On Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 1:24 PM, Jeffrey Fisher <jeff.jfisher at gmail.com>wrote:
> What Alan said. Thanks to everyone who jumped in, and particularly to Alan
> himself for his extended and thoughtful reply to Miles.
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 11:57 AM, Alan Rudy <alan.rudy at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> There are days, like today, when I am immeasurably glad that I am on this
>> list.
>> Thanks all,
>> Alan
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 12:39 PM, Max Sawicky <sawicky at verizon.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > There's a nice piece in this immortal tome by Rima Shore on how the
>> > education accountability movement (sic) came out of the defense
>> > industry in the 70s:
>> >
>> > http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/books_riskybizintro/
>> >
>> > Metrics of performance ("output") are intrinsic to privatization,
>> > since the case for an education market rests in part on the ability to
>> > measure output and pay for it, bit by bit. The logic of performance
>> > measurement obviates the need for close public regulation, where
>> > "close" entails actual public production -- hiring teachers and
>> > running schools in this case. (Also discussed in the book by yrs
>> > truly) If you can measure you can contract out and economize on
>> > administrative costs. In principle it's logical, IF you can measure.
>> >
>> > An alternative in the same vein, not pursued for reasons obvious to
>> > this list, would be teachers running schools and compensated by
>> > authorities, like labor-managed firms. Absent firm workers control,
>> > the pretense of measurement opens the door to profit-based incentive
>> > systems: private management.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 11:45 AM, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
>> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > On Apr 14, 2010, at 11:36 AM, Miles Jackson wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> I'm not getting this argument. How is the assessment of student
>> > learning
>> > >> related in any way to the privatization of education? Assessment
>> > doesn't
>> > >> require us to bust unions; in fact, if it is driven by unionized
>> > teachers,
>> > >> then it gives teachers more authority and oversight of the
>> curriculum.
>> > >> There must be some implicit links here that I'm not following.
>> > >
>> > > Have you followed this NCLB and Race to the Top stuff? The whole point
>> of
>> > > that sort of testing is to fire teachers, bust unions, and close
>> and/or
>> > > privatize public schools. Did you notice that our president has joined
>> in
>> > > the war on teachers' unions?
>> > >
>> > > Doug
>> > > ___________________________________
>> > > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>> > >
>> >
>> > ___________________________________
>> > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *********************************************************
>> Alan P. Rudy
>> Dept. Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
>> Central Michigan University
>> 124 Anspach Hall
>> Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
>> 517-881-6319
>> ___________________________________
>> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>>
>
>