The contrast could not be greater between our presidential choices this year. It give me the absolute hysterics seeing that there are still those on the fence over whether to go for Obama or McCain in November.
Hysterics.
Notwithstanding the fact that they are diametrically opposed in ideology with regard to Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and war in general, notwithstanding the fact that a vote for McCain is a vote to bring government interference in any woman’s biological function, they cannot be further apart on issues of education.
And McCain is clearly the clueless one, and gets a zero, on education issues.
But you have to admit it, he sure has audacity to show how badly informed he is on issues of education right in front of the annual convention of the NAACP.
That takes cojones.
As paraphrased in this MSNBC article:
Reason 9210. Merit pay for teachers is the biggest joke to hit the public sector since exit tests with apocalyptic consequences. Just as exit tests do not show how much or how little a student has learned in school, merit pay does not go to the teachers who impact students’ lives the greatest.
Merit pay for teachers has its roots in a fad that took root in the private sector during the 70’s and 80’s. It was called Performance Management. Google those words and you’ll see what I mean.
Performance management has to do with rewarding those who attain their professional goals. Goal setting has three basic assumptions: goals are agreed to by all parties, goals are attainable, and the employee has control over facets that go into attainment of the goals.
In the private sector, this works if the rules are followed. In the public sector, as in public schools, none of these assumptions are possible. Goals are set by the state board, and are forced on educators, whether they are attainable or not. But most importantly, educators have very little control over facets that surround the educational environment. Educators must, by law, attempt to educate all students regardless of their prior experiences, education, language/math skills, and home and economic environment.
A prime prerequisite for merit pay is controllability. If the employee has no control over quality issues, merit pay is unfair on its face.
Reason 9211. School vouchers are a formula for failure of the public school system; something that voucher supporters must know and must secretly wish to bring about.
Vouchers are a way to high-grade schools with regard to motivated students or their parents, concentrating both in localized areas, resulting in an imbalanced student population. Students whose parents don’t opt for vouchers remain in a school, or a district where motivated and talented students are selectively extracted.
Result: more schools don’t meet their AYPs, and more schools are closed.
John McCain, a former maverick politician, is towing the neoconservative line more and more every day, giving those of us with eyes to see a clear choice.
And this give those same people fits as we watch those on the fence first study a pile of stale horse manure on one side, and a bale of sweet-smelling spring-cut hay on the other side, and can’t seem to figure out which one would be better to swallow.
Hysterics.
Notwithstanding the fact that they are diametrically opposed in ideology with regard to Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and war in general, notwithstanding the fact that a vote for McCain is a vote to bring government interference in any woman’s biological function, they cannot be further apart on issues of education.
And McCain is clearly the clueless one, and gets a zero, on education issues.
But you have to admit it, he sure has audacity to show how badly informed he is on issues of education right in front of the annual convention of the NAACP.
That takes cojones.
As paraphrased in this MSNBC article:
“It is time, McCain said, to use vouchers and other tools like merit pay for teachers to break from conventional thinking on educational policy.”That’s right, highlighting for us reasons number 9210 and 9211 why McCain would make an awful president.
Reason 9210. Merit pay for teachers is the biggest joke to hit the public sector since exit tests with apocalyptic consequences. Just as exit tests do not show how much or how little a student has learned in school, merit pay does not go to the teachers who impact students’ lives the greatest.
Merit pay for teachers has its roots in a fad that took root in the private sector during the 70’s and 80’s. It was called Performance Management. Google those words and you’ll see what I mean.
Performance management has to do with rewarding those who attain their professional goals. Goal setting has three basic assumptions: goals are agreed to by all parties, goals are attainable, and the employee has control over facets that go into attainment of the goals.
In the private sector, this works if the rules are followed. In the public sector, as in public schools, none of these assumptions are possible. Goals are set by the state board, and are forced on educators, whether they are attainable or not. But most importantly, educators have very little control over facets that surround the educational environment. Educators must, by law, attempt to educate all students regardless of their prior experiences, education, language/math skills, and home and economic environment.
A prime prerequisite for merit pay is controllability. If the employee has no control over quality issues, merit pay is unfair on its face.
Reason 9211. School vouchers are a formula for failure of the public school system; something that voucher supporters must know and must secretly wish to bring about.
Vouchers are a way to high-grade schools with regard to motivated students or their parents, concentrating both in localized areas, resulting in an imbalanced student population. Students whose parents don’t opt for vouchers remain in a school, or a district where motivated and talented students are selectively extracted.
Result: more schools don’t meet their AYPs, and more schools are closed.
John McCain, a former maverick politician, is towing the neoconservative line more and more every day, giving those of us with eyes to see a clear choice.
And this give those same people fits as we watch those on the fence first study a pile of stale horse manure on one side, and a bale of sweet-smelling spring-cut hay on the other side, and can’t seem to figure out which one would be better to swallow.
3 comments:
I agree. McCain has sold out and lost himself in the process. Nice post.
You are correct, McCain has sold out to the big corporates, but leaders in both parties often do. It is too easy to manipulate a 2 party system in the age of multi-national corporations. I'm supporting Barr and all constitutional conservatives this time around (screw the corporate neocons, they need their own party).
I think all "right"-minded conservatives should cast their votes for Barr. It makes sense and will be a real wake-up call this November to social conservatives who have polarized their party to the extreme.
The rest of us will make history.
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