More Walker Education Spin – UnSpun by Clare Weege , CapTimes (Honorable Mention for publishing)

3/13/2011
Capitol Times: Clare Weege Refutes Walker on Education

Clare Weege writes: (and gives her data source as Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction)

“For the most recent school year listed, 2004-2005, the reading comprehension test results for third-graders showed 41.3 percent of students tested at the advanced level, 46.1 percent proficient and 7.8 percent basic. This comes to a total of 95.2 percent of third-graders testing at basic or above. “

I would like to see more recent data but at least I know where the data came from and where to look for it in the future.

Scott Walker's Education Spin (see the website a few inches from the top – no data source cited)

Scott Walker's website claims:

“Today, 33% of Wisconsin fourth graders cannot read at even a basic level – proof that Wisconsin’s educational system is failing our children.”

Now here is what I am guilty of … I did not go to the DPI and look up the numbers! With Scott's assertion there is no way to look up the numbers … he does not provide a source that I could find on his website.

The really bad thing about the Walker website is he gets away with implying that teachers and school districts are incompetent and he does it without any substantiating data.  He also gets away with legitimizing an agenda to challenge everything about the educational system in Wisconsin.  Overly broad generalizations are just that - imply a truth that does not exist - schools are not failing our children.  Some schools have failed and some have succeeded but in this case one should conclude that with a 95% achievement almost all schools have done wonderfully well.

Verdict: Until he makes his sources and/or reasoning clear Scott Walker is Spinning us on Education.

WI 1848 Forward:More #Walker #Education Spin – UnSpun by Clare Weege , #CapTimes (Honorable Mention for publishing)