Quote: "Reformers" & "True Progressives" Both Wrong

On the one hand we have “reformers” who don’t really care if tests are accurate as long as “reformers” are in charge of school systems. Then on the other hand we have people who’ve decided that the one true progressive pro-teacher position is to insist that schooling doesn’t matter and educational attainment can’t be measured. -- Matthew Yglesias

Comments

[CarolineSF]

I think that's an oversimplification from someone who has amply demonstrated that he doesn't get the complexity of education issues.

[Bernardo]

Get your head out of your ass Yglesias. That's not how the debate should be framed and you know it.

[Chad]

And then we have the progressives that believe in AND, such as valuing AND assessing work submitted by students from inside AND outside school while using both testing data AND actual student work to evaluate the quality of work AND measure student growth.

There are plenty of reasonable positions in the middle. The best ones offer kids authentic learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom that teachers and other experts can help guide as kids age, mature, and become successful inquiry-based learners and self-advocates inside and outside many kinds of schools.

Sincerely,
C

[Jeff]

It amazes me how statistics can be manipulated to serve a particular interest group in the ongoing debate in addressing the woes of our educational system. Indeed, who is in control and leading the way, seems to be even more important than the success of our students which is incredibly sad for all who believe that they are right, no ifs ands or buts about it. Did students cheat? Possibly they did, but I find it hard to believe that with a third party investigative unit involved that these young miscreants would have been so successful or cared enough to actually create a plan to cheat and then execute it to perfection. This type of critical thinking and planning is not indicitive of the test scores and results, so for some, no matter how hard you argue the contrary, the results do not serve their purpose.

I have learned a lot over the past two months with regards to educational reform. This was a doctoral course assignment and it is coming to an end. When I began blooging I had no idea just how far our educational system had fallen. We have a lot of bright people arguing alternative points of view and courses of action and I can only hope that for the greater good that they work together, but I am not that naive to believe that they will, because in America, winning is everything.