tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post3623422805221697435..comments2023-11-03T04:00:24.785-04:00Comments on Kentucky School News and Commentary: Why We Fail to Address the Achievement GapRichard Dayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14586435007687942849noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-44154086655633656482015-07-20T07:59:28.338-04:002015-07-20T07:59:28.338-04:00I don't hear the social capital argument made ...I don't hear the social capital argument made very often, which is what attracted me to the article in the first place. <br /><br />And I do not foresee the country unifying around some government solution that changes family responsibility for parenting. ...not gonna happen.<br /><br />But perhaps we might quit beating up teachers - who are our best hope to offset such disadvantages - when they are unable to produce across-the-board miracles.Richard Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14586435007687942849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5776587.post-42661489983241251772015-07-19T19:49:44.161-04:002015-07-19T19:49:44.161-04:00What sort of Lake Woebegone poppy cock is this guy...What sort of Lake Woebegone poppy cock is this guy offering as a solution? It is astounding that we continue to see reductions in PK-20 education financial support and this guy wants to provide all children with some sort of Socialized super parent system. (Neither federal or state officials have a very good record of that by the way.)<br />The reality is we are supposed to be living in a society which prizes individualism and personal choice. That means no matter how much we spend or preach our perceived best practices to folks, they are going to do what they want or what they are capable of doing. The health care system is a great example when one considers how much we have invested and what it has gotten us - more folks overweight and not exercising with the expectation that the system will some how save them from their personal (often harmful) choices.<br /><br />How ironic that a professor at Harvard and former MA Sec. of Ed. wants us all to kick in to pay for gap reduction visa vi governmental control of all children upbringing. Is that what he did with his social capital, divert it from his own kids and toward the poor kids in New Jersey? Doubt it. The reality is government isn't going to and can't level the playing field, not in US or any other country for that matter. Some folks are always going to be working an angle that gets them and their kids ahead and isn't that what we would expect? <br />U.S. doesn't have a monopoly on poverty or gap for that matter. Lots of kids in the idealized Scandanavian countries, Hong Kong and Shanghai who aren't making the grade. Equally, just because a kid's parents provide social capital/connections doesn't necessarily mean they are capable of or choice to use those to their maximum advantage.<br />Sorry professor, all I am reading here is the obvious with the usual expectation that government inject itself into not just gap but basically raising all children so that no one is allowed to fail or excel, just exist in Socialized mediocrity.Bringyoursaddlehomehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12266891355734317864noreply@blogger.com