Betsy DeVos’s most recent op-ed may have been intended to smooth over some of the rough edges of her brief tenure as the most unqualified secretary of education ever, but it actually shows her reliance on two rather tiring strategies as it pertains to reforming public education: “pleasant platitudes” and the “status quo fallacy.” The … Continue reading Betsy DeVos – Pleasant Platitudes and The “Status Quo Fallacy”
Public Education
Next Stop on the “Listening Tour” – NC State Superintendent Mark Johnson vs. The NC State Board of Education
It appears that there may be more bickering in the backrooms of Raleigh than many have been hearing in the other parts of North Carolina. At least that is what some people claim to be hearing on their own “listening tours.” Lynn Bonner’s recent April 13th report in the Raleigh News & Observer entitled “NC … Continue reading Next Stop on the “Listening Tour” – NC State Superintendent Mark Johnson vs. The NC State Board of Education
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Passing Off Politicized Propaganda as Pseudo-Academic Research – UnLOCKEing the John Locke Foundation
There are those who cherry-pick data points. Then there are those who cherry-pick the pits of cherry-picked data points and present that one small factoid as representative of the whole situation, and to do so willingly is nothing more than passing off politicized propaganda as pseudo-academic research. Consider Dr. Terry Stoops’s latest attempt to marry … Continue reading Passing Off Politicized Propaganda as Pseudo-Academic Research – UnLOCKEing the John Locke Foundation
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Open Letter to Sen. Chad Barefoot Concerning His Words on HB13
Dear Sen. Barefoot, Your recent comments concerning the stalled House Bill 13 that would help local school districts navigate a stubborn legislative obstacle is yet another example of why so many people who advocate for the constitutionally protected public school system view you as hypocritical and piously partisan. While Guilford County has already served notice … Continue reading Open Letter to Sen. Chad Barefoot Concerning His Words on HB13
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Open Letter to Sen. Bill Rabon – Be a Civil Servant and Allow House Bill 13 to Come to the Senate Floor
Dear Senator Rabon, I was disheartened as a public school teacher to learn that House Bill 13, which earned unanimous support in the state House, has been tabled in the state Senate, a situation that you could easily remedy. And I am incensed as a parent of a special needs child in a public elementary … Continue reading Open Letter to Sen. Bill Rabon – Be a Civil Servant and Allow House Bill 13 to Come to the Senate Floor
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For Once I May Have Liked What Lt. Gov. Dan Forest Said – But Not For the Reasons He Would Like
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest’s recent comments concerning “bridging the digital divide” at the “Advocacy Day for Making Rural School Districts a Priority” event were actually very heartening to hear – for more than one reason. If you have followed the North Carolina public school funding discussion, disparities between affluent metropolitan areas and economically depressed rural … Continue reading For Once I May Have Liked What Lt. Gov. Dan Forest Said – But Not For the Reasons He Would Like
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April 3, 2017 – An Especially Antipodean Day in the Walking Contradiction That is the Antithetical Secretary of Education
There was a disturbance in the Force today in the Old North State. No not... But... As Alex Granados of EdNC.org reported on April 3rd, On Monday, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made her first visit to a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school since being sworn in. She came to Kimberly Hampton Primary School in Fort … Continue reading April 3, 2017 – An Especially Antipodean Day in the Walking Contradiction That is the Antithetical Secretary of Education
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A Lesson From Baseball That Includes Not LollyGagging
I respect great coaches because they teach young people that life is not just a game, but a journey. This showed up on a twitter feed this evening and it applied somewhat to what I have been explaining to my students in class as the AP exams come up. It's from Joe Maddon of the … Continue reading A Lesson From Baseball That Includes Not LollyGagging
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Raleigh, Pass House Bill 13 Because All The World’s A Stage
O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention, A kingdom for a stage, princes to act And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! Henry V, Prologue. North Carolina House Bill 13, which would grant local school districts flexibility to combat class size limits imposed by last year’s short-sighted budget, … Continue reading Raleigh, Pass House Bill 13 Because All The World’s A Stage
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Balderdash and Bilgewater, a Theory in Reactionary Tweeting – Following Betsy Devos’s Twitter Feed
This has become more of a habit for me. It is as if reading the twitter feeds from certain people has become one of the very ways to catch a glimpse into a scripted psyche of some of our public officials. Trump has made as art of using Twitter as a means of communication and … Continue reading Balderdash and Bilgewater, a Theory in Reactionary Tweeting – Following Betsy Devos’s Twitter Feed
caffeinated rage 