MADRID — With the world economy mired in recession, the British prime minister learns that one of his country’s largest banks is experiencing liquidity problems and is close to collapse. The government has three options: It can publicly bail out the troubled bank, risking widespread panic in the financial sector; it can secretly move to shore it up; or it can leave the bank’s fate to the market. The government’s top economic advisers are divided. Time is running out. The prime minister must decide.

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The situation sounds familiar, as do the periodic television news bulletins featuring a woman with a polished English accent breathlessly reporting the latest developments in the crisis. Despite the frequent references to the falling pound, this drama is unfolding not in the Treasury or the Bank of England, or anywhere in Britain, but in a classroom at the IE Business School, Madrid.

Welcome to “10 Downing Street,” an economic policy simulation game in which students adopt the role of the British prime minister. Over the course of an 80-minute class, six teams of students debate policy options before voting on a course of action. The option with the most support is then put into practice, giving rise to a new set of choices and debates. The game’s author, an economics professor, Gayle Allard, said the teams must collaborate rather than compete, “because in government you have to decide.”

“Students need to understand that policy making is not easy, and that one decision can condition all your future options,” she said.

As the game progresses, the students can compare their choices with those of Ms. Allard and other IE professors, and with the supposed views of a panel including the economists Milton Friedman, John Maynard Keynes and Paul Krugman, and Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister.

The game, which uses real actors, ends with a general election, but out of hundreds of possible decision pathways, “only about 40 percent lead to re-election” said Matthew Constantine, multimedia project manager at the business school.

Ankur Dhawan, a student from New Delhi, said that “we should let the market take its course,” But Mr. Dhawan’s passionate advocacy of free-market doctrine fails to convince his fellow students, who opt for a public bailout only to discover that other banks now also expect taxpayer-funded rescues, and that their good intentions have put the whole sector under pressure from speculators.

In the next round, the choices are similar, but this time, perhaps because the approach is described as “quiet support” for ailing banks, rather than a “cover-up,” the students opt for discretion. In turn, they learn another hard lesson from real life: Details of the government’s support program appear in the media, and the students now have to deal with a market meltdown.

“There is always a risk that when you keep something secret, sometimes when it leaks out the impact can be bigger,” Ms. Allard said.

Ali Golkarieh, a student who described himself as “Canadian-Iranian,” said that “I still think that trying to help the banks in secret was the right decision.” But the fact that the information leaked, he said, “shows that there’s more than one dimension to a decision.”

The game was designed to be used by classes in IE’s international M.B.A. program as well as in its management and international relations master’s degrees programs. “10 Downing Street” was partly inspired by the popularity of an earlier effort by the school’s 14-member multimedia development team.

The earlier effort, “Making Money on Oil,” turns students into petroleum futures traders who have to decide how weather, crops, currency and political unrest will affect the price of oil.

“That game forces students to take a hard look at supply and demand,” Ms. Allard said. “To do well, you need to be able to predict how several variables will affect real markets.”

Ms. Allard, a native of California, said “10 Downing Street” was originally going to be called “A Day in the White House.”

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(05-04) 03:01 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) –

President Barack Obama will stress the importance of an affordable higher education Friday in Virginia, a state that is key to his re-election hopes.

The president will speak with students and parents at an Arlington high school about his efforts to prevent interest rates on federal subsidized student loans from doubling on July 1.

Obama will hold a morning round-table discussion with a group of seniors and their parents. Then hell speak to a larger group of parents, juniors and seniors about the importance of having a fair shot at an affordable higher education and the skills needed to find a good job.

In the afternoon, the president will welcome members of the University of Kentucky mens basketball team to the White House to celebrate their 2012 NCAA championship.

HONG KONG — Australia, Britain, Ireland and New Zealand have jointly issued an international code of ethics for education agents who recruit overseas students.

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The code, know as the London Statement, was drafted in March and unveiled in late April amid concerns about fraudulent practices by unscrupulous agents. It calls for all agents to conduct their business professionally and responsibly.

According to Pat Killingley, director of higher education at the British Council, which hosted talks in London in March, the code is about “setting out clearly what our expectations are, to help ensure that international students receive a good service and sound advice when they consult an agent.” The next step, she added, is to talk to the agents’ representative bodies in countries that send many students overseas, like India and China, and to get them to sign the agreement.

The use of agents, also known as consultants or representatives, is common in destination countries like Australia, Britain, Ireland and New Zealand; many of them are located in students’ countries of origin. They help schools recruit international students and assist students with their applications.

With more than three million people studying at the university level outside their home countries, international education is a lucrative multibillion-dollar business, and agents are part of that. An agent can earn a commission worth several thousand dollars per student.

“We provide options to prospective students,” said Joanna D’Ettorre Leung, founding member and president of the Hong Kong International Education Consultants’ Association. “It is a matching process. We act like a matchmaker.”

Reports of dishonest agents abound. They are said to dupe applicants, direct students to bogus colleges and deceive universities by submitting doctored transcripts or counterfeit diplomas. But education officials and those in the recruitment agency industry emphasize that those cases represent a minority.

The British Council and Australian Education International started the talks two years ago, bringing together representatives from six English-speaking nations that are major study destinations: the four signatory countries plus the United States and Canada. The latter two, however, are absent from the final agreement.

Ms. Killingley said the code was not about getting tough with agents but about promoting and encouraging good practices, prompting criticism that it lacked means of enforcement.

“It doesn’t go far enough,” Ms. Leung said of the code of ethics. “For the unscrupulous agents, their only concern is: ‘Can the law get me?’ It needs more than just a guideline, and it should be much firmer.”

that he had a computer science degree.

If Thompson fudged his education he should be fired, and questions should be asked of board member Patti Hart, who led the search committee that picked Thompson, some experts said.

Sadly for Yahoo and its investors, I think the board has no choice but to terminate the CEO unless it can clearly be shown that someone else made the error, said Kirk Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.

In the filings with the SEC, the company stated that Thompson has a degree in accounting and computer science from Stonehill College near Boston. The claim was repeated on the companys website, said Third Point, a New York investment fund run by activist investor Dan Loeb, which owns 8.1 percent of Yahoos shares.

Thompson — hired away from PayPal in January to replace fired CEO Carol Bartz — has an accounting degree from Stonehill but does not have a computer science degree, Yahoo confirmed.

Third Point has been pushing for changes to Yahoos board and the companys direction and strategy.

A rudimentary Google (GOOG) search reveals a Stonehill College alumni announcement stating that Mr. Thompsons degree is in accounting only, Third Point said in its letter to Yahoos board. A check with Stonehill confirmed that Thompson holds only an accounting degree, Third Point said, and that Stonehill did not begin awarding computer science degrees until four years after Thompson graduated.

During Thompsons time at Stonehill, only one computer science course was offered, Third Point said. Presumably, Mr. Thompson took that course.

It soon quickly became apparent that it wasnt the first time that a computer science degree has been attributed to Thompson.

At a Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco, when he was still at PayPal, this computer science degree was listed in a speakers biography. When he was hired by Yahoo, at least one blog cited his degrees in accounting and computer science.

Twenty years ago or even 10 years ago, you could have swallowed hard and chastised the individual, Hanson said. But today theres enough distrust in companies and executives that any such deception is a firing offense.

At a minimum, they need to do an investigation to see if there are any other misrepresentations, said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, professor of leadership at Yale Universitys School of Management.

The SEC filing is a misrepresentation to investors, getting people to buy into your technology based on credentials you dont have, he said.

Sonnenfeld said Thompson sought the job. He went after the search committee. Hes put his rsum together. Its not like somebody got confused in a Wikipedia entry or something.

Third Points letter also suggested that Yahoo also fudged Harts rsum in an SEC filing that states she holds a bachelors degree in marketing and economics from Illinois State University.

That seemed more a matter of semantics — Yahoo said Harts degree is in business administration with a specialty in marketing.

A bigger problem for Hart, corporate governance experts said, is that she was head of the committee that vetted Thompson. A basic first step in vetting senior executive hires is checking their education, experts said.

If there were a search firm, we would appropriately be held out to dry, said R. Keith Giarman, global leader of venture capital and private equity practice at DHR International.

Staff writer Jeremy Owens contributed to this report.

A+ Washington keeps education reform moving forward

A+ Washington is a bold, comprehensive education agenda that keeps the momentum of reform going.

Seattle Times Editorial

International competitors

Socastee High School#x2019;s Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) team took first place in the Carolina Regional ROV competition hosted by Coastal Carolina University in conjunction with the Academy for Art, Science and Technology. The team now will take its work with underwater robotics to Orlando, Fla., to compete with students from around the world at the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center#x2019;s International Competition this June.

Seniors Kyle Beale, Stephanie Hetzer, Chris Hess, Peter Strauss and junior Tim Young will be representing their high school and the district. The SHS ROV team is raising funds and seeks community support to pay for travel expenses associated with competing at the international event.

To learn how you can support the team, contact Shannon Stone at sstone@horrycountyschools.net or Christopher Weeks at cweeks@horrycountyschools.net.

Train to tutor those with dyslexia

The Literacy Council of Horry County is offering training in a specialized method of tutoring for persons who have a learning difficulty such as dyslexia. Weekly training sessions will be held on Wednesdays.

Functional illiteracy – the inability to fill out forms, read prescription labels or read a good book – affects 30 percent of Horry County#x2019;s population, with 20 percent of the population having some level of dyslexia. Many of those have the ability to learn if given the correct guidance and tools.

Participants will learn a new skill whether or not they are interested in becoming a dyslexia tutor. However, a trained dyslexia tutor may devote sufficient time to fulfill certain certification requirements for their career.

The Literacy Council has received requests for this type of assistance, particularly for children who are not reading at grade level. Training can assist parents with what works for their child.

Literacy Council staff members also are available to speak to groups or organizations that are interested in information on dyslexia, how to help this target population and how to become a certified tutor.

For more information, call the Literacy Council at 843-839-1695 or visit www.horrycountyliteracycouncil.org. The council#x2019;s hours are 9 am to 3 pm Monday through Thursday.

National scholarship winners

Congratulations to the four Horry County students who won National Merit $2500 Scholarships: Julianna Martel of Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach High School, Probable career field: mathematics/science; Caroline Moore of Myrtle Beach, Socastee High School, Probable career field: undecided; Rebecca Starkes of Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest High School, Probable career field: communications; and Alyssa R. Lundy of North Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach High School, Probable career field: political science.

The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from more than 15,000 finalists in the 2012 scholarship program. National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday that he was creating a task force to reform higher education in Florida.

#x201C;The state has a vested interest in ensuring its higher education system produces world-class talent to serve as engaged citizens and meet the demands of Florida#x2019;s emerging knowledge-based economy,#x201D; said Scott in a a statement. #x201C;It#x2019;s time to assess the progress of prior reform efforts and identify strategies to improve efficiencies and enhance the system#x2019;s effectiveness as an economic catalyst.#x201D;

The Blue Ribbon Task Force on State Higher Education Reform will focus its attention on the State University System#x2019;s governance model, mainly the interaction between the Board of Governors and individual universities. Final recommendations are due October 31.

The chair, Dr. Dale A. Brill, will be joined by six members, two selected by Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Senate President Designate Don Gaetz, two selected by House Speaker Dean Cannon and Speaker Designate Will Weatherford and two selected by the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors, Dean Colson and Mori Hosseini.

Dr. Brill serves as the president of the Florida Chamber Foundation and is a former full-time member of Florida State University#x2019;s faculty. He previously served as the Director of the Governor#x2019;s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development.

The state#x2019;s colleges and universities enroll more than 324,000 students.

You can follow the work of the task force at www.FLHigherEd.org and www.facebook.com/FLHigherEd, as well as Twitter feeds available by following @FLHigherEd.

SILVER SPRING, Md., May 04, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Toyota
and Discovery
Education announced today the winners of the Toyota Teen Driver
Video Challenge and Toyota Teen Driver Educators’ Challenge,
the nation’s premier teen safe driving challenges. Winners will receive
a variety of cash and prizes, such as $20,000, a Toyota
Driving Expectations event and virtual driving simulators. These
Challenges are part of Toyota and Discovery Education’s joint program, Toyota
Teen Driver, which provides educators, parents and students with
comprehensive lesson plans, take-home resources, an interactive game and
more to help avoid distractions while driving and stay safe behind the
wheel.

Chosen from nearly 125 entries, this year’s Video Challenge Grand
Prize winner of a $20,000 cash prize is Jacob Orlowski from Park
Hill South High School in Riverside, Mo. Recognizing that motor vehicle
crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, Orlowski created
a video inspiring his peers to take action and create real life
solutions to prevent distracted driving. The Video Challenge
asked high school students across the country to create a unique
two-minute video describing how they would encourage safe driving among
their peers. In March, ten finalists were chosen and their videos were
posted on the Toyota Teen Driver website for a “fan voting”
period where the public was invited to vote to determine the grand prize
winner. The remaining nine finalists each received $1,500 in cash.

For the Educators’ Challenge, teachers nationwide were tasked
with creating a detailed action plan on how they would promote safe
driving among teens in their school and in their community. This year’s
winners were chosen for their plan’s creativity, content and structure.
First Place winner Erin Hattabaugh from Cleveland High School in
Cleveland, Tenn., has won a Toyota Driving Expectations in-school safe
driving event, a virtual driving simulator for her school and a $5,000
grant to implement her winning action plan. Second Place winner Carrie
Shampoe from Clymer High School in Clymer, NY, has won a virtual driving
simulator for her school and a $1,500 grant to implement her winning
action plan. Both winning lessons will be made available on the Toyota
Teen Driver website for teachers to use.

Toyota Driving Expectations is a free program for teen drivers and their
parents that has educated more nearly 20,000 participants since 2004.
The program puts teens and parents behind the wheel and introduces “real
world” obstacles, conditions and distractions in a safe and controlled
driving environment. Virtual driving simulators, provided by Virtual
Driver Interactive, are programmed with One Simple Decision(TM) — a
program designed to stop impaired and distracted driving with a first
person experience that focuses on real life consequences. The simulators
will also include Toyota Teen Driver’s “Heads Up!,” an
interactive road driving challenge demonstrating the perils of
distracted driving.

“At Toyota, we are deeply committed to ensuring that drivers are safe at
every phase of life,” said Pat Pineda, Group Vice President, National
Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation. “Toyota Teen Driver is an
important part of that commitment, and we are thrilled with the work of
the students and teachers who participated in our Video Challenge
and Educators’ Challenge programs. Their creativity and smart
thinking in addressing solutions for such a serious public health
concern are an inspiration that we are pleased to join Discovery
Education in supporting.”

“Discovery Education is proud to reward these teachers and students for
finding creative ways to address safe driving among teens with action
items they can use in and outside of their classrooms,” said Mary
Rollins, Discovery Education vice president. “We recognize the value in
crafting unique learning opportunities that get communities involved in
important issues that affect their everyday lives. Challenges like these
underscore the need to involve educators, families and students in
educating teens on the importance of creating a safe driving experience
on the road.”

For more information on Toyota Teen Driver, visit
www.toyotateendriver.com .

About Toyota

Toyota

/quotes/zigman/199376/quotes/nls/tm TM
+0.08%

established operations in the United States in 1957 and
currently operates 10 manufacturing plants. There are nearly 1,500
Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in the U.S., which sold more than
1.64 million vehicles in 2011. Toyota directly employs over 30,000 in
the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18
billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and
development, financial services and design. Toyota’s annual purchasing
of parts, materials, goods and services from U.S. suppliers totals more
than $25 billion.

For more information about Toyota, visit
www.toyota.com
or
www.toyotanewsroom.com .

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education transforms classrooms, empowers teachers and
captivates students by providing high quality, dynamic, digital content
for grades K-12 and community colleges. Powered by Discovery
Communications

/quotes/zigman/112277/quotes/nls/disca DISCA
+1.20%

/quotes/zigman/112301/quotes/nls/discb DISCB
+2.32%

/quotes/zigman/112323/quotes/nls/disck DISCK
+0.20%

, the number one nonfiction
media company in the world, Discovery Education is the global leader in
standards-based digital media, professional development, assessment
tools and a passionate educator network to support districts in
accelerating student achievement. Discovery Education services like
Discovery Education streaming, Discovery Education Techbook and
Discovery Education Higher Ed, are in more than half of all US schools
and 35 countries around the world. Explore the future of education at
www.discoveryeducation.com .

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50266515&lang=en

SOURCE: Toyota

Discovery Education
Alana Carchedi, 240-662-2572
alana_carchedi@discovery.com
or
Toyota
Luis Rosero, 212-715-7493
Luis_Rosero@tma.toyota.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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Add to portfolio

TM

Toyota Motor Corp. ADS

US

: U.S.: NYSE

$
78.69

+0.06
+0.08%

Volume: 252,337
May 7, 2012 4:04p

P/E Ratio51.13
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$138.34 billion
Rev. per Employee$696,045

/quotes/zigman/112277/quotes/nls/disca

Add to portfolio

DISCA

Discovery Communications Inc. Series A

US

: U.S.: Nasdaq

$
54.08

+0.64
+1.20%

Volume: 2.57M
May 7, 2012 4:00p

P/E Ratio19.33
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$21.36 billion
Rev. per Employee$920,652

/quotes/zigman/112301/quotes/nls/discb

Add to portfolio

DISCB

Discovery Communications Inc. Series B

US

: U.S.: Nasdaq

$
55.08

+1.25
+2.32%

Volume: 200.00
May 7, 2012 4:00p

P/E Ratio19.69
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$21.36 billion
Rev. per Employee$920,652

/quotes/zigman/112323/quotes/nls/disck

Add to portfolio

DISCK

Discovery Communications Inc. Series C

US

: U.S.: Nasdaq

$
49.36

+0.10
+0.20%

Volume: 466,421
May 7, 2012 4:00p

P/E Ratio17.64
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$21.36 billion
Rev. per Employee$920,652

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

JACKSON, Miss. Mississippi Superintendent of Education Tom Burnham announced Friday that he is retiring.

Burnham will complete his second stretch as leader of the states 152 school districts on June 30, timing his departure to the end of the budget year.

I have served passionately for 43 years as an educator striving to make positive changes and to provide better opportunities for children, Burnham said in a statement.

He first led the states K-12 schools from 1992 to 1997. After Hank Bounds left to become commissioner of higher education, Burnham was rehired by the state Board of Education in November 2009, taking over in January 2010. His second tour in the job took place as the states schools struggled with tight budgets and worked to meet higher accountability standards.

I want to thank Tom for his many years of dedicated service to our state as he steps down from his role as state superintendent of education, Gov. Phil Bryant said in a statement. More than anything, Tom has been a good friend of mine through my time as lieutenant governor and now as governor.

Tom is a great educator, said retiring Pass Christian superintendent Sue Matheson, whos leaving the state board. Hes been great for Mississippi.

Charles McClelland of Jackson, chairman of the state Board of Education, said that when Burnham approached him several months ago about retiring, he asked the superintendent to stay on until the conclusion of the legislative session, which ended Thursday.

McClelland said board members would discuss finding Burnhams successor when they meet in May, and said it was likely that an interim superintendent would be appointed. That would give time for a longer search for a permanent successor.

Well want to take the time to make sure we get the right person, said board member Kami Bumgarner of Madison.

The state superintendent currently makes $307,000 per year, as set by state law.

Mississippi Superintendent of Education Tom Burnham says hes retiring on June 30.

Burnham served as dean of the School of Education at the University of Mississippi between stints as state superintendent. He earlier served as superintendent of Henderson County Public Schools in North Carolina and Biloxi Public Schools.

In his second stint as state superintendent, Burnham expanded efforts to turn around troubled school districts. The state now controls eight of the 152 local districts: Aberdeen, Drew, Hazlehurst, Indianola, North Panola, Okolona, Sunflower County and Tate County.

He has toughened our accreditation standards, said Mississippi Economic Council President Blake Wilson. He has absolutely refused to look the other way on failing school districts.

Wilson is a member of the states accreditation commission and the council has pushed better schools as part of its economic plan for the state.

The outgoing superintendent has said that districts tend to backslide after leaving state control, and new sanctions are coming that are meant to pressure local communities to improve schools without so much state help.

Burnham has also struggled with budget issues. The state Department of Education has shed employees, limiting its ability to help districts. At the same time, state aid sent to local districts has remained below the full amount prescribed by the state funding formula, known as the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. Even with an increase for the 2013 budget year, the total will fall more than $250 million short of full funding.

Still, admirers say Burnham leaves with other achievements, including work to cut dropout rates, a teacher code of ethics, and tougher qualifications for new teachers.

A new superintendent will be faced with continuing Burnhams work, plus some new challenges. Mississippi is implementing new curriculum standards known as common core, meant to bring together nationwide what states teach.

Moving to common core is really a significant step and theres a lot of training that will go with that, said Nancy Loome, executive director of The Parents Campaign, a public school lobbying group. Its really a ramped-up curriculum and a different curriculum.

McClelland said the next superintendent would probably also have to find a way to fit charter schools into the state system, given the desire of Gov Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and many legislators for such alternative public schools.

Its going to need to be someone who is very strong, Loome said. Its a grueling, grueling job.