tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post1337937101487565599..comments2024-03-28T00:28:06.035+13:00Comments on leading and learning: Another expert on teacher quality? Disruptive or dangerous?Bruce Hammondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07031065790535111400noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post-46214559653879974512012-03-23T10:22:32.695+13:002012-03-23T10:22:32.695+13:00Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf words evoke im...Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf words evoke images of the fox let loose in the hen house. They are particularly silly but, as yet, haven’t attracted any real opposition.<br /><br />He says, “teacher quality had the largest '’in-school’ influence on student achievement.” Well hallaeluja, what insight! But this weasel statement doesn’t actually allude to the other 5.5 days in the week or the other 13 weeks when kids are on holiday.<br /><br />The Treasury paper is blaming teacher quality on a range of social issues that lead to low academic performance instead of actually addressing the core issues. It is a means to lower the overall education spend – nothing else.<br /><br />Like your previous commentator I also take issue with Makhlouf’s unsubstantiated and quite ludicrous comment, “If overall student achievement was lifted to among the top in the developed world, GDP could be 3 to 15 per cent higher by 2070.” I doubt very much he will be around to eat humble pie seventy years from now!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post-53159590719989390032012-03-22T10:54:28.807+13:002012-03-22T10:54:28.807+13:00I think Makhlouf's nonsense is well summed up ...I think Makhlouf's nonsense is well summed up in that excellent magazine you write for Bruce (Education Today). In the James Stapleton article 'Do Class Sizes Matter' he says, "There is little doubt politically motivated policy writers 'cherry pick' international research to suit their intended outcomes. I particularly like (NOT) Makhlouf's comment on television that increasing class sizes will lift the social wellbeing of NZ by 3 to 15%. This ridiculous twaddle is being foisted on an uninformed NZ public by a government hell bent on teacher bashing as an ideological means to an elitist end. Unfortunately due to the fearful and trembling principals and boards this country is now saddled with they most likely will get away with it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post-32854651300155375212012-03-20T22:51:56.568+13:002012-03-20T22:51:56.568+13:00Blaming teachers is easier than facing up to inequ...Blaming teachers is easier than facing up to inequality - poverty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post-73424860408984213042012-03-20T17:44:20.909+13:002012-03-20T17:44:20.909+13:00Hi Mac
Performance pay is a way to conform people...Hi Mac<br /><br />Performance pay is a way to conform people to whatever expectation/targets people set -usually easy to measure things for ease of collation and comparison. New York tried it and have since dropped it. The trouble with such targets is not the ones you hit but the things you miss because you weren't looking!<br /><br />Treasury,as you say, have a reputation for making wrong predictions.<br /><br />Clever academic dinosaurs!Bruce Hammondshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07031065790535111400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post-45914463874313389432012-03-20T16:48:24.176+13:002012-03-20T16:48:24.176+13:00Beware of anyone who advocates Performance Pay. It...Beware of anyone who advocates Performance Pay. It only works if there is an uncapped amount of money to reward. Otherwise someone goes without for someone else to be rewarded.<br /><br />One would think this guy would be more concerned about his own area of expertise. Oh that's right every Treasury forecast has been wrong for the last three years. Perhaps he's not an expert there either.Mac Stevensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09285257070911299880noreply@blogger.com