Supt. Ackerman's critique of 'manifesto'
This was written by Philadelphia Schools Supt. Arlene Ackerman. She was one of 16 big-city school district chiefs who signed onto a reform “manifesto” published in the Washington Post this week that was long on rhetoric and short on substance. It was initiated by New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and signed by D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who has since resigned, and 14 others. Yesterday Ackerman told me that she had not seen the final version of the manifesto -- which views charter schools as a big answer to urban school failure, bashes teachers unions and supports market-driven “fixes” to schools -- and though an aide gave permission for her name to be added to it, she does not agree with it. Here is her statement. By Arlene Ackerman Some may feverishly await the arrival of Superman to resolve the problems that overwhelm our public education system, while
It’s Dictionary Day! Learn some weird words
Noah Webster, considered the father of the American dictionary, was born 252 years ago today, so it seems an appropriate occasion to pay extra attention to the glory of words and maybe learn a few new ones. Dictionary Day is one of those “holidays” that doesn’t seem to have any official sponsor or accompanying celebration. But it does serve to highlight the importance of dictionaries and vocabulary, and any excuse to do that seems like a good thing. Webster was a lexicographer, journalist and author who was descended from Gov. William Bradford of Plymouth. He published his first dictionary of the English language in 1806, and a dozen years later, the first edition of his “An American Dictionary of the English Language,” with 12,000 words that had not appeared in any earlier dictionary. He published a second edition in 1840.
