A few links to keep you busy the week before the holidays (because I know you weren’t busy already)…

• Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post reports that NY State test scores are expected to plummet this year.  Reality-based educator notes, “As Rick Hess noted in this blog post, proponents of Common Core have deliberately raised the standards to such absurd levels (Tolstoy for a third grader?) in order to “shine a harsh light on the quality of suburban schools, shocking those families and voters into action” and “newly convinced that their schools stink, parents and voters will embrace reform.”  The drop in test scores has Education Deformer Jeb Bush downright giddy.
• Diane Ravitch with “The Hero Teachers of Newtown“

• Inexplicably, Teach for America hack David Rosenberg called it reprehensible.  Jersey Jazzman has the story, including the brilliant opening line of “David Rosenberg of Teach For America is quite possibly the worst person in the world.”
• Our old friend from Chicago, CTU President Karen Lewis chimed in with this…

Diane, et. al.
I have read these posts (alas I do not do Twitter), and I am struck by the lack of authenticity by the Rosenberg comment. Diane has been at the forefront of the desire to lift up the beleaguered profession of teaching in each and every post. She has drawn the connections between people who wouldn’t think of sending their children to public schools and their policies that are destroying the common good. Anyone who doesn’t know that in the marrow of their bones, doesn’t read her blog.

On the other, the educrats who do not agree with her, read her posts, too so as to keep abreast of her thoughts and are ready to pounce if they see an opening. There might have been a time where “politicizing” tragic events, especially mass shootings was thought to be in poor taste. That has changed with the 24/7 news cycle that continues to focus far too much time and energy on the perpetrator of the massacre than that of our precious victims. Rosenberg’s “false outrage” needs to be checked. That same false outrage should show itself when policies his colleagues support kill and disenfranchise children from schools across this nation. We in Chicago have been the victims of their experiments on our children since the current secretary of Education “ran” CPS.

The accolades heaped on a group of education missionaries, (hopefully with beautiful intent on the part of the TFA teachers) cannot go unchallenged. Diane does that. Day in and day out, she champions rank and file educators and the hard work they do. She has a special place in heart for those who see the value of the classroom and not as stepping stone to a more lucrative career or the opportunism of self-promoters like Michelle Rhee who, with her lies about her own classroom experience has catapulted herself into the welcoming arms of those who hate unions, tenure and anything else that provides due process and gives teachers real voice.

To David Rosenberg, Shanda! Shame on you for such a paranoid rant. If you had nothing of which to be guilty, those words would have rolled off your back.

To Diane – Keep speaking the truth!

Karen Lewis

• And finally, you can always count on the Chicago Teachers Union to tell it like it is.  Ms. Lewis’ union produced the video below.  Although it was geared towards the fat cats in Chicago, it can easily be applied to just about any area in the nation.