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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Blue Jersey:: School Privatization Efforts Continue in NJ

Blue Jersey:: School Privatization Efforts Continue in NJ:


School Privatization Efforts Continue in NJ

The deceptively-named school privatization group American Federation for Children is attempting to link the Chicago Teachers Union strike to what they claim is public support for school vouchers. That's a long walk, considering that most Americans don't want their tax dollars to pay for private and religious schools. AFC claims that their commissioned polling shows a whopping 85% of New Jerseyans support vouchers. If that figure seems weird, it is - AFC's claims are wildly inconsistent with the findings of an arguably much more neutral and reputable polling operation - Quinnipiac University - which consistently finds that a majority of New Jerseyans actually oppose vouchers. It's not surprising, since AFC is a "trustee" level supporter of the now largely toxicconservative bill mill ALEC, and is essentially in the same business of advancing prefab legislation ultimately 

So Reformy; So Stupid

This post is so stupid on so many levels that I was going to ignore it. But it's so perfectly... reformy. I just can't resist.
The fact is that female teachers nowadays are not as smart as they used to be. And the fact is that’s why students nowadays are not learning as much as they need to learn in order to succeed.
Trust us - it's a "fact"! Except when it isn't and when it isn't.
This trend is especially meaningful due to the Chicago Teachers Union strike this week. One 

Heartland Institute Staff.


Do Teacher Bashers EVER Know What They're Talking About?

Here's a rule to live by: anytime a conservative pundit cites an education statistic, it's probably wrong. Take, for example, this factoid that "proves" that Chicago's children, whose teachers are currently on strike, all suck (all emphases mine):

IJ Review:
Only 15% of fourth graders are proficient in reading.
 CNBC's Larry Kudlow, yelling at the great Leonie Haimson like a mental patient:
15% of fourth graders are proficient in reading.
Amy Payne at the Heritage Foundation:
Among other demands, the Chicago Teachers Union had asked for a 30 percent pay increase—despite