The Achievement Gap: Not just a ? of politics

[DP]

Before we get hung up on the connection between political parties and state education levels, please remember that traditional underachievers Mississippi and Louisiana were both Democratic strongholds for much of the past century.

And how much should we be reading into that juicy little correlation? Not much, actually. To claim that a chronic statewide educational failure is attributable to the result of a few election cycles is like saying Johnny can’t read because he had chicken pox in kindergarten.

The partisan Web page cited in another post on this topic was difficult to make sense of — the numbers were poorly organized and there were too many of them relative to the amount of explanation and analysis. It would have been more effective if the educational ranking of states had been examined over decades rather than having a one- or two-year snapshot. State performance levels could then have been compared among many factors, not just “right to work” status or public spending on education.

At a minimum, what you need to do to understand the education gap is to look at (a) nutritional levels, (b) family and community support for eduction, and (c) state level of industrial development and infrastructure. And yes, even race and ethnicity should be considered — as in: What is the relative level of racial equality in the state you’re looking at?

For a more balanced approach to this question, Wikipedia has a pretty good starter article under the title of “Achievement Gap.” If you read the Wiki article you’ll see that this issue goes way deeper than: Republican or Democrat?

From the Wiki article:

Cause of the Achievement Gap

There has been considerable discussion as to whether the digital divide in the educational system is the result of lack of access to technology among minority students or simply cultural differences. Researchers have not reached consensus about the a priori causes of the academic achievement gap; instead, there exists a wide range of studies that cite an array of factors that influence student performance in school that are both cultural and structural. Annette Lareau suggested that students whom lack middle-class cultural capital and have limited parental involvement are likely to have lower academic achievement than their better resourced peers. Other researchers suggest that academic achievement is more closely tied to race and socioeconomic status and have tried to pinpoint why. For example, being raised in a low-income family often means having fewer educational resources in addition to limited access to health care and nutrition which could contribute to lower academic performance. Hernstein and Murray claimed in The Bell Curve, creating much controversy, that genetic variation in average levels of intelligence (IQ) are at the root of disparities in achievement.

–David

Full Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achievement_gap_in_the_United_States

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[Ken]

Democrats in The Deep south were mostly Dixicrats who switched in mass to republicans when the civil rights act was passed.

In many areas (including my home state or NC) people keep their democratic registration so they can keep candidates of color out of the race at the primary level.

Fundy Xtians, Wingnuts and the prison industrial complex have always seen the advantage in limiting public education in states with significant non white populations.

In the south these crazies were indeed Democrats before the 60’s and many of us who were liberal Democrats fled the region.

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[JoB]

DP…

throwing mud on the lens doesn’t change the picture… it just prevents you from seeing the image through the camera.

Poverty is one huge indicator of academic performance…

as is the educational level of mothers…

as is the funding of public school systems…

ethnicity rears it’s ugly head because some ethnic groups have been traditionally denied opportunity and thus are more likely to contain larger percentages of undereducated poor mothers… a perfect storm.

The notion that people of other colors or cultures are somehow less intelligent or capable than others was scientifically debunked over half a century ago…

and yet… some people just can’t let go of it.

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[DP]

JoB: I totally agree with you about the race/intelligence issue. But please please PLEASE, let’s avoid using the term “racist” every time someone mentions the words “race” and “education” in the same breath.

If someone makes a race-related claim that you consider stupid or backwards, the best way to refute that is to come back with: Oh yeah? Where’s your evidence for that? Or ask the person to look at the matter in a different way. In other words, educate them.

Ken: Of course you’re right about the Dixiecrats, but they were members in good standing of the Democratic Party and they did help many liberal Democrats (like LBJ) stay in power.

Politics make strange bedfellows, don’t they?

That’s why I say: Be careful who you dis during the day, because you’ll just have to un-dis again before you go to bed.

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[dawsonct]

Something else to note, with the ongoing policies of continuing to exclude the underclasses from a decent education, the Southern states have been among the most vigorous pursuers of charter schools and other systems that actively exclude underachievers and special-ed students, who are VERY expensive to educate and create a drag on test-scores.

—

For most of the preceding century, many Southern states had laws that excluded households with a healthy adult male from any forms of public assistance. Most Southern black men were never given the opportunity to obtain career positions and worked at very seasonal jobs with long periods of unemployment. In order for their families to receive ANY kind of public assistance, they had to be out of the picture, which only served to create and encourage the Northern diaspora and break families apart.

—

But, if their ancestors had the good sense to leave Africa about 70,000 years ago, they wouldn’t be in that position, so naturally, it’s their own fault. Of course.

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[dobro]

Let’s just make one thing clear- ascribing intelligence levels and capabilities based on racial characteristics is racism. That’s the word that describes what it is. The whole Bell Curve thing is racist claptrap.Pretending that it’s not doesn’t change that.

The best way to educate people is to tell the truth. Sometimes the truth is not what people want to hear.

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[JoB]

DP..

i have scanned my post twice…

and i can’t find the word racist in it…

so that must have come out of your imagination.

it is so much easier to converse with people if you read and reply to their actual posts rather than to the fiftieth version of the conversation you are having with them in your head.

that said…

i do believe that the using race and culture as a rationalization for refusing to facilitate or fund opportunity is racist…

and if you had ever been on the receiving end of that rationalization … or others just like it… you would too.

This notion that people who point out racism or other isms when they see them inflame the situation is just another of those rationalizations used to explain away supporting isms.

that dog doesn’t hunt.

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[dobro]

“…If someone makes a race-related claim that you consider stupid or backwards, the best way to refute that is to come back with: Oh yeah?”

DP- We’re seeing the return of your “message board nanny” side coming out. How about this-I won’t tell you how you should respond to others and you offer me the same courtesy. Capiche?

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[DP]

How about this-I won’t tell you how you should respond to others and you offer me the same courtesy. Capiche?

— Sorry, dobro. No dice. Funny you should invoke the concept of mutual courtesy, though. Why would we apply that concept to ourselves alone and not to everyone we engage with?

In any case, if you reserve the right to label people with whom who disagree “wingnut,” “scum,” “fascist,” etc. — all in the name of what you call “tangy speech” — then I reserve the right to criticize you for bullying.

All in the name of making this forum a safer place for people to disagree with each other.

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[dobro]

“In any case, if you reserve the right to label people with whom who disagree “wingnut,” “scum,” “fascist,” etc.”

Let’s try this one more time. As I have explained recently on a couple of other threads, I have called no one that I am addressing here on the forum any of these terms- I have no quarrel or bad feelings about any member of this forum- got that?

I express my feelings toward public figures that I think are evil, un-American,treasonous jerks that are doing their best to destroy the rights of working people and the middle class in terms that honestly express my feelings.They are not people I “disagree” with. I feel no need to be courteous to people who would like to accomplish these ends. These folks I’m talking about are not you, JoB, HMC Rich, Smitty, redblack or anyone else posting here.

” — then I reserve the right to criticize you for bullying.”

Who am I bullying? Please reread my first paragraph.I speak my mind. You are free to speak yours. And I won’t tell you or anyone else how to do it. You got a problem with that?

“All in the name of making this forum a safer place for people to disagree with each other.”

Dude, we’re on the Internet.Nannies not needed.”Safety” is not really an issue. I can’t really see you and I don’t know where you live. I’m not going to sneak up behind you and call you a wingnut.

How about this then- you speak how you want, I’ll do the same and we try to talk about the issues presented instead of thread-jacking off into these silly asides?

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[JoB]

DP…

while you are busy trying to be reasonable

others are defending the right of a 90 year old legislator to say what he thinks…

and what does he think?

well.. he thinks Hitler got some things right.

View post on imgur.com

They walk among us…

“wingnut,” “scum,” “fascist,” indeed.

in this case those labels are disturbingly accurate.

so the question is…

if we don’t speak out

how long will it be before theirs is the only voice we hear?

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[Author]

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