Hillary Clinton Vows to Close Schools Not “Above Average”

A numeric average is a relative statistic. If I have a set of numeric values and I calculate an average using the set, by definition, some individual values will fall below average, and likely, some will be right on the average. If I remove these below-average and average values, the original average does not remain fixed– and if I average the remaining originally-above-average values, some will newly be below average, and likely, some exactly average.

The truth about the relative nature of averages is apparently lost on Democratic presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton. On December 22, 2015, Clinton spoke at a high school in Keota, Iowa, where she said, “I wouldn’t keep any school open that wasn’t doing a better-than-average job.” She later equated “better-than-average” with “good.”

Listen to her words in this 25-second video clip:

Of course, closing “below average” and “average” schools only leads to a recalculated average among remaining schools– some of which would be “below average” upon recalculation– and some of which would likely be exactly average.

In fact, the only way to guarantee that no school could possibly be below average is to only have a single school. Still, based on Clinton’s “above average” criteria, that one would have to go, as well. It wouldn’t be below average, but it wouldn’t be above average, either. Being the only one, it would be, well, average.

Not good enough.

Let’s just shut every school.

Problem solved, Hils.

RELATED ARTICLE: Hillary Clinton Promises to Close All Public Schools

EDITORS NOTE: The author of the ed reform whistle blower, A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who In the Implosion of American Public EducationShe also has a second book, Common Core Dilemma: Who Owns Our Schools?, published in June 2015. both books

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2 replies
  1. Tami
    Tami says:

    Unless profits are to be made Hillary is absolutely clueless..Whats is she planning on doing with all the children who will have their schools shut down? smh.

    Reply
  2. Bill
    Bill says:

    A stupid proposition by a stupid ambitious lifetime politician. She should try to convince the teacher’s union, not the public. Even if I were to believe anything HIllary says, if you analyze the logic of her stupidity (crazy statement I know), once the schools not meeting the “above average” classification, wouldn’t the “above average” be the new “average”? What then?
    It’s time to reform our political system to one with term limits for all national level elected positions. One in which citizens run for office for a limited term period and then go back to their former positions or to a state level position.

    I don’t believe the founders of our nation intended to create a political class that thinks of themselves as “Royalty” and believe they are entitled to benefits the citizens do not have and most of their efforts in office is primarily to be reelected.

    Reply

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