Let's Carnival!

The 189th edition of The Carnival of Education (hosted this week by Thomas J. West Music) has opened-up its midway!And don't forget to drop-in on the homies over at The Carnival of Homeschooling.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does: Part 1

This cop just threw away his career in law enforcement over a few breakfast sandwhiches:MORRISTOWN, N.J. -- A Rockaway Township police sergeant's hunger for some breakfast sandwiches has cost him his job.Sgt. Christopher Stahl pleaded guilty Monday to theft for walking out of a Quick Chek store on West Main Street in Rockaway Borough on Dec. 15, 2007 with eight breakfast sandwiches worth $29.45.

Get Your Carnival On!

Entries for the 189th edition of The Carnival Of Education (Hosted this week over at Thomas J. West Music.) are due. Please email them to: tomwest [at] psualum [dot] com . (Or, easier yet, use this handy submission form.) Submissions should be received no later than 4:00 PM (Eastern) 1:00 PM (Pacific) Today. Contributions should include your site's name, the title of the post, and the post's URL

U.S. City Celebrates Mexican Independence Day

When it comes to governmental wastage of taxpayer funds, one has to look long and hard in order to exceed that peculiar type of corruption that is found here in the wasteland that is California's so-called "Imperial" Valley. But even here, where all kinds of corruption and nepotism are common-day occurrences, I was stunned to learn that the City of El Centro, California was proudly expending

Did You Know?

That this is "Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week?"I didn't know it, either.The Ministry of Enforcement of Public Education Policy Conformity United States Department of Education is spending lots of taxpayer money in order to celebrate the occasion: Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe will join 1,000 higher education leaders and policymakers on September 8 in

Obama Visits Michigan High School

The gym of Michigan's North Farmington High School was the scene of a visit by Barack Obama just yesterday. He took the time to make a few remarks. On education, Obama wants to invest in early childhood education, close the achievement gap, pay teachers more money in exchange for more accountability, make college affordable for everyone, in exchange for community service.“That’s change,” he said

A Lesson In Funny Money

Some kids are just so resourceful: OCALA, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say an 8-year-old boy was handing out hundreds of dollars in fake $20 bills at an Ocala elementary school. School officials reported the boy to police on Tuesday.The fake bills were discovered when a child tried to use one to pay for lunch. An administrator then tracked down several other students with fake bills. Those students

Dream Cancellation: A Personal Whine

Six years of no increase in take-home pay and several years of insidious inflation have finally gotten the best of our already-tight budget.Today we cancelled our Christmas trip.For the first time in ten years, the Wonk Family will not be going back to South Carolina to visit the folks during Christmas recess.*sigh*When I began my classroom service, I knew that I would never get rich teaching

British Hospitality

What a bunch of Wankers: A hotel that refused an injured soldier a room, forcing him to spend the night in his car, was backed into issuing a grovelling apology yesterday after receiving a barrage of abusive phone calls.The Metro Hotel, in Woking, Surrey, called the police as its phone lines were flooded with angry and threatening calls from the public. The attack on the switchboards came after

L.A.'s Boondoggle High

This is bad, even for California: LOS ANGELES (AP) - A decade behind schedule, a $350 million downtown high school finally opened on Wednesday after years of environmental, seismic and legal troubles."We've been waiting a long time to get this," said Uriel Rivera, an 18-year-old senior at the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center. "A lot of people in the community were supposed to graduate from here,

Skipping The First Day Of School

Many pupils in Chicago's troubled public school system decided that truancy was the best way to protest alleged unequal funding: NORTHFIELD, Ill. (AP) — More than 1,000 Chicago public school students skipped the first day of classes Tuesday to protest unequal education funding, a boycott organizers said would continue through the week with help from retired teachers who will turn office lobbies

Getting Fraked

It's not often that we get to be in on the birth of an obscenity:NEW YORK (AP) -- Lee Goldberg thinks Glen A. Larson is a genius, and not because the prolific television writer and producer gave us "Knight Rider" and "B.J. and the Bear."It was Larson who first used the faux curse word "frak" in the original "Battlestar Galactica." The word was mostly overlooked back in the '70s series but is

The Song Of The Day

Take a listen to Dylan's "My Back Pages" as sung by The Byrds:Maybe I'll have this one played at my funeral.

Carnival Time!

The 187th edition of The Carnival of Education (hosted this week by Lead from the Start) has opened-up its midway!And don't forget to drop-in on the homies over at the Labor Day edition of The Carnival of Homeschooling.

Common Sense For School Administrators

Ms. Cornelius of A Shrewdness of Apes has some advice that really should be read by school administrators and wannabees: 1. Have meetings only if you have something to say. Holding meetings for the sake of holding meetings, or to show the higher-ups that you hold regular meetings, wastes valuable time for everyone. This is especially important in the days before the school year actually starts.

The Quote Of The Day

Today's quote comes from British statesman William Pitt the Elder: The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail—its roof may shake—the wind may blow through it—the storm may enter—the rain may enter—but the King of England cannot enter!—all his forces dare not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement!In these days of American governments

Carnival Call!

Entries for the 187th edition of The Carnival Of Education (Hosted this week over at Lead from the Start.) are due. Please email them to: johnmholland [at] gmail [dot] com . (Or, easier yet, use this handy submission form.) Submissions should be received no later than 7:00 PM (Eastern) 4:00 PM (Pacific) Today. Contributions should include your site's name, the title of the post, and the post's

Labor Day 2008: What Was Old May Be New Again

All is quiet; campuses around the country are closed.Meanwhile, it has been brought to our attention that at least one Arizona school board member is advocating a return to the good old days, when school started after Labor Day:One member of the Scottsdale School Board claims a lot of money could be saved if schools statewide started after the Labor Day weekend.Many schools, including those in