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MISCONCEPTIONS Category Archive
2190
Note: At right is a list of the 24 entries in the "Misconceptions" archive (most recent first).
Below, the entries are listed again in expanded form, with a short excerpt or summary from each entry.Misconceptions Archives
Do Vouchers Take Money Away From Public Schools? January 10, 2006
Opponents to the concept of education vouchers say that they drain money from public education. It's an interesting piece of criticism: dollars to pay for an Opportunity Scholarship voucher in Florida (recently deemed unconstitutional) were actually state funds originally slated to go to the public schools, but diverted to the private school of the parent's choice. While there are some...
Myth: There's a War against Public Education December 28, 2005
An interesting exchange occurred recently online. Michelle Malkin posted a column called "Indoctrination, Not Education" containing the line "Reason number 95,385 to keep your kids out of government schools" and some folks took umbrage. Essentially her column simply contained two instances of students being subjected to the political biases of their teachers, with no commentary from Ms. Malkin other than...
Reflections on Brown: Black school, White school May 20, 2004
Kimberly Swygert yesterday directed our attention to a very revealing story about two schools, one black, one white. The black school is struggling, and the white school is soaring, and we've all heard it before. This one would seem destined for the files of "separate and unequal" and would make good fodder for the argument that Brown v. Board of... Posted by ceb into Education Reform
, Misconceptions
, Racial Issues
, Success Stories
Comments (3)
Reflections on Brown: More segregation today? May 18, 2004
As with the elimination of slavery, the prohibition of Jim Crow era separate-but-equal laws helped bring America one step closer to living up to her founding principle of equality for all. Unfortunately, in marking the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, many folks are observing that "today's schools are almost as segregated as fifty years ago." In a recent... Posted by ceb into Education Reform
, Misconceptions
, Politics
, Racial Issues
Comments (1)
Reflections on Brown: A racial problem? May 17, 2004
Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, which eventually helped break down the color barrier in public education where it previously had been enforced by law. Today, many people are wondering about the racial gap that still exists in public education in America. It is a sad fact that in our cities,... Posted by ceb into Education Reform
, Misconceptions
, Racial Issues
Comments (4)
Embracing creativity the wrong way May 03, 2004
On the subject of creativity, allow us to quote the School of Education party line: Embracing Creativity is a wonderful idea. Schools are so rigid with all their rules and procedures, it just kills children's spirit. Over time, this harms their self esteem. We don't want to extinguish the light within our students, we should instead kindle this spark into... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
, Progressive Education
Comments (5)
Myth of "creaming" and school choice March 16, 2004
In Townhall.com's C-log this week, they report on the "creaming argument" that schools of choice (usually charter schools and recipients of voucher students) "cream" the best and the brightest from the public school population. The traditional argument is that public schools will suffer because only the best students will make the choice to switch to a school of choice, either... Posted by ceb into Charter Schools
, Misconceptions
, School Choice
Comments (2)
Sampling, and the point of standardized tests March 08, 2004
A while back, we made some fun of anti-testing screedmeister Alfie Kohn. Recently gentle reader Pam posted the following comment: I'm sorry but I think you're all missing the point of what Alfie has to say. It's not that grades and assessments aren't necessary--it's just that there needs to be more than one way to assess growth, achievement and success.... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
, Testing & Grading
Comments (3)
Middle Schools Begone? March 04, 2004
What is it with these big-city school districts and their crazy egg baskets? Achievement is sorely lagging behind the suburbs and private schools (for lots of very simple reasons, as outlined briefly in our reform blueprint), yet would-be reformers continually jump on each passing fad as if yet more innovation will solve our school problems. The latest basket into which... Posted by ceb into Education Reform
, Misconceptions
Comments (1)
Myth: Transient students bring down test scores February 24, 2004
Kimberly Swygert over at Number 2 Pencil has an interesting post on the threatened closure of a Harlem charter school. She took them pretty well to task, poking holes in all their arguments and excuses except one: The school had claimed that it did poorly on the standardized test because of a new crop of 8th grade students. Kimberly writes,... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
Special-Ed Vouchers? February 22, 2004
There are many arguments against vouchers (all of which we're willing to knock down, by the way), but one favorite is that all the "good" kids will get the vouchers, while the neediest or most difficult students will be abandoned to the ever-worsening public schools. Specifically, voucher opponents question where special-education children will end up, because surely no private schools... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
, Vouchers
Comments (1)
Voucher School Gone Bad: An edu-Enron? February 21, 2004
One of the criticisms of voucher programs (or other ways of privatizing schooling which is currently done by the government) is the invitation to corruption. Here, in a series of articles by Sarah Carr in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, it would seem the critics are right. January 20, 2004: Officials at Mandella School of Science and Math inappropriately cashed almost... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
, Vouchers
Myth: We need smaller class sizes February 09, 2004
Many people think we need smaller class sizes to improve education. It seems to be a no-brainer, and what teacher wouldn't want fewer papers to grade? Spokespeople point to high-performing (private) schools with smaller class sizes, as if to say, "See?" Yes, there will always be overpriced private schools on the Main Line where they boast of a class size... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
Comments (6)
"Discovery Learning" is wonderful February 03, 2004
The discovery learning method is a way for teachers to allow the child to discover things for himself or herself, because when a child makes the discovery, the learning is much deeper and more likely to be remembered. That spark of "Eureka" or "I have found it!" is what kindles the true flame of learning. Actually, we don't disagree, it's... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
, Progressive Education
Comments (4)
Myth: "We need more parental involvement!" February 01, 2004
We found an interesting comment over at Assorted Stuff. David C. was publicly stating his yearning for solutions to our school problems, and he wrote, "Personally, I believe that lack of parental involvement is one of the biggest factors bringing down schools today." David is not alone. In water-cooler conversations with our fellow teachers, time and time again the conversation... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
, Parents & Community
Comments (6)
New Route Needed for Certification January 29, 2004
We've mentioned before that we're not enthusiastic with the entire concept of teacher certification as is stands today. It has two strikes against it, in our view, for not only is an artificial barrier, but it also serves as a process of indoctrination into the values of progressive education. (See our personal experience with certification.) We'd be pleased if principals... Posted by ceb into Cert. & Teacher Training
, Misconceptions
Comments (3)
Myth of Drill and Kill January 28, 2004
Some progressive educators love to call any repetetive exercise that helps children learn important facts or skills "drill and kill." But this begs the question: Exactly what (or whom) is being killed? Think about professions where certain members are recognized to be the best of the best. How did Barry Bonds get to be such a slugger? Not by simply... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
, Progressive Education
Comments (4)
Deconstructing "I Am Your Public School" January 26, 2004
Frosty Troy wrote a warm little essay called I Am Your Public School, published by an affiliate of the NEA, the biggest teacher union on the planet. While heartwarming and treacly, the essay appears to have not much basis in reality, but instead repeats the union party line, which insists there's nothing wrong with our public education system (other than... Posted by ceb into Education Reform
, Misconceptions
, Unions
Comments (6)
Doing the Math with Public School budgets January 25, 2004
Well-meaning people often suggest that we should fund our public schools better. We think this is a bit misguided. In a November post from his blog, homeschooler Chris "Not the Actor" O'Donnell reports from the back of his property tax bill: School Operating $171,059,126 63% School Capital Projects $37,644,885 14% Public Safety $21,058,812 8% Using an estimate of 14,913 students... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
Comments (2)
What's wrong with Constructivism? January 24, 2004
Ms. Frizzle has an interesting post called "Teaching Methods: Just going in circles?" If you read Number2Pencil or Joanne Jacobs or ReformK12 regularly, as I do, you hear a lot of anti-constructivist, anti-ed-schools talk. They don't like the "new" (somewhere between 10-100 years or older) ways of teaching math and reading. We can't speak for our esteemed colleagues, but what... Posted by ceb into Cert. & Teacher Training
, Misconceptions
, Progressive Education
"The Bottom Line" in public and private schools January 18, 2004
One of the arguments against privatization in K-12 education is the jaundiced view that "they're just going to look out for the bottom line." This is true, they've got to make their payroll and pay their utility bills, so yes, money is the bottom line. But this is a specious argument because the unspoken assumption is that other K-12 entities... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
, School Choice
Comments (3)
Aren't Classroom VCRs wonderful? January 01, 2004
The party line is that Classroom VCRs are wonderful. Thanks to modern technology, a world of video imagery is available to just about every classroom. Schools and Libraries have ever-expanding collections of educational videos which can assist teachers in classroom instruction. Videos can be used to enrich, to motivate, even to spur discussion. First let us make very clear that... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
Comments (3)
Myth: We need Innovation for schools to improve December 31, 2003
Many people think that for our schools to improve, we need more Innovation. Some folks believe that to improve schools, we need to Integrate Technology, Write across the Curriculum, Be more aware of the seven Multiple Intelligences, teach Self Esteem, do more in Cooperative Learning groups, teach in a more Constructivist manner, and subert the dominant Factory School paradigm. Unfortunately... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
Isn't "Constructivism" wonderful? December 29, 2003
Here's the party line: Constructivism is based on the idea that knowledge is constructed in our minds when we learn new things. If we teach children to construct the knowledge in their own minds, we will improve learning. More importantly, if we don't teach children to construct the knowledge, they won't learn as well. It is very important that teachers... Posted by ceb into Misconceptions
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