If you can’t access bit.ly but are accessing Twitter, how are you doing that in China? I had to use proxify.com to access both when I was there… Do you know if there is a URL shortener which is accessible in China? Why would the Chinese government and many of our schools in the US filter URL shorteners? I’m sure some folks must be using them for nefarious purposes, but I’m not sure what those are…

Unfortunately I am not able to open the bit.ly here in China so I’ll just add my two cents (kwai) to this thought. I have to agree with your Wes, it is a mistake. If you were to watch Hans Rosling’s TED talk from 2006, he uses gaminder.com to show the discrepancy found within, regions of the world, and countries, and within the country. For instance, the poorest people in South Africa are still as wealthy as the richest in Niger. And within Niger the wealthiest 20% are so much wealthier than the poorest 20%.

To set one broad educational standard would water down the value of that standard as well as not meet the educational needs of most of the kids. It’s as valuable as giving everyone a prize in a contest, the value of being the best is lost. Better to set the standards in the local school and be held accountable to the district than have a broad “what does this really mean” standard for all to follow. We are not all created equal … if we were basketball wouldn’t be a very fun game.