Posted on 02/06/2012 6:16:00 AM PST by reaganaut1
Reforming a government K-12 school is like reforming an abortion center.
>>Add in educational voodoo - grab a kid, label her as dyslexic and watch her fail
As with most things, follow the money. Schools usually get more money for “special needs” kids, so all the sudden there is a ton of dyslexia, ADHD, etc. Who cares if it isn’t really so, and if there are deleterious effects on the kids? The school gets more money!
It is still voodoo in my mind!
Larry Niven called it witchcraft, and dumped the practitioners into one of the bolgias of Hell
Can wholeheartedly recommend that book too.
I’m way ahead of you. I am a Niven and Pournelle fan from way back. I pre-ordered that one in hardback to support the authors. Wonderful stuff.
Pournelle’s site is very worth reading. He and FR are the only guys I send significant money to for online sites, beside a small amount to Michael Yon.
http://jerrypournelle.com/chaosmanor/
Since you brought up voodoo, Pournelle’s essays on the Voodoo Sciences are worthwhile, and applicable in the context of this thread, since much of modern Education is based on them. And by capital-E Education I mean the modern bureaucratic Education Establishment, which has nothing to do with actually educating anyone efficiently and effectively (or if it happens, it is entirely coincidental).
http://www.jerrypournelle.com/jerrypournelle.c/science/voodoo.html
Oh my! Another Niven / Pournelle fan? Consider me a member here for life!
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