Like any other enterprise . . .
I haven't blogged for a long time, but this dragged me back. Long-time NY Times educational reporter wrote an opinion piece on failing charter schools in Texas so Edison Schools President hit back in a letter that inadvertantly does a better job of exposing the dangers of this whole brand of school reform than I ever could. It's that often-repeated rationale in the middle paragraph:If non-charter schools served students and parents better, they wouldn't be losing revenue to charter schools. Failed schools must simply reduce operating costs like any other enterprise that loses customers to the competition. Now, forget for a moment Edison's tantrums when it found out that it would be only getting a few hundred more bucks per kid than everyone else after the great Philly schools takeover. Forget about Edison's 90s-e-business-style finances. Forget about what actually happened when Edison tried to reduce operating costs in its Philly schools by firing seemingly irrelevent support staff (will dig up links). Just think, think deeply about that claim. Reduce operating costs. Like any other enterprise.
I would dash off a letter to the editor, but darn it, they just printed one of mine already.
posted by Dan S. on 7:43 AM
|
| link
|
Definitions, definitions
1. ". . . one of North America's most distinctive kinds of wetlands . . . characterized by spongy peat deposits,
acidic waters, and a floor covered by a thick carpet of spagnum moss."
*
2. A relentless, hard-driving mix of political commentary, recipes, idle ramblings, and so on.
More about bogs here.
Something about the blog format made me think of spagnum moss slowly growing, forming layer after layer of peat deposits many feet thick, sometimes preserving (in Europe) ancient bodies . . . Also, it rhymes.
|
|
Songs currently stuck in my head
despite all my best efforts
"My Happy Ending," by {yech} Avril Lavigne:
"Let's talk this over,
It's not like we're dead . . "
and "Laiska" by Varttina:
Laiska luotu laulmann
oikosormi soittamaan
yskin oita viettelen
unetonna laulelen
Toppling off the bedside book-pile:
Classroom Management for Middle-Grades Teachers , C.M. Charles & Marilyn G. Charles
Teaching U.S. History as Mystery, David Gerwin & Jack Zevin
Crossroads of Continents: Cultures of Siberia and Alaska, William W. Fitzhugh & Aron Crowell
Arctic Crossing: A Journey Through the Northwest Passage and Inuit Culture, Jonathan Waterman
Northern Tales: Stories from the Native People of the Arctic and Subarctic Regions, Howard Norman (ed.)
Life in the Cold, Peter J. Marchand
Wandering Through Winter, Edwin Way Teale
The Winter Vegetarian, Darra Goldstein
Teas of the week:
Tea of Good Tidings: Winter Fruit Blend,
The Republic of Tea
Russian Caravan,
Jacksons of Piccailly
|
|
December 22, 2002
December 29, 2002
January 12, 2003
January 19, 2003
February 2, 2003
February 16, 2003
February 23, 2003
March 2, 2003
March 9, 2003
March 16, 2003
March 23, 2003
March 30, 2003
April 6, 2003
June 8, 2003
October 5, 2003
January 16, 2005
October 22, 2006
November 5, 2006
November 12, 2006
November 19, 2006
November 26, 2006
September 16, 2012
December 23, 2012
|
|
|
