Blood In The Water

Over at This Week Martin Brody Russo attacks CAP’s Robert Gordon over his Ed Week commentary about national standards ($) (which was based on this Eduwonk post during Gordon’s guest-blogging stint here).

Russo’s right that the politics of this issue are too frequently ignored. There are lots of people in the think tank world all hot and bothered about this. Yet despite thoughtful arguments for and against the idea none of them can explain –beyond generalities– how this issue actually goes anywhere on the Hill considering the political realities up there, and regardless of what happens in November. It’s one of those classic “where the rubber meets the sky” think tanky moments.

But it’s not fair to castigate Gordon for having a tin ear just because this week’s news about testing screw-ups coincides with his piece. One doesn’t get an Ed Week commentary published in real time. Nor should he be castigated for raising the issue. It’s an important one, worthy of debate on the merits, and at some point perhaps the politics will change particularly as NCLB becomes more ingrained and the debate turns more toward what NCLB 2.0 and 3.0 ought to look like.

Also, all that said, Gordon’s piece is really well done and worth your time to read.

Update: Russo backpedals.

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