January 23, 2008

What are they teaching kids these days?

I know it's probably annoying when bloggers write about the search terms that lead visitors to their sites, but sometimes perusing the logs can reveal astonishing things about ourselves. I got a hit yesterday...

Posted by joe lance on 12:42 PM | Comments (0)

October 30, 2007

Commissioner seeks new road through protected forest, tells rare flower to grow elsewhere

I've been searching local news sites, but it seems that the Chattanoogan.com is beating everyone else at covering an important story, through a breaking news item as well as a string of opinion letters....

Posted by joe lance on 12:55 PM | Comments (1)

October 26, 2007

Guest spot

No, I'm not handing over the keys to a guest blogger; I'm too much of a control freak for that. (Just kidding. Sort of.) I was invited to speak to a mass communications class...

Posted by joe lance on 01:36 PM

May 23, 2007

Video blog: BEP Change Lauded in Hamilton County

Local educators, elected officials, and concerned parents and citizens crowded inside Waterhouse Pavilion at Chattanooga's downtown Miller Plaza this morning to hear Governor Bredesen promote his proposed half-trbillion [pardon my math] dollar overhaul of...

Posted by joe lance on 12:47 AM

February 27, 2007

What Is It With Doctor-Senators in Tennessee?

Is there some strange neuralchemy (my word) that occurs when a Tennessean with a medical degree achieves the elected office of Senator (whether state or U.S.), that redefines all of the subject's memory on...

Posted by joe lance on 11:31 PM

January 02, 2007

Arts & Education Council Chooses Coptix

Press release follows: Chattanooga, TN (January 2, 2007) -- For more than fifty years, the Arts & Education Council of Chattanooga (AEC) has provided opportunities for members of the Chattanooga community to participate in...

Posted by joe lance on 07:58 PM

November 22, 2006

Better Than Hot Stock Tips

Sometimes a person finds the path by wandering into the thicket. More to come on that. In the meantime, check out the cool things that happened this past weekend in DC. A whole conference,...

Posted by joe lance on 02:31 PM

September 08, 2006

Defining Education in the 21st Century

Math and science. Haven't we been here before? "Sputnik" made us all wake up and pay attention to these subjects. Now, I hear, it's India and China. Anyway, Mark Rogers wrote a very good...

Posted by joe lance on 12:52 PM

September 07, 2006

Imagination Library

How sweet can a person be? See: Dolly Parton. Our little boy gets a book every month, and so does every child in Tennessee between 0-5 who is signed up for the program. We've...

Posted by joe lance on 03:46 PM

June 09, 2006

Bad generalizations about education

I ran across this quote and found it a little disturbing: "I've gotten the distinct feeling that Republicans are actually hostile to academic achievement--since they think that higher education itself is biased against them."...

Posted by joe lance on 11:33 AM

March 06, 2006

Curtis Adams Is My Neighbor, So I Love Him, But..

First of all, I don't know enough about the candidates to comment on the selection. I am remiss. I only know enough to be "dangerous" on the topic of whether the hiree should be...

Posted by joe lance on 07:58 PM

February 21, 2006

Special Needs: County Schools Found Delinquent

I haven't seen much written about an AP story that appeared in yesterday's Knoxville paper, so I'll kick it off. This is a local story, and it deserves a serious discussion. (I don't take...

Posted by joe lance on 01:50 PM

January 25, 2006

We're Not Alone

It seems like I remember a big to-do about the prospect of retiring Superintendent Dr. Jesse Register staying on as a consultant after he steps down. I'm not saying either is right or wrong,...

Posted by joe lance on 02:50 PM

November 25, 2005

Some Diversity of Thought - A Left-Brained Response to "Right Minded"

Nearly two weeks ago, Mark A. Rose took issue with the Tennessean's editors for their anti position on "Intelligent Design" as a component of science education. Rose took the opportunity to re-post his "five...

Posted by joe lance on 01:51 PM

September 13, 2005

Money and Education

As most of you probably know, Metro Nashville is voting today on a proposed sales tax increase (good grief..) that would bring the combined state and local rates to 9.75% (which is the highest...

Posted by joe lance on 12:01 PM

August 21, 2005

So Much to Cover..So Little Time

Dangit if I didn't wish I could forego sleep and just blog all night instead. However, my family and my health and, oh, a few other things (one of them spelled J-O-B) come first....

Posted by joe lance on 10:58 AM

August 19, 2005

Evangelical Physics [Was: "Hey, Mark Rose"]

I usually try to post on Chattanooga, Hamilton County, and Tennessee politics, elections, government, civics. I also add some personal thoughts about education, music, nature, and the occasional free advertising for favorite businesses. You...

Posted by joe lance on 11:08 AM

August 17, 2005

Answer to sdavick on Property Taxes

Since my own blog censored my comment for some reason, I'm posting an answer to a question asked in comments to a previous post. sdavick, your question makes perfect sense, and I think I...

Posted by joe lance on 03:45 PM

A Schoolhouse Divided..

This morning, the Hamilton County Commission heard from citizens regarding the County budget and the school system. These days, I prefer not to get into the rhetorical battle of calling anti-tax-increase Commissioners names, or...

Posted by joe lance on 11:09 AM

July 24, 2005

Accrued Links

Tropical Storm Franklin Graphics (NOAA) Regarding TennCare, can we of different "sides" work together to try and alleviate some of its headaches, instead of causing new ones? I hold the bell-ringers in the same...

Posted by joe lance on 09:32 PM | TrackBack

June 24, 2005

I Missed My Calling

Wow. Some consultants did a study and came to the earth-shattering conclusion that "the rift between the [Hamilton County School B]oard and the County Commission 'needs to be healed.'" I need to get in...

Posted by joe lance on 01:43 PM | TrackBack

June 04, 2005

Saturday Detention: Part 1 of a Long, Hot Remedial Summer

I have had a category called "Education" on this blog for a while, and it has been sorely neglected -- if one measures its entries against my valuation of Education. Today, then, I decide...

Posted by joe lance on 11:12 AM | TrackBack

May 09, 2005

School Board Member Credentials

It's a day very packed with non-blogging related program activities, so go enjoy the banter about "Rhonda Thurman, PHD" and check back later for real news....

Posted by joe lance on 02:03 PM | TrackBack

April 11, 2005

"Student Bill of Rights" is Misleading

Two Tennessee legislators -- Rep. Stacey Campfield (R-18) of Knoxville and Sen. Raymond Finney (R-8) of Maryville -- have introduced bills into the current session that purport to deliver "freedom of speech" to students...

Posted by joe lance on 06:44 AM