Political Philosophy and education results.

[Oerdin]

At another site we were discussing education results and I noted that red states tended to do worse on standardized tests then blue states. I theorized that Republican anti-tax beliefs caused those schools to be underfunded compared to the blue states resulting in higher class sizes, older text books, and a generally worse education experience. I was immediately jumped on by right wingers who claimed I was being a "partisan hack" but they were unable to explain why red states have lower test scores then blue states.

So I thought I would ask the question here: Do you believe the dominant political philosophy of a region effects the test scores students from that region achieve? I'm thinking it is a knock on effect since fewer resources and more crowded classrooms don't tend to give us quality results. Religion could also play a part since religious fanatics tend to attack science resulting in lower science achievement. Anyway what are your thoughts?

[McKenzie]

1. impossible question - it's a thesis topic

would require statistical anlysis and a close look at all the factors before any correlation could even begin to be drawn. Answering this complex question on the hoof would be unwise unless there are DU'ers with knowledge of the issues who can make an informed comment.

regards

[dcfirefighter]

2. B/C red staters are provencial rubes

and blue staters are erudite cosmopolitans

[left is right]

3. I don't think it has as much to do with money as it does

with intellectual curiosity. Children of red-stateish parents are taught very early not to question authority, that science and literature are anti-God, and the history that is taught is slanted/bias against people like them.

[StClone]

4. Global warming

North cool, blue and smart...South Red hot and brain-baked...Global Warming has made it possible for the dummies to increase. Tee Hee!

[Jon8503]

5. Probably way off base here but will take a stand at this & my own

personal philosophy on your question.

1) Take the red regions, they tend to be more religious and more rural & more southern.

2) Take the blue regions, they tend to be less religious and more urban center, eastern & northern, always better and some great educational institutions (not in every single case but on average).

3) The more religious and the more rural seem to be taken in by the religious-right & conservative philosophy. Education has never been the priority it is in the blue state regions.

4) The religious tend to focus more on church teaching, they are suspicious of anything related to science. They even seem to have a suspicious attitude toward educators thinking they are against god and are going to teach their children Darwin or something.

Probably didn't explain this very well, should have put more thought into it but here goes.

Also, I am now reading a book written by one of Michael Schiavo's lead attorney's, Jon Eisenberg, the book is called "Using Terri". some insight here as it focuses on how the right-wing used Terri Schiavo to serve its own agenda which goes beyond what was happening in Florida. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in the right-wing's agenda. This guy saw it first hand along with Michael Schiavo of course.

[eallen]

6. Faith dumbs you down

[OHdem10]

7. You are so on point--As a transplanted southener

I have been screaming a similar argument at other sites for last
few years.

Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. The Anti-Tzx
attitude that has been promulgated in the South and West for that
matter is directly refelected in the fact that these are some
of the poorest states in the union. I now live in Ohio a purple
state. As Ohio over the years has become more and more republican,
the educational rating has dropped, our infrastructure is in disrepair
and may quality of life standards have dropped.
I can remember when Ohio would be set up as a national example on
education. People would come here to get ideas on how to improve
their states. Now our standards are steadily declining.

Common sense tells you--You get what you pay for. Yes, NY has higher
taxes but overall they have a much higher quality of life.

Back in the eighties the Republican Party decided we do not want this
economic populism. It is bad for our Constituency--those who make
75,000 dollars annually and up. along with business, especially Big
Business. They started the "Class Warfare Smear" if poverty was
mentioned. They instead developed a religious cultural populism
which brought the hopeless under their sway. Simultaneously,
playing the poor whites against the minorities. "you do not want
your taxes to pay for the minorities and welfare". Guess what
the Red States Educational and other Quality of Life Standards
have dropped. The sad thing is it appears some Democrats drank this
Kool-aid.

[izzie]

9. I am not sure but with the tax thing-----sounds about right

Finland and Japan have very high tax and have some of the best results on education in the world.Finland also makes sure teachers are highly trained right down to pre-school and higher education is free if you can get in which most can as they do so well.Having lived in the South with kids in school I would think some of it is the 'church' schools so they will not have to mix races in school. You had to buy a lot of the books when I lived in the South and blacks could not do that, so it knocked many blacks out of going to school.I am not sure this is still going on but to see TV during the storm I would say education for the poor is very bad. When I lived in the South they bused black kids who lived next to the school my kids went to 25 miles north to go to school.That is a big part of the pop. to educate poorly, blacks and church students, to get very good results. The just about all white schools my kids went to was about the same level as the Northern schools they had also gone to. So tax, teachers pay and teachers educations seem to be important as I see it.

[ebal]

8. As a non-transplanted southerner

If you haven't read it here enough.

South = Dumb/backwards/hayseeds/need to be continually scolded

North = Intelligent/forward thinking/uppercrust/beyond reproach

[mzteris]

10. look at a by county breakdown

What are stats for blue counties in red states and vice versa?

[SCDem]

11. I think the wealth of the region plays alot into it

Not just red/blue.

[Oerdin]

12. Yes.

Most schools are paid for by local property taxes. One of the few exceptions is California due to a proposition which requires all school funds to go first to Sacramento then be distributed equally on a per pupil basis. This was to prevent rich areas having great schools and poor areas having crap schools.