AEA’s Wright takes on Ladner about “Florida Ed Miracle”

by David Safier

Hat tip to the blog, Strong Schools, for showing a clip from a discussion between AEA's John Wright and G.I.'s Matthew Ladner on PBS's Horizon about the "Florida Education Miracle." Wright raised many of the points I brought out in my series, The Floridation of Arizona Education, and Ladner, not used to talking with someone who can confront him about some aspects of Florida's reform which don't fit his neat little analysis, ends up harrumphing his way through an answer which I can only describe as apologetic.

Wright's points:

• Florida made its greatest reading gains between 1994 and 2002, before the "Florida Miracle" reforms really kicked in.
• Florida spends $1500 more per child than Arizona.
• Millions were spent in reading programs, including family literacy programs. "They have invested in their reading systems and reading intervention in ways Arizona can only dream of."

Wright says there are plenty of indications that Florida has made reading gains, something I agree with, but he demonstrates that the simplistic reasons Ladner has supplied and the right wing legislature has parroted are only a small part of a larger picture.

Ladner's answer to the statement that Florida spends about 20% more per student than Arizona?

"It's not clear, because these national rankings of spending, as I've talked about on your show before, are unclear . . ."

It was amazing to see Ladner, who is so definite about his simplistic statistics when they support his point, hemming and hawing, saying the spending numbers everyone else in the country accepts (including Tom Horne, no raving liberal) are somehow unclear. The only people they're unclear to are Ladner — who is constantly, to use the term he used inaccurately about my analysis, "trying to throw mud in the water" — and his minions.

The 2 minute video is a pleasure to watch. I hope others will follow Wright's lead and call Ladner on his assertions. And the media should follow the lead of PBS's Horizon and have two well informed people on the air or in a written article so the listener/reader can decide who is making the more informed points.