The Grammys, the Oscars… and now the Bunkum Awards
February is the month of the Grammy Awards for music and the Academy Awards for movies and, now, the Bunkum Awards.Presented by the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, the awards are given for what the presenters say is bad educational research. How bad? Given that a great deal of educational research is bad, the winners have to shock the sensibilities of the awarders.
The awards get their name, Bunkum, from Buncombe County, N.C., where, in 1820, Rep. Felix Walker delivered a long-winded speech that became known for its utter uselessness. The word “bunkum” thereafter referred to long-winded nonsense, the policy center explained.
Following is a list of the winners. You also can watch the awards being announced in a video. Each of the explanations of the winners includes a link to a review by the National Education Policy Center of each of the studies that won a Bunkum.
The “Three’s a Harm” Award went to the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice’s