This is an edition of Up for Debate, a newsletter by Conor Friedersdorf. On Wednesdays, he rounds up timely conversations and solicits reader responses to one thought-provoking question. Later, he publishes some thoughtful replies. Sign up for the newsletter here.Question of the WeekShould America go “all in” on public schools, or should parents have the ability to direct the tax dollars that fund their child’s education to the public or private school of their choice? Please share your viewpoint and the reasoning or experiences that shape that position.Send responses to conor@theatlantic.com.Conversations of NoteOn many bygone Election Days, voters trusted Democrats more than Republicans on the issue of education––but that may not hold this November, if recent polling is to be...
Music aficionados know Dupré Kelly as DoItAll from his work with the golden-age rap group Lords of the Underground. These days, however, the platinum-selling emcee goes by councilman. Kelly now represents Newark’s diverse West Ward, the neighborhood he grew up in. Backed by Mayor Ras Baraka, Kelly won a nonpartisan city council runoff election on June 14. Sworn in on July 1, the 51-year-old Democrat is believed to be America’s first major rapper elected to public office. “I am what hip-hop looks like grown up,” Kelly says. He adds that he is eager to “govern where I grew.” Speaking with New Jersey Monthly, Kelly discussed his upbringing, hopes for the ward he still calls home, and an eye-opening conversation he...
A guide to teaching a dog the heel command from training methods to correction. Hiking down to a tidal marsh hosting a flock of resting geese, my friend was “heeling” his extremely large and willful Pudelpointer down a wooded clammer’s trail. It was going pretty well until the dog heard a honk and noticed geese in the nearby eelgrass. The Pudelpointer jerked about wildly, attempting to get to the geese. It was amazing that my friend was able to remain attached to the dog. Things literally started going downhill on his first hard leash correction. Just like Superman, it sent him airborne. Unbelievably, he found a way to land on his feet and started down the muddy trail as if...
It is an honor to participate as a presenter for the SLP Summit this summer! Save the dates and join me for my live course on July 25! SLP Summit is a 4-day virtual event with 8 presentations from speakers who are in the trenches. We know you’re busy and need practical tips and strategies that you can implement the next day in therapy. Over the 4 days, we’ll be bringing you amazing SLPs who will be sharing their best tips and tricks covering highly requested topics! My session description: Narrative language comprehension and expressive skills have implications for academic and social success, and are particularly relevant to school-based practice. This workshop will model the targeting of comprehension and expression...
There’s a popular misconception that cochlear implants restore natural hearing. In fact, these marvels of engineering give people a new kind of “electric hearing” that they must learn how to use. Natural hearing results from vibrations hitting tiny structures called hair cells within the cochlea in the inner ear. A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged or dysfunctional parts of the ear and uses electrodes to directly stimulate the cochlear nerve, which sends signals to the brain. When my hearing-impaired patients have their cochlear implants turned on for the first time, they often report that voices sound flat and robotic and that background noises blur together and drown out voices. Although users can have many sessions with technicians to “tune” and...
