Failure is in the Eye of the Political Hack: Thoughts & Data on NJ Failure Factories & NOLA Miracles
Posted on November 5, 2013
0
We all know… by the persistent spit-spouting in your face blather of reformy-land that some common truths exist in education policy.
Among those truths to be held self-evident are that New Jersey’s urban public school districts are absolute, undeniable Failure Factories, while New Orleans Post-Katrina charter invasion is the future of greatness in public (well, not really public) education – the ultimate example of how reformyness taken to its logical extreme saves children from failure factories.
Thus, we must take New Jersey down that New Orleans path toward greatness. It’s really that simple. Dump this union-protectionist favor-my-failure-factory mindset… throw all caution (and public tax dollars) to the wind – jump on that sector agnostic train and relinquish all adult self interest.
But like most reformy common truths, this one too, is a bit fact challenged, even when mining reformy preferred data sources.
Now – as I’ve explained previously, I do have my concerns with the Global Report Card method for bridging state – NAEP and international assessments. But why should a little statistical validity concern keep us from having some fun with it.
Wouldn’t it be fun, for example, if we could make some direct comparisons between NOLA’s miracle relinquished, sector agnostic charter schools and New Jersey’s union-protectin’ public