Comments on: Duncan's first year http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/duncans-first-year/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:51:22 +0000 hourly 1 By: Mike in Texas http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/duncans-first-year/#comment-54592 Mike in Texas Sun, 24 Jan 2010 13:54:21 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=13125#comment-54592 Sorry but I disagree, "free market" is corporate slang for let's stick it to the masses. Does Enron ring a bell for any of you? Ever heard of a credit default swap? How about "rescission"? Are you familiar with outsourcing and overseas tax havens? THAT'S the kind of wonderful things this crowd has brought to our country, and now wish to spring upon our children. Sorry but I disagree, “free market” is corporate slang for let’s stick it to the masses.

Does Enron ring a bell for any of you?

Ever heard of a credit default swap?

How about “rescission”?

Are you familiar with outsourcing and overseas tax havens?

THAT’S the kind of wonderful things this crowd has brought to our country, and now wish to spring upon our children.

]]> By: Ben F http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/duncans-first-year/#comment-54591 Ben F Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:55:44 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=13125#comment-54591 Dave: Conservatives rarely acknowledge one very valuable upside of tenure: freedom of speech. I get to verbally challenge my superintendent's policies fearlessly (though I cannot disobey them). How many employees in the private sector can do this? I believe this is really salutary for the organization. It seems to me that many workers in the private realm are de facto serfs. Sure they have the freedom to leave --and serve as serf to another corporate lord. Dave:

Conservatives rarely acknowledge one very valuable upside of tenure: freedom of speech. I get to verbally challenge my superintendent’s policies fearlessly (though I cannot disobey them). How many employees in the private sector can do this? I believe this is really salutary for the organization. It seems to me that many workers in the private realm are de facto serfs. Sure they have the freedom to leave –and serve as serf to another corporate lord.

]]> By: Dave Greene http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/duncans-first-year/#comment-54590 Dave Greene Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:52:18 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=13125#comment-54590 Robert: i can't say I've followed Duncan closely. Your list looks very good to me though. If you're correct, I'm surprised that Diane Ravitch gave him a bad grade for ideas, because she usually makes sense to me. Ben F: Sure most teachers work hard, just like most of us in the private sector. My problem with the union is that they protect the incompetent teachers. Tenure demotivates in many ways. Mike in Texas: Momof4 is right on. When people say they want "free markets," it's short-hand for intelligent, minimal regulation. Which is exactly what we don't have in the world of education. Methinks you're being disingenuous. Robert: i can’t say I’ve followed Duncan closely. Your list looks very good to me though. If you’re correct, I’m surprised that Diane Ravitch gave him a bad grade for ideas, because she usually makes sense to me.

Ben F: Sure most teachers work hard, just like most of us in the private sector. My problem with the union is that they protect the incompetent teachers. Tenure demotivates in many ways.

Mike in Texas: Momof4 is right on. When people say they want “free markets,” it’s short-hand for intelligent, minimal regulation. Which is exactly what we don’t have in the world of education. Methinks you’re being disingenuous.

]]> By: momof4 http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/duncans-first-year/#comment-54589 momof4 Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:57:07 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=13125#comment-54589 Mike, it wasn't the unregulated free market that created the energy problems or the foreclosures and their impact on the banking world; thank government meddling. In the politicians' quest for "green" energy and the equality of outcomes according to race/ethnicity in the housing market, they closed off energy sources and pushed banks to make risky loans (or face discrimination charges). As far as the health insurance is concerned, your figure of 45 million includes those who could afford insurance and choose not to buy it, those who are temporarily without, those who qualify for Medicaid and have not applied and a large number (I've heard 11-12 million) illegal immigrants. The cost of insurance is driven upwards by government regulation - state mandates of what must be covered, no tort reform, no tax equalization between employer- and self-provided insurance and the inability to buy insurance across state lines, just as a start. Mike, it wasn’t the unregulated free market that created the energy problems or the foreclosures and their impact on the banking world; thank government meddling. In the politicians’ quest for “green” energy and the equality of outcomes according to race/ethnicity in the housing market, they closed off energy sources and pushed banks to make risky loans (or face discrimination charges). As far as the health insurance is concerned, your figure of 45 million includes those who could afford insurance and choose not to buy it, those who are temporarily without, those who qualify for Medicaid and have not applied and a large number (I’ve heard 11-12 million) illegal immigrants. The cost of insurance is driven upwards by government regulation – state mandates of what must be covered, no tort reform, no tax equalization between employer- and self-provided insurance and the inability to buy insurance across state lines, just as a start.

]]> By: Mike in Texas http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/duncans-first-year/#comment-54588 Mike in Texas Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:31:50 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=13125#comment-54588 Ahh the magical free market. It has brought us such wonderful things such as the manufactured California energy crisis, 45 million Americans with no healthcare insurance, millions of lost jobs and millions of foreclosed homes. But by all means, let's allow the man who did so poorly with Chicago public schools to continue wrecking the American public school system, in the name of the free market. Ahh the magical free market. It has brought us such wonderful things such as the manufactured California energy crisis, 45 million Americans with no healthcare insurance, millions of lost jobs and millions of foreclosed homes.

But by all means, let’s allow the man who did so poorly with Chicago public schools to continue wrecking the American public school system, in the name of the free market.

]]> By: Ben F http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/duncans-first-year/#comment-54587 Ben F Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:54:10 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=13125#comment-54587 Most union teachers already work like the dickens. Ergo, incentivizing them to work hard is dumb policy. Laziness is not the reason we lag. To Duncan: it's the curriculum, stupid. Take a minute from your busy schedule to see how India and Ireland produce so many sharp graduates. Most union teachers already work like the dickens. Ergo, incentivizing them to work hard is dumb policy. Laziness is not the reason we lag. To Duncan: it’s the curriculum, stupid. Take a minute from your busy schedule to see how India and Ireland produce so many sharp graduates.

]]> By: Robert Wright http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/duncans-first-year/#comment-54586 Robert Wright Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:39:19 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=13125#comment-54586 Duncan's ideas are good. He's standing up to the union, the most powerful impediment to change and consequently, progress. He insists that teacher pay be linked to performance. He supports charter schools and competition and he's for evaluation based more on results than process, process being "good intentions" or simply "this is the way we've always done it." Duncan is applying the free market business model for education. Liberals don't like that because it sounds too much capitalism. Conservatives are against him because he was appointed by Obama. Good ideas often seem like bad ones from stale perspective. I give his ideas an A and also an A for his courage to ruffle some musty feathers. Duncan’s ideas are good.

He’s standing up to the union, the most powerful impediment to change and consequently, progress.

He insists that teacher pay be linked to performance.

He supports charter schools and competition and he’s for evaluation based more on results than process, process being “good intentions” or simply “this is the way we’ve always done it.”

Duncan is applying the free market business model for education.

Liberals don’t like that because it sounds too much capitalism. Conservatives are against him because he was appointed by Obama.

Good ideas often seem like bad ones from stale perspective.

I give his ideas an A and also an A for his courage to ruffle some musty feathers.

]]> By: Dave Greene http://www.joannejacobs.com/2010/01/duncans-first-year/#comment-54585 Dave Greene Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:23:18 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=13125#comment-54585 That's the worst possible combination: a good implementer with bad ideas. Oy. That’s the worst possible combination: a good implementer with bad ideas. Oy.

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