David Safier

Are Teacher Salaries a Zero Sum Game?

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by David Safier (TASL) Here is a taste of things to come. If there’s no money to increase teacher salaries, abandon the current salary schedule with its built-in yearly raises and only give raises to those who jump through the proper hoops. The Kyrene Elementary School District, south of Phoenix (or in the south part … Read more

Star Editorial on Tucson Schools Doesn’t Get It

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by David Safier (TASL) Gather a group of hungry people in a room, and throw in a chunk of meat that’s not big enough to feed them all. What do you think will happen? Will they (1) convene an orderly meeting using Robert’s Rules of Order and figure out the best way to divide the … Read more

Henry Adams: “A Teacher Affects Eternity”

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by David Safier In keeping with the tradition I’ve established of Sunday meta-Ed posts (I just made that term up to describe posts that deal with larger issues than the day-to-day workings of our schools and school districts), today I’m pulling some educational quotes from my favorite book of all time: The Education of Henry … Read more

Your Brain on Steroids?

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by David Safier Are brain enhancement drugs the rough equivalent of steroids? A few weeks ago, the New York Times ran an article about the new batch of drugs that can increase your ability to concentrate and allow you to continue working for long periods of time without sleep. I agree with those who say … Read more

Ben Stein: “Teach Intelligent Design”

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by David Safier Awhile back, I applauded Ben Stein for breaking with his conservative brethren and calling for higher taxes on the rich. At the end of the post, I wrote, “Ben Stein, you’€™re this Tax-and-Spend Liberal’€™s new best friend.” Let me qualify that statement. When it comes to tax policy, Ben and I agree. … Read more