Thursday, August 27, 2015

ACT Hypocrisy

Recent ACT results indicate that Georgia has clawed its way all the way up to mediocrity.

Pop the champagne.

The AJC moderates their inebriation by saying that "Georgia can finally take comfort," as apparently they feel mediocrity is a good place to be and from a relative perspective they may be right. State School's Superintendent Richard Woods all but wets himself with excitement saying "These results are a testament to the hard work of our teachers."

Hold yer horses there Dickie. What happened to the mantra of the dark days when all we, the public, heard was how teachers are not responsible for [poor] performance, that there are circumstances beyond their control like poverty and missing or inattentive parents? We were to understand that educators only have these students for a few hours a day and could in no way be expected to overcome these other, more influential elements. Will we only hear that when declining scores must be announced?

Here's the problem with government bureaucrats and politicians, no matter whether it is the VA or public education: the minute there is the slightest improvement, even one that is statistically insignificant, they are grabbing the credit, but upon the merest suggestion of decline they obfuscate and deflect any of the responsibility.

Is it any wonder the public neither trusts nor respects these government agencies and their agents?