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The more I read articles in education based on national numbers the more I realize that national macroeconomic views are pretty much meaningless compared to loc

The more I read articles in education based on national numbers the more I realize that national macroeconomic views are pretty much meaningless compared to local micro views. I don't care how much teachers make nationally, - I care how much teachers make at my local schools.

joe_the_user 7y ago
I suppose then people elsewhere are expected not to care what teachers at your local school make then? Isn't politics about seeing a larger picture?
- reaperducer 7y ago
  Isn't politics about seeing a larger picture? No. In fact, there's a saying in politics: "All politics is local."
  - joe_the_user 7y ago
    There may be the saying "all politics is local politics" but this is hardly a proof of the situation. If anything, the worst politics happens through a purely local lens - for example, the refusal of silicon valley cities build housing for workers in the companies around them based on "local concerns".
    - reaperducer 7y ago
      There was no specification in the OP's comment about whether it's good or bad. But the fact remains that all politics is local. With the exception of the president, people vote for their local city government, their local county government, their local school board, their local senator, their local representative, and on the macro level (governor), they vote for the person who they think will best help their own, local interests.
      - UncleEntity 7y ago
        > With the exception of the president... Well, technically, people vote to guide the electoral college on who they should vote for.
- ArnoVW 7y ago
  His point is that a phrase like "this [teacher|nurse|officer] only makes xx" can be deceiving when the local economic context is not taken into account. Cost of living is not equal. To give an analogue example : the same mechanism applies, in an exacerbated way, across countries. Comparing salaries of Americans with those of -for example- a Frenchman will not take into account that healthcare and education are much more expensive in the US.
AdrianB1 7y ago
Actually national view adjusted for the cost of living is still interesting. The unadjusted numbers are not so relevant, given some huge differences between parts of the country - looking at SV at the high end one still wonders how the average teacher could live there.

joe_the_user 7y ago

I suppose then people elsewhere are expected not to care what teachers at your local school make then? Isn't politics about seeing a larger picture?

reaperducer 7y ago
Isn't politics about seeing a larger picture? No. In fact, there's a saying in politics: "All politics is local."
- joe_the_user 7y ago
  There may be the saying "all politics is local politics" but this is hardly a proof of the situation. If anything, the worst politics happens through a purely local lens - for example, the refusal of silicon valley cities build housing for workers in the companies around them based on "local concerns".
  - reaperducer 7y ago
    There was no specification in the OP's comment about whether it's good or bad. But the fact remains that all politics is local. With the exception of the president, people vote for their local city government, their local county government, their local school board, their local senator, their local representative, and on the macro level (governor), they vote for the person who they think will best help their own, local interests.
    - UncleEntity 7y ago
      > With the exception of the president... Well, technically, people vote to guide the electoral college on who they should vote for.
ArnoVW 7y ago
His point is that a phrase like "this [teacher|nurse|officer] only makes xx" can be deceiving when the local economic context is not taken into account. Cost of living is not equal. To give an analogue example : the same mechanism applies, in an exacerbated way, across countries. Comparing salaries of Americans with those of -for example- a Frenchman will not take into account that healthcare and education are much more expensive in the US.

AdrianB1 7y ago

Actually national view adjusted for the cost of living is still interesting. The unadjusted numbers are not so relevant, given some huge differences between parts of the country - looking at SV at the high end one still wonders how the average teacher could live there.