Questionable Strategy
February 6, 2008 11:37 AM
A couple years ago, I called out Nicholas Kristof for beginning an op-ed with: "Suppose Colin Powell tires of giving $100,000-a-pop speeches and wants to teach high school social studies." You know, fake premise = unconvincing argument.
So I think it's only fair to point out the silliness of this video from Educator Roundtable (via, of course, Susan Ohanian).
There are plenty of real problems with the No Child Left Behind Act and test-driven accountability. It seems silly to create a fake video to make the point.
(In-joke alert: Unless it's an animated video, of course.)
Comments
Humor can sometimes persuade the other side better than serious arguments. It can also gain a wider audience. In laughter we feel truth before we think it. This video is a cartoon of sorts.
Posted by: Barry Lane | February 6, 2008 01:57 PM
This video is not without its problems, but if you deny the reality behind the satire, I invite you to come visit the inner city schools where i do most of my work.
I invite you to come listen to the teachers talk about how miserable their jobs have become.
You do listen to teachers don't you? I mean...I was under the impression that this was not the NEA. :)
It's an honest invitation. Come on down, look into our classrooms, look at what testing has done to "reading."
Now, note the word above the video. Satire?
It's a little over the top, not unlike J. Swift's piece arguing that we should eat homeless children. And, in some senses, it does undermine research based arguments against the legislation.
BUT...it's fun, and in some senses, funny. And I for one could do with a little of both right now.
Thanks for stopping by,
philip
Posted by: philipkovacs | February 6, 2008 03:09 PM
Thank you both for commenting on our site.
Mr. Lane, I'm not arguing that humor shouldn't be used to make a point, only that humor shouldn't be funny. (But I'll admit that my wife tells me my sense of humor is a little off.)
Mr. Kovacs, You might have made me rethink my view of this video if it weren't for the reference to Swift. Many satires, not excepting this video, suffer by comparison to A Modest Proposal.
On one point, and probably more than one, you're absolutely right: I should get to more classrooms.
I hear occasionally from teachers in face-to-face meetings and regularly meet with local union leaders who are in touch with teachers every day. Back when the Miller-McKeon discussion draft was floating around, we held meetings with AFT staffers and teachers and local leaders. Their reaction to the draft's provisions was visceral -- and overwhelming negative. It made no difference how the provisions were presented. Their reaction helped, er, inform AFT's position on the draft.
See you both in cyberspace.
Posted by: John at AFT | February 7, 2008 02:28 PM