Firedoglake has this up on the *cough* research of Rogoff and Reinhart.
From one of the commenters, letsgetitdone at 16:
I think, finally, that the RR study is an example of the corruption of social science in modern times. I believe that one can show that the study was not just guilty of calculation errors and errors of omission, but that these must be seen as part of a pattern of systematic bias that permeated their whole process of inquiry beginning with their selection of the problem, moving through every decision point in implementing the study, and ending with their evaluation of their evidence and their writing of the result. They made no attempt to do a scientific study maximizing fair comparison of alternative theories having policy relevance, but instead prepared what was essentially a legal brief supporting austerity policies and the Pete Peterson line. The social costs of what they did are strewn all over the globe. See this recent post at DailyKos.
~~~~~~~~
This is a big deal because politicians around the world have used this finding from R&R to justify austerity measures that have slowed growth and raised unemployment. In the United States many politicians have pointed to R&R’s work as justification for deficit reduction even though the economy is far below full employment by any reasonable measure. In Europe, R&R’s work and its derivatives have been used to justify austerity policies that have pushed the unemployment rate over 10 percent for the euro zone as a whole and above 20 percent in Greece and Spain. In other words, this is a mistake that has had enormous consequences.~~~~~~~~~~
Diane Ravitch has this up on the debate on Common Core education standards in Michigan. It’s odd that they are debating it after they had accepted it….jumped the gun, maybe? That seems to be all to common in the education world–some *expert* claims to have the magic bullet for *fixing* education, but that never seems to pan out….
Another good blog from Diane Ravitch on the bullying in schools…
….not by the kids, mind you, but a teacher under pressure to conform and teach to the test and the principal who, as a commenter put it, has “lost their way”.
As was said–pit the parents and teachers against one another, and *voila*, you have dysfunction….leading to failing schools that can be closed and handed over to the profiteers….
From the blog:
My daughter, who is in the 11th grade, was victimized by her principal and teacher today because she submitted an opt out letter. She was made to feel wrong and unsupportive of her school because she wasn’t going to take the test.
~~~~~~
This is what I was talking about in my previous blog–it can be intimidating even for a parent to speak out–let alone a student who is vulnerable to the teacher’s grades and attitude.
Uppity people who ask questions or protest something they perceive as detrimental are to be dealt with—can’t have that because before you know it, there will be others who will also start asking questions….
Diane Ravitch has a blog up on the new standard, Common Core for the public schools in NYC.
From The Economist comments section:
the new testing regime encourages a wider opening of the class gulf by giving teachers an incentive to compete for students with strong skills, excellent home support, and private resources to purchase any necessary tutoring to get Junior up to snuff. Who will stand up for the child of a poor single parent who can’t afford Khan Academy tutoring, doesn’t know enough algebra to help, and doesn’t have time to walk her/his child through the mountains of test preparation homework dispensed in the months leading up to this?
~~~~~~~~~~
Word. The poor kids with no one at home who can help them and no money for tutoring and coming to school hungry because single Mom can’t afford breakfast…depressing….
An incident popped into my head when reading the comments on the link she provides to The Economist (strange that a story on education would end up there, eh?) Anyway, being 34, the college I wanted to attend had required I take entrance exams a second time (the first time was the SAT’s in h.s.). Algebra and Trigonometry were part of the exam. I didn’t take the college prep courses in high school because I didn’t think I’d ever get to go to college (even though I wanted to)….so you could have knocked me over with a feather when the admissions counselor told me that I passed the Math test and could opt out of the pre-Math courses. I think I actually laughed that I passed them without taking classes….which goes to show that exams shouldn’t have as much weight as they do. I mean, I got decent grades in Math (B’s)…but did not know the material before taking the class—it would have been a disaster for me to opt-out. Maybe, just maybe, I had a few Algebra and Trig problems while in h.s., because, if I recall correctly, textbooks at that time had problems for the next grade level at the back of the book, in order to prepare the students for the next year. This might explain at least some of it.
Additionally, when I was in college, the ADD was bad and even though I studied my butt off for several hours and knew my subject matter, I still only got B’s and sometimes C’s because of poor test taking. My mind would be all over the place. This is another reason that testing shouldn’t be given the weight that it does–I knew the material, but you wouldn’t know it by the test.
Also, the university I began at had a much better support system with excellent tutors available to help unravel the Math mysteries. The university I went to after the initial classes–the one I graduated from–deliberately made Math very difficult. I think this was to “weed out” the students…after all, most of the professions that pay well involve Math. If you have a lot of folks who can do Math, well then, you don’t have exclusivity, do you? Harder to justify higher salaries when there are more folks who can do those jobs.
Lastly, testing aside, parents DO need to take an active role in supplementing their child’s teacher’s efforts. AND even question their teachers when appropriate. I had to do this twice –once when my middle child was having difficulty learning to read. Her 1st Grade teacher was frustrated and going to label her as “stupid”…I could see the handwriting on the wall. I went to the precious gift of the library and checked out books on teaching kids to read, since I didn’t know how to help her—she was getting stuck on the words “a” , “and” and “the”….I luckily (or guided 🙂 found a book on Dyslexia. I discovered that she was dyslexic. And I discovered that I was, too. Dyslexics have a hard time with a, and, the—because they learn to read by visualizing a picture in their head–b-a-l-l is a round thing they can bounce….they can’t picture a, and,the—because they don’t represent any *one* thing. I checked out a Phonics book and began sitting down with her every night and eventually she *got it*. She graduated from the same university many years later 😉
The second time I had to question my child’s teachers was when they were going to “Whole Language” — a stupid program that didn’t teach Phonics. I wouldn’t have it and protested it. I got a bunch of flack for it, but I went ahead and checked out the Phonics book a second time to help my third child to read, too. Incidentally, I also protested a change in class organization, when they were going to make the 2nd graders switch classes….like they were in middle school…to have two different teachers during the day. I protested that because I believe the younger kids need to have one teacher for consistency…little ones need that security. I was sent a condescending note that “they were sorry that I wouldn’t be joining them…” As if everyone else didn’t have a problem with it, so why did I?
…protesting the corporate take over of public schools. Good for them.
A tweeter has a link up to The Nation’s take on it.
From the article:
The growing movement against corporate-style education reform has its work cut out for it. It is, after all, challenging an insidiously well-messaged behemoth funded by billionaires and sanctioned by both major political parties.
~~~~~~~~~
Word.
How does one fight against something that both parties are for? How does one fight against politicians who have not taught in a classroom, but seem to believe they know better than educators what our kids need? And how does one fight against willful ignorance on their part when it is soooo obvious that No Child Left Behind is a colossal failure?
My prior posts on education here. And here. And here–profit factor. And here – about the kids who were most impacted by NCLB not graduating on time and dropping out.
No Child Left Behind is not about giving kids a well-rounded education with math, reading, art and music, and physical exercise, but going through the motions of educating kids with tests that don’t come close to evaluating what a child’s potential truly is….
…worse than that, it pigeonholes kids, who are still developing, into boxes. It takes away their uniqueness as human beings. It does not recognize the potential because that is impossible to “test” for–their potential is the unexplored parts of themselves that they —and the world—have yet to discover.
I’m fifty years old and still have not reached my potential. 🙂
Well, the good feelings towards Christie for his actions during the storm crises is evaporating rapidly…with the news of him continuing to destroy public education for private profiteers.
Looking at the comments, Amitola mentions how the town has gone the way of most in the U.S.–jobs dry up, people move or the ones that stay are scraping by–not able to support a robust economy. And the schools follow–poverty is the number one reason for school’s poor performance. It’s hard to concentrate on school work when you’re hungry, dirty, and your folks are stressed out because you’re *this close* to being out on the street. (or worse, you’re already out on the street, living in a shelter, with noise all night long and no privacy and no life).
Another poignant comment is by John Randolph: the 1% bring the city to its knees and then profit off of the carcass.
Disaster capitalism, folks….(speaking of unions, they announced on the news the other day that Indiana has now lost more union members than gained, thanks to “Right to Work” law. Also, they are airing commercials promoting a tax break…yes, a tax break in this economy…for Hoosiers—Gov. Mike Pence, an APEC toadie, first spouted this hairbrained idea right after election. Legislature said no. Now *cough* Americans for Prosperity are taking it to the airwaves trying to get people to call their representatives.)
Unfortunately, charter school takeover is not just here in the U.S., but now in Haiti. (insert a few choice expletives here). Note that Bill Gates has his filthy little fingers in this, too. Like I said before, he is not the philanthropist he tries to imitate.
See previous posts here. And here. And here.
And here.
Well, the billionaires lost this one. Woot!! I am so glad that people are waking up to what is really going on with the slick campaigns to privatize schools for more money for the 1%. Note the connection with the Gates Foundation.
PR Watch.org has this up on the gerrymandering in Wisconsin.
From the article:
In early February of 2012, GOP legislators released multiple documents, but continued to keep around 84 emails confidential. The three judges — two of them appointed by Republican presidents — again criticized the Republican legislators for “an all but shameful attempt” to keep documents secret, writing: “Without a doubt, the Legislature made a conscious choice to involve private lawyers in what gives every appearance of an attempt — albeit poorly disguised — to cloak the private machinations of Wisconsin’s Republican legislators in the shroud of attorney-client privilege.”
And…incredibly:
According to the documents that were released, Republican legislators signed a pledge of secrecy during the redistricting process and were told to ignore what GOP leaders said publicly about the new election maps.
~~~~~~~~
What is this, high school or college where you make secret pledges? Seriously?? Does this mean they get double secret probation?
Note that some emails obtained by Center for Media and Democracy were not released to the lawyers challenging the maps. Just incredible!
I think this is why Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the tea partiers are so baffled that they lost the election….how could they lose when they’ve worked so hard against the democratic process??
~~~~~~~
More on ALEC sponsors here.
~~~~~~~
And, lastly, ALEC and the electoral college here. They just can’t figure out enough ways to demolish the democratic process….
…wow, there’s something going on when there are so many education posts in 24 hours.
I should mention the connection between the Bushes and the McGraw-Hill publishing house that publishes education texts and materials.
I picked up my college history book to look at the reference to Ronald Reagan again. It was a glowing report on him without much critical analysis of his actions nor was it all inclusive of his destruction of the Fairness Doctrine, unions, consolidation of the media markets, etc. I looked at the publisher: McGraw-Hill .
More on the profiteering by the Bushes here.
Yep, where there’s money to be made and destruction of society…you’ll find the Bushes and Cheneys….
Eagle 
You must be logged in to post a comment.