We just received the word: Doggone it.
We were about to start collecting data for tomorrow's post.
The data in question would have been scores from the 2000 and 2009 PISA testing. We were going to show you how well different groups of American students scored on the tests.
We reviewed the information last weekend, but we didn't record it. Our thinking went something like this:
The PISA Data Explorer will always be there!
Well guess what? As of today, the PISA Data Explorer isn't there! The site is run by the National Center for Education Statistics. When we tried to access the site, we received a personal message:
Dear Users,Dear "users," the message said. Should we be offended?
Due to a lapse of appropriations and the partial shutdown of the Federal Government, the systems that host nces.ed.gov have been shut down. Services will be restored as soon as a continuing resolution to provide funding has been enacted.
Dang! As we've read The Smartest Kids in the World, we've been impressed by the extent to which Amanda Ripley is willing to ignore the experiences of certain groups of American kids. Surely, though, the reforms which allegedly worked in Finland will also work for those kids!
We wanted to show you how those kids have done on the PISA. Thanks to the shutdown, we may not be able to do that tomorrow. Dang!
Luckily, conservatives feel their position on the shutdown is morally right, as Ashley Parker helped us see on the front page of today's New York Times. We'll see where their inspiring stand leaves us as of tomorrow.
In the meantime, we're forced to report the flow of information curtailed.
Both the Dems and the Reps refused to compromise with the other side. Both sides are equally responsible for the shutdown.
ReplyDeleteBob's point is that the shutdown is hurting those of us who would benefit from his access to the database. Your statement about responsibility strikes me as trolling given that this is a liberal website. You can't seriously expect anyone here to argue this point with you?
DeleteIf it strikes you as trolling, why do you feed this SOB?
DeleteCan't tell if sarcasm. Comment is too stupid, even for DinC.
DeleteNo, David. Both sides are NOT the problem.
DeleteThomas Mann and Norman Ornstein are two of the most respected Congressional scholars in the country. Here's their take:
"We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party."
But wait, there's more:
"The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition."
The problem today is that conservatives –– which means most of the current crop of Republicans –– are extremely dogmatic. And that’s highly problematic in a democratic republic that was created on a platform of values that include popular sovereignty, freedoms for all citizens, equality, justice, tolerance, and promoting the general welfare of society. Conservatives are opposed to them all.
And that’s what makes them so dangerous.
No, David. Both sides are NOT the problem.
DeleteThomas Mann and Norman Ornstein are two of the most respected Congressional scholars in the country. Here's their take:
"We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party."
But wait, there's more:
"The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition."
The problem today is that conservatives –– which means most of the current crop of Republicans –– are extremely dogmatic. And that’s highly problematic in a democratic republic that was created on a platform of values that include popular sovereignty, freedoms for all citizens, equality, justice, tolerance, and promoting the general welfare of society. Conservatives are opposed to them all.
And that’s what makes them so dangerous.
No, David. Both sides are NOT the problem.
DeleteThomas Mann and Norman Ornstein are two of the most respected Congressional scholars in the country. Here's their take:
"We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party."
But wait, there's more:
"The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition."
The problem today is that conservatives –– which means most of the current crop of Republicans –– are extremely dogmatic. And that’s highly problematic in a democratic republic that was created on a platform of values that include popular sovereignty, freedoms for all citizens, equality, justice, tolerance, and promoting the general welfare of society. Conservatives are opposed to them all.
And that’s what makes them so dangerous.
Anon@507 etc.,
DeleteWhy don't you learn how to post?
The comment was only posted one time...for some reason, it appeared here 3 times.....but thanks, I do know how to post comments.
DeleteI bet the majority reporters covering the education topic could go years with resorting to checking this so called "data" before writing their columns. Assuming this shutdown goes on for bit, I bet they couldn't even tell you if this government site were down if you polled them next week.
ReplyDeleteYou're just not trying hard enough!
ReplyDeleteOMB ( Can't find the Black kids? Or at least their scores? Hey!
Where de White Women At?)
"The data in question would have been scores from the 2000 and 2009 PISA testing. We were going to show you how well different groups of American students scored on the tests." BOB
What? Bob was going to make our black kids reappear after Amanda disappeared them, but the data base disappeared?
Yes, at the end of the month he promised we would hear about the DISAPPEARED little ones, (or at least their disaggregated test scores)
all week. And yes, he detoured for another stab at Phinland and the Phoney woman touting the place, and had time to drop in and trash Joan Walsh and a Dowd clonette. But dammit it he was going to get to those 2000 PISA test scores tomorrow.
Except he forgot to tell you he had the data last week but conveniently lost it in time so as not to disprove his tale that American kiddos were kicking Polish kids in the class as far as test score progress goes.
Yes, we know: 1) You are a troll. 2) Go away. 3) Snore. 4) Yawn.
5) BOB may be ........, but the emperor has no clothes.
The five best arguments the above average commentariat in BOBworld can muster. Save the bandwidth.
KZ (Chuckling as he looks at the 2000 -2009 PISA test data he printed out last time BOB couldn't "access" them.
"The data in question would have been scores from the 2000 and 2009 PISA testing. We were going to show you how well different groups of American students scored on the tests." BOB
Douchebag.
DeleteKZ,
DeleteI won't level any of the five responses you list above. I would just ask you to cut out the cutesy stylistic tics. They are annoying, not really that funny, and get in the way of whatever point it is you are trying to make.
Sorry cacambo. Bob says he can't write his post because he can't get the data from the 2000 and 2009 PISA tests. Last week he wrote a post in which he left out results from the 2000 PISA test, which were online when he wrote the post. The claim he made about the PISA test was that from 2003 to 2009 American kids score gains were higher than those of Polish students on all three tests. This was, in fact, not true, but close. Two out of three.
DeletePreviously BOB wrote a post in which he used 2000 PISA test results. Previously Bob wrote a post attacking Ripley for not using 9 years worth of test results. But when he made this claim about Americans outgaining Poles, he left out 2000 results. In so doing Bob was not using 9 years worth of results. Why? Because if he used them Americans did not outgain Poles. In fact, on two out of three tests American scores went down. BOB faults people for not naming names. I am naming BOB.
Simple enough in style for you?
KZ
I covered this at length in an earlier comment.
No dead. I went away.
DeleteKZ