The New York Times, like much of the mainstream media, has continuously shilled for the corporate driven Common Core State Standards.  This weekend they posted this op-ed from food critic Frank Bruni.  Mr. Bruni quotes Beth Dimino in it and then suggests that the anxiety Mrs. Dimino spoke about may becoming more from their parents than the endless amounts of standardized testing that is done in school these days.

Here is Mrs. Dimino’s response to Mr. Bruni…

Mr. Bruni, it comes as no surprise to me that as a food critic you believe that you are uniquely qualified to comment on the ramifications of the high stakes testing portion of the Common Core on New York’s children.  You’re not a parent or an educator and you weren’t at the forum where I spoke, but you believed that you could write an informed article for the New York Times and insert my speech without bothering to ask me why I made the comments or to familiarize yourself with the topic.  It seems like so many intelligent people, even New York Times writers, just don’t get it.  Or is it that you don’t want to get it?  Teachers give students tests to evaluate what the child has learned and to better inform themselves about their pedagogy.  These tests are not administered for those reasons.  Are you aware that the students who are tested in the spring do not receive their grades until the fall?  Did you know that Commissioner King created a test that he accurately predicted 70% of the State’s children would fail?  Does it matter to you that children as young as 4 years old are required to take these tests?  I have some suggestions for you Mr. Bruni.  Buy and read Diane Ravitch’s book, Reign of Error, if you want a different perspective about American Public Education.  Investigate why more than half of the States are now reevaluating whether or not to withdraw from Race To The Top. Contact me if you would like to know what’s really going on in a New York State public school classroom. Count your lucky stars that your English teachers prepared you for your New York Times gig!

Reality Based Educator also has a great take on the Bruni propaganda.