Column of the Week: Goodnight, Uncle Ted

Even though I'm no longer teaching AP Language, I'll dig up an essay or two to share each week as an example of quality writing. Today, Andrew Sullivan's piece from The Sunday Times about the late Senator Edward Kennedy. Here's a bit:

For Ted achieved what neither Bobby nor Jack did: he worked in the legislative branch tirelessly over a long period of time, doing the dull stuff of politics that changes lives.

His office was legendary for its constituent outreach. You can’t go far on Cape Cod, for example, without bumping into one of his projects. A call from Kennedy’s office had more frisson than anyone else’s and more clout.

Barney Frank's Lessons in Logic

Thank you, Barney.

The mindset of this year's college freshmen

For the past twelve years, Beloit College has posted its annual Mindset List for incoming freshmen. You've probably seen one of these in email that's been forwarded twenty-plus times before landing in your spam filter. It's a good way for aging educators to better understand their students and avoid all of those "In my day. . . " lectures.

A fate worse than F

A university in British Columbia has created a grade worse than F. Presenting the FD - Failure with Dishonesty. How'd you like the parents to see that on your report card?

Goodbye John Hughes

If your kids want to know what it was like to live in the 1980's, show them a John Hughes film.