abeastof,orrelatedto,thunder

"They are definitely better than Michelle Obama’s arms. Especially her biceps. I mean, come on,..."

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:16:03 -0500

“They are definitely better than Michelle Obama’s arms. Especially her biceps. I mean, come on, they bulge when she picks up toothpaste.”

- Timoty, Hedgehog

"If at first you don’t succeed, that’s one data point"

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:12:54 -0600

“If at first you don’t succeed, that’s one data point”

- XKCD

ataxiwardance: QUEEN!

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:34:09 -0500

ataxiwardance:

QUEEN!

anniehinton: Yay teachers! #ctu #Chicago #teachers...

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:35:34 -0500

anniehinton:

Yay teachers! #ctu #Chicago #teachers #Chicagoteachersunion (Taken with Instagram)

Disappointing. You’re really going to keep 350,000 kids out of school over a few percentage points of salary and a long overdue overhaul to the way teachers are evaluated?

You might ask, what was wrong with the system we had? Why don’t we just do what works? Well, we’ve tried doing what adults like for the past 50 years and the verdict is in: it isn’t working for our urban districts- according to the 2011 NAEP there is not ONE urban district in America where more than 25% of black students are proficient in reading OR math in 4th OR 8th grade. That’s insane!

What is everyone afraid of? That shitty teachers might actually be held accountable for slacking off or not having the skills required to do their job? I admit, there’s going to be measurement error in any instrument of evaluation, but that’s not a good enough reason to not evaluate! If you’re a great teacher and you end up as the victim of measurement error in an evaluation system, then I feel genuinely sorry for you, but guess what? You’re a great teacher! You’ll have tons of people who can attest to that fact, and some other school will be lucky to have you. Sorry, but it’s too important to get bad teachers out of the classroom to worry about tossing a couple good ones for every 100 bad ones you are finally able to get out of the system (see Chetty 2011 or Hanushek 2010 for strong evidence as to the importance of getting rid of bad teachers and building incentives to keep the good ones). This is how virtually every other profession operates - we count on managers (principals in this case) to build a team to meet performance targets (sales, patients cared for, widgets produced, cases won, games won, whatever) and provide them with incentives that make their job security contingent upon satisfactory execution of this task. The current evaluation system is a farce - in CPS, where 2011 NAEP revealed that only 13% of black students and 21% of Hispanic students were proficient in reading by 8th grade (in math it is 10% and 20%, respectively), 93% of teachers were rated as “superior” or “excellent” and 87% of schools did not have a single teacher earn an “unsatisfactory” rating. How do you feel as a professional when you’re working your ass off and getting the same commendation as the teacher three doors down who lets his or her students listen to their iPods and browse the internet instead of teaching a lesson?

If teachers want to be taken seriously as professionals, the unions need to get serious about school reform. Get public dollars out of pensions and tenure and into an extended school day (sorry CPS teachers, but 8am-2:15pm might be great for adults, but it doesn’t cut it for kids who are already behind), a merit based pay-scale to attract top talent, tangible resources like books and tech for teachers who are willing to work their butts off for kids, and programs that help rebuild struggling communities and support students from birth through post-high school.

Teachers make a living wage, get great benefits, have unrivaled job security, get summers off, and have the privilege to do deeply rewarding work. There are deep structural problems in our public school districts, and CPS specifically, but it’s not because the compensation system isn’t generous enough or the teacher evaluations are too demanding. What a waste of everyone’s time quibbling over nickels and dimes instead of working hard for children. Get back to the real and necessary work that you are blessed to have the opportunity to do and push your union to do what is right for children, not just adults.

ataxiwardance: Life (or something like it). (Taken with...

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:45:14 -0500

ataxiwardance:

Life (or something like it). (Taken with Instagram)

NICE BIKE HELMET! YOU LOOK SO SEXY IN A BIKE HELMET! SEE YOU THIS WEEKEND! EXCLAMATION POINT!

Photo

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:13:14 -0500

ataxiwardance: Miss you Ann Arbor.

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:09:32 -0600

ataxiwardance:

Miss you Ann Arbor.

Photo

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:46:50 -0600

Lob City 2K12

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:43:00 -0600

Lob City 2K12

climbinguptothemoon: This is better than anything Scott could...

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:00:29 -0600

climbinguptothemoon:

This is better than anything Scott could ever post.

ataxiwardance: Tyto alba - Learning Our Language So. I haven’t...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:40:27 -0500

ataxiwardance:

Tyto alba - Learning Our Language

So. I haven’t posted any new original music up here in a while.

SORRY.

I’ve been busy OK? Law School. Volunteering. Working out. Drinking. Starcraft. Drinking while playing Starcraft. Protesting. Boxing. Stress induced celibacy. Chain smoking. You know… Life man.

Anywho. Here’s something I’ve been working on against all my doctor’s orders. It’s not finished (nothing ever seems to be finished) but I like it a lot. Please try to find a moment to listen? If you find that moment, please find another to let me know what you think? Reblogs = hugz, kisses and sexy pics in your ask box.

PREEMPTIVE THANKS!

F-EAR BONER!!!!

ataxiwardance: electrichoney: I’m currently swooning over...

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:33:48 -0500

ataxiwardance:

electrichoney:

I’m currently swooning over these lovely paint-inspired tattoos by Amanda Wachob

Whoa.

I’ve never seen this style of tattoo before.

So. Very. Beautiful.

I’m not easily impressed by tattoos, but this I like.

ataxiwardance: This is basically the behavior pattern of a...

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:58:59 -0500

ataxiwardance:

This is basically the behavior pattern of a normal conversation between Blake and I.

I’m the angry exasperated one.

Blake is the woman.

This represents everything that is right about the world. Excellent casting. I want to marry that woman.

“She’s a queen, second to none. Take care of mother...

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 07:25:23 -0500

“She’s a queen, second to none. Take care of mother - you only get one.”

ataxiwardance: lookatallthisstuff: Super Mario Land 2 - Star...

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:06:19 -0500

ataxiwardance:

lookatallthisstuff:

Super Mario Land 2 - Star Maze

Not only is this one of the best tracks in the game, but it was also the inspiration for Owen Pallett’s song “An Arrow in the Side of Final Fantasy.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71jc6hphAuQ

OH HOLY SHIT MY CHILDHOOD AND MY EARLY ADULTHOOD JUST COLLIDED AND MY BRAIN WAS COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN THE ENSUING EXPLOSION.

AND BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

animushonentokusatsu: Rubik’s Fruit

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 06:39:54 -0500

animushonentokusatsu:

Rubik’s Fruit

GET IN MY LIFE CHICKEN AND WAFFLE SANDWICH

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 23:30:00 -0500

GET IN MY LIFE CHICKEN AND WAFFLE SANDWICH

ataxiwardance: i12bent: Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers:...

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:17:09 -0500

ataxiwardance:

i12bent:

Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers: M & M - from At the Jazz Corner of the World, vol 2 (1959)

“M & M” is a Hank Mobley composition, the two Ms stand for Morgan and Mobley…

Personnel: Art Blakey – drums; Lee Morgan - trumpet; Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone; Bobby Timmons – piano; Jymie Merritt – bass

(via bainer)

So I opened this page in a new tab by accident while listening to this song and it brought to mind two thoughts before I came to understand what the hell was happening:

(1) What the hell is going on?

(2) ART BLAKEY IS A GENIUS!!!

nevver: Wake up and smell the coffee This one’s for you...

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 10:41:38 -0500

nevver:

Wake up and smell the coffee

This one’s for you Scott. I hope you are ready to start bathing regularly : )

japanesejuicebox: Exhibitionist coffee cup (by Laser Bread)

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 10:36:19 -0500

japanesejuicebox:

Exhibitionist coffee cup (by Laser Bread)