First, it’s the endless statements about how TFA missionary temps are “the best and the brightest.” And now David “nobody gives a s&!$ what you think” Coleman tells us the new, improved tests will win “hearts and minds.” That is, after they’ve prompted suburban parents to call for the heads of their children’s teachers.

Now I can’t wait for Arne Duncan to tell us that we had to destroy the schools in order to save them.

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“Consider now how we are implementing the Common Core assessments: summative assessments to measure what percentage of students failed. In essence, we are using them as an autopsy.”

Here’s the link if you are interested. http://onforb.es/UpKl8K

Both political parties have been in cahoots with Big Testers and are selling schools and parents everywhere on the values of more and more useless and harmful testing.

Not only are the Pearson’s of the world making a bundle, but guess what, so are the politicians through their paid-off PACs. Both parties, folks, just in case you think malfeasance is limited to left or right.

Worse, no matter how many of us expose this sham, nobody cares enough to do anything about it. Another blessing of the two party system.

There ARE those who should (and would enjoy education more) into more what used to be called, the tech courses. It had nothing to do with computers, but real skills like plumbing, electrical and carpentry work, along with automotive. Those jobs earn good wages and are always needed. And those kids should be told that they have talent that leans in that direction and to be proud of it.
We DO need public schools. And they need to be as good, as informed and able to establish a conduct policy as a private school . We need to take care of every student in those schools; if they need food-breakfast and lunch programs free; if they need clothes, a couple of sales a year in the school using donated clothes, and good councelors. If we don’t, they will be a big problem for themselves and society later. I’d rather have my tax dollar go to keeping any child fed, clothed, understood and helped than have to pay for jail or prison for years, later. Because that is the reality of the situation. NO ONE WINS if they fail.

Our “achievement gap” is often a result of students, who hate school and should hate school, because it offers them little of educational value. You can’t tell that to a “genius” from Harvard in charge of policy because such entitled people judge all corn by their bushel.