There Are No Miracles in Education
15 hours ago
- #policy-critique
- #education-reform
- #systemic-issues
- Critique of the 'Mississippi miracle' in education, comparing it to past failed 'miracles' like the 'Texas miracle'.
- Historical examples of education reform failures, including KIPP charter schools, Harlem Children’s Zone, New Orleans post-Katrina reforms, and Michelle Rhee's D.C. schools initiative.
- Discussion on the manipulation of educational metrics through selection bias, dropout underreporting, and data fraud.
- Call for skepticism and rigorous verification of educational improvements, emphasizing the need for longitudinal and independent testing.
- Criticism of the simplistic, self-righteous attitude in education reform that ignores systemic issues and over-promises results.
- Advocacy for humility and realism in education policy, acknowledging the limits of schools in addressing societal inequalities.
- Mention of Matt Yglesias as an example of evolving perspectives in education reform towards more pragmatic approaches.
- Response to a comment defending the Mississippi program's focus on early literacy, arguing that even modest improvements are valuable.