The following is the unabridged version of the guest commentary that ran in today’s print edition:
As you may have heard, District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is out to make it easier to fire teachers who are ineffective. It’s not currently impossible, but it involves putting the offending teacher on a cumbersome “90-day plan” with numerous loop holes. Having an effective teacher is the single best indicator of a child’s success in school. The Chancellor wants D.C. teachers to sign a new contract that rewards effective teachers with drastically higher salaries and makes it easier to fire ineffective teachers. Sounds simple, right? (more…)
The answers to a couple of the questions I posed in my most recent column are becoming a bit clearer:
—I’ve noticed a lot of fist-bumping lately (for example, the players at the Duke-Presbyterian game fist-bumped the refs after their introductions). President-elect Barack Obama hasn’t even been inaugurated yet, and he already has a legacy. I’m impressed.
—Prof. Peter Feaver (who served in the Bush administration and was one of my potential GOP challengers for 2012) seems to be the faculty point man on the underloading proposal. This might be his way of cutting into Obama’s advantage with the youth vote.
I have absolutely no problem with people who support a given candidate or cause, as long as they know why they are supporting it, and it is with a reasonable justification that doesn’t violate any other person’s rights to existence. Part of what makes America great is that we have different opinions represented in our society. What I have a problem with is when people are completely disrespectful of others or other opinions.
I will be frank with you in saying that I am not the biggest Obama fan. I have issues with his fiscal policies that scream of big government. This is my opinion, and you are entitled to agree or disagree with me. However, I was absolutely disgusted to hear of the recent racially charged events going down on East Campus, which many have attributed to the outcome of the recent election. I read The Chronicle’s article of derogatory symbols being placed on benches and doors, and this past week I heard from a professor that her student on East Campus had reported being verbally attacked for her race while walking outside by other students. (more…)
Dear Duke (and, by extension, America),
Yes we can… but we didn’t.
Did none of you read my column?! I know it’s a little late now, but I was just reflecting on the election again, and I am baffled. Two weeks ago, I wrote an inspired piece extolling the virtues of a tremendous candidate, a man of the people, and an agent of change. And what did I get? At most, a mere 13,942 of people in North Carolina voted for Ron Paul. I say “at most” because that number assumes that everyone who wrote in a candidate wrote in Dr. Paul (which I’m sure all of you did… except maybe that guy who wrote in “Ivana Tinkle”).
In short, on Nov. 4, when I should have been proud to be an American, I was disappointed to be a voter. You Dukies had the chance to do your part and help elect a Duke Med grad as the leader of the whole free world, and instead you chose some hip forty-something with a handsome face, two beautiful children and, according to Silvio Berlusconi, a sweet tan. For shame.
Well, I’ve got news for you. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies during his medical career. How can someone who has brought so much life into the world do anything but good in the White House? I bet you feel stupid now. (more…)
Of the 68 columnist applications we received:
—31 are current and former Chronicle columnists or bloggers
—56 are Trinity undergraduates
—24 are Trinity seniors
—17 are Trinity juniors
—12 are Trinity sophomores
—3 are Trinity freshmen
—5 are Pratt undergraduates
—1 is a Pratt senior
—3 are Pratt juniors
—1 is a Pratt sophomore
—3 are alumni applicants
—1 attends Duke law
—1 is a graduate student
—1 is a Duke faculty member
—1 attends Duke medical school
Approximately 45 percent of columnist applicants were female.
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