Do not think about, write about or deal with human behavior without determining the effects of incentives.
I revisited the Central Fall situation today. Central Falls is a high school in Rhode Island in which all the teaching and support staff have been “fired” because of non-improving test scores.
I found this video of one of the staff discussing the situation. Notice there is little about academic achievement, but a lot about union activity. Again, the problem is not the lack of learning, but how to keep people employed.
Some of the quotes:
“If Jimmy doesn’t do good (sic) on a test…We wonder what’s going on with Jimmy that day.” I doubt if it’s just that day.
“The children loved Obama.” Of course they did.
“I think they have an agenda. I think it’s union bashing.” Yah, that’s it.
I know of many people, myself included, who could turn that school around in three months. Speaking for myself, I would not do it because of the constraints imposed by the government bureaucracy such as the curriculum, seniority and union rules which would render any attempt bootless. If you can’t control the incentives of the teachers, you don’t have a chance. Central Falls students don’t have a chance.
Cheerio and ttfn,
Grant Coulson
Cui Bono–Cherchez les Contingencies
