"But Someone Has to Make War"
Really, Geoffrey Canada? The author of Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun, who really ought to know something about the ramping up of not only violence, but rhetoric?The title of this post is a direct quote from Canada, founder of Harlem Children's Zone and big-time ed reform mucketymuck, and whose comprehensive approach to school reform brings much to appreciate. But unfortunately, his alignment with Michelle Rhee and Joel Klein hasn't done much to endear him to me, and his comments in this article from the Times about the founding of Students First NY aren't going to help.
This new branch of "Students First" (which I place in quotes, as if somehow making sure that teachers are paid fairly, schools have enough seats for the children attending them, and that budgets are able to meet children's needsisn't putting students first) has formed in response to the coming mayoral election, to do combat with any candidate who might theoretically not be a complete disaster when it comes to the city's schools. Individual merit pay? Publishing teacher data? Stuffing as many students as