Told ya! She’s relentless! More from Ed Week’s Bess Keller on the NBPTS Sanders Voice squelching episode. And, Ed Week is hosting a message board about l’affaire NBPTS.
Two thoughts. First, I still think full transparency is the best way out of this for the National Board. This research they’re doing needs to be viewed in total, and unless they’re open about it every study that comes along will take on outsized importance and create a pendulum effect they don’t need. They’re creating that dynamic now. Second, on Sanders’ point in the Keller article about the Goldhaber effect (I mean the effect Goldhaber found for National Board Certified Teachers, not Dashing Dan’s effect on the ladies) it is modest, yes, but as these things go it’s something. Incidentally, the same thing could be said about Teach For America but the usual suspects can’t quite get the words out…I can see why Sanders has his hackles up though, posting the criticisms the way they did with no response from him and without the underlying study so we can all make up our own minds…not a good move*.
Also see the Ed Week blog “Certifiable” written by a NBPTS candidate about his experiences as he seeks National Board Certification. It’s actually more interesting than that premise might lead you to believe. But, on this whole Sanders episode he seems to take the tact of, I think this is important so data be dammed. Good feelings and anecdotes aren’t enough, because of the hundreds of millions in public money tied to it, the National Board is going to have to demonstrate something more substantial than that.