Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Strategic Confusion

Most of the school leaders NPR reached had little idea of how shootings got recorded for their schools. [More]
Hey, if we can cherry-pick our numbers and change definitions as desired, we can claim anything we like.

And then you run into inexcusable crap like this:
For example, the CRDC reports 26 shootings within the Ventura Unified School District in Southern California. "I think someone pushed the wrong button," said Jeff Davis, an assistant superintendent there. The outgoing superintendent, Joe Richards, "has been here for almost 30 years and he doesn't remember any shooting," Davis added. "We are in this weird vortex of what's on this screen and what reality is."

So find out. How did those numbers get there, bureaucrat? Sorry about your dinner plans, you're going to stay until you figure it out.

At least that's what I'd have been told on every position I've ever held. Sorry-- I keep forgetting not everyone's job depends on performance.

[Via Roger J]

1 comment:

Elmo said...

We possibly had a "mistake in coding", but we have "no plans to republish our data".
Yeah, that'll work!

The end justifies the means. Screw the truth.

My favorite 'statistic' was when a school bus window was supposedly broken by a BB, which was then classified as a school shooting. The only thing more curious about that event was that the grabbers haven't gotten busy with their Red Ryders and run the numbers up even further.
Maybe I shouldn't be giving them any ideas.