Domo arigato, Mr. Kevin
Sun Jan 16, 2005 21:46 EST (UTC -5)Today my friend Kevin (who posts comments here as kevinkagy) treated my sister, our friends, and me to lunch at Benihana for his birthday (actually, I think his parents picked up the bill, but it was still nice of his folks). I had only been there once before. (If you don't know what the place like, it's a pricey Japanese restaurant where a chef prepares your food at your table.) Our party consisted of ten people in all -- Kevin, his family, and his friends. Ten people crammed at a table that was a stove first. But I guess any table could get uncomfortable if you're sharing it with ten people. The chef was impressive, as they all are. I don't know how they do it.
Well, thanks Kevin (and family), and happy birthday!
Randy Cassingham, published Dvorak keyboard expert, summarized a Sarasota Herald-Tribune article in a recent edition of his weekly column, This is True:
A third of all schoolteachers in Florida have failed their certification tests at least once, and many have not even been able to pass the tests they give their students. Students aren't allowed to move to the next grade if they don't pass their standardized tests, but some teachers continue to teach even after failing their own exams and then receiving waivers, according to a review of test scores. Almost 1,400 teachers have failed more than 10 times; more than half-a-million kids suffer with substandard teachers. State Sen. Frederica Wilson decries the report, saying the poor teachers are "destroying the lives and futures of Florida's children."
Excerpted with permission of the author from This is True, Copyright 2005 by Randy Cassingham.
I wonder how many of my teachers have no idea what they're doing. I could probably think of a few who might have failed their certification tests.
By the way, I highly recommend subscribing to True if you want to read crazy but absolutely true news stories from around the world each week. It's free and I'm not getting paid to say this. I've been reading it for over two years. From my personal experience, Mr. Cassingham is a nice guy, and the fact that he's a Dvorak keyboard aficionado doesn't hurt either.
Just when I thought I had seen everything on the Internet:
I don't think I can say much more about that.
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