The university should start filtering for self-importance, and future big donors. Source: Harvard Admissions Needs ‘Moneyball for Life’ – The New York Times
‘Opt Out’? (Part II) It’s Going to Cost Them
May 21, 2015 by
A small, if vocal, movement urging parents to have their children sit out standardized exams took off this year, maturing from scattered displays of disobedience into a widespread rebuke. Source: ‘Opt Out’ Becomes Anti-Test Rallying Cry in New York State – NYTimes.com I commented further. Don’t test? Then, according to Harvard professor, and MacArthur Fellow, […]
“‘Opt Out’ Becomes Anti-Test Rallying Cry in New York State” – I Don’t Agree But OK If They Opt-In for Colleges
May 21, 2015 by
A small, if vocal, movement urging parents to have their children sit out standardized exams took off this year, maturing from scattered displays of disobedience into a widespread rebuke. Source: ‘Opt Out’ Becomes Anti-Test Rallying Cry in New York State – NYTimes.com I commented. Though, as a former math professor, I don’t agree with the […]
It Cost a Fortune NOT to Grade Teachers by Their Students’ Test
March 25, 2015 by
Grading Teachers by the Test – NYTimes.com. Raj Chetty coauthored an important paper cited in this article, but, apparently not completely believed. I commented. “Professors Rockoff, Chetty and Friedman, found something more than that “…teachers who improved students’ scores…raised the students’ chances of going to college as well as their salaries later in life…” They […]
Do Universities Care About Societal Issues? See “Getting Into the Ivies”
April 27, 2014 by
Getting Into the Ivies – NYTimes.com. Here is what I wrote, “…the poor catch up with the rich to the extent that they achieve the same level of technological know-how, skill, and education…” (quoted from Piketty, Thomas (2014-03-10). Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Kindle Locations 1315-1316). Harvard University Press. Kindle Edition. ) It is […]
Insightful Commenter on New York Times Economix Blog
December 12, 2013 by
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/as-have-been-harvards-most-common-grade-for-20-years/#postComment is the link to the page where someone posted the following excellent description of how many students feel when they get into an elite school. It gives an important insight which I commented on in my reply, which is below. (It is especially important to note the final sentence of this person’s comment.) “Maybe the […]
New York Times Behind the Times. Grade Inflation is Sooo 20th Century.
December 10, 2013 by
Here is a link to the Times article about the average grade at Harvard. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/as-have-been-harvards-most-common-grade-for-20-years/ I tried to comment in a light vein. “I am a former math professor at an “elite” university and I’m writing to let you know that grade inflation is not the problem it used to be. We have been in a […]
Important Paper on Value of Good Teacher May Be a Game Changer
August 30, 2013 by
If the news in this WSJ article is true, I think it could be very important. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324324404579043311787197976.html?mod=WSJ_article_comments#articleTabs%3Dcomments “If it is really true that “…colleges of education will be required…to track graduates’ performance in K-12 classrooms and ensure they are contributing to student growth, as measured by test scores or other factors.”, then this is great […]
If even Harvard faculty are afraid of speaking out on issues of higher education, who will?
March 12, 2013 by
The following revealing quote is from an article in today’s New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/education/harvard-search-e-mail-accounts.html?_r=0): “…Most professors who agreed to discuss the matter … insisted on anonymity, not wanting to run afoul of the administration…” This is both revealing and worrisome. That’s because “the matter” that these (probably mostly tenured, highly compensated) professors don’t want to be on the record as […]
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