John Merrow on undervalued teachers
New book offers hope for teaching profession
When I first met John Merrow he was in his element, wearing a tuxedo and doing his best imitation of Alex Trebek – if Trebek had a sense of humor, that is – leading a room full of education reporters in a rollicking game of Education Jeopardy. If your table had too many points, he’d give you an impossible, possibly unquestionable, answer. “He was the brother-in-law of the firefighter who lived next to this state’s education secretary.” If your table was low on points, you’d get a no-brainer to get you back in the game. “Its initials are NCLB.”
It wasn’t long before I got to know the other John Merrow. Smart, creative, and indefatigable. Don’t take my word for it; read his bio. The guy is a prolific writer, and his production company, Learning Matters, has produced some of the most important and influential reports in education. First to Worst, which aired seven years ago this month, presented a dramatic
