Love looks through a telescope;
envy, through a microscope.
Josh Billings
Vintage Sowell Takes on the Abused Statistics of the 77 Centers
Mark Perry of Carpe Diem also takes on apples and oranges statistics of ideological feminists. He points out, for instance, that more women graduate from college overall and in many disciplines, with relevant correlated higher-paying job opportunities. Many married women take a career hiatus when they start their families (two of my sisters did) or prefer more limited responsibilities or time commitments for quality of family life reasons. Job tenure, willingness to move to take a promotion, etc., all can impact professional success and compensation.
I personally despise pedestrian pundits' arguing a demographic time bomb. The free market works. Talent is a scarce resource and it is based on individual characteristics, not politically favored group status. If compensation is not commensurate with productivity, the employer risks losing his or her talented people.
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| Courtesy of Carpe Diem |
Big Veterinarians Crack Down on Senior Texas Vet With Internet Pet Advice Service
Dr. Ron Hines, a disabled retired Texas veterinarian, has been advising pet owners across the Internet, many with limited resources, dealing with conflicting advice and/or without local vet services, for free or a low flat fee. The state board has gone after Hines, shutting him down, suspending him, fining him, forcing him to re-qualify for his license, not because of any consumer complaints, but because of the innovative nature of his service. We need to reject the anti-competitive actions of the board and restore a measure of economic liberty in Texas.
More on the High-Speed Rail California Boondoggle: How Labor Unions Make a Historic Boondoggle Even More Wasteful
It's bad enough that Obama and Jerry Brown want to throw taxpayer money on wasteful projects with unsustainable business models where riders are heavily subsidized by taxpayers, but workers are denied their right to work, i.e., union monopolists are guaranteed dues payments from project workers in repayment of past and ongoing political support.
Can Computers Replace Teachers?
If social security is the third rail, probably running close behind are public sector safety officials (police and firefighting) and teachers. Almost every politician pays tribute to "underpaid" teachers. At the same time, productivity in the classroom is questionable; despite throwing millions at smaller class sizes and generous compensation increases over decades, objective measures of student performance have not improved, and comparative international scores are mediocre at best. We have abysmal graduation rates in many prominent inner cities.
Unlike other professions, we don't really find Licklider's ideal of man-computer symbiosis. There are, of course, all sorts of educational software that can augment canonical classroom instruction; more importantly many software tools can capture student responses and with appropriate analytical tools can provide a more detailed, precise, early basis for diagnosing and resolving learning performance problems. Technology can also leverage the effectiveness of master teachers. We could see more individualized roadmaps for educational goals, online class options, etc. Teachers should not feel threatened by technology; for example, it can free a teacher from tedious busywork.
I remember being so bored in the early grades; according to my Mom, every once in a while I would get up from my seat and walk around class. (Today it could be wrongly diagnosed as ADHD.) For me, the turning point was in sixth grade; I found myself on the homeroom top 10 list; I quickly eyed the boy on the top of the list and boldly told him, with all the confidence of Babe Ruth calling his home run shot, that I was going for his #1 spot. He tried to laugh it off, but I shot up the list in subsequent six weeks and finally took the crown as predicted. I wouldn't attribute my subsequent academic success to any teacher, although I did have a wonderfully demanding English teacher. The reason I'm mentioning this is not to bash teachers, but I was frustrated because I found subsequent classes not challenging enough. I wonder how many bright students slip through the cracks. I know some high schools today have honors and AP classes or even let you take college classes concurrently. My high school didn't have those options, but they did the next best thing: they presented a path to early graduation. The point is: by utilizing the Internet, canned course lectures, virtual classrooms, etc., there are ways to for teachers and administrators to re-engineer lower education and provide more quality teacher-student time on an as-needed basis.
I should point out my discussion is not necessarily indicative of the speech in the clip below.
I Am A Teacher
"I was born the first moment that a question leaped from the mouth of a child.
Throughout the course of a day I am called upon to be an actor, friend, nurse and doctor, coach, finder of lost articles, money lender, psychologist, substitute parent and a keeper of the faith.
I am the most fortunate of all who labor. I know that what I build with love and truth, will last forever. I am privileged to see that life is reborn each day with new questions, ideas and friendships.
And who do I have to thank for this wonderful life I am so fortunate to experience? You, the public and the parents who entrust to me their greatest contribution to eternity, their children.
I have wept for joy at the weddings of former students, laughed with glee at the birth of their children and stood with head bowed in grief and confusion by graves dug too soon for bodies far too young.
I have a past that is rich in memories, I have a present that is challenging, and fun, because I am allowed to spend my days with the future.
I Am A Teacher And I Am Thankful For It Every Day."
By John Wayne "Jack" Schlatter
Author of GiftsByTheSideOfTheRoad.com
For an audio-video clip version, see here. Posters are available here, at a limited-term special sales price.
Political Cartoon
So true... Paul Ryan can tell you first-hand what it costs politically to attempt to shore up bankrupt legacy Democratic social programs. Cartoonists could also put spending cuts/program savings on electrified railroad tracks...
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| Courtesy of Glenn Foden and Townhall |
Crosby, Stills & Nash, "Just a Song Before I Go"
