success is arbitrary

A flawed premise, and a little logic, and you can justify giving a student 50% for nothing. Ryan finds it troublesome, and so do I.

However, there's a deeper question: who originally decided that, when it comes to a passing grade, 60% is good enough?

(By the way, success for a National Board candidate is 68.75 percent. I have exactly one week to get the first part of my D+ or better.)

your legislature, hard at work: part I

For interested Washington State residents, I've compiled a list of passed educational House bills, big and small, from the 2007 session. There were more than I remembered.

a new project: Washington Teachers

I am delighted to announce the beginning of a new blog project, a collaborative effort involving (for now) three other Washington state teachers. It's called, appropriately, Washington Teachers.

I have described the goals of the blog thusly:

To provide a platform for committed, passionate teachers sharing ideas about education, politics, life, and the universe.

To focus largely, but not exclusively, on Washington state education issues, providing a unique perspective not found in any think tank, union, media outlet, or government agency.

To become a go-to resource for citizens interested in what teachers in Washington state have to say.

To rock the world one mouse click at a time.

Obviously, each member of the blog will have their own perspective and purpose for joining, their own idiosyncrasies and areas of emphasis. That's what makes this so exciting: The Science Goddess, Jeff Nusser, and Ryan Grant, the first three to join me, are not only great teachers, but perceptive bloggers.

We'd like to expand, too. We're looking for articulate and intelligent and creative teachers from the Evergreen State. Though we each have our own affiliations and commitments, we invite all viewpoints, as long as they're expressed reasonably and in good faith.

If you live and teach in Washington, and are interested, please contact me at decorabilia AT hotmail DOT com.

a new project: Washington Teachers

I am delighted to announce the beginning of a new blog project, a collaborative effort involving (for now) three other Washington state teachers. It's called, appropriately, Washington Teachers.

I have described the goals of the blog thusly:

To provide a platform for committed, passionate teachers sharing ideas about education, politics, life, and the universe.

To focus largely, but not exclusively, on Washington state education issues, providing a unique perspective not found in any think tank, union, media outlet, or government agency.

To become a go-to resource for citizens interested in what teachers in Washington state have to say.

To rock the world one mouse click at a time.

Obviously, each member of the blog will have their own perspective and purpose for joining, their own idiosyncrasies and areas of emphasis. That's what makes this so exciting: The Science Goddess, Jeff Nusser, and Ryan Grant, the first three to join me, are not only great teachers, but perceptive bloggers.

We'd like to expand, too. We're looking for articulate and intelligent and creative teachers from the Evergreen State. Though we each have our own affiliations and commitments, we invite all viewpoints, as long as they're expressed reasonably and in good faith.

If you live and teach in Washington, and are interested, please contact me at decorabilia AT hotmail DOT com.