Political geographies of the object

This paper examines the role of objects in the constitution and exercise of state power, drawing on a close reading of the acclaimed HBO television series The Wire, an unconventional crime drama set and shot in Baltimore, Maryland. While political geography increasingly recognizes the prosaic and intimate practices of stateness, we argue that objects themselves are central to the production, organization, and performance of state power. Specifically, we analyze how three prominent objects on The Wire—wiretaps, cameras, and standardized tests—arrange and produce the conditions we understand as ‘stateness’. Drawing on object-oriented philosophy, we offer a methodology of power that suggests it is generalized force relations rather than specifically social relations that police a population—without, of course, ever being able to fully capture it. We conclude by suggesting The Wire itself is an object of force, and explore the implications of an object-oriented approach for understanding the nature of power, and for political geography more broadly

A década de progresso educativo perdida sob a NCLB: que lições tirar desse fracasso político?

Dez anos se passaram desde que o presidente George W. Bush assinou a lei No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Uma revisão de uma década de evidências demonstra que a NCLB falhou tanto em termos de seus próprios objetivos como de forma mais ampla. Na verdade, por causa de sua dependência equivocada dos testes padronizados e sanções para as escolas, tem prejudicado muito os esforços pela reforma da educação. Muitas escolas, particularmente aquelas servindo alunos de baixa renda, se tornaram pouco mais que programas de preparação para testes. É hora de reconhecer essa falha e adotar um curso mais eficaz para o papel do governo federal na educação. Os formuladores de políticas devem abandonar estratégias baseadas na fé em testar e punir. Os dados acumulados ao longo de dez anos apontam que: 1) a NCLB afetou severamente a qualidade do ensino e a sua equidade; 2) a NCLB não conseguiu aumentar significativamente o desempenho acadêmico médio ou estreitar significativamente as diferenças de desempenho

Public Testimony on Massachusetts Teacher Evaluation Proposal

Massachusetts is getting ready to embark on a new approach to evaluating public school teachers and administrators that could have far-reaching, and negative, effects on teaching and learning in our schools. State education policymakers are seeking public feedback on this new teacher evaluation proposal. Members of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) voted April 27 to solicit public comment on the plan for 60 days. A group including FairTest Executive Director Monty Neill; Brookline parent an