New blog

We are launching a new blog that will be used as a repository (perhaps a generous term) for commentary that is either too obscure, skeptical, cynical, offensive or irrelevant to the main company mission to be included in the official company blog.  As an aside, cynicism has gotten a bad name; a cynical attitude actually leads to an optimistic outlook because most situations present so many opportunities to be pleasantly surprised.  On the other-hand, blind acceptance of explanations generally leads to disappointment...

Grade inflation meets innumeracy

Isn't this a solveable problem : e.g., lower weights on assignments earlier in the year or discarding the lowest scores? The most likely scenarios is that people do fine on the early, easiest assignments and then checkout later in the semester knowing that their downside is floored...

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Eyebrows raised over city school policy that sets 50% as minimum score

1+1=3? In city schools, it's half right

...
And she said one teacher she knows already worries about how awkward it will look when a student correctly answers three of 10 questions on a math quiz -- and gets a 50 percent.
...
Superintendent James Lombardo said he's in favor of implementing the idea, partly as a fairness issue. He noted that a failing grade carries far more mathematical weight than any other grade if the "E" or "F" has a range of zero to 59 percent.

This last sentiment seems especially confused!