On editorial pages, bias is presumed and there are delightful - TopicsExpress



          

On editorial pages, bias is presumed and there are delightful advantages. One, you do not have to provide proof of the accuracy of your claims, you just make them. Two, you get to ignore any aspect of the issue that doesn’t support your opinion. Neither of those would be tolerated in writing a “news” article. In today’s Tacoma News Tribune editorial, we see just this very thing. One, the bias of TNT is clear in its choice of words: “unhinged state teachers union,” “domesticated lawmakers”, “litmus test”. Equating anything coming out of DC or Olympia with an act of nature, like a thunderstorm, is a decidedly poor analogy. There’s nothing natural about it and it can require determination and political bravery to stand up against some of it. Also, I do not believe that WEA’s position on this concept has ever changed. It’s poor science and WEA opposes it. And, to suggest that Sen. Don Benton, Sen. Sharon Brown, Sen. Doug Ericksen, Sen. Mike Padden, Sen. Kirk Pearson, & Sen. Pam Roach are “domesticated lawmakers” beholden to WEA is so absurd as to be laughable. They all voted “nay” on this bill, gutting its chances in the Senate. But, TNT chooses to ignore that fact. TNT also chooses to ignore the fact that not a scrap of scientific evidence supports the concept that using student test scores to evaluate teachers improves student learning. One could just as easily made the case that this was a remarkable act of political courage on the part of some Washington state lawmakers, who would not succumb to federal bribery or blackmail. Ken Mortland Kirkland, WA
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 18:08:37 +0000

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