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Apr. 14th, 2013 01:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* Re: Standardized test cheating scandals. If you monetize cheating and punish honesty, while simultaneously demanding folks perform increasingly bigger miracles with fewer and fewer resources: Surprise! The expected result occurs. Do I condone cheating? No. At the same time if you give people money to cheat and create massive dire consequences if they don't cheat, even passing knowledge of human nature says people will mostly cheat to survive if that's the only choice. Also, if you legislate that schools for the poor do the opposite of what schools for the rich do and expect them to magically have better results, I have a bridge over the Columbia I'd love to sell you. There are very good reasons that people who can afford the best pick schools with small class sizes throughout, mandatory athletics, hands on science, plenty of enrichment activities and art/music program opportunities, lots of essays/research papers etc.. Did we have standardized testing? Yes, because if you've been taking them in a low stakes environment since first grade, you do really well on PSAT/SAT's. They didn't teach to the test because the primary purpose of the test was to teach us to tack that kind of test. Instead, we were sectioned based on a wide variety of more complex measures. Was private school a horrible place to grow up? Yes, but not because of the academics. The academics were excellent. Yet we've decided that even though numerous studies show that breaks for physical activity and artistic expression actually improve academics as does small class size, the children of the poor should be made to sit still and fill in bubble sheets in classes double the size of those of the children of the rich. Surprise! Real learning suffers. Surprise! The drop out rate soars.
* Trap Laws, attacks on women's rights, and Homophobia and the GOP:
* RNC invites Dick Cheney, a conspiracy theorist, and a white supremacist to help them appeal to voters of color. O.o:
* When you pay your mortgage but the bank still steals your house:
* Melissa Harris-Perry addresses Rand Paul's embarrassing Howard speech:
* The 8 year old who stopped Senator Campfeild:
* Straight Athletes standing up for gay team mates:
* Melissa Harris-Perry responds to the way FOX "News" and other right wing commentators have gone ballistic about her promo asking for proper funding for education:
* Watch This Space! Release the X-Files!:
* Hector appears to be deescalating. He's started feeding himself while I sleep and only woke me up twice: both with nightmares. I consider the need for comfort after a nightmare a reasonable reason to wake someone and crooning soothingly while petting him until he's calm enough to go back to sleep doesn't take that long and is certainly the kind thing to do.
I am worried about the Butt. He was doing really well, but the last few days he's super reclusive, only coming out of Squirrel's room for very rare water breaks. He didn't even come out for goosh yesterday, let alone pettins, catnip, or raids on the cat grass. Squirrel promises me he'll hydrate him tomorrow just in case.
* "Photos of Children From Around the World With Their Most Prized Possessions:" http://www.featureshoot.com/2013/03/photos-of-children-from-around-the-world-with-their-most-prized-possessions/
* "GBLT Characters on Supernatural:" http://www.fangsforthefantasy.com/2013/04/gblt-characters-on-supernatural.html
* The Clutch:
* Trap Laws, attacks on women's rights, and Homophobia and the GOP:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* RNC invites Dick Cheney, a conspiracy theorist, and a white supremacist to help them appeal to voters of color. O.o:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* When you pay your mortgage but the bank still steals your house:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Melissa Harris-Perry addresses Rand Paul's embarrassing Howard speech:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* The 8 year old who stopped Senator Campfeild:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Straight Athletes standing up for gay team mates:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Melissa Harris-Perry responds to the way FOX "News" and other right wing commentators have gone ballistic about her promo asking for proper funding for education:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Watch This Space! Release the X-Files!:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Hector appears to be deescalating. He's started feeding himself while I sleep and only woke me up twice: both with nightmares. I consider the need for comfort after a nightmare a reasonable reason to wake someone and crooning soothingly while petting him until he's calm enough to go back to sleep doesn't take that long and is certainly the kind thing to do.
I am worried about the Butt. He was doing really well, but the last few days he's super reclusive, only coming out of Squirrel's room for very rare water breaks. He didn't even come out for goosh yesterday, let alone pettins, catnip, or raids on the cat grass. Squirrel promises me he'll hydrate him tomorrow just in case.
* "Photos of Children From Around the World With Their Most Prized Possessions:" http://www.featureshoot.com/2013/03/photos-of-children-from-around-the-world-with-their-most-prized-possessions/
* "GBLT Characters on Supernatural:" http://www.fangsforthefantasy.com/2013/04/gblt-characters-on-supernatural.html
* The Clutch: