Those are all fair points, and I might have phrased things a little too strongly in the original post.
I do think the education example is interesting, though, because both “sides” (if you will) are convinced that they are the only ones who truly care about improving children’s education. The problem is that they’re confusing means and ends.
To me, whether it’s progress studies or education or whatever, there needs to be a significant number of academically-minded folks who agree with the end of improving progress or improving education, but who are resolutely agnostic about the means of doing that, and who are willing to follow the data wherever it leads (including being willing to admit when something doesn’t work, or backfires, or has other unintended consequences or tradeoffs).
Those are all fair points, and I might have phrased things a little too strongly in the original post.
I do think the education example is interesting, though, because both “sides” (if you will) are convinced that they are the only ones who truly care about improving children’s education. The problem is that they’re confusing means and ends.
To me, whether it’s progress studies or education or whatever, there needs to be a significant number of academically-minded folks who agree with the end of improving progress or improving education, but who are resolutely agnostic about the means of doing that, and who are willing to follow the data wherever it leads (including being willing to admit when something doesn’t work, or backfires, or has other unintended consequences or tradeoffs).