A man younger than 30 who’s not a liberal has no heart
and a man older than 30 who’s not a conservative has no brain
Winston Churchill.
Chart of the Day
 |
| Courtesy Andrew Coulson of Cato Institute |
- Is Student Choice Failing? A current National Review article piece points out that Milwaukee has the most extensive "school choice" program but eighth grade students are up to 2 grade levels behind even Chicago's public school students. I'm sure that teacher unions are satisfied with the results, but the bottom line is that choice is poorly operationalized by the nature and extent of choice. Suppose, for instance, one public middle school routinely outperforms others in the school system. What will happen is a migration of students from schools, but this migration is limited by capacity of the higher performing school . So, say, is there's only 6 slots open in seventh grade, the students not selected are still stuck in the lower-performing schools. It may well be the case those 6 new students improve, but in the context of the overall student population the effect may not be statistically significant. In essence choice alternatives operate at the margins. The authors suggest Milwaukee and other cities need not just transfers to capacity but new schools that provide a real alternative.
- Just because federal pre-K funding is popular doesn't make for good policy: "Contrary to the apparent assumption of these early education advocates, it is not inherently obvious that increased federal Pre-K spending will ensure that children get a strong start in life. As it happens, there is a great deal of evidence that past and current federal Pre-K programs have proven expensive failures and have even, in some cases, done harm. Nor is the advocates’ currently favored policy–federally subsidized state Pre-K programs–an obviously good idea. Some states with universal Pre-K programs have actually seen their 4th grade test scores decline relative to the national average. There is no clear pattern of success."
- Common Core Undermines School Choice. Content will be dictated by the standards, not unlike how high jumpers now emulate the Fosbury flop. Choice is effectively reduced to something like determining which McDonald's franchise produces the best Big Mac versus comparing a Big Mac to an In-and-Out burger, a Whataburger or a Fuddrucker's.
- Florida Curves Many Failing Schools--Again. "The state Board of Education's decision last week to inflate school grades for a second year was widely praised by parents and educators, but it also exposed a hard-to-miss rift between the closest allies of former Gov. Jeb Bush and those who back Gov. Rick Scott. The 4-3 decision to reduce the number of F schools in the state by nearly 60 percent was divided along Bush-Scott lines, with Bush allies against." McCluskey talks about concentrated benefits and diffuse costs. (A classic example is crony sugar producers really like their lucrative subsidies, but consumers don't notice their small hit in higher prices.) In this case, for example, teachers employed in failing schools really, really want to keep their jobs, and affected parents may not like to see neighborhood schools shuttered. Are taxpayers or empty nesters vested enough to demand failing schools be held accountable?
Obama Lectures the Russians About Morality
As Obama continued his tour of mainstream media capitals, this time on Jay Leno's Tonight Show, Leno served up a softball question in the form of an anti-gay propaganda law in Russia. (The law does not criminalize sexual behavior itself.) Let me say at the outset I consider the Russian law a pushing-on-a-string violation of free expression, which I consider a universal right, and I find the law unacceptable. However, even Britain and Canada restrict certain politically incorrect speech.
“I’m surprised this is not a huge story: suddenly, homosexuality is against the law,” Leno said, . "This seems like Germany. 'Let's round up the Jews, let's round up the gays, let's round up the blacks.' I mean, it starts with that. You round up people you don't like. Why is not more of the world outraged at this?"Leno is misstating the law; think of it more of as a restriction on public gay advocacy. Do you think Obama is going to correct Leno?
Obama replied, “I’ve been very clear that when it comes to universal rights, when it comes to people’s basic freedoms, that whether you are discriminating on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, you are violating the basic morality that I think should transcend every country.” He added that he had “no patience for countries” that do not affirm “gays or lesbians or transgender persons.”Actually this is an incompetent, muddled reflection. What discrimination? Presumably straight people who promote the gay political agenda could also be prosecuted. I suppose one could make an equal protection argument over a traditional straight lifestyle advocacy versus gay lifestyle advocacy, but either Obama doesn't understand the Russia law, he's responding in an obscure way to Leno's inaccurate characterization or he's simply using the opportunity to restate his own philosophy on gay rights. Now I think it is not constructive or diplomatic for any world leader to publicly speak in a condescending way about the policies of other countries. Obama also includes an expanded series of rights, including social recognition and status for selective nontraditional relationships, e.g., gay "marriage". I think nontraditional consensual relationships fall under basic rights of association, but I see social recognition and status as more of a positive right, which should reflect social norms.
I am opposed to American politicians interfering with the rights of athletes to compete like Carter's boycott of the 1980 Moscow Summer Games; I did not like Sen. Graham's suggestion of a boycott to the upcoming winter games over Snowden. So Obama's distancing himself from manipulation of sports contests is welcome. But he has a stunning inability to organize his thoughts and speak as directly as I do. I often feel the need to edit almost anything that comes out of his mouth, even when I disagree with it...
In Praise of the Middleman
PLF vs. Megalomaniacal Environmentalist Local Central Planning: People Are NOT Sardines in a Can
Schiff & Molyneux on Zimmerman, Snowden and the Media
I think I've said all I want to say about the Zimmerman case, other than Schiff recites some anecdotal evidence of Zimmerman's volunteer and other more positive dealings with blacks, Martin's nonlinear pattern of walking home (part of it may be due to Martin knowing Zimmerman was following him and trying to lose him), there is some discussion of some of Martin's school and other issues (including finding a screwdriver, not a lock pick or slimjim (but functionally a screwdriver can be used for other purposes--why carry one? I guess he must have had an obsession over loose screws...), plus women's jewelry, and a fight with a suspected snitch over an allegation of marijuana possession). I'm particularly concerned about the heavy involvement of the FBI and DOJ in the case (I felt the judicial process was heavily politicized, which undermines the integrity of our judicial system) and any threat of a quasi-Double Jeopardy prosecution of Zimmerman.
Political Cartoon
 |
| Courtesy of Glenn McCoy and Townhall |
The Beatles, "Revolution"
