Why Can't School "Reformers" Listen to Education Experts?
This week's debate between Eric Hanushek and Diane Ravitch, exemplifies the tendency of true believers in data-driven policies to refuse to communicate with educators. Hanushek became so preoccupied with name-calling that he forgot that advocates of risky policy gambles have just as much of a burden of proof for their "reforms" as do advocates of more balanced policies.
Based on statistical models, Hanushek argued that the "deselection" of ineffective teachers would be more beneficial than professional development to improve teacher quality. I don't necessarily disagree.
Ravitch would concentrate on improving teacher education and retention. Neither would I disagree.
But why would Hanushek not welcome a synthesis of his theories with Ravitch's realism? After all, Ravitch is one of our nation's premier scholars. As as one reviewer explained, "she's had to learn the hard