tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4468664660833170893.post4759541534846182430..comments2024-01-08T14:53:19.838-05:00Comments on Bluegrass Policy Blog: Report builds mountain out of education ant hillKelly Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249335217299732224noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4468664660833170893.post-71782497490404345802010-09-27T11:31:18.829-04:002010-09-27T11:31:18.829-04:00RE: Ray Davis' Comments
We absolutely agree t...RE: Ray Davis' Comments<br /><br />We absolutely agree that choice and competition are badly needed.<br /><br />However, we are not going to get rid of the entrenched public education system overnight, and we must find ways to also kick it into much higher performance levels.Richard Inneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14059705792512008731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4468664660833170893.post-67777928575869602132010-09-26T09:47:53.440-04:002010-09-26T09:47:53.440-04:00The educational bureaucracies at state levels were...The educational bureaucracies at state levels were bad enough. Then, the federal gov't became involved in a big way. For years we have had elective and administrative government at both levels in league with a heavily unionized labor force. Result? The product, the education of our youth, has declined in quality, and its cost has increased faster than overall inflation. <br /><br />Tweaking this grossly inefficient, inept, top-down bureaucracy won't produce world-class education. It will only produce another "program", like KERA in KY, that professional educators, academics and politicians will herald as the "solution". A decade later we will be "sold" another "solution". I've heard this song a few times before!<br /><br />It's time to ditch the failed, one-size-fits-all collectivist approach and try approaches our country was founded upon--competition, freedom to innovate at small levels, and giving choice and educational vouchers to the parents of the children receiving the educational services. Let public, private and parochial schools compete for the educational dollars. If this is done, quality of education will rise, costs will decline, good teachers will see their incomes increase, and poor teachers will leave the profession. Most public schools will survive because the teachers' and administrators' job security will be threatened, and they will rise to the challenges. The outcome? In twenty years the U.S. will again become one of the world leaders in education.<br /><br />The only way the products of any entrenched bureaucracy can be significantly improved is to threaten its existence. Tweaking is fruitless.Ray Davisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4468664660833170893.post-37009277201710707892010-09-24T19:01:06.828-04:002010-09-24T19:01:06.828-04:00RE: Dick Schutz's comment
I share that concer...RE: Dick Schutz's comment<br /><br />I share that concern. Some advanced information about what the new testing program might include talks about a lot of open response written questions and even portfolios. <br /><br />Portfolios are a good instructional tool for teachers, but they are a major headache when included in an accountability program, as Kentucky learned between 1992 and 2009 when we finally called it quits.<br /><br />Furthermore, too many open response written questions lead to all sorts of problems, as well. <br /><br />Hopefully, someone will wake up and consider the Kentucky experience before these tests get pushed nationwide.<br /><br />Maybe we will be helping with that process.Richard Inneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14059705792512008731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4468664660833170893.post-50230965547716530212010-09-23T14:35:25.902-04:002010-09-23T14:35:25.902-04:00And For Sure, the new tests are going to look a lo...And For Sure, the new tests are going to look a lot like the old tests. The Common Core English Language Arts is built on the NAEP "Framework."Dick Schutzhttp://ssrn.com/author=1199505noreply@blogger.com