Learning is important. Without knowing her ABCs, Joshua Tabor’s 4-year-old daughter doesn’t have much of a chance to get ahead in life. Or learn how to spell. So why aren’t people commending Tabor’s efforts to stress the importance of education in his home? It could be because he and his girlfriend held his daughter’s head under water when she refused to say her ABCs. [Read more →]
The AP has a story today about a kid in Louisiana who was sent home from school for wearing an Indianapolis Colts jersey.
A Louisiana high school student says he was sent home for wearing an Indianapolis Colts jersey Friday — the day the principal encouraged students to wear New Orleans Saints black and gold as the teams get ready to face off in the Super Bowl.
My headline is a more accurate representation of the information about President Obama’s plans to overhaul No Child Left Behind, as presented in the New York Times.
Hat tip to the Mighty Red Pen for this gem: in California, the Menifee Union School District has removed Merriam-Webster’s 10th-edition dictionary from elementary school shelves because it has an entry for “oral sex.”
If I was to write a dictionary, now I know just what I’d put next to my entry for “futility.”
Here’s Slate’s review of Louis Menand’s new book about higher learning, which concludes with a note on the vaunted lefty politics of American academics:
In the 2004 election, he notes, 95 percent of humanities and social-science professors voted for Kerry; zero percent voted for Bush.
Oh, goody. It’s the old chestnut about the political uniformity of the academy.
When I was an undergraduate, back in the 1950s*, professors had office hours. There were maybe 3 or 4 hours a week we knew the professor would be in his or her office and we could stop by to talk about course content or an upcoming assignment. We had the phone number of the office and could call during those office hours if we had a quick question. Professors also were available by appointment if we had a class that conflicted with their office hours. But basically, aside from seeing them during class time and the option of seeing them during their office hours — hours that they set — we didn’t have contact with them. They didn’t generally provide their home phone numbers. If we had a question at night or over the weekend, we lived with it. [Read more →]
I received the below e-mail today. I guess it was sent to some mass list of faculty members:
All faculty at [Name of university] are entitled to a complimentary subscription of the New York Times delivered to their home when the New York Times is listed in their syllabus as required reading. If 15 or more students subscribe, you will also receive a handsome portfolio as a free gift.
Help your students make discoveries every day in topics ranging from social trends and new technology to politics and the economy inside the nation’s most honored newspaper. [Read more →]
10. All your professors also work in the cafeteria.
9. Its Latin motto is actually written in Pig Latin.
8. All of the library books have already been colored in.
7. It boasts “a graduation rate higher than most District of Columbia high schools.”
6. The student center has an onsite bail bondsman.
5. All the dissecting in biology class is done on roadkill.
4. Its most notable alumnus is Howie Mandell.
3. In the Jeopardy College Championship, it lost to Hamburger U.
2. The dean giggles every time he hears the work ‘matriculate’.
1. Instead of the S.A.T., you just have to pass a urine test.
Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.
FIRE is an organization that defends free speech rights on college campuses. Here, Dave Barry talks about free speech, or the lack thereof, at universities.
10. “Okay, I get the top bunk and the bottom bunk!”
9. “What’s it worth to you for me to keep my clothes on?”
8. “You got any underwear you don’t need?”
7. “Seriously, My Silent But Deadlies have been known to peel paint off the walls.”
6. “Which of the Jonas Bothers do you think is the cutest?”
5. “I bet I’m bigger than you are!”
4. “What do you mean you can still see me? I’m wearing my cloak of invisibility!”
3. “I have a surprise for you. It’s in my trouser pocket.”
2. “I have a tendency to walk in my sleep and do this ‘stabby’ thing.”
1. “Care to tuck me in?”
Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.
It’s that time of year again, when college instructors not rendered comatose from summer-semester-teaching-despair begin to finalize their syllabi and plan their fall lessons. Much like religious leaders on any retreat, or shall we say “pilgrimage,” it is essential that the non-feathered creature in charge start things off with a bang. With that in mind, we give you the top ten ways to begin any fall class: [Read more →]
Now that the moms of the world are in back-to-school mode, I’ve been thinking about my son’s education. As he turns one, I’ve discovered a sad truth. We aren’t getting into Harvard. And by “we” I mean his dad and I, because now that we are parents, we’ve forgotten about our own miserable lives and only live vicariously through him. Isn’t that what all parents do? [Read more →]
The school year is approaching, and teachers around the nation are trying not to think too much about tweaking our courses for the next go-round. Most of us have been blowing it off for months and we really have to give it some thought here in early August. Part of my current focus is inspired by an article printed in the Washington Post this past February. Jay Matthews wrote on the age old educators’ debate of breadth vs depth:
The debate goes like this: Should they focus on a few topics so students have time to absorb and comprehend the inner workings of the subject? Or should they cover every topic so students get a sense of the whole and can later pursue those parts that interest them most?
The truth, of course, is that students need both. Teachers try to mix the two in ways that make sense to them and their students. But a surprising study — certain to be a hot topic in teacher lounges and education schools — is providing new data that suggest educators should spend much more time on a few issues and let some topics slide. [Read more →]
If you’ve noticed something missing in your life in the last two weeks, I have to tell you, it’s been me. As an almost college graduate, I’ve had a lot of things to do over the past few weeks (worrying, reminiscing, drinking) which have precluded doing whatever it is I do here every Thursday. Thankfully I’ve been able to take a break from those things for a moment and check in over here. I have to say, though, my mind is still on graduating. As a young girl wise beyond her years, I feel like I should let other college graduates in on a little of the advice (my own) I’ll be following once I take off the cap and gown and enter the world of money and fame. Unfortunately, my crippling anxiety has kept me from making any friends over the past few years, so I have no outlet but this.
10. On your Chemistry final, you answered every question with “Do I look like a rocket scientist?!”
9. Your nickname is “Glue-Sniffin’ Gus.”
8. On your Civics final, you kept spelling it “Cervix.”
7. Your final paper in Music class was entitled “Why the Jonas Brothers Are the New Mozart”
6. Nobody believes that the pot they found in your locker was planted there as part of a “right-wing conspiracy.”
5. In your high school yearbook, you were voted ‘Most Likely to Be Unable to Distinguish between His Ass and a Hole in the Ground.’
4. You were caught out on the football field, sticking a suppository into a hole in the ground.
3. On your Literature final, you said Moby Dick was an STD.
2. You’ve been in the seventh grade since the Carter Administration.
1. On your essay “How I Plan to Spend My Summer Vacation,” your teacher wrote “Think again.”
As I watched the news this morning — between segments on the best spray tan for the summer and how angry Republicans are that Obama actually wants to talk to other countries and not just bomb them — I realized something: today is the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Here’s a link to my piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education on the legacy of Tiananmen Square. Long story short: China’s government has rewritten history and bribed its people with economic prosperity, to the point of complacency over ‘political matters.’ But they cannot erase history if we do not allow it.
10. He leaves early so he can catch the new Star Trek movie – again
9. When he rented his tux, he couldn’t afford the pants
8. He keeps calling you “Mommy”
7. The “corsage” he brings you has a sash across it reading “Rest In Peace”
6. He keeps saying, “Who’d a thunk?! Me! At a prom!!”
5. He can’t stop talking about Hannah Montana
4. He says his parents expect him home by 9:30
3. He’s pinned a carnation to his chest, and he’s not wearing a jacket or shirt
2. When he takes you to McDonald’s afterwards, before you order he whispers, “Remember, I ain’t Mr. Moneybags!”
1. He shows up wearing the same dress
10. Enchantment Under the Bleachers
9. An Evening to Forget
8. Crepe Paper, Bunting, And That Gym Sock Smell!
7. Save the Last Dance for Your Hot Friend
6. Dry Hump Dreams
5. Goodbye Textbooks! Hello Minimum Wage!
4. Herpes-palooza!
3. Moon Over Abu Ghraib
2. A Midsummer’s Night Grope
1. Memories to Last a Nighttime
10. He’s wearing a disabled electronic ankle bracelet
9. The title of his talk: “Your Future at Hamburger U.”
8. His entire speech is in the dits and dahs of Morse Code
7. His speech is half over, and he’s already mentioned Scientology 63 times
6. First name: Rod. Last name: Blagojevich.
5. After introducing his imaginary friend Pedro, he sits by while Pedro delivers a 90-minute address
4. You recognize him from when he sold you a Slurpee last night at your local 7-Eleven
3. He keeps referring to Barack Obama as the “leader of the Great Satan”
2. His ultimate uplifting message: “If life hands you shit, make shit sandwiches”
1. He spends two hours talking about the superiority of Amway products
Wednesday, May 6, 2009, is Hump Day for our national Teacher Appreciation Week, a week we appreciate only on weekdays — May 4 to May 8 — according to the Yahoo note which informed me of such week last night.
So I arose this morning not with the alacrity, wit, and wide smile of some of my favorite educators; rather, I experienced an acute anxiety attack as I understood I had not yet done enough to appreciate teachers this week. [Read more →]
Two years ago, on April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech was the scene of a heinous shooting rampage. Soon after, I wrote the below essay, which was published as the cover story in Liberty magazine in July 2007. [Read more →]
As a college professor I believe that most students are hard working and honest, but invariably there are those who are not. My official policy is as follows: If I catch you cheating, you fail the course, not just the assignment. Harsh? Yes. Unfair? No. [Read more →]
Chesterfield County, Virginia, is facing some tough times. While that hardly makes the area unique, it is of particular interest because the school district is facing a massive $52 million shortfall and is looking to cut over 300 positions from the public schools.
The district comprises 38 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 11 high schools, and a technical center. If the cuts were distributed evenly, it would come out to nearly 5 positions per school. And in government work, seniority and tenure mean a lot, so the newest teachers are the ones who will most likely be on the streets.
A recent letter to the Editor of the Chesterfield Observer suggests it be done differently: [Read more →]
Watching the news of a sit-in at NYU last week got me thinking about how lame today’s college students are and, of course, what fictional character can be blamed. Sure, it would be easy to point to the men of Delta house as the example to which some collegians aspire, and fail, to emulate by wearing t-shirts that read “College.” But, that’s not quite accurate. The culprit behind the decline of modern education is actually even less subtle.
Our man is Thornton Mellon, from the film Back To School, one of the most underrated films of the 1980s. I say he is less subtle because he has the unique distinction of being the only fictional character that I can think of that is actually accused of in the film what I am actually accusing him of. In an early part of the film, Mellon’s economics professor and romantic rival, Dr. Phillip Barbay — a stuffy middle aged man with some sort of British accent, whose fetishes includes having women dress up as Wonder Woman and tie him up with the golden lariat and force him to tell the truth — sums it up: “That… is Mr. Thornton Mellon. The world’s oldest living freshman… and the walking epitome of the decline in modern education. The stupid clod thinks he can buy his way out of the gutter,” he quips to Sally Kellerman’s character, who is the love interest of both men. (I mean, Sally Kellerman? As Rodney Dangerfield said in another movie — “She must have been something before electricity.”)
People of a certain age always complain that the kids today aren’t as smart as they were or don’t take school as seriously as they should. [Read more →]
Inside Higher Ed recently published Why More Colleges Want Jewish Students. Jews send their kids to college at a high rate and the kids are generally smart and good students and participate in campus activities. Schools apparently believe that increasing the Jewish student population can improve the school’s overall academic standing and environment. The article examines whether this is a welcome trend that embraces a favorable stereotype or whether something more troubling is going on.
All of this might have you wondering, why is it that Jews do so well in school and are so smart? Fortunately for you, I have the answer. It all comes down to circumcision. You heard me. [Read more →]
As the Industrial Age recedes farther into America’s past and the Information Age becomes our universal experience, municipalities are understandably concerned with lowering the high school dropout rate. There are fewer jobs for dropouts than in the past, and communities are worried about what it takes to prepare their youth for the future. They are also worried about their own progressive images, but let’s not be so cynical as to focus on that side of things… let’s focus on the genuine concern that the system is failing; that large numbers of students are dropping out and forming a population of criminals or, at best, helpless government wards living on the dole. [Read more →]
Paula: Having read the discussion of how teaching evaluations affect tenure in universities in this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, I was struck by the implicit assumption on the part of the aggrieved teachers and of the reporter that it is fine to air personal political views in class — that this is part of the initiation of students into various viewpoints.
But it has always been my assumption that the role of the teacher is to hold back — at least to some degree — on personal views so as to give the students a chance to explore more objectively. I suppose this is the conventional, traditional view, though as some profs point out, the seemingly “objective” view can also be implicitly politicized.
Still, I see objectivity — or nonalignment (perhaps a better way of putting it) — as the ideal. I do think that so-called “enthusiasm” is sometimes a euphemism for zealotry. When enthusiasm is linked to a particular political position it is not a positive value in a teacher and can instead be a form of bullying and coercion — and students can rightfully resent it.
Robert: I want to challenge the premise of your statement above. [Read more →]
My cousin will graduate from the nursing program at Ball State University today. Last night I went to the pinning ceremony and was the first to stand in ovation when the audience was invited to acknowledge the accomplishments of the 2008 baccalaureates. I stood because she is one of the dearest people in my life. I stood because she has overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, and despite all, she has achieved her dream. I stood because she is graduating with honors at the top of her class.
Other than those attending with me, applauding our particular graduate, I don’t know why everyone else stood up when I did. [Read more →]
Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics Blog notes that “there aren’t many goods and services in this country that you can’t significantly upgrade if you have the money.”
Of course. That’s part of the American Way — the wealthy are able to afford better goods and services than are the poor. This is the type of thing that people lament when they are relatively poor, but then relish in when they have some money. In fact, it’s the whole point of dragging oneself out of poverty — to live a more comfortable life. The wealthy can have better cars, better clothes, better communities, and better schools.
Yes, better schools. Higher income areas generally have better school facilities, in an effort to provide a better educational experience to the children of the well-to-do. [Read more →]
You’ve probably heard by now about the awful incident at Binghamton University (my alma mater), where a 6’9, 280 lb. sophomore center on the basketball team stomped on the head of a 5’9, 130 lb. senior. The smaller man now lies in near-comatose state
To make matters worse, the basketball player, Miladin Kovacevic — with the help of his parents and Serbian consulate officials — has fled to his native Serbia and is fighting extradition. Kovacevic’s mother said, “My son is not running away from justice, he’s running away from injustice,” while CNN.com also reports that, “Kovacevic’s parents said their son was threatened and disdained because of his nationality and they felt they had to rescue him.”
Injustice is afoot, but not the kind the fugitive’s mother speaks of.
The victim, Bryan Steinhauer, a Brooklyn-raised accounting major, is “unable to drink or eat on his own. “ His father says, “He has enough awareness to realize what situation he is in, especially when he sees us…He starts yelling out and crying out with a tortured look on his face. He’s starting to realize what has happened to him.”
All this over a girl who may have been pinched or groped. All this at one of America’s best state universities. All this two weeks before graduation. Injustice indeed. [Read more →]
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