1 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:05,599 Speaker 1: What's going on? 2 00:00:05,759 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,080 is heard live every day from noon to three on 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:11,919 WBT Radio in Charlotte. 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,039 Speaker 1: And if you want exclusive. 6 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 2: Content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, my 7 00:00:16,879 --> 00:00:19,239 daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, 8 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,640 go to vpekclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the 9 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,160 subscribe button. Get every episode for free, write to your 10 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,719 smartphone or tablet, and again, thank you so much for 11 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,280 your support. Charlotte Observer reports that North Carolina is among 12 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,119 a handful of states to see a bump in middle 13 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:42,359 school math scores on a recent national assessments so called 14 00:00:42,799 --> 00:00:47,960 Nations Report Card. Experts say it is thanks to a 15 00:00:48,039 --> 00:00:56,560 state policy, state policy that places students into advanced math 16 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,920 courses who might otherwise be overlooked. 17 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: So a policy does that. 18 00:01:04,079 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 2: There's a state policy that identifies kids who are being 19 00:01:09,879 --> 00:01:14,760 overlooked that are good at math. But the policy is like, no, 20 00:01:14,879 --> 00:01:17,400 you're actually good at math. We're going to put you 21 00:01:17,439 --> 00:01:22,719 in an advanced course. Thank goodness for the policy. What 22 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,400 is this policy? This is a great question, glad you asked. 23 00:01:26,599 --> 00:01:30,799 Let's keep reading. The state is one of five to 24 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,680 see an uptick in eighth grade math scores on the 25 00:01:35,799 --> 00:01:42,120 latest NAPE an AEP, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 26 00:01:42,159 --> 00:01:44,959 I believe is what that stands for, sometimes called the 27 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,359 nation's report card. On the assessment, North Carolina ranked first 28 00:01:49,799 --> 00:01:55,480 in math in Southeast States. It was one good outcome 29 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:57,599 in an otherwise bleak NAPE report. 30 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: So everything else stunk, but this. 31 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,719 Speaker 2: One category because they you know NAPE does, So this 32 00:02:05,879 --> 00:02:09,520 is what the eighth grade, uh said, Yeah, eighth grade 33 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,879 math scores they do. I want to say it's third, 34 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,319 fifth and eighth grade. I think that's what they do 35 00:02:16,479 --> 00:02:19,439 in the third grade reading scores. That's the when you 36 00:02:19,479 --> 00:02:22,919 hear people talk about the schools to prison pipeline, like 37 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,240 you like you can see you can track kids who 38 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,759 are not at reading level by third grade. They end 39 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,599 up with all sorts of problems in their adulthood. They 40 00:02:34,599 --> 00:02:37,240 make less money, they're in jail more often. 41 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,159 Speaker 1: Like just it's you. 42 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,759 Speaker 2: You are not on a path to success if you 43 00:02:41,879 --> 00:02:48,680 are not at grade level in third grade reading. So 44 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:50,360 I guess we didn't do very well in that, but 45 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,719 we did see improvement in the eighth grade math. Because 46 00:02:53,719 --> 00:02:56,560 they do reading and math, they do two different tests 47 00:02:56,599 --> 00:03:00,960 in all these grades, and eighth grade is the only 48 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,800 category that we're talking about, not third grade math or reading, 49 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,479 fifth grade math, the reading, eighth grade reading, just eighth 50 00:03:07,479 --> 00:03:07,919 grade math. 51 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: Okay. 52 00:03:09,199 --> 00:03:16,759 Speaker 2: Education activists or sorry, education advocates, advocates education, So that's 53 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:21,800 public education, that's government schooling proponents. Okay, that's usually what 54 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,199 that means. That's the term they give themselves because it 55 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,719 makes them sound like they're doing good work and for 56 00:03:27,759 --> 00:03:29,319 the right reasons and all that. 57 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure these. 58 00:03:30,879 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: Education advocates are also all anti school choice, but whatever, 59 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,800 that's a sidebark. So these advocates say that the jump 60 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:43,199 in North Carolina math performance may be due to a 61 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:50,439 policy in state law that automatically places the top twenty 62 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,680 five percent of scorers on a sixth grade math assessment 63 00:03:55,159 --> 00:03:59,800 into advanced math classes. Moving forward, this eventually gives them 64 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,439 ath access to math classes with college credit, such as 65 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:11,520 AP International baccal Art or IB and dual enrollment courses. Okay, 66 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:15,280 so it's not just a policy there. From what I'm 67 00:04:15,319 --> 00:04:20,000 reading here in the Observer piece by Rebecca Noel, it 68 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:25,639 says the state it's a policy in state law, but 69 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:33,319 it is taking kids who what who score well on 70 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:39,519 a test, a test which I thought we weren't supposed 71 00:04:39,519 --> 00:04:41,519 to be doing. We're in removing away. I'm old enough 72 00:04:41,519 --> 00:04:44,920 to remember. I am old enough to remember when testing 73 00:04:45,079 --> 00:04:48,319 was bad. And okay, I remember that. They go, oh, 74 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,439 they just don't test well. We can't rely on testing. 75 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,480 Remember we hear all of this stuff anti testing. Can't 76 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,720 use testing well, come to think of it, that's usually 77 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:03,560 about tying it to teacher pay. So maybe testing does 78 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,560 have some benefits. Who would have thought, I mean, besides, 79 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,800 like everybody with a look of common sense, Yes, you 80 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,920 test the kids and in sixth grade, if they're in 81 00:05:13,959 --> 00:05:16,879 the top twenty five percent of the top scoreres right, 82 00:05:16,879 --> 00:05:21,279 then you put them into the advanced math classes. In 83 00:05:21,319 --> 00:05:29,360 other words, merit merit outcome based Right, you obviously do 84 00:05:29,439 --> 00:05:32,360 well at math, You've learned your math lessons. You're doing 85 00:05:32,399 --> 00:05:35,120 a good job with math. We gave you this test. 86 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,399 You finished in the top coretile, so you get to 87 00:05:39,439 --> 00:05:41,879 move on to advanced stuff. And then look at that, 88 00:05:42,639 --> 00:05:46,639 you get you get on a track to learn more 89 00:05:46,639 --> 00:05:54,480 advanced math after that. Again, this should be this should 90 00:05:54,519 --> 00:05:59,120 be fairly common sensical. No, the fact that and by 91 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,279 the way, this poe they put in place in twenty eighteen. 92 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:10,120 So I think that that might be due to Republican lawmakers. 93 00:06:13,399 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: Who I thought. 94 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 2: Hated education, which is so weird. That's for people who 95 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:22,399 hate education. They really stink at hating education. I got 96 00:06:22,399 --> 00:06:25,160 to tell you, why would you do that? Like, why 97 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,480 would you get more kids into advanced math? Why would 98 00:06:27,519 --> 00:06:30,439 you want their scores going up if you so hate education. 99 00:06:32,079 --> 00:06:36,519 They have a quote here in the paper from Lindsay Henderson, 100 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:43,199 who is a math policy director for excel in Ed 101 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:51,279 that is a national education advocacy organization, and she says 102 00:06:51,399 --> 00:06:55,480 that they have shown oh yeah, this is going to 103 00:06:55,519 --> 00:06:55,759 get this. 104 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: This my floor. You too. She says they have shown. 105 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 2: That they are diversifying the advanced math classes in terms 106 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:11,360 of socioeconomic status and ethnicity and race. All three categories 107 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,959 have now become more represented. There is a diversification of 108 00:07:17,079 --> 00:07:21,399 the student population in the advanced math classes when you 109 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,040 simply give them a test on how much they know, 110 00:07:24,399 --> 00:07:27,360 and the kids it doesn't matter what they race, their gender, 111 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,639 or anything else. They test well, they get into the 112 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:36,920 advanced courses and lo and behold, you have more diversity. 113 00:07:37,839 --> 00:07:42,319 Well that's amazing. It's almost like these immutable characteristics of 114 00:07:42,399 --> 00:07:45,959 race and gender and socioeconomic status or whatever. 115 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: Like it's almost like these things don't matter because it's 116 00:07:48,959 --> 00:07:50,439 freaking math. You know. 117 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,519 Speaker 2: It's math, and some people I'm not one of them, 118 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,199 but some people are good at math. It's the way 119 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,879 their brains operate. I have tried. That's a lie. I 120 00:08:00,879 --> 00:08:03,879 actually know. I really haven't tried that hard. 121 00:08:04,279 --> 00:08:07,439 Speaker 1: To be good at math. And truth be told, I'm 122 00:08:07,439 --> 00:08:08,480 a bit out of practice. 123 00:08:08,959 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 2: I mean, aside from like simple math and budgeting for 124 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,000 the household and that kind of thing. I don't really 125 00:08:14,439 --> 00:08:17,240 like I'm not running Pythagorean theorems on stuff I don't 126 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:18,000 even know is that math? 127 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:19,279 Speaker 1: Is that still math? Okay? 128 00:08:19,319 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 2: So like I'm not even a math brain guide, so 129 00:08:21,879 --> 00:08:25,040 it okay. That's but from what I understand, there are 130 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:26,839 people that are good at math. 131 00:08:26,879 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: I actually know. 132 00:08:27,399 --> 00:08:28,959 Speaker 2: I know that to be true because I know people 133 00:08:28,959 --> 00:08:31,759 who are good at math, and so they just they 134 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,320 see the numbers. It's like a beautiful mind. They start 135 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,240 floating all around their face and stuff, and it's it's 136 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,679 a sight to see. So the policy has been in 137 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,279 place since twenty eighteen. As the kids age, their math 138 00:08:43,399 --> 00:08:47,039 skills continue to develop. On that advanced track, which could 139 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,919 be part of why scores have improved. One result of 140 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:55,519 the policy is more children from underrepresented backgrounds around the state, 141 00:08:55,879 --> 00:09:00,120 such as students from socioeconomically disadvantaged households or is we 142 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,559 used to call them growing up poor poor households? Rich 143 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:06,240 and poor? Can you say rich? I think we still 144 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:10,279 say rich, but we don't say poor anymore. But kids 145 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,399 of all different backgrounds are getting access to the accelerated 146 00:09:13,399 --> 00:09:18,639 math track, and they're also maintaining high levels of student 147 00:09:18,759 --> 00:09:24,320 success in those advanced math classes. So my logical conclusion 148 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:29,519 in all of this is that teachers are apparently racist. No, 149 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,120 I don't know what else, Like, what other logical conclusion. 150 00:09:32,639 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: Could there be? 151 00:09:33,639 --> 00:09:37,159 Speaker 2: Right before, before you gave the kids all the tests 152 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:39,559 to find out that they were actually gifted in math, 153 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:41,720 and then you sent them on the math track with 154 00:09:41,799 --> 00:09:44,559 the policy, you made this policy that said if they're 155 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:46,200 good at math, you got to put them on the track. 156 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,559 Why were they not getting put on those tracks before? 157 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: Right? Hello, systemic institutional racism? Anybody? No? Does that not 158 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,879 exist in the gov CO K twelve monopoly? Does that? 159 00:10:00,159 --> 00:10:01,320 I'm so confused? 160 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,159 Speaker 2: Gosh, here's a great idea, how about making an escape 161 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,799 to a really special and secluded getaway in western North Carolina. 162 00:10:08,919 --> 00:10:11,080 Just a quick drive up the mountain and Cabins of 163 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:15,480 Asheville is your connection. Whether you're celebrating an anniversary, a honeymoon, 164 00:10:15,519 --> 00:10:17,759 maybe you want to plan a memorable proposal, or get 165 00:10:17,759 --> 00:10:20,679 family and friends together for a big old reunion. Cabins 166 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,440 of Asheville has the ideal spot for you where you 167 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,080 can reconnect with your loved ones and the things that 168 00:10:26,159 --> 00:10:29,919 truly matter. 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Choose from thirteen cabins, six cottages, 176 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:59,519 two villas, and a great lodge with eleven king sized bedrooms. 177 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:02,879 Cabin of Ashville has the ideal spot for you for 178 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,799 any occasion, and they have pet friendly accommodations. Call her 179 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,159 text eight two eight three six seven seventy sixty eight 180 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:13,159 or check out all there is to offer at Kevin'sofashville 181 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:16,720 dot com and make memories that'll last a lifetime. I 182 00:11:16,759 --> 00:11:19,840 have a tweet. It's a p tweet from It's all 183 00:11:19,879 --> 00:11:23,360 a distraction, she says. How can a student from a 184 00:11:23,399 --> 00:11:27,679 poor home excel in math? I was told math was 185 00:11:27,799 --> 00:11:32,200 racist two plus two equals five and all of that. Yes, 186 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:34,720 it's a it is a delim Oh. By the way, 187 00:11:34,919 --> 00:11:39,279 breaking news. If you've been trying to post the dumbest 188 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:45,279 thing on North Carolina politics in the ncpol hashtag on Twitter, 189 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,039 just save it for tomorrow because we have the dumbest 190 00:11:48,039 --> 00:11:49,200 tweet of the day. 191 00:11:49,639 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: It's already. 192 00:11:50,279 --> 00:11:54,879 Speaker 2: I know it's only like two twenty four here, but uh, 193 00:11:54,919 --> 00:11:57,360 there's no topping this, okay, So just save your fire 194 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:04,559 for tomorrow. Kevin Coulter, Yes, husband, father of three, a 195 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:09,679 fierce advocate for students to have strong public schools. Twenty 196 00:12:09,759 --> 00:12:12,360 five years in the classroom. So this is a teacher 197 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,919 or former teacher. Oh and he says he blocks MAGA. 198 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,759 So there's a bill that some Republicans sponsored that would 199 00:12:22,759 --> 00:12:27,320 allow North Carolina homeschoolers and private school students to play 200 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:36,080 interscholastic athletics, and Kevin Colter said, several North Carolina Republicans 201 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,840 wrote a bill in support of DEI policies. I'm glad 202 00:12:39,919 --> 00:12:43,440 that the Republicans finally understand the importance of DEI policies 203 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:52,080 and practices. So he thinks he thinks allowing kids from 204 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:59,519 homeschool to play sports with public school teams, he thinks 205 00:12:59,519 --> 00:13:02,440 that that is DEI or something. 206 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 1: He deleted it. 207 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 2: But I screen captured it. So the internet is forever. 208 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:17,759 But I digress. And now he's been immortalized on a podcast. 209 00:13:18,039 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: Don't worry, don't worry. 210 00:13:19,039 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 2: He has a lot of entries into the dumbest tweet 211 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,320 of the day on North Carolina politics. So back to 212 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,840 the story here at the This is the Charlotte observers 213 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,799 of the McClatchy papers talking about the state policy that 214 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,080 they enacted in twenty eighteen that basically said, hey, take 215 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,480 a test, and if you do well in the test, 216 00:13:37,519 --> 00:13:39,679 we'll take twenty five percent of the top performing kids 217 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:42,559 on the math test and you get put into a 218 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:47,559 track course that is for advanced math courses, and they're like, 219 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:51,080 holy smokes, our math scores went up. Who would have 220 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,600 thought that if you test kids and take the best 221 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,879 kids in the performance quartile, and you take the best 222 00:13:56,879 --> 00:13:59,240 of them and you give them advanced classes, they're going 223 00:13:59,279 --> 00:13:59,960 to do better in math. 224 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:01,159 Speaker 1: That's just amazing. 225 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 2: And oh and it's actually a more diverse student population too. 226 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 1: See. 227 00:14:06,519 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 2: According to McClatchy, the policy helps weed out bias that 228 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:15,279 otherwise might keep kids out of advanced math. What bias? 229 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:20,120 Who's bias? How would bias play into this? Says Brenda Berg, 230 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:25,440 president and CEO of Best NC and Education Advocacy nonprofit. 231 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,480 Prior to the law being passed, about ten percent of 232 00:14:28,519 --> 00:14:32,440 students who qualified for advanced math classes were being put 233 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:36,679 on the advanced track. Now that's down to just two percent. 234 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,360 So ten percent that qualified they were not getting tracked, 235 00:14:42,679 --> 00:14:45,360 they were not getting put into the advanced course, and 236 00:14:45,399 --> 00:14:49,000 now it's only two percent. And she says, we can't 237 00:14:49,039 --> 00:14:53,159 fully identify why those ten percent were kept out, but 238 00:14:53,279 --> 00:14:56,919 it could be because of notions about which kids were 239 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:06,399 capable and which kids weren't. So again, it seems like 240 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:14,120 you're saying K twelve government employees are racists, right, What 241 00:15:14,159 --> 00:15:17,000 other conclusion am I to draw here otherwise, like why 242 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,679 like you're judging these kids or I guess they it 243 00:15:19,799 --> 00:15:23,000 just could be bigotree against like poor people too, I guess, 244 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,240 or maybe religious bigotry or something. 245 00:15:25,279 --> 00:15:25,759 Speaker 1: I don't know. 246 00:15:26,799 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 2: They can't figure it out. They don't understand, so they 247 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,600 don't have an explanation for why so many kids from 248 00:15:33,639 --> 00:15:37,600 these with these different backgrounds weren't getting put into the 249 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:43,919 advanced math courses. But apparently when a policy gets passed 250 00:15:43,919 --> 00:15:46,840 that says, if you do well top twenty five percent 251 00:15:46,879 --> 00:15:47,759 on this test. 252 00:15:47,639 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: You will get put in those courses. 253 00:15:49,879 --> 00:15:53,759 Speaker 2: Now, all of a sudden, diversity achieved. 254 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: Interesting. 255 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,639 Speaker 2: All right, I hope you had a happy holiday season. 256 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,240 But tell me if something like this happened at your house. 257 00:16:01,519 --> 00:16:04,120 Your family and friends are gathered around, maybe y'all are 258 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,679 in the living room, You're laughing, swapping stories, reminiscing, and 259 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,559 then somebody says, hey, Dad, remember those old VHS tapes? 260 00:16:11,679 --> 00:16:14,240 Did you ever get them transferred? And then the room 261 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,080 gets all quiet. All eyes are on Dad, who says, oh, 262 00:16:18,159 --> 00:16:20,159 you know, well, I've been meaning to but I just 263 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,200 having gotten around to it. Look, don't let those priceless 264 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:26,159 memories sit in a box for another year. All Right, 265 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,080 Create a Video has been helping families in the Charlotte 266 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,919 area preserve their history since nineteen ninety seven. Simply bring 267 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,399 in your old camquarder tapes and Creative Video will transfer 268 00:16:36,519 --> 00:16:39,679 them to a USB flash drive for just fourteen ninety 269 00:16:39,679 --> 00:16:42,000 five per tape. You have a big collection, They've got 270 00:16:42,039 --> 00:16:45,159 a discount for you. And next year, instead of talking 271 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,960 about those memories, imagine gathering the family to watch them together. 272 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,879 Talk about a memorable gift. So do what I did. 273 00:16:52,919 --> 00:16:56,759 Trust the experts at Creative Video, conveniently located in mint 274 00:16:56,799 --> 00:16:59,600 Hill right off I four eighty five and online at 275 00:16:59,679 --> 00:17:03,399 Creator of video dot com. So North Carolina in twenty 276 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:09,039 eighteen passed this policy. Adopted a policy that in sixth 277 00:17:09,039 --> 00:17:12,000 grade kids take a math test and if they are 278 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,920 in the top twenty five percent of performers, they then 279 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:20,319 get placed on sort of an advanced math course. Right, 280 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:24,640 so they then move into advanced math classes going forward, 281 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:26,920 and that puts them on the tracks for AP and 282 00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:30,160 IB and all of that not irritable bowet, but like 283 00:17:30,799 --> 00:17:35,119 International Baccalaureate and so and dual enrollment courses and stuff 284 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:39,400 like that, and so what they have found since twenty eighteen, 285 00:17:39,599 --> 00:17:43,200 since the policy was enacted, they have more kids going 286 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:48,759 into these classes. These scores have gone up, and they're 287 00:17:48,759 --> 00:17:51,880 more diverse, the popular the student population is more diverse, 288 00:17:52,799 --> 00:17:55,240 and they're like, I don't know it's going on. We 289 00:17:55,279 --> 00:17:56,839 can't figure it out. It might have something to do 290 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:02,759 with this policy that maybe the policy weeds out bias 291 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,559 that keeps kids out of the advanced math classes. And 292 00:18:07,559 --> 00:18:11,920 then that to me raises the obvious question of who's biases? 293 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,119 Who are the people that are making these decisions, Why 294 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,519 are they keeping gifted kids out of the advanced math courses. 295 00:18:20,839 --> 00:18:23,680 Prior to the law being passed, there was about ten 296 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:28,200 percent of kids that qualified for the advanced classes but 297 00:18:28,279 --> 00:18:32,039 were not put into the advanced classes ten percent. Now 298 00:18:32,079 --> 00:18:38,960 it's down to two percent, and according to Brenda Bergh, 299 00:18:39,079 --> 00:18:44,000 president and CEO of Best NC and Education Advocacy nonprofit, said, 300 00:18:44,039 --> 00:18:46,559 we can't fully identify why those ten percent were kept out, 301 00:18:46,559 --> 00:18:48,799 but it could be because of notions about which kids 302 00:18:48,799 --> 00:18:52,240 were capable and which kids weren't. For example, someone might 303 00:18:52,279 --> 00:18:54,759 have the expectation that only a kid who has two 304 00:18:54,799 --> 00:18:55,880 parents at home could do it. 305 00:18:56,319 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 1: What. 306 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 2: I'm sorry, you don't get to be in his math class. Us, 307 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:09,880 little Elon because you're from a single mother home. What really, 308 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:12,480 why would that ever come into factor? Why would that 309 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,079 why would that ever be used in a K twelve 310 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:22,839 government school? Why would that be? No, that's or maybe 311 00:19:22,839 --> 00:19:25,319 a kid that shows up with his hair not being 312 00:19:25,519 --> 00:19:28,720 washed every day, or a kid that or only a 313 00:19:28,759 --> 00:19:31,880 kid that behaves in class would get in. But if 314 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,079 you misbehave in class, then you don't because you're a 315 00:19:34,079 --> 00:19:36,160 trouble maker whatever. Usually, by the way, the kids that 316 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:41,880 are troublemakers are oftentimes bored. They are bored, they're actually smart, 317 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:44,839 they are bored by what you are doing, or they're 318 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:48,920 just in it for the lols. That's possible to Bias 319 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:53,000 can take many forms, But this policy takes all that away. Interesting, 320 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:58,240 So a policy takes away what bias takes away what 321 00:19:58,799 --> 00:20:04,920 non meritorious yes rewards, That's what it did. Right. You 322 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,599 either make the greater you don't, and if you score 323 00:20:08,599 --> 00:20:10,200 in the top twenty five percent, you get into the 324 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:10,720 top class. 325 00:20:10,759 --> 00:20:11,119 Speaker 1: That's it. 326 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,759 Speaker 2: Like that, It doesn't matter if you misbehave in class. 327 00:20:13,799 --> 00:20:16,640 It doesn't matter if you don't wash your hair every day. 328 00:20:17,319 --> 00:20:19,920 It doesn't matter if you have two parents or twelve 329 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,000 parents or one parent, or whatever. You get in you're 330 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,200 good at math. This is the class for kids who 331 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:25,880 are good at math. 332 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:26,519 Speaker 1: Welcome. 333 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 2: North Carolina was the first state to enact an auto 334 00:20:31,079 --> 00:20:35,559 enrollment policy, but Texas and Washington have since followed. Suit 335 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:39,160 Berg says one approach to raising reading scores could be 336 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:43,000 to adopt a similar approach to placement in advanced reading curriculum. 337 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,799 Wait a minute, you're saying this could work in other 338 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:47,880 subjects too. 339 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:50,400 Speaker 1: Wait to bury the lead there, observer. 340 00:20:53,319 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 2: This is exactly why you do not want a US 341 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:05,559 Department of Education setting national policies. Because North Carolina experimented 342 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:09,960 with a fix. And if this policy, which is really 343 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:15,559 just testing and then rewarding merit, if this policy is 344 00:21:15,599 --> 00:21:19,680 a fix and does yield better results, then every state 345 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,359 should be able to say, hey, what are they doing, 346 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,519 Let's do what they're doing, and then adopt that same thing. 347 00:21:24,559 --> 00:21:27,960 These are the quote laboratories of democracy, right, that's the 348 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:32,200 whole concept, individual states setting their own course, deciding for 349 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,839 themselves what works, what doesn't, and then the best ideas 350 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,920 rise to the top. When you have a nationalized system, 351 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:46,640 you stifle innovation and even worse. One mistake, one bad 352 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:50,759 policy at the top at a national level then gets 353 00:21:50,799 --> 00:21:57,279 replicated across every single state, and the damage done is universal. Right, 354 00:21:57,759 --> 00:22:01,240 as almost as if that's the point. No, that wouldn't 355 00:22:01,279 --> 00:22:04,240 possibly be the case. But that's the benefit of a 356 00:22:04,279 --> 00:22:09,640 federalist model. Fifty states choosing their own course, and the 357 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,680 ones that do better, the ones that seem to fix things, 358 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,680 you can imitate them. You can replicate their successes, you 359 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,160 can avoid their failures. That's the point. 360 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:22,640 Speaker 1: Oh. 361 00:22:22,759 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 2: In a related story, Trump is considering now an executive 362 00:22:25,799 --> 00:22:30,839 order to shut down the Department of Education. Finally, by 363 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,240 the way the observer, in the very end of their story, 364 00:22:34,279 --> 00:22:36,839 they say, what can be done to help low performing students? 365 00:22:38,279 --> 00:22:42,039 Because the achievement gap is still there between racial demographics. 366 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,480 So while there was test improvements, there is a racial 367 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,640 achievement gap. So they're asking, you know, what can be 368 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:50,599 done to help low performing students? Do you want to 369 00:22:50,599 --> 00:22:52,839 take a guess what their suggestion is? Take one guess. 370 00:22:52,839 --> 00:22:54,039 I'll give you one guess. 371 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:54,799 Speaker 1: That's it. 372 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 2: What do you think the education advocates say, we have 373 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:04,240 to do to improve low performing students performance? How do 374 00:23:04,279 --> 00:23:06,359 we do that? What is your guest? That's right. It's 375 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:12,480 teacher pay exactly. It's always teacher pay. It's always teacher pay. 376 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:17,200 Why why not just do the policy do this thing 377 00:23:17,279 --> 00:23:19,799 where you reward the merit. Hell, kid, you did a 378 00:23:19,839 --> 00:23:21,359 good job on the test, We're going to put you 379 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:22,599 in this advanced course. 380 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: Like, why do I do that? 381 00:23:27,279 --> 00:23:29,759 Speaker 2: Wait a minute, do we pay those teachers extra money? 382 00:23:29,759 --> 00:23:33,160 And that's why the math test went up? We saw 383 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,279 improvement in the math test. Did we give all those 384 00:23:35,319 --> 00:23:38,559 teachers pay raises or something? No, that didn't happen either. 385 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:41,720 Why is the answer for these people always? 386 00:23:41,759 --> 00:23:43,519 Speaker 1: I know why. The answer, I know why. The answer 387 00:23:43,599 --> 00:23:47,000 is that it's for campaign contributions. 388 00:23:47,279 --> 00:23:49,079 Speaker 2: All right, if you're listening to this show, you know 389 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,160 I try to keep up with all sorts of current events, 390 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,240 and I know you do too, And you've probably heard 391 00:23:53,279 --> 00:23:57,359 me say get your news from multiple sources. Why Well, 392 00:23:57,359 --> 00:24:00,000 because it's how you detect media bias, which is why 393 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:03,319 I've been so impressed with ground News. It's an app 394 00:24:03,519 --> 00:24:06,720 and it's a website and it combines news from around 395 00:24:06,759 --> 00:24:09,200 the world in one place so you can compare coverage 396 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,119 and verify information. You can check it out at check 397 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:16,599 dot ground dot news slash Pete. I put the link 398 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,720 in the podcast description too. I started using ground News 399 00:24:19,759 --> 00:24:22,480 a few months ago and more recently chose to work 400 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:24,559 with them as an affiliate because it lets me see 401 00:24:24,559 --> 00:24:28,400 clearly how stories get covered and by whom. The blind 402 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,240 spot feature shows you which stories get ignored by the 403 00:24:31,319 --> 00:24:35,000 left and the right. See for yourself. Check dot Ground, 404 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,880 dot News, slash Pete. Subscribe through that link and you'll 405 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,079 get fifteen percent off any subscription. I use the Vantage 406 00:24:42,079 --> 00:24:45,559 plan to get unlimited access to every feature. Your subscription 407 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,359 then not only helps my podcast, but it also supports 408 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,680 ground News as they make the media landscape more transparent. 409 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:55,960 I got a message here from Russ. He says it 410 00:24:56,039 --> 00:24:59,000 sounds pretty racisty to deny a certain ten percent of 411 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:02,839 students a chance at advanced placement. Maybe like some kind 412 00:25:02,839 --> 00:25:07,039 of bigotry of low expectations or assumptions that support education 413 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:14,519 advocate savior complexes. Yeah, yeah, it's always amazing to me, 414 00:25:14,839 --> 00:25:18,680 like the one in the same article. In one paragraph, 415 00:25:18,759 --> 00:25:23,920 you're telling me that there is a cohort of kids 416 00:25:24,559 --> 00:25:28,200 that are good enough in math to have been placed 417 00:25:28,759 --> 00:25:34,519 in advanced math classes, but we're not, and you don't 418 00:25:34,559 --> 00:25:34,839 tell me. 419 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:35,400 Speaker 1: By whom. 420 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,799 Speaker 2: You don't tell me how that happens. You don't tell 421 00:25:38,799 --> 00:25:42,359 me who the decision makers are there. But in the 422 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:46,000 next paragraph you tell me that in order to help 423 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,480 more low performing students or something, that the answer is 424 00:25:50,799 --> 00:25:53,759 to pay the people more money. But wouldn't I be 425 00:25:53,839 --> 00:25:58,400 paying the people that have been discriminating against kids to 426 00:25:58,519 --> 00:26:01,160 keep them out of math classes. Wouldn't I be paying 427 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,079 them more money too? I have said this on the 428 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:10,559 teacher pay topic for gosh now, probably ten or fifteen years. 429 00:26:11,079 --> 00:26:15,480 I want to pay great teachers a lot of money. 430 00:26:15,599 --> 00:26:18,400 Speaker 1: I am fine to do that. You're a great teacher. 431 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,400 Speaker 2: I like, it's more art form to like, in my mind, 432 00:26:23,519 --> 00:26:25,920 you got to be a good communicator, right, you got 433 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:27,319 to be. 434 00:26:27,599 --> 00:26:28,799 Speaker 1: Entertaining and formative. 435 00:26:28,799 --> 00:26:31,799 Speaker 2: It's a performance like that's being in front of a 436 00:26:31,799 --> 00:26:34,400 classroom like that, getting kids motivated to learn and all 437 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,400 of that. Knowing all of your kids, the stuff that's 438 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,519 going on in their lives. It is a very difficult job. 439 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,319 And if you're a great teacher, you should be pulling 440 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:47,079 down six figures. Absolutely, But I'm not going to pay 441 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:51,640 the crap ones too the same amount of money. I'm sorry, 442 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:54,599 because I had them don't tell me there aren't bad teachers. 443 00:26:54,839 --> 00:26:58,480 We've all had bad teachers, and so I'm not going 444 00:26:58,559 --> 00:27:05,079 to be held hostage. I do not negotiate with kidnappers 445 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,680 or hostage takers. They're terrorists too, for that matter, but 446 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:10,240 I'm not saying. I'm not saying they're terrorists. But like 447 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:12,759 I don't, I'm not negotiating with it. I'm not gonna 448 00:27:12,759 --> 00:27:16,720 pay my old teacher. I'm not going to name her, 449 00:27:16,839 --> 00:27:20,519 not gonna pay her six figures because the one in 450 00:27:20,559 --> 00:27:23,039 the classroom next to her is an awesome teacher and 451 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:27,599 deserves it. I'm sorry. I'm not gonna get shaken down 452 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:33,319 like that. But of course, the observer quotes this same 453 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:37,200 woman from the you know, education advocacy nonprofit, which I'm wondering, like, 454 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,759 who funds them? Are those government grants that are coming 455 00:27:40,799 --> 00:27:42,119 into your nonprofit? 456 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:43,920 Speaker 1: The NGOs? 457 00:27:46,519 --> 00:27:48,599 Speaker 2: She says, this is her name is Brenda Berg, and 458 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,440 she says the biggest thing is to invest in our teachers. 459 00:27:53,519 --> 00:27:56,519 She said students who are not enrolled in advanced math 460 00:27:56,559 --> 00:28:00,759 classes are more likely to have teacher vacancies in their classrooms. 461 00:28:00,839 --> 00:28:05,799 Get this, since educators are often drawn to teaching classes 462 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:13,400 with more challenging coursework. Why are teachers drawn to classes 463 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:18,759 that have more challenging coursework? Why do you think that 464 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,000 might be? Why do you think teachers want to be 465 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:27,839 in a classroom that's teaching harder material, especially when the 466 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:32,920 students had to pass tests to get into these advanced classes. 467 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:35,279 Why do you think teachers want to be in those 468 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:44,480 environs better behaved kids? Yeah, the kids in those classes 469 00:28:44,599 --> 00:28:49,160 generally speaking hashtag not all kids, but like, generally speaking, 470 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:53,640 those kids do not have the kinds of discipline problems 471 00:28:54,440 --> 00:29:00,400 that you find in other classes. Those kids want to 472 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:03,359 be there. They like the material, they want to learn 473 00:29:03,359 --> 00:29:07,039 that material, they have a gift in that subject matter, 474 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,960 and so teachers want to be there because the kids 475 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:15,960 want to learn, which tells you what. It's not really 476 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:17,839 about the money. The money's nice, don't get me wrong, 477 00:29:17,839 --> 00:29:19,759 already made my position clear on that pay the great 478 00:29:19,759 --> 00:29:24,319 teachers six figures. But teachers want to be in a 479 00:29:24,359 --> 00:29:26,599 place where they feel like they're making a difference. Nobody 480 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:28,440 wants to go to work every single day and feel 481 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:32,079 like what they're doing doesn't matter, So they want to. 482 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:32,839 Speaker 1: Be in those settings. 483 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,559 Speaker 2: This is like this, to me, the most amazing thing 484 00:29:36,599 --> 00:29:39,759 about this story is that this is being reported as 485 00:29:39,839 --> 00:29:40,480 if it's new. 486 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: I have known this. I've never been a teacher. 487 00:29:43,359 --> 00:29:45,440 Speaker 2: I have spoken in front of classes, and I know 488 00:29:45,519 --> 00:29:47,920 a lot of teachers. But I've known this for almost 489 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,599 twenty years. How is it possible that you guys are 490 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:54,000 just figuring this out? All right? That'll do it for 491 00:29:54,079 --> 00:29:56,759 this episode. Thank you so much for listening. I could 492 00:29:56,759 --> 00:29:59,000 not do the show without your support and the support 493 00:29:59,039 --> 00:30:01,880 of the businesses that advertise on the podcast, so if 494 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:03,960 you'd like, please support them too and tell them you 495 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,079 heard it here. You can also become a patron at 496 00:30:06,079 --> 00:30:10,119 my Patreon page or go to dpecleanershow dot com. Again, 497 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:12,960 thank you so much for listening, and don't break anything 498 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:17,559 while I'm gone.