Tag: politics
The Arlington (NY) Central School District School Board of Education Seeks Perfection
They chose an impossible goal: no failure. [B]y the year 2017: a. Increase 5 year graduation rates to 100% b. Achieve 100% grade level literacy by the end of Gr...
Against Full-Day Kindergarten
The Common Core State Standards website asks, Q: Why do we need educational standards? A: We need standards to ensure that all students, no matter where they li...
On the Arlington Central School District Budget (2012-2013)
Arlington Central School District budget planning for FY 2012-2013 has resulted in a fairly good budget. I particularly like the appendices that are included fo...
Comments on the Arlington Central School District Budget (2010-2011)
The Board of Education of the Arlington Central School District has made the difficult decision to close an elementary school in order to reduce the district...
Observations Made While Waiting for an Oil Change
Are the anchors on Fox News trained in rhetorical technique, the use of logical fallacies, and paranoid sarcasm? Or do they just come by it naturally?
Parrots
The differences between American media and the BBC World Service in treatment of the financial situation with the automotive industry, or anything really, are j...
Electronic Medical Records
On Marketplace this morning, they mentioned that Obama wants electronic medical records. Why is it any of Obama’s damn business? I haven’t noticed a...
Naming the Institutions
Do you think people would be more attuned to the operation of governments if the branches were called the Rulemakers, the Deciders, and the Enforcer?
On the Nature of Power
Like electricity in the grid, use it or lose it.
What, Me Worry? I’ve Done Nothing Wrong.
One thing I’ve never quite understood is how advocates for expansive government power never quite seem able to imagine themselves as being on the unpleasa...
A Little Less Help, Please
For those of you not paying attention, fuel costs are up. This change in circumstances changes the calculation of which mode of operation is optimal. In the cas...
Lesser of Two Evils
We live about five miles, 11 minutes, by car from the Kindergarten, but the Big Sister rides the bus for 30 minutes or more. Last night residents in the Mahopac...
Spare the Belt, and Spoil the Child
The Big Sister goes to kindergarten in the Fall. On Tuesday, I went to an orientation session about the school buses, where I learned an interesting thing. The ...