Sue and edgar wachenheim, iii. Corporate funding is provided by mutual of america designing customized individual and Group Retirement products. Thats why we are your retirement company. Additional support has been provided by and by the corporation for public broadcasting, and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Sreenivasan good evening. Thanks for joining us. As American Military forces renew efforts to roll back the latest taliban offensive in afghanistan, a u. S. Airstrike appears to have accidentally caused significant civilian casualties. The nighttime aerial attack mistakenly bombed a hospital in the northern afghan city of kunduz, which was taken over by the taliban this week. Images from overnight showed fires blazing inside the hospital. The humanitarian Group Doctors without borders, which runs the hospital, says at least 19 people were killed, including three children and 12 of its medical staff, while several dozen other patients and staff were wounded. Doctors without borders also says it told the u. S. And Afghan Military in washington and kabul that the hospital was hit, yet the bombing continued for another 30 minutes. Its a large hospital, very well known, and indeed we have communicated several times with all parties to the conflict in afghanistan the precise locations with gps coordinates, and this we have even repeated over the last two weeks. Sreenivasan a u. S. Military official confirmed the airstrike may have resulted in Collateral Damage to a nearby medical facility. Afghan president ashraf ghani says he has received condolences from the commander of u. S. Forces in afghanistan, and u. S. Defense secretary Ash Carter Says he has launched a full investigation into what he calls a tragic incident. The seizure of kunduz, afghanistans sixth largest city, was the talibans biggest tactical victory since 2001. And fighting with Government Troops has escalated there all week. 10,000 american soldiers remain in the country to assist the afghan army. Joining us now via skype from tokyo, japan, is jason cone, he is the executive director of msfusa. Doctors without bordersusa. This is a terrible day for your organization. Youve likely been in contact with some of those people that were affected in kunduz. What do they describe is happening . Yes, its definitely one of the darkest days in our organizations history. And weve been in touch with the teams on the ground, and we are evacuating our International Staff from kunduz, and what they tell us is the bombs hit around 2 00 a. M. This morning afghanistan time in kunduz. And then they heard planes circling around. There was a pause and then there were more bombs hit. And that happened again and again. And when our staff went out of their office, the main Hospital Building was engulfed in flames, and we had patients who were unable to escape who died in their beds. Sreenivasan is there anywhere any of the wounded now can go if that hospital is incapacitated . No, youre seeing a loss of access to trauma care. It was the only facility in this area, in the Northeastern Region of afghanistan. Weve been treating hundreds of wounded over the past few days during the fighting in kunduz. Sreenivasan what have you done afterwards for your staff in that area . We have evacuated our International Staff to kabul and transported the wounded to another hospital about two hours away, and were trying to right now provide as much support to them as possible in kunduz. Sreenivasan what sorts of efforts or measures did you go to, to make sure that all the fighting parties knew that you were a safe zone . Well, we make direct contact at the field level with various armed groups. And i can tell you that on september 29, and the weeks prior, we had made sure that at the highest level of both the military and civilian chain of command in the u. S. Government that they had the g. P. S. Coorts of our compound. And at the outset of the attack we also made contact with various contacts at the joint Chairmans Office to reiterate the attack was unfolding. And we conveyed that information in real time, and we saw nothing change. And you see now that we have 19 dead. Sreenivasan just to clarify once the hospital was under attack, your agency made contact with the u. S. Military, the Afghan Forces to tell them, and the bombs still kept falling . That is correct. We informed our contacts, both in washington and kabul level, and the attacks continued to happen, in spite of our efforts, both in the days prior and when the attack was unfolding. Sreenivasan when you meet with pentagon officials or other people over the next few days, what are you looking for . We want an explanation, and we want an independent investigation. We want to understand what happened. Theres honestly no justification. It was clear that this was a fully functioning hospital, and we need answers, and we need those answers not just from the u. S. Military but we need some kind of independent investigation thats credible. And we dont want to just hear that this was some kind of mistake and that theres just Collateral Damage. Sreenivasan also, there were some reports that perhaps the taliban had infiltrated the compound and were actually firing from there. In the last few days, did any member of your organization witness that or were you under threat in that way . We were not under threat in any way. And i can tell you that as far as our staff now, the gates of the hospital compound were closed all night so that no one there is not staff, a patient or caretaker was inside the hospital when the bombing happened. Its also important to keep in mind, according to military law, any injured person in the hospital is considered a noncombatantant. Whatever side they may have fought for before. In any case, bombing a fully functioning hospital can never be justified. Sreenivasan jason cone, the executive director of mtv u. S. A. , thank you so much for your time and im sorry for your loss. Thank you very much. Sreenivasan a medical examiner has determined the cause of death of the gunman who carried out sreenivasan a medical examiner has determined the cause of death of the gunman who carried out thursdays mass shooting at Umpqua Community college in rural roseburg, oregon. Christopher harpermercer died of a selfinflicted gunshot wound, police said today. They also said the gunman owned or possessed 14 guns. He brought six of them to campus and used a handgun in his rampage. We now know the nine people he killed ranged in age from 18 to 67. They included five students under 21yearsold, three older students, and the instructor of the writing class attacked. Russia is vowing to increase the intensity of airstrikes in syria to prop up the regime of president bashar alassad. Russian warplanes struck more targets across northern and central syria today, a total of more than 60 air strikes in the past four days. Russian government video showed warplanes striking what russia described as command centers and munitions depots belonging to militants from the islamic state, or isis. But the u. S. And its allies say the russian air strikes are also hitting Free Syrian Army rebels backed by the u. S. Who oppose the assad regime in the four yearold civil war. The coalition is calling on russia to cease its attacks. Normal Train Service has resumed in the tunnel that connects the european continent to england. Overnight and this morning, several hundred migrants sneaked through the french entrance to the eurotunnel, on foot or by jumping on trucks, causing the tunnel to be closed temporarily. Some migrants got as far as nine miles into the tunnel before being stopped by police. 24 were arrested. The u. K. Has pledged to accept 20,000 refugees from syria over the next five years. Germanys president says the migrant crisis is a challenge that may occupy the country for generations. Joachim gauck, the countrys largely ceremonial president since 2012, made the comment at ceremonies marking todays 25th anniversary of the unification of east and west germany. German chancellor Angela Merkel said today migrants coming only for economic reasons would not be allowed to stay. Germany expects to absorb as many as 800,000 Asylum Seekers who have arrived in europe this year primarily from syria, iraq, libya, and afghanistan. Hurricane joaquin is well off the u. S. Mainland, but heavy rain combined with the storm surge is causing severe flooding in the midatlantic region. The worst flooding is occurring in the carolinas, where several feet of water has caused some roads to be shut down and communities evacuated. Extreme flood threats remain in effect near charleston and myrtle beach, the outer banks of north carolina, and virginia beach. An american cargo container ship caught in joaquin is still missing. The ship el faro and its 33 crew members, left jacksonville, florida, for puerto rico on tuesday, and has not been heard from since issuing a distress call thursday morning. The u. S. Coast guard is leading the search, now near the bahamas. Sreenivasan for many Public Television stations across the country, today is american graduate day, a multiplatform event onair and online, focused on keeping kids on a path to graduation, featuring conversations and reports on early education, dropout prevention, and college completion. And in our signature segment tonight, we look at how teachers are being trained for careers in the classroom. Half of american teachers actually quit the profession after only a few years on the job. But an Innovative Program in boston helps schools retain teachers longer, while recruiting more science and math teachers and more teachers of color. The newshours Christopher Booker has the story. Reporter this is the second week on the job for 22yearold renee alves. When you say you counted by 1s, what do you mean by that . Shes assigned to this third grade class at the dudley street neighborhood charter school, in the roxbury section of boston, but she is not a teacher yet. She is part of a Training Program called the boston teacher residency. Count by multiples of 10. As one of 40 residents in the teacher Training Program this year, renee will spend 10 months watching, emulating, and learning as much as she can from experienced teacher kayla morse and what multiplication equation can i write to represent that . You can learn from a textbook, but i think its a lot different when youre in a classroom and youre seeing it in person. Reporter renees lengthy training period is part of a transformation in the way boston and a handful of other cities prepare their teachers. While some teacher Training Programs require only a few weeks in the classroom, these residency models require far more. In 2003, jesse solomon, who taught math in Boston Public Schools for ten years, co founded the program that he likens to a medical residency. One thing i saw a lot when i was teaching was a number of brand new teachers coming into the profession. Smart, committed, hardworking, kind of willing to do whatever it takes, but not really knowing how to teach that first year. My concern was always that they were learning on the backs on the kids that had them that year, right . So if youre a firstyear teacher in algebra 1 class, you get another shot next year. For those kids taking algebra 1, that was their shot at algebra 1. So had in my head that theres gotta be a better way to do this. Reporter solomons goals were to counteract bostons heavy teacher turnover rate, fill key shortages of math and science specialists, and increase the number of minority teachers. Our country right now invests in the preparation of doctors to the tune of about half a Million Dollars per doctor. So weve obviously decided that to invest in the training of those doctors. So im not arguing we should spend half a Million Dollars per teacher. But if education is really as important as everybody says it is, and if teachers are really as important as everyone says they are, then we should be thinking about how we as a country invest in the recruitment, preparation support of teachers. Reporter renee spends monday through thursdays as kaylas apprentice, and fridays in graduate courses. One way to do it is count by 10. She and her fellow trainees will finish the residency with a masters degree in education and become part of the growing roster of clinicallytrained teachers in the Boston Public School system. Three out of four of these graduates from the past 12 years are still teaching in boston, a city where one out of two have left the profession. Kayla morse finished the program four years ago. Ive been teaching at this school for going on two years. And whats kept me here is how this school is set up. Its a community of learners. So i feel very connected to the vision of not only preparing students for the world but also preparing more teachers. Reporter when youre thinking about how youll work with renee, are you mirroring a lot of your own experiences as a resident . So a lot of times i do mirror my experiences with her, but i also think about if i was new to this profession or this place, what are some of the things that i would need to know to work better. Reporter do you feel a responsibility to kind of keep her fire burning . Yes, yes, because i think this work is challenging, and it can really get to you, but i feel like what keeps me going is that fire, and some of the same things we talk about with our kids, independence, perseverance, problemsolving, those are things that i kind of i carry through in my working relationship with her. Reporter roxbury has come a long way in the last two decades. These homes have replaced empty lots where city businesses used to dump their trash in the middle of the night, but residents still struggle with high unemployment, almost half of the children in the area live in poverty, and the Program Recognizes this. Alongside comprehensive teacher education, the residents work with local community groups. Not only learning some of the history of the Boston Public School system, but about the particular nuances of the neighborhoods in which they teach. Here at the dudley Street School this approach has led to a Strategic Partnership with the dudley street neighborhood initiative, one of roxburys oldest and most Influential Community organizations. Program director Sheena Collier says even with 13 schools in roxbury, more than twothirds are bused to schools outside of the district. We believe in parents choosing to send their child to school wherever they like, but wed like them to have the option to send them to a Quality School in their neighborhood if thats what the choose. Reporter she says the Dudley School is an integral part of keeping kids close to home. Unlike the other schools in our neighborhood, we were able to be a part of the visioning of what this school would look like, what would it mean for our community, what would it mean for the students that attend. Reporter in addition to the forward momentum, teachers like sabine ferdinand, a graduate of the residency program, say it is important to recognize the challenging home environment some of their students may come from. I have to be really mindful of everything that my students come into the classroom with. You know, students who come from a difficult home life. Reporter how familiar were you with roxbury beforehand . Not too familiar, surprisingly. I grew up maybe 25, 30 minutes away from here but before, you know, starting to teach here, the residency took us throughout the neighborhoods and really taught us about where were going to be working. And so that really allowed me to understand roxbury. Talk about where the answer was to 60 minus 30 in this representation. Reporter 12 years in, this program has shown success not only retaining more teachers but hiring more science and math specialists, and placing more black, latino, and Asian Americans in the classroom. It hasnt all gone according to plan. A 2011 harvard study found that standardized math test scores were lower among students taught by first year residents than the first year teachers coming from traditional programs. This trend continues until the fourth year of teaching when scores in resident classrooms surpass their counterparts. It was a pivot point. Id be lying if i didnt say there havent been lots of pivot points. You know, its sorta like you you go institute a bunch of things, you get some success. But all that really does is teach you about the next challenge that you need to take on. Reporter in response to the study, the Program Retooled concentrating a greater number of residents in fewer schools. So if you have, you know, seven math residents and seven math mentors and a math clinic teacher educator, you have 15 people all in the same school talking together on a daily basis about what, like, does good math teaching look like for for the kids in this school. But i think the big question that were wrestling with now is ultimately are our teachers good for the kids they serve in the years down the line. Reporter only a few weeks in, renee has a long year in front of her, but says she is undeterred, driven by her time with the students. When you have those aha moments, or you see a child have that aha moment, and their face lights up, it makes everything worth it. Sreenivasan see more from american graduate day 2015, including stories from pbs newshours student reporting labs. Visit us online at americangraduate. Org and pbs. Org newshour. Sreenivasan as technology plays a larger role in the classroom, how will classroom dynamics be affected . An Alternative High School in the bronx, in new york city, offers a new way for teachers, students, and technology to coexist in an increasingly popular model called blended learning. Reporter Bronx Arena High School is one of nearly 300 schools under a new York City Program called innovation zone, or izone. Started in 2010, izone schools use online courses and technology to support personalized learning in the classroom. The curriculum is computerized and customized for each student. Evelyn revollar has been teaching here for five years. Its more targeted teaching than a traditional classroom. Were grouping them based on what do you need to graduate . What holes can i fl . What academic holes can i fill that havent been filled yet . The computers just a tool. Reporter in the past, revollar would have taught the entire class at once, moving from one concept to the next. Instead, students here, equipped with laptops, work more independently and at their own pace. The teachers work oneonone with you. So its not like im in a big classroom and with a bunch of kids, and i dont understand something. Reporter an online tracker helps students record their progress throughout the day. Now, revollar can intercept problems as they happen for each student, based on real time feedback she gets. The tracker is just for us and the teachers to keep track of our courses. It tells me how many tasks thats in that course and how many tasks im supposed to be doing that day. Reporter the Technology Helps students who did not finish traditional high school. Leslianna allen quit school in tenth grade and needed extra help in global studies and math. At 18, she is getting a Second Chance at bronx arena. I hated math. I hated global and since i came here, i finished my whole math course, because i went at my pace and had teachers to help me too. Reporter Joseph Mcfadden was expelled from his previous school. This is his third year at bronx arena, and he is on track to graduate in january. He also credits his success to something a computer cannot do. Its a different experience. Like the teachers, they play the role of a teacher but theyre more of theyre counselors. Theyre advisors. They watch over you. They help you with your lessons. Youre able to get it faster. They dont allow you to fail here, i got accepted, and my grades went way up. She said at the end of the day, i cant force you to do anything. I just want you to look back at yourself and ask yourself, where do you really want to be . Do you really think school is for you . Do you really want to be something . If you do, then take your own actions into your hand and do something with yourself. Reporter all that individual motivation per student takes time, and principal ty cesene, who founded bronx arena in 2011, says the Technology Enables that. We wanted to use technology to maximize that time and really rely on the human part to do the human work, and try and take off some of the sort of administrative responsibilities that we have, that a computer could do. Reporter as a result, teachers spend more time giving students individual attention and meeting with small groups for focused lessons. Technology in and of itself is not a panacea for every classroom, but this bronx school so far is having positive outcomes. In terms of the kids who leave us, 80 go to college, and over an 80 College Retention rate, for the bronx, for the whole city, and were proud of that. Reporter leslianna allen hopes to be part of that success. My plans after graduation is to potentially be potentially work with kids. I want go to college for early childhood. It makes me feel good because im a step closer to graduation. This is pbs newshour weekend, saturday. Sreenivasan wildfires have scorched nine million acres this summer in the united states, from california to alaska, and its been a brutal fire season in russia too. Particularly hard hit were the forests around the Worlds Largest and deepest freshwater lake. The newshours stephen fee reports. Reporter on the shores of lake baikal, in russian siberia, unusually warm temperatures and dry conditions made for dangerous wildfire conditions this summer. At least 1,500 square miles of forest burned until the flames died down in the past few weeks, leaving scorched earth and tree stumps where a oncelush forest stood. Ecologists say the fires here could have a longlasting impact on the delicate ecosystem around the lake, which is home to an estimated 20 of the worlds fresh, unfrozen water. translated since the forests are being destroyed, groundwater gets lost. Drought starts, the springs that are still flowing dry out. It lowers the level of baikal, which was already lower than critical. Reporter the lake is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, home to 570 types of plants and more than 1,300 animal species some of which are endangered. Volunteers are now trying to plant one million new trees to restore the landscape. translated any citizen, any resident can come to the nursery, collect a sapling and plant it in a plot of ground. Anyone can join this action which allows you to express your concern about the common problem. Reporter even a million new trees wont replace all the greenery lost, an area larger than the state of rhode island. But volunteers say, its a start. translated its just that were thinking of our future, of the future of our children for the kind of country we will live in and the air we will breathe. Sreenivasan and finally, a michigan farmer has discovered the remains of an and i think well mammoth. What he thought was a fencepost buried in his soy field turned out to be the the bones of a mammoth that probably lived 10,000 years ago. Paleontologists have excavated the skulls, tusks, and many of the ribs and vertebraes. They believe ancient humans killed the mammoth for its meet matte. Thats it for this edition of newshour weekend. Im hari sreenivasan, thanks for watching. Captioning sponsored by wnet captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org pbs newshour weekend is made possible by lewis b. And Louise Hirschfeld cullman. Bernard and irene schwartz. Judy and josh weston. The cheryl and Philip Milstein family. Sue and edgar wachenheim, iii. 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