Saturday, September 25, 2004
WHY BUSH NEEDS TO BE REELECTED
If you have not read Bill Kristol's latest, do so now.
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Friday, September 24, 2004
CAN BUSH LOSE?
Some thoughts at the Spectator.
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Thursday, September 23, 2004
MYTHS THAT NEVER DIE?
Today while in the supermarket, I noticed on the cover of Vogue an article title to the effect of “Why Women Don’t Vote: And Why They Should.” Now, I didn’t read the article—I wouldn’t be caught dead buying an issue of Vogue, although the fetching picture of Charlize Theron on the cover was tempting.
Anyway, I can’t help but wonder if the article perpetuates the myth that men vote more than women. Yes, you read that right: It is a myth.
Check out this chart from the Census Bureau. More women have voted than men in every national election since 1984.
As for the second part of the title, “And Why They Should,” I can just imagine what Vogue suggested are the important issues for women. Guess it’s a really good thing that I won’t buy an the magazine.
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Wednesday, September 22, 2004
NEA, MORE OF THE SAME
The National Education Association, along with bunch of far-left groups, is launching a new campaign. It is laughingly called “Great Public Schools.” (Yeah, like the NEA would know what those are.). Tonight is the night when the “house parties” portion of the campaign will occur. These are policy prescriptions promoted by this campaign:
Children lacking health care or preschool. Outdated schools. Overcrowded classrooms. Teachers being laid off or forced out of the profession. College priced out of reach. And the underfunded federal education reforms are handing schools failing grades without the resources to succeed.
Let’s examine them one at a time:
Children lacking health care or preschool.
First, there are children who lack health insurance, not health care. Under federal law, no emergency room can refuse to treat a patient. Nevertheless, I am unaware of any major connection between health care and student performance. Indeed, if there was one, we should be seeing a considerable improvement in student performance in the last few years, given the expansion of the S-CHIP Medicaid program in most states.
Also, the data on preschool attendance and school performance is mixed. While there is some evidence that high-quality preschool helps middle class students, there is little evidence that Head Start has improved student performance. Furthermore, D.C. has universal preschool, and I don’t think I need to go into the disaster that is D.C. schools. Finally, do we really want government involved in providing preschool, given the job it has done with the higher grades?
Outdated schools.
Vague term. What does that mean? Nothing, other than it will conjure up visions of students learning in dilapidated schools.
Overcrowded classrooms.
Although there is some evidence that class size matters, some of it is suspect. But here is something to note. According to Department of Education statistics, the teacher-pupil ratio in 1960 was about 1:25, while by 2000 it had dropped to 1:12. Now, while teacher-pupil ratio is not the same as class-size, it would seem logical that more teachers would mean a reduction in class size. If so, then class size would seem to have little effect, given the poor performance of public schools since 1960. If not, then what is being done with all of those new teachers?
The fact is the NEA likes reducing class-size not because it has a lot to do with improving education, but because it means hiring more teachers. Which means more dues paying members for the NEA.
Teachers being laid off or forced out of the profession.
The reason is “why” are they being laid off or forced out? Perhaps because they are incompetent? The NEA in favor of retaining incompetent teachers? Nah, that can’t be right.
College priced out of reach.
What does that have to do with public schools? Does 6th-grader Johnny say, “You know, I would work hard in school, but college costs too much, so why bother?” If the average 6th-grader thinks of his future any further than the next Pokemon episode, it is news to me. The inclusion of this shows what this is all about for the NEA: Mo’ money, mo’ money, mo’ money!
And the underfunded federal education reforms are handing schools failing grades without the resources to succeed.
Sorry, but federal spending on schools is up 43% under the Bush Administration. If that is not a big enough increase for schools to succeed, then perhaps we need to try something other than public schools. Furthermore, America is in the top three internationally (and the top if secondary education is included) in what it spends on education. Again, if that is not enough, time to try something other than public schools.
The fact is if “Great Public Schools” succeeds in its policy aims, America will have the same lousy public schools that it has now.
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TRAITORS?
Wonder what Andrew Sullivan would think about this?
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NEED A PEN?
Think this was a happy marriage?
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OH, HOW I HATE POST MODERNISM!
To see what I’m talking about, go here.
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ESTATE TAX
Second breakfast has some good posts on the estate tax.
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Tuesday, September 21, 2004
I WONDER…
Heard El Rushbo read this column by James Carroll today on the radio. The whole thing is a joke, but this line in particular grabbed my attention. Regarding U.S. policy toward the Middle East, he writes:
To the mounting horror of the world, the United States of America is relentlessly bringing about the systematic destruction of a small, unthreatening nation for no good reason.
Hmmm…I wonder is this is a picture of Carroll?
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