Newspaper Education Columnists - When will you start asking some probing questions?

Newspaper Education Columnists

qualityg says...
Please stop referring to Bar Graphs as "Trend Charts." Taking six data points from a bar graph and putting them on a line chart over a period of a year is not trending. You need at least 30 data points to start understanding the "Voice of the Process."

How about asking some probing questions instead of what do you think Mr. so and so?

Why are you so concerned about just Math and Science? Perhaps I should only read the Sports and Travel sections and forget about Editorials, Education, Business, and Food sections.

I guess we wouldn't need those columnists just like we don't need Art, Drama, Social Studies, and English teachers. It's about the whole, the end-to-end process and how a change affects the whole process not just one or two parts.

Suppose I concentrate on the propeller and engine of a plane when it comes time to fly? Would you get on that plane? It takes all parts working together in order to fly, and it takes all subjects for a society to succeed.

But qualityg it will take us 30 years? qualityg says... - hire a theoretical statistician, measure monthly, and measure quarterly. If you have changed the process (testing method), then you should put a process measure at that point and see if the process is moving on the right direction.

But qualityg that will take another 30 years because we only test once a year? qualityg says... hire a theoretical statistician; develop process measures, instead of end of year/results measures.

Start asking the State Board of Education some tough questions –
Some Examples -->

By What Method do you develop these scores?

State Officials, By What Method do you surmise that if more kids take the test the MEAP scores will be lower? WHO CARES – surmise how the children will learn and gain knowledge, not memorize or guess on tests.

By What Method are you improving the educational system? What is your roadmap, how about a project plan with milestones and key dates? Who is the owner?

Why do you continue to search for answers at the end of the process and not the beginning (i.e., Dropouts)? Why do you need a conference, get facts, solve problems by trial and error, gain knowledge on the subject, quit guessing.

Governor Granholm - What indicators or methods tells you that by concentrating just on Math and Science that it will bring jobs to our State?

Why then are there so many engineers out of work now because of outsourcing?

Why do you only care that John and Jane have to take remedial math in college? Do you know they also have no idea where Iraq is, or what is the Capital of Ohio? How about the difference between a noun and a verb?

Challenge the experts, challenge me! Challenge somebody!!