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Ex-El Centro School Superintendent Admits Fraud
Good question, but I think the problem is not so much that there are a bunch of phonies as that there are thousands of honest teachers hoping for a magic educational pill, implementing Klentschy-style science notebooks in their classrooms, and expecting that their students' test scores will skyrocket. Then, if those scores don't rise as high as Klentschy's bogus results suggest they should, teachers and their administrators start to wonder what they're doing wrong and they move on to the next fad or simply give up. As I commented earlier, Klentschy's approach isn't all bad. Anything that increases student time spent on authentic scientific inquiry and on writing is bound to have beneficial results. But too many teachers, administrators, and researchers are sticking faithfully to Klentschy's script with unrealistic expectations and without realizing what a huckster he's been.— March 14, 2012 6:55 a.m.
Ex-El Centro School Superintendent Admits Fraud
I think the story is largely slipping under the radar because people tend to ignore El Centro as a sleepy little desert town. But Klentschy's "research" has been highly influential across the nation. He came into El Centro as a hotshot out of UCLA, and we're talking about big NSF grants here. There are many, many teachers and researchers trying to duplicate his approach to science education. It's not necessarily a bad way of teaching science, but too many people are unaware of how he's doctored his results. Google his name and check out all the glowing reviews of his books, his keynote speeches at Los Alamos National Lab, the Smithsonian Institution, etc. Thanks again for being one of the few journalists covering the story -- and for your responses here in the comments. I think you'd find deeper digging into the story to be rewarding.— March 14, 2012 6:10 a.m.
Ex-El Centro School Superintendent Admits Fraud
Right. To me, this is the worst part. It's scientific fraud, and it's what makes Klentschy more than a simple thief. Klentschy was famous for his innovative teaching methods, and many grants have since been given to researchers who are trying to reproduce and build on his results. But he was selling snake oil. Thanks for covering the story. It deserves much broader attention.— March 13, 2012 4:31 p.m.
Ex-El Centro School Superintendent Admits Fraud
You forgot the part about Klentschy pleading guilty to falsifying data in order to get the grants in the first place. Turns out that his "science notebook" approach to elementary school instruction -- which is still being used all over the country -- is a bunch of hooey.— March 13, 2012 3:30 p.m.