tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52260692011-12-14T18:33:34.977-08:00...not really. Just whatever I feel like commenting on.Quincynoreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112596021273037992005-04-03T23:25:00.000-07:002005-04-03T23:27:01.273-07:00

This is the end of the line for this blog. The new site is up and running, and all new posts will be placed there. For those who have blogrolled me, please update your blogrolls to have http://www.quincysblog.com/ as the URL.

Quincynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112574449728679782005-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:002005-04-03T17:27:29.730-07:00

In my last post, I announced that News, the Universe, and Everything is moving off of Blogger. Today, the setup information from OLM.net came, and I've loaded WordPress already. Easy Stuff so far. The next step is to get the site designed. Here's where my devoted readers come in. I'm going to be doing design work over there, and I invite everyone to come check things out and leave comments.

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112489904747944172005-04-02T16:49:00.000-08:002005-04-02T17:07:38.736-08:00

Hey everyone, blogging will be light again in the next week or so, but there's a good reason for this. I've just purchased some webspace and a .com address, and will be moving the blog there over the next week. I have more than one reason for doing this, but what finally pushed me over the edge is the troubles Blogger has been having over the last week. In addition, I'm looking for a more robust

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112421063174901602005-04-01T21:35:00.002-08:002005-04-01T21:55:01.546-08:00

California State Controller Steve Westly thinks it’s a good idea for the state government to prepare its citizens’ taxes. Uh-huh. It’s an axiom that judge, jury, and executioner should not be the same entity. Neither should the tax collector and accountant.Another worry about this is the talk of expanding this to 3 million taxpayers, since it sounds like they won't have a choice about being

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112398972881798392005-04-01T15:41:00.000-08:002005-04-01T15:42:52.883-08:00

...it’s good enough for legislation. What am I talking about? The waiting period.As I sit here this April Fool’s Day listening to the news, I already hear calls for legislation based on the Terri Schaivo controversy. This reminds me of the furor after 9-11 for legislation to protect us. Now we have the Patriot Act. My bet is that whatever legislation comes out of the immediate aftermath of

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112395703116360062005-04-01T14:46:00.000-08:002005-04-01T14:48:23.116-08:00

If you had to pick one skill that isn’t taught in most schools today but should be, what would it be?My personal answer to this is that students should be taught how to argue an issue from all sides, not just the one they support.Well folks, the comments are open!TOPIC: PollsTOPIC: Education

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112393802257138572005-04-01T14:13:00.000-08:002005-04-01T14:16:42.256-08:00

First off, I've fixed the comments template so that links in comments no longer appear in all caps.Second, a couple of days back I added the Spam Poison and Payola Free bannerlets down at the bottom of the sidebar. Spam Poison is one I encourage EVERYONE to place on their site, since it sends e-mail gathering bots, used by spammers, into a endless loop that generates junk data, thereby disabling

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112310166883371492005-03-31T15:01:00.000-08:002005-03-31T15:02:46.886-08:00

I heard on the radio today some liberal caller talking about how business should pay their fair share of taxes. On the surface, this seems like a great idea. All these business are making money, why shouldn’t they pay their fair share? The answer is simple. Business cover their costs by including them in the price of their products, thereby passing them on to consumers. What is a tax if not a

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112245543169980692005-03-30T20:53:00.000-08:002005-03-30T21:52:03.546-08:00

Now that longer comments are possible, a new issue has come up, namely the posting of large amounts of other people's text into comments. I've updated the comments policy to address this.Here is the text of the new policy:1. Any comments containing profane, racist, or otherwise abusive language are not permitted and will be deleted immediately.2. Any comments containing large amounts of

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112238855471901132005-03-30T19:03:00.000-08:002005-03-30T19:14:15.473-08:00

Patterico asks bloggers and others who communicate online to sign the following pledge:If the FEC makes rules that limit my First Amendment right to express my opinion on core political issues, I will not obey those rules.I, Quincy, do hereby sign the pledge.For any bloggers out there who haven't signed, I urge you to do so that the FEC may see the opposition they face if they try to touch the

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112218305765046532005-03-30T13:26:00.000-08:002005-03-30T13:31:45.773-08:00

In a recent thought-provoking post, Jenny D. asks whether teachers should teach subject matter or values. It’s a good question. My regular readers probably know what my answer is. However, I’m going to answer a question left in the comments of that post. Elizabeth asks, “Values -- whose values? What if they are different than the parents?”In today’s schools, much is made about the values of

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112166312651533662005-03-29T22:58:00.000-08:002005-03-29T23:05:12.653-08:00

First, as anyone who's left a comment since Sunday evening will note, the appearance of the comments pages now (generally) matches the appearance of the blog itself.Second, since I've upgraded to HaloScan's premium service, comments are now limited (and I use that word loosely) to 10,000 characters or less. (Previously it had been 1,000.) That's equal to the length of the longest essays I've

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112146148490826672005-03-29T17:13:00.000-08:002005-03-29T17:30:24.093-08:00

Just stumbled on another good blog for the blogroll. It's Right in TX, and it's run by 17-year-old Michelle, from Texas. (Who'da thunk it?) She's got some good stuff up, and she seems much more with it than many adults. Worth a read.TOPIC: Site News

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112130876202385262005-03-29T13:05:00.000-08:002005-03-29T17:04:56.696-08:00

Have you ever wondered why people here in the great State of California pay up to 50 cents more on a gallon of gas than elsewhere around the country?One might want to say that it’s the 45.2¢ in Federal and State Gas taxes paid on every gallon. Considering the average tax on a gallon of gas nation wide is 40.5¢, that doesn’t even account for a tenth of the difference.The real problem is that

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112039468073967052005-03-28T11:48:00.000-08:002005-03-29T16:55:11.656-08:00

Over at reason.com, Jacob Sullum discusses the long-term ramifications of Congress’ and the President’s actions in the Terri Schaivo case. It looks as if they’ve created uncertainty for millions in their efforts to use the law to do what they saw as the right thing.TOPIC: Politics

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112035368909117752005-03-28T10:39:00.000-08:002005-03-28T10:49:31.360-08:00

...when Star Trek goes off the air.Star Trek should stay on the air, forever, if only to keep actors from having enough free time to do things like THIS. (At least it was Nimoy and not Shatner... or Bakula.)TOPIC: Star Trek

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1112003638260102832005-03-28T01:52:00.000-08:002005-03-28T01:53:58.266-08:00

It seems to me that our society has a problem with plain, simple language. Receptionists are now “Directors of First Impressions” in the Scottsdale, AZ schools. Accompanists are now “collaborative pianists.” Janitors have been “custodians” for as long I can remember. When listening to talk radio, I hear that everything and everyone is “disingenuous.” I am told I must be “proactive” in life. I’ve

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1111984048196881192005-03-27T20:25:00.000-08:002005-03-29T16:55:31.543-08:00

In seemingly every news story I see, hear, or read, the reporter attempts to see what lesson we can learn from the ordeal of Terri Schaivo. It always seems to boil down to living wills or advanced directives. I see a far more worthwhile lesson in the case, though.It has been painful to watch the Terri Schaivo’s parents, the Schindlers, appeal to court after court in the hope that one will act to

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1110912484992210102005-03-15T10:42:00.000-08:002005-03-27T20:28:36.603-08:00

Sorry for the light blogging lately. My responsibilities offline have been catching up with me lately.I direct an Italian Street Band that plays around here, and I've been getting the library together, which has been much harder than it's been in previous years. Our first rehearsal is tomorrow night, and right now I'm tracking down parts and working on the Neapolitan Song arrangements.It looks

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1110535952133230282005-03-11T02:11:00.000-08:002005-03-27T20:32:10.383-08:00

What is the difference between tolerance and acceptance? Why is it important?Tolerance is an action. More precisely, it is a restraint from action. In the case of diversity, tolerance is treating all people decently whether one likes them or not, whether one accepts them or not. Acceptance, on the other hand, is a mental state. In the case of diversity, acceptance is embracing someone’s

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1110015402544832722005-03-05T01:28:00.000-08:002005-03-05T01:36:42.546-08:00

I read a worrisome post over at Brad's place this morning. Now, my initial reaction was to blog it and move on, but I don't think that's enough at this point. So, if you look in the side bar, you'll notice a new section, "Web Stickers." In it, you'll see the "I Support Free Speech" web sticker, which I created as a response to Brad's post. So, click on it to find out more about this effort.

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109890521587940402005-03-03T14:55:00.000-08:002005-03-08T12:07:03.480-08:00

Resident edusphere psychometrician Kimberly Swygert asks the $64,000 question:The notion that, somehow, children can be very educated and advanced and free-thinking and logical, yet unable to handle a test of basic reading, science, and math skills, is so pervasive these days. Where did this meme come from? When did we decide that it was more important for fifth-graders to have these "critical

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109838883127088172005-03-03T00:34:00.000-08:002005-03-03T17:39:41.803-08:00

“His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking.”-Capt. Spock (Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan)In the above quote, Spock was referring to a deficit in Khan’s tactics. Khan was thinking like the 20th Century human he was, not taking into account the third dimension when maneuvering. However, in our political debate, two-dimensional thinking would be an improvement.Our current debate revolves

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109787971716264482005-03-02T10:24:00.000-08:002005-03-02T10:26:11.720-08:00

Spunky, at SpunkyHomeSchool, has a great reply to my post Equal Education. Spunky writes:It is the statement, "to achieve and equal education, each person must receive instruction tailored to his needs to arrive at the same educational goal," that I would like to focus. If I understand this correctly, it is okay to tailor instruction but only if they arrive at the same educational goal.Who

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109757136783330962005-03-02T01:46:00.000-08:002005-03-02T01:56:38.196-08:00

The Argus, a paper in Fremont, CA, reports on the teacher pay differential between schools serving poor student populations and those serving rich ones. They correctly cite that most teachers in affluent schools have more experience, having used seniority to get where they were. I differ with the Argus on the solution, though.Here is the solution they present:If money follows the child, it begs

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109749481381336602005-03-01T23:40:00.000-08:002005-03-02T01:54:34.076-08:00

One of Jacqueline Passey's regular commenters, Perry, has just started Eidelblog. As a still-new blogger myself (three weeks and a day to be exact), I know how important it is to get some support in starting this thing. To those who've supported me, thanks. Now, I'm going to support this blog because I really like what it has to say, I hope y'all join me. TOPIC: Random

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109742684646704272005-03-01T21:49:00.000-08:002005-03-02T09:49:45.476-08:00

It’s a valid question about NCLB. The way it’s currently structured, the law puts the all the responsibility of student learning on the teachers and schools. It seems that the law thinks that if teachers and schools do the right things, then every student will do the work to learn everything that the school teaches. This is not the case, of course. No matter how hard a teacher works, he’ll still

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109668384611288842005-03-01T01:03:00.000-08:002005-03-01T01:13:04.613-08:00

...become the most entertaining person on the face of the planet?It's simple. He can wake up one morning and start championing every cause the far-left holds dear. Think about it for a second. Wouldn't it be funny to watch the cognitive dissonance as all these people who passionately hate Bush hear him talking like them? I think it would! Then would come the big decision: give up their

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109625509044475772005-02-28T13:16:00.000-08:002005-02-28T22:03:01.786-08:00

I've revamped the topic links to display in a pop-up window instead of the main window. Posts you access through these will open in a new window as well. Let me know what you think of the new setup. Thanks.TOPIC: Site News

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109621089456570612005-02-28T11:59:00.000-08:002005-02-28T22:00:29.740-08:00

If you're like me and you hate all those "Free Registration" requirements that newspapers put up, check out Bug Me Not! It's a site that collects usernames and passwords that people contribute so that other people don't have register with a newspaper. They have a bookmarklet which you can place on your toolbar that will come up with a username and password for the site you're viewing. So go check

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109620721755930602005-02-28T11:56:00.000-08:002005-02-28T22:00:01.876-08:00

I've noticed several comments that have been truncated in the last few days, so I placed a note in the sidebar about previewing before posting long comments. It really is worth the trouble.TOPIC: Site News

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109582424711198162005-02-28T01:20:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:59:42.753-08:00

My favorite of the Hundreds of cute kitten photos. (Hat Tip: Jacqueline Passey) TOPIC: Random

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109577901878562232005-02-28T00:02:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:59:09.790-08:00

I've disabled the Mail Form until I can get it working correctly. Instead, I've replaced it with a simple mailto: link. If you use the link, please be specific with your subject line so I spot your e-mail.Thanks, ~Quincy~TOPIC: Site News

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109576561537192142005-02-27T23:24:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:58:43.420-08:00

Dustbury.com did some deeper digging on the Newsweek piece I blogged on here. Apparently, the panel's finding was that the law was on constitutionally-questionable footing, not "unconstitutional" as the Newsweek reporter put it, and the states think that may be the path to keeping it from being an un- or underfunded mandate.I still maintain that the law slaps the 10th Amendment in the face and

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109561413723094302005-02-27T19:27:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:57:56.030-08:00

Dan S. left a series of comments on my post The Paradox of Education that tries to refute my points. He correctly calls me on presenting an extreme view of progressive education, which commenter Erica did as well, but the rest of it is not as convincing.Following Erica, I would like to propose that you are beating the stuffing out of a strawman (Progressive Ed. is not "only learn what you want"!

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109565196210838072005-02-27T17:33:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:56:33.356-08:00

Instructivist - I'm playing with Picasa to see how I can control the display size. OK, I've managed to resize the image. If you look at the img tag that Picasa uses to place the image in the post, it will look something like this:img style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 2px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/263/3828/1024/russia.jpg" border="0" /Now, what I did to get the width

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109403446966457892005-02-25T23:33:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:53:43.303-08:00

I've decided to start adding a link to the topic(s) that relate to the post. These links, and other site-related notes in a post, will be colored BLUE to make navigation a bit easier.What do you think?TOPIC: Site News

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109401628784303572005-02-25T23:05:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:53:22.130-08:00

I saw this Newsweek piece in my GoogleNews Alert for Education. It’s on a bipartisan panel that came to some conclusions. Here’s the part with which I take issue:...a bipartisan panel of state lawmakers this week said the education law is unconstitutional, deeply flawed and lacks sufficient funding. Either the law is unconstitutional and therefore must be eliminated, which I believe is the case

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109153528599277142005-02-23T02:05:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:53:04.030-08:00

The fine folks at the Ed Wonks have The Carnival of Education - Week 3 posted. Head on over and check it out.In honor of the Carnival, I've decided to post a little ditty I wrote a couple of years back.The County Fair MarchTOPIC: Education

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109147121897481332005-02-23T00:21:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:52:40.893-08:00

An issue I have been pondering for a while now is that of how to change the spending habits of the federal government. Up until today, every idea that popped in my head failed to pass the test of being able to overcome the incentive for legislators to use expenditures to buy votes. A bridge here, a museum there, you know how it goes.Today, it occurred to me. What would happen if we pitted the

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109102932765932252005-02-22T12:06:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:52:20.923-08:00

The second of today's two polls, this one was inspired by Spunky's response to my post Equal Education?Why would you educate a child? What is the point of it all? As always, the comments section is open and waiting.After you've made your voice heard in this poll, why not check out my other polls?

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109102720596470002005-02-22T12:00:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:51:41.586-08:00

The first of today's two polls, this was inspired by reactions to my post Engineering an Education.What would your metaphor for education be? How would it work? Mine is a house, as you can read in the post Engineering an Education. What others can you, my loyal readers, come up with? As always, the comments are open and waiting.After you've made your voice heard in this poll, why not check

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109035343046561702005-02-21T16:57:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:51:17.343-08:00

I was reading over at the Ed Wonks' place that today is their six-month blogiversary. Take a moment to head on over there and congratulate them on six months of fine work, including hosting the Carnival of Education.Today also happens to be this blog's two-week blogiversary. Yay! What a couple of weeks it's been, too. I've had the opportunity to talk about a lot of stuff, which has been cool.

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1109029949529903872005-02-21T15:44:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:50:23.000-08:00

Recently, I've read the phrase "raise consciousness about..." several times in various places. This phrase has always annoyed me, mainly because of the arrogance it carries with it. Does the person saying really think he knows where my consciousness is and that he deserves to mess with it?Anyway, I think it'd be fun for all my loyal (and non-loyal) readers to drop their favorite pieces of

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108976618239901722005-02-21T01:03:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:49:53.280-08:00

In an earlier post, I referred to the fact that restrictive methods actually liberate the mind as the paradox of education. This essay is my exploration of the topic. It may contain some ideas that conflict with the previous post, so let me say that everything contained herein respresents my most current (as of 2/20/05) thinking on the subject.We have all heard it before. “Rote learning kills

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108873224427286112005-02-19T20:18:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:48:55.026-08:00

In my last post, I finished with the question of which was a more dangerous path to go down, essentialist or progressivist. In fact, I suggest you read that last post (if you've not done so already) before continuing in this one, since you will find out how I think education really works, not to mention that my thinking in this post will be much clearer.Now that you have read that post, on to

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108852754723416072005-02-19T14:36:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:48:36.086-08:00

This is the big fight in educational circles right now. It can also be framed as essentialists v. progressivists.Let us look at the caricatures of each side first, since they are shaping the debate:The essentialist is all for the 3 Rs. He supports drilling on the skills and memorizing the facts that go with them. He is strict, and he runs a tight classroom with everyone involved in the same

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108796241995676252005-02-19T10:23:00.000-08:002005-03-02T10:28:26.883-08:00

Teacher Bronwen DuHadaway over at Suburban Decay has a fine rant on full inclusion. (Before reading on, I would head over there and read it.) It made me ask myself what the best way to give kids an equal education is. It was a surprisingly easy question to answer. UPDATE: Please read this clarification before continuing on in with this essay. Thanks, ~Quincy~What is an equal education?It comes

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108809863756221972005-02-19T00:55:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:47:48.376-08:00

In my offline life, I'm a musician and composer with a reputation as something of a theory wonk. I also sing with the Chamber Singers at the local college. When I'm there, I get asked things by the theory students in the group. It usually consists of them pointing at a measure and asking, "What do you make of that?" I'm able to look for a second and give them an answer.Every so often one will

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108577757650807482005-02-16T15:15:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:47:28.326-08:00

No, that's not a Jeopardy! answer, sadly. It's one I have to ask after I spotted this post over at Instructivist's place.I'd like anyone who sees this to leave his or her answer to the above question in the comments section. The point of all this is to get an (admittedly small) piece of the blogoshpere's opinion on what a teacher is and then compare that with the ed schools' visions. Also, if you

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108549769961348892005-02-16T02:22:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:47:01.313-08:00

The fine (and superbly wonkish) folks over at the EdWonks have the second week of the Carnival of Education up. Head over there and support this effort.For those of you who came here from there, I invite you to view my other posts on Education before you head back.TOPIC: Education

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108543656741896182005-02-16T00:47:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:46:11.776-08:00

In perusing the news this evening, I came across two items that are mildly related. The first is a heartening op-ed about a Montana homeschooling bill. (Hat Tip: Daryl Cobranchi)The editor at the Missoulian gets the concept of government working for the people EXACTLY right. He uses this understanding to shred a bill that would've required home educators to jump through a number of hoops to

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108442682961506372005-02-14T20:42:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:45:49.036-08:00

OK, so I viewed the blog in IE and there were some line-spacing problems in posts. I jiggered with the Style Sheet and everything's lookin' good.Now, on to the new identities. I've decided to start signing my posts with my nickname,"Quincy." New signature, same great author. :-POh, and to all y'all who are happily with someone, Happy Valentine's Day!TOPIC: Site News

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108438785732996742005-02-14T19:38:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:45:07.586-08:00

I've blogged some on the subject of merit pay, here and here. Now, I've decided to lay out my proposal for structuring teacher pay.The first issue is that must be addressed in structuring teacher pay is what qualities are desirable for teachers upon upon hiring. Here is my list: Subject Knowledge: A teacher should be well versed in the subject(s) he teaches. For example, a music teacher

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108368789047888902005-02-14T00:11:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:44:22.026-08:00

Jenny D. wants to know, so head over to her blog and throw in your two cents. She's already got a good discussion going.TOPIC: Education

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108368101209969132005-02-13T23:57:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:43:38.536-08:00

OK, I know I said this in a previous post, but I really mean it this time!I've finally got the sidebar design the way I want it and the blogroll is complete. Further, all the old posts have been reformatted to include blockquote tags to make the quotes easier to read.Now, I'd like to know what everyone things of the format of the site, so drop a comment on this post with your feedback. Thanks!

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108363131916929782005-02-13T21:34:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:42:40.863-08:00

In a piece in today's SF Chronicle, Davy McClay takes on what he calls "Pseudo-accountability."(UPDATE -- 2/14/05: I have a new proposal on teacher pay. Click here to read it.)The first part of the article brings up the fact that many teachers devote all their time to teaching to those subjects tested.My reply is this: If 30 hours per week with students is not enough to teach basic reading,

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108353286798733432005-02-13T19:26:00.000-08:002005-02-25T23:28:47.936-08:00

...which is the bigger gamble?This is the third installment in my series on Social Security. Click here to go to the beginning of the series if you haven't been following it.I'm sitting here watching Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Meet the Press, and Mr. Rangel tried to frame the privatization issue as government bonds vs. private investment. If it were really that,

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108351192713095652005-02-13T18:31:00.000-08:002005-02-25T23:28:00.276-08:00

This is the second post in my series on Social Security. Click here for Part I of the series.The topic today is whether we should consider Social Security to be in financial trouble in 2018, when payroll taxes will fail to cover promised benefits, or 2042, when the trust fund will be exhausted.The natural reaction is, "Social Security's trust fund will last until 2042! Why, we don't need to

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107861800145903702005-02-13T03:53:00.000-08:002005-03-29T13:43:12.776-08:00

Original Post, Feb. 8, 2004:Last week, an unfortunate transit rider on our local Golden Gate Transit fell out of a window on one of the new model Orion buses.The bizarre accident occurred about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday at Beach and Polk streets on the 38 line bus. As the bus made a turn, the latch on an emergency exit window at the back of the bus gave way and the man fell out, Golden Gate Transit

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1108070633389000892005-02-13T02:49:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:41:15.816-08:00

...respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."That's the text of the Amendment I to the Constitution of the United States. I've seen a couple of distrubing pieces of news in the last week on the

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107977328730005562005-02-09T11:27:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:40:28.463-08:00

If you're in for some really great posts on Education, head over to the Ed Wonks' Carnival of Education.TOPIC: Education

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107934957655634172005-02-08T23:33:00.000-08:002005-02-25T23:26:57.373-08:00

In several upcoming posts, I will be taking on the issue of Social Security. I would like to open up this series with a quote from the New Dealer himself, FDRIn the important field of security for our old people, it seems necessary to adopt three principles: First, noncontributory old-age pensions for those who are now too old to build up their own insurance. It is, of course, clear that for

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107934099010253282005-02-08T23:26:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:39:22.476-08:00

OK, so I posted earlier that the housekeeping on the site was done. Then instructivist reminded me of what I was missing, i.e. a blogroll. So I've got one up and running, and I'll get the housekeeping and linking done tomorrow.If you want to get on the blogroll and you don't show up within the next, oh, 48 hours, drop a comment and I'll take care of it.TOPIC: Site News

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107924210260599222005-02-08T20:42:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:37:41.670-08:00

So, it's been about a day since I started this blog, and I think I've got all the housekeeping with the template and such done. Leave some comments and let me know what you think!TOPIC: Site News

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107920611828518312005-02-08T19:25:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:36:53.723-08:00

Professor Plum has been chronicling the tale of Lewis Lemon elementary school in Rockford, IL. Principal Tiffany Parker stood up for her belief in direct instruction in reading and has sadly paid the price. The new district superintendent has insisted on the use of balanced literacy, and Principal Parker's backbone has cost her her job. So head over to the Professor's site, read up on it, and

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107911471365534182005-02-08T16:29:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:36:33.476-08:00

...and it's a good thing, if you ask me.From CNN:Minnesota teachers warm to performance payLA CRESCENT, Minnesota (AP) -- Gone are the days when teachers' salaries rose automatically with years of experience, or academic credits. In this idyllic Mississippi River town, teachers get an annual raise only if they set and fulfill performance goals.All in all, this article seems pretty good. It's nice

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107883882245768172005-02-08T09:07:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:36:14.966-08:00

...whoever you want.From a Paul Jacob Editorial:"I still don't understand," Beutler confessed, "why people would want to give up their right to choose whoever they please."Beutler says this in defense of scrapping term limits. He obviously believes that, save term limits, we can choose whoever we want for elected office. From my point of view as a third-party supporter, this couldn't be further

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107877208290336582005-02-08T07:32:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:35:48.006-08:00

It's always nice to see a little Douglas Adams crop up here and there. So when I was watching last night's Jeopardy! episode this morning, it brought a smile to my face to hear that one of the clues was about Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and that one of the teens knew about it. With all the books that are recommended for teenagers, it's nice to see that the ones who make it on Jeopardy! are

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107858183582118402005-02-08T02:20:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:35:21.033-08:00

OK, so I've been interested in this whole RSS thing for a while, and I finally got interested enough to learn about Firefox's Live Bookmark feature. I love it. Double click on the lil' orange thingy in the bottom right corner, and you've created a Live Bookmark. I'm surprised I didn't find it sooner, since I'm usually one who clicks on everything for the heck of it.TOPIC: Random

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107855447805212552005-02-08T01:25:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:34:32.430-08:00

...or a look at the US Department of Education’s proposed budget. The SF Chronicle has the scoop on this year’s DoE budget proposal. So where exactly is the money going? Let’s take a look: * Would increase aid to poor districts by 4.7 percent, to $13.3 billion. This always sounds good, but what measures are in place to make sure this money gets past the district level to the schools,

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107838642669047102005-02-07T20:57:00.000-08:002005-03-28T10:53:28.860-08:00

Have you ever thought something was just getting good and then it ended?You haven't? Well, I have! In fact, that's how I feel right about now.As a Trek Fan, I wasn't particularly happy with the fifth series, Enterprise. The first two seasons were very un-Trek-like, with evil Vulcans and the contrived temporal cold war that never went anywhere. The third season was a slight improvement, with the

Quincynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5226069.post-1107836617171350242005-02-07T20:23:00.000-08:002005-02-28T21:32:01.616-08:00

For a long time, this blog was about 2 weeks of my life. (OK, OK, I started it and then forgot about it. Sorry!) Anyway, I'm back, and my life has moved over to LiveJournal.So, as the title says, this is about news, the universe, and everything. Not really, I do still have a life. (Besides, I'm not wearing pyjamas.) That means anything I feel like posting is on topic.That said, the majority of

Quincynoreply@blogger.com5