two children.

For additional information on Shorter’s online programs visit www.shorter.edu/online or call 706-291-2121.

The online program, Dr. Newman added, fits into Shorter’s continuing commitment to serving students. Building on its respected traditional programs, in 1992, Shorter College became one of the first institutions in Georgia to offer non-traditional degree programs for working adults.

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Trustees Approve Two Ph.D. Programs, Elect New Board Members And Officers

Mercer trustees at their annual meeting on December4th approved new Ph.D. programs in nursing and curriculum and instruction, welcomed 10 new board members, elected officers for 2009, and recognized an outgoing board member as a Life Trustee.

The new doctoral programs – Mercer’s third and fourth – fulfill objectives in the University’s recently-adopted 10-year strategic plan to expand Ph.D. offerings.

The Ph.D. in nursing is designed to address a critical shortage of nurse educators in Georgia, which is contributing to a shortage of nurses. According to a recent report issued by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, faculty shortages at nursing schools across the country are limiting student enrollment at a time when the demand for nurses is at its highest level. The program is expected to enroll its first students in Fall 2009 at the University’s Georgia Baptist College of Nursing in Atlanta.

The curriculum and instruction doctoral program joins an existing Ph.D. program in educational leadership (P-12 school leadership and higher education leadership tracks) — offered through Mercer’s Tift College of Education — that currently enrolls more than 100 students.

Communities across the nation are experiencing dramatic shortages of highly qualified educators who have a commitment to lifelong teaching and learning. The Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction will help address this vital need by promoting the exchange of new ideas and possibilities across university, P-12, political and community settings. The first students in the program, which will be offered on both the Macon and Atlanta campuses, are expected to enroll in Fall 2009.

Mercer’s first Ph.D. program – in pharmaceutical sciences – was launched in 1995.

New trustees elected to serve five-year terms include James A. Bishop, Sea Island; G. Marshall Butler, Forsyth; Dwight J. Davis, Atlanta; Judge Walter Homer Drake Jr., Newnan; William A. Fickling Jr., Macon; David E. Hudson, Augusta; J. Reg Murphy, Sea Island; Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell, Decatur; and Judge W. Louis Sands, Albany. A.V. Elliott of Macon was elected to serve the unexpired term of Milton Ferrell, who died earlier this month and was memorialized at today’s meeting.

Judge Drake was unanimously elected to serve as chairman of the Board of Trustees for 2009. Atlanta attorney Diane Owens was elected chair of the board’s Executive Committee. Other committee chairs for 2009 include: Miriam M. (Mimi) Holland, Educational Policy Committee; Roddy J.H. Clark, University Honors Committee; Cathy Callaway Adams, Audit Committee; L. Richard Plunkett, Finance, Investment and Property Committee; Richard A. (Doc) Schneider, Development Committee; and W. Anthony (Tony) Moye, Athletics Committee.

Atlanta attorney Robert L. Steed, whose term on the board expires this month, was unanimously elected a Life Trustee, a designation only conveyed to seven individuals in the University’s 175-year history. Steed, a former chairman of the Board of Trustees, has served several terms on Mercer’s governing board. He holds undergraduate and law degrees from Mercer and was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by the University in 1979.

Other trustees rotating off the board this month include Malcolm S. Burgess Jr., Macon; Mary Jane Cardwell, Waycross; the Rev. James C. Elder Jr., Columbus; James H. Hall III, Virginia Beach, Va.; Robert F. Hatcher, Macon; David E. Linch, Atlanta; Howell L. Watkins II, Miami, Fla.; and H. Al Williams, Macon. Hatcher was recognized at the conclusion of the trustees meeting for his service over the past year as chairman of the board.

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Georgia Department of Education Approves Scientific Learning Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant Products for Adoption

/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Scientific Learning Corp. (http://www.scilearn.com/) (NASDAQ:SCIL) today announced that the Georgia Department of Education has selected the Fast ForWord(R) (http://tinyurl.com/6j3qcp) and Reading Assistant(TM) (http://tinyurl.com/55qjzz) family of products as an approved 2008 K-8 Language Arts/Reading program for Georgia schools and districts. The products included in the adoption are: Fast ForWord Language v2, Fast ForWord Language to Reading v2, Fast ForWord Reading 1-5, Fast ForWord Literacy Series, and Reading Assistant with Curriculum Levels 1-5.

The Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant family of products are scientifically-proven intervention programs that apply neuroscience principles to build the fundamental cognitive skills (http://tinyurl.com/6aarpd) required to read and learn. The strengthening of these skills results in a wide range of improved critical language and reading abilities, such as phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, decoding, working memory, syntax and grammar. More than 500,000 learners in Georgia schools have used Fast ForWord products.

"The purpose of this program is to identify appropriate, standards-based instructional materials to be recommended to local school systems," said Robert C. Bowen (http://tinyurl.com/6k935g), chairman and CEO of Scientific Learning. "We're delighted to have the opportunity to provide Georgia districts and schools with research-proven products that increase brain processing efficiency, and build critical reading and language skills. By helping students strengthen the underlying cognitive skills needed for effective reading and learning, schools can make the most of their instructional programs, accelerate the learning process, and create enduring gains."

The Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant products were approved as State Recommended Learning Resources for English Language Arts/Reading for kindergarten through eighth grade. As part of the adoption process, the learning resources were evaluated in all 13 congressional districts across the state. All State Recommended Learning Resources must be correlated to the Georgia Performance Standards. The adoption will be in effect through June 30, 2015.

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