Akil Bello

This doesn't seem like a good idea!

What do you mean it’s “giving day”? I work here. You pay my salary. I’m not giving it back???

Very little snowmelt to replenish water supplies, and significantly elevated wildfire risk. This summer is going to be tough in the West.

'US Dignity Reserves Nearly Depleted' Headline Shirt

Avoid looking back on your deathbed and wishing you'd spent more time accumulating material possessions. Carpe diem. Shop the Onion Store today. https://store.theonion.com/products/us-dignity-reserves-nearly-depleted-headline-shirt?variant=42627907944517

Okay, all the obvious “wtf” stuff aside, this isn’t even what they say it is?

(Good or popular) writers are not guaranteed to be good editors.

In fact, most of them are good & popular because of a good editor.

So it’s not offering “editing” advice.

It is telling you how to mimic the writer.

Sweeping uncritical claims about grade inflation are the only claims about grade inflation that seem to ever get made

Parents trust report cards more than test scores — with consequences for kids A study of 2,000 parents finds that they’re more inclined to step in with extra help when grades, but not test scores, are slipping

1/3
This conservative take ("Parents trust grades > stand. test scores; that's bad because grades are inflated") is based on a study by economists that reduces learning & assessment to "signal weighting in human capital investment": is.gd/p5hN52. It's problematic for multiple reasons.

Test Scores Tell You Who Your Child Beat, Not What Your Child Knows I’ve spent 30 years in standardized testing. I couldn’t make sense of my own kids’ score reports. New research blames parents for trusting grades over tests. Wrong diagnosis. Here…

@akilbello.bsky.social has some interesting thoughts about this same report: is.gd/dFA4Py. I'd note, though, that the fact that scores tell you only who your child beat can't be fixed by reporting them differently; it's inherent to standardized tests. (Also, as I noted, grades are problematic, too.)

No black or brown person has ever been admitted to a college *because* of their race. Their race is perhaps an added benefit on top of other qualities.

Race-based admissions is not a thing. Race-based admissions is not a thing. Race-based admissions is not a thing.

Also known as "using insider knowledge for war profiteering."

This will be my favorite street name, unless I find -3rd ave

The Courting of Conservative Funding Exposes the College Board’s Unfitness The firestorm around AP African American Studies highlights that the College Board is a test publisher interested in one thing: selling.

They've somehow managed to be hated by everyone

wordinblack.com/2023/02/cour...

“In October 2025, both her SSI and Medicare benefits were halted, and she was told her immigration status was under review. Although Rakestraw was born in the U.S. and has never once traveled or lived outside the country, federal officials still raised questions about her legal status.”🤬

I think I have the crosswalk if you need it

Random data question. In CO I have data with an ACT high school code. I want to link this to NCES to say something about the high school they attend. ACT won't give us a crosswalk. Anyone have access to something like this? Thoughts?

Our second Rental Ripoff Hearing is TONIGHT in Queens. Be like Julianna — don’t miss your chance to have your voice heard.
 
Couldn’t make Brooklyn or Queens? Sign up for an upcoming hearing at rentalripoffs.nyc.gov — any New Yorker can attend any borough’s hearing.

The U.S. war on Iran is now estimated to cost $1 billion per day. Meanwhile Americans are told there’s no money for healthcare, hospitals, or basic social programs.

A picture of PEW poll on global attitude survey, saying the % who rate the morality and ethics of people in their country as good vs bad, where the US has the worst rankings and Canada the best

Americans: we live in a fallen state—embroiled by sin, cheating, lying, and evil. You cannot trust anyone, not even those who claim to know you best

Canadians: I love my neighbors and my friends!

Just to put some numbers on that.

Harvard Will Make Tuition Free for More Students Harvard is the latest elite school to announce that families with incomes of $200,000 and under will not pay tuition as a way to bolster diversity.

When rich schools trumpet more generous financial aid policies, as Harvard did just now, these are the sentences I seize on: "Just over half of Harvard’s undergrads receive financial aid,." That means 45% or so can afford $83k per year. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/u...

This is satire ... right? right?!

Is the college selection and application process one of reciprocal choice?

Leonhardt, NYT of Ivy+ students:

"produce cutting-edge scientific research that will cure diseases and accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. The students can found nonprofit groups and companies that benefit all of society."

The students: I want $$$$$

this is my biggest problem with LLMs they can't do consistently and efficiently well thinks I'd consider basic robot shit.. process data quickly and cleanly.

i've tried it with little to limited success

Meet three scientists who said no to Epstein The warning signs included a web search, a mother’s doubts, and inklings of a “sexist attitude”

Many of the scientists Jeffrey Epstein courted were already well-established and well-funded. So why didn’t they all just say no? Science talked with three who did just that.

Here’s how Epstein approached them, and why they refused to have anything to do with him. ⬇️ https://scim.ag/40qbXnv

So many bloodbaths in admissions... I'm surprised we still have a upcoming generation

Please attend if you can. There's a lot to talk about beyond what I covered in the First Look, and I'd love to hear what's on people's minds about the outcomes and how we analyzed it. Tuesday at 3:30 ET.

And appreciate a share of this post!

"The things that will DESTROY US are:

POLITICS WITHOUT PRINCIPLES;

PLEASURE WITHOUT CONSCIENCE;

WEALTH WITHOUT WORK;

knowledge without character;

BUSINESS WITHOUT MORALITY;

SCIENCE WITHOUT HUMANITY;

and worship without sacrifice."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

SAT fans when UCSD releases a report on math placement