Saturday coffee.
Somebody goofed on the bagels this morning. Anne and I each got an everything, but the everything included some cayenne pepper along with the salt and seeds. I kind of liked it. But it was obviously a mistake and the customers who bought a couple dozen and are serving guests this morning are going to be in for a hot surprise.
Cayenne bagels, chive cream cheese and lox. I don’t imagine it is going to catch on anytime soon.
LA teacher asks the LA Times, “I’m brilliant or a failure?”
In the wake of the LA Times publication of so-called value added assessments and teacher names, there is this from Dennis Danziger, an 18 year veteran teacher in the LAUSD.
Last May, within a three-day period, one of my current students at Venice High won a prestigious city wide creative writing contest and a $1,000 college scholarship; while two of my former VHS students were sentenced to jail. One convicted of armed robbery (13 years) and another for attempted murder (22 years).
So what is it, LA Times? I’m dying to know if I’m in line to be lauded and receive merit pay or if I’m the next guy whose picture will be featured on your front page with the word: INCOMPETENT emblazoned beneath my photo.
Thinker Shminker. Nut jobs claim NEA celebrates Chairman Mao.
Who knew? I’ve been a dues paying member of the NEA for 25 years only now to find out that all the members have been instructed by our commissars to have our students celebrate Chairman Mao. At least that is the claim of the group that call itself the American Thinker.
This American thinker calls himself Bill Costello. But I’m more likely to think it is written by Abbott and Costello.
For the past several months, the NEA website has recommended that its members read books by communist sympathizer Saul Alinsky. And, for a time, the website listed October 1 as a day for teachers and students to celebrate the anniversary of the Communist takeover of China by Mao Zedong.
Did Randi say it or didn’t she?
I was critical of AFT President Randi Weingarten in a post the other day for supporting the idea of teacher performance reviews being shared with parents. I based my criticism on an article in the LA Times which paraphrased Weingarten’s comments based on an interview she gave to the Times. Her comments were not in quotes.
I’ve heard that some in the AFT leadership are claiming she didn’t say it. I can’t find a direct quote, but if the Times is misquoting her, the AFT has a blog, a website and a public podium to clarify her views or contradict the Times’ report.
This is no small matter. Teacher evaluations or performance reviews are for the purpose of performance improvement or dismissal. It would be unethical and contrary to best practices to break professional confidence and make them public in any way. For Weingarten to say otherwise is an amazing departure for a national union leader and I’m surprised it hasn’t garnered more reaction.
If she doesn’t believe as she has been quoted she should say so.
