Times Editorial - Wrong Again
I don't know why I even bother, but here is another misguided editorial on education from the Seattle Times.
Tuesday Open Thread
The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested. It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio. (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Comments
Oh, so the passage of 1240 is a mandate and yet there were barely 40,000 votes between yes and no.
And yet, the overwhelming wins by McAuliffe and Tomiko-Santos are NOT mandates for their voters wanted?
Oh Times, you and your less-than-cogent thinking.
And you want more bi-partisan leaders? Like Rodney Tom who cannot figure out if he is a Dem or Rep (and note to the Senator - you may find yourself in a very lonely place when NO one in the joint trusts you).
"voters’ embrace of charter schools" Really? A victory by a margin of 50.7% to 49.3% thanks to outspending the other side 17:1 constitutes an "embrace" to you? It makes me sad to think of the kind of embraces you must be getting at home."
I got so depressed when I started to read yet another pro-charter editorial, because I thought, OMG, what's worse than 1240 passing? Years of pro-charter editorials? Aaack.
And then I read Charlie's comment, and frankly, it almost makes it tolerable.
"It makes me sad to think of the kind of embraces you must be getting at home."
So snarky but so well deserved.
Laugh of the week for me. Can't stop laughing.
Molly
Quite funny to hear them complain of one candidate being outspent by the challenger - by a lot - and STILL not winning.
And yet, there is Exhibit A, I-1240, right in front of them.
SolvayGirl
Charlie's quote- "It makes me sad to think of the kind of embraces you must be getting at home."-should go down in history!
A reasonable person would look at such a result and think, huh, charters aren't the answer. Now what? But the Times, and their ilk, will never be able to believe that they might have been wrong. This same denial of reality is widespread in public policy of all sorts, and is a mixture of baffling and frustrating.
The problem with this kind of "thinking" is that the "answer", in this case charter schools, is decided upon without actually considering what the question really is. It is a purported "solution" without consideration to what the nature of the problem might really be.
Lack of critical thinking? Check.
Advocacy for a political position? Check.
Attack anyone that questions your position because they are "supporters of the status quo"? Check.
Lame. Really. Lame. Check!
Oompah