DaytonOS — January Report

In January, DaytonOS had 11,811 visits to the site and from those visits had 29,698 hits on specific articles.  On average, there were 381 visits to the site each day and 958 hits on specific articles each day.  The web-site Technorati give DaytonOS a rank of 262,866

It’s been interesting to watch daily ad revenue from the Google ads that I started last October.  On some days ad revenue is zero or just a few cents, and then, for reasons I can’t fathom, some days it is much more.  We hit the ad jackpot on Monday, January 26 — on that one day had ad revenue of $3.99.  Our total ad revenue for January was exactly $21.00, an average of about 68 cents each day.

I’m thrilled that DaytonOS is earning $21 a month, but, wouldn’t it be great if DaytonOS could earn $2100 each month?  With sufficient revenue, we could pay authors to research and write articles that would attract even more interest, and, of course, such articles would increase traffic and increase ad revenue.  Obviously, content drives viewership.  If DaytonOS could increase traffic to the 40,000 or so visitors each day we’d have revenue sufficient to maintain that level of traffic.  If we had the content, we would have the traffic.  And if we had the traffic we could generate self sustaining revenue.  How to get the ball rolling is the question.

During the month, 39 visitors checked out our About page.  The stated purpose of DaytonOS is twofold:

  1. to organize, facilitate, encourage, and promote nonpartisan educational efforts with the purpose of educating the public and positively engaging the public in meaningful discussions concerning important issues of our day
  2. to build authentic democracy throughout the Miami Valley

If DaytonOS could create vigorous actions that would advance such goals, and capture such action on this web-site, we would, over time, create a large enough community that could become self perpetuating.  I am working on a strategy.

My thought is that DaytonOS should become a community of thoughtful individuals in the Miami Valley. Right now, it appears that most of the 381 visitors each day come from outside the Miami Valley and are attracted to DaytonOS via web searches of specific topics.  We have a few DaytonOS regulars, thankfully, who often make comments and add a lot to the site.  I’d love to be able to see in a typical day just exactly who visits DaytonOS and what exactly brings each person here.

DaytonOS syndicates three web-sites:  EsratiDaytonology , and Kurt’s NIghtmare.   So almost all of the articles posted on DaytonOS, right now, are from the writers of the three syndicated blogs and me.  I’m wondering if there are other Dayton area web-sites, particularly, similar to these, that would like to be syndicated on DaytonOS?  Let me know:  mbock@att.net.

Our ABOUT page welcomes individuals to contribute articles and, I am happy that this month  Victor Harris contributed an article. I would like to find a way to encourage more individual participation.  This thought brings me back to the ad revenue paradox I mentioned above.

In January, visitors to DaytonOS hit on over 400 articles.  Here are the top tier articles, in descending order, and showing the date the article originally was posted.

  1. This Just In: Barack Obama Will Be The 43rd President, Not The 44th (January 19, 2009)
  2. Dan Lipsky involved in consumer fraud? (June 9, 2008)
  3. Ohio’s Overcrowded Prisons Have Record Number Of Inmates, Yet Face Budget Cuts (December 29, 2008)
  4. Bill Moyers Accuses Israel Of “State Terrorism” In Its Conduct Of Gazan War (January 11, 2009)
  5. Doug Franklin Moves to Community Better Suited to the Size of His Head (March 7, 2008)
  6. Rick Warren’s Inaugural Prayer Was: Too Long, Too Doctrinal, And Too Protestant (January 21, 2009)
  7. Does your kid need braces? For FREE!? (July 7, 2008)
  8. Residency issue to go to Ohio Supreme Court (January 17, 2009)
  9. Throwing Money At Public Education Is Not The Answer, System Change Is Needed (January 14, 2009)
  10. Beautiful new species found in Mozambique (December 25, 2008)
  11. Governor Strickland Offers Five Point Plan To “Build Ohio’s Education System Anew” (January 28, 2009)
  12. Montgomery County Jail Computer SNAFU stops visits (November 20, 2007)
  13. Robert Reich Estimates True Unemployment Rate Is 11%; Urges Passage Of Huge Stimulus Package (December 5, 2008)
  14. Dreams not allowed in Dayton unless you’re rich. (January 22, 2009)
  15. Adelite Avenue: Mapping the Nuisance Properties (January 13, 2009)
  16. Report On Gazan War — ABC News With George Stephanopoulos — Was A Shameful Disgrace (January 6, 2009)
  17. Governor Strickland In “Education Forum” Discusses Six Principles To Guide Ohio’s Education Reform (July 31, 2008)
  18. Three Actions Bring President Barack Obama’s Credibility And Integrity Into Question (January 26, 2009)
  19. A Great Question: How Can We Tell If a School Is Excellent? (November 2, 2007)
  20. Obama Seeks To Be Transformative: Highlights Of His Inaugural Speech (January 21, 2009)
  21. Dayton Public Schools to hire Cleveland firm on a no-bid for PR (January 7, 2009)
  22. Victor Harris Says That George Bush In His Farewell Speech Unwittingly Admitted Many Failures (January 18, 2009)
  23. Joseph Stiglitz Says Anti-Regulation Ideology Caused Financial Meltdown (December 11, 2008)
  24. Land Contract vs. Rent to Own (October 14, 2008)
  25. Why Caroline Kennedy Is Highly Qualified To Be An Excellent US Senator (January 9, 2009)
  26. Organized Opposition Contributed to Centerville’s School Levy Defeat (November 10, 2008)
  27. A gay-bashing downtown (January 8, 2009)
  28. Jon Husted: Go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass go (January 21, 2009)
  29. Payback, Parachute or Patronage? Husted rehired by Dayton chamber (January 31, 2009)
  30. Congressman Mike Turner’s Failure To Explain His “No” Vote Is More Evidence Our Democracy Is In Deep Trouble (January 29, 2009)
  31. It’s A Big Mistake For Obama To Excuse Timothy Geithner’s IRS Failure As “Innocent” (January 19, 2009)

These are the articles that visitors to DaytonOS hit on in January, showing title and number of hits) in descending order.

  1. This Just In: Barack Obama Will Be The     294
  2. Dan Lipsky involved in consumer fraud?  255
  3. Ohio\’s Overcrowded Prisons Have Record     247
  4. Bill Moyers Accuses Israel Of “State T    155
  5. Doug Franklin Moves to Community Better     104
  6. Rick Warren\’s Inaugural Prayer Was: To    95
  7. Does your kid need braces? For FREE!?    84
  8. Residency issue to go to Ohio Supreme Co    81
  9. Throwing Money At Public Education Is No    80
  10. beautiful new species found in Mozambiqu    79
  11. Archives    75
  12. PACKED Nutter Center Cheers on Sarah Pal    73
  13. Governor Strickland Offers Five Point Pl    72
  14. Montgomery County Jail Computer SNAFU st    68
  15. Robert Reich Estimates True Unemployment    64
  16. Dreams not allowed in Dayton unless you    64
  17. Adelite Avenue: Mapping the Nuisance Pro    55
  18. Report On Gazan War — ABC News With Geo    53
  19. Governor Strickland In “Education Foru    51
  20. Three Actions Bring President Barack Oba    49
  21. A Great Question: How Can We Tell If a     49
  22. Obama Seeks To Be Transformative: Highl    48
  23. Dayton Public Schools to hire Cleveland     44
  24. Victor Harris Says That George Bush In H    43
  25. Joseph Stiglitz Says Anti-Regulation Ide    43
  26. Land Contract vs. Rent to Own    43
  27. Why Caroline Kennedy Is Highly Qualified    43
  28. Organized Opposition Contributed to Cent    42
  29. A gay-bashing downtown    41
  30. Jon Husted: Go to jail, go directly to j    40
  31. Payback, Parachute or Patronage? Husted     39
  32. Congressman Mike Turner\’s Failure To Ex    39
  33. About    39
  34. Noted Economist, Satyajit Das, Compares     38
  35. Paul Krugman Gives Two Reason He Support    37
  36. It\’s A Big Mistake For Obama To Excuse     35
  37. The free condom program needs a bailout:    34
  38. Yet another case for National Health Ins    34
  39. Grunder Landscape Owner to Host Bush Fun    34
  40. Congressman Kucinich Condemns Israeli At    30
  41. Dayton’s Oldest Gay Bar    30
  42. State Senator Tom Roberts – Ohio’s Estat    30
  43. What Does Fred Strahorn Do Now?    30
  44. Robert Reich Decries $350 Billion Waste     29
  45. Does Qbase Require Employees To Make Cam    29
  46. Contact    27
  47. Obama’s Science Adviser, John Holdren    27
  48. Do the Collapse: Skyscraper Occupancy S    27
  49. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.    27
  50. What Obama Should Accomplish In His Firs    27
  51. Is Sinclair really as affordable as clai    27
  52. Deepak Chopra’s New Book: “Jesus: A    27
  53. Moraine After the War    27
  54. Kettering Businessman Asks: \”Are You Re    26
  55. Religion, Wright-Pattererson, and an Acc    26
  56. Rancho Del Paso    26
  57. City of Johns    26
  58. Media Matters Urges Its Readers To Prote    26
  59. Nouriel Roubini, Prescient Economist Kno    25
  60. Interest on National Debt Is Consuming T    25
  61. How to solve the financial crisis- what     25
  62. When it comes to giveaways, Dayton Daily    24
  63. New plans to be unveiled for Wayne &    24
  64. Am I Dayton’s non-gay version of Harve    24
  65. Downtown South of Third: Economic Death    24
  66. Dayton Daily News asks “Why does DPS n    22
  67. World War II Emergency Housing: Dayton/    22
  68. Sidwell Friends School Nurtures Love Of     22
  69. Ohio Budget Expert, Richard Sheridan:     21
  70. Barack Obama’s “Go To The Moon” Ch    21
  71. OH 7th Dave Hobson to Retire    21
  72. Iraqi Shoe Thrower Should Get Significan    21
  73. Moraine City in the early Frigidaire Era    21
  74. Paul Krugman: “Ugly Financial Crisis Wi    20
  75. The first people who should be unemploye    19
  76. Austin Pike: Where is the Dayton City Co    19
  77. Wilmington Should be Shut Down and Retur    19
  78. There is good PR, there is logic, and th    19
  79. Bulk Head Doors    19
  80. James K. Galbraith Says Social Security     19
  81. Open letter to Clay Mathile    19
  82. Downtown’s finally getting bigger.    19
  83. John Goodlad Says Public Must Agree On     19
  84. Friday night Beer event: South Park Tave    19
  85. Don’t Believe Dayton Development Coaliti    18
  86. Dayton Public Schools: Dead Last    18
  87. Milk, Esrati, and Urban Politics    18
  88. Joe Klein Says Bush’s Decision To Appr    17
  89. Miracles    17
  90. Passing the buck, when you don’t have     17
  91. Front Lawn Folk Art: A Dayton Thang    17
  92. Racism Alive and Well in Oakwood    17
  93. Dayton Development Coalition Spends Mill    17
  94. The Center for Progressive Leadership Is    17
  95. How much do 3 stitches cost?    17
  96. Montgomery County’s $77 Million Boondogg    16
  97. Lesbians, Gays, Economic Development     16
  98. Please define the word “public” – DP    16
  99. Crime & Poverty in Early Depression     16
  100. Mike Ervin Steps uP on Oregon District    16
  101. 60 Years Ago: The Great Univis Strike of    16
  102. Governor Strickland Fails To Explain Imp    16
  103. Downtown South of Third: Two Postwar Sky    15
  104. Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Bill    15
  105. Miami Shores    15
  106. Coalition’s (Development Research Corpor    15
  107. 4 Dead in Ohio – Kent State – May 4, 197    15
  108. RTA Board & ED Move Streetcar Projec    14
  109. Ohio Supreme Court to Decide on Local Gu    14
  110. Ross Perot Warns About Dangers of Nation    14
  111. Paul Krugman Is Disappointed With Obama    14
  112. A Greater Downtown Dayton: Original Pe    14
  113. Pat Buchanan Urges Barack Obama To Denou    14
  114. Twelve Tax Loopholes Ohio Should Close T    13
  115. ROBERT F KENNEDY:Remarks on the Assassin    13
  116. How Gerrymandering Defeated An Outstandi    13
  117. SportsPlex lite is alive in Dayton!    13
  118. Parking downtown- don’t solve the prob    13
  119. Fannie And Freddie Not Responsible For H    13
  120. How the rich get richer in Dayton Ohio:     13
  121. Time for bankers to work for a living?    12
  122. Foreclosure? Don’t Move Out!    12
  123. Is This Church Violating IRS Tax Exempt     12
  124. To Obama- “shameful” or “Criminal    12
  125. Laissez Bon Temps Roulez in Louisville    12
  126. Is Liberty Savings Bank taking liberties    12
  127. Will Judy Dodge Be Punished For the Acti    12
  128. “Borrowing $25 Million” to reduce risk o    12
  129. Lost in Space: Analysing Downtown via t    12
  130. Documenting Dayton: Another Dayton Plac    12
  131. Colin Powell’s Over The Top Argument F    12
  132. Roosevelt High School Demolition    11
  133. Shame    11
  134. R.I.P. Helen Wishon    11
  135. The Industrial Suburb at War: Home Fron    11
  136. Chris Widener, Republican Senate Candida    11
  137. A vacant lot is better than a vacant bui    11
  138. Central State (Collaboration) Awarded 3.    11
  139. Ohio’s 2005 Tax Reduction Act Was Pred    11
  140. Can we be fabulous here in Dayton?    11
  141. Ralph Nader: If Barack Obama Is Serious    11
  142. Strickland on the right track with educa    10
  143. Consumer Advocacy Group Files Complaint     10
  144. Sherrod Brown – The Hill’s 50 Most Beaut    10
  145. Joe Lacey, And the New Dayton School Boa    10
  146. Flag Wars, Derelict Houses, and Communit    10
  147. The Gazan Tragedy: \”Tell Me Sir, What     10
  148. How many PR agency owners do you know?    10
  149. Robert Fisk On Obama’s Inaugural Speec    10
  150. Thought provoking tv spot for… a schoo    10
  151. Mayor McClin’s DDN Response To Cal Tho    10
  152. Ohio House OKs ban on skill games    9
  153. For Congressman Mike Turner, “Pork Has    9
  154. Why Monotheism Fails    9
  155. Denial of The Theory of Evolution Brings    9
  156. Tell Me Once Again: What Does It Mean T    9
  157. Gov. Strickland’s Education Plan Disap    9
  158. The dumb things Congressmen think of…    9
  159. Montgomery County Republicans To Reorgan    9
  160. test    9
  161. Senate Report: Torture Started With Bush    9
  162. Unions Want Obama’s Help In Passing Legi    9
  163. Newt Gingrich Compares Hamas To Nazis, S    9
  164. Debbie Lieberman DaytonOS Person of the     9
  165. Why You Are Not Entitled To Your Opinion    9
  166. Gaza    8     More stats
  167. Mmmm mmm Mehaffies Pies!    8
  168. “We Learned A Terrible Lesson,” Only One    8
  169. Moraine in the 20s & 30s: The Paper    8
  170. Ferrucio Bier RIP    8
  171. Downtown South of Third: Changing Space    8
  172. Dennis Rediker & Doug Franklin Lie t    8
  173. Cincinnati Reds Will Play Special Exhibi    8
  174. Reynolds & Reynolds finally leaves D    8
  175. Brian Roberts NBA draft live blog    8
  176. Chief Economic Advisor To Kucinich Decri    8
  177. New Montgomery County Ohio tax to make t    8
  178. Jimmy Carter Says Gazan War Was Not Nece    8
  179. Stephanie Studebaker Sues Father-in-Law     8
  180. The Rise and Fall of GM at Moraine    8
  181. Naomi Klein Says Economic Crises Repudia    8
  182. Barack Obama’s Cult Following    8
  183. Who Cares? America Will Never Pay Off I    8
  184. Victor Harris: Surprised That Local Demo    8
  185. $77 Milliion in Taxpayer Money for Hocke    8
  186. Clearing Urban Underbrush: South of Thir    8
  187. Did Sheriff Vore Delay His Retirement An    8
  188. Oktoberfest 2008 at the Dayton Art Insti    8
  189. Dayton as Crimetown: Felony Types 1969/    8
  190. “A Republic, If You Can Keep it!” (Grass    7
  191. We Need SMARTER Regulation     7
  192. Was Hamlet A Thoughtful Person?    7
  193. Percy Mack takes South Carolina job    7
  194. Solutions to the Postwar Housing Crisis    7
  195. Barack Obama is President    7
  196. Obama Rally Draws Enthusiastic Crowd To     7
  197. Pretzinger Lane    7
  198. Every Person In the U.S. Has Borrowed Ab    7
  199. Ohio’s 2005 Tax Reduction Law Diminish    7
  200. The Change We Need In Education Is Radic    7
  201. Happy New Year and Farewell!    7
  202. Public Schools Need Radical Reform, Educ    7
  203. Candidates are Certified for March 4 Pri    7
  204. Presidential Slogans: 2008, the year of     7
  205. A 21st Century Understanding: The Chris    7
  206. Shouldn’t How To Increase Wealth, How     7
  207. See List of Montgomery County Candidate    7
  208. The Difference Between “Unemployment Rat    7
  209. Seven Reasons Government Must Invest In     7
  210. WAS [IS] REV JERMIAH WRIGHT REALLY THAT     7
  211. Voter Turn-Out Highest Rate Since Johnso    7
  212. Kucinich Says $700 Billion Bail Out Shou    6
  213. Film Dayton Appoints President    6
  214. More Ludlow Street Rephotography: Downto    6
  215. If The Ten Commandments Are Displayed In    6
  216. Leitzell announces bid for Mayor: DDN ig    6
  217. Kucinich Says Israel’s Attack On Gazan    6
  218. Consultant Recommends “New Way of Doing     6
  219. Strickland Calls for Private Developer C    6
  220. Congressman John Conyer Explains HR676 –    6
  221. Never mind the sex- what exactly are Ant    6
  222. Strickland Needs Control of Ohio Departm    6
  223. Designs on the Arcade Block.    6
  224. Republican Ohio Assembly Candidates Must    6
  225. Israel’s Bold Shock And Awe Violence I    6
  226. Rocking the Rustbelt on Dayton\’s Indust    6
  227. Film Connections meets at ThinkTV 7-9pm    6
  228. Senior Citizens BEWARE of Cash Conversio    5
  229. Kroger Not Changing Gettysburg Plan    5
  230. Krugman: Housing / Mortgage “Unmitigate    5
  231. Dayton Coalition – We Think of Everythin    5
  232. The Hickory Bar-B-Que takes Dominic’s     5
  233. Dann Scandal Documents    5
  234. Gotham Chopra Defends His Dad, Deepak, F    5
  235. Choices: are we the sum of our experienc    5
  236. Sweet City of My Dreams    5
  237. Ohio GOP Pushes “Castle Doctrine”    5
  238. My Karma Ran Over My Dogma     5
  239. Joe The Plumber Is Going To Israel To Re    5
  240. Hugh Quill Next State Treasurer?    5
  241. Kenya Declares National Holiday Tomorrow    5
  242. As Richard Cooey Faces Execution, Does ”    5
  243. The Public’s Right to Know    5
  244. Peace In The World, Or The World In Piec    5
  245. Daytons\’ persistent crime wave    5
  246. UpDayton: Good Ideas and Documenting the    5
  247. Wayne & Wyoming meeting for tonight     5
  248. Dayton Should Join Cleveland Lawsuit on     5
  249. Moraine City Section One    5
  250. Tagging East Dayton    5
  251. Miami Valley “Regional Planning” Commiss    5
  252. Is Locus Of Consciousness Outside Of Bod    5
  253. Should Dayton Adopt Strong Mayor Form of    5
  254. Grunder – Typical Republican Entrepreneu    4
  255. Let’s Bring Back Lincoln Douglas Style    4
  256. Miami U Grad dies days after Taser use b    4
  257. Phil Donahue’s Iraq War Feature Document    4
  258. Early Versions of Suburbia: Beavercreek    4
  259. Let’s Frame the Question of “Achieveme    4
  260. Lulu Makes It Easy To Self Publish    4
  261. Not the last lecture. But, some real goo    4
  262. Building Subsitution on South Ludlow Str    4
  263. Paul Krugman Says Financial Sector Yearl    4
  264. Is it time for Dayton to rethink rooming    4
  265. Third World Reggae Festival    4
  266. McCain v. Obama    4
  267. Wilmington Should be Shut Down and Retur    4
  268. US Census Bureau Releases American Commu    4
  269. Black History Month: Links to Last Year\    4
  270. Does The Rise Of Sarah Palin Illustrate     4
  271. Husted Lives in “Fantasy Land”    4
  272. Bigger Houses, Smaller Families    4
  273. What the Dayton Daily News Editorial boa    4
  274. Michael Moore Says No Bailout To Detroit    4
  275. Coming out of the closet    4     More stats
  276. Downtown: Surviors, Replacements, &     4
  277. Asian Festival + Asians in Dayton    4
  278. On (or just off) The Bookshelf    4
  279. One Nation “Under God”?    4
  280. Ohio Foreclosure Prevention Task Force R    3
  281. $600 Environmental Stimulus Grant    3
  282. A brief history of our Federal debt    3
  283. Caresource vs the Tissue Center: Downto    3
  284. Turner votes FOR Foreclosure Prevention    3
  285. In Montgomery County, Republicans Are Ra    3
  286. Been Laying Luan on the Bedroom Floor Al    3
  287. Dayton Rallies for Darfur: Nick Clooney     3
  288. I Will Vote For These Judges    3
  289. Become an Ohio Delegate to the Democrati    3
  290. How Piketon Ohio Became a Potemkin Villa    3
  291. The Empire Strikes Back: The Ohio Democ    3
  292. From Creative Economy to Creative Societ    3
  293. Secrets of living in Dayton: CallCCT for    3
  294. How do you say “sorry” in Farsi?    3
  295. IS THE FUTURE REALLY OURS? TWO VIEWS OF     3
  296. Dayton’s $1 Billion Non-profit    3
  297. Teachers Ask for IRS Review of White Hat    3
  298. Dayton Daily lies for Obama    3
  299. Socialism’s Comeback    3
  300. Digital TV Conversion     3
  301. Issue 6: Columbus Dispatch Urges “No” V    3
  302. Obama’s Fraudulent ACORN Campaign    3
  303. UAW Has Already Made Concessions Needed     3
  304. John Doll Says: Jon Husted Won’t Live    3
  305. \”Bipartisanship\” is not the Holy Grail    3
  306. Outer East Dayton Suburban Genesis    3
  307. Dayton Firefighters Union makes case aga    3
  308. The Tale of the Traveling Facades    3
  309. Ohio Officials Wrongfully Drove Attorney    3
  310. Bush Want to Cut the Low Income Home Ene    3
  311. Strickland Supports Tax Exemption for Mi    3
  312. updayton Helps College Students Claim Da    3
  313. Two New Dayton-Based Blogs    3
  314. Better late than never- the Dayton Daily    3
  315. In Montgomery County, Once Again, Gerrym    3
  316. Poverty rate in Ohio now up to 16%    3
  317. Responsible tax dollar management: end j    3
  318. East Dayton Farmhouses: East of Smithvi    3
  319. 50 Under $50 Art and Craft Bazarre: Loca    3
  320. Where’s the outrage over Illinois Govern    2
  321. Kevin Riley: DDN Editor, a little late t    2
  322. Oregon District Tonight – Excellent Art,    2
  323. Good news from Washington: The Matthew S    2
  324. Robert Reich Asks, “Why Save Citigroup    2
  325. Ohio 2008, Still Not Ready For An Electi    2
  326. Fastest Dying City Looking for Originals    2
  327. Mike Turner Is A Bum, For Our Democracy    2
  328. Moraine: The Dayton-Wright Era    2
  329. Scaling Up Retail on Smithville Road: Gr    2
  330. Dayton Daily News Should Do In-Depth Rep    2
  331. A New View of the Downtown Skyline    2
  332. If the Fed won’t fight the foreclosure    2
  333. Dayton History’s New Website    2
  334. Bibliophilia in Sacramento    2
  335. The few, the proud, the brave    2
  336. The Political Economy of Infrastructure:    2
  337. Daytonology Recommends….    2
  338. OH 7th – Dave Hobson or Steve Austria?    2
  339. Dayton school board campaign literature    2
  340. Wartime Jerry -Building: Dayton’s Subur    2
  341. Steve Austria Denies The DDN Charge That    2
  342. Mindless Jack format comes to Dayton    2
  343. Best view of Dayton Dragons brawl    2
  344. Mary Wiseman Appointed to Judge Kessler’    2
  345. Assembly Candidates Should Take Stand:     2
  346. Forget ethanol and cars that run on natu    2
  347. Sherrod Brown finds his party catching u    2
  348. George W. Bush Denies Any Responsibility    2
  349. Boycott Dayton    2
  350. “Little Kentucky”    2
  351. No Kroger coming to Wayne and Wyoming    2
  352. The Monument: Good Urban Design    2
  353. Old School Downtown Housing    2
  354. How to get shot by a cop.    2
  355. Jeffrey Hart Says Republicans Must Rejec    2
  356. Sen. Jim Bunning Says $700 Billion Wall     2
  357. Dayton & Disadvantaged Ohio Urban S    2
  358. The 104th way Dayton can save money    2
  359. Krugman: Regardless of $Trillion Defici    2
  360. Clemency requests sitting    2
  361. To Transform Our System Of Education, We    2
  362. Dayton’s $1 Billion Non-profit (MedAmeri    2
  363. Another ranty post from a typically happ    2
  364. Huckabee Has Radical Views — About Evol    2
  365. Roads to Wright Patterson I: To 1945    2
  366. The Montgomery County Democratic Party E    2
  367. Senate Adds Long List Worth $149 Billion    2
  368. BoyCott the Dayton Daily News and Their     2
  369. Dayton Patented, Originals Wanted blows     2
  370. UD Flyers Move Into Top 25 with Win Over    2
  371. PosterTastic + Dayton Music Fest (Saturd    2
  372. Expensive Education Fails To Increase Ec    2
  373. East Dayton’s Oldest: Heirloom Houses at    2
  374. We Need To Change A Liberal Washington I    2
  375. Reynolds bails on downtown    2
  376. My Future is Already Planned.    2
  377. The Dayton Regions’ Robust Festival Cul    2
  378. Shar Pei puppies in Dayton for sale    2
  379. Ohio Judge Strikes Down Republican Campa    2
  380. The Enchanted NIMBY Forest II: The Grea    2
  381. Mike Turner Voted “No” On Auto Bailo    2
  382. Dayton Bombers Forward Chanse Fitzpatric    2
  383. Old Sacramento Skyscrapers    2
  384. What do Greg Hanahan and David Bremmer h    2
  385. Nouriel Roubini Warns Of Possible “Mot    2
  386. Deep Background 2008-06-11 00:04:41    1
  387. For Our Future’s Sake, We Must Transform    1
  388. Election Education Forum “The Price of L    1
  389. Samuelson Warns Of Impact Of Lost Wealth    1
  390. Barack Obama owes me a pen knife, and ow    1
  391. One in 10 Ohioans on Food Stamps – More    1
  392. Where Did That $10 Trillion Go?    1
  393. Needed: The Wisdom of Solomon    1
  394. Mediamatter Says Drudge “Alert” Abou    1
  395. The takedown of Jack Brooks.    1
  396. Obama’s Writing About His Life Story Pro    1
  397. Study Says Ohio Should Raise State Reven    1
  398. Dayton Metro Library Plans Bond Issue!     1
  399. Auto Union Workers Walk Out at Chrysler     1
  400. Thomas Friedman: Putting A Total Novice  1
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Gov. Strickland’s Education Plan Disappoints — Fails To Deal With The Central Issue Of System Structure

Governor Strickland’s enthusiasm must have got the best of him when, in his State of the State Speech, he announced a goal to “build Ohio’s education system anew.” Unfortunately, it appears that Strickland’s Education Plan does not really seek to accomplish such a grand goal. The aim of Strickland’s plan is not to make a new system but, rather, to strengthen and add to the present system.

Governor Strickland:  Are his ideas are not big enough?

Governor Strickland: Are his ideas big enough?

Every politician can be forgiven exuberance, but it is disappointing that Strickland’s education plan falls so far short of his rhetoric. You would think that a speech about building a new education system would use the notion of “system” to frame the issues in the speech. But, it appears that Strickland in his speech made no effort to think in systems’ terms or systems’ theory.

Strickland wants the present system to do better. He’s not interested in creating a new system. Strickland evidently thinks that the present bureaucratic, hierarchical, top-down system is basically OK.  When Strickland says the system should be “built anew,” he simply means that the system should have better rules, better workers, more money, more requirements, more bureaucracy, and more accountability.

I just can’t see that a theory that says quality comes from more regulations, more hierarchy, more bureaucracy is defensible. I doubt that Strickland thinks such a theory is defensible either.  His speech ran away from such a notion. Strickland had a good applause line when he derided “tinkering” within the present system. But his plan, from a systems’ view, amounts to “tinkering,” because it fails to address systems’ issues.

Strickland seems to me to be a very sincere person and I believe that he genuinely wants big improvements in education in Ohio. I will grant that if Ohio’s education had better rules, better workers, more money, more bureaucracy, it would probably show some improvements.  But at best these would only bring about marginal improvement and marginal improvement simply is not enough.  By Strickland’s own evaluation, what is needed for Ohio education is transformational improvement.

The only avenue to transformational improvement, I believe, is through transformation of the system. I’ve explained in previous articles that my thinking about systems comes from W. Edwards Deming, known as the quality guru who helped direct much of Japan’s post WW2 industrial recovery. I had a chance to meet Deming when I worked as a helper at one of his famous four day seminars. At the time, Deming was over 90 years old.

What I keep quoting from Deming is his conclusion that 85% of quality is determined by system organization and structure. This conclusion has astounding implications. Governor Strickland’s plan, for example, outlines an expensive and bureaucratic procedure by which teacher quality can be improved. I think he has some good ideas. And, I believe the governor is absolutely correct that teacher quality should be improved. But, suppose that all Ohio teachers were twice as competent as they presently are. What impact on educational outputs or educational quality would such a change make? If you think that such a huge, expensive change would make a big difference, according to Deming, you are wrong.  Suppose even more money was poured into advancing teacher competence and teacher competence was tripled.  Again, according to Deming, the overall impact would be disappointingly small.  According to Deming even big changes, by themselves, at most, have marginal impacts, if the system itself does not change.

The system, as it is, finds ways to defeat and discourage even the most qualified teachers. The present system hugely wastes teacher potential. Of the teacher potential already available in the present system only a small percentage is actually focused productively. Increasing teacher potential in a big way within the system would hardly matter if this potential is also wasted.  Increasing teacher potential would have much less impact on quality than changing the system itself.  As I said, Deming’s conclusion that 85% of quality is determined by system organization has big implications. The bottom line is that the means to significant quality improvement is through change of the system, not through change within the system.

The old Soviet system was doomed to fail, because its system design had many fatal flaws. There were many highly educated, well meaning people in the old Soviet system who worked hard to make the system work. But the system was fatally flawed. Similarly, Ohio’s educational system is fatally flawed.

From what I’ve read, it looks like members of the educational establishment, generally, are lining up to show support for Strickland’s plan. And why shouldn’t they? Strickland is basically saying that the present system is OK, but, that it needs more money, more rules, that the bureaucrats in the system need more authority, etc. If you are part of that system, what’s not to like, particularly, if you’ve wormed your way into the hierarchy or bureaucracy?

I appreciate Strickland’s sincerity and believe that he wants Ohio to create a wonderful education system. I like the fact that it bothers Strickland that Samuel Lewis, who toured Ohio schools on horseback in the 1830s as the first state superintendent, would recognize as familiar today’s “classroom with rows of students lined up to listen to a teacher and record, rather than interact with, the information being provided.”

I like that Strickland said that “Our schools are not assembly lines and our students are not widgets,” that he wants to “foster creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving,” that he want Ohio’s students to experience “real world lessons,” and that he wants students to acquire “global awareness.”

Yes. Yes. Yes. Good thoughts and ideas. But, rhetoric is easy. The question is, can we have a government that has sufficient gumption to create an education plan that would actually work?  It would take the expenditure of a lot of political capital to craft and push such a plan.  Strickland for all his sincerity and good intentions, it seems to me, in his education plan, has taken the easy path and has ducked dealing with the hard issues that are central to meaningful education reform. Since Strickland’s plan shows no provisions to meaningfully restructure the system, it is doomed to disappoint. He should have tried for so much more.

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Congressman Mike Turner’s Failure To Explain His “No” Vote Is More Evidence Our Democracy Is In Deep Trouble

According to Congressman Mike Turner’s press secretary, Congressman Turner has not made any official comment about his recent “No” on the big stimulus plan just passed by the House of Representative. And, the press secretary is uncertain if any comment about the “No” vote will be forthcoming.

And, as usual, the content of Turner’s web-site is completely worthless in explaining Turner’s vote or the rationale for his vote on this important legislation. I telephoned Turner’s Washington DC office to find an answer to my question about Turner’s “No” vote.

Turner, our Republican representative, voted in unison with every other Republican in the House. This unanimity of group think and group action must make the Republican House leader, John Boehner, swell with partisan pride.

This Republican unanimity in their “No” vote is impressive. It is a clear signal of aggressive and organized partisanship. I shouldn’t be, I guess, but, I am surprised.

You would think that in this time of national crisis that Turner and his Republican buddies might fear the political consequences for partisan obstruction. But, evidently, Republicans are making a political calculation that through partisanship they will gain politically.

If Turner would venture a press release explaining his “No” vote, he would probably simply repeat the party line. Boehner laid the line out the other day on Meet the Press when he said, “Somebody has to be looking out for the taxpayers. And I’m going to tell you what, Republicans are going to be there to look out for American taxpayer.”

I had to laugh out loud. Considering the Republican record of outrageous profligacy under George W. Bush — spending bushels of money, borrowing oceans of money, sinking the country into $4 trillion more debt — Boehner’s tears for the American taxpayer are a hoot. As a Republican leader who empowered Bush’s every incompetent act, Boehner has no credibility. It’s obvious, he is simply a partisan, and in his thinking and actions, his motivation is simply to gain partisan advantage.

It is hardly surprising, I guess, that Congressman Turner would join in with the Republican partisan song. As they say, elections have consequences. The citizens of Ohio’s Third District just gave Turner a ringing endorsement in his recent reelection — a free pass to continue his partisan ways. I urged Turner’s defeat — Mike Turner Is A Bum, For Our Democracy’s Sake, Let’s Throw The Bum Out — on the premise that, if our democracy has any backbone, all representatives who empowered the many disasters caused George W. Bush were bums and deserved to be thrown out.

Our democracy has no backbone. I think it is safe to say that our democracy, in fact, is in deep trouble. So, I guess that it is hardly surprising that our congressman, Mike Turner, fails to explain himself. Why should he?

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