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Jeffrey Keese

@jeffreykeese.bsky.social

Jesus-follower, husband, dad of three, former coach/teacher, Aggie, education researcher. ATLish. Views are mine. #niceonline.

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Jeffrey Keese@jeffreykeese.bsky.social · 4h ago

New CostCo opening was a cluster btw. Turns out they opened at like 7:30 so when we got there at normal exec time it was already stuffed to the gills. People were going nuts over Hokas and giant stuffed wombats for some reason.

Josh Eyler@josheyler.bsky.social · 15h ago

They make some stellar recommendations, including a whole section on grades. I'm going to post a screenshot of the section here, and then add some commentary about different pieces of it. 2/x

Text about grades from MIT's report. 3.1.6. Reconsider grades and incentives Several peer institutions recently imposed limits on the number of A’s instructors can give in a subject. We do not advocate this kind of grade rationing, in part because we expect it to be counterproductive in helping the Institute navigate the challenges of AI. Responding to an intense societal focus on credentials and grades, students who are set on maximizing their GPA have a strong incentive to use whatever means they feel are most effective to achieve that goal. Rationing top grades would intensify the temptation to cut corners on actual learning by increasing reliance on AI. As instructors explore new forms of assessment and experiential learning activities, MIT should take this opportunity to consider what role grades play in our overall system, and if the current approach could be improved. For instance, if instructors mainly respond by putting more weight on in-class exams, there’s a risk of narrowing what the MIT credential has long signaled: that MIT students are capable of difficult, independent, and thought-intensive problem solving, not just acing exams on paper. The committee encourages MIT to explore alternative systems of grading and assessment, including those that work in other countries (such as the UK system, which uses percentages to express relative mastery against an expert standard), and newer paradigms such as competency-based and mastery-based assessments. As one thought experiment, the committee discussed the idea that if MIT did not have grades, many of the incentives around AI cheating would disappear. Note that MIT already refrains from the common practice of awarding summa/magna/cum-laude diplomas, because we believe that earning an MIT degree stands as distinction enough. Grades are far from the only way for students to demonstrate mastery or gauge their own progress; real-time feedback during an oral exam or presentation, or written comments reflecting …
Jeffrey Keese@jeffreykeese.bsky.social · 16h ago

Meant to post this yesterday but I finally have House representation again after being without it since David Scott passed away in April. (Blair won't be on the ballot in Nov and Dr. Jasmine Clark will be getting my vote again.) www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Everton Blair wins runoff to finish Rep. David Scott’s term

Everton Blair Jr. defeats Marcye Scott in the Aug. 25, 2026, special election runoff to finish late Congressman David Scott's term in office.

ajc.com

Economic Policy Institute@epi.org · 2d ago

Teachers were paid less than other college graduates in every state, with relative teacher pay gaps ranging from 10.4% in Rhode Island to 40.7% in Colorado. 👉 The teacher pay penalty was at least 25% in 25 states. Visit the report for an interactive map (Figure D) to see your state's gap. 3/4

The teacher weekly wage penalty is at least 25% in 25 states Regression-adjusted estimates by state, pooled CPS data for 2020–2025 Notes: Figure shows state-specific regression-adjusted weekly wage penalties for public school teachers (elementary, middle, and secondary) relative to their college-educated, nonteaching peers. See Allegretto and Mishel 2019, Appendix A, for more details on data and methodology. Source: Author’s analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data accessed via the EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 2026.6.10 (EPI 2026a), https://microdata.epi.org.
Economic Policy Institute@epi.org · 2d ago

👉 Teacher pay has fallen further and further behind. After accounting for inflation, public school teachers' weekly wages FELL 6.2% over the past three decades, while wages for other college graduates rose 28.8% over the same period. 2/4

Average weekly wages of public school teachers and other college graduates ($2025), 1979–2025 Notes: Figure shows average weekly wages (2025$) of public school teachers (elementary, middle, and secondary) and other college graduate (nonteacher) peers. Data points for 1994 and 1995 are unavailable; dotted lines represent interpolated data. See Allegretto and Mishel 2019, Appendix A, for more details on data and methodology. Source: Author’s analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data accessed via the EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 2026.6.10 (EPI 2026a), https://microdata.epi.org.
Anne Lutz Fernandez@lutzfernandez.bsky.social · 18h ago

I’m so grateful to @epi.org for creating and circulating this chart as exhibit one in this phenomenon because so much of the source of this disparity, somany of the difficulties of teaching and so many of the problems in education are gender all the way down.

Economic Policy Institute@epi.org · 2d ago

NEW: Teachers earned 25.2% less than comparable college graduates in 2025, according to our new report with @cepr.org. This decades-long teacher pay penalty has taken a heavy toll on public education. 1/4

Teachers earn 25.2% less than comparable college graduates. Public school teacher weekly wage penalty (or premium) for all teachers and by gender, 1979-2025 Note: Figure shows regression-adjusted weekly wage penalties (or premiums) for public school teachers (elementary, middle, and secondary) relative to their college-educated, nonteaching peers. Data points for 1994 and 1995 are unavailable; dotted lines represent interpreted data. See Allegretto and Mishel 2019, Appendix A, for more details on data and methodology. Source: Author's analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data accessed via EPI Current Population Survey Extracts, Version 2026.6.10 (EPI 2026a). https://microdata.epi.org
Jeffrey Keese@jeffreykeese.bsky.social · yesterday

I snuck out and caught Spider-Man: Brand New Day earlier this week and honestly, it was terrific. I enjoyed No Way Home, but knew as soon as the credits rolled that it was setting up something much better. Holland was excellent and all the character beats were spot-on.

Jeffrey Keese@jeffreykeese.bsky.social · 2d ago

One of the biggest little reasons I hope Blexas happens is I want to watch the dopiest mini-authoritarians who occupy the leadership suite at every educational and business institution in the state scramble to adjust their practices to remain in those offices.

Jeffrey Keese@jeffreykeese.bsky.social · 2d ago

I think we should be very wary of assigning human traits and even rights to non-human entities, because eventually the interests of actual humans and those anthropomorphized things will come into conflict and you don't need those waters muddied.

Sarah J. Jackson@sjjphd.bsky.social · 2d ago

And she made a soundtrack of this argument! Go listen to Backwoods Barbie, Dumb Blonde, Big Dreams and Faded Jeans. I swear it’s all pedagogy.

derek guy@dieworkwear.bsky.social · 2d ago

I appreciate that Dolly Parton refused to participate in "dress respectability" and, by her own account, modeled her aesthetic after a town "tramp," who she thought was beautiful. She separated aesthetics from character and understood "classiness" to be about how you treat people, not how you dress.