Sunday, May 4, 2014

5-4-13 Curmudgucation Week

CURMUDGUCATION:








NY Explains Worst VAM Ever
A reader pointed me at an extraordinary piece of educational in-house PR from our good friends at engageNY*, the uber-reformy wing of the NYSED.It's extraordinary because, if accurate, it explains clearly and simply exactly how VAM-style evaluation can be made even worse.Carol Newman-Sharkey linked me to this short informational video. You know it's going to be fun, because it's stylish cell anima


A Real Race
My wife is a runner. I love my wife. That's why I woke up this morning at 4:45 in a Pittsburgh hotel.We did this last year, but last year she ran the full marathon; this year she's a first-year first-grade teacher who lacks the time to train, to put in the 147 hours of prep required for six-year-olds, and to occasionally hang out with me. So this year she ran the half marathon instead.I've been to


5-3-13 Curmudgucation Week
CURMUDGUCATION:Not One Size Fits AllI often criticize the core (and other standards-- while I know some decent, intelligent people like the idea of some sort of national standards, I do not) by calling it a "one size fits all" solution.But I'm wrong.It's a handy shorthand phrase-- just four words and everybody knows what you mean. But it's not precisely correct."One size fits all&qu