Six years ago today, inspired by the writings of Joanne Jacobs and Erin O'Connor, I started this blog. Here's my first post; I hope I've lived up to it.
There are some regular readers and commenters here at RotLC, and I like to think we've got a nice little online community going here. Sometimes it gets a little rough and tumble, and that's OK, because sharing the passion of our convictions is what this forum is all about. For all you regular readers, and for those of you who drop in periodically, I want to thank you for doing so. No one wants to speak in an empty room, and I enjoy the tone and tenor of (the vast majority of) those who speak in this little room on the internet.
Thank you.
I have written over 6000 posts in the past six years--the math teacher in me says that's an average of about three posts a day. Every day. For six years. The last couple years I've cheated a bit by having a daily trivia question which counts as one of those three, but there's been no chorus to stop them. I'd say that perhaps I need a hobby, but it seems I already have one! Over these past six years I've been linked and quoted all over the internet--sometimes for good, sometimes for eeeeeeeevil--and have had not one, not two, but three Instalanches (thanks Glenn!). In my opinion, this is still among my best posts. Also, I've met several other bloggers and commenters in person, and that's always a treat.
Looking forward, there's no telling what's going to happen to RotLC. If the past is any guide, though, we've got at least another six years ahead. Let the debating continue!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Weight Loss Update
Actually, that title is misleading. It would be more accurate to call it "Weight Stabilization Update", as my weight has fluctuated within a 5-lb band for a few months now.
When I got out of the army, during Bush 41's presidency, I wore pants with a waist size of 29. Over the years that number slowly crept up, and last spring I bought some size 36 pants. By last summer those pants were getting a little snug.
At the end of July I started my weight loss regimen, and within 2-1/2 months had lost about 20 lbs. I now fluctuate between 20 and 25 pounds lost. Regular readers will know that part of my regimen includes hot yoga and now the gym; my last hot yoga class will be tomorrow, and I'll probably hit the gym a little tonight.
My goal was 30 pounds, and when I reached that point, I was going to try to go another 10--just to be on the safe side! In those heady days of early fall, when the weight was just flying off me, that seemed not only doable but inevitable. Three months of plateau, though, has cured me of a little of my exuberance.
Those size 36 pants now almost fall off me, and a few months ago I treated myself to some size 34's. Even those are now a tiny bit loose on me, so today I treated myself to a couple of pairs of 33's. I'm going to keep at this. My original goal was 30 pounds by the end of the school year, and that's still a mark that's within reach.
When I got out of the army, during Bush 41's presidency, I wore pants with a waist size of 29. Over the years that number slowly crept up, and last spring I bought some size 36 pants. By last summer those pants were getting a little snug.
At the end of July I started my weight loss regimen, and within 2-1/2 months had lost about 20 lbs. I now fluctuate between 20 and 25 pounds lost. Regular readers will know that part of my regimen includes hot yoga and now the gym; my last hot yoga class will be tomorrow, and I'll probably hit the gym a little tonight.
My goal was 30 pounds, and when I reached that point, I was going to try to go another 10--just to be on the safe side! In those heady days of early fall, when the weight was just flying off me, that seemed not only doable but inevitable. Three months of plateau, though, has cured me of a little of my exuberance.
Those size 36 pants now almost fall off me, and a few months ago I treated myself to some size 34's. Even those are now a tiny bit loose on me, so today I treated myself to a couple of pairs of 33's. I'm going to keep at this. My original goal was 30 pounds by the end of the school year, and that's still a mark that's within reach.
I Thought Gold Couldn't Tarnish, Part 2
Here is another indication of how bad it is. Can you imagine the squawking the CTA would be doing if a Republican said this?
The governor wants to hold a special election in June, seeking approval from the voters to extend some taxes that are due to expire. If the election were held today, conventional wisdom seems to be that they would not pass. On the other hand, Brown hasn't even started selling it to the public yet. Even given the threat above, there's no way I'll vote for those tax increases/extensions absent some serious, long-term spending cuts.
(Governor) Brown has steadfastly refused to detail what should happen if voters reject those taxes. (Treasurer) Lockyer was not so shy, saying there would be no way to balance the books without shutting down the K-12 public school system at least six weeks of the school year. (boldface mine--Darren)
Lockyer said Brown has been reluctant to outline such grim possibilities for fear of alienating a skeptical public.
"You can't seem to be threatening voters," Lockyer said.
The governor wants to hold a special election in June, seeking approval from the voters to extend some taxes that are due to expire. If the election were held today, conventional wisdom seems to be that they would not pass. On the other hand, Brown hasn't even started selling it to the public yet. Even given the threat above, there's no way I'll vote for those tax increases/extensions absent some serious, long-term spending cuts.
I Thought Gold Couldn't Tarnish
How bad is it in California? The state might have to issue IOU's to its creditors. Again.
When they have a "D" after their name, the press doesn't stoke anyone into a frenzy. If they had an "R" after their name, unions and other assorted lefties, along with the editorial boards of major papers, would be screaming bloody murder.
The cuts have to be made, though. And if the only way they can be made is by elected officials with a "D" after their names, then so be it.
My entire retirement depends on the fiscal solvency of this state.
(Treasurer Bill) Lockyer, a Democrat, offered a clear prescription to avoid repeating that fiscal calamity: "Get a budget adopted that's honest, and make the cuts as soon as possible."
Brown, who took office less than three weeks ago, has called on the Legislature to enact by March 1 an austere spending plan that includes deep cutbacks to welfare, healthcare for the poor and the state's universities, among other programs.
"Get it done, the sooner the better," Lockyer said Saturday during his appearance at a conference sponsored by the Institute of Governmental Studies. If not, he said, "We will run out of money to pay the bills."
When they have a "D" after their name, the press doesn't stoke anyone into a frenzy. If they had an "R" after their name, unions and other assorted lefties, along with the editorial boards of major papers, would be screaming bloody murder.
The cuts have to be made, though. And if the only way they can be made is by elected officials with a "D" after their names, then so be it.
My entire retirement depends on the fiscal solvency of this state.
Saturday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Brian Jerard "Kato" Kaelin.
Today's question, the last in OJ Simpson week, is:
In September 2007, Simpson and others stormed into a Las Vegas hotel room to “liberate” some sports memorabilia that Simpson claimed was his. In what hotel did this take place? Bonus question: on what major street is this hotel located?
Brian Jerard "Kato" Kaelin.
Today's question, the last in OJ Simpson week, is:
In September 2007, Simpson and others stormed into a Las Vegas hotel room to “liberate” some sports memorabilia that Simpson claimed was his. In what hotel did this take place? Bonus question: on what major street is this hotel located?
Who Could Possibly Be As Good As Lynda Carter?
Back in the 70s, one of my favorite tv shows was Wonder Woman. I mean, let's face it, Lynda Carter is hot hot hot, and looked even hotter in the Wonder Woman costume. The first season, when Wonder Woman was fighting Nazis, was the best; when they moved her to "the present" in the next two seasons, in order to expand the number of possible storylines, the show honestly wasn't as good. But Carter? Hot hot hot!
A couple of seasons ago, NBC tried to recreate The Bionic Woman. I enjoyed the show, much more than I did the Bionic Woman of old (it wasn't near as good as The Six Million Dollar Man), but sadly it failed. Now NBC is going to reboot the Wonder Woman franchise.
That's a good start. Now let's not make it too dark--Wonder Woman is supposed to be, I don't know, uplifting or something. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.
A couple of seasons ago, NBC tried to recreate The Bionic Woman. I enjoyed the show, much more than I did the Bionic Woman of old (it wasn't near as good as The Six Million Dollar Man), but sadly it failed. Now NBC is going to reboot the Wonder Woman franchise.
Kelley’s take incorporated the superhero’s signature lasso, cuffs, and plane in the script, and insiders said it was a serious, non-campy take on the DC Comics character.
That's a good start. Now let's not make it too dark--Wonder Woman is supposed to be, I don't know, uplifting or something. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Best Way To Study?
Take a test.
It's thought that perhaps the persistent recall is what actually helps the learning process.
Taking a test is not just a passive mechanism for assessing how much people know, according to new research. It actually helps people learn, and it works better than a number of other studying techniques.
The research, published online Thursday in the journal Science, found that students who read a passage, then took a test asking them to recall what they had read, retained about 50 percent more of the information a week later than students who used two other methods.
One of those methods — repeatedly studying the material — is familiar to legions of students who cram before exams. The other — having students draw detailed diagrams documenting what they are learning — is prized by many teachers because it forces students to make connections among facts.
It's thought that perhaps the persistent recall is what actually helps the learning process.
Friday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Capricorn One. (Yes, I have it on dvd.)
Today's question is:
What was the name of OJ Simpson's “house guest” who testified against Simpson at both his murder and his civil trial?
Capricorn One. (Yes, I have it on dvd.)
Today's question is:
What was the name of OJ Simpson's “house guest” who testified against Simpson at both his murder and his civil trial?
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Man Shoots Himself In The Middle of Harvard Campus
OK, this happened last September, did anyone here remember reading about this then? Because I sure don't.
That's pretty intense.
A New York native shot himself to death in Harvard Yard last week -- after penning an epic 1,905-page suicide note.
Mitchell Heisman, 35, quoted Thomas Jefferson, Friedrich Nietzsche and Albert Einstein as he attempted to explain his motives in the rambling missive, which included a lengthy preface and 1,433 footnotes.
That's pretty intense.
Thursday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Hertz.
Today's question is:
In what movie did OJ Simpson star as an astronaut on a fake mission to Mars?
Hertz.
Today's question is:
In what movie did OJ Simpson star as an astronaut on a fake mission to Mars?
Has The Prison At Guantanamo Bay Closed Yet?
Two years ago today, within hours of being sworn in as president, President Obama signed an executive order, to great fanfare, ordering the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison within one year.
Has it closed yet? No? Hm.
Has it closed yet? No? Hm.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Good Idea, Bad Implementation
This county is right next door to Sacramento County:
Two points:
1. Placerville is in El Dorado County (which also borders Sacramento County). So does this program exist in Placer County or El Dorado County?
2. Who's eating that $30 difference between the $40 cost of the test and the $10 price to parents? If it's the taxpayers of the county, that's ridiculous. A parent who suspects their kid is using drugs shouldn't expect their neighbors to help fund the test to find out.
PLACERVILLE, Calif. (CBS13)--Parents of Placer County students can now buy discounted drug tests from high schools, a tactic that county officials hope will help cut down on what appears to be a rising drug use rate.
The inventive anti-drug campaign comes on the heels of a recent survey from a Placer County high school that found “half of the students” use marijuana.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Department is making the $40 drug tests available for just $10 for parents in response to concerns over drugs in schools. The 10-panel urine test checks for methamphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy and other drugs, officials said.
Two points:
1. Placerville is in El Dorado County (which also borders Sacramento County). So does this program exist in Placer County or El Dorado County?
2. Who's eating that $30 difference between the $40 cost of the test and the $10 price to parents? If it's the taxpayers of the county, that's ridiculous. A parent who suspects their kid is using drugs shouldn't expect their neighbors to help fund the test to find out.
Wednesday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
He played for only two--the Buffalo Bills during his glory years, and finished with the San Francisco 49ers.
Today's question is:
For which car rental company was Simpson a spokesman, running through airports in commercials and hurdling over chairs?
He played for only two--the Buffalo Bills during his glory years, and finished with the San Francisco 49ers.
Today's question is:
For which car rental company was Simpson a spokesman, running through airports in commercials and hurdling over chairs?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Where Does Your NEA Dues Money Go?
EIA has sifted through the data and made it easy for us to be sickened--after all, as EIA points out, this was all dues money and not money from their PAC (which gets voluntary donations). Is this how you want your dues money spent? Is this doing anything to improve your pay, benefits, and working conditions? Here are just a few samples of NEA largesse:
AFL-CIO - $150,000
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity - $33,000
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies - $5,000
Citizens Who Support Maine's Public Schools - $250,000
Coalition for Our Communities - $625,000
Coloradans for Responsible Reform - $400,000
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. - $8,800
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute - $50,000
Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate - $200,000
Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute - $10,000
Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network - $5,000
Health Care for America Now! - $450,000
HOPE (Yes on SQ 744) - $1,758,000
MediaMatters - $100,000
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund - $25,000
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Education Fund - $12,500
National Council of La Raza - $26,500
Netroots Nation - $15,000
New Democratic Network - $25,000
People for the American Way - $64,538
Stop the Gag Law - $350,000
Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation - $166,666
Many of the largest donations from NEA headquarters went to state ballot initiative groups, but these do not constitute the sum total of the national union's spending on state political measures. In fiscal year 2009-10, NEA sent an additional $3 million to several state affiliates for the specific purpose of passing or defeating ballot initiatives or legislative measures...In some cases, this spending was augmented by funds raised within the state affiliates.
Why do these organizations need your dues money?
What Do You Get For A College Degree
McClatchy has two related articles today. In this first one we find that students may not be learning as much at college as we'd hope:
In the second article we are told that college degrees are so expensive that perhaps career-related certificates are the way to go:
Having received a high-quality liberal education myself, I'm not sold on the idea that it's better just to get job training. When done well (and correctly), there is much value to be gained from having a broad education. On the other hand, given the crap courses to which too many gravitate today (aggrieved victim studies, for example) which are entirely illiberal, perhaps a certificate that enables a middle-class career isn't such a bad thing.
An unprecedented study that followed several thousand undergraduates through four years of college found that large numbers didn't learn the critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills that are widely assumed to be at the core of a college education.
Many of the students graduated without knowing how to sift fact from opinion, make a clear written argument or objectively review conflicting reports of a situation or event, according to New York University sociologist Richard Arum, lead author of the study. The students, for example, couldn't determine the cause of an increase in neighborhood crime or how best to respond without being swayed by emotional testimony and political spin.
In the second article we are told that college degrees are so expensive that perhaps career-related certificates are the way to go:
Omid Khofasani wants to be a pharmacist — without taking on huge student loans.
So the 35-year-old is paying about $1,700 for a nine-month course at nearby Foothill College that leads to a pharmacy technician certificate and a chance to earn a solid middle-class wage of up to $60,000 a year as he works his way through pharmacy school.
"It's short, it's fast and it's cheap," says Khofasani, who earned an engineering degree in Iran but now works at a carpet store.
Labor economists and some educators believe career-driven degrees should become an increasingly common choice and are advising students to pursue skills-oriented fields of study they feel offer better job opportunities. Fueling the trend is the worst economic decline in more than 70 years and a slowly falling unemployment rate of 9.4 percent. Add to that the staggering total of $830 billion in student debt nationally.
Having received a high-quality liberal education myself, I'm not sold on the idea that it's better just to get job training. When done well (and correctly), there is much value to be gained from having a broad education. On the other hand, given the crap courses to which too many gravitate today (aggrieved victim studies, for example) which are entirely illiberal, perhaps a certificate that enables a middle-class career isn't such a bad thing.
Tuesday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
The University of Southern California.
Today's question is:
For which NFL teams did OJ Simpson play?
The University of Southern California.
Today's question is:
For which NFL teams did OJ Simpson play?
Instalanche
This is what happens when Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit links to you:
Update, 1/23/11: Things get back to normal pretty quickly :(
click to enlarge
Update, 1/23/11: Things get back to normal pretty quickly :(
Monday, January 17, 2011
Some Are More Equal Than Others
Is this the kind of person you want in Congress?
There's nothing I can say to make this buffoon appear any worse than he does by himself.
A top House Democrat said the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) should change how members of Congress are screened at airports.
“I really believe that that is the place where we feel the most ill at ease, is going through airports,” Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who serves as assistant minority leader in the House, said on "Fox News Sunday."
Clyburn called for the Transportation Security Administration, which administers airport security checkpoints, to interact “a little better” with the Capitol Hill Police.
“We’ve had some incidents where TSA authorities think that congresspeople should be treated like everybody else,” he said. “Well, the fact of the matter is, we are held to a higher standard in so many other areas, and I think we need to take a hard look at exactly how the TSA interact with members of Congress.”
There's nothing I can say to make this buffoon appear any worse than he does by himself.
Everyone's Favorite Star Trek Story
Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura) and Dr. King
(Commenter 'Darren' on that post strikes me as a stand-up kinda guy, despite the structural error in his comment)
(Commenter 'Darren' on that post strikes me as a stand-up kinda guy, despite the structural error in his comment)
Monday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
1968.
Today's question is:
For which college team did Simpson play football?
1968.
Today's question is:
For which college team did Simpson play football?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sunday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
USS Yorktown.
Today's question, the first in the highly-anticipated OJ Simpson Week, is:
In what year did Simpson win the Heisman Trophy?
USS Yorktown.
Today's question, the first in the highly-anticipated OJ Simpson Week, is:
In what year did Simpson win the Heisman Trophy?
The Third Brown Era in California
I've been hanging onto this New Geography article for awhile, trying to think of how I should write about it. Instead of doing a full-blown piece, though, I'll just quote two paragraphs:
Jerry's changed his mind on topics so many times that it's hard to predict where he'll go as governor this time. The article closes on a hopeful note.
Pat Brown was a committed progressive who actually believed in both social and economic progress. He did not focus on re-distributing wealth or expanding bureaucratic controls; his priority was to use government to help generate greater opportunities for Californians...
Jerry Brown turned out to be of a very different political hue than his father. Sometimes he sounded more anti-government even than Reagan. He disdained his father’s traditional focus on infrastructure spending and instead preached about amore environmentally friendly “era of limits.” Brown cut the percentage of spending on such capital improvements from roughly 10% of state spending under Reagan to barely 5%, where it remains mired today.
Jerry's changed his mind on topics so many times that it's hard to predict where he'll go as governor this time. The article closes on a hopeful note.
Food Pantry at a Local University
Is it just me, or is there something untoward about a food pantry at a University of California campus?
I have no idea if young Ashley, or anyone else who plans to use the food pantry, is genuinely needy. I have no idea how much electronic equipment she owns, where she shops, or when the last time she visited Starbucks or Nugget Market (it's a nice one in Davis) was. I have no idea how much she herself pays for tuition, or if she lives in a dorm room or an apartment, or if she has a car. I have no idea if she has a job. But honestly, is a college student at a top California university truly so needy that he/she has to rely on charity just to eat?
Who wouldn't go, just to save a few bucks that could be spent elsewhere?
Question this program, though, and you're a neoimperialist arrogant American. Who says so? Why, young Ashley herself, in one of the comments after the article. What are her exact words?
Read that comment, and remember that I am helping pay for her education--if you can call it an education, based on her comments above.
Update, 1/17/10: Instalanche! Welcome, fellow Instapundit and NewsAlert readers! Please feel free to poke around the rest of my site (click on the blog title at the top of this post to do so). Whether you agree or disagree with what you see here, I hope it'll stimulate some thought and discussion.
College students are known to scrape by on meager meals like peanut butter sandwiches, cold cereal and ramen noodles. But as tuition skyrockets and family finances remain tight, some students are having trouble buying even such humble staples.
It's given rise to a small but growing trend: the campus food bank, where hungry students can get a free can of soup, box of oatmeal or package of spaghetti. A food pantry opens today at the University of California, Davis, following similar efforts at UCLA, Bakersfield College and Oregon State University.
"It's the most basic need of a student – to eat," said UC Davis student Ashley Thomas, who plans to use the pantry. "You can't study for a chemistry final if you're hungry."
I have no idea if young Ashley, or anyone else who plans to use the food pantry, is genuinely needy. I have no idea how much electronic equipment she owns, where she shops, or when the last time she visited Starbucks or Nugget Market (it's a nice one in Davis) was. I have no idea how much she herself pays for tuition, or if she lives in a dorm room or an apartment, or if she has a car. I have no idea if she has a job. But honestly, is a college student at a top California university truly so needy that he/she has to rely on charity just to eat?
A sign next to the service counter tells student volunteers how to help customers. Pantry volunteers must ask students seeking free food to show their student ID cards but don't record their names or ask about their finances. Students can visit the pantry as often as they like and can get enough food for three meals during each visit.
"We are a little concerned about people taking advantage," said Gold, 21. "But there's an inherent risk any time you start a new project, and there's so much overall benefit from this project that we're hoping it's worth the risk."
Who wouldn't go, just to save a few bucks that could be spent elsewhere?
Question this program, though, and you're a neoimperialist arrogant American. Who says so? Why, young Ashley herself, in one of the comments after the article. What are her exact words?
Ashley Thomas [Moderator] Today 11:17 AM
I am disappointed immensely with the callous judgments being free wheeled here. This project is aimed at the students who are skipping meals, and our 20 UC Davis students who are actually homeless. Our fees have been raised 43%, the economy sucks, and it gets harder and harder to "make it". I would like to run a fiscal evaluation on several of the commentators and wonder why they are all griping? Almost half the world lives on $2 a day, why don't you, instead of berating an altruistic effort, be inspired to look beyond your ultra-nourished, neoimperialist, arrogant US self and reach out to the rest of humanity.
Read that comment, and remember that I am helping pay for her education--if you can call it an education, based on her comments above.
Update, 1/17/10: Instalanche! Welcome, fellow Instapundit and NewsAlert readers! Please feel free to poke around the rest of my site (click on the blog title at the top of this post to do so). Whether you agree or disagree with what you see here, I hope it'll stimulate some thought and discussion.
Green Energy
It's a nice goal, but let's not make a religion out of it. And certainly we need to stop throwing taxpayer money at it (yes, I've changed my view on that).
Yes, clearly a biased article, but the quotes are real (and telling). I've said it before and I'll say it again, those people don't want an energy utopia, they want to end capitalism and civilization itself. They'll still get their creature comforts, though--it's good for the rest of us, though, to toil away on our small plots of land as our ancestors did centuries ago.
And let's not forget in this time of rising gas prices, it was Al Gore himself who advocated for higher gas prices in his book Earth In The Balance: "Higher taxes on fossil fuels. . . is one of the logical first steps in changing our policies in a manner consistent with a more responsible approach to the environment."
Why do these people hate you and your prosperity so much?
The anti-energy lobby, surrogates for Big Wind and Big Solar, is now backed into a rhetorical corner in its effort to impose its agenda of protecting the world from the horrors of affordable, abundant energy. Remember, although they say their objective is to use policy to force invention of Flubber or pixie dust to satisfy our future energy abundance, this doesn’t square with their decades of saying that “If you ask me, it’d be a little short of disastrous for us to discover a source of clean, cheap, abundant energy because of what we would do with it” (green Energy guru Amory Lovins).
Or that it would be “like giving a machine gun to an idiot child” (green leader, Paul Ehrlich), that “It’s the worst thing that could happen to our planet” (Eco-writer Jeremy Rifkin). That’s what drives them. They want you limited to stuff that doesn’t and won’t work because it doesn’t and won’t work. But to get you there they swear it will. Despite saying for decades that would actually be their worst nightmare. link
Yes, clearly a biased article, but the quotes are real (and telling). I've said it before and I'll say it again, those people don't want an energy utopia, they want to end capitalism and civilization itself. They'll still get their creature comforts, though--it's good for the rest of us, though, to toil away on our small plots of land as our ancestors did centuries ago.
And let's not forget in this time of rising gas prices, it was Al Gore himself who advocated for higher gas prices in his book Earth In The Balance: "Higher taxes on fossil fuels. . . is one of the logical first steps in changing our policies in a manner consistent with a more responsible approach to the environment."
Why do these people hate you and your prosperity so much?
Doing Well On Testing--Good, or Bad?
The usual handwringing is occurring now that international test results have been released, and China comes out near the top and the US in the middle.
Here in the United States, we value creatiiiiiiiiiiiivity. That our kids don't do well on state, national, or international tests, well, we explain that away somehow. When the Chinese do well, we (and sometimes even they) claim that the Chinese system makes great test-takers but not great thinkers.
False dichotomy. Seriously. The two are not mutually-exclusive. In fact, we should strive for both.
And consider this: if you don't know the material well enough to do well on a test, you don't know it well enough to be "creative" with it. This parallels my beliefs about critical thinking: you can't think critically about something without first having a broad base of knowledge on which to draw. Making excuses for mediocre performance is just sour grapes, nothing more.
Update, 1/17/10: I've received the author's permission to post the following, which was sent to an emaillist to which I am subscribed:
Here in the United States, we value creatiiiiiiiiiiiivity. That our kids don't do well on state, national, or international tests, well, we explain that away somehow. When the Chinese do well, we (and sometimes even they) claim that the Chinese system makes great test-takers but not great thinkers.
False dichotomy. Seriously. The two are not mutually-exclusive. In fact, we should strive for both.
And consider this: if you don't know the material well enough to do well on a test, you don't know it well enough to be "creative" with it. This parallels my beliefs about critical thinking: you can't think critically about something without first having a broad base of knowledge on which to draw. Making excuses for mediocre performance is just sour grapes, nothing more.
Update, 1/17/10: I've received the author's permission to post the following, which was sent to an emaillist to which I am subscribed:
From the article:
"Students rise at dawn, disappear into school until dinnertime and toil into the late night over homework in preparation for university entrance exams that can make or break their future."
Fortunately for our kids in the USA, college won't "make or break their future." (sarcasm)
more from article:
"They have huge vocabularies and they do math well. However, the level of their creativity and imagination is low."
They fill our STEM graduate programs in the USA. They account for a high percentage of IT startups in the USA. The percentage of USA patents filled by Chinese goes up every year. The percentage of scientific articles published in the world by Chinese goes up every year.
They are giving "failure" a bad name.
Local Boy Protests College Tuition
From the SF Chronicle:
Hat tip to NewsAlert.
While tuition increases in Britain prompted violent protests last month, rising college fees rarely elicit more than shrugs among most students in the United States.
But on Friday, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, Boulder, found a symbolic way to strike back.
The student, Nic Ramos, paid his entire spring semester tuition - all $14,309.51 of it - using dollar bills, a 50-cent piece and a penny...
According to a university spokesman, Bronson Hilliard, it took three people nearly an hour to count the money.
While tuition at the university has risen in recent years, it has not increased for Ramos. Being from Sacramento, he pays the out-of-state rate, which has remained the same for all four years.
Hat tip to NewsAlert.
Is College "Worth It"
There's been a meme lately in the edublogosphere that perhaps there's a "higher education bubble", meaning that college costs are rising so high and so fast, even when compared to inflation, that eventually they, like the dotcom bubble and the housing bubble and the tulip bulb bubble, will burst. Then what happens? If it's lower college costs and fewer people attending Club Med U and instead attending Reasonable State U, I'm all for it.
There's another meme going around that says that students are racking up so much debt (in these pre-bubble-bursting days), and high-paying jobs are so scarce, that a college education might not even be worth the cost anymore.
In general I've stayed away from those two topics. Here's a post, though, contra my second paragraph.
There's another meme going around that says that students are racking up so much debt (in these pre-bubble-bursting days), and high-paying jobs are so scarce, that a college education might not even be worth the cost anymore.
In general I've stayed away from those two topics. Here's a post, though, contra my second paragraph.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A Complete and Total Idiot
Want to know what free speech means to a leftie? Read the rantings of this guy, a Brit--focus on his closing line. As one of the commenters said sarcastically, "we must destroy free speech in order to save it."
The idiot is right that freedom can only flourish in a climate of discipline, and our own Supreme Court has put some limits on freedom of speech. His gratuitous attacks on Fox News and Texas, though, are just the code words lefties need to hear to know exactly what he means--he means discipline for those views that he doesn't like. Lefties are all about authoritarianism, control, and censorship, all in the name of the common good. They, after all, know what's best for us.
Update: Ed Driscoll offers up his commentary on the same article.
The idiot is right that freedom can only flourish in a climate of discipline, and our own Supreme Court has put some limits on freedom of speech. His gratuitous attacks on Fox News and Texas, though, are just the code words lefties need to hear to know exactly what he means--he means discipline for those views that he doesn't like. Lefties are all about authoritarianism, control, and censorship, all in the name of the common good. They, after all, know what's best for us.
Update: Ed Driscoll offers up his commentary on the same article.
Why Would A School District Own A Radio Station?
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Hat tip to NewsAlert.
San Francisco's public schools will loan public radio's KALW up to $200,000 to keep the struggling station financially afloat even as the district faces its own financial woes and major cutbacks.
The school board voted unanimously this week to provide an unprecedented line of credit to the 70-year-old station, which operates independently, but is technically owned by the district.
The station has been losing money for three years and now sits about $120,000 in the hole, said KALW general manager Matt Martin. Its annual budget is about $1.4 million, most of which is donated by listeners.
"We have not taken cash (from the district) for nearly 20 years," he said. "That's not what we want here. We want a loan we can pay back with interest."
The district gave the station 18 months to repay the loan's principal and about 1.5 percent in interest.
The FM station first broadcast at the 1939 World's Fair on Treasure Island and was donated to San Francisco Unified in 1941 to train students in the then-emerging field of radio broadcasting.
But in 1992, the station cut financial ties with city schools and set out to survive on donations and grants alone. The district has continued to provide some accounting and other administrative services and a free place to broadcast at Burton High School. In total, the aid is worth about $236,000 annually, according to station financial statements.
Hat tip to NewsAlert.
Saturday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Angry and hungry.
Today's question is:
When Gene Roddenberry first pitched his Star Trek idea to MGM, what was the name of the starship?
And don't forget, tomorrow starts OJ Simpson Week for the RotLC trivia questions!
Angry and hungry.
Today's question is:
When Gene Roddenberry first pitched his Star Trek idea to MGM, what was the name of the starship?
And don't forget, tomorrow starts OJ Simpson Week for the RotLC trivia questions!
How To Plan For Next Year's School Budget
California school districts are in quite the pickle regarding planning for next year's budget:
I think the answer is "yes". Sadly, they may have to plan for both scenarios. Back in the army, we'd say they should create a "decision support matrix"--you create an overall plan, which includes what to do if specific contingencies arise. Takes awhile, but once the battle starts, it's easier to have already thought things out.
There are some serious, and costly, drawbacks, though:
Every pink slip entails tons of work, including paperwork, to ensure that the correct (i.e., most junior) teachers get the pink slips. If one teacher who should have doesn't get a pink slip, every teacher senior to that one who did get a pink slip must have his/her pink slip revoked. Districts (and unions) spend a lot of time and paper to make sure this gets done correctly--and then there are the costs associated with substitute teachers when the pink-slipped teachers get to attend the layoff hearings and plead their cases before an administrative law judge. Such hearings take days.
Is there a better way for Governor Brown to handle this?
How do you plan a school district budget if you have no idea how much money you will be getting from the state?
That's the dilemma public school budget planners face.
When Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled his budget proposal Monday, it looked as if public schools had escaped with a reprieve. Brown opted not to make additional cuts to schools serving kindergarten through 12th grade students.
But Brown's plan comes with a big if.
The proposal relies on California voters passing a June ballot measure to extend three tax increases that have been in effect since 2009. If they don't, K-12 and community colleges' share of the budget would be cut by at least $2.2 billion, said Ron Bennett, president of the consulting firm Schools Services of California Inc. Other experts peg the potential cut at double that amount.
The proposed budget also defers payment on $2.1 billion in state funding for schools and community colleges. That means the money, which is supposed to go to schools in the 2011-12 school year, would not actually be paid until the following school year.
In addition, schools traditionally expect cost-of-living increases each year to cover school operations. Brown's proposal eliminates that increase, estimated at about $100 per student.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the vote and the funding deferrals, the people who draw up school budgets face a bit of a quandary.
"Does a school district prepare for a flat budget or for a loss of $2.2 billion?" Bennett asked.
I think the answer is "yes". Sadly, they may have to plan for both scenarios. Back in the army, we'd say they should create a "decision support matrix"--you create an overall plan, which includes what to do if specific contingencies arise. Takes awhile, but once the battle starts, it's easier to have already thought things out.
There are some serious, and costly, drawbacks, though:
Districts won't know which plan to put in play until after the June vote, making it difficult to meet a state-required May 15 deadline to issue final pink slips to teachers and other staff. The likely result will be a slew of layoff notices that could be pulled back if voters approve the tax increase.
Every pink slip entails tons of work, including paperwork, to ensure that the correct (i.e., most junior) teachers get the pink slips. If one teacher who should have doesn't get a pink slip, every teacher senior to that one who did get a pink slip must have his/her pink slip revoked. Districts (and unions) spend a lot of time and paper to make sure this gets done correctly--and then there are the costs associated with substitute teachers when the pink-slipped teachers get to attend the layoff hearings and plead their cases before an administrative law judge. Such hearings take days.
Is there a better way for Governor Brown to handle this?
The Tucson Shootings
I've received a few emails asking when I was going to do a post on the Tucson shootings. I think all my regular readers probably know where I stand on the issue and those who asked probably just wanted to hear me say it (figuratively, of course, since I type here).
I'm not going to explain how the American Right, or Sarah Palin, or Glenn Beck, or the NRA, or any other unjustly accused person or organization was, in fact, unjustly accused of complicity in assassination and murder. We all know it was unjust, so I see no reason to expound on that.
No, I'm just going to point out the rampant hypocrisy of the American Left--the ones, like Eleanor Rodham Clift, whom I saw on The McLaughlin Group last night, who always say that whatever evil there is, the American Right is worse. In this post I'll just provide a compendium of the Left's evil and let it speak for itself.
Let's not forget that the press is complicit in this. The same press that cautioned restraint and not jumping to conclusions when a Moslem fired on unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood, in this case jumped on the Tea Party/Sarah Palin/Glenn Beck/NRA hatefest. And they did it with gusto, in the absence of any fact or evidence.
Let's not forget that the same people who pretended to be offended at the use of the term "blood libel", which is what they committed against Palin in particular, casually toss around the term "denier" to describe those of us who don't believe in anthropogenic global warming (see this eco-video if "denier" isn't harsh enough for you).
The Right is a bunch of evil, threatening, murderous thugs in this country? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
Democrats have never used targets on pictures to get their point across? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
Only Sarah Palin ever "targeted" Congresswoman Giffords? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
President Obama has had to endure the worst attacks and threats of any president ever? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
The American Right is hateful? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
OK, maybe there are a few crazies on the Left, but certainly no one with any influence on the Left says such hateful things. Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
At this point, choosing to believe anything anyone on the Left says about the Right (or just about any other topic) almost requires a complete and total willingness to suspend reality.
Update, 1/16/11: One of the victims of last weekend's shooting has twisted off, threatening the head of Tucson's Tea Party, and has been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility. MSNBC loves the guy, though.
Update #2, 1/16/11: There's way too much truth in this witty fictional exchange posted on Instapundit a few days ago:
Lefty: Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement encourage hatred and violence!
Questioner: How do you know?
Lefty: Because whenever I think about them, I’m filled with hate and a desire to do harm!
Update #3, 1/16/11: The left’s definition of civil discourse is surreal.
Update #4, 1/22/11: You can take your "violent rhetoric" talk and bite me, Chris Matthews:
The video shows an image of the Capitol with crosshairs on it, with the words "Fire On The Right". Another site sarcastically states:
What's good for the goose, Chris....
I'm not going to explain how the American Right, or Sarah Palin, or Glenn Beck, or the NRA, or any other unjustly accused person or organization was, in fact, unjustly accused of complicity in assassination and murder. We all know it was unjust, so I see no reason to expound on that.
No, I'm just going to point out the rampant hypocrisy of the American Left--the ones, like Eleanor Rodham Clift, whom I saw on The McLaughlin Group last night, who always say that whatever evil there is, the American Right is worse. In this post I'll just provide a compendium of the Left's evil and let it speak for itself.
Let's not forget that the press is complicit in this. The same press that cautioned restraint and not jumping to conclusions when a Moslem fired on unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood, in this case jumped on the Tea Party/Sarah Palin/Glenn Beck/NRA hatefest. And they did it with gusto, in the absence of any fact or evidence.
Let's not forget that the same people who pretended to be offended at the use of the term "blood libel", which is what they committed against Palin in particular, casually toss around the term "denier" to describe those of us who don't believe in anthropogenic global warming (see this eco-video if "denier" isn't harsh enough for you).
The Right is a bunch of evil, threatening, murderous thugs in this country? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
Democrats have never used targets on pictures to get their point across? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
Only Sarah Palin ever "targeted" Congresswoman Giffords? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
President Obama has had to endure the worst attacks and threats of any president ever? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
The American Right is hateful? Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
OK, maybe there are a few crazies on the Left, but certainly no one with any influence on the Left says such hateful things. Who are you going to believe, the American Left or your own lying eyes?
At this point, choosing to believe anything anyone on the Left says about the Right (or just about any other topic) almost requires a complete and total willingness to suspend reality.
Update, 1/16/11: One of the victims of last weekend's shooting has twisted off, threatening the head of Tucson's Tea Party, and has been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility. MSNBC loves the guy, though.
Update #2, 1/16/11: There's way too much truth in this witty fictional exchange posted on Instapundit a few days ago:
Lefty: Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement encourage hatred and violence!
Questioner: How do you know?
Lefty: Because whenever I think about them, I’m filled with hate and a desire to do harm!
Update #3, 1/16/11: The left’s definition of civil discourse is surreal.
Update #4, 1/22/11: You can take your "violent rhetoric" talk and bite me, Chris Matthews:
Chris Matthews on Thursday actually showed a graphic image of the Capitol building with a red target on it and crosshairs in the foreground.
This hypocritically occurred moments before a lengthy segment on "Hardball" about violent rhetoric wherein he complained about "over-the-top references to guns all the time by people like Sarah Palin" (video follows with transcript and commentary)....
The video shows an image of the Capitol with crosshairs on it, with the words "Fire On The Right". Another site sarcastically states:
This is clearly one of many warning signs that shouldn’t be ignored. We suspend first graders for drawing pictures of guns at school, so episodes like these deserve the same kind of caution.
What's good for the goose, Chris....
Friday, January 14, 2011
How Would Someone Figure This Out?
What would possess someone even to think of studying this, much less come up with Kaprekar's Constant?
6174 is known as Kaprekar's constant after the Indian mathematician D. R. Kaprekar. This number is notable for the following property:
1. Take any four-digit number, using at least two different digits. (Leading zeros are allowed.)
2. Arrange the digits in ascending and then in descending order to get two four-digit numbers, adding leading zeros if necessary.
3. Subtract the smaller number from the bigger number.
4. Go back to step 2.
The above process, known as Kaprekar's routine, will always reach 6174 in at most 7 iterations.[4] Once 6174 is reached, the process will continue yielding 7641 – 1467 = 6174. For example, choose 3524:
5432 – 2345 = 3087
8730 – 0378 = 8352
8532 – 2358 = 6174
Today's Teacher Workday
Final exams ended yesterday, and Dr. King's holiday is Monday, thus giving our students a nice 4-day weekend. We teachers, though, we had to toil.
And toil we did. As has been customary at our school for the 8 years I've worked there, on this "teacher workday after finals" our administrators make pancakes, bacon, and sausage, and serve it up to the staff first thing in the morning. It's an easy way to engender a lot of goodwill.
Then it was off to grading. I had already graded and recorded all the multiple-guess portions of the finals I gave, and today I had just a few dozen remaining short-answer portions of the finals. Had a "rigorous" visit to the gym last night and a few sore muscles told me that sitting hunched over my desk grading papers was not going to be a well-tolerated activity--so I put a note on my door, in case anyone showed up looking for me, and I retired to the nearby staff lounge (we have 3 on campus). I kicked off my shoes, stretched out on the couch, and started grading. It didn't take long before I was done.
Then we had a department meeting at our department chair's house--a working potluck lunch of lasagna, garlic bread, salads, and cheesecake. And yes, we did actually discuss work issues; it was a legitimate meeting. After lunch we headed back to school, I finalized all grades in our official software, and by then it was time to go home.
There are other things I could have done. I could have made new seating charts for my classes. I could have put the upcoming week's assignments on my web site. There are myriad minor administrative tasks I could have performed. They'll all be there this long weekend if I decide to head that way, and if not, I can take care of them on Tuesday.
And toil we did. As has been customary at our school for the 8 years I've worked there, on this "teacher workday after finals" our administrators make pancakes, bacon, and sausage, and serve it up to the staff first thing in the morning. It's an easy way to engender a lot of goodwill.
Then it was off to grading. I had already graded and recorded all the multiple-guess portions of the finals I gave, and today I had just a few dozen remaining short-answer portions of the finals. Had a "rigorous" visit to the gym last night and a few sore muscles told me that sitting hunched over my desk grading papers was not going to be a well-tolerated activity--so I put a note on my door, in case anyone showed up looking for me, and I retired to the nearby staff lounge (we have 3 on campus). I kicked off my shoes, stretched out on the couch, and started grading. It didn't take long before I was done.
Then we had a department meeting at our department chair's house--a working potluck lunch of lasagna, garlic bread, salads, and cheesecake. And yes, we did actually discuss work issues; it was a legitimate meeting. After lunch we headed back to school, I finalized all grades in our official software, and by then it was time to go home.
There are other things I could have done. I could have made new seating charts for my classes. I could have put the upcoming week's assignments on my web site. There are myriad minor administrative tasks I could have performed. They'll all be there this long weekend if I decide to head that way, and if not, I can take care of them on Tuesday.
Yes, This Is Happening In America
From YahooNews:
The secret ballot is too stringent a requirement.
The National Labor Relations Board on Friday threatened to sue Arizona, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah over constitutional amendments guaranteeing workers the right to a secret ballot in union elections.
The agency's acting general counsel, Lafe Solomon, said the amendments conflict with federal law, which gives employers the option of recognizing a union if a majority of workers sign cards that support unionizing.
The secret ballot is too stringent a requirement.
Friday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Louise Brown.
Today's question is:
List all English-language words that end in -gry.
Listen up, campers, have we at Right on the Left Coast got a treat for you. We haven't had a theme week in a little while, so this Sunday we'll start a special trivia theme week. Our topic will be: OJ Simpson!
Louise Brown.
Today's question is:
List all English-language words that end in -gry.
Listen up, campers, have we at Right on the Left Coast got a treat for you. We haven't had a theme week in a little while, so this Sunday we'll start a special trivia theme week. Our topic will be: OJ Simpson!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Fitness For Everyone?
Should business be able to discriminate against customers based on their sex, color, sexual orientation, etc? As a society we've kinda decided that no, they should not be able to do that, and hence we've forbidden it. I've discussed property rights for many years with a friend, and have come to the conclusion that sometimes, in narrow circumstances, we have to determine what kind of society we want to live in, and we've determined that we do not want to live in one wherein business can discriminate like that. That doesn't mean that "majority rules" always gets to dictate private property rights, but sometimes, in public issues, it does.
I cannot find a reference right now, but I seem to recall that some time in the last few years, a certain gym chain here in the Sacramento area had complaints about having "women only" equipment rooms. Why should guys, who pay full price, be excluded from certain workout rooms and equipment? My memory tells me that they were required, or decided, to get rid of such rooms. Again, fuzzy memory here, but I think that ended "ladies night" at the bars, too. (see update #2, below)
And I'm OK with this. If we've decided we want to live in a society in which people are not discriminated against based on their sex, then we need to live up to that ideal wherever possible. We can't say that equality is vitally important in our public lives but then keep carving out exceptions.
I get daily emails from one of those "deal a day" web sites, and given what I wrote above, you might imagine that I was more than a little offended to get this deal today:
What? This is for women only? I'm not cool with that at all.
Hey look! Their website says "fitness for everyone", but clearly that means "everyone except those with external plumbing".
So I figure, let's not send an email--everyone does that. Let's send an actual paper letter outlining the issue. But guess what! The only contact information I can find on this company's site is a phone number in Denver (303 area code):
I'm willing to shell out 44 cents for a stamp, but not the egregious long distance fees I would have to pay on my very inexpensive cell phone plan. Besides, I don't want to call; I'm much better at expressing myself in writing than I am verbally.
So I get an offer for a deal I can't participate in, from a company in Denver I can only call. I'm not going to plant my flag on this hill and fight to the death over this, but I'm disappointed at the double standard--that might not even be legal in this area. Darn my memory!
Update: One man's losing fight against ladies' night. That the US Supreme Court declines to hear his case does not necessarily mean that they find ladies' nights constitutional, just that they have bigger issues with which to deal.
Update #2, 3/2/11: I'd forgotten about this post.
I cannot find a reference right now, but I seem to recall that some time in the last few years, a certain gym chain here in the Sacramento area had complaints about having "women only" equipment rooms. Why should guys, who pay full price, be excluded from certain workout rooms and equipment? My memory tells me that they were required, or decided, to get rid of such rooms. Again, fuzzy memory here, but I think that ended "ladies night" at the bars, too. (see update #2, below)
And I'm OK with this. If we've decided we want to live in a society in which people are not discriminated against based on their sex, then we need to live up to that ideal wherever possible. We can't say that equality is vitally important in our public lives but then keep carving out exceptions.
I get daily emails from one of those "deal a day" web sites, and given what I wrote above, you might imagine that I was more than a little offended to get this deal today:
What? This is for women only? I'm not cool with that at all.
Hey look! Their website says "fitness for everyone", but clearly that means "everyone except those with external plumbing".So I figure, let's not send an email--everyone does that. Let's send an actual paper letter outlining the issue. But guess what! The only contact information I can find on this company's site is a phone number in Denver (303 area code):
I'm willing to shell out 44 cents for a stamp, but not the egregious long distance fees I would have to pay on my very inexpensive cell phone plan. Besides, I don't want to call; I'm much better at expressing myself in writing than I am verbally.
So I get an offer for a deal I can't participate in, from a company in Denver I can only call. I'm not going to plant my flag on this hill and fight to the death over this, but I'm disappointed at the double standard--that might not even be legal in this area. Darn my memory!
Update: One man's losing fight against ladies' night. That the US Supreme Court declines to hear his case does not necessarily mean that they find ladies' nights constitutional, just that they have bigger issues with which to deal.
Update #2, 3/2/11: I'd forgotten about this post.
Thursday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Lady Gaga. Seriously.
Today's question is:
Who was the world's first “test-tube baby”, born in Britain in 1978?
Lady Gaga. Seriously.
Today's question is:
Who was the world's first “test-tube baby”, born in Britain in 1978?
Who's the Bigot?
Am I surprised this is from NPR? No.
She conflates "immigrants" with "illegal immigrants", and says that only after she knew he wasn't Hispanic could she read the rest of the news stories on the shooting. Can you take seriously anything this woman says, with sloppiness and bigotry like that?
It's painfully ironic that a gay Latino man came to the aid of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in the storm of gunfire. Daniel Hernandez, an intern with the congresswoman, ran to Rep. Giffords and helped to stop the bleeding. If a judge hadn't blocked provisions of Arizona's SB 1070 law, the intern's surname would have easily qualified him as a target for police under different circumstances on Saturday.
She conflates "immigrants" with "illegal immigrants", and says that only after she knew he wasn't Hispanic could she read the rest of the news stories on the shooting. Can you take seriously anything this woman says, with sloppiness and bigotry like that?
Americans Still Aren't Doing Great On International Tests
From EducationNews.org:
I disagree with him somewhat on version 3, as some cultures do value education more than others. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the upper classes of our own society put more emphasis on education than do the lower classes, and it's not a stretch to say that some national cultures put more emphasis on education than do other national cultures.
The news last week that Shanghai students achieved the top scores in math on the international PISA exam was for some of us not exactly a wake-up call (as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan characterized it) or a Sputnik moment (as President Obama called it).
We've seen this result before. We've seen the reactions and the theories and the excuses that purport to explain why the US does so poorly in math. In fact, there are three main variations used to explain why Chinese/Asian students do so well in international exams:
· Version 1: They are taught using rote learning and then regurgitate the results on exams that test how well they memorize the procedures of how to solve specific problems.
· Version 2: They are taught using the reform methods of a "problem based approach" that doesn't rely on drills, and instills critical thinking and higher order thinking skills
· Version 3: The teacher or the culture produces the proper conditions for learning
It’s hard to know where to start with these, so let’s take them in order.
I disagree with him somewhat on version 3, as some cultures do value education more than others. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the upper classes of our own society put more emphasis on education than do the lower classes, and it's not a stretch to say that some national cultures put more emphasis on education than do other national cultures.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Good Enough For Thee, But Not For Me
As I type this, the following is shown on the front page of CTA's web site:
Yet, according to CTA, all of California's teachers get A's. All of us are the same, each of us "in union brotherhood" is paid on the same pay scale--talent, abilities, or student outcomes be damned.
Can you spell "hypocrisy"? I knew you could.
California Gets a "C" Overall, Ranked 43rd in Per-Pupil Spending
January 2011
Education Week's 2011 Quality Counts Report gives California a "C" overall, while we continue to be at the bottom of the list in per-pupil spending. Says Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, "Average is not good enough. You wouldn’t want a “C” mechanic working on your car, a “C” attorney defending you in court, or a “C” surgeon operating on you in a hospital – and we can’t be satisfied with a “C” for California schools."
Yet, according to CTA, all of California's teachers get A's. All of us are the same, each of us "in union brotherhood" is paid on the same pay scale--talent, abilities, or student outcomes be damned.
Can you spell "hypocrisy"? I knew you could.
Higher Education Cuts On The Table In California
Schwarzenegger couldn't get away with something like this, but since Brown has a capital D after his name, suggestions like this are not only not challenged, they're considered either inevitable or even desirable:
While last budget season, California's public universities were the only major area of government to see an increase in state funding, higher education is now in line to take a big hit – 16 percent if Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposal comes to pass.Curious how the CTA reacts to this news? They ignore it:
Brown on Monday proposed cutting $500 million each from the University of California and the California State University systems and another $400 million from community colleges. The announcement came as no surprise to college leaders, who say the newly elected governor told them last month to brace for reductions.
David A. Sanchez, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association, released this statement about Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget:
“We commend the governor for taking a balanced approach to solving the state’s staggering budget deficit. Extending the current revenues is critical to trying to maintain any public education system in this state at all.
“We appreciate the governor trying to limit cuts to education. As he pointed out, K-12 education has ‘borne the brunt’ of the state's budget cuts, with more than $18 billion in cuts over the last three years, resulting in larger class sizes, program cuts and over 30,000 educator layoffs. Our schools are in a state of financial emergency and this budget does not restore any of that much-needed funding. In fact, the $2 billion deferral of K-12 funding and the cuts to higher education will impact students. CSU and UC students have seen triple-digit fee increases, pricing many students out of a college education.
“We look forward to examining the details of the budget proposal and working with the governor and the Legislature on a budget package that includes revenues to prevent further devastation to our students and schools. Without continuing existing revenues, public education would be looking at another $2.3 billion in cuts, according to the Department of Finance. That is not the future we want for our students. They deserve much better.”
The Mathematics of Beauty
With formulas, scatterplots, and data, what's not to love about this article?
They Definitely Want To See Your Stuff
Say you're a decent human and don't want government fools (or anyone else you don't specifically choose) to see your stuff. You might try wearing special undies:
It has everything to do with being vindictive and nothing at all to do with security. The TSA is a bunch of rat-bastards.
A recent entry into the line of "privacy underwear" was created by Marc Carey, a Kentucky attorney who says his T-shirts, panties and boxer briefs have strategically-placed logos with special ink on them that blurs private parts to TSA agents.
"They're not protest garments, they're designed to be a reasonable compromise for travelers to allow the TSA to do their job, but allow people to travel without a great deal of inconvenience and preserve their dignity," Carey told affiliate WXIX.
Another product that's received a lot of attention is Flying Pasties, or "reusable vanity inserts" that "can obscure your private areas when you pass through airport scanners," according to the company's website.
But passengers should be aware that if they wear such products, they will likely be subject to more scrutiny at the airport, the TSA warns.
"If there is something shielding an area and we don't know what's under it, we have to conduct a pat-down," the agency says on its blog.
"Some might think this is TSA's way of getting back at clever passengers. That's not the case at all. It's just security."
It has everything to do with being vindictive and nothing at all to do with security. The TSA is a bunch of rat-bastards.
Education Buzz
This week's edition is here, and includes my post about putting unprepared students into AP classes and then explaining away their failure.
Wednesday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
MacArthur—Arthur in the Civil War, and Douglas in World War II.
Today's question is:
Who is Polaroid's official creative director?
MacArthur—Arthur in the Civil War, and Douglas in World War II.
Today's question is:
Who is Polaroid's official creative director?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tuesday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Dinosaurs
Today's question is:
What was the last name of the first father-and-son recipients of the Medal of Honor?
Dinosaurs
Today's question is:
What was the last name of the first father-and-son recipients of the Medal of Honor?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Governor Brown Talks Money
In this post I stated that I was displeased with Governor Brown's threatening manner of speech. In today's major Sacramento newspaper we get a second helping:
That doesn't sound so bad for education. Let's see what else he has in store:
I know I'm just a lowly math teacher, but that doesn't add up to $25 billion plus, even when you add in this:
So how are we going to make up the difference? Tax increases!
Is there really nothing more that could be cut? Really?
Update: I know what let's do. Let's spend even more money!
If government-run programs were the answer to every problem, we wouldn't always hear about funding them by eliminating "waste, fraud, and abuse" in some other government program.
Brown also plans to keep schools funded at the same dollar level they received from the state this year, though that proposal is contingent on whether voters approve higher income taxes on the ballot.
That doesn't sound so bad for education. Let's see what else he has in store:
Brown's budget will include the following program cuts: $1.7 billion to Medi-Cal; $1.5 billion in welfare-to-work; $750 million in developmental services; $500 million each to the University of California and California State University systems; and $200 million through various "reorganizations, consolidations and other efficiencies."
Among those efficiencies: eliminating at least half of the 96,000 state-issued cell phones used by public employees.
The deficit size is a moving target, according to Brown. He says the gap alone is $25.4 billion, but that state leaders need to solve for $26.4 billion to allow for a $1 billion reserve. He also says leaders will need to solve for $27.6 billion if the state does not sell 11 prominent office properties before leasing them back, an issue that is tied up in court.
I know I'm just a lowly math teacher, but that doesn't add up to $25 billion plus, even when you add in this:
Brown's budget will include an 8 percent to 10 percent cut in state worker pay. According to his press release, Brown wants to save "$308 million for a 10 percent reduction in take-home pay for state employees not currently covered under collective bargaining agreements."
So how are we going to make up the difference? Tax increases!
Gov. Jerry Brown proposed a budget today that relies on $12.5 billion in spending cuts over the next 18 months and higher taxes over the next five years to solve the state budget deficit.
Is there really nothing more that could be cut? Really?
Update: I know what let's do. Let's spend even more money!
George Popyack, of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, was explaining how shifting state services to local governments could compromise quality when he was drowned out by hundreds of students descending on the steps for a separate demonstration in support of single-payer healthcare. Reporters and a camera crew turned to observe the students, who were chanting through bullhorns and banging drums.
If government-run programs were the answer to every problem, we wouldn't always hear about funding them by eliminating "waste, fraud, and abuse" in some other government program.
Bowdlerizing Huck Finn
Some idjit is republishing Huck Finn, replacing "nigger" with "slave" (as if they are the same) and "Injun" with--well, I don't know what.
Joanne quotes Chicago columnist Clarence Page--for whom I have some respect, even though I agree with him very seldom. This, however is one of those times, as Page suggests we "teach the conflict". Additionally, I agree completely with the first 4 comments on Joanne's post.
Joanne quotes Chicago columnist Clarence Page--for whom I have some respect, even though I agree with him very seldom. This, however is one of those times, as Page suggests we "teach the conflict". Additionally, I agree completely with the first 4 comments on Joanne's post.
Monday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Half Moon.
Today's question is:
On what 1991-1994 television series was the signature line of one of the characters, “I'm the baby, gotta love me”?
Half Moon.
Today's question is:
On what 1991-1994 television series was the signature line of one of the characters, “I'm the baby, gotta love me”?
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Sunday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Reading, Pennsylvania, B&0, and Short Line.
Today's question is:
What is the English name of the Dutch East India Company ship, captained by Henry Hudson, that in 1609 reached the location of today's New York Harbor?
Reading, Pennsylvania, B&0, and Short Line.
Today's question is:
What is the English name of the Dutch East India Company ship, captained by Henry Hudson, that in 1609 reached the location of today's New York Harbor?
Technology, The New Racism?
With views like this, is there anything that is not seen as harmful to blacks and Hispanics?
When the personal computer revolution began decades ago, Latinos and blacks were much less likely to use one of the marvelous new machines. Then, when the Internet began to change life as we know it, these groups had less access to the Web and slower online connections placing them on the wrong side of the "digital divide."Hat tip to NewsAlert.
Today, as mobile technology puts computers in our pockets, Latinos and blacks are more likely than the general population to access the Web by cellular phones, and they use their phones more often to do more things.
But now some see a new "digital divide" emerging with Latinos and blacks being challenged by more, not less, access to technology. It's tough to fill out a job application on a cell phone, for example. Researchers have noticed signs of segregation online that perpetuate divisions in the physical world. And blacks and Latinos may be using their increased Web access more for entertainment than empowerment.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Saturday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
A Porsche 550 Spyder.
Today's question is:
What are the names of the railroads in Monopoly?
A Porsche 550 Spyder.
Today's question is:
What are the names of the railroads in Monopoly?
Friday, January 07, 2011
Are These Kids Our Future?
Reported by al-AP via Yahoo:
Supposedly these were "good" kids, too. News flash: kids make bad choices sometimes. Really bad, stupid, uninformed choices. It doesn't make them bad people, it makes them kids--it's why we adults need to monitor them.
Six girls have been arrested after students were invited on Facebook to take part in "Attack a Teacher Day" at two middle schools.
One girl was accused of inviting about 100 students on the social networking website to participate in the event Friday, and the other five were accused of responding with online threats against specific teachers, Carson Middle School Principal Dan Sadler said.
The Nevada Appeal in Carson City reported the girls were booked Wednesday at juvenile hall on a misdemeanor charge of communicating threats. Their names were not released...
The 12- and 13-year-old students were arrested after allegedly posting threatening statements against six teachers at the two schools. One student used the word "die" before a teacher's name, while others wrote that they would "attack" certain teachers, Sadler said.
No specifics, such as weapons or how the attacks would be carried out, were mentioned, said Carson City sheriff's Deputy Jessica Rivera, the school district's resource officer.
Supposedly these were "good" kids, too. News flash: kids make bad choices sometimes. Really bad, stupid, uninformed choices. It doesn't make them bad people, it makes them kids--it's why we adults need to monitor them.
Right Twice A Day
A stopped analog clock is right twice a day, and the CTA is right just as infrequently. Still, when they're right I don't mind acknowledging that, and sometimes in their mouthpiece rag they publish articles that merit praise. The most recent (January 2011) issue, which I've blasted in a few previous posts, contains a series of articles on teachers who are doing great and wonderful things, and this series merits my praise. I'd like to highlight two of the teachers. I may eventually link to the actual pages at CTA's web site, but since I'm having difficulty getting their pages to load (perhaps the RotLC deities are trying to prevent my blasphemy!) I'll just link to the digital version of the hardcopy magazine and tell you what pages to turn to. :-)
One teacher is "Dr. Raja" (see p. 11 of the magazine), who teaches at a local, uh, "not a high-end community" high school:
"His solution to students (sic) failing to understand math included developing a system called CREATE that uses repetition to teach concepts, staying active in class, immediate rewards for success, and employing tough love when students are slacking.
"Dr. Raja believes that learning has to happen in class. He doesn't follow textbooks, assign homework or spend lots of time lecturing to his students. Without homework, he finds students are more willing to pay attention in class. If they have trouble, he will tutor them at lunch or after school...Mostly, Dr. Raja gives them what students of this generation crave--immediate rewards."
There's more detail, but it's nice to read about a teacher who's reaching students.
Another story that really struck a nerve with me was about Kimber Wilkinson, a special ed teacher (see p. 14 of the magazine) who helps her students find and get employment:
"Wilkinson drives Garcia to other stores where she's already applied, to remind employers she's still interested. Sometimes Wilkinson accompanies her inside the business establishment, and other times she waits in the car and lets Garcia go solo. She helped Garcia put a resume together, assisted with online job applications, and conducted 'mock interviews' so Garcia is ready to answer tough questions. Wilkinson also talked with Garcia about grooming, hygiene, and how to exude an air of confidence...
"The students Wilkinson works with have disabilities including autism, Asperger's syndrome, mental retardation and emotional disturbance. Even in a good economy, it would be difficult for some of them to find employment. But despite these barriers, Wilkinson estimates she has found jobs for 60 students ages 16-22 over the past few years...
"Mostly, says Wilkinson, she is teaching her students the art of 'self-advocacy'...."
Hats off to these two teachers, true inspirations.
Update, 1/11/11: Here's the link for the article on Dr. Raja, and here's the link for the article on Kimber Wilkinson.
One teacher is "Dr. Raja" (see p. 11 of the magazine), who teaches at a local, uh, "not a high-end community" high school:
"His solution to students (sic) failing to understand math included developing a system called CREATE that uses repetition to teach concepts, staying active in class, immediate rewards for success, and employing tough love when students are slacking.
"Dr. Raja believes that learning has to happen in class. He doesn't follow textbooks, assign homework or spend lots of time lecturing to his students. Without homework, he finds students are more willing to pay attention in class. If they have trouble, he will tutor them at lunch or after school...Mostly, Dr. Raja gives them what students of this generation crave--immediate rewards."
There's more detail, but it's nice to read about a teacher who's reaching students.
Another story that really struck a nerve with me was about Kimber Wilkinson, a special ed teacher (see p. 14 of the magazine) who helps her students find and get employment:
"Wilkinson drives Garcia to other stores where she's already applied, to remind employers she's still interested. Sometimes Wilkinson accompanies her inside the business establishment, and other times she waits in the car and lets Garcia go solo. She helped Garcia put a resume together, assisted with online job applications, and conducted 'mock interviews' so Garcia is ready to answer tough questions. Wilkinson also talked with Garcia about grooming, hygiene, and how to exude an air of confidence...
"The students Wilkinson works with have disabilities including autism, Asperger's syndrome, mental retardation and emotional disturbance. Even in a good economy, it would be difficult for some of them to find employment. But despite these barriers, Wilkinson estimates she has found jobs for 60 students ages 16-22 over the past few years...
"Mostly, says Wilkinson, she is teaching her students the art of 'self-advocacy'...."
Hats off to these two teachers, true inspirations.
Update, 1/11/11: Here's the link for the article on Dr. Raja, and here's the link for the article on Kimber Wilkinson.
Friday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
The Berlin Airlift.
Today's question is:
What kind of car was James Dean driving when he was killed in 1955?
The Berlin Airlift.
Today's question is:
What kind of car was James Dean driving when he was killed in 1955?
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Thursday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
He died on the Atlantic island of St. Helena on May 5, 1821, during James Monroe's administration.
Today's question is:
What is the common name for the operation known officially as Operation Vittles?
He died on the Atlantic island of St. Helena on May 5, 1821, during James Monroe's administration.
Today's question is:
What is the common name for the operation known officially as Operation Vittles?
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Rabid Partisanship
Do you need a better example than this one?
Did you get that? The reason California's in such deep crap is primarily because of the reduction in the vehicle license fee. Had Schwarzenegger not lowered that fee, everything would be hunky-dory. What other conclusion could one reasonably draw from this paragraph, quoted from the mouthpiece rag of the California Teachers Association?
At the first meeting in Sacramento, budget experts sketched out how the state’s unprecedented economic downturn was exacerbated by elected officials’ inopportune decisions. These decisions include outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first action in office, the slashing of the vehicle license fee, something experts had warned would cost the state billions over a few short years.
Did you get that? The reason California's in such deep crap is primarily because of the reduction in the vehicle license fee. Had Schwarzenegger not lowered that fee, everything would be hunky-dory. What other conclusion could one reasonably draw from this paragraph, quoted from the mouthpiece rag of the California Teachers Association?
California State Teachers Retirement System Lowers Its Projected Rate of Return
California Educator Magazine, mouthpiece rag of the CTA, interviewed two CalSTRS officials about the "state of the retirement fund". My favorite quote is this one:
There have been proposals for years for teachers, districts, and states all to kick in a little bit more in order to stabilize the fund; the legislature would have to approve this, as CalSTRS officials cannot do so unilaterally.
Remember back when we were being told how rosy everything was with STRS? How could it have been, given this:
Since I'm sure no one's been lying, I'll have to try to come up with some other explanation.
Will lowering the rate of return mean that teachers inevitably contribute more?
Ed Derman: The lawyers who have reviewed this for CalSTRS have concluded that the contribution rates charged to existing members cannot be increased to pay for the benefits that are already in place. Therefore, existing teachers would not be called upon to contribute more to pay for the liabilities associated with the current benefit plan. Higher contributions can be imposed on new teachers, however, as well as employers and the state. If the rates don't change at all, CalSTRS will eventually deplete the trust fund and retirement costs would fall entirely to the state. The rates will need to go up for new members, because none of us can expect investment returns to generate a double-digit return for the next two decades. However, only the Legislature can increase contribution rates.
There have been proposals for years for teachers, districts, and states all to kick in a little bit more in order to stabilize the fund; the legislature would have to approve this, as CalSTRS officials cannot do so unilaterally.
Remember back when we were being told how rosy everything was with STRS? How could it have been, given this:
What is the amount of the unfunded liability?
Ed Derman: We won't know the current unfunded liability until we complete the valuation — a snapshot of the health of the system — in the spring of 2011. If the new, reduced investment return assumption had been applied to the last valuation, it would have increased the unfunded liability from $41 billion to $45 billion. CalSTRS is currently funded at the level it was funded in 1990.
Since I'm sure no one's been lying, I'll have to try to come up with some other explanation.
Obfuscation of the Highest Order
Let's read what Ole Si Se Puede has to say about McKinley Elementary, the first school in California whose parents have chosen to implement the "parent trigger law" and turn the school into a charter school:
So, what is McKinley's score? And how does McKinley rank amongst other schools in the state? You'd certainly have no idea from reading the above quotation, would you? Well, leave it to Darren to inform you.
Ole Si Se Puede tells us that this particular McKinley Elementary is in Compton, so it's entirely possible that this is the school in question (click on the brown Base button once there). This school is ranked in the bottom 10th of all schools in California (statewide rank=1). When compared only with 100 schools with students of similar demographics, it ranks in the bottom 10th of those schools as well (similar schools rank=1). I'm sure Si Se Puede knows this but of course won't tell you this; it doesn't fit his narrative.
McKinley is actually a school that is a perfect example of how educational change can work when teachers, administrators and parents work together to best meet the needs of students. Although the Parent Revolution was able to target McKinley Elementary because it has not met the statewide API target of 800 out of 1,000 points, McKinley students have been making steady and significant progress for the past three years. And they have been making this progress since the implementation of CTA’s Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA). McKinley is one of nearly 500 schools serving at-risk students that are receiving $3 billion in additional resources over an eight-year period to lower class sizes, align professional development using student data, and create a collaborative approach to reform among parents, teachers and other local stakeholders. The good news is that McKinley’s API score has risen more than 70 points in the last two years alone. With continued progress, and to the credit of McKinley’s educators and the QEIA system, McKinley could be out of Program Improvement in the next few years.
So, what is McKinley's score? And how does McKinley rank amongst other schools in the state? You'd certainly have no idea from reading the above quotation, would you? Well, leave it to Darren to inform you.
Ole Si Se Puede tells us that this particular McKinley Elementary is in Compton, so it's entirely possible that this is the school in question (click on the brown Base button once there). This school is ranked in the bottom 10th of all schools in California (statewide rank=1). When compared only with 100 schools with students of similar demographics, it ranks in the bottom 10th of those schools as well (similar schools rank=1). I'm sure Si Se Puede knows this but of course won't tell you this; it doesn't fit his narrative.
You Can Blame It On President Bush If You'd Like...
...but you'd be an idiot.
When the Pelosi Democrats took control of Congress on January 4, 2007, the national debt stood at $8,670,596,242,973.04. By the last day of the 111th Congress and Pelosi’s term as Speaker on December 22, 2010, the national debt had increased by about $5.2 trillion – a whopping 60 percent increase. The national debt is approaching $14 trillion, about a trillion dollars more than it was just last June! --link
Anthropogenic Global Warming Is A Hoax
Some may sincerely believe in it, but not only do I not, I agree with this author that it is, in fact, a hoax:
And that's just the opening salvo.
I've encountered some folks who appear offended by the title of my new book Climate of Corruption: Politics and Power Behind the Global Warming Hoax. Why do you call it a "hoax"? they ask. Why not refer to the matter as a debate? The reason is quite simple: A debate describes a discussion in which participants competitively argue opposing points of view that are assumed to be based upon honest positions.
A hoax is a deceptive act intended to hoodwink people through deliberate misinformation, including factual omissions. My book is about the latter. (And by the way, it can be ordered through primary vendors, and is currently being featured on "new releases" tables at 200 major Barnes and Noble stores.)
The central lie is that we are experiencing a known human-caused climate crisis, a claim based on speculative theories, contrived data and totally unproven modeling predictions. And the evidence? Much is revealed by politically corrupted processes and agenda-driven report conclusions rendered by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which are trumpeted in the media as authoritative gospel.
And that's just the opening salvo.
iPads for Education
From the New York Times:
You'd have to convince me.
I can see such devices in college, where students buy and are responsible for their own books and belongings. But in public schools? Are these, along with their attendant hidden costs, problems, and distractions, really such a great deal for K-12 students? If a student can't learn by reading a book, are we doing that student any favors by catering to his/her weakness? If our students are to be well-rounded with a variety of skills, they need to know how to utilize technology and focus on a book.
Technological fads have come and gone in schools, and other experiments meant to rev up the educational experience for children raised on video games and YouTube have had mixed results. Educators, for instance, are still divided over whether initiatives to give every student a laptop have made a difference academically.
At a time when school districts are trying to get their budgets approved so they do not have to lay off teachers or cut programs, spending money on tablet computers may seem like an extravagance.
And some parents and scholars have raised concerns that schools are rushing to invest in them before their educational value has been proved by research.
“There is very little evidence that kids learn more, faster or better by using these machines,” said Larry Cuban, a professor emeritus of education at Stanford University, who believes that the money would be better spent to recruit, train and retain teachers. “IPads are marvelous tools to engage kids, but then the novelty wears off and you get into hard-core issues of teaching and learning.”
But school leaders say the iPad is not just a cool new toy but rather a powerful and versatile tool with a multitude of applications, including thousands with educational uses.
You'd have to convince me.
I can see such devices in college, where students buy and are responsible for their own books and belongings. But in public schools? Are these, along with their attendant hidden costs, problems, and distractions, really such a great deal for K-12 students? If a student can't learn by reading a book, are we doing that student any favors by catering to his/her weakness? If our students are to be well-rounded with a variety of skills, they need to know how to utilize technology and focus on a book.
Wednesday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Laika (Barker).
Today's question is:
Who was the US president when Napoleon died?
Laika (Barker).
Today's question is:
Who was the US president when Napoleon died?
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Giving A Choice--Do It My Way, Or Else
I'm not impressed with his first proposals as governor:
Show me cuts elsewhere first, then let's talk tax increases.
Teachers vs. Butterflies
This is a good starting point for a conversation regarding priorities, necessities, and luxuries:
Residents of a Florida school district wondering why their tax money wasn't enough to keep more than 500 teachers from being laid off this school year might have a few butterfly gardens to thank.
The Broward School District laid off 1,305 employees in June, including 568 teachers, the Employment Spectator reported.
From 2004 to 2008, however, the district managed to pay local developer Roy Rogers more than $394,000 to plant gardens designed to lure butterflies to campus, then negotiated a three-year contract with him in 2007 worth up to $1 million, the Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
The School Has No Business Making Such Rules
His hair is satisfactory enough, and not a distraction, such that he can attend school, but it's too out of control for him to play basketball? Really?
In California, sports and cheerleading are considered integral enough to the school experience that they fall under the state constitution's requirement for a free education--meaning that we can't charge for participation in such activities. In California, at least, such participation is closer to a right than to a privilege. Of course, it may be different in Indiana.
Let's assume for a moment that it doesn't violate the student's so-called right to have long hair. What possible legitimate reason could there be for this rule? It's stupid, it's a power thing, and it needs to go away--the sooner, the better.
The parents of a former Greensburg Junior High basketball player are asking a federal court to declare the team's haircut policy unconstitutional.
In a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, Patrick and Melissa Hayden say team rules governing the length of players' hair violate their son's right to wear his hair the way he wants and also treat male and female athletes differently because female players don't have to adhere to the same guidelines.
Their 14-year-old son, identified as A.H. in the lawsuit, was kicked off the team this fall after he refused to cut his hair to comply with team rules, which require players' hair to be above their eyebrows, collars and ears.
The Haydens said in the lawsuit that they met with the basketball coach and school officials, but no one would change the policy. So they sued.
"What they're trying to do here is teach (their son) a life lesson, which simply is that you fight for what's right," said Ron Frazier, the Haydens' attorney. "This is classic David versus Goliath, and they want their son to understand that."
The Haydens are asking the court to force the schools to stop enforcing the team's haircut policy and rule that it's unconstitutional, as well as award any necessary damages to the family.
But the school district claims the policy didn't violate the boy's rights, partly because participating in extracurricular activities is a privilege, not a right.
In California, sports and cheerleading are considered integral enough to the school experience that they fall under the state constitution's requirement for a free education--meaning that we can't charge for participation in such activities. In California, at least, such participation is closer to a right than to a privilege. Of course, it may be different in Indiana.
Let's assume for a moment that it doesn't violate the student's so-called right to have long hair. What possible legitimate reason could there be for this rule? It's stupid, it's a power thing, and it needs to go away--the sooner, the better.
Bad Law
I don't like the direction we're heading here at all:
Get a warrant. They can search a guy to make sure he doesn't have a weapon or some other tool that will allow him to escape custody, but that doesn't invalidate the 4th Amendment. Is that a conservative view, or an American view?
The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that police do not need a warrant to search a cell phone carried by someone under arrest.
The justices determined a Ventura County deputy had the right to conduct a warrantless search of the text messages of a man he had arrested on suspicion of participating in a drug deal.
The state court ruled 5-2 that U.S. Supreme Court precedent affirms that police can search items found on defendants when they are arrested.
Get a warrant. They can search a guy to make sure he doesn't have a weapon or some other tool that will allow him to escape custody, but that doesn't invalidate the 4th Amendment. Is that a conservative view, or an American view?
Tuesday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
1888.
Today's question is:
What was the name of the dog that orbited the earth in Sputnik 2?
1888.
Today's question is:
What was the name of the dog that orbited the earth in Sputnik 2?
Monday, January 03, 2011
New Laws
Here are some of the new laws now in effect in California, as reported by the major Sacramento newspaper:
EDUCATION
Senate Bill 1317: Allows parents of chronic truants to be charged with a misdemeanor if they have not reasonably supervised them and encouraged school attendance. (Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco)
Senate Bill 1290: Requires self-defense for middle and high school students to be added to physical education classes once curriculum frameworks are revised. (Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego)
Assembly Bill 354: Mandates that students be immunized for whooping cough before attending seventh through 12th grades in 2011-12. (Assemblymen Juan Arambula, I-Fresno, and Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego)
Senate Bill 1413: Requires school districts to provide access to free, fresh drinking water during meal times by July 2011. (Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco)
HIGHER EDUCATION
Senate Bill 1440: Sets uniform standards for transfer degrees to assist community college graduates in switching to California State University. (Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles)
Assembly Bill 2382: Authorizes the California State University system to award a doctor of physical therapy degree. (Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Woodland Hills)
Assembly Bill 867: Allows the CSU system to award a doctor of nursing practice degree at three campuses until 2018. (Assemblymen Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, and Juan Arambula, I-Fresno)
Legal vs. Right
There are many things that are legal--especially for government--but they aren't "right". I doubt there's anything in New Jersey's constitution that forbids it, but what I want to know is: what rationale is given for this legalized theft?
If the rationale is "The state wants/needs money", and that's enough of a justification, then the next question I ask is, "What can the state not do in order to raise money, besides coin or print its own?"
There's something wrong with us as Americans when we don't resist this kind of abuse with physical action. We need to impose and enforce limits on our government, at all levels--and not just vice versa.
New Jersey isn't giving up its effort to seize unused money on gift cards and traveler's checks.
Lawmakers voted last year to allow the seizure of cards after two to three years as a way to raise about $80 million and help balance the state's budget.
If the rationale is "The state wants/needs money", and that's enough of a justification, then the next question I ask is, "What can the state not do in order to raise money, besides coin or print its own?"
There's something wrong with us as Americans when we don't resist this kind of abuse with physical action. We need to impose and enforce limits on our government, at all levels--and not just vice versa.
A Better Way To Teach History?
When done without indoctrination, this strikes me as a good way to teach history. I never was one to think that history should be taught predominantly as names, dates, and places.
Cheating
I gave a test a few days before Christmas break. I don't spend a lot of time looking for cheating or deploying all my resources to prevent it; in general I work on the honor system. When I catch it, though, well....
I have about 100 students in one course I teach, spread out over 3 periods. When nine of them have the same wrong answers, and with no accompanying work showing how they arrived at those answers, I suspect cheating. So I asked them, individually. I told them the issue, told them my suspicions, and waited.
A couple were going to try to talk their way out of it. A disappointed look, accompanied by looking straight into their eyes and asking "Really?", was enough to get them to reconsider. Seven of them came clean. One doubled down, and the last was absent today and could not be consulted.
Even though I know I shouldn't, I take cheating personally. They don't mean it personally--they just want to move ahead a little bit--but I wilt at the disrespect it shows me. I'm not sure I can explain why, but I felt better when they just admitted it and got it out in the open--maybe because they didn't compound it by lying? I'm not sure. But I can respect someone who admits a mistake and apologizes for it.
Yes, I cheated in high school. I didn't mean to show disrespect to my teachers when I did it, and I'd have been horrified if it would ever have occurred to me that if they'd caught me, that they'd consider my actions disrespectful. I looked up to them too much to want to shoulder that kind of disappointment from them. So I think I understand my students completely. None of us enjoys being in this situation, feeling the way we do.
I've taken the appropriate actions. The issue with me is closed, and we move on from here.
I have about 100 students in one course I teach, spread out over 3 periods. When nine of them have the same wrong answers, and with no accompanying work showing how they arrived at those answers, I suspect cheating. So I asked them, individually. I told them the issue, told them my suspicions, and waited.
A couple were going to try to talk their way out of it. A disappointed look, accompanied by looking straight into their eyes and asking "Really?", was enough to get them to reconsider. Seven of them came clean. One doubled down, and the last was absent today and could not be consulted.
Even though I know I shouldn't, I take cheating personally. They don't mean it personally--they just want to move ahead a little bit--but I wilt at the disrespect it shows me. I'm not sure I can explain why, but I felt better when they just admitted it and got it out in the open--maybe because they didn't compound it by lying? I'm not sure. But I can respect someone who admits a mistake and apologizes for it.
Yes, I cheated in high school. I didn't mean to show disrespect to my teachers when I did it, and I'd have been horrified if it would ever have occurred to me that if they'd caught me, that they'd consider my actions disrespectful. I looked up to them too much to want to shoulder that kind of disappointment from them. So I think I understand my students completely. None of us enjoys being in this situation, feeling the way we do.
I've taken the appropriate actions. The issue with me is closed, and we move on from here.
Monday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question, which I thought was fairly easy but only got one response, is:
Shermer, Illinois.
Today's question is:
Murders attributed to Jack The Ripper took place from August 7th to November 9th of what year?
Shermer, Illinois.
Today's question is:
Murders attributed to Jack The Ripper took place from August 7th to November 9th of what year?
Back To The Battle
After 2 weeks of resting and recreating, I go back into battle today. With the help of a former student who's studying to become a math teacher, all grading is complete--he graded the stats tests, and I graded all the stats survey reports. The only thing I wanted to accomplish but didn't was to plan out the next two weeks' worth of lessons, but I can do that after school today.
I've not shaved my head for over a month, and this weekend I dyed my hair, what little I have, blond and put tiger stripes in it. Why, you ask? Simply because I can. I'm going to buzz it all off after I embarrass my son by picking him up from school tomorrow (one of the perks of parenting a teenager), so it's only a big deal to those who want to make it a big deal.
Time to go. Have a great day, and a great new year.
Update: You can't see the stripe on top or the symmetrical stripes on the right side of my head, but this gives you an idea. It's about time to shave my head anyway, so why not have some fun with my hair before doing so! The last thing to do: pick my son up from school looking like this!
For those of you who think only the stripes look odd, my natural hair color is dark brown (turning somewhat gray).
I've not shaved my head for over a month, and this weekend I dyed my hair, what little I have, blond and put tiger stripes in it. Why, you ask? Simply because I can. I'm going to buzz it all off after I embarrass my son by picking him up from school tomorrow (one of the perks of parenting a teenager), so it's only a big deal to those who want to make it a big deal.
Time to go. Have a great day, and a great new year.
Update: You can't see the stripe on top or the symmetrical stripes on the right side of my head, but this gives you an idea. It's about time to shave my head anyway, so why not have some fun with my hair before doing so! The last thing to do: pick my son up from school looking like this!
click to enlarge
For those of you who think only the stripes look odd, my natural hair color is dark brown (turning somewhat gray).
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Sunday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
1958.
Today's question is:
In what fictional Chicago suburb did John Hughes set many of his movies?
1958.
Today's question is:
In what fictional Chicago suburb did John Hughes set many of his movies?
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Saturday Trivia
The answer to yesterday's question is:
Rick Blaine.
Today's question is:
In what year was the manufacture of 78 rpm records discontinued?
Rick Blaine.
Today's question is:
In what year was the manufacture of 78 rpm records discontinued?
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