The Irascible Professor^SM

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Irreverent Commentary on the State of Education in America Today

by Dr. Mark H. Shapiro

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I used to be offended, but now I'm just amused.... ... based on a line from the Elvis Costello song Red Shoes (1977) - thanks to Prof. Arthur W. Kelley for the source.

The purpose of these pages is to provide intelligent commentary on the successes, failures, and foibles of the American education establishment.  We hope to do this with a modicum of wit, and without the rancor and mean-spiritedness that characterizes so much commentary today.  The primary author and web master has had more than 35 years experience in American public higher education.  He holds a Ph.D. in physics from a reasonably reputable Ivy League university , and has been teaching at a second rate tier "comprehensive" university in southern California for most of the last 32+ years.  In addition, he has held a number of petty administrative posts within the education establishment.  He is well known among his colleagues as a person who is fearlessly irascible.  Neither his alma mater, nor his current employer should be held accountable for the comments that he makes, no matter how temperate and reasonable they may be.

Speaking of my current employer, it makes up for whatever it may lack in intellectual prestige with a healthy dose of kitsch.  It probably is the only university in the world that hosts a Krispy Kreme doughnut outlet, a Carl's Junior hamburger stand, and a Marriott Hotel on its campus.

Factoid: The budget of the California State University System has been cut by $771 million over the last three years.

Comment of the day - April 2, 2004 - Rubric's cube. Guest commentary by Jason Berry.

Comment of the day - March 25, 2004 - Connecting the dots - education, outsourcing, and terrorism.
Comment of the day - March 18, 2004 - I jumped the biggest turtle. Guest commentary by Felice Prager.
Comment of the day - March 11, 2004 - What sends us back to the basics? Guest commentary by Poor Elijah (Peter Berger).
Comment of the day - March 4, 2004 - Stop teaching my kid. Guest commentary by Elise Vogler.
Comment of the day - February 27, 2004 - Research in predominantly undergraduate colleges and universities.
Comment of the day - February 19, 2004 - Real math - what if they gave a test, and nobody passed? Guest commentary by Felice Prager.
Comment of the day - February 1, 2004 - Interesting! Guest commentary by Sanford Pinsker.
Comment of the day - January 26, 2004 - Doing the Texas two-step.
Comment of the day - January 20, 2004 - No surprises? Guest commentary by Craig M. Newmark.
Comment of the day - January 12, 2004 - Waste, fraud, and abuse not!
Comment of the day - January 6, 2004 - Valor, common sense, and the right answer. Guest commentary by Poor Elijah (Peter Berger).
Comment of the day - December 23, 2003 - Noted pork buster reverses his position on academic pork.
Comment of the day - December 16, 2003 - Grading standards that students can understand. Guest commentary by Sanford Pinsker.
Comment of the day - December 9, 2003 - Where was I? Guest commentary by Felice Prager.
Comment of the day - December 1, 2003 - The great American English class. Guest commentary by Poor Elijah (Peter Berger).
Comment of the day - November 24, 2003 - Making the most of adversity - or how to improve quality in the face of budget cuts.
Comment of the day - November 18, 2003 - Another route to grade inflation. Guest commentary by Tina Blue.
Comment of the day - November 11, 2003 - Harsh advice. Guest commentary by Conrad Geller.
Comment of the day - November 2, 2003 - So much for individual attention!
Comment of the day - October 26, 2003 - Progress in the wrong direction. Guest commentary by Poor Elijah (Peter Berger).
Comment of the day - October 18, 2003 - What do you teach best? Guest commentary by Felice Prager.
Comment of the day - October 11, 2003 - Ahhnold the educator.
Comment of the day - October 4, 2003 - Looking for trouble. Guest commentary by Poor Elijah (Peter Berger).
Comment of the day - September 27, 2003 - How to tell the good teacher from the bad. Guest commentary by Nils Clausson.
Comment of the day - September 19, 2003 - While the cat's away, the mice rats will play.
Comment of the day - September 14, 2003 - SOLomon's wisdom. Guest commentary by Pamela Matlack Klein.
Comment of the day - September 7, 2003 - We don' need no stinkin' gifted programs! Guest commentary by Tina Blue.
Comment of the day - August 30, 2003 - The bachelor's degree - a new entitlement?
Comment of the day - August 23, 2003 - The book not taken. Guest commentary by Sanford Pinsker.
Comment of the day - August 16, 2003 - Language and music. Guest commentary by Ben Carter.
Comment of the day - August 9, 2003 - A sea change in the California State University system?
Comment of the day - August 2, 2003 - That's not a knife. This is a knife! Guest commentary by Erik Deckers.
Comment of the day - July 26, 2003 - A nation still at risk?.
Comment of the day - July 20, 2003 - A novel idea - guest commentary by Beverly C. Lucey.
Comment of the day - July 14, 2003 - Who's Teaching Your Children? by Vivian Troen & Katherine C. Boles - a review.
Comment of the day - July 8, 2003 - The veracity of vocabulary - guest commentary by Marilyn D. Davis.
Comment of the day - June 30, 2003 - The gospel of inclusion - guest commentary by Poor Elijah (Peter Berger).
Comment of the day - June 23, 2003 - Grade Inflation by Valen E. Johnson - a review.
Comment of the day - June 17, 2003 - Teachers beware: corporate America has invaded the schools! Guest commentary by John F. Borowski.
Comment of the day - June 9, 2003 - My personal dactyloscopy. Guest commentary by Felice Prager.
Comment of the day - May 20, 2003 - The finals buzz. Guest commentary by Tina Blue.
Comment of the day - May 14, 2003 - It's cheaper to send someone to Penn State than to State Pen!
Comment of the day - May 9, 2003 - Widgets and other misunderstandings. Guest commentary by Poor Elijah (Peter Berger).
Comment of the day - May 6, 2003 - Reply to "Yet another attempt to lower teacher preparation standards in California." Guest commentary by Perry Marker.
Comment of the day - May 1, 2003 - Yet another attempt to lower teacher preparation standards in California.
Comment of the day - April 24, 2003 - How I almost became a celebrity intellectual or my "Factor" fantasy. Guest commentary by Sanford Pinsker.
Comment of the day - April 17, 2003 - The top five education related things that bugged me since I woke up. Guest commentary by Felice Prager.
Comment of the day - April 10, 2003 - The affirmative action war heats up.
Comment of the day - April 2, 2003 - In praise of students. Guest commentary by Beth Clarkson.

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Vol. 6, No. 12
ISSN: 1527-3849
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