Basic Economics
Basic Economics – When your voters are challenged
February 22, 2010 · 1 Comment
Who would’ve thought Chicago would become a tax refuge? Since the voters approved a tax hike in Oregon, politicians around the US are sending delagations to the beleaguered state. Leading the charge with offers of enticement to business owners…. Richard Daley, Chicago Mayor. Wait, seriously? Here’s what’s spurred the increase in flights to Portland: Oregon Chicago Top income tax rate: 11% (from 9%) 3% (moving to 5%) Corporate Income tax: 7.9% (from 6.6%) 4.8% (moving to 6.2%) Fees on small business: Doubled Regular ridiculous But let’s look at what really... [Read the full story]
Books you Need
Seth Godin, Linchpin
January 26, 2010 · 2 Comments
I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of Seth Godin’s latest, Linchpin. I had a very hard time writing an appropriate review on Amazon. What others reviewers are raving about is how this book is about doers . . . kind of, but not really. This book is about people who fancy themselves single-handedly able to change the world. Change being the operative word. Which means they are discontent now, want things to be different and heretofore really haven’t done squat about it. You and I know them as whiners. If they’re just out of college they really want to travel Europe staying... [Read the full story]
Education Issues
Education Issues – Teacher Signaling
March 5, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Confession: as a teacher I have challenges with the different levels of students who cycle through my classroom. I am not unbiased, and yes, I take my students’ performance personally. But this is as it has been and should be…. Some students are bright, but it’s not just the ability level of the student it is the teacher’s interaction with that perceived ability level of the student that influences a student’s outcome. In a study that measured a teacher’s ability to influence student academic performance, researchers found that a teacher who perceives her... [Read the full story]
Favorite Links
Basic Economics – Young Minds, Powerful Lessons
September 2, 2009 · 3 Comments
It is difficult to find a text to ignite enthusiasm in children for basic economics. Actually, it’s difficult to find a text that teaches economics to adults (I do recommend Thomas Sowell’s Basic Economics) . . . which leads to all sorts of other problems…. But that’s for another day. In the far, far background of my pile of projects I have toiled on a set of Fairy Tales that convey complicated math concepts in bite-sized nuggets as well as basic economics with the intent of passing along to my godchildren and perhaps my own kiddos some useful stuff…. So I keep an... [Read the full story]
Sports Stat of the Week
Freedom of Speech
March 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment
As I dig through journals for interesting tidbits I often find myself far afield from the original topic at hand, which is exactly what happened the other day. I was reading a piece on the influence the color of the box that holds your local traffic signal has on traffic flow – not the color of the light: red, yellow, green, but the color of the box around the light* – and ended up diverted to a Law journal, specifically, the University of Pittsburgh Law review. Topic? Freedom of Speech at Sporting Events. Excellent. The article puts forth that your heckling of the opposing team, the... [Read the full story]
Education Issues
Education Issues – Teacher Signaling
Confession: as a teacher I have challenges with the different levels of students who cycle through my classroom. I am not unbiased, and yes, I take my students’ performance personally. But this is as it has been and should be…. Some students are bright, but it’s not just the ability level of the student it is the teacher’s... [Read more of this review]
Do Girls Suck at Math?
It’s a common refrain both from the mouths of males and females. Yet, what evidence do we have to support this? A former boyfriend even presented a LONG diatribe about the actual genetic reasons women are bad at math . . . but there’s just one problem. Namely, me. Or Jill. Or Heidi. Or Shanti. Or Leah. Or . . . The fact is, the hype surrounding... [Read more of this review]
It’s Not the Size of (the School Day), It’s What You Do With It.
What would you do if you had another hour everyday? Could you get more done? How would you spend that time? In Chicago, the parents are raising money so their kids can spend an additional 1 hour a day at school. At a cost of $385 per student, per year, that breaks down to $2.13 per hour – the base wage of a waitress. [Read more of this review] ... [Read more of this review]
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Basic Economics
Basic Economics – When your voters are challenged
Who would’ve thought Chicago would become a tax refuge? Since the voters approved...
Do Girls Suck at Math?
It’s a common refrain both from the mouths of males and females. Yet, what...
Margaret Thatcher – We Must Win
The newsletter this week includes a favorite item from Mrs. Thatcher: “Democratic...
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Winter Classics and February Winner
In a departure from the somber tone of education issues, The February Winner of the...
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
It’s true, I can’t be bothered to keep up with all of the holidays that...
Happy Birthday Mom
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Congratulations to Laurel Lichty, this month's Winner for the Date with Kate Weekly Date with Kate Your chance to influence the conversation....
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