Bruce Leier wrote:
>
> Keith,
>
> The model presupposes a profit for the "bosses" how ever you wish to
> define them. Such a pursuit undermines the goals of education.
>
> Bruce Leier
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Keith Hudson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 11:53 AM
> > To: Bruce Leier
> > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: RE: Collapsing schools
> >
> > At 10:32 28/06/02 -0500, you wrote:
> > >Keith,
> > >
> > >I do not think it impossible to maintain standards in public schools.
> > >Tough, but not impossible. The 1st step would be to stop trying to
> be
> > >business-like. The corporate model cannot work in an education
> setting.
> > >I hope you recognize that.
[snip]
I have only once seen a pedagogical situation in which
the students were unambivalently helped to succeed, and,
believe it or not, they all did -- albeit some succeeded
a lot farther than others. But nobody failed.
What was this pedagogical situation? It was an
insurance company COBOL computer programmer
training class. The students were selected by
personal interviews and their scores on the "Programmer
Aptitude Test". None had any previous programming
experience. And some of them were "just housewives".
The students were all paid salary from day one. THEREFORE
THERE WAS AN INCENTIVE FOR THE STUDENTS TO SUCCEED, so that
the company would not waste money. There was no
incentive whatever to "establish a bell shaped curve",
etc.
The course lasted 6 weeks. At the end of the course,
a few were clearly going to be really good
computer programmers. But every one became a
successful programmer, who remained with the
company for at least a year, and often much longer.
You all know I am no "fan" of capitalism. But
in the educational world, we see feudal social patterns,
and "positive" incentives to not help students to
succeed, which simply are not tolerated in normal
business situations -- or at least this was
the case in my experience in 1972.
\brad mccormick
--
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
<![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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