
Letter
Raymond-Hoxby 'Spat' Has Historical Resonance
To the Editor:
The spat between Stanford University colleagues Margaret E. Raymond and Caroline M. Hoxby over charter schools ("Scholars Spar Over Research Methods Used to Evaluate Charters," Oct. 14, 2009) is reminiscent of the brawl between John F. Witte of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Harvard University’s Paul E. Peterson over vouchers in 1996. In both instances, the issue made headlines in major newspapers nationwide, with The Wall Street Journal running a story about the earlier debate on its front page on Oct. 11, 1996.
The major difference was that Messrs. Witte and Peterson looked at the same student data about vouchers in Milwaukee and reached opposite conclusions. Ms. Raymond looked at 15 states and the District of Columbia, while Ms. Hoxby focused only on New York City.
Despite the coverage, however, the Witte-Peterson controversy was never resolved to anyone’s complete satisfaction. If the past is any guide, the same thing will be true today in the Raymond-Hoxby dust-up.
Vol. 29, Issue 09, Page 27
Get more stories and free e-newsletters!
Viewed
Emailed
Recommended
Commented
Sponsor Insights
5 Resources on the Power of Interoperability from Unified Edtech
Hiding in Plain Sight - 7 Common Signs of Dyslexia in the Classroom
All Students Are Language Learners: The Imagine Learning Language Advantage™
Climate Change, LGBTQ Issues, Politics & Race: Instructional Materials for Teaching Complex Topics
Evidence-based Coaching: Key Driver(s) of Scalable Improvement District-Wide
Tips for Supporting English Learners Through Personalized Approaches
SEE MORE Insights >
- Superintendent, Green Bay Area Schools
- Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- University Guidance Counselor. IB School. Dubai.
- Galvin Education, Dubai (City) (AE)
- ELA TEACHER
- Community Group, Lawrence, MA, US
- Executive Director
- Tarrant To and Through Partnership (T3), Fort Worth, Texas
- School Bus Driver
- Madison Highland Prep, Phoenix, Arizona
We encourage lively debate, but please be respectful of others. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited. By commenting, you are agreeing to abide by our user agreement.
All comments are public.