No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Mastermind of the Obama administration's "Race to the Top" education reform program, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has received mixed reviews on his performance at his day job. Even National Review occasionally has some nice things to say about him.
But at his side gig as an Obama attack dog and propagandist, the Education Secretary doesn't quite make the grade. In an interview with Bloomberg Television's Al Hunt, Duncan explained that "Texas has really struggled" under Gov. Perry's watch.
I feel very, very badly for the children there. Texas may have...the lowest high school graduation rate in the country. Far too few of their high school graduates are prepared to go on to college. You've seen massive increases in class size, you've seen cutbacks in funding...It doesn't serve the children well, it doesn't serve the state well, it doesn't serve the state's economy well, and ultimately it doesn't serve the country well.
But how do Texas schools measure up to those of the old stomping grounds of former head of Chicago schools Arne Duncan? Well let's just say that if Duncan feels "very, very badly" for the children of Texas, he should feel "very, very, very badly" for the children of Chicago. Andrew Rotherham writing at Time elaborates.
When I asked Duncan about this dire assessment in an interview...the former head of the Chicago school system was light on specifics:
"Texas has challenges. The record speaks for itself. Lots of other states have challenges too. But there is a lot of hard work that needs to be done in Texas and a lot of children who need a chance to get a great education."
But what about the fact, I responded, that on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Texas' fourth- and eighth-graders substantially outperformed their peers in Chicago in reading and math?
"I would have to look at all the details, but there are real challenges in Texas. And like every other state, they should be addressed openly and honestly as in Illinois, as in Chicago, and everywhere else."
Confused? Me too, and I do this for a living. Overall, Texas students scored right around the national averages in reading and math on the NAEP. And according to an Aug. 17 report by the group that administers the ACT college-admissions exam, Texas high school graduates only narrowly trail national averages for college readiness. True, the national averages aren't great, but Texas is right there with the pack. So why is Duncan dissing the Lone Star State? Its minority students outperform minority students in Chicago, albeit by smaller margins. And with a high school graduation rate of about 73%, Texas may be slightly below the national average, but it's doing a lot better than Chicago, which only graduates about 56% of its students.
Of all people, the Secretary of Education should know that to be at all credible, he has to do his homework.
(Photo Credit: Scott Olson/Getty)
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May '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
This administration really does hate Texas.
But that's ok — we don't like him either.
Apr '11
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
This analysis was done after the whole Krugman, TX, Walker, WI thing but is very enlightening.
Edited on Aug 19, 2011 at 2:34pmDec '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
I received all of my public education in Texas. I went to school in wealthy districts (Midland, home of W!) and poor districts (south side of San Antonio.) The difference in facilities and materials was pretty shocking. However, I had teachers in each that inspired me to exercise my gifts, pled with me to just give the 10% required for an A, and challenged me to overcome my laziness and excel. It was the individual teachers that made the difference, not materials they had to work with (me being the rawest of those materials.) Any system that frees teachers to do what their hearts truly desire (which is to inspire, plead, and cajole students to excellence) is a system that will achieve the nation's goals in education. Any system that binds them hand and foot to liberal fantasies will fail.
Edited on Aug 19, 2011 at 2:46pmMar '11
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
The King Prawn: I received all of my public education in Texas. I went to school in wealthy districts (Midland, home of W!) and poor districts (south side of San Antonio.) The difference in facilities and materials was pretty shocking. However, I had teachers in each that inspired me to exercise my gifts, pled with me to just give the 10% required for an A, and challenged me to overcome my laziness and excel. It was the individual teachers that made the difference, not materials they had to work with (me being the rawest of those materials.) Any system that frees teachers to do what their hearts truly desire (which is to inspire, plead, and cajole students to excellence) is a system that will achieve the nation's goals in education. Any system that binds them hand and foot to liberal fantasies will fail. · Aug 19 at 2:45pm
Edited on Aug 19 at 02:46 pm
That is the best description of a good v. poor education I have heard in some time, thanks.
Edited on Aug 19, 2011 at 2:54pmDec '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Arne Duncan passed his establishment education homework with flying colors, Diane.
Texas Republicans = evil;
Chicago Democrats = good.
All liberals ever need to know they learned in kindergarten.
Dec '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Arne Duncan didn't leave behind a legacy of school-age children with much common sense, respect for others, or marksmanship skills.
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
When Duncan laments the state of the education system in Texas, I wonder whether or not he's taking into account the huge percentage of the student population that are English-language learners. ELL students lag far behind their native English-speaker counterparts, so naturally a state with lots of ELLs in its school system isn't going to perform quite as well on its standardized tests.
Dec '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
No one had a problem?
We just accepted that he was the worst, ever, both at home and in D.C., and knew the whole Obama team had to be stopped!
Jul '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Diane, Duncan ain't taking nothing into account, he's simply lying. Take a gander at the analysis ctruppi provided.
May '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Let me reemphasize ctruppi's comment. Anyone who is actually interested in educational performance instead of political games must look at the data. It's "common knowledge" that Wisconsin schools are excellent ("ranked 2nd in the country") while Texas schools are terrible (47th). But if you look at the data, you discover that summary statistics can be terribly misleading. Texas schools are doing just fine, thank you.
Edited on Aug 19, 2011 at 4:44pmJun '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Moral of the story...read the NY Times and stay stupid.
Sep '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Agreed. But a student has to be interested in learning for the connection to spark. As much as I dislike the teachers' unions, I don't think teaching is the problem in public education; it's students who come unprepared and whose parents expect nothing of them.
Give Me Liberty
The King Prawn: It was the individual teachers that made the difference, not materials they had to work with (me being the rawest of those materials.) Any system that frees teachers to do what their hearts truly desire (which is to inspire, plead, and cajole students to excellence) is a system that will achieve the nation's goals in education. Any system that binds them hand and foot to liberal fantasies will fail. · Aug 19 at 2:45pm
Edited on Aug 19 at 02:46 pm
That is the best description of a good v. poor education I have heard in some time, thanks. · Aug 19 at 2:53pm
Edited on Aug 19 at 02:54 pm
Aug '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Of all people, the Secretary of Education should know that to be at all credible, he has to do his homework.
(Photo Credit: Scott Olson/Getty) ·
In his day job, sure. But in his real job of attack dog he and his are still oblivious to the fact that Obama's abysmal performance has changed the rules of the game.
In show business the has-been never leaves the business, the business leaves him and he never realizes it. That's where these guys are headed.
There are more than a few reporters and talking heads out there who are no longer conflicted about doing their jobs.
In the past they were like Belushi in Animal House wheeling the drunk girl home in the shopping cart.
The angel on one shoulder is saying "stay right with the One, He needs you now more then ever", but the devil-shark on the other smells blood and needs to join the frenzy.
Most of his lackeys cannot conceive of the press giving in to their baser instincts and pushing back on them.
I hope they have to get used to it.
Edited on Aug 19, 2011 at 7:18pmOct '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Mark Wilson
Edited on Aug 19 at 04:44 pm
Aug 19 at 4:41pm
Or, looking at it from another way, if Texas' population is as white as Wisconsin's, it'd rank higher in education than WI.
Or, if Wisconsin's student population is as "brown" as Texas, Texas still wins.
Edited on Aug 19, 2011 at 8:15pmSep '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
If Obama is responsible for the economy in Texas, then it's his fault that the schools suck as well. Right?
Oct '10
Re: No One Had a Problem with You, Arne, Until You Messed with Texas
Another important point often lost (and I know this from firsthand experience) is that many districts in Texas have very large populations of Mexican students whose first language is not English, many of them barely speak English at all. Most of these students learn English end graduate, but it definitely affects test scores and graduation rates.
Mark Wilson
Aug 19 at 4:41pm