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Should the Education System Embrace ‘Subsidiarity’?0
- Education
- February 5, 2016
Reports of failure in public schools tend to be systemic. Stories of success tend to be localized. Is this a reason to promote subsidiarity in the public school system? Subsidiarity is a principle that calls for decision-making power and responsibility to be held at the lowest level as much as possible. Applied to schools, this
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Martin Shkreli: If morality is relative, why are we outraged?0
- Culture
- February 5, 2016
The world loathes Martin Shkreli, indeed he may have made himself “the most hated man in America.” He earned that reputation when, as CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, he hiked the cost of Daraprim, “the drug … used to fight infections in patients suffering from AIDS and other conditions”, from $13.50 to $750 – a 5,000%
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If We’re All So Connected, Why are Our Kids so Lonely?2
- Culture
- February 5, 2016
Heading out on an overnight school trip, my daughter spent 90 minutes each way on the bus with her classmates. Before the trip, the school laid out the electronic use policy—students would be allowed to use iPhones and iPads on the drive to and from their retreat but not during their stay. A few parents
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Don’t Be a Lazy Atheist0
- February 5, 2016
While lecturing on the atheist Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872) in graduate school, my university professor lamented about the state of atheism today. Men such as Feuerbach, he explained, were passionate in their atheism, and undertook a thorough study of a religion such as Christianity in order to criticize it. (Feuerbach’s critique of Christianity is encapsulated in
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Are Standardized Tests A Necessary or Unnecessary Evil?0
- Education
- February 5, 2016
Spring is on its way – or so says the Groundhog – and with it, the annual battery of school tests and assessments. If recent years are any indication, this testing barrage will likely be met with reports of stressed students, frustrated teachers, and angry parents who decide to have their child “opt out” of
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6 Thoughts from Famous Americans on Love and Marriage0
- Culture
- February 5, 2016
Getting tired of the sappy, sweet nothings which permeate our culture in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day? If so, check out the following statements made by famous historical Americans. They’re guaranteed to shock and provoke thought on the true value, meaning, and purpose of love and marriage. “It has ever been a maxim
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5 Keys to Educational Success in the 19th Century0
- Education
- February 5, 2016
The education received by the characters in the Little House on the Prairie books has long amazed readers. How in the world did the Ingalls girls manage to get such a stellar education in the midst of primitive surroundings and a transitory lifestyle in the 19th century? In honor of Laura’s birthday on February 7th, here are
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‘Fair and Equitable’ Discipline Policies: Unfair to Most Students?0
- Education
- February 5, 2016
If you’ve been following education news lately, you’ve likely heard about the complaints against Success Academy Charter Schools in New York. The complaints come from parents of children with disabilities whose poor behavior eventually caused them to be removed from the school: “Consistent with SACS’ [Success Academy Charter Schools] philosophy, Success FG [a specific Success
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Why It’s Good to Mark Up Books0
- Education
- February 4, 2016
(Image: Jack Kerouac’s copy of Dostoevsky’s An Unpleasant Predicament) I truly appreciate the existence of libraries, which provide many people access to books that their budgets would not allow them to purchase. But the thing is, I rarely check out books from them. The reason why? I love to mark up books. Since high school—thanks to
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