Steve Jobs

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It’s amazing how personal his death is to so many of us
around the world. Really amazing.

 

I never met him but I’m one of millions who loves his story
and his inventions and feels the loss. I also loved seeing his house in Palo Alto that I walked
past several times. It’s not too big—looks like a French country home with
lots of olive trees around it, as I recall. Back to inventions…. I finally
broke down and bought an iPhone and love to text my kids and get photos! It has
enriched my days….

 

His passing reminds me of one of my favorite stories of my
mother and nephew, when he was a little boy. 
She would pick them up from school once a week. One day, he was hungry
and wanted to eat something. My mom told him she had an apple in her purse. He
rummaged through it but came up empty. She looked and sure enough there was a
nice green apple.. but he said, ” I was looking for an Apple!!”
She–of a different generation–had no clue! It was all so new then.

 

Steve Jobs changed our world, and even our language. He will
be missed.

New Fordham study–about the top 10%. Do they stay up there?

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http://www.edexcellence.net/publications-issues/publications/high-flyers.html.  Thank you, Fordham for this study. It’s about time.  In our national effort to ‘close the gap’ of various groups needing to function at least at the average level, have we forgotten about our top students– who already function above the average?  I believe we have. Our efforts, funds, and focus are just not there. 

Two examples.  NCLB focuses on the students who are not yet reading, writing, and doing math and science at grade level. It does NOT focus on students who are already there, called ‘high flyers’ in this study.  Special education, as well, focuses on children who remain below academic and other standards.  The NCLB and IDEA are where our moneys and focus have been for the past many years–not on the ‘high flyers.’

A 2004 study  pointed out one statistic that has stuck with me:  we spend 143 times as much on special education as we do on gifted and talented students–and that was BEFORE NCLB’s requirements! Has there been an update of that study?

For America’s future, we should finally focus on ALL students:  the top, middle, and bottom. Hopefully, this study will help us on our way.  It is more than time.