By way of Eduwonk, we learn that Oregon charter school David Douglas Arthur Academy is having terrific results boosting student achievement:
Last fall, the 20-student 2003-04 kindergarten class, on average, scored in the 35th percentile in reading in the national test; by spring they finished in the 88th percentile. Math scores jumped from the 46th percentile to the 77th percentile during that same period.Please give me one good reason why I'm wrong to use the word "evil" to describe the people who are working to make this success illegal. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at July 15, 2004 07:00 AM
Exploiting weak and powerless people, in this case schoolchildren, is a longstanding tradition of the Democrat Party.
Andrew Jackson deprived Native Americans of their lands to benefit white settlers.
Antebellum southern Democrats deprived Africans of their freedom for the benefit of slaveholders.
Modern Democrats deprive minority children of educational opportunities for the benefit of teachers' unions.
plus ca change...
Posted by: Matt J Kurlander on July 15, 2004 06:30 AMHow does the saying go? Never assume malice where stupidity offers sufficient explanation. I don't get the feeling that there are many people in the political process who _want_ to hurt other people. Instead ideology blinds otherwise intelligent people to the facts. Lots and lots of policies just seem to continue along through bureaucratic inertia more than anything else.