Comments on: Wisconsin’s Democracy Explosion Partially Due to Sharply Split Views of School Success–Local vs. National

By: CayVoo

CayVoo — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:40:09 +0000

Sigh.

By: Paul Rosenberg

Paul Rosenberg — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:10:13 +0000

Not really, that I’m aware of. There’s the NAEP, which seems to be a valid measure of student performance on a set of fundamental measures. But it doesn’t really reflect the contribution of schools as distinct from the basic driving factors of family and community affluence.

By: CayVoo

CayVoo — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 01:28:43 +0000

Thanks for the great post. What I’d like to know is are there any valid evaluations of how schools across the US are really doing?

By: Paul Rosenberg

Paul Rosenberg — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:24:24 +0000

More is hidden than is revealed.

By: Paul Rosenberg

Paul Rosenberg — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:23:38 +0000

My hope is that Wisconsin will be a turning point for us.

As this fight spreads across multiple states, the neoliberal education faction is going to be increasingly irrelevant at best.

By: CayVoo

CayVoo — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:09:15 +0000

I guess I also mean “you’re.”

By: CayVoo

CayVoo — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:08:42 +0000

Paul Rosenberg, I am very happy to have found your writing again.

By: David Kaib

David Kaib — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 14:33:18 +0000

It would be preferable if we had at least one major political party that would make the case for public education, and activate what people know from their own experience while downplaying the corporate rhetoric.

The sad thing is that in places without much in the way of a Republican Party, like DC, Democrats are no better than they are elsewhere (if not worse).

By: Paul Rosenberg

Paul Rosenberg — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:12:49 +0000

Maybe my language wasn’t as strong, but that’s pretty much what I was saying, plus one thing more: Wisconsin is evidence of what happens when they try to push things too far.

By: John Emerson

John Emerson — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:48:00 +0000

It seems to me that your interpretation could have been a lot stronger.

1. Many of the people who believe that the schools are failing don’t know what they’re talking about.
2. A strong majority of parents like the school that they know best, but believe media rumors about the schools in the nation as a whole.
3. Many of those most negative about public schools have no personal investment in the system at all, and are working on other agendas: lowering taxes, busting unions, fighting against secularism, bashing liberal teachers.

Diane Ravitch, a former school basher, wouldn’t go as far as I have but she’s extremely disillusioned with the “school reform” movement of which she used to be an integral part (one of the few actually involved in education, IIRC).