"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

How to Help Politicians Achieve the Gestalt Effect

Today I did my duty and called my Senators and Congressman urging them to vote stop the fast-tracking of NCLB and to vote for repeal, instead. I talked with an engaging fellow in Senator Lautenberg's office, who showed no signs that he any understanding that the impossible test targets of 100% proficiency by 2014 will guarantee the success of the right-wing school privatization plans. The young man's response was, well, the Senator supports public schools, but he knows that public schools have to improve their academic performance.

After a few tries, it became obvious that this young man can only see the beautiful image of high expectations and schools getting better as a result of NCLB. He cannot see the inevitable horror that is awaiting when the majority of schools don't get good enough for the public to continue to support them. This has been right-wing plan from the beginning, and liberals have been so blinded by their own wishful thinking that they cannot see the ugly old hag sitting just beneath the preferred image of the beautiful young woman.

What makes the Roves of the world so dangerous is that they are not ideologues at all, but, rather, they are master manipulators and designers who know how to offer up images that the committed ideologue will not be able to see through.

Take off your rose-colored glasses, Senators Lautenberg and Menendez--this girl only gets uglier the closer and longer you look.

(Chart from Massachusetts study)

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