OK, folks, let’s not get too bent out of shape about WRAL’s latest fact check, “Fact Check: Senators debate education spending, constant dollars, fairy tales.”
Consider the function of a “fact check,” that is, to combine bias with lack of policy expertise.
Next, consider who WRAL’s Mark Binker contacted to provide policy expertise. 1) Andrew Brod, an economist and senior research fellow at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Center for Business and Economic Research and left-leaning columnist for the Triad Business Journal. 2) Tara Sinclair, an associate professor of economics and international affairs at George Washington University and the chief economist for Indeed.com. 3) Michael Maher, an assistant dean with the North Carolina State University College of Education and reliable critic of Republican legislators.
Admittedly, I chuckled when I read some of the responses. For example, Dr. Sinclair commented, “What we really need to think about is what quality of education we’re getting for this investment.” Wow, she’s right! Dean Maher adds, “I don’t know what else is available if you want to look across districts or across states.” Guess what, I do know what’s available and I don’t even work at a university!
For example, I would have directed Mr. Binker to measures of educational productivity. The Center for American Progress publishes a fantastic, district-by-district assessment of productivity. The U.S. Department of Education has an excellent resource page on the issue. I’ve written about the issue a number of times. You can even Google the term and find stuff on the Interwebs about it.
By the way, I love fairy tales. My favorite is about accuracy, independence, and impartiality in the mainstream media.
