Saturday, August 18, 2012

School Bureaucrats Compile Meaningless Statistics, Again

The State of South Carolina is touting that its Class of  2012 broke the record in "scholarship" money awarded by a total rising above $ 1 billion.

If you want to know why the statistic is meaningless, read the article carefully or go back to some of my previous postings. This craziness goes on every fall.

How much time and effort that could be directed productively is wasted on such drivel?

3 comments:

FB said...

What about tracking the per capita income of these graduates 10 or 20 years after they finish a local public school. Now that would be revealing.

Or we could do what one South Asian country does, track the "satisfaction quotient" or their measure of individual happiness.

Meaningless dollars on a scholarship roster including scholarships not accepted are just that, meaningless numbers.

FB said...

I was in line to receive an appointment to the Air Force Academy, but didn't take it. Does that mean I received a $250,000 scholarship? Not at all.

Instead, I racked up $25,000 in student loans attending a state university of my choice with no obligation for military service. How do they measure that?

Buist Waiting List and Still Waiting said...

On a totally different subject, I have to comment on the resignation of Toya Hampton Green from her school board seat this morning. Not that she ever provided her downtown district with any genuine representation or service, it might be appropriate to quote what a fellow legal eagle said of her in October 2007 on this blog.
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Paul E. Ticks said...
Having dealt with Ms. Green on a professional basis, I can say without hesitation that she is borderline incompetant. The fact that she would feel the need for a "mentor" at her age and with her work experience is just another way of saying that she can't cut it in a small practice where she has to generate business, be responsible for public relations, placate Realtors--all the things that are part of the modern day small law practice.

Think of it this way--by joining the McNair Firm, Ms. Green is now a worker drone rather than a Queen Bee. This is fine, but she is hardly a leader.

Of course, a review of Ms. Green's resume reveals that she has been the recipient of one patronage position after another--only the names of her patrons have changed.

Changing the subject slightly--I disagree with Anonymous 10:11. Ms. Green is hardly a "token." While she is not the person you would want to be the public persona of your firm, with the help of a highly trained staff and the guidance of a "mentor" she is certainly capable of pushing paper from 9:00 to 5:00. She will earn her paycheck even if the clients don't get their monies worth.
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Here is one more observation as Toya leaves for better pickings in Columbia...

The millions of dollars school boards around the state pay the SC School Board Association will keep this paper pusher employed and its doubtful the clients will get there money's worth there either. It's just another example of an elected official turned lobbyist.