Shark Blog: Alice Woldt

August 13, 2004

Alice Woldt

State House of Representatives candidate Alice Woldt hasn't responded to my e-mail inquiring about the illiterate threat letter that was posted as a comment on my blog the other day and signed by Alice's adult son Tim Woldt. In the absence of a retraction or explanation I have to take the letter and its authorship at face value. Meanwhile, I gave a copy of the text to my 11-year-old stepdaughter and she managed to identify nearly all of the spelling and grammatical mistakes. Good job, Olivia!

Alice Woldt's education platform could have been written by the evil dimwits at the Washington Education Association: give more money to the teacher unions, outlaw parental choice and end standardized testing:

Frankly, I believe that we must change our focus away from test performance to classroom performance, and we must find ways to support that change. Student learning is a complex process. Teachers with professional training are the best judges of whether or not a student has achieved what is expected. Constant testing forces teachers and schools to neglect a balanced curriculum and ultimately it is a disincentive for good teachers to teach

The inevitable result of having this sort of a dumbed-down standards-free public school system is clear: another generation of functionally illiterate doofuses.

If that sounds like a good idea, then vote for Alice Woldt.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at August 13, 2004 10:37 PM

Comments

"Student learning is a complex process." Alice Woldt

No. It is not, nor should it be.

Maybe if teachers stopped teaching everything BUT proper reading, writing and math you'd understand this.

This is Speaker Frank Chopp's "pick" to take out his Appropriations Chair, right?

Posted by: jimg on August 14, 2004 10:01 AM

Those interested in a pretty dispassionate and illuminating (to me, anyway) discussion of the psychological shortcomings of current teaching theory should see get the latest copy of the Wilson Quarterly (http://wwics.si.edu/index.cfm?fuseaction=wq.welcome) and read Linda S. Gottfredson's article (not available on line until the next issue is published). Ms. G would not, I think, use the old saw "learning is a complex process..." to justify anything.

I'll be happy to excerpt her article if there's interest.

Posted by: Bob R on August 14, 2004 02:02 PM

Bob: Gottfredson is from the University of Delaware (my alma mater), correct? It's been a while, but I met and talked w/her at a Delaware Assn. of Scholars meeting years ago. I'd certainly be interested in what she has to say.

Posted by: Dave Huber on August 15, 2004 07:55 AM

Watch yourself, Shark. Little Timmy Woldt has been spotted at Costco buying a twelvepack of Whup-Ass. He claims he's getting it for his mom, who's going to open a can on him the next time he mouths off to an adult, but I don't believe that for a second.

Posted by: Steve Skubinna on August 15, 2004 03:09 PM

Dave,

Yes, she's from UofDel. I will get her wwriting and try to deliver a flavor of it a little later today.

Posted by: Bob Reynolds on August 16, 2004 01:13 PM

" In the absence of a retraction or explanation I have to take the letter and its authorship at face value."

Strange journalistic principles, indeed. Lack of a response = confirmation? You could have just admitted you jumped ahead with an unsubstatiated statement, but, I guess this sounds better...

Posted by: Rabii LNMB on August 18, 2004 09:17 AM

" In the absence of a retraction or explanation I have to take the letter and its authorship at face value."

Strange journalistic principles, indeed. Lack of a response = confirmation? You could have just admitted you jumped ahead with an unsubstatiated statement, but, I guess this sounds better...

Posted by: Rabii LNMB on August 18, 2004 09:17 AM

Posted by: poker on April 15, 2005 02:15 PM

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