Downeast Schoolhouse » baby/bath water

Hitch Dead, Yes

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:48:57 +0000

Christopher is dead, maddening man. Capable of slashing rhetoric, full of lust for the fight, rampant on the ramparts, he cut a figure. Oh yes, often wrong, and sometimes mean and low expeditious in an argument. Personally, we’re told, a generous bear of a man.

Lots of coverage everywhere; I cribbed this from Arts and [...]

Those crazy right-wingers over at Newsweek

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:00:01 +0000

…have it all figured out.

On their March 15 cover, over a blackboard with the repeating phrase “We must fire bad teachers.”, we’re promised “The Key to Saving American Education,” courtesy of Evan Thomas and Pat Wingert.

An accompanying story, ” Schoolyard Brawl: A leading reformer and a union head square off over teacher tenure” [...]

Nationalize Education?

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:00:50 +0000

The Thursday New York Times has a series of letters reacting to this earlier piece: One Classroom, From Sea to Shining Sea by Susan Jacoby (NYT, 3/18/10).

Jacoby had argued for full-bore nationalization of education:

Our lack of a national curriculum, national teacher training standards and federal financial support to attract smart young people to [...]

All Out of Proportion

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:00:45 +0000

It’s hard to believe that consolidation is working as intended. Be sure to read Paul Stearns’ piece — Consolidation penalties are a shameful response — in the BDN.

In another context, some truths:

I wish I could say I found it surprising, but it seem to me to be of a piece with too many [...]

Mission Accomplished! Harmony Reigns!*

admin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:53:41 +0000

The figures seem to vary a bit, with a late Wednesday afternoon Associated Press article saying 6 plans passed (thus 12 defeated) and a TV report (WLBZ) saying that the DOE says 7 passed.

In any case, reorganization did not have a great day yesterday, and we’re a long way from the promised 80 districts. [...]

Push-back on Health Hysteria

admin — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:32:20 +0000

Health news you can use.

Push-back against the anti-vaccine crowd: Book Is Rallying Resistance to the Antivaccine Crusade (NYT, 1/13)

“But I wouldn’t go into a bookstore and sign books. It can get nasty. There are parents who really believe that vaccines hurt their children, and to them, I’m incredibly evil. They hate me.”

Dr. [...]

Driving into the Ditch?

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:00:02 +0000

Yesterday’s post pointed toward a complete change in how Maine goes about testing.

Around the same time as we came upon that news, we also came upon an exceedingly useful bit of advice that we’d like to share:

(via Criggo)

Back now to our regularly-scheduled post!

One question that comes [...]