Jason Stanford is a political columnist in Austin, Texas.
He has become very interested in education issues, in part because he has children, but also because the politics and money swirling around education in Texas is complex and endlessly fascinating (this is the state where the obsession with standardized testing started; this is the state that awarded Pearson a five-year contract for $500 million even as it was cutting public education by $5 Billion; this is the state where members of both parties recently decided that there was too much testing and rolled back many of the exams).
Stanford noticed the odd tweets by Congressman Jared Polis, in which he called me an “evil woman” but also “very sweet,” yet still evil.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Diane,
May I have permission to use copies ofsome of your posts (not copies of the pieces that are linked) in a presentation I am doing at the TASB/TASA State Conference this week? Sorry, but I didn’t know how else to contact you. The presentation will be my first attempt at informing people about the dangers of school reform.
Thank you,
Ben Carson
Yes, Ben, of course.
I’m very pleased to see Ben Carson undertake informing his audience about the dangers of school reform, as he put it.
A healthy public school system that provides equal opportunity for children is not a liberal or a conservative thing: It’s the right thing.
Dr. Carson, if you are reading this comment, this is indeed the civil rights issue of our time. As a fellow conservative entering my third decade as a teacher, I cannot express how encouraging it is to read about your interest in this matter.
Godspeed!
Ben,
Please use what I post about the complete invalidity of educational standards, standardized testing and the grading of students. Read, understand what Noel Wilson has to say and jump on the Quixotic Quest Bandwagon to sow far and wide his never refuted nor rebutted: “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” found at: http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/577/700
Brief outline of Wilson’s “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error” and some comments of mine. (updated 6/24/13 per Wilson email)
1. A quality cannot be quantified. Quantity is a sub-category of quality. It is illogical to judge/assess a whole category by only a part (sub-category) of the whole. The assessment is, by definition, lacking in the sense that “assessments are always of multidimensional qualities. To quantify them as one dimensional quantities (numbers or grades) is to perpetuate a fundamental logical error” (per Wilson). The teaching and learning process falls in the logical realm of aesthetics/qualities of human interactions. In attempting to quantify educational standards and standardized testing we are lacking much information about said interactions.
2. A major epistemological mistake is that we attach, with great importance, the “score” of the student, not only onto the student but also, by extension, the teacher, school and district. Any description of a testing event is only a description of an interaction, that of the student and the testing device at a given time and place. The only correct logical thing that we can attempt to do is to describe that interaction (how accurately or not is a whole other story). That description cannot, by logical thought, be “assigned/attached” to the student as it cannot be a description of the student but the interaction. And this error is probably one of the most egregious “errors” that occur with standardized testing (and even the “grading” of students by a teacher).
3. Wilson identifies four “frames of reference” each with distinct assumptions (epistemological basis) about the assessment process from which the “assessor” views the interactions of the teaching and learning process: the Judge (think college professor who “knows” the students capabilities and grades them accordingly), the General Frame-think standardized testing that claims to have a “scientific” basis, the Specific Frame-think of learning by objective like computer based learning, getting a correct answer before moving on to the next screen, and the Responsive Frame-think of an apprenticeship in a trade or a medical residency program where the learner interacts with the “teacher” with constant feedback. Each category has its own sources of error and more error in the process is caused when the assessor confuses and conflates the categories.
4. Wilson elucidates the notion of “error”: “Error is predicated on a notion of perfection; to allocate error is to imply what is without error; to know error it is necessary to determine what is true. And what is true is determined by what we define as true, theoretically by the assumptions of our epistemology, practically by the events and non-events, the discourses and silences, the world of surfaces and their interactions and interpretations; in short, the practices that permeate the field. . . Error is the uncertainty dimension of the statement; error is the band within which chaos reigns, in which anything can happen. Error comprises all of those eventful circumstances which make the assessment statement less than perfectly precise, the measure less than perfectly accurate, the rank order less than perfectly stable, the standard and its measurement less than absolute, and the communication of its truth less than impeccable.”
In other word all the logical errors involved in the process render any conclusions invalid.
5. The test makers/psychometricians, through all sorts of mathematical machinations attempt to “prove” that these tests (based on standards) are valid-errorless or supposedly at least with minimal error [they aren’t]. Wilson turns the concept of validity on its head and focuses on just how invalid the machinations and the test and results are. He is an advocate for the test taker not the test maker. In doing so he identifies thirteen sources of “error”, any one of which renders the test making/giving/disseminating of results invalid. As a basic logical premise is that once something is shown to be invalid it is just that, invalid, and no amount of “fudging” by the psychometricians/test makers can alleviate that invalidity.
6. Having shown the invalidity, and therefore the unreliability, of the whole process Wilson concludes, rightly so, that any result/information gleaned from the process is “vain and illusory”. In other words start with an invalidity, end with an invalidity (except by sheer chance every once in a while, like a blind and anosmic squirrel who finds the occasional acorn, a result may be “true”) or to put in more mundane terms crap in-crap out.
7. And so what does this all mean? I’ll let Wilson have the second to last word: “So what does a test measure in our world? It measures what the person with the power to pay for the test says it measures. And the person who sets the test will name the test what the person who pays for the test wants the test to be named.”
In other words it measures “’something’ and we can specify some of the ‘errors’ in that ‘something’ but still don’t know [precisely] what the ‘something’ is.” The whole process harms many students as the social rewards for some are not available to others who “don’t make the grade (sic)” Should American public education have the function of sorting and separating students so that some may receive greater benefits than others, especially considering that the sorting and separating devices, educational standards and standardized testing, are so flawed not only in concept but in execution?
My answer is NO!!!!!
One final note with Wilson channeling Foucault and his concept of subjectivization:
“So the mark [grade/test score] becomes part of the story about yourself and with sufficient repetitions becomes true: true because those who know, those in authority, say it is true; true because the society in which you live legitimates this authority; true because your cultural habitus makes it difficult for you to perceive, conceive and integrate those aspects of your experience that contradict the story; true because in acting out your story, which now includes the mark and its meaning, the social truth that created it is confirmed; true because if your mark is high you are consistently rewarded, so that your voice becomes a voice of authority in the power-knowledge discourses that reproduce the structure that helped to produce you; true because if your mark is low your voice becomes muted and confirms your lower position in the social hierarchy; true finally because that success or failure confirms that mark that implicitly predicted the now self evident consequences. And so the circle is complete.”
In other words students “internalize” what those “marks” (grades/test scores) mean, and since the vast majority of the students have not developed the mental skills to counteract what the “authorities” say, they accept as “natural and normal” that “story/description” of them. Although paradoxical in a sense, the “I’m an “A” student” is almost as harmful as “I’m an ‘F’ student” in hindering students becoming independent, critical and free thinkers. And having independent, critical and free thinkers is a threat to the current socio-economic structure of society.
Or this:
Doing the Wrong Thing Righter
The proliferation of educational assessments, evaluations and canned programs belongs in the category of what systems theorist Russ Ackoff describes as “doing the wrong thing righter. The righter we do the wrong thing,” he explains, “the wronger we become. When we make a mistake doing the wrong thing and correct it, we become wronger. When we make a mistake doing the right thing and correct it, we become righter. Therefore, it is better to do the right thing wrong than the wrong thing right.”
Our current neglect of instructional issues are the result of assessment policies that waste resources to do the wrong things, e.g., canned curriculum and standardized testing, right. Instructional central planning and student control doesn’t – can’t – work. But, that never stops people trying.
The result is that each effort to control the uncontrollable does further damage, provoking more efforts to get things in order. So the function of management/administration becomes control rather than creation of resources. When Peter Drucker lamented that so much of management consists in making it difficult for people to work, he meant it literally. Inherent in obsessive command and control is the assumption that human beings can’t be trusted on their own to do what’s needed. Hierarchy and tight supervision are required to tell them what to do. So, fear-driven, hierarchical organizations turn people into untrustworthy opportunists. Doing the right thing instructionally requires less centralized assessment, less emphasis on evaluation and less fussy interference, not more. The way to improve controls is to eliminate most and reduce all.
Former Green Beret Master Sergeant Donald Duncan (Viet Nam) did when he noted in Sir! No Sir! that:
“I was doing it right but I wasn’t doing right.”
And from one of America’s premier writers:
“The mass of men [and women] serves the state [education powers that be] thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailors, constables, posse comitatus, [administrators and teachers], etc. In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt.”- Henry David Thoreau [1817-1862], American author and philosopher
“She’s the heretic who says Earth revolves around the sun”
This science teacher just LOVES that sentence.
Keep speaking the truth Diane.
I emailed a similar response to Mr. Stanford and asked that he post it in response to his piece:
The piece by Mr. Stanford is a bizarre defamation of me and my beliefs. Improving our schools is my passion and the main reason that I am in public service. I served six years on the Colorado State Board of Education and ran because I was sick and tired of teachers being vilified. Educators are the champions on the frontline every day and when I started serving on our State Board of Education in 2000 they were being demonized by our Republican then-governor’s policies.
After serving on the State Board of Education for several years, I saw unmet needs for our new immigrant population and among homeless youth, so I founded two charter schools which both continue to operate, Academy of Urban Learning and New America School. New America School works with 15-21 year old English language learners. Academy of Urban Learning works with at-risk youth, dropouts, homeless youth, and youth in transitional housing. I served as Superintendent of New America School for two years and left to run for Congress because I believe that we need to replace No Child Left Behind with a federal education policy that actually works. If I hadn’t run for Congress I would likely still be working in public education.
I have met many other charter school founders and teachers and haven’t met any who believe that charter schools are some silver bullet that “fixes” public education. They play an important role in serving at-risk youth, for instance most of the New America School students wouldn’t be in school at all if it wasn’t for New America School.
I continue to champion our public schools in Congress. I serve on the Education and Workforce Committee and if you look through most of my bills that I am the lead sponsor on they relate to education. Whether it is fully funding special education, improving computer science education, or improving literacy programs, I spend most of my time in Congress advocating for kids.
I strongly disagree with setting some public schools against others. I believe that we all need to get along and not sow dissent. Whether a public school is run by a district, a state, or its own board shouldn’t matter. I support ALL teachers and will continue to oppose efforts to set some public schools against other public schools. We are all in this together and we need to support our teachers and ensure that all children have access to a quality public education.
Yours in solidarity,
Jared Polis
I have met many members of Congress and the Senate over the years.
I have never met anyone as arrogant and rude as Jared Polis.
When I met with the Democratic members of the House Education Committee in 2010 to talk about my book—there I was, a former member of the George H.W. Bush administration, admitting that NCLB was a failure, that the Republican agenda of testing, accountability, and choice was wrong, that the Democratic agenda of equity was far better–Mr. Polis was unspeakably rude. After my 15 minute summary, he threw his copy of my book across the table and called it “trash.” He said he wanted his money back. I was stunned. I had never encountered such behavior in the halls of Congress, or anywhere else for that matter. Another member of Congress reached into his wallet and gave him $20, or whatever the amount was. He then berated me.
A few days ago, apparently outraged that Randi Weingarten retweeted Deborah Meier’s review of my new book–which I can safely assume he has not read–he tweeted that I am an “evil woman,” doing “harm to public schools,” and likened me to the Koch brothers. He later deleted his initial tweet, but has continued to write insulting tweets to me.
I know that I cannot compete with Mr. Polis in terms of money–he is said to be a billionaire, or close to it, having sold his family greeting card business for $780 million and then sold “Proflowers” for many more millions.
But I did learn one important thing from my family: manners. Jared Polis has no manners.
And I learned a few other things while earning a Ph.D. in the history of American education at Columbia University: free public education is a pillar of a democratic society. Mr. Polis, having founded two charter schools, thinks that public schools are inferior to charter schools. He does not defend or protect them in Congress. He is a champion for charter schools and privatization.
I welcome him to express his views, as my blog is open to all, even those I disagree with, so long as they are civil. When people disagree with me, I do not call them “evil.” I do not insult them. I wish I could say the same for him. He should grow up.
Diane
Diane – I think Jared’s response deserves a post of its own. Not only so that he can’t say he didn’t get equal time, but so that everyone will be sure to see what a hollow, fluffy, answerless, answer it is. I don’t think a lot of people are still reading this thread.
Thank you for the invitation to continue posting on your forum. I will continue to do so not only in response to the defamation of my character and beliefs, but also in response to some of your ill-informed attacks on public schools and their teachers.
Charter schools are public schools. Their teachers are public school teachers. Dividing public schools and public schools teachers against one another is not in the interests of public education nor of the children we serve.
Site-based governance is neither the problem nor the answer. It’s simply a tool that some public schools use to better address the learning needs of their students.
I don’t recall calling your last book “trash,” but I do recall asking for a refund and being very glad that one of my friends gave me one.
Jared Polis
Jared,
I know this will be painful for you to hear, and it might send you into another temper tantrum, but charter schools have gone to federal courts and the NLRB to insist that they are NOT public schools. They do not want to be subject to state labor laws. They do not want collective bargaining. They insist they are private corporations with contracts to manage schools for the state. They say they are PRIVATE, not public. The federal appeals court in California ruled they are private, as did the NLRB.
Calm down. Take a deep breath. Do not reply until you have counted to ten.
If charter schools are public schools, why are they the first to claim not to be public schools when it comes to the way they treat their teachers? And what about the labor ruling that specifically says they’re not public schools?
BTW, is Boeing “public” because it gets public money?
Dienne,
Harvard gets public money, and last I heard, it is private.
BTW, Jared, if you’re worried about your reputation, you might want to check out Jersey Jazzman’s blog. He’s got your number.
So no defense or retraction of your statement calling Diane “evil”?
BTW, you can’t claim to support teachers at the same time you try to destroy their unions.
“bizarre defamation”
pot, kettle, black
so the guy who tweets that Diane Ravitch is “evil” and has no explanation for that, then posts this at the end of his comment after his “bizarre defamation” claim?
We are all in this together and we need to support our teachers and ensure that all children have access to a quality public education.
Yours in solidarity,
‘scuse me but my head is spinning– and he’s a Democrat– great.
maybe Jared Polis is trying to get invited to speak at Education Nation, NBC’s big PropFest in a couple weeks. Some action on his FB page– what a proud Dem is he.
Hummmm, initially I read that as “NBC’s big PoopFest”.
How, specifically, does Polis “support public education”?
What has he done to support or strengthen existing public schools? I don’t think this is a difficult question, yet Democrats who call themselves ed reformers can’t seem to answer it.
Is there a public school parent in this country who believes their local public school is stronger or better as a result of reform? I’ve never met one, but admittedly I meet far fewer people than a House member.
That’s the measure.
We were told they would improve existing public schools. It’s been more than a decade now.
Which existing public schools or districts are better as a result of school closures, increased standardized testing, competition from “choice”, replacing career teachers with temps, privatized and for-profit schools, cybercharters, etc. After more than a decade, “data-driven” people should be able to point to successes in those public schools that existed prior to last decade of market-driven reform. If they can’t do that, they’re not “supporting” public schools.
I think they’ve done actual harm, to my district anyway. I haven’t seen a single benefit to kids here. It’s all downside for our kids.
As far as I can tell, the single new idea that came from “no excuses” charters (besides a really loony obsession with standardized testing) that my son’s public school has adopted is rewarding and punishing the kids with play money.
State-wide we got a new letter school grading system (which replaced the school grading system we paid for 5 years ago) and teacher assessment based on more and longer testing and test prep for my kid.
I paid billions of dollars in state and federal subsidies to reformers for a loony reliance on standardized testing and a reward/punishment system based on play money? I don’t think either of those things benefits him.
Maybe Mr. Polis could tell me how existing public schools have improved, specifically.
Come on Chiara, lets’ not get uppity with a member of the upper class. We proles need to accept gladly whatever little bit we earn, oops I mean pry from their sticky (double entendre intended) hands.
His Tweets are so vague. He should have a list of what his “fierce advocacy” for public schools has accomplished.
Can he point to an existing public school in his district that he has benefitted as a result of “reform”? If he can’t, then he’s not improving “public schools”.
I love how they’re backing off market competition, too. I was told public schools were monopolies and the charter chains would improve public schools because they would have to compete. Now his accusation is Ms. Ravitch is pitting one school system against another.
That’s what markets do. Did he not understand that part? They SOLD that. Now it’s horrible and shameful?
Okay, then he was duped by conservatives, and he should re-examine his lock-step support of their theory. They played him. He got rolled. Time to admit that. Whatever he intended to do, he failed. He should stop harming public schools while he figures that out.
posted to this guy’s FB: hey Jared is Diane Ravitch evil for pointing out this story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about how bogus so many standardized tests are, you know the ones my kids have to take and schools are closed and teachers are fired over?
http://bit.ly/15lpA8r Just wondering your perspective since you are a Congressman and have such strong opinions on education reform . . .
He’s a Democrat? Now, that’s embarrassing, but just another indicator that plutocrats run both parties.
You know what I’m waiting for? A “liberal” reformer who says “this is what I have learned from public schools, over the last decade”.
I don’t know why this only works one way. Public schools can only learn from charter schools. Reformers have nothing to learn from public schools.
I think that’s a REAL “tell” as far as arrogance and disrespect.
Much innovation and real reform is occurring in district-run public schools. For instance in Colorado the STEM Academies of Adams-12 starting with one middle school and expanding, or the small schools initiative of Mapleton School District. True reformers point to innovation and excellence wherever it occurs in our public schools.
The Mapleton Schools small schools project, instituted by former TFA “reformer” Colorado state senator Michael Johnston, hasn’t worked, if we all agree we’re supposed to use test scores as evidence. Congressman Polis, you’ve strongly supported Race to the Top, which not only emphasizes test scores, it provided the blueprint for Sen. Johnston’s Colorado 2010 bill that mandated teacher evaluations be tied–50%–to those test scores, the most extreme bill in the country. Now, you want to say that because scores at your charter are low, they don’t count. You can’t have it both ways.
Speaking of Federal Education policy, the US Department of Ed. is seeking public comments on their strategic plan for FYs 2014-2018. I feel as though some of you here might have opinions regarding the Department and their strategies:
http://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/09/achieving-excellence-and-equity-the-u-s-department-of-educations-strategic-plan-released-for-public-comment/
If one detests unions, one is not progressive, by definition. Polis should own up to this.
(Supporting gay rights when you’re gay is what’s called convenient, not progressive. Note: I’m gay.)
I hope that Mr. Polis reads this challenge or that it is otherwise made known to him. Mr. Polis, it’s time to defend your allegations or issue an apology. You have made these statements about Diane Ravitch: “is doing such harm to public education” and “Can’t think of anybody else who has caused more harm to public schools, except maybe Koch brothers” and “her theories are causing great harm to public schools” You said these things as if they were statements of fact, not just your opinion, and I caution you that claiming them to only be your opinion is not grounds to avoid the issue. Mr. Polis, either describe in detail why your allegations are true by presenting your facts or apologize and issue a retraction. There is no middle ground here, no spin or dissembling will be tolerated. I and very many others await your direct and focused response to this challenge.