Dr. Doug Green » Lighter Fare

Bad News for the Bull Semen Biz

Douglas Green — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:59:36 +0000

In an effort to deal with a $1 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Bill Ritner (Democrat) of Colorado is proposing a $260 million cut to education. He is also proposing eliminating tax breaks to producers of bull semen and other agricultural products. In addition, he proposes that State colleges be given the power to increase tuition 9 percent. An additional $132 million of income will come from charging sales tax on candy and soft drinks as well as online sales. Now it is up to the Democrat controlled legislature to write the budget for the next fiscal year, which starts in July. Look to this blog for how other states deal with budget issues as they apply to education as they are announced.

Share this:

Hard times at Harvard

Douglas Green — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:43:40 +0000

If you have tightened your belt due to the economy lately, you are not alone. According to the October 9, 2009 New York Times, a decrease in its endowment has caused Harvard to make the following cuts. No more hot breakfasts in most dorms. No more pastries at the Widener Library. Varsity athletes no longer can count on free sweat suits and professors will have to go without cookies at faculty meetings. It has always been difficult for the rest of us to feel sorry for those at the richest university in the world, but now we have some rational for such feelings. I haven’t posted the article, as I am certain all of my readers have better things to do. I hope you find some humor in this as I did.

Share this:

It would be funny if it weren’t true.

Douglas Green — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:30:18 +0000

An article in the NY TImes (12/27/2009) sites a department of Education estimate that in order to apply for part of the $4 billion in federal Race to the Top grant money, a state will need to spend 681 hours to fill out the application. If you haven’t seen the application it is available below. I can’t imagine anyone reading it all without being compensated, but a quick scan is likely to be amusing or depressing depending on your personality.

Click here to see the article..

Click here to see the Race to the top application..

Share this:

March Madness – UPDATED 4/1/2010!

Douglas Green — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:39:07 +0000

Updated 4/1/2010 after announcement of round one winners (Start with slide 15 for update.) I couldn’t help but notice how the current madness associated with the Race to the Top finalists and the Obama Administration’s blueprint for reauthorization of NCLB are analogous to the other madness associated with March. Don’t forget that the secretary of education was a basketball player. Thanks to information from the New York Times, Education Week, and my own thinking, I have a humorous (I hope) and factual take on the current status. Let me know what you think (dgreen@stny.rr.com).

Click here to see Dr. Doug’s March Madness..

Share this:

Race to the Top Spoof

Douglas Green — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:54:17 +0000

Yong Zhao immigrated from China in the 1990′s. He presents an alternate view on testing and national standards. Here is a link to a funny article in EdWeek where he spoofs the application for state Race to the Top money. I also am working on a summary of his book “Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization.”

Here is the link for this article.

Share this: