Toyota’s President Reflects on the Importance of STEM and Working with Partners in Education

In an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News, Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation, expresses his concern over training the workforce to meet the challenges and demands of the 21st century. His article stresses the importance education has in ushering change. Toyoda also delineated the partnership his company has in North Texas with Dallas ISD, SMU Simmons and the community of West Dallas to create a significant PreK to 8 STEM school near L.G. Pinkston, the neighborhood high school.

With successful partnerships and the creation of a STEM school, Toyota decided to replicate the STEM school model in 14 other U.S. cities and work with communities to bring in educational change.  As Toyoda writes, “Toyota’s U.S.-Japan partnership has flourished thanks to the shared values and mutual respect forged by the people of both countries at all levels. At its heart lies education and developing people. And as a company that calls both America and Japan home, Toyota will continue working to support students and all citizens of these great countries to help ensure we can, and will, provide mobility and happiness for all.”    Click here to read his article.

Serving Up a Perfect Connection to Students: Batenburg’s 20,000 Cookies

Ann Batenburg, clinical associate professor of Gifted Education in the Simmons School, is a legendary Faculty-in-Residence member. For seven years, she has been baking cookies for Sunday night snacks in Virginia-Snider Residential Commons. According to her calculations, this means she has served 20,000 cookies! Furthermore, she came up with the idea for Sunday night snacks now observed in the residential halls on campus. She’s put a stamp on cookies and conversation!

During the COVID-19 restrictions, SMU Faculty in Residence and students are keeping Sunday Night Snacks and other traditions going via Zoom meetups and social postings.

Batenberg Discusses Gifted and Talented Education in Parents Magazine

Ann Batenberg, clinical associate professor of gifted education in Simmons, provides a framework for how gifted education is working in the U.S.

In a Parents magazine article, she discusses how a lack of federal laws pertaining to gifted education has lead to a lack of identifying and serving students. She also says using local norms may be better determinants than national testing. “High test scores have proven to be better at predicting the income level of a student, not their academic achievement,” she adds. Read more.