Groundhog Day
In the film Groundhog Day, Phil keeps waking up to the same day, over and over, already knowing what’s going to happen, and powerless to stop it.
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The 90/40 Test for Charter Schools
In thinking about the arguments that have been made in support of the recent rejection of $46 million in startup funds for new charter schools in New Hampshire, it helps to understand some basic facts about how school districts and charter schools are funded.
Mandatory parental liability insurance
At least two states (New York and Maine) have recently considered legislation to require gun owners to obtain special liability insurance — in particular, to cover crimes that might be committed using firearms that they own.
Thinking outside the stall
Recently, I sat though a seemingly endless conversation about constructing a model school policy covering who can enter which restrooms under what conditions.
Education in one picture
Back in the 1980s, David Letterman’s show occasionally featured something he called The Museum of the Hard to Believe. Here’s something that I think belongs in that museum: A typical school district in New Hampshire spends more money on a 10th grader than it does on a 3rd grader.
Pediocracy
Maybe it was because I’d seen Steve’s post in the morning, but today I had one of those Aha! moments where something that never seemed to make sense suddenly did. And it happened while I was playing Zombie with my grandkids at Homeschool Gym.
Serious Wetware Development
One of the first rules of serious software development is that you set up your tests first, before you write a line of code, so that you’ll be able to tell whether your program is working.
The #YellowNewDeal
Once upon a time, public schools were largely a response to two constraints: scarcity of educational resources, and difficulty of travel. But those constraints are no longer as significant as they once were. In particular, travel has become easy enough that many people think nothing of driving 30 miles to go out to dinner. A …
In praise of assembly-line schools
One of the most common criticisms of schools is that they are too much like assembly lines in factories. But assembly lines are one of the greatest inventions ever, in terms of actually getting things done effectively and efficiently… provided that you use them properly. There’s nothing wrong with setting up schools as assembly lines… …
Using ‘adequacy funds’ to buy adequacy
Imagine going to a tire shop to get a new set of tires for your car. You pay for the tires and the installation up front, but when you come back to pick up the car, there are only three tires on it. You point out that this isn’t what you paid for, but the …
