Education
Part I in this series discussed how there is an important distinction between “tolerance” and “freedom.” Justin, in a subsequent email to me, described it this way: Tolerance asserts authority; freedom implies autonomy, perhaps even precedence. Part II in this series noted how both the role of religion in the public square of our society…
In a comment to the Part I posting, Joe Mahn writes: …From my simple perspective and I think in the context of the actual events of the time religious freedom meant that no State in the Union under the Constitution could force, by law, any citizen to participate in, confess, or otherwise practice any particular…
Do we believe in reason and the ability to distinguish between right and wrong? Do we believe in and teach the uniqueness of our Western Civilization tradition? Or, has the relativism of multiculturalism dumbed it all down to where there are no standards of excellence or truth discoverable by some combination of reason or faith?…
Do you remember how the teachers’ unions whined when the latest Education Partnership report came out? As they did with last year’s report, union officials called the study “an attack on teacher unions” and “an attempt to gut collective bargaining in Rhode Island.” Union officials also questioned why The Education Partnership did not include them…
Within the past week, my wife had to drop my niece off at Tiverton High School (of which town both we and my brother-in-law are relatively new residents), and she returned with this commentary: “That school is a dump. I hope they improve it before our children have to go there.” It is with that…
Jennifer D. Jordan of the Projo reports on yet another study showing Rhode Island not doing so well, the College Board’s yearly analysis of SAT Scores. Here are the New England states ranked by math scores… Massachusetts 524 New Hampshire 524Vermont 519National Average 518Connecticut 516Rhode Island 502 Maine 501…and by reading scores…New Hampshire 520Massachusetts 513…
Four recent postings by Justin and Andrew (here, here, here, and here) have brought us back to the important education policy debate. Many reader comments on their postings have raised a number of issues related to education in Rhode Island and beyond, including: teacher salaries, automatic salary step increases, merit pay, accountability, union contract terms,…
Four recent postings by Justin and Andrew (here, here, here, and here) have brought us back to the important education policy debate. Many reader comments on their postings have raised a number of issues related to education in Rhode Island and beyond, including: teacher salaries, automatic salary step increases, merit pay, accountability, union contract terms,…
Interesting point, Andrew: Starting Line eschews any serious discussion of education reforms — like public school choice or charter schools — that could be implemented in relatively short order in favor of advocating for large-scale social spending in non-educational areas, in a rejection of the idea that education reform should focus on education. The trap…
A major debate about education is underway in Rhode Island. The debate is bigger than just a debate about how to fix education; the debate is about the fundamental importance of education. One side in this great debate (see Julia Steiny or Valerie Forti for examples) begins from the premise that the best way to…
