Tuesday Open Thread

Interesting story at Politico on how the Rust Belt is losing teachers.  

It finds that top performers in high schools are more likely to move away — and end up living in an “innovative” labor market, marked by a higher share of college-educated residents driving growth and attracting ever more highly skilled workers. Another finding? Among those who move away, one’s high school and college coursework predicts whether one will move longer distances. “The best and brightest for Austin might or might not stay. The best and the brightest for Seattle might or might not stay. But they always land on their feet in the sense that they always land in the places that have other best and brightest,” Chandra Muller, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Austin who was lead researcher for the work, tells Morning Education.

Speaking of the best and the brightest, that's not Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis), from Huffington Post:

“We’ve got the internet ― you have so much information available. Why do you have to keep paying differently lecturers to teach the same course?” Johnson said. “You get one solid lecturer and put it up online and have everybody available to that knowledge for a whole lot cheaper. But that doesn’t play very well to tenured professors in the higher education cartel. So ... we need destructive technology for our higher education system.”

Keep these terms in mind: "public education business" and now "higher education cartel."  You'll be hearing them more and more. 

One of the examples I always used ― if you want to teach the Civil War across the country, are you better off having, I don’t know, tens of thousands of history teachers that kind of know the subject, or would you be better off popping in 14 hours of Ken Burns Civil War tape and then have those teachers proctor based on that excellent video production already done? You keep duplicating that over all these different subject areas.

Teachers as "proctors."  I urge you to watch the video I put up yesterday, The Ledger. 

Because of the massive flooding in Louisiana, 22 schools won't be opening for school this week, according to the AP.  

The problems go well beyond fixing structures. Steve Parrill, assistant superintendent for Livingston Parish public schools, told the Advocate that his district must come up with transportation assistance for students and staff. That’s because more than a third of the district's staff was displaced by the flooding, and many lost their vehicles as well.

Yesterday a federal judge blocked President Obama's policy on use of bathrooms by transgendered students.

U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor of the Northern District of Texas, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, issued a nationwide injunction siding with the 13 states and blocking the Obama administration's bathroom guidelines on Sunday, the evening before students in much of Texas and some of the other affected states were due back in school.

 O'Connor found the federal government failed to provide states with sufficient notice and opportunity for comment before issuing the guidelines. He also said the guidelines had the effect of law and contradicted existing legislative and regulatory texts.

Put this on your calendar - Seattle Children's Hospital/Foundation is going to have a Science Block Party on Saturday, September 10th from 11 am to 3 pm at 1920 Terry Ave. Free parking, free activities and free bike helmets (while supplies last and kids must be present to be fitted.) Live music most of the day with food trucks available.

What's on your mind?