Monday Medley

What we read after deleting the AP from our contacts…

• The Obama Administration seized two months’ worth of phone records from the Associated Press, ostensibly to investigate a leak in Yemen. Understandably, reporters did not like this infringement on freedom of the press, citing the “horrific chilling effect on journalism.” The law behind the seizure is tricky (and may be changing), but the dangerous effects are already clear.

• Every recurring joke in Arrested Development.

• Angelina Jolie had a preemptive double mastectomy and spoke out about BRCA.

• How are the Yankees winning?

• A goodbye to Barbara Walters.

• What is “terrorism”? Does Benghazi count? And how does radicalization happen?

• The future of online education.

• Jaron Lanier on the Internet and the middle class. Also, a review of Lanier’s new book and other Internet partisans.

• Here’s what OWS is up to lately.

Monday Medley

What we read while trying to find Ann Romney a job…

• The Trayvon Martin case took another turn last week, as George Zimmerman was arrested and charged with second degree murder. Meanwhile, a teacher in Michigan was fired for teaching the issue. And a little background on “Stand Your Ground” laws.

• Jonathan Franzen bashes the comma-then construction.

• Deadspin’s Drew Magary veers away from sports to detail the premature birth of his child.

• The Department of Justice sued Apple and several e-book publishers for price fixing in violation of federal Antitrust laws: here is a review of some key excerpts from the complaint. Amazon, of course, is thrilled.

• The Atlantic got more headlines with its cover story on Facebook and loneliness — “How Facebook and Twitter Are Saving and/or Wrecking the World” are easily marketable these days — we enjoyed their profile of video game innovator Jonathan Blow a tad more.

• Do drones make it too easy for America to wage war? There are already more wars than most Americans can keep track of…

• How liberals have turned their backs on Bradley Manning.

• Will Wilkinson and Bryan Caplan debate whether political/ideological labels are IQ-draining. Meanwhile, Will Wilkinson is (gradually) changing his career.

• Ashley Judd offers a scathing indictment of the media’s dissection of her face.

• Now that Rick Santorum has dropped out, making Mitt Romney’s nomination all but official, it’s time for the really important question about the 2012 election: Does it even matter?

• Ever want to live in an Ikea? How about a town owned and developed by Ikea?

• Matt Taibbi is no fan of President Obama’s JOBS Act.

• When even “good” schools fail to prepare students for college.

• When people cared about fonts.

• Has the NYPD turned on Commissioner Ray Kelly?

• A real love story…

• These animals aren’t mad, just disappointed.

Monday Medley

What we read while joining the ACC…

• The great Mariano Rivera, who not only Tim is in awe of, reached not only 600 saves, but also tied Trevor Hoffman’s all-time saves record. Of coure, Rivera was already the greatest closer ever, but it was nice to reflect on his amazing career. Even if you question the meaning of the “save”….

• We don’t need to tell you Vin Scully is awesome, even if we find his call of Koufax’s perfect game a tad overwrought, Here, Vin  remembers his greatest calls, many of which include the original audio.

• In other sporting news, was this year’s U.S. Open a pivotal moment in tennis history?

• Aziz Ansari likes food, and the New York Times is looking for a new food critic. Speaking of food, Dippin’ Dots candy? Really?

• And Chuck Klosterman analyzes college football’s most fascinating offenses.

• What is the best way to educate students?

• Comedians telling hilarious stories – except the one by Dane Cook.

• Tom Junod calls out Jon Stewart for, among other things, not being funny anymore.

• Michele Bachmann won’t stop lying.

Should School Be Out for Summer?

Contrary to the opinions of Roger Waters and David Gilmour, we do, in fact, need education. In fact, according to President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, we need more education. This weekend, the two of them floated the ever-unpopular ideas of expanding the school day and eliminating or shortening summer break.

Now, since I am no longer in school, I can admit it: They’re right. There is no reason for the school schedule to remain as it is. The current academic schedule is based on the socio-economic conditions that were prevalent when public schools were being established, over 100 years ago. But things have changed; as Duncan put it, “Not too many of our kids are working the fields today.”

Ignoring Duncan’s blatant disrespect for the <1% of the country that still farms, he’s right that the calendar should be changed. But simply expanding the length of the school day or school year is not all that should be changed.

A Simple Theory Explaining The Decline in Quality of Public School Teachers

Individuals who have entered public school teaching in the 1990s and onward are less qualified for teaching than individuals who entered public school teaching in earlier decades (despite modest improvements in the past decade according to one study). According to a 2008 study based on SAT data, “education majors finished 25th in reading, 27th in math and a combined 57 points below the national average in both.” Teacher decline since the 1960s based on other earlier credible ability measures has been confirmed in multiple studies.

So, my simple theory (which I thought of independently but I am by no means the first person to propose this theory) is that the majority of public school* teachers—particularly at lower levels—have historically been women. The older (now retired or retiring) generation of women who chose to become teachers went in when the profession attracted more intelligent women. The teaching profession was a particularly attractive profession for women. Besides the inherent advantages to teaching (working with children, summers off, etc.), this attractiveness was due to a combination of traditional social norms and employer discrimination against women in other professions that intelligent men would enter. Teaching was one of the more prestigious and socially acceptable jobs for women to enter in the 1960s and 70s.