Print This Post Print This Post

Jan

11

Looping, or just loopy? In defense of political experience, at the risk of political entrenchment


Yesterday, I went to lunch with a near 30-year veteran of a major metropolitan newspaper who retired a little over a year ago. She’s a Barack Obama supporter and I’m a Democratic fence-sitter. Since my top three candidates are gone, baby, gone, I now will choose between the top three finishers in Iowa and New Hampshire.

But how – how will I choose? What criteria do I find to be most relevant? Which criteria are the most relevant?

My lunch date said that she prefers Obama to Clinton or John Edwards because she believes that this country needs someone who will listen and integrate multiple perspectives into a single solution, whatever issue is under the microscope.

I played devil’s advocate by bringing up the experience question – what’s he got to show, versus someone like Hillary Clinton or John Edwards? (I’m dispensing with the arguments that Clinton’s time has all been on the watch as a wife and Edwards as a trial lawyer; I don’t believe the former characterization to be accurate or fair and if being a trial lawyer doesn’t involve finding solutions, albeit through our justice system, I don’t know what profession does).

And her response, not surprisingly, was that Clinton’s experience is overshadowed by her entrenchment as a result of that experience.

That’s when I told her about looping.

If you have a child in elementary or middle school, you might know about looping. I know about it firsthand because one of my kids is a beneficiary of it.

Looping, in education, is when a teacher sticks with a class for more than one grade. The class, when it heads into its second year, is said to be “looping” with that teacher.

What’s the benefit of looping?

Again, if you’ve got kids, you can just imagine: how many weeks at the beginning of the year are spent by a classroom teacher assessing, assessing, and, you know, assessing? In my school district, anywhere from three to six weeks or more. Especially with the pressures on schools to implement inclusion, so that any one classroom has kids who function along a lengthy continuum of abilities, that assessment period – and then analysis of the results and implementation based on that analysis – can take literally months.

But, ah – with looping? That assessment period, that analysis time, that getting to implementation? Dramatically shortened.

Now, I told my friend, I understand her concern about Hillary Clinton’s entrenchment with certain people, groups and influencers that comes as a result of her experience. I feel the same concern – it is real. No question.

But imagine the opposite. Remember the class without looping, the class with brand new everyone – new classmates, new room, new teacher.

As we chatted, it became clear that the conundrum pits the benefits of looping against the detriments of entrenchment. This conundrum, when applied to making a choice between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (or John Edwards), makes us face the following question:

Which is the greater enemy of achieving the more or less similar goals shared by the Democratic front-runners (getting out of Iraq, re-establishing a positive global reputation for the US, keeping social security safe, reforming health care, improving education, addressing illegal immigration):

Ceding the time it will take Obama to put together a team – across the entire White House administration including all its cabinets, and then create, develop and build relationships with and between all those individuals – because we know he is bright and has a vision, when time is not something most Democrats want to have more of before change takes place;

Or risking the possibility that Clinton will be unable to disregard or otherwise dilute decades-long ties inside the Beltway and therefore be unable to answer to the American people, as a citizenry?

That choice is why I’m on the fence, although the looping analogy has me leaning toward experience.

How about you?

Cross-posted at BlogHer and RedBlueAmerica.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:17 pm January 11th, 2008 in Campaigning, Elections, Government, Politics, WH2008 

Comments

5 Responses to “Looping, or just loopy? In defense of political experience, at the risk of political entrenchment”

  1. 1 Your Lunch Date on January 11th, 2008 7:04 pm

    Great summary of our lunch discussion.

    You managed to place a few doubts in my mind, but after giving it some more thought, I am still willing to pass up the path well-trod for the path not yet taken.

    Looping only works for the good when you are on the right track. Otherwise, you just get dizzy.

    Cheers!

  2. 2 Jill Miller Zimon on January 11th, 2008 11:27 pm

    Thanks, Lunch Date! It was, obviously, a very thought provoking lunch. I’m thinking a whole day excursion somewhere might be necessary next time!

  3. 3 Village Green on January 12th, 2008 12:10 am

    Very insightful post, Jill. I can attest to the power of “looping.” At the public arts school where I teach, all of us arts teachers have the privilege of guiding our students for up to five years, during a critical growth period in their young lives. (grades 4 – 8) Although their academic teachers change yearly, the students have their arts teachers as the constant ears and eyes focused on their artistic and academic progress. We are keenly aware of our students’ development over time. We can ease the transition from one year’s academic level to the next and we are always available to give insight into how their minds, bodies, characters are developing.

    It’s all about how to get the young bird out of the nest and able to soar on her/his own. Our wonderfully diverse and gifted students have also achieved Excellence on every NCLB report card.

    I would support the idea of more looping in elementary and middle schools. In urban schools especially, many students need a constant in their chaotic young lives.

    Richardson was correct to be campaigning for more arts (especially more drama and dance) in the schools. Add in teaching methods that incorporate the multiple intelligences and other progressive education policies. Instead of slapping uniforms on kids as an attempt to gloss over problems, it is time to focus on individual needs. Instead of No Child Left Behind policies, how about every child deserves the best education possible? Instead of the constant testing and measuring in the vain attempt to get everybody to the same point at the same time, how about looking at each child’s individual needs?

    As for Hil the problem solver vs Barack the poet-orator, I’d like them both on the same ticket. That would neatly side-step the gender vs minority quandary. Can’t we have change and experience at the same time? What we need are intelligent, creative and dedicated people who are able to work together to solve problems. (The latter are skills that are learned effectively through the arts.)

  4. 4 Jill Miller Zimon on January 12th, 2008 9:25 am

    Hey Village – thanks for a great comment.

    I really support this: “Instead of No Child Left Behind policies, how about every child deserves the best education possible? Instead of the constant testing and measuring in the vain attempt to get everybody to the same point at the same time, how about looking at each child’s individual needs?” That’s a big carrion cry in gifted ed, as you may know. The new value-added analysis is supposed to help but…I’m not hearing great things about it right now.

    As for the Hil/Barack thing, yeah – I know – I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that two candidates who are a bit yin and yang are out there – it’s pretty rare that someone with it all reaches the stages they have. But working together? I don’t know – I have to tell you, I think Obama has shown some serious, serious intense dislike for Clinton. At times, it’s been almost as scary to see on his face as the steel fortitude of Clinton that seems so cold and calculating.

    What do you think??

  5. 5 How to build a political party platform, 2008 | Writes Like She Talks on January 12th, 2008 11:33 am

    [...] cross-posted this post about experience and entrenchment at RedBlueAmerica. A commenter there wrote this: I chuckled at [...]

Leave a Reply




"));