Presumption and Assumption

Not all excuses are bad or false.

1. Class size. Reducing the student-teacher ratio is the factor that improves performance more than any other and this has been demonstrated. That does not mean other factors do not offset the benefit of this.

2. Poverty. Living in chronic poverty is stressful and this stress does have an effect on students' ability to learn and perform in the classroom. Also demonstrated recently.

3. Teacher pay. Uh... so how many hours do teachers work pray tell? Do you know, Roopsag in VA? After my wife became a teacher 4 years ago she now works more hours than me. There is a distinction between "hours one is officially in the classroom" and "hours that teacher actually works outside classroom...