Three students recently promoted from the eighth grade at St. John. Bosco Catholic School in Ahwatukee recently received scholarships for private high school tuition, each worth $8,000.


I am one of those whose mother invoked starving children in India or China as a way to get me to eat nasty vegetables like eggplant and okra and to otherwise leave nothing on the plate. These days, I like vegetables, I clearly do not often leave anything on the plate, and my mother need not look past our own shores to see starving children.


Each year, the Arizona Association of Teachers of Mathematics (AATM) sponsors a state-wide Algebra math competition. 
Summit School of Ahwatukee algebra students distinguished themselves for the third year in a row, with six students scoring in the top 10 percent in the state. Of the six, one Summit student, Mark Rakowski, tied for the third highest score in the state. Classmate Dillon Shipley tied for the state’s fourth place honor.
Summit students also earned top math honors in 2012 and 2011.
For more information, visit summitschoolaz.org.


Summer School … these two words can sound like a one- to two-month jail sentence for students in school.

As anyone who has ever taken a standardized test knows, the last step in preparing for the test is to sharpen your No. 2 pencil. That may not be enough, however, for those thinking about taking college entrance exams. Planning and preparation for the ACT/SAT should begin now for rising seniors. Here are some topics to consider as you establish your test-taking strategies.

Having observed the failure of our education system by dumbing-down our children for the past 50 years, concern has to be expressed about the “new” Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI).

Summit School of Ahwatukee middle school teachers, Andrea Yocum, Christy Menard and Amy Lecky, are recipients of this year’s Xavier College Preparatory Golden Gator Award for Excellence in Teaching. Xavier High School recognizes junior high teachers who have been inspirational to Xavier freshmen students. This is the third Golden Gator for Lecky, who teaches middle school language arts and literature, and the second for both science teacher Andrea Yocum, and math teacher Christy Menard. In previous years Summit teacher Melissa France has also received this award.

Erin Andrews-Sharer, a graduate of Desert Vista High School and a sophomore at The College of Wooster, received the Elias Compton Freshman Prize and the Lyman C. Knight, Sr., Prize in mathematics and physical education at Wooster’s 43rd Annual Recognition Banquet.

What you get out of your tutoring is directly related to what you put into it. Preparation and attitude play a huge role in getting the most out of the tutoring sessions. Following the 10 guidelines below, your tutoring sessions should be enjoyable and fulfilling for parents, student and tutor.

To avoid “brain drain” during summer vacation, local schools in Ahwatukee Foothills are offering up educational programs for kids.

According to the Government Accountability Office, the federal government operates 50 different programs for the homeless. There are 23 programs in housing, 26 for food and nutrition, 130 for at-risk youth. They also operate an astounding 342 programs for economic development, which government is notoriously bad at anyway.

Calling it "an important part of improving education,'' Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation Thursday to eliminate the AIMS test -- including the graduation requirement -- paving the way for something else to measure the new Common Core standards already being implemented in Arizona schools.

In the company of business professionals, more than 400 students from Valley high schools, including in Ahwatukee Foothills, participated in an all-day event promoting networking, business ethics, skills and communication on Wednesday.

Arizona high schoolers may soon be rid of having to pass AIMS -- or any standardized test -- to graduate.

How do you know when it is time to call on the services of a tutor to help your student in school? If you or your student are experiencing some of the following, it might be time to seriously think about a tutor for your student.

Freshmen, it’s not too early to start thinking about your college plans. Your first step — build a strong resume. If you establish high standards and work hard, you will set yourself up for unlimited opportunities when you apply to colleges in the fall of your senior year. Here are some tips to get you started:

As staff at the Mesa Arts Center began preparation for its second “Festival of Creativity,” MAC executive director Cindy Ornstein said the group was looking for something to pique their interests — a spark, of sorts.

Gordon Michael Garlock, predeceased by his parents, Col. Carlton and Guelda Garlock of Marysville, Calif., passed away at home on Jan. 31 in Phoenix where he had lived for 23 years He is survived by eight brothers and sisters, 13 nephews and nieces, and 16 great-nephews and nieces and his uncle, Harold Allen, who lives in Hamburg, N.Y.

When the (Kyrene School District Governing Board) decided to go to the 68-minute class schedule (3 to 2 vote), it was justified by statistics from an outside group the former superintendent brought in. Their claim was in order to compete with other districts, the students needed more academic time.

Twenty years ago, accountant Sharon Lechter decided to devote her career to financial education and literacy after her oldest son graduated from high school and soon fell into credit card debt.

Change is hard, whether it be personal or professional. However, evolving is also a key element of progress. Last week at the Kyrene School District Governing Board meeting, we presented information about a year and a half study of our middle school program.

Gov. Jan Brewer rallied doctors and nurses at the Capitol on Tuesday in her bid to get the necessary votes to expand the state's Medicaid program.

The state House voted to require that teacher-education programs be revamped to conform with the new Common Core Standards.