I remember how it was -- JR
Monday, July 03, 2023
Education Spending Is Up, Achievement Is Down
Once again, academic achievement scores for American children are down. And once again spending is up.
The newly released National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores for 13-year-olds for the 2022-2023 school year show a four-point decline in reading ability and a nine-point decrease in mathematics skills since the previous assessment in 2019-2020. Those numbers on “The Nation’s Report Card” are respectively seven and 14 points below the scores U.S. children achieved 10 years ago—decreases of about 2.7 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively.
From 2020 to 2022, reading scores for 9-year-olds suffered the largest decline since the 1990s, and those for math scores decreased for the first time ever. The deterioration began before the COVID-19 school shutdowns, it is important to note. “Average scores for 13-year-olds in both reading and mathematics were lower in 2020 compared to the last LTT assessments in 2012,” the NAEP reported at the time, using pre-pandemic data. “Compared to the previous LTT assessments in 2012, the 2020 reading scores for both 9 and 13-year-olds performing at the 10th percentile were lower. In mathematics, scores were lower in 2020 for 9-year-olds at the 10th and 25th percentiles and lower for 13-year-olds performing at the 10th, 25th, and 50th percentiles compared to scores in 2012.”
The current numbers confirm all those losses are continuing, in a long-term downward trend.
The response from the education establishment has been all too predictable: blaming the declines on the pandemic and calling for more money, usually euphemized as “resources,” “investment,” and other alluring terms.
President Biden’s education secretary, Miguel Cardona, scored a perfect 100 on the excuse meter, saying, “The latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress is further evidence of what the Biden-Harris administration recognized from Day One: that the pandemic would have a devastating impact on students’ learning across the country and that it would take years of effort and investment to reverse the damage as well as address the 11-year decline that preceded it.”
Similarly, Cheryl Bost, president of the Maryland State Education Association, told WBAL-TV in Baltimore, “We need resources, we need staffing, we need support, but most of all, we need respect for public education,” in response to the state’s academic failures.
Baltimore’s schools don’t provide much with what they already have. “Project Baltimore found, in 23 Baltimore City schools, there were zero students who tested proficient in math. Not a single student,” Fox 45 News reported earlier this year. “In a new study released by WalletHub, Baltimore City ranks 146 out of 149 for lowest high school graduation rates among major US cities in 2023,” another Fox 45 News story noted.
The problem is not a lack of money. “[T]his academic year city schools spent about $21,000 per student, which is more than most schools in the country,” Fox 45 reports.
The notion that the solution to poor academic performance is more money has been a teachers union talking point for decades. It’s dead wrong.
The average spending per pupil nationwide increased from $10,608 in 2012 to $14,347 in 2021 in inflation-adjusted dollars, a 14.3 percent rise. What did we get for that larger “investment” of “resources”? A 2.7 percent decrease in reading performance and a 4.9 percent drop in math ability.
Contrary to popular belief, teachers are far from underpaid. “All in all, with various perks included, a teacher makes on average $68.85 an hour, whereas a private sector worker makes about $36 per hour,” education analyst Larry Sand notes.
If student performance were dependent on teacher compensation, we would be living in a nation of young Einsteins.
As the numbers show, our education system is broken. Spending more money only compounds the losses.
Given this poor record, enrollment in government-run K-12 schools has been declining since 2020, with parents moving their children to charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling. Only 36 percent of parents across the nation say they want to send their children to government-run public schools, yet 83 percent of American children attend such schools.
Fortunately, states are giving families greater opportunities to opt out of the broken government-run education system. Currently, 13 states have education savings account programs that allow families to use their state-assigned money on a variety of education services, according to EdChoice. There are 24 states with tax-credit scholarships or ESAs, and 14 states and Washington, D.C., have school voucher programs that help parents send their children to private schools, EdChoice reports.
The high costs and low performance of government-run schools are inspiring reforms across the nation. Lawmakers who refuse to recognize the hunger for reform may learn an important lesson in next year’s elections.
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University of Cincinnati gender studies professor, 28, who gave student ZERO grade for using phrase 'biological women' is slapped with formal warning and ordered to undergo free speech training
I am sure it is very wicked of me but what I see here is a frumpy woman picking on an attractive one
The University of Cincinnati has formally rebuked a gender studies professor who complained about a student using the term 'biological woman', and ordered the professor take a course on free speech.
Melanie Nipper, a 28 year-old adjunct professor of sexuality studies at the University of Cincinnati, took issue with student Olivia Krolczyk's use of the term in an essay about trans women in sport.
Nipper told her 'the terms 'biological women' are exclusionary and are not allowed in this course as they further reinforce heteronormativity. 'Please reassess your topic and edit it to focus on women's rights (not just 'females') and I'll regrade.'
Krolczyk posted a TikTok on May 7 complaining about the incident. The clip has since been viewed more than a million times, and has attracted national media coverage: Krolczyk now has 10,000 Twitter followers and is using her social media accounts to campaign against trans women in sport and take a stance on LGBTQ controversies.
On Thursday, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Nipper had been reprimanded by the university.
She has been ordered to complete training, and submit her syllabi for the coming school year to her department head.
The university document, obtained by the paper, states: 'Please note that this is to be considered a formal reprimand for your actions.
'A copy of this letter will be placed in your permanent records. It is also understood that any other violations of UC policy may be subject to further disciplinary actions up to and including termination.
'You are reminded that as an unrepresented, unclassified 'at will' employee your employment may be terminated with or without cause.'
The letter also demanded that 'you must complete training on the requirements of the Campus Free Speech Policy' and that she 'submit all syllabi' for review and approval 'at least two weeks prior to the beginning of classes.'
Nipper remained defiant, insisting that she was correct in her marking of Krolczyk's paper
Meanwhile, Krolczyk told The Post this week the grades related to this specific project were worth half of her total grade for the class,
She told them that 'my restriction on harmful speech' was 'necessary to ensure a safe learning environment in the course discussions and for the pedagogical purpose of teaching introductory WGSS theory.'
She said she teaches from a 'intersectional, 4th wave, and transnational feminist perspective,' and argued that the student's chosen topic for her project was 'inappropriate as it targeted trans women as a source of oppression for cis women in sports.'
Nipper added: 'I felt it was necessary to educate her regarding inclusive language to ensure a safe learning environment for other students in the course discussion boards.'
Nipper had previously defended her marking to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
She said her support of free speech ends when 'you are, intentionally or unintentionally, participating in a systemic harm of some kind,' - including statements she deems transphobic or racist.
She said her marking of Krolczyk's paper was fair. 'Not a zero for the course, a zero for an assignment,' she explained.
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Uni of Melbourne VC slams balaclava-wearing transgender activists over campus vandalism
University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell has slammed “disgraceful” campus vandalism by balaclava-wearing pro-transgender activists – who were apparently targeting outspoken feminist philosopher Holly Lawford-Smith – and has referred the matter to police.
In a hard-hitting statement sent to the university’s staff on Friday afternoon, Mr Maskell warned: “The type of criminal behaviour seen last night has the potential to incite further physical and psychological harassment, endangering people’s well-being and safety, and it needs to stop right now.’’
The Australian understands that around midnight on Thursday, two activists smashed windows and sprayed graffiti with words to the effect “Trans – we are not safe’’ across the university’s Sidney Myer Asia Centre Building in Swanston Street in inner Melbourne.
Mr Maskell said: “Two individuals were caught on CCTV purposefully damaging university property and putting up graffiti pertaining to transgender issues. This activity follows the distribution of material on our campuses and social media platforms recently that seeks to vilify individual members of our community. This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and stands in direct opposition to the values we hold as a university.
“Let me be unequivocally clear – such intentional acts of damage, violence or vilification against others will not be tolerated. Resorting to violence and causing damage on our campuses is disgraceful.’’
The vandalism occurred as the university prepares to post security guards outside feminist philosophy lectures by gender critical feminist and University of Melbourne associate professor, Holly Lawford-Smith, which start next week. Security guards were requested by Ms Lawford-Smith – who believes that biological sex is more important than gender identity – after she and her students were subjected to what she calls an “authoritarian” and “gross” boycott by self-described transphobia activists.
These activists urged students to boycott Ms Lawford-Smith’s lectures, and they put up posters around campus declaring, “Only a fascist takes feminism”, “Are you on the side of fascists?’’ and “Our demands: Transphobes and Nazis off campus”.
The attempted boycott, by an anonymous group called Fight Transphobia UniMelb, followed Ms Lawford-Smith’s attendance at the recent Melbourne Let Women Speak rally that was gate-crashed by neo-Nazis. After that rally, she was twice investigated by Melbourne University, and cleared both times.
“I hate it,’’ the academic said of the campaign targeting her students. “It’s really inappropriate. It should never have gone beyond me … It’s really unfair on them. They shouldn’t have to be fearful about ideas at any university. It’s just so authoritarian and gross.’’ She said “this is the first time they (activists) have targeted other students’’ and revealed that in 2021, activists targeted tutors teaching her courses.
The philosopher, who was overseas when the vandalism occurred, earlier lodged a formal complaint with WorkSafe Victoria, alleging that Melbourne University has failed to uphold academic freedom and provide her with a safe work environment.
She said her intensive feminism course, which runs for three weeks, mostly deals with disagreements within second-wave feminism over issues such as prostitution, beauty and “sex abolitionism versus gender abolitionism’’. “There is one lecture called trans/gender and that’s on whether gender identity should replace sex for all purposes,’’ she said. She said she looks at the question of gender identity “from both sides” in the course, adding: “In general you don’t ever teach from your perspective.’’
One of Ms Lawford-Smith’s students, who did not want to be named, said posters labelling those who take the feminist philosophy class as “fascists” were “certainly defamatory; a sort of targeted reputational attrition, or smear campaign’’. This student was both relieved and dumbfounded at “the sheer absurdity of this escapade having come to a point of a class teaching feminism requiring security’’.
Another feminism student said: “(It) strikes me as rather ironic that the group which advocates for respectfully addressing others according to the ways they identify … is so aggressive in labelling others (who presumably don’t identify as fascists).” When this student spoke to The Australian earlier this month, he said: “There are posters everywhere slandering Holly Lawford-Smith and her students … I think it’s great that the university is upholding its free speech value and not caving in to activist pressure. But I don’t think it’s done enough to defuse the hostility she’s faced.’’
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My other blogs: Main ones below
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)
http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs
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