Thursday Open Thread [9.3.15]

Thursday Open Thread [9.3.15]

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First Read on whether Biden is running (hint: he's not): “The truest signals of Biden’s 2016 plans are 1) setting up some sort of fundraising committee, and 2) hiring staff who could work on a campaign. And after a month of intense speculation about Biden’s White House intentions, he still has done neither. Remember, having a sitting vice president traveling to Iowa or New Hampshire for campaign events would cost tens of thousands — if not hundreds of thousands — of dollars per day. So Biden can’t run on the cheap.”

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Results Are In

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I'm not even sure where to begin. I'll start here:
Only half of Delaware students are proficient in English and fewer than four in 10 are proficient in math, according to results of the state's tough new standardized test, the Smarter Balanced Assessment. (link takes you to the results)
. It's no secret I'm not a fan of standardized tests, mainly because I think we're using them incorrectly.  We focus on handing out gold stars to schools who pass and slap "failing" labels on schools that don't. But... maybe this is changing?
"There will certainly be an increase in regards to how the state allocates resources--and that's really part of the value here--let's understand which districts and which schools have the greatest struggles, and let's make sure that we, as a state, are able to allocate resources to those students who need it most."
Hey, that sounds like equitable funding. Could it be? I'm skeptical tho, since I lived through the Priority School fiasco. "Allocate resources" is usually followed with the threat of charter conversion, privatization and closure. We'll see. That said, if these tests were actually used to help struggling schools (instead of punishing them) I'd change my tune.
Coons Re-Reads Bible, Finds Justification for WARRRRRRR and living in a Whale is possible!

Coons Re-Reads Bible, Finds Justification for WARRRRRRR and living in a Whale is possible!

8 Comments
It was only a matter of time before someone with some balls used the Bible to invoke war and not peace. It was done after 9/11 when we attacked that nation that attacked us. Er Nation that held training camps that attacked us. Errrrr, nation that allegedly funded the nation of the nation that in fact was the nation they actually came from that had really bad bombs that were never found. Anyway...This time an avid DL reader has sent in a tip (not all of the tip, but most of the tip) that says Chris Coons after much deliberation was able to find the scripture that says we can "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Iran" and can stop mamby-pansying around like Obama. Here it is....