Original Author:
Robert Cruickshank
There's a reason why a newspaper should not be making public policy on its own: their interest is in getting eyeballs and readers, not in providing policy tools that are actually useful.
At right is a short but very effective and informative video from Daniel Willingham, an education policy expert, explaining how the method used by the LA Times to evaluate teachers - known as "value-added measures" - is deeply flawed as a basis of comparing teacher effectiveness. The LA Times acknowledged these shortcomings in their Sunday article, but blew right past those concerns and used the flawed method of analysis anyway:
No one suggests using value-added analysis as the sole measure of a teacher.
Former President Jimmy Carter has earned a reputation of being brutally honest, particularly since he's left the White House.
He does nothing to diminish that reputation in this interview with NBC News:
That's right, white racism is at the core of much of the criticism of President Obama is racially motivated.
Let me put it another way, for many whites, President Obama is guilty of Presiding While Black (PWB). Clearly there is evidence that something is causing many of his opponents to become unhinged from reality. Think about all the claims believed about this president which have absolutely no basis in fact: Birthers. Tenthers. Socialized medicine. Hitler. Muslim (with the radical Christian minister). Death Panels.
It is no coincidence that older white people are the believers of these lies.
What could possibly be causing the people who believe these things to become so separated from reality? To be so willing to believe these lies?
Racism is Carter's answer. And mine.
I had to do it. Astroturf is too kind a word for the corporate front groups running anti- health insurance reform ads now. I had to find a different name. Astro was the dog on The Jetsons. Astroturf is a kind of artificial sports-field grass that makes for faster wide receivers. It's too kind of a reference. If you call it Scooby-Turf, people will be more able to understand you're talking about something that is cartoonishly mockable. These Scooby-Turf organizations are cartoonishly mockable. This morning I turned on the TV and was subjected to two sepearate front group's ads on NBC within about 5 minutes' time. The League of American Voters and ResponsibleHealthReform.org.Are these my neighbors that are opposed to fixing our broken health care system? Are my neighbors against health coverage for everyone? Are my neighbors against a public option?No. These are not your neighbors in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Devils Lake, Williston, Dickinson, Jamestown, Mandan or Bismarck. These are not anybody's neighbors. These are entities that don't have a beating heart or a mind or a conscience. These are evil, shadowy corporate front groups. It's hard to say who The League of American Voters (LAV) is because they aren't only very evil, but they're also very secretive. What can I tell you about LAV?
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