When taxation, arrogance and government interference reach critical mass, the public will push back. There is a time when, as in the classic Western, the hero says, “By God, that’s enough”. Is this what the Tea Party in the US represents? I can fervently hope.
The firing of all the teachers in a poorly performing Central Falls High School in Rhode Island will not work for a number of reasons.
1). It never has before. That’s a prediction based on the past, but what is the failure based on? The failure is based on lack of proper methods, but what is the lack of proper methods based on? This could be an infinite regress, but the lack of everything is based on, wait for it, the lack of proper incentives.
2). There is no big (or small) Box of Capable which may be opened when necessary to solve the kind of intractable problem presented by the test scores of this school. The teachers are not refusing to open it and consequently, deserve to be fired for their stubbornness.
3). There is no point in blaming the actors for the actions when almost anyone would act the same way in the same circumstances.
4). The “reform” effort is based on spending more time with the children. This only works when there is a “dose-response” curve where more input produces more output. In this case, this is so doubtful that it can be ruled out. If your efforts are failing, redoubling them won’t work.
5). Unless teaching methods are drastically changed, results will not change. Something about the Law of Causation. I don’t know, this Law could be a fad.
Cheerio and ttfn,
Grant Coulson
Cui Bono–Cherchez les Contingencies
