I remember how it was -- JR
New cheating scandal rocks Harvard as Ivy League teaching hospital scrambles to correct medical research articles from top researchers accused of falsifying papers
Four Harvard University professors have been accused of authoring dozens of scientific papers with sloppy or outright falsified data.
The scientists are top staff at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School, and all are members of the university's faculty.
Academics who poured over their published papers claimed to find evidence of falsified data in 57 articles from 1999 to 2017, mostly in doctored images.
DFCI asked academic journals to retract six of the papers and correct 31 others, with 17 more of the claims still to be fully investigated. Three were found not to need any corrections.
The institute's research integrity officer, Barrett Rollins, said it was yet to be determined whether misconduct occurred.
Data falsification claims against the four scientists is the latest scandal for Harvard after its president Claudine Gay was forced to resign over plagiarism in several of her old academic papers.
Many of the discrepancies with the data involved images where blots, bands, and plots were allegedly copied and pasted to show a certain result.
Three of the papers were co-authored by DFCI president Laurie Glimcher, though she was one of the last credited on all of them.
Merely being on the list of authors does not mean she, or any of the others, participated in, or even knew about, the allegedly questionable data.
Another 12 papers by chief operating officer William Hahn, and 10 by director of the clinical investigator research program, Irene Ghobrial contained 'data forgery'.
A further 16 were by Kenneth Anderson, program director of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, including five co-authored by both Dr Anderson and Dr Ghobrial.
Dr Laurie co-authored several papers, one of which was accused of having dodgy data, with Claudio Hetz, a disgraced neuroscientist.
An investigation by his university accused Hetz of 'recklessness, negligence, and a problematic attitude to research ethics'.
Sholto David, an analytical scientist in Cardiff, Wales, spotted the problematic papers using artificial intelligence image analysis software ImageTwin and his own eyes as he poured over the data.
He called the alleged data forgery 'pathetically amateurish and excessive' in a detailed analysis on his blog earlier this month.
David also wrote that three papers co-authored by Dr Anderson were retracted in 2010 due to a mix-up in the cell lines.
'We only see the tiny tip of the fraud iceberg – image data duplications, the last resort of a failed scientist after every other trick failed to provide the desired result,' he wrote.
Dr Rollins said the DFCI was also investigating many other papers by its staff, and that it already knew about many of the claims before David's blog post.
He said the institute would not reveal specific details of the investigation or any misconduct findings, in line with its policies.
Such investigations took a long time because reporting of alleged academic maleficence was dramatically rising.
'The frequency of these allegations has gone into some sort of hyper-exponential phase. Our individuals or workforce to evaluate these have not increased,' he told the Harvard Crimson.
DFCI spokeswoman Ellen Berlin said the presence of image discrepancies in a paper was not evidence of an author's intent to deceive.
'That conclusion can only be drawn after a careful, fact-based examination which is an integral part of our response,' she said.
'We are committed to a culture of accountability and integrity. Every inquiry about research integrity is examined fully.
'Our efforts are focused on locating and examining the original data, and taking the appropriate corrective actions.'
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NYC unveils plan to ease school tensions over Israel-Hamas war after aggressive incidents left Jewish staff, students fearful
The city Department of Education on Monday unveiled a plan to deal with growing tensions in public schools after a series of high-profile incidents over the Israel-Hamas war — including one that left a Queens teacher cowering in fear from a mob of students.
Schools Chancellor David Banks unveiled the three pronged approach of “education, safety and engagement,” which includes “tangible consequences” for students and training and support workshops for educators and parents.
“These trainings are important because I’ve heard that some of our school principals feel disempowered from taking meaningful disciplinary action against any egregious student behavior, even in clear-cut common sense cases,” Banks said during the announcement at Tweed Courthouse in Manhattan.
“We cannot and we will not have schools where students feel like they can do whatever they want without accountability for their actions. That is no way to run a school system, and we will not allow that to happen, certainly not on my watch,” he vowed.
Banks specifically described the mayhem that erupted in November at Hillcrest High School in Jamaica — where a Jewish teacher was forced to go into hiding — as “deeply concerning.
“When hate rears its head in our schools, be it Islamophobia, antisemitism or any form of bigotry, we will respond,” he said.
Specifics on what consequences students would face and further detail about the workshops remained scant at the DOE announcement.
The DOE has had a slow and rocky response to school incidents arising from the Middle East conflict, which broke out Oct. 7 when Hamas launched its brutal surprise attack on Israel.
Just this month, the department was slammed for its lackluster response to a controversial map that omitted Israel yet was hanging in a classroom of Brooklyn elementary school PS261.
“Why would it not be?” DOE spokesman Nathaniel Styer said at the time when asked by the Free Press if the map was still up in the classroom. “This is a map of countries that speak Arabic.”
Arabic is the second most common language in Israel after Hebrew, spoken by at least 20% of the population, including Arab citizens and Jews from Arab countries.
“As soon as we were made aware of concerns regarding the map, it was removed,” Styer later said as he attempted to backtrack from his previously published statement.
“We are committed to fostering a welcoming environment here at NYC Public Schools that supports all cultures and communities,” he said.
But that “welcoming environment” apparently doesn’t include all reporters.
The Post attended Monday’s event despite being told by Styer that it was not among a select group of three news outlets to have been invited. Styer, who earns $140,000 for his role as a media liaison, cited “limited space” at the Tweed Courthouse venue, which has a maximum capacity of 300 according to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.
Approximately 150 people attended the event, including members of the Panel for Educational Policy, lawmakers and advocates. Some teachers were also asked to attend, according to an invitation obtained by The Post.
After the announcement, Banks made a swift exit without taking questions from invited press. When a Post reporter tried to speak to attendees, she was followed by a DOE staffer and asked to leave the venue by security.
Starting in the spring, the DOE’s new plan will see all middle and high school principals participate in professional learning courses focused on “navigating difficult conversations” and will be provided with resources and materials on Islamophobia and antisemitism to facilitate “student discussions on sensitive topics,” the department and Banks said.
Principals will also be receiving new tips on how to apply the schools Discipline Code in the aim of cracking down on bullying and bigotry.
This will include prioritizing investigations into antisemitism and Islamophobia allegations so no child or staff member “feel bullied or harassed” at school.
An interfaith advisory council to support city public schools, chaired by Reverend Jacques DeGraff, will also be established.
“From my years as a school safety officer, a teacher, a principal, and perhaps most importantly, as a parent, raising four children of my own, I know that it is possible and critical to find balance when it comes to discipline to provide both restorative conversations, as well as tangible consequences,” Banks said
https://nypost.com/2024/01/22/metro/nyc-doe-announce-plan-to-combat-israel-hamas-tensions/
***********************************************“No, you’re not going to school’: Why more Qld parents are keeping their kids at home
While once seen as alternative, homeschooling is becoming increasingly popular for families from all walks of life.
In Queensland, Education Department data shows 10,048 children were registered for homeschooling in 2023, a huge surge from the 1108 kids enrolled a decade ago. In South Australia, there are 2443 registered homeschoolers and 11,912 in Victoria. NSW has the highest number of registered homeschooled students in the country with almost 12,500.
The Low family in Bargo, NSW, is part of that group. Pediatric occupational therapist Jessica Low, 35, and her husband, researcher Dr Mitchell Low, 35, have five children and have never sent them to school.
“The biggest factor for me is child development,” Jessica Low says, drawing on her experience gained over the past nine years she has spent working as an OT. “Just physically they don’t even have the proper core strength to sit at desks for long periods in early childhood. “That’s why you see kids flopped over with their head in their hands.
“And they’re not even allowed to sensory regulate themselves because if they start wriggling and fidgeting, they’re told to stop.”
Low says her oldest children – Penelope, 9, Josie, 7 and John, 6 – are thriving at home, and so too is their family.
“If my kids were in school we would have such little connection,” Low says, noting that learning begins from the moment they wake up.
“A big part of our day is breakfast. They all have jobs, one clears the table, one does the dishwasher. It’s learning to work as a team, learning to communicate with one another.
“There are sibling fights which they may need guidance to resolve. These are important skills for them to learn.”
Home education looks different for every family, shaped by each state’s regulations.
Generally, children are expected to meet outcomes that are in line with their schooled peers. For example, the Low family follows the NSW syllabus and is checked by a moderator at least once a year.
But Low says she adapts everything so they are learning through play, adding: “Kids just need to spend time playing, running, jumping, climbing trees.”
Educator and parenting specialist Maggie Dent, 68, echoes this sentiment. She’s spent much of her life’s work advocating for kids to spend less time at desks and more time playing, particularly in the formative years.
“Our children aren’t moving enough. And the lack of movement impacts the way the brain is shaped,” Dent explains.
“Children as young as five are doing a lot more sitting on mats and at desks than they used to.”
Dent says Australia’s education results “have crashed” over the past 20 years when compared with other countries.
She cites Finland as a positive example of where children are assessed not just on a curriculum but with a focus on social and emotional intelligence.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development measures the education standards of 41 participating countries through its Program for International Student Assessment. Finland ranks fourth in the PISA, while Estonia is the highest performing OECD country. In those two countries children don’t start compulsory schooling until the age of seven.
Australian children are strapping on their backpacks and heading into compulsory schooling at age five, resulting in a rank of 17.
“There is no evidence that starting earlier gets better results. In actual fact we see just the opposite. Teachers are telling me all the time that the curriculum is so crowded, and they have to so do much more assessment that it’s taken the joy and fun out of teaching,” Dent says.
“So what happens is children start to hate learning, they start to lose their curiosity and they start really struggling in social environments because there aren’t enough play opportunities.”
Dispelling the myth of social isolation, homeschooling programs such as the We Are Nature Network in Perth, Western Australia, provide a nature-based classroom for children aged four to seven. It’s run by teachers who’ve left the education system.
On the day I visit, co-founder Emily Patterson starts the morning by reading The Troll, by Julia Donaldson, on a picnic rug under a tree. There are 10 pairs of eyes watching intently.
Some of the kids are sitting on their parents’ laps, others are eating from their lunch box. Nearby three little boys who are climbing a tree turn to look and listen every now and then.
Another boy hops up from the rug and picks up a stick he’s found lying nearby. He starts tapping the stick on the dirt. No one seems to notice, they’re all too engrossed in the story, including the little boy with the stick. He’s listening to every word Patterson reads.
At one point a golden retriever being walked off its leash comes past and story time quickly turns into a collective dog patting session.
“A huge value of mine is being outdoors and playing,” Patterson, 31, says.
The mother-of-three left her job as a primary school teacher when she had her first son, Taj, seven years ago, and hasn’t looked back.
“I thought, I’ll create something that feels right for my family, but also where other kids can come and feel good about learning.”
There is limited research on the academic outcomes of homeschooling because many parents choose for their children not to sit exams. A 2014 NSW government report found homeschooled children who participated in the NAPLAN tests scored “significantly above the overall NSW average”, but noted just 10 per cent of homeschooled children took the tests.
“There is such a focus on academics at school, but you can learn to read and write at 90. You can learn anything at any age. The first seven years of life are absolutely critical to social and emotional development. You can’t get that time back,” Patterson says.
For some families homeschooling is something they never thought they’d do, but made the decision based on issues like bullying, mental health and a lack of support for neurodivergent children.
“We don’t factor neurodivergent kids and their unique needs into teaching environments at all,” Dent says.
“Many parents are asking why would I put them into a system that is ‘one size fits all’, when I can keep them home and still be doing all the things that help them learn.”
Just like school, homeschooling isn’t for everyone. It does involve sacrifices with some families having to weigh up the financial burden of having one parent give up employment, typically the mother, to stay home.
And while all the mothers I interviewed have managed to continue working flexibly around their children’s education, they do all agree on one downside: the scarcity of personal time. Nevertheless, it’s a compromise willingly embraced.
“That’s probably the only thing because I’m with them all day,” Lycett reflects. “So at night time, I need a little bit of time to myself. But other than that, they are great kids, we love being with them.”
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My other blogs: Main ones below
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)
http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs
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