@stephentall’s weekly Twitter updates for 2012-02-24

by Stephen Tall on February 24, 2012

FT's Philip Stephens v good on newspapers' hypocrisy of hating to have to live by standards they demand of others http://t.co/4U5jVG1C #
The government must not be blackmailed on Lords reform | Unlock Democracy: http://t.co/y4Ns4DJ4 via @AddThis #
'This is the biggest issue we face in education' < My boss in the TES on tackling the underperformance of poor children http://t.co/v9C4UPe7 #
RT @eleanorlondon: Great interview with my brilliant boss at the EEF, Kevan Collins: http://t.co/4cHO5mZc in the @TimesEd #
RT @bbcbreaking: Two teenagers who want to attend university partially win High Court case over planned tuition fees increase. More soon #
As you were > RT @bbcbreaking: CORRECTION: Two teenagers fail in High Court bid to overturn UK govt's tuition fees rise http://t.co/7iNiswyt #
RT @case_europe: @kahunter taking part in Guardian online chat Fri 12noon GMT: Future of philanthropy in higher ed //t.co/ZHqYae6z Join in! #
Of volume, but of total raised? RT @barackobama: Of January donations to #Obama2012 98% were $250 or less. Thanks to everyone who pitched in #
Do join in! > MT @gdnhighered: 30mins to go til our #HElivechat on the future of philanthropy. 8 excellent panelists http://t.co/qnQFvskb #
#ff to my fellow #HElivechat panellists: @paullanning @sammyloudavies @kahunter http://t.co/qnQFvskb #
And… we're off! at #HElivechat on the role of philanthropy in universities – see here: http://t.co/qnQFvskb #
Alas must leave #HElivechat here http://t.co/qnQFvskb. Thanks @GdnHigherEd for hosting the discussion- it's been a blast! #
@TimMontgomerie Hmm, didn't like Bagehot's presumption that LibDems just 'borrow' Tory/Lab votes! Very over-simplistic. in reply to TimMontgomerie #
@jamesgraham I have decided to take that personally. in reply to jamesgraham #
The @GaryLineker_ @piersmorgan spat well worth watching. If u don't want to know the result look away now #
Gary wins. #
@TimMontgomerie I think all parties' voters are pretty non-ideological & will vote against a party as much as in favour of one. in reply to TimMontgomerie #
Bigger class sizes can be better » Lessons from East Asia: Classroom crush http://t.co/3Q4iDLeB #
Ouch. This is… visceral. » RT @alexhilton Dear Ed, http://t.co/NQp4ce3y « full-frontal attack on Mili-E. #
TY Adrian > RT @adriansalmon: @stephentall thought you were great on the #helivechat today http://t.co/qnQFvskb #
This >> http://t.co/1svcEkDb << is for those racist idiots who think immigration is somehow responsible for declining school standards. #
@travelling_wolf Not overall. But in specific locations. And for particular types of kids (mostly white working-class). in reply to travelling_wolf #
#actualLOL RT @twoptwips: PRETEND you're having a night out with friends by simply staying in and staring at your iPhone. (via @JCautomatic) #
Why do otherwise PC folk think it's okay to deny Britishness of 2nd generation immigrants (Royals)? Wd never dare eg for 2nd gen Pakistanis. #
@idealcamel Mine's a cheeky rioja with brioche and a Samsung. (Hello.) in reply to idealcamel #
@nickthornsby I'm afraid it doesn't raise my economic liberal hackles much… but promise I'm not going all soft-left in reply to NickThornsby #
@idealcamel Don't! Noa hasn't reached her 30s yet. *weeps* in reply to idealcamel #
@nickthornsby So wld you cut the taxes on cigarettes? in reply to NickThornsby #
@jbowen_weber You still get the tired 'Royal Family are Germans' schtick from some right-on comedians. Never fails to annoy me. in reply to JBowen_Weber #
@nickthornsby But surely the public money argument is dodgy (smokers save us money by dying early) – no? in reply to NickThornsby #
@idealcamel Now that *is* old. Okay, I feel better now. in reply to idealcamel #
@idealcamel You realise this year we both hit middle-age – half way towards our three-score-years-and-ten. in reply to idealcamel #
@nickthornsby Smoking-related illnesses are rarely drawn out… Besides this is all too utilitarian an argument for me: it's people's lives. in reply to NickThornsby #
@nickthornsby Definitely agree on that. But of course legalise and regulate ain't a libertarian approach in reply to NickThornsby #
@mssusieday @idealcamel *whistles innocently* in reply to mssusieday #
The http://t.co/t06YNqCJ 'Girl on the platform' ad is, I feel compelled to note, GENIUS ART. There, I said it. #
Left's ugliest social engineering » Eugenics: the skeleton that rattles loudest in the left's closet | @J_Freedland http://t.co/Rl2iTzXd #
Great preview! » Upstairs Downstairs: Grace Dent's TV OD http://t.co/7WIEjgBc « (Clashes with Homeland tho :~) #
RT @alexhilton Woe, woe, I have the manflu « Ed's wrath can be swift and terrifying. #
@NottsProfSteve Both are reactionary publications that play to their readers' prejudices, you mean? in reply to NottsProfSteve #
I have a Poirot on telly. And it stars Honeysuckle Weeks. Both these facts make me happy. #
@kerryeustice I enjoyed it (tho not used to typing quite so fast & concentratedly for 2 hrs!). Kings Pl vv swanky btw in reply to kerryeustice #
RT @hopisen: So here's me trying to answer the public loss of faith @alexhilton Him:http://t.co/XCot3HWR Me: http://t.co/zorMJJ8c #
Here here> RT @lordbonkers: Feet of clay: Beveridge, Keynes & eugenics http://t.co/xKW3UvvW Liberals should be wary of saints & sacred texts #
Lawks, it's not looking like a good week for Arsenal. (Sunderland 1-0). #
Ouch, an own-goal – that's got to hurt Arsenal… and Wenger. (Sunderland 2-0). #
@cllriainroberts @lordbonkers @jamesgraham For all we as a party advocate evidence-based policy, we tend to run scared of or just ignore it. in reply to CllrIainRoberts #
@lordbonkers @CllrIainRoberts @jamesgraham Policies can and shd be shaped both by evidence and ideology: one shdn't triumph over the other. in reply to lordbonkers #
@lordbonkers You're terribly kind in reply to lordbonkers #
@hopisen Ah, the consistency of the Great British Public! Y'know I'm srsly starting to lose confidence in them. in reply to hopisen #
* Datageek alert * I've updated the Google spreadsheet with our most recent @libdemvoice members' survey results here: http://t.co/stfndv7r #
@jamesgraham @lordbonkers @CllrIainRoberts Isn't evidence (at least if policy trials involved) mostly about means / process? in reply to jamesgraham #
@nottsprofsteve Though I assume only female nudity as befits the 1970s. in reply to NottsProfSteve #
You not had the jab for it yet? > RT @lordbonkers: It's like the latter stages of Tetris #
@extrabold @CllrIainRoberts @jamesgraham @lordbonkers Getting deja vu from the day job Meta-analysis of evaluations important to 'proof' in reply to ExtraBold #
@extrabold @CllrIainRoberts @jamesgraham @lordbonkers As are longitudinal studies, partly why evid not popular w politicians: long timeframe in reply to ExtraBold #
The only 3 job intv Qs: 1) Can you do the job? 2) Will you love the job? 3) Can we tolerate working with you? http://t.co/eB6Df6RP #
Grateful that I've reached 34 w'out ever having heard of or used the phrase 'onboarding' when welcoming a new colleague http://t.co/LOsCTmcA #
Actually there's some good 'onboarding' (ugh) stuff in here: 'The New Leader's Playbook' http://t.co/YZzmUmcA #
QR codes dead even before I used one properly http://t.co/IRToJzCF Still, MVS apps sound quite cool #
@TheEastAnglian It's a direct quote (by none other than the DPM, apparently). Language here key to understanding problem. in reply to TheEastAnglian #
@TheEastAnglian Think you may have missed point of story: Libs know what we stand for, but support evenly spread thru UK. in reply to TheEastAnglian #
Is there life in the rather tedious "banned list"? #qtwtain #
LibDemVoice now has a great new fresh look, http://t.co/wms9RCPh. Huge thx to @Artesea for a fab job! #
Weekend catch-up > What I wrote about Labour's internal troubles & strife as shown by the Alex & Hopi letters http://t.co/cxdXZuWZ #
RT @astaritamark: If you read nothing else this week read Howard Davies thoughts on giving and incentives & lots more http://t.co/MGb7MCkq #
@alexhilton No gloating here. Actually the end-of-the-road theme of your open letter to Ed I found quite sad. in reply to alexhilton #
@alexhilton And yes of course there are both worries & dissenters in the Lib Dems. I wrote about those on Sunday! in reply to alexhilton #
RT @jrrt1904: sensible analysis of the LD groupings from @stephentall http://t.co/swY0Dwkk < Many thanks for the RT! #
Thx! RT @adriansalmon: Great post from @stephentall: 5 reasons UK higher education fundraising still lags behind the US http://t.co/tWDS8Ha5 #
RT @liberal_reform: On LDV, @stephentall talks about Liberal Reform and other groups http://t.co/VFxjzZe4 #
Howard Davies (ex-LSE director): 'Why do people give their money away and how can we stop them acting so irrationally?' http://t.co/sN5KrR8g #
Attn fundraisers: @ioftweets are seeking fundraisers' views on grant-making trusts http://t.co/Gsq5hGXs #
@DuncanStott @tonybrett @antoniabance @CllrMMills @EastOxGreens @OxfordCity Good luck! A night I always loathed. Tribal bleugh. in reply to DuncanStott #
@mjturner1975 Tbf, he makes that joke against himself in the 3rd sentence. in reply to mjturner1975 #
@mjturner1975 Actually quite a good lecture, relevant to Big Society, too. in reply to mjturner1975 #
Just back from fab event at Central Foundn Boys School, London, hearing about excellent work of Think Forward http://t.co/icgKhArn #
Odd, but still prob more functional than Huhne/Pryce split > 'John Hemming's wife reveals moment she kicked him out' http://t.co/r0di15Km #
If only » RT @timleunig Excellent advice for Labour from @YouGov's Peter Kellner: http://t.co/cWonnhzN #
Worth a read > @sfpolitic > 'Making sense of the new factions and understanding the potential threats to party unity' http://t.co/t3xe6rdH #
@xtophercook @mikebakeredhack interesting piece but where's evidence bursaries (cf waivers) boost admission of poorer students? in reply to xtophercook #
@xtophercook @mikebakeredhack Few students aware of bursaries when applying to uni. (They prob do make diff to drop-out rate tho.) #
True #stepinrightdirectn >RT @adammcnicholas: @StephenTwigg in The Times: 'We need facts about education, not opinions' http://t.co/3sj2w5X3 #
Interesting to see who replaces him > RT @markpack: Chris Saunders departs as Nick Clegg's economics adviser http://t.co/GzbXPvNw #
@cllriainroberts @markpack I'm too right-wing for Nick in reply to CllrIainRoberts #
RT @libdemlife: @stephentall clegg has an economics adviser? Not seen much sign of it! < The sign of a good advisor #
Signif fact seeming to be missed in Les Ebdon row: Cable (LD) & Willetts (Con) both united on appointment. Coalition v tight on HE policy. #
@markpack @CllrIainRoberts That sounds like a serious case of titfer tat. in reply to markpack #
RT @libdemvoice: Opinion: Secularism is a friend to Religion, not its enemy http://t.co/uFYrE81e #
@politic_animal Actually, if there's one many who cld unite the country I'd have thought it'd be Eric Pickles. Maybe not in a Good Way tho. in reply to politic_animal #
Impressed by appoach > RT @andrewsparrow: Stephen Twigg on why he wants to set up an Office for Educational Improvement http://t.co/p5r5uyJD #
Big ouch for Miliband > RT @nye_rick: More from Times/Populus Poll. How party supporters rate their own leaders. http://t.co/O3iwpOkJ #
@markpack Don't think so – eg, does OBR duplicate what Treasury select c'ttee does? Plus indep will give traction with teaching profession. in reply to markpack #
RT @jamesgraham: Happy palindrome day 2102 2012 yad emordnilap yppaH #
RT @libdempress: Nick Clegg: An extra £60 in your wages each month http://t.co/WHyieAlS #cleggtaxcuts #
@timmontgomerie Some sympathy with Carswell position tho he neglects to mention c'ttee split along party lines (which undermines cttee cred) in reply to TimMontgomerie #
@markpack Educn equiv wld be indep assess of int'l evidence of what works… cf (ahem) EEF's 'pupil premium' toolkit: http://t.co/YIjsOaZf in reply to markpack #
@markpack But educn equiv cd 1) commission research, analyse data; 2) publish understandable output, 3) be trusted grp, non-partisan. in reply to markpack #
@markpack (Tho that's what the DfE gave EEF £125m to do, of course!) in reply to markpack #
@markpack You need a connecting pt between research theory and classroom practice. Used to be LEAs (some good, some not). Missing currently. in reply to markpack #
@markpack Knew I'd stumble on a good point if I kept tweeting in reply to markpack #
'Labour tries something new – listening to the evidence' http://t.co/TqZBbe4J by @jeevanvasagar < intelligent triangulation by @stephentwigg #
RT @nottsprofsteve The Politics of Harry Potter http://t.co/bUALVVEF >Excellent stuff. Also note fascist imagery/allegory in Deathly Hallows #
RT @nottsprofsteve: The Politics of Harry Potter: http://t.co/bUALVVEF >Oh, and of course gay subtext in Azkaban http://t.co/MpkRP4xZ #
@timmontgomerie @CSJ_thinktank Tho @FullFact also makes pt that income tax threshold inc of greater benefit to poor than marriage tax break. in reply to TimMontgomerie #
Listening to @StephenTwigg on 'Evidence not Dogma' @ProgressOnline debate on educational standards. #
Stephen Twigg: raising quality of teaching (incl celebrate profession) key to driving school standards. #TwiggSpeech #
Stephen Twigg: wants far greater use of teacher peer mentoring in classrooms. #TwiggSpeech #
Stephen Twigg: "Most academies have been successful bec they're route for improved leadership + standards" #TwiggSpeech #
Stephen Twigg: "Too many educational reforms driven by pressure of political headlines" #TwiggSpeech #
Stephen Twigg: we need Office for Educational Improvement, "but not just another quango", must promote what works. #TwiggSpeech #
Stephen Twigg: my 3 priorities for education: "evidence, evidence, evidence". #TwiggSpeech #
Stephen Twigg: stressing need for 'mediating tier' between schools + best practice research. #TwiggSpeech #
Powerful pt by @MaryBoustedATL that educational stds driven more by inequality + poverty than teaching. #TwiggSpeech #
Or MoE? » RT @Sun_Politics CON 37%, LAB 41%, LDs 9% – a 4 point Lab lead over night. Have those Lansley pics outside No10 done big damage? #
Good news: I've finished work for the day after 14 hours. Bad news: I'm still 1.5 hours commute from home. #
On the plus side, it appears I'm missing The Brits. I say 'missing'. I mean, I'm not watching it. #
Impressed by Stephen Twigg. Interesting counter-factual wrt his career if he hadn't lost Enfield in '05. Cab minister def. Lab leader poss? #
@LonWon Have to confess not. But it is on my virtual reading pile! in reply to LonWon #
@sarabedford Sorry, Southgate sacrificed: just too many characters. Present company accepted. in reply to sarabedford #
RT @alixmortimer Ok, which 35% of you is it that sleeps with a cuddly toy? « stares @Alexwilcock @Millenniumdome. #uppingtheaverage #
Thank goodness no British papers have a foreign owner. Oh. » RT @Sun_Politics 2 in 3 London babies have foreign parent http://t.co/kUqzv9n8 #
Decimal or imperial? MT @jamesgraham How many Gingriches in a Santorum? @bbcr4today #
Good stuff from Laws » The Lib Dem ambition for fairer tax | David Laws http://t.co/jnwPjhSH #
RT @markpack: The Lib Dem ambition for fairer tax | David Laws http://t.co/BsXQePUt < Bet you can't guess picture used on piece < FTW?! #
Here's @StephenTwigg's very good speech on Evidence Not Dogma @ProgressOnline's debate on raising educational standards http://t.co/E2nOwfhI #
House-keeping note: use of term ConDem = automatic unfollow #yawncliche #
@kimcatcheside In receipt of free school meals not same as eligibility. c.900 (c.10%) Oxford u'grads qualify. in reply to kimcatcheside #
@kimcatcheside Understood – trouble is that fig gets picked up by media/pols and spun to suit their agendas, distracts from issues. in reply to kimcatcheside #
@cllriainroberts I hope it's a stiff letter. in reply to CllrIainRoberts #
RT @nick_clegg: Tune in at now to ITV1 and 18:55 on BBC1 for my party political broadcast. An extra #60pounds in your wages each month #
Andy Burnham was against publishing NHS risk registers before he was in favour of publishing them http://t.co/TLcHqUgx via @guidofawkes #
@markjlittlewood Not even goldfish sold at fairgrounds? in reply to MarkJLittlewood #
@nickthornsby @caronmlindsay Just watching #masterchef now – do we get a back-of-Thornsby-head-shot at all? in reply to NickThornsby #
*applause* RT @emmafreud *whispers* this is actually my teenage son. RT:@SchoolOfComedy1 My girlfriend is like a Ferrari. I don't have one. #
Erm… ish. By which I mean, no. Sorry. > RT @nickthornsby: @caronmlindsay See: http://t.co/kC583k22 #
What were the odds on that? > RT @markpack: Phew, worried there would be something missing at this Lib Dem event http://t.co/aFSMVK8o in reply to markpack #
RT @mshapland: @markpack #bloodylibdemraffles < the gift that keeps on giving. Quite lidderallee. #
@nickthornsby *not* one of the girls, y'say… in reply to NickThornsby #
@nickthornsby Would love to. I want that beef. in reply to NickThornsby #
YouGov asks me about cheddar cheese brands I've bought in last month. Or to say I never eat cheddar. No option 'I do but not in last month'. #
From me last night > Rowan Atkinson confuses James Bond with John Craven (an easy mistake, I guess) http://t.co/DTYmVeiM #
@alansm Ah! Okay, so I'll have come out being posh. Shame they didn't ask me within a month of Xmas. in reply to alansm #
Great article from FT's @xtophercook 'The social mobility challenge for school reformers' http://t.co/FhLlKuog – killer quote follows… #
'Soc mob prob not that there is small # of weak schools serving lot of poor kids. It is that poor children do badly in maj of Eng schools.' #
@alansm Yes, absolutely. Cake or biscuits? Mayo or sald cream? Wheat or chaff? in reply to alansm #
Interesting > RT @mediabrief: Times stats: 60k iPad downloads daily; 10k new app installs over Christmas; average reader income £109k #
RT @libdemvoice: LibLink: Mark Pack – Where next for the Lib Dems on NHS reform? http://t.co/xq2HhqyU #
Currently analysing Lib Dem Q4 donations on the Electoral Commission website. Oh yes. #
RT @markpack: Where next for the Lib Dems on NHS reform? http://t.co/jla1XyFZ < Blog by me < (Tho Clegg/Burstow not bound by #LDconf #
RT @dpjhodges: Polly Toynbee's latest piece contains the following phrase "But before getting overly sanctimonious" < Good anticipation tho #
For once I agree with @frasernelson Another perspective on the A4e story: http://t.co/faJovv0L (h/t @muscularliberal) #
Psst confuses rhetoric/brevity> RT @commentisfree Adele and her ilk have mangled ancient art of rhetoric @simonjenkins4 http://t.co/GP7PUAPX #
Aha, my cue. Night-night. » RT @bbcquestiontime Evening all, nearly time for #bbcqt #

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