Remedies for the Classroom

Remedies for the Classroom

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Often times when discussing education in Delaware, the conversation quickly turns to funding and resources which evokes a bristly response from residents and tax payers. We spend a LOT of money on our schools yet stories like the one Diane Ravitch shares here are every day occurrences up and down Delaware and all across the country.
The Nest Is Empty And, Boy, Does It Feel Strange

The Nest Is Empty And, Boy, Does It Feel Strange

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I haven't been blogging a lot because this spring and summer have been crazy. My youngest graduated high school, had her wisdom teeth removed, and attended orientation at the university she finally decided on. My oldest knocked off a summer course at UD (He's starting his senior year of Mech Engineering and decided to take a required gen-ed Philosophy course over the summer mainly because he knew he wouldn't give it the attention it needed given his course load this year. Sounded like a good philosophy to me!) Add to that all the shopping for my daughter's dorm, ordering textbooks, finalizing class schedules, endless list making, packing up two kids, scheduling doctor's appointments before both of them left the state, and fitting in a lot of family time and you'll see why my blogging lagged. I still read DL every day! But this weekend everything came to a screeching halt. They left. In the blink of an eye I went from having a million things to do and a house full of people (and chaos!) to... silence. That freaked me out.
My Pet Peeve Doesn’t Seem To Be Going Away

My Pet Peeve Doesn’t Seem To Be Going Away

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I really don't understand why things like this keep happening.

Acclaimed molecular gastronomy chef Grant Achatz caused a stir over the weekend when he took to his Twitter account to ask his followers if a ban on babies was in order at his three-Michelin-starred Chicago eatery Alinea.

The clearly ruffled Achatz paused his dinner service to complain about a couple at his restaurant who brought in an eight-month-old, who promptly started to wail.

"Tbl brings 8mo.Old. It cries. Diners mad," Achatz tweeted. "Tell ppl no kids? Subject diners 2crying? Ppl take infants 2 plays? Concerts? Hate saying no,but.."

Alinea obviously doesn't encourage diners to bring their babies — there are no high chairs on site; the baby sat on its mother's lap — but it doesn't have a written policy prohibiting their presence.

The establishment uses a ticketing system which requires would-be patrons to reserve, and pay for, their entire meal (minus the drinks) weeks in advance. If something comes up at the last minute, Alinea allows customers to sell their reservations or hand them off to someone else.

Personally, I found Achatz's tweet extremely reasonable.  I would have kicked the couple out, but I'm mean and this has always been one of my pet peeves.  Yes, Virginia, there are places you shouldn't take your children.

Bullying Okay If Done In The Name Of God

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One only has to venture over to a Conservative blog to understand that if these people ever got their way they'd burn the rest of us at the stake. But until that day arrives they're content to let children be bullied in the name of their morality and their god.

Mommie Dearest

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What sort of monster does this? Russia threatened to suspend all child adoptions by U.S. families Friday after a 7-year-old boy adopted by a woman from Tennessee was sent alone…

USC Recruits 7th Grader

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Via Gather: David Sills, a seventh-grader at Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, Delaware has got a great arm and seems to know the game of football. Even his quarterback…