Does Tone Matter in the Education Reform Debate?
While shoddy arguments remain the target of freshman composition professors in colleges and universities across the U.S., ad hominem attacks, cherry-picking data, strawman arguments, either/or claims, and sweeping generalizations have become the norm in the education reform debate maintaining momentum in both the mainstream and new media.
Recently, Ken Libby prompted a Twitter debate concerning the tone of arguments coming from educators, scholars, and researchers, suggesting that the tone of their arguments were keeping them from being heard.
At the Shanker Blog, Matthew Di Carlo has also confronted this trend, calling for an end to "self-righteousness":
Recently, Ken Libby prompted a Twitter debate concerning the tone of arguments coming from educators, scholars, and researchers, suggesting that the tone of their arguments were keeping them from being heard.
At the Shanker Blog, Matthew Di Carlo has also confronted this trend, calling for an end to "self-righteousness":
"That’s because this kind of rhetoric has to some degree become the rule, not the exception. For every allegation from 'defenders of the status quo' that philanthropists are really profiteers or that market-based reforms are a form of 'teacher-bashing,' there is an ad hominem accusation from the other 'side' – charging that support for traditionally union-advocated policies means you’re putting