| Stuy '99 in the news again. For the same reason as last time. |
[Apr. 9th, 2012|10:14 am] |
In today's NY Post:
Reform Supergroup to Take on Unions
"Groups backing charter schools, vouchers, merit pay for teachers and limits on teacher tenure plan to unite under a new, statewide supergroup, The Post has learned.
The New York State Education Reform Council will include the new StudentsFirstNY — which has hired away Mayor Bloomberg’s Albany lobbyist — Democrats for Education Reform, and charter-school-advocacy and upstate organizations.
'We’re going up against one of the most powerful interests in Albany,' Democrats for Education Reform Executive Director Joe Williams said, referring to the New York State United Teachers and United Federation of Teachers. 'We don’t stand a chance if we’re not aligned and focused.'
'We’re going to have access to a lot of resources that will enable us to counter the resources of those who want to protect a failed status quo,' added Bloomberg lobbyist-turned-StudentsFirstNY-Executive-Director Micah Lasher, who will team with Williams to chair the council.."
Micah is Stuy class of '99, and has since worked for Congressman Jerrold Nadler, the NYC Department of Education, and directly for the city as Director of State Legislative Affairs (i.e., 'Mayor Bloomberg's Albany lobbyist'. Though for what that's worth, Mr. Lasher still can't live down the 'Politician, Stuyvesant Student and Magic Kid' headline. |
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| Fun with quantitative research |
[Aug. 18th, 2011|10:51 am] |
I'm sure many of you have seen this already - according to the results of a study currently in the form of an NBER working paper, not available in open access, attending an NYC "exam high school" (like Stuy) "increases the rigor of high school courses taken and the probability that a student graduates with an advanced high school degree...but has little impact on Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, college enrollment, or college graduation."
New York Times article
Actual underlying study
In simple terms, according to the study, given two students who are similar before applying to the exam schools, one of whom then does enroll in Stuy or Bronx Science or Brooklyn Tech, and one who does not, the probability of each of them attending and graduating college is statistically similar and their SAT scores will likely be similar as well.
Without actually seeing the paper, I can't say anything about how rigorous the actual research and analysis is, and whether the conclusions follow from the data. At the same time, I can already imagine people completely misinterpreting this thing one way or the other. The study does not try ask what is the point of the selective admission schools or for that matter answer what the different kinds of benefits are. It's not meant to be read alone, but it does add one particular viewpoint that is probably as valid as any other viewpoint. |
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| SHS Alumni Today (upcoming alumni association publication) |
[Mar. 14th, 2011|10:21 pm] |
This came rather as a surprise to me, but apparently, the Alumni Association is now in the process of producing a commemorative "all years" alumni directory, to be published by September. The telemarketing/sales firm Harris Connect is actually handling the process, mailing Alumni Association-branded postcards to all alumni at their last address of record with the SHSAA and inviting people to call a 1-866 number to submit current contact information, post-Stuy educational history, and present job. Of course, they then try to upsell you a personal copy of the book for either one lump-sum payment of around $100, or two monthly charges.
Once you have contacted the publishers, you will also be provided login details for a dedicated website to submit photos for the book and up to 300 words of content (a message or reflection, short biography, etc.)
Have other people been receiving the postcards? And if so, what are your thoughts about this whole thing?
(...mine, for the record, are entirely positive - I have no problem with this either as an actually useful resource, or as a fundraising technique, and have no problem signing up for a copy. Although the lack of any mention of this project on the SHSAA website is a little annoying) |
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| Slow News Day? |
[Jun. 8th, 2010|10:33 pm] |
For some reason, FOX 5 decided the following was news:
Stuyvesant High's 'Hottie' and 'Tap That' Lists
At the elite and competitive Stuyvesant High School in Lower Manhattan -- where the list of alumni includes Nobel laureates, seniors came up with a list that raised some eyebrows.
They compiled what's called a "crush list": who you like, who likes you. It was posted on Stuyvesant's Class of 2010 Facebook page. The list was also in full view since last week in a hallway at the high school.
The New York Post even has it as an "exclusive," though at least they note the following:
While the tradition of posting crush lists goes back more than a decade at Stuyvesant, this year's overtly sexual lists struck some students as out of whack.
Really? It was only a matter of time. Odds on this completely ruining Senior Crush Day next year? THANKS A LOT GUYS. |
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| Another couple of months, another Micah Lasher ('99) NYT profile |
[Jun. 7th, 2010|10:47 am] |
Bloomberg’s Man in Albany Is Young but Seasoned.
All jokes aside, hey, the man clearly works hard for the coverage. And, hey, if it's ten years from now, and we're voting for him to be the next Obama, I'll be the last one to be surprised.
(...even if, yeah, yeah, there's probably not enough engaging life story there to spin him into being the next Obama...) |
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| death of stuy alumnus |
[Mar. 25th, 2010|07:36 pm] |
Sam Tepper, Stuy '06, was found dead in his Portland apartment this past Monday night. He was a senior majoring in physics at Reed College.
Sam, you were a brilliant kid and I always secretly wished we'd been better friends. Thanks for tolerating my sporadic camera attacks in history class in sophomore year, and every time I made fun of you for using the word "paradigm." Rest in peace. |
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| They'll keep on mentioning that book twenty years from now! |
[Jan. 29th, 2010|04:37 pm] |
A few days old now, but still - GothamSchools.org headline: 'Magical wunderkind lobbyist Micah Lasher gets promoted'
And then in the article - "Lasher is a cheerfully hard-working graduate of Stuyvesant High School who once warred with his principal as editor of the Stuy Spectator and the author of a book of magic tricks."
The official press release wording is "Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the appointment of Micah C. Lasher as Director of State Legislative Affairs. As Director, Lasher will be responsible for leading the Administration's State legislative agenda, relations with the Office of the Governor and State legislators and preparing the Administration's response to and negotiation of all proposed State legislation impacting New York City." |
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