Our View by jallen, December 17, 2008 - 10:05 AM
Oh my, dear eduwonkette! We are so delighted by your coverage of the most important issues of the day. Alas, you broke the first cardinal rule of wonk-dom — KNOW THY FACTS. We wonks and wonkettes must simply stick together, you know.
The extraordinary work of dozens of prize-winning researchers that signed the famous New York Times ad (including Nobel Laureates) spelled out the problem with bad journalism clearly. The New York Times had used an analysis of government data by a known opponent of charter schools to claim that charter schools were lagging other schools. It was akin to Philip Morris saying that tobacco is safe!
Besides the source, my dear, there is the sticky little issue of what the data really said. In this case, it was sample data of students in 4th grade compared across communities and states! In the case of the Washington Post’s journalism this week, reporters — not unions — analyzed the results of test scores from ONE community, and amidst those test scores are data for both (EVERY) conventional and charter public school, not just a sample, allowing for apples to apples comparisons.
If you are saying you don’t believe the Post, that’s okay. Many others have felt that way for years. However, if you are saying we are biased or have a double standard, you are simply wrong, lovely little wonkette. We respectfully beg to differ.
In the coming days, in between other important elf duties, we will show you more. For now, we bid you a fond farewell and a wish that in addition to world peace, we all embrace the notion of digging deeper than just what seems to meet the eye.
Tags:
charter schools,
data,
eduwonkette,
New York Times,
Washington Post
Commentary by Ed M. Onitor, December 4, 2008 - 12:11 PM
Congratulations go out to Detroit Public Schools who seem to have finagled a bailout from a friendly state legislature. Surely the Michigan House of Representatives has much to admire about their largest school district - dismal achievement scores, distressing drop out rates and mismanaged budgets on a scale even a Wall Street bank executive could admire.
So, in the face of all that accomplishment, and with nothing else seeming to occupy their legislative agenda, what could responsible elected officials do other than reward DPS?
1) Allow for more choice and educational opportunity for Detroit children and their parents. ↓
2) Tighten financial accountability to ensure money is going where it should. ↓
3) Throw more money and resources at the problem in hopes that it will go away. ↑
House Democrats have seen fit to lower the standards of what defines a “first class school district” from 100,000 students to 60,000 students, allowing for continued funding and other perks.
One perk the teachers’ union has fought for is blocking charter school growth in the city. With a current enrollment of just over 94,000 kids, Detroit is poised to lose its “first class” standing under current law. Without a legislative re-definition, the restriction on community colleges authorizing new charter schools would be lifted.
The House may consider the new definition of a “first class school district” today, and with a party line vote expected, congratulations to DPS and the teachers’ union on your victory. If you lower expectations enough, perhaps one day you will be seen as successful.
Keep up the good work.
Tags:
charter schools,
Detroit,
DPS,
Michigan,
standards
Our View by jallen, October 30, 2008 - 2:28 PM
Eduwonk’s otherwise smart and honorable leader Andy Rotherham told a major charter group recently - in terms of a president Obama - “if education is your issue you have nothing to worry about.”
Really?
Just a few days ago, Democrats for Education Reform blogger Whitney Tilson, also a smart, honorable (albeit partisan ☺) guy, had this to say about the candidates on education:
“… but I give him credit in one area: what he said about education, in which he hit all the right buttons: education as the main civil rights issue today, the alarming number of failing schools, the need to shake up awful bureaucracies, empowering parents with choice, including charter schools, etc.”
Fearless Whitney continues:
“This led one of my friends to write: ‘This decision is going to be tough…. VERY tough for us single issue voters. As powerful as an Obama candidacy is, and as much as I disagree with our misguided involvement in Iraq, there just simply is no contest between McCain and Obama on education reform. Did you hear him tonight? McCain gets it. I am sad to say that I STILL don’t know if Obama does.’”
I won’t address any other aspect of this campaign, but on this issue, Whitney’s friend is on to something. Want to know why? Click here to read our analysis of the presidential candidates. Our single-issue focus necessitated this in depth look.
Tags:
Andy Rotheram,
Barack Obama,
candidates,
charter schools,
Choice,
Eduwonk,
Election,
John McCain,
Whitney Tilson
