Yes, Virginia! There is a Santa Claus. And there’s GINA! Plus there is a lot of erroneous information in your op-ed printed in today’s Winston-Salem Journal. Much has been made of your bill H.R. 1313, The Persevering Employee Wellness Programs Act and its dystopian implications on genetic privacy laws already outlined in the 2008 Genetic … Continue reading Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Clause and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act and Really Bad Letters to the Editor
Food Insecurity Affects Learning – Why Bureaucrats Need to Be Schooled on Schooling
Last week in the unveiling of Trump's budget, Mick Mulvaney proved once again that an administration which includes Betsy DeVos as secretary of education and others who have never had to face a lack of something in their lives really do not understand what factors truly act on students in need who rely on public … Continue reading Food Insecurity Affects Learning – Why Bureaucrats Need to Be Schooled on Schooling
Tests Can’t Measure the Character of Students And Other Reasons Your Kids Aren’t Numbers
Invariably, in many social situations, I am asked that same ubiquitous question many people face: “So, what do you do for a living?” And when I answer that I am a teacher the reactions are varied. “Wow, that must be exciting!” “Do you guys still use red ink?” “How do you handle those kids?” “I … Continue reading Tests Can’t Measure the Character of Students And Other Reasons Your Kids Aren’t Numbers
Malcolm’s Wish For World Down Syndrome Day (3/21)
Every year on March 21, the Down Syndrome International sponsors for the world community a WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY. You can read more about it here: https://worlddownsyndromeday.org/. The date is a direct reference to genetic condition known as Trisomy 21 (three #21 chromosomes) which is commonly known as Down Syndrome. But Malcolm does not think much … Continue reading Malcolm’s Wish For World Down Syndrome Day (3/21)
Musings With Malcolm – Time To Get a New Baseball Glove To Match the Hair
If you keep up with just a few of the postings about our little fireplug, you may have noticed that we have been in a bit of spring training. Why? Baseball season is about to start. For Malcolm, that means the Challenger League that for years has been running at Southwest Forsyth Little League with … Continue reading Musings With Malcolm – Time To Get a New Baseball Glove To Match the Hair
About Betsy DeVos’s Op-Ed in USA Today
Not only does she speak incoherently in confirmation hearings. Not only does she tweet her own platitudes. She now writes op-eds full of glittering claims without any data with a hint of some outlier data with simply no analysis bookended with enough bullshit to leave a stench in your nose to make you blame it … Continue reading About Betsy DeVos’s Op-Ed in USA Today
Growth Vs. Proficiency, School Performance Grades, & A Dissenting Vote
Simply put, North Carolina should allow student growth to weigh more in the formula that measures school performance grades. (Honestly, we should get rid of it). This past week a bill passed the General Assembly House K-12 Education Committee that according to an EdNC.org report from Alex Granados “would change the calculation of the grades … Continue reading Growth Vs. Proficiency, School Performance Grades, & A Dissenting Vote
No More Meals On Wheels – When Lack Of Empathy Is A Preexisting Condition
The older I become, the more I reflect on my grandparents. Both my biological grandfathers and step-grandfather were veterans. One saw frequent combat in WWII as a member of a Black Widow Squadron. My father’s mother even served in the Navy in WWII while her brother sacrificed his life in battle in Europe. All of … Continue reading No More Meals On Wheels – When Lack Of Empathy Is A Preexisting Condition
The NC General Assembly Should Cap Class Sizes and Fund For Arts and PE – Jesus and Churchill Would. It’s About Investing In Our Kids, Not Using Them As Pawns.
Arika Herron’s recent Winston-Salem Journal column this past Sunday entitled “Too big to learn? Schools seeking waivers for exceeding class-size limits” brought to mind the ongoing disconnect that legislative leaders in our state have with reality when it comes to curbing class sizes in public schools. As reported last fall in a variety of media … Continue reading The NC General Assembly Should Cap Class Sizes and Fund For Arts and PE – Jesus and Churchill Would. It’s About Investing In Our Kids, Not Using Them As Pawns.
Open Letter to Rep. Virginia Foxx Concerning Genetic Testing
Dear Rep. Foxx, I read with great interest and increasing dread the report in today’s Winston-Salem Journal concerning workplace genetic testing. The report entitled “Employees who decline genetic testing could face penalties under proposed bill” gives a brief outline of a bill that you have introduced as HR1313 that would “undermine basic privacy provisions of … Continue reading Open Letter to Rep. Virginia Foxx Concerning Genetic Testing
caffeinated rage 