@stephentall’s weekly Twitter updates for 2012-02-03

by Stephen Tall on February 3, 2012

@travelling_wolf All fair points (in my post) – more impressed by efficiency of top-qual state ed for £5k pa. in reply to travelling_wolf #
From me last night > 'The day the Coalition broke. Literally.' http://t.co/LfQYgYRS #
@omaromalleykhan Hmm, article assumes poorest don't want to (or can't) work. True for some. But high marg tax major disincentive for many… in reply to omaromalleykhan #
@omaromalleykhan Benefits most efficient form of handout, least effective method of empowerment. So depends if u want s-t or l-term impact. in reply to omaromalleykhan #
@mjturner1975 Thx for the figs. So as expected:high FSM % schools have higher spend per pupil but lower results, yes? in reply to mjturner1975 #
Okay, so the new work telly is so *totally* for business purposes http://t.co/lVgYnAVL #
I'm planning to attend, 2nd Feb at RSA: "The End of Satisfactory Schools" http://t.co/otrjp8vU #
Hmmm, seems like the @X90coach has decided to take Friday night off. 40 minutes at cold bus stop. Yay. #deepsarcasm #
Impressive! » Australian Open ballboy's catch 'worthy of Ricky Ponting' – video http://t.co/rwRF7q65 #
@AndyCavster Eclectic. Ish. in reply to AndyCavster #
Surprise surprise, I agree with this analysis >> Andrew Grice: Clegg can reap rewards from his canny tax plans http://t.co/2Gy2EbDj #
@CllrDaisyBenson Well, I don't always agree with him but on this occasion in reply to CllrDaisyBenson #
The wonderfully named (he's from Yorkshire) Len Tingle's view > 'The Mr and Mrs team step down in Yorkshire MEP row' http://t.co/nDBGxf5F #
@sunny_hundal @MattChorley I thought all the parties agreed on the deficit now in reply to sunny_hundal #
@MattChorley Less about it being hard to govern, more about need to differentiate: to appear both Tory MPs & Lib Dem (ex-)voters. in reply to MattChorley #
@MattChorley True for NHS reforms tho pace of other legislation not so bad. Until Lords' reform, that is in reply to MattChorley #
@sunny_hundal @mattchorley Actually, Sunny, none of parties had credible def reductn plan pre-electn. All waiting til after to get real. in reply to sunny_hundal #
Confession: was over-hasty in dissing Call the Midwife. Script still ropy, but acting is great. And addition of Miranda is genius. #
Ahh, loving Borgen. It's no West Wing (nothing ever will be), but it's catnip to sad politicos sat at home on Sat nights. #thatwouldbemethen #
Best of luck! » RT @timfarron We're up at Kendal castle sleeping rough to raise funds to tackle housing need and homeless. Its minus 2… #
*envious* RT @richardmorrisuk Joy joy joy. Apparently they are already on series 3 of Borgen in Denmark #
Wd be good move » RT @TimMontgomerie Darling, Goldie and Kennedy tipped by @DavidTorrance to lead defence of Union http://t.co/WFSTEP5U #
From me last night > Cam’s Euro U-turn – this is what happens when you fail to negotiate http://t.co/ZECJMzCH #
@eleanorlondon Sounds like yr having fun – score's 1 set – love to Nadal in reply to eleanorlondon #
@KP_LD The wrath of grapes? in reply to KP_LD #
@eleanorlondon The grass is always greener in reply to eleanorlondon #
I just bought: 'After The Cold War: The Collapse Of Communism And Its Impact On Europe' by History Today via @KindleUK http://t.co/9mB1aSp6 #
Excellent post by @bedfordvann RT @libdig Question: Big or small government? Answer: effective | Henry Vann http://t.co/npzDIgw1 #
2 of the cats enjoy some mutual licking 'n loving http://t.co/QXFQ97Q7 #
Go Nads! (To clarify, I'm referring to an absolutely amazing game of tennis rather than the MP for Mid-Beds.) #
Just finished drafting the next @libdemvoice members' survey – lots of tantalising questions on taxes, the NHS, benefits cap etc. #
Djokovic is phenomenal. Shame for Nadal tho. Amazing final. #
Radio 4's Bleak Expectations is funny. It would be even more so if the studio audience thought it a little less so http://t.co/9qlGfHvA #
Ah, the joy of roasting beef while listening to iPlayer » Classic Serial, The Spy, Ep 1 http://t.co/SNzMH6r3 #
@tonybrett @DuwayneBrooks But if that's the contract he & the Lab govt signed then… in reply to tonybrett #
@DavidMills73 @JohnRentoul And you really think Cam wd lose a vote on EU powers? Oh & btw Tories have won majority by now at snap gen electn in reply to JohnRentoul #
@tonybrett Isn't that why he's entitled to it? Haven't read the contact, I'll confess! in reply to tonybrett #
Charity wd have been worthier recipient than Treasury » RT @Peston Stephen Hester. RBS chief executive, will not take his bonus, I am told. #
@DavidMills73 @johnrentoul Yes, that's exactly right, exactly what's happening. As every Tory MP will tell you. in reply to DavidMills73 #
@CllrIainRoberts Have you tried table 7 here: http://t.co/a5hZn5AJ in reply to CllrIainRoberts #
LibDemVoice on 2012's University applicn figures http://t.co/ID9l4A4i with contribns from @markpack and, erm, me. #
@AllisterHeath @TimMontgomerie @tombradby Good piece tho lets media & public off the hook re *their/our* inconsistency! in reply to AllisterHeath #
A fair-minded analysis » RT @TelegraphBlogs Has Cameron capitulated on the EU veto? http://t.co/cvy6m453 #
@AndyCavster Hmm, 'spin' – term freely used and abused to describe inconvenient facts. in reply to AndyCavster #
Cat in a box http://t.co/TbixddDV « a game for all the family. #
@ThePlasticHippo Can you identify the UCAS statistic you think is dubious, please. (cc @walsalllibdem) in reply to ThePlasticHippo #
THIS » RT @nicholaswatt PM: Ed Miliband miraculously forgotten he supported Hester's contract in govt – luxury of opp #
Fair point » MT @DAlexanderMP Unanswered questn after this EU Summit remains what Cam achieved by walking out of EU negotns last month? #
@alansm @libdemvoice @markpack Good spot! Have changed. in reply to alansm #
@ThePlasticHippo You said the staistics (which are not mine) were "dubious". I asked which ones. I'm still waiting for answer. in reply to ThePlasticHippo #
From me last night > The graph that shows more disadvantaged 18 year-olds applied to uni in 2012 than under Labour http://t.co/OvCPFbc4 #
@MaximManchester Truth is, I don't think we *know* yet. Agree we must wait to see detailed breakdown before jumping to any conclusions. in reply to MaximManchester #
Y'know I can honestly say I don't care either way about Fred Goodwin's knighthood. #utterlyindifferent #
@LutonLibDem @libdemvoice Well, sort of – we do ask how badly Ed Miliband is doing. Or well. #neutral in reply to LutonLibDem #
@DistinctlyGreen Because it's a strongly held indifference. in reply to DistinctlyGreen #
Worth a read > RT @libdig The £10K tax threshold could be one of those policies that sticks by @markreckons here http://t.co/SexAjYYr #
Here's a headline I like which Tories won't > 'Lib Dems praise David Cameron for EU U-turn' http://t.co/u5Vx3EJa #
@orangebooker1 But Cam did prev pledge FU cdn't use EU institutional structures like ECJ – has rowed-back from that. in reply to orangebooker1 #
Not surprised, why invest in newsprint now? RT @rupertmurdoch F.T. Financial Times or Fawlty Towers?
Sun on Sunday story today 100% wrong. #
@orangebooker1 Hmm, not much leverage really – that's why veto always more posture than reality. in reply to orangebooker1 #
@mjturner1975 is that what the FT story says? Assumed he was rubbishing very existence of Sun on Sunday. in reply to mjturner1975 #
Love this » "Sherlock (Take 1) – Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre" http://t.co/CN6cSm3m #youtoobling #
Latest Lib Dem news round-up from @markpack > Tax cuts for millions or for millionaires? (Newsletter #16 – http://t.co/K4ZC1G4X #
@markpack Play your cards right, you could land yourself a job with the Lib Dems. in reply to markpack #
Pack & Tall Debate… Tuition fees: what should Lib Dem party policy now be? http://t.co/KnldHZB5 via @libdemvoice #
Interesting idea (cf dereg to switch banks) tho many difficulties > 'Give students the right to switch university' http://t.co/ZS8jKG2F #
So middle-class humanities graduate attacks working-class school drop-out, accuses him of snobbery. Irony, much? http://t.co/8th67Lco #
RT @libdig If tuition fees work but keep us out of govt for 80 yrs is that a price worth paying? http://t.co/V9tQOldF asks @richardmorrisuk #
Odd experience of leaving London at 10pm knowing I'll be heading back at 6am. Gawd bless the commuting life. #
On the plus side, enjoyed an evening of realising I have the coolest fundraising job going. Yay #
Sunrise over South London (from Millbank Tower) http://t.co/x7iBUTVZ #
@eleanorlondon Yep – even better: useful! in reply to eleanorlondon #
Hmm, 'users' (not me) or 'people registered' (me)? RT @CatTurner Google+ hits 100-million users (apparently) #
I quite like Grauniad readers as individuals – but en masse?! http://t.co/vsroP3Fs *shudders* #sanctimonyoverload #
At the RSA's 'The end of satisfactory schools', with Michael Wilshaw (new chief inspector) #rsaschools #
Wilshaw: standards have improved but third of primary pupils leave with inadeq English, Maths. Higher for disadv pupils. #rsaschools #
Wilshaw defines 'coasting' schools as those with 2 consecutive 'satisfactory' Ofsted inspections. #rsaschools #
Wilshaw: we know what makes good schools – high expectations. #rsaschools #
Wilshaw: Ofsted will define how 'satisfactory' schools need to improve; more regular inspections (18 months). #rsaschools #
Wilshaw: performance management key to schools improvement, incl differential pay. #rsaschools #
@alixmortimer think he's more keen on the difficult teachers moving out! in reply to alixmortimer #
Becky Francis responding to Michael Wilshaw: schools need support as well as challenge. #rsaschools #
@alixmortimer ah, interesting. in reply to alixmortimer #
Wilshaw: single most important job for a headteacher – monitoring quality of teaching. #rsaschools #
Wilshaw: 'satisfactory' schools to be re-labelled 'requiring improvement', 1st page detailing trajectory & what has to be done. #rsaschools #
Becky Francis: concern there will be 'spirals of decline' if improving schools labelled as 'semi-failing'. #rsaschools #
Wilshaw: 93% of teachers pass pay threshold yet Ofsted finds 40% of lessons less than good – "What's going on?" #rsaschools #
Wilshaw: Drivers of schools improvements since 90s – publicatn of results, testing & league tables. Competition stirs things up #rsaschools #
Wilshaw: optimistic for future of teaching because new cohorts more impressive than in past. #rsaschools #
@BBC_Analysis Link to transcript of schools programme is broken – any chance it cd be repaired, wd like to read it. Thx. #
@LonWon Hmm, have heard the stat but want to know more about assumptions behind it. Lots of contrary evid that schools do have big effect. in reply to LonWon #
Not smaller class sizes or teaching assistants >> 'What really improves children's learning?' http://t.co/dDGlfbe6 #
@Dafidius *Lots* of data analysis in this case. (Declaration: the authors Sutton Trust are colleagues.) in reply to Dafidius #
@Dafidius Not obvious at all: all depends *how* they're applied. And effect sizes can be small cf different (sometimes cheaper) methods. in reply to Dafidius #
@Dafidius Eg, if inexperienced teaching assts dedicated to poor-performing kids can actually hinder attainment-raising. in reply to Dafidius #
@Dafidius And it cd well be your experience is right in yr specific circs – but too often it's believed there's direct cause & effect… in reply to Dafidius #
@Dafidius but in reality it's indirect (eg, smaller class sizes help make effective feedback easier to implement but not suff in own right) in reply to Dafidius #
Started the day with a sunrise, ending it with a sunset (across Hyde Park from the @X90coach) http://t.co/tI7MIs5C #
Congrats @nickblinco » HEFCE News 'Voluntary giving to HE: success and challenges for the next decade' http://t.co/HB5ajEIj #
THIS»RT @boydhilton Forget The Wire, Sopranos, West Wing. TV's best ever drama series finally repeated 2nite BBC4 10pm #TheSingingDetective #
Excellent debunking » The IFS’s verdict on Labour’s deficit argument is in – and it ain’t pretty http://t.co/rKNwaryp via @libdemvoice #
Post-Brechtian?! Gotta love academics » RT @lordbonkers The Singing Detective 25 years on http://t.co/D5vMmqnc #bbc4 at 10pm tonight #
Great interview » RT @paulwaugh Clegg gives strongest hint yet that David Laws will be back (prob in Cab Office role). http://t.co/2CJq9XNU #
@michaelsavage @paulwaugh But will Laws, like Mandy, have a leather portfolio marked 'Minister w'out Portfolio'? in reply to michaelsavage #
@JohnRentoul But media would have ignored it anyway. And Commons not Clegg's preferred arena (best on TV & live Q&As, worst on radio). in reply to JohnRentoul #
@hopisen Toynbee = Laski?? Think you're over-compensating. in reply to hopisen #
@hopisen *red faced* I occasionally forget some of my lefty friends do do irony 😉 in reply to hopisen #

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