Nerd Pride Radio

The show opens with a little Trump talk, because… well, because how can it not? But once we get past that, the Science Corner explores the connection between school performance and poverty. And on the Gaming Table, it’s almost time for the 2017 Deadpool. Then R2 rolls out almost a dozen listener-submitted questions covering topics from 80’s slang to Paranoia weaponry and social anxieties to Star Wars LARPing. It’s the first episode of a brave new world. Do you want to have to tell your grandchildren that you missed out on this epic moment? Of course not! Listen now!

Enjoy!

Aw, thanks for still marrying me, sweetie. Though you know that I'm hard to be married to, right? My schedule is, like, completely opposite normal humans. We'll have to work it out to make sure we have enough quantity time.

In your discussion of education, you forgot the most popular and frequently used method of education reform: blame the teachers, often disguised as attempt to help the teachers.

Actually, quantification of teaching and merit pay was how I phrased it in my head when I listened back to it. Wish I had said it.

Really liked your comments on education. I have been intrigued lately by how profound an effect the school's administrators can have. Good ones seem to attract good teachers and institute policies that bring out the best in everyone, including student learning. Poor ones seem to actively harm student learning and drive away the best teachers. The compensation for these people is crazy when you compare it to what teachers are making, yet if they have such a powerful impact, maybe there's a reason? Problem is, not all administrators are good ones who deserve that salary, and I don't know what the actual proportion of good ones is. Seems like it's difficult to be rid of them even when they do a poor job, and the ones who can point to high test scores at their schools have a built-in job security when that's all we care about in evaluating education. How do we know that administrators of schools where the students would likely get high test scores anyway are actually helping rather than harming that outcome?

Pat's schedule is as bad, I'm sure. Neither one of you is ever around on nights and weekends....