---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: model’s blind spots reflect the judgments…"
description: "\"“model’s blind spots reflect the judgments and priorities of its creators. While the choices in Google Maps and avionics software appear cut and dried,..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/cathy-o-neil-11478_family-problems_model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgment_226682.jpg"
---

#  model’s blind spots reflect the judgments and priorities…

![“model’s blind spots reflect the judgments and priorities of its creators. While the choices in Google Maps and avionics software appear cut and dried, others are far more problematic. The value-added model in Washington, D.C., schools, to return to that example, evaluates teachers largely on the…” quote by Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/cathy-o-neil-11478_family-problems_model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgment_226682.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/cathy-o-neil-11478_family-problems_model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgment_226682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/cathy-o-neil-11478_family-problems_model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgment_226682.jpg)

> ““model’s blind spots reflect the judgments and priorities of its creators. While the choices in Google Maps and avionics software appear cut and dried, others are far more problematic. The value-added model in Washington, D.C., schools, to return to that example, evaluates teachers largely on the basis of students’ test scores, while ignoring how much the teachers engage the students, work on specific skills, deal with classroom management, or help students with personal and family problems. It’s overly simple, sacrificing accuracy and insight for efficiency.””

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Models inherit biases from their designers, leading to oversimplified evaluations that ignore complex human factors.

**In simple terms:** Models reflect creator biases and miss important details.

Key Takeaway

Questionify models to include qualitative factors.

Themes

bias evaluation education technology policy

Mood

critical concerned

Type

analytical cautionary

When to use this quote

- teacher performance reviews
- student support services
- policy making
- software design

Key Concepts

algorithmic bias fairness assessment metrics

Questions to Reflect On

- How can qualitative data be integrated into assessments?
- What safeguards prevent bias in algorithmic decisions?

A Different Perspective

Quantitative metrics alone cannot capture nuanced human interactions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Family problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-problems/)

## Related quotes

> [“the assistant principal told me how he “loved to read a great novel and discuss the meaning of life.” He smiled, sighed wistfully, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owens/the-assistant-principal-told-me-how-he-loved-to-read-a-great-novel/)

John Owens

> [While it is true that we must seek value added industries like food processing plants and call center operations, we must do what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/while-it-is-true-that-we-must-seek-value-added-industries-like-food/)

[Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/)

> [Customer service will become the primary value added function of every business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/customer-service-will-become-the-primary-value-added-function-of/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [One of the things that we're all struggling with is how to judge the quality of the value-added experience of an educational course or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-romer/one-of-the-things-that-we-re-all-struggling-with-is-how-to-judge-the/)

[Roy Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-romer/)

> [“What do you have to offer; what is your “value added proposition”?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-budzinski/what-do-you-have-to-offer-what-is-your-value-added-proposition/)

[Karen Budzinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-budzinski/)

> [“Value added time brings you closer to greatness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/value-added-time-brings-you-closer-to-greatness/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [“A value added life is a fruitful life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/a-value-added-life-is-a-fruitful-life/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [A universal basic income funded by a value-added tax, which is a tax placed on a product whenever value is added at each stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-yang/a-universal-basic-income-funded-by-a-value-added-tax-which-is-a-tax/)

[Andrew Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-yang/)

> [“Measure your life by the value you have added.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/measure-your-life-by-the-value-you-have-added/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [“Don’t buy value-added. Be the one adding value. Create goodwill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehab-atalla/don-t-buy-value-added-be-the-one-adding-value-create-goodwill/)

[Ehab Atalla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehab-atalla/)

> [The Value-Added Tax, a sales tax that applies at every level of business transactions, is an easy tax for governments to collect, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/the-value-added-tax-a-sales-tax-that-applies-at-every-level-of-2/)

[T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/)

> [Whatever the trend in exchange rates or whatever the external factors, a manufacturing company is always faced with the mission of transforming itself into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fujio-mitarai/whatever-the-trend-in-exchange-rates-or-whatever-the-external-factors/)

[Fujio Mitarai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fujio-mitarai/)

> [“One of the most important tools in contemporary educational research is value added analysis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/one-of-the-most-important-tools-in-contemporary-educational-research/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The 'value added' for most any company, tiny or enormous, comes from the Quality of Experience provided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-value-added-for-most-any-company-tiny-or-enormous-comes-from-the/)

[Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/)

> ["Value added" is a meaningless concept for a retail business , for a bank, for a life insurance company, and for any other business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/value-added-is-a-meaningless-concept-for-a-retail-business-for-a-bank/)

[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

## More by Cathy O'Neil

> [ With recidivism algorithms, for example, I worry about racist outcomes. With personality tests \[for hiring\], I worry about filtering out people with mental health… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/with-recidivism-algorithms-for-example-i-worry-about-racist-outcomes/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [“They draw statistical correlations between a person’s zip code or language patterns and her potential to pay back a loan or handle a job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/they-draw-statistical-correlations-between-a-person-s-zip-code-or/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [I don't think anybody's ever notified that they were sentenced to an extra two years because their recidivism score had been high, or notified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/i-don-t-think-anybody-s-ever-notified-that-they-were-sentenced-to-an/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [The national conversation around white entitlement, around institutionalized racism, the Black Lives Matter movement, I think, came about in large part because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/the-national-conversation-around-white-entitlement-around/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [I would argue that one of the major problems with our blind trust in algorithms is that we can propagate discriminatory patterns without acknowledging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/i-would-argue-that-one-of-the-major-problems-with-our-blind-trust-in/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [We've learned our lesson with finance because they made a huge goddamn explosion that almost shut down the world. But the thing I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/we-ve-learned-our-lesson-with-finance-because-they-made-a-huge/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [“Employers, for example, are increasingly using credit scores to evaluate potential hires. Those who pay their bills promptly, the thinking goes, are more likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/employers-for-example-are-increasingly-using-credit-scores-to/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [Google is so big you have no idea what a given person does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/google-is-so-big-you-have-no-idea-what-a-given-person-does/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [It's a standard thing you hear from startup people - that their product is somehow improving the world. And if you follow the reasoning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/it-s-a-standard-thing-you-hear-from-startup-people-that-their-product/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [The NSA buys data from private companies, so the private companies are the source of all this stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/the-nsa-buys-data-from-private-companies-so-the-private-companies-are/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [“The algorithms would make sure that those deemed losers would remain that way. A lucky minority would gain ever more control over the data…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/the-algorithms-would-make-sure-that-those-deemed-losers-would-remain/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [“As we’ve seen, they (the companies) routinely reject applicants on the basis of credit scores and personality tests. Health scores represent a natural—and frightening—next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/as-we-ve-seen-they-the-companies-routinely-reject-applicants-on-the/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [We don't let a car company just throw out a car and start driving it around without checking that the wheels are fastened on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/we-don-t-let-a-car-company-just-throw-out-a-car-and-start-driving-it/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [The public trusts big data way too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/the-public-trusts-big-data-way-too-much/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [My fantasy is that there is a new regulatory body that is in charge of algorithmic auditing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/my-fantasy-is-that-there-is-a-new-regulatory-body-that-is-in-charge/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

[Explore all 59 Cathy O'Neil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

## More Education quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

Ted Martinez

> [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/)

Ioannes Amos Commenius

> [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/)

H.D. (Hilda Doolittle

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/)

[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/)

> [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

[Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“model’s blind spots reflect the judgments and priorities of its creators. While the choices in Google Maps and avionics software appear cut and dried, others are far more problematic. The value-added model in Washington, D.C., schools, to return to that example, evaluates teachers largely on the basis of students’ test scores, while ignoring how much the teachers engage the students, work on specific skills, deal with classroom management, or help students with personal and family problems. It’s overly simple, sacrificing accuracy and insight for efficiency.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cathy O'Neil"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgments-and-priorities-of-its/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Education"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgments-and-priorities-of-its/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/cathy-o-neil-11478_family-problems_model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgment_226682.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/cathy-o-neil-11478_family-problems_model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgment_226682.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/cathy-o-neil-11478_family-problems_model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgment_226682.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“model’s blind spots reflect the judgments and priorities of its creators. While the choices in Google Maps…” — Cathy O'Neil",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Cathy O'Neil",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“model’s blind spots reflect the judgments...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgments-and-priorities-of-its/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/model-s-blind-spots-reflect-the-judgments-and-priorities-of-its/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
