Rob's blog

One Last Thing...

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 16:17:07 -0500

Wouldn't you know it? Just as I'm finishing packing up my office, ready for my new adventure, I get an email from Dr. Twila Liggett, the creator of PBS's Reading Rainbow. One of the first stories I reported for CFK surrounded funding challenges at the program. The show is still in desperate need of support, so it's producers have created an important Web site called http://www.savereadingrainbow.org.

The Ticks at CFK

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 11:27:09 -0500

I started working for Connect for Kids back in May 2003. My first day on the job actually happened to fall during a staff retreat at Jan Richter�s farm in rural Madison County, Virginia. My initial thoughts, as Jan handed over some homemade jam, were, �Who exactly are these people�and what makes them tick?�

Gross Lessons Go Both Ways

Wed, 05 Oct 2005 10:42:04 -0500

I heard a report on NPR this morning about scientists who've measured the amounts of bacteria and germs at various places in a couple of schools--with gross results. They found more -- lots more -- bacteria on drinking fountains and on several lunchroom trays than on most toilet seats.

A Prettier Picture

Mon, 03 Oct 2005 14:07:24 -0500

In recent years, public funding for school arts programs has dramatically decreased. Boy, did my mom know all about that when I was in A.P. Art in high school. For the big end of the year art show, it was important (at least to Mr. Marshall, my favorite art teacher) that student masterpieces were matted and framed in order to properly highlight our efforts. My school didn't have extra dollars lying around for this artsy kind of thinking, so luckily parents like my mom were able to foot some of the bill--along with quite a few bucks that came directly from Mr. Marshall's pockets.

Debating the Evolution Debate

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 10:17:48 -0500

On the evolution front, journalist Chris Mooney has been all over the place, promoting his new book on politics and science. I've seen him argue that all too often when evolution is covered by political writers, it is framed almost on an even playing field as creationism or intelligent design. The reporter's job is to cover both sides of a story, right? Wrong, says Mooney, because when the science is there to back up one side of argument, it's not fair to cover the issue like a political horse race.

Asthma Can't Stop a Parade

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 14:22:04 -0500

We just got word from the Children's Aid Society that last Saturday hundreds of East Harlem residents marched from 116th Street to the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on 125th Street to raise awareness of asthma. Two students from the Children�s Aid Society�s Community School P.S. 50 in East Harlem served as co-grand marshals for the march. Mariah George and Brianna Byers, both 12-year-old 6th graders, are working to raise kids' awareness of asthma and its triggers. Their community has one of the highest asthma rates in the nation.

By Any Means Necessary?

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 14:59:53 -0500

A new article from Inside Higher Ed indicates that some campus groups at the University of Michigan that have never engaged in terrorist activities have been monitored by the government as if they were terror threats.

KODA Comics

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 16:14:09 -0500

While researching last week's Building Community for Deaf Parents and their Hearing Kids, I heard a lot about a young man named Frank Gallimore. His mom, Laurene Simms, is a professor at Washington, D.C.'s Gallaudet University and the director of the school's deaf education program. Both of his parents are deaf, as is his older brother and sister.

A Kids-Eye View of Imaginary Friends

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 09:57:41 -0500

I have a confession to make. Before my brother was born, I was a desperate lad. We had just moved into a new area of town that I swear had no kids within a five-block radius. I was bored out of my mind sometimes. So, I took to dressing up broomsticks. Then, I'd stick their handles deep down in my sandbox where they could be my constant playmates. When David was finally born and more families with kids moved into the neighborhood, the broomsticks went into the closet, and I was pretty happy.

Supporting Indian Youth Journalists

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 12:05:58 -0500

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Native American Journalists (NAJA) convention in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was happy to see several young Indians pursuing their writing, radio and television dreams. Studies have found that American Indian voices are vastly underrepresented in mainstream media outlets throughout the country, so the fact that NAJA has taken steps in recent years to include and foster youth voices is especially appealing.

Extra Credit, Extra Headaches

Thu, 18 Aug 2005 09:02:00 -0500

As my sister heads off for freshman year of college, we've been having several phone conversations about what she can expect in the first few weeks of her new life. I find myself giving her some of the same advice that I rolled my eyes at when I first entered school, like study hard your first semester and make sure you find a balance between work and play. I've also spent a considerable amount of time talking about the credit card offers that will surely meet her -- they seemed to overflow from my dorm and apartment mailboxes throughout the college years. "Just rip them up," I told her.

Accutane's Zits

Sat, 13 Aug 2005 15:38:09 -0500

The AP reports today that Americans who take the acne drug Accutane, along with people who prescribe and dispense it, must enroll in a national registry. It's a new government program meant to tighten access to the medicine, which has been proven to cause birth defects.

"The Food and Drug Administration enacted unprecedented curbs Friday in trying to keep Accutane and its generic competitors on the market while ensuring that women who use the risky pills don't get pregnant," according to the AP. "Critics see it as the drug's last chance, after two decades of safety warnings and other restrictions failed to end Accutane-damaged pregnancies."

Ready to Learn Being Dismantled?

Sat, 13 Aug 2005 14:56:18 -0500

I just received some important news from Twila Liggett, the creator and executive producer of PBS's Reading Rainbow. Last week, in Not Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Anymore I highlighted her concerns about a media report that indicated the Department of Education, which gives Ready to Learn money to PBS to fund her show, isn�t happy with it. Both Liggett and I have been working to confirm that somewhat surprising account, since many researchers have found that the show promotes literacy and helps teach a variety of kids to read.

Educating Education Reporters (& Reformers)

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 15:21:28 -0500

WP columnist Jay Mathews makes a well-reasoned case for improving the quality of education coverage by the media, based on a new report from the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute. However, he bases his rationale on aspects of the report that he indicates were overlooked by the report's authors.

Grand Theft Auto Steals the Show

Thu, 21 Jul 2005 15:55:42 -0500

Our video game online chat last week couldn�t have been timelier. The next day, Senator Clinton decried alleged hidden graphic sex scenes in the "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" game. Yesterday, Rockstar, the production company behind the game admitted that the allegation was true, and changed the rating of the game so that it now can only be purchased by adults. It was front page CNN.com news, in case you missed it.