A boy from Coventry, England has become the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in the world after passing the exam when he was just five years old. He learned about computers from his IT father and by taking apart old computers.
Teach For America announced this week a record number of incoming recruits for fall placement in low-income schools across the country. 3,700 new teachers will make a two-year commitment to urban and rural public schools, almost a 30 percent increase over previous years of the organization's 18-year history.
What does an NFL player do during months of forced lockout and unending labor disputes with football team owners? Some athletes are spending the time working out with teammates, but Denver safety David Bruton has set himself on a different path — he's spending the lockout as a substitute teacher at his old high school in Ohio, teaching social studies.
Math. The very word conjures painful memories: long division . . . Square roots. Take that unpopular academic subject, a dedicated visionary, and $23 three million, and what have you got? Glen Whitney's Museum of Mathematics (MoMath for short) which opened December in New York City.
A 10-year-old boy was moved to tears when he saw the Space Shuttle Endeavour fly over his school on its way to its new home at the California Science Center and even more excited when he could walk around the gargantuan space craft at the museum, touching the tires that flew in space. Suddenly he saw the possibilities of a career in math, science, technology and engineering.
Some people were given an opportunity recently to broadcast their thanks to a favorite teacher. When they say a few words before a camera about how those teachers changed their lives for the better, the video becomes a moving testament to millions of teachers.
Connecticut principal Desi Nesmith had no idea that the special school assembly he orchestrated to honor an educator with $25,000 was actually a surprise event set-up to honor his own achievements. First there was shock, and then tears started to flow after his name was announced as the winner of the national Milken Educator Award.
Last month, teachers in Chester, Pennsylvania were hailed as heroes when they pledged to work for free after their school ran out of money. The Ellen DeGeneres Show presented a teacher representative with some surprises, including a $100,000 check for their school.
Because most teachers spend their own money to simply buy classroom supplies, imagine the joy across San Francisco area schools last week, when 604 teachers opened the mail to discover that Google would spend more than $600,000 to fund special requests teachers made for outside money to fund pet projects.
Mrs. Flexer has been a first-grade teacher for 41 years, and on her final day, a giant surprise was waiting in her classroom. Students through the generations had returned to let her know she was their favorite.
A 4th grade student was having a horrible day, being teased about his newly shaven head. His teacher sacrificed her own hair to show the ultimate kindess.
When New York public school teacher Adriana Lopez was diagnosed with breast cancer, her students serenaded her to make sure she knew they had her back.
A group called Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength came to Washington, DC this week to ask the debt reduction Super Committee to raise taxes on millionaires so that everyone can pay their fair share. Emphasizing community responsibility over greed, 200 millionaires signed a letter that calls for Bush-era tax cuts to end for those earning more than a million dollars a year.