Chicken!

3 Replies to “Chicken!”

1. I’m often fascinated by people who use the phrase “We’re gonna do what works!” when they don’t have enough information about what works to know what works.

   Merit pay? We don’t have enough information to know if this works. Tying test scores to individual teachers? We don’t have enough information to know if this works? Charter schools? Again, not enough information, or at least not enough convincing information, to know for sure what works here.

   Yet both the Obama administration and the Wall Street Journal use the phrase “do what works” as though they know. In fact, after years of reform, there’s very little information about “what works”. In fact, perhaps the one thing we do know for sure is that we don’t know “what works”.

   In terms of the broader educational discussion, the only thing we know that works is better teaching. And there’s not much in Duncan’s Race to the Top or in the WSJ’s criticism of it that speaks to this issue.

2. The article is incorrect.

   MA has not lifted its charter cap.

   The Governor has proposed it.

3. Note that the WSJ’s article says that “Charter schools and voucher programs regularly produce better educational outcomes with less money.”

   I’m unaware of any research that shows that to be the case – most that I have seen is mixed, at best.