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Walker’s destructive war on education: Let’s judge Tea Party pols by the same dumb standards
Salon ^ | April 23, 2015 | Aaron R. Hanlon, Georgetown University

Posted on 04/23/2015 5:12:53 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

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Bio:

Georgetown University

Aaron R. Hanlon is a Visiting Assistant Professor with primary research and teaching interests in the 17th-18th centuries, from the emergence of the "New Philosophy" and 17th-century British science writing to the "rise" and development of the novel throughout the 18th century and across the Atlantic. His research focuses on how we organize knowledge, how the domains of reality and fiction interact in the novel, and how science writing and the novel mutually construct our ideas of what we know and how we know it.

Professor Hanlon is currently working on two book-length projects. The first, "The Politics of Quixotism," examines the proliferation of quixotic characters in British and American fiction (1612-1815) as part of a political history of exceptionalism, which both informs the history of "American exceptionalism" and locates an underexplored "British exceptionalism" of the long eighteenth century. The second, "Epistemological Rhetoric in England: 1600-1800," examines the rhetoric associated with "data," "fact," "knowledge," "truth," and other epistemological categories in science writing and the novel.

Hanlon's articles have appeared or are forthcoming in _New Literary History_, _The Eighteenth Century: Theory and Interpretation_, and _Studies in the Novel_, among others. He is also a contributor to Salon.com, where he covers topics related to his research and teaching, and to higher education more broadly.

Professor Hanlon's Spring ('15) courses include: "Rhetoric of 18th Century Poetry," "Restoration Drama," and "Intro. to Critical Theory."

http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/ah1132/

1 posted on 04/23/2015 5:12:53 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: All
Jan 29, 2015: Gov. Scott Walker to UW faculty: Consider teaching one more class per semester ".....Walker said UW campuses might be able to tap into their reserves to offset the cuts, but he emphasized “it will make them do things that they have not traditionally done.”

“They might be able to make savings just by asking faculty and staff to consider teaching one more class per semester,” Walker told reporters Wednesday in Madison. “Things like that could have a tremendous impact on making sure that we preserve an affordable education for all of our UW campuses, and at the same time we maintain a high-quality education.”....

....Walker reiterated that his proposal — which amounts to a 13 percent cut in state support for the state’s 13 four-year campuses and 13 two-year colleges plus another two-year tuition freeze — is effectively “Act 10 for the UW System,” a reference to the 2011 law that largely eliminated collective bargaining for most public employees.

He said concerns raised by university leaders about potential layoffs are the same complaints that school boards and superintendents made four years ago, when Walker made historic cuts to K-12 education. Those were largely absorbed by teachers and other K-12 staff paying more toward pension and health insurance premiums.

But Walker has argued the elimination of union contracts that dictated hiring and firing and other workplace rules has given school districts the flexibility to control their budgets more like a private business.".....

2 posted on 04/23/2015 5:17:13 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The more money we throw at education, the worse it gets. Maybe there is a connection.


3 posted on 04/23/2015 5:18:27 AM PDT by refermech
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Boy, Salon sure has their panties in a wad over Scott Walker, don’t they?


4 posted on 04/23/2015 5:20:02 AM PDT by JustaCowgirl (the left has redefined the word 'racism' to mean any disagreement with any liberal about any topic)
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To: JustaCowgirl

Walker is the Left’s #1 enemy.

Look what they did to him and his supporters in WI - with the John Doe investigations - 4+ years.

The specter of uber-liberal UW system [nest of socialist activists/activism] getting “squeezed by Walker has set off alarm bells across academia.


5 posted on 04/23/2015 5:24:42 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: refermech

Who does this bozo think pays his salary?

Fifty percent (50%) or MORE of all states’ budgets go to education.

We’re paying.


6 posted on 04/23/2015 5:28:36 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Yeah, Wisconsin seems to be ground zero for the war between the socialists/Marxists and the conservatives. But the 'normal' people in Wisconsin seem to be seeing through all of it, based on election results.

Somehow the socialists aren't being able to throw the election results their way. Maybe other states need to look at Wisconsin as a model of how to prevent thrown elections, because I have no doubt that the left has tried.

7 posted on 04/23/2015 5:31:43 AM PDT by JustaCowgirl (the left has redefined the word 'racism' to mean any disagreement with any liberal about any topic)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

While I am not sure I would fire professors based on student recommendation surveys alone, I do think that its a useful criteria. And one that should force a review of the professor.

I also like the teaching mandate. There are lots of professors that get paid for being on staff but, don’t do anything. They just self promote and collect a check. This is pretty common. And even if these guys go on speaking tours or write books, that still does not really help the university.

But the point of this essay is all wrong. Politicians are not equivalent to professors. Universities exist to fill the public need of education. And professors are hired to fill that need. If they don’t then we need to get someone who is.

And don’t get me started on “research”...


8 posted on 04/23/2015 5:32:04 AM PDT by poinq
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Being a professor of rhetoric, Hanlon is certainly capable of using imagery to his advantage, just like Adolph Hitler. I’m not saying his use of imagery makes him a Nazi. On the other hand, we don’t know how many people he would kill if he had the opportunity. What we do know is this: He opposes holding professors accountable. Any attempt to hold professors would, in his words, “burn colleges to the ground.” To translate this into ordinary language, requiring professor to meet some kind of standard of interest to students and their sponsors, or else get an honest job, would result in him losing his job. This is simply an admission that he and his fellow elitists could not meet any such standard.


9 posted on 04/23/2015 5:33:04 AM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: refermech
But...but...but...it's for the children. How can Governor Walker be so cruel as to deny education to our precious children?

Sigh!

That was the line used successfully against PA’s last governor and he lost his bid for re-election. The stupid voters don't realize how much money spent in the name of education goes to teacher salaries, new football stadiums and what not. BUT in some schools most don't graduate. Those that do are functionally illiterate. I read in one local district, of all the high school kids taking the SAT, only 2 passed. You can blame much of the failure on other factors, but certainly, lousy teachers focused on indoctrination instead of education is a major part of the problem.

10 posted on 04/23/2015 5:33:22 AM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: poinq
....And don’t get me started on “research”...

You mean grant funded issue advocacy - academic stamp of approval for sale?

11 posted on 04/23/2015 5:34:35 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Sounds like really interesting stuff. Seriously, it does but then I’m a lit major. But the question is whether we can afford to pay for this stuff.


12 posted on 04/23/2015 5:39:04 AM PDT by Mercat
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

More leftist drivel from Salon.com.

Ho-hum.


13 posted on 04/23/2015 5:39:22 AM PDT by WayneS (Barack Obama makes Neville Chamberlin look like George Patton.)
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To: JustaCowgirl
Boy, Salon sure has their panties in a wad over Scott Walker, don’t they?

And they have numerous allies right here on FR....

14 posted on 04/23/2015 5:39:57 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Salon, MSNBC, Jim Cramer ... blowhards!


15 posted on 04/23/2015 5:45:52 AM PDT by SIRTRIS
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To: refermech

And homeschoolers far outperform those in public school,
like, 87th + percentile out-perform.

Seems that, if they TRULY favor “education” instead of union jobs and gov’t indoctrination,

they’d make conditions favorable for homeschooling families, like, lowering overall property taxes.


16 posted on 04/23/2015 5:48:39 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: MrB
National Average Percentile Scores
Subtest Homeschool Public School
Reading 89 50
Language 84 50
Math 84 50
Science 86 50
Social Studies 84 50
Corea 88 50
Compositeb 86 50
a. Core is a combination of Reading, Language, and Math.
b. Composite is a combination of all subtests that the student took on the test.

17 posted on 04/23/2015 5:51:51 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I did like the Golden Fleece awards that then Wisconsin Senator Proxmire gave out every year. Most of which were “research grants” for really stupid stuff. Someone should continue to give out that award. Most research projects are ridiculous and a waste of money. Some are valuable. But there is little to distinguish the good from the bad.


18 posted on 04/23/2015 5:54:00 AM PDT by poinq
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To: fatnotlazy

There has to be some system of accountibility for teachers and professors. If their teaching methods are not effectively producing results they should be terminated. No Tenure or protections for teaching positions should exist. Evaluations should be based on performance and how much the students are learning.
There is a move in some schools back to the teaching methods employed in the ‘50’s. There was a common sense approach to academics back then. Somehow that got lost resulting in a high percentage of kids that were not able to read or do basic math. We need a renewed effort to teach history, not revisionist history, but true American History, warts and all. The lack of knowledge of history and awareness of what is happening in the world today among young people is appalling. We used to have “Current Events” each week along with Social Studies and Government. There is no way we can raise kids to be responsible citzens without these fundamentals.

I believe the goal of the Left has been to produce a society of dumbed down, maleable masses. We have to take control of education back NOW! No more Common Core. No more Federal Funds and Federal Standards. Local Control and each state adopts Standards of Performance.


19 posted on 04/23/2015 5:58:55 AM PDT by conservativejoy (We Can Elect Ted Cruz! Pray Hard, Work Hard, Trust God!)
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To: JustaCowgirl

[Wisconsin seems to be ground zero for the war between the socialists/Marxists and the conservatives]

I believe Minnesota takes first prize.


20 posted on 04/23/2015 6:00:04 AM PDT by stars & stripes forever
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