This story is mostly about racial disparity but a subtext is about private operators of contracted out prisons finding ways to leave more costly prisoners in the public system. This phenomenon also arises in charter schools, many of which manage to have a “special education” population far below the public schools from which they are drawing students. Competitive models for public services are one thing, but comparing public vs. contractor performance is a dishonest exercise if the game is rigged so that the privateers skim the cream.
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Seattle FBI chief abruptly retires (706)
Seattle FBI chief abruptly retires | Local News | The Seattle Times.
Not sure where this story is headed but Ms. Laughlin seemed to have a tumultuous reign at the Seattle office. A fuller story will likely emergeand students may want to compare some of Ms. Laughlin’s experiences to John O’Neill’s–the “Man Who Knew”–whose story on Frontline we all will be viewing for the “Structure” class. Note also, as one 706 student reminded us in class a few weeks ago, the strong egos apparently at play in both cases.
Clear Degree Pathways–Outrage!
What Non-Profit Universities Can Learn from the For-Profits | Inside Higher Ed. Lessons like clearer paths to degrees, career-linked degrees and scaling up courses with technology, none of which engenders much enthusiasm among the professorate holding sway at most universities. Where I teach, City University of New York, a “Pathways” proposal (see clearer paths to degrees above) was recently scaled back after years of faculty rage, protests and a lawsuit or two.
Chaos Good! (706)
Readers: Some posts will now have (706) attached. (706) posts may highlight “healthy” organizational behaviors/arrangements, as opposed to the “ER admits” dominating this site. This story, on managing “organized chaos,” is about healthy organizational living. FYI: 706 is the number of a graduate course I teach, which, not surprisingly, is called Bureaupathology. Dr. O.