Three notes on the Michelle Rhee – DCPS cheating issue that is again front and center after today’s NYT column by Michael Winerip:
- It still seems to me that it’s pretty clear some cheating went on in D.C. But I’d be surprised if Rhee even tacitly knew about it. And it’s worth noting that the National Assessment of Educational Progress – a test that’s hard to cheat – shows gains in D.C.
- Rhee’s in a tough spot here. She’s the former chancellor, which means a policy of not commenting on an ongoing investigation in the city’s schools is a reasonable one. No one wants their predecessor splashing around in a situation like this or talking with the media. And if she were doing that you could write a column about how inappropriate that is. But, this is exactly why Rhee’s initial instinct to comment as well as the substance of her remarks were ill-considered and created the box she’s in. Still, at this point she should stay quiet until the ongoing investigation is done and cooperate with it.
- In general, and in this case, cheating investigations are really messy and generally turn on confessions or corroborated accusations.
My, my, the prima donna doesn’t like it when reporters don’t follow the script.
For many years she got away with the Baltimore Miracle because she knew reporters and people like Gates and Evan Thomas love such amazing stories and won’t bother to follow up with the facts.
So now she freezes out USA Today, like she froze out Bill Turque of The Washington Post.
After all, it’s not like they are asking if it was infidelity on her part that broke up her marriage to Kevin Huffman.
A Brilliant take that everyone’s talking about:
http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh082211.shtml
Is the NAEP defense holding up in Atlanta? That’s a place that’s shown progressive increases on NAEP over the past decade…
Ultimately, we must be reminded that the standardized tests are a terrible metric for judging success, and this should be one final nail in the coffin for anyone that chooses to utilize tests as a reliable measure for success in public education. But here’s what I say: let them cheat. Public schools have been so starved of resources over so many decades, are still dealing with rampant segregation and inequality. Let them cheat their heads off for all I care, it serves the tests, and those who serve them, right.
“Public schools have been so starved of resources over so many decades, are still dealing with rampant segregation and inequality.”
There it is, the status quo. And placing minority children in test prep academies isn’t going to change it.
For years, teachers and other child advocates have been advocating for equity in education and that includes critical out-of-school experiences. Now that the press is beginning to see things as they are, I’m hoping we’ll see real change soon.
On opting out of the state tests:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-school-testing-20110825,0,7660909.story