Media Coverage

National and regional media outlets seek the expertise of Corn Associates, Inc. for their insight into education related issues. Following are excerpts from recent newspaper articles that have featured Corn Associates, Inc.

* Article Title – ‘North East bond issue stirs debate’, by Sharon Hughes, San Antonio Express-News (December 8, 2002):

“The school board ought to be commended for its courage,” said Henry Pruitt, vice president of Corn Associates, a New Jersey consulting firm, when he heard the district planned to upgrade every high-speed high school. “This is unusual in the sense that you say, ’This district is going to fix all of them.’”

* Article Title – ‘Multi-age classroom trend scores high marks’, by Leslie Mann, Chicago Tribune (November 20, 2002):

“Multi-age teaching incorporates flexible grouping of students, using a variety of teaching strategies, cooperative learning, teaching by ability instead of by grade, and project-orientated learning,” said Zita Pruitt, a consultant with Corn Associates Inc, in Teaneck, N.J., an educational professional development firm. “These are all strategies that teachers are learning now whether or not they have multi-age classrooms.”

For that reason, the multi-age classroom doesn’t suit every teacher, Pruitt said. “Not every teacher has the personality or managerial skills to teach multi-age,” she said. “For some veteran teachers who are used to structured classrooms, this type of teaching is a big change.”

* Article Title – ‘How to get your child to communicate with you’, by Beth D’Addono, Sunday Star Ledger (November 3, 2002):

Eunice Zita Pruitt, director of staff development for Corn Associates, Inc. in Rochelle Park, looks at the subject of child/parent communication both as an education (she spent 20 years as an elementary school principal in schools in and around Teaneck), and as a mother of four and grandmother of eight.

“We have to create times when conversation can take place – over a meal, while reading a story together, taking a walk.” She also believes that parents can use time spent watching TV or playing video games as an entrée to subjects that might be on the child’s mind. “Listen to the music your kids listen to – with them – and talk about it.”

Another important point, especially for families with more than one child, is to arrange alone time with each child, so they aren’t always fighting with siblings for your attention. It’s also important not to superimpose our own thoughts and feelings on the child. Constant second-guessing is not the best way to build self-esteem. Perhaps there is a reason for an answer we’re just not hearing – if a child says his homework is stupid, it might mean it is too difficult, or too easy. “Like adults, what children say isn’t always what they mean,” said Pruitt. “We need to listen to the words AND the feelings under the words.”

* Article Title – ‘Will smiles equal success?’, by Deborah Bach, Seattle Post-Intelligencer (October 8, 2002):

Dr. Henry Pruitt, executive vice president of Corn Associates, an educational consulting firm in Rochelle Park, N.J., said school districts risk some degree of autonomy by accepting funding from outsiders.

“When you give somebody money, you really have something to say about what happens, especially when it’s a large percentage of what the school budget is,” he said. “It would be most rare for somebody to say,’ We’re going to fund your school 80 percent, and we don’t care what you do with the money.’”

* Article Title – ‘Small schools’ future uncertain’, by Luke Connell, Birmingham Post-Herald (October 3, 2002):

Henry Pruitt, an educational consultant for Corn Associates Inc., said consolidating schools saves money by reducing the number of administrators. Corn Associates, based in New Jersey, is an education-consulting firm that assists school systems and districts with education strategies.

“You’d save money with larger schools,“ said Pruitt, a former New Jersey school principal. Pruitt said an ideal number for an elementary school would be about 500 students. That many would allow schools to have a wide range of programs and services and still keep administrative and operating costs in check.

Even something as small as a field trip can be a problem when talking about small schools, he said. “You can’t take a field trip with half a bus” since it costs the same whether the bus is full or not, Pruitt said.

* Article Title – ‘Stepping up to success’, by Ellen Miller, The Indianapolis Star (August 6, 2002):

A child may say she heard someone was talking about her, says Anthony Coletta of Corn Associates Inc.. The child with low social skills flies off the handle, while a skilled child knows there’s another side to the story. A parent should tell the child to talk to the person directly.

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