Bright news! Bush initiatives help public schools catch up!

[LionsDen]

Under President Bush's education initiative, many public schools have caught up with and even surpassed private and Christian schools... excluding homeschools.

This is based upon 2003 data. Anyone have more recent numbers?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/15/ed...EVIXvakNEg9JWw

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by LionsDen

Under President Bush's education initiative, many public schools have caught up with and even surpassed private and Christian schools... excluding homeschools.

This is based upon 2003 data. Anyone have more recent numbers?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/15/ed...EVIXvakNEg9JWw

More lies? And so early in the evening, too?

The NY Times article does not say anything about Bush initiatives helping schools at all. It merely says that public schools, in some instances, perform as well as private ones. No correlations are drawn to Bush administration initiatives. And, considering that the Bush administration has foisted the whole "No Child Left Behind" nonsense onto the states to pay for, it's hard to see how Dubya & Co. can get the credit for anything here.

Oh, and the fellow that Dubya turns to for education advice? Mr. "Houston Miracle" himself, Rod Paige? Turns out that he's a shyster and cooked the books on his education performance data. He's a liar and a fraud; I suspect he'll get a post in this Republican administration.

Now back to the NYT article that you deliberately misunderstood:

An Education Department official who insisted on anonymity because of the climate surrounding the report, said researchers were "extra cautious" in reviewing it and were aware of its “political sensitivity.”

The official said the warning against drawing unsupported conclusions was expanded somewhat as the report went through in the review.

The report cautions, for example, against concluding that children do better because of the type of school as opposed to unknown factors. It also warns of great variations of performance among private schools, making a blanket comparison of public and private schools “of modest utility.” And the scores on which its findings are based reflect only a snapshot of student performance at a point in time and say nothing about individual student progress in different settings.

Moreover, it had this very interesting thing to say about fundie-run bigot academies:

The report separated private schools by type and found that among private school students, those in Lutheran schools performed best, while those in conservative Christian schools did worst.

In eighth-grade reading, children in conservative Christian schools scored no better than comparable children in public schools.

In eighth-grade math, children in Lutheran schools scored significantly better than children in public schools, but those in conservative Christian schools fared worse.

So the only person around here who should be taking a bow is Angakuk, our resident Lutheran minister.

[godfry n. glad]

Originally Posted by Sauron

Moreover, it had this very interesting thing to say about fundie-run bigot academies:

So the only person around here who should be taking a bow is Angakuk, our resident Lutheran minister.

Heh...I'll bet it's because of the hot dish lunches with jello fruit mould desserts.

[EsoCyn]

Yeah, I was trying to see where the connection was between that article and No Child Left Behind. I was thinking I was missing something, but I guess not.

[California Tanker]

I thought schools tended to be state-funded and state-run?

NTM

[LionsDen]

Originally Posted by California Tanker

I thought schools tended to be state-funded and state-run?

NTM

True, except in the USA we can have our own private schools and homeschooling too. Not all schools are government run or owned here.

Some liberals at the NY Times omitted the connection between the 2000 and 2002 elections and the improved test scores. I am glad to supplement America's most leftwing rag!

In the past private and religious schools far excelled public schools academically. I believe homeschools exceed them all. That was especially true under two Clinton terms, but now we are forcing accounatability on the public schools. I don't expect the liberal rag to connect the dots for anyone though.

[Angakuk]

Originally Posted by Sauron

So the only person around here who should be taking a bow is Angakuk, our resident Lutheran minister.

Angakuk (Proud graduate of a public school and a Lutheran college)

P.S.
In all candor, I must admit that most Lutheran Primary and Secondary schools are run by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. A competing (and ultra-conservative) branch of Lutheranism.
A.

[godfry n. glad]

Splinter groups! Great Schism, Bartman!

I assume Rev, that you've heard the whole suicide situation joke?

Is it easier for you to get along with an Episcopalian priest than it is a Missouri Synod Lutheran?

[Angakuk]

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Is it easier for you to get along with an Episcopalian priest than it is a Missouri Synod Lutheran?

Moi? I get along with everybody. BTW, that sounds suspiciously like one of those "Have you quit beating your wife yet?" questions.

I don't know godfry, to which suicide situation are you referring?

Angakuk

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by LionsDen

Some liberals at the NY Times omitted the connection between the 2000 and 2002 elections and the improved test scores.

Because there isn't any connection. In fact, even the claim of improved test scores is weak.

I am glad to supplement America's most leftwing rag!

You mean make shit up as you go, and pretend you read it in the paper? Supplementing like that?

In the past private and religious schools far excelled public schools academically. I believe homeschools exceed them all.

An interesting fantasy shot down by the article you yourself quoted.

That was especially true under two Clinton terms, but now we are forcing accounatability on the public schools. I don't expect the liberal rag to connect the dots for anyone though.

Because there are no dots to connect.