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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Emperor Arne Has No Clothes | Matt Farmer

Emperor Arne Has No Clothes | Matt Farmer:

Emperor Arne Has No Clothes

Posted: 07/19/2013 6:07 pm



 It was an "emperor has no clothes" moment in public education, and it took place on July 18 in a federal courtroom in Chicago.
The "emperor" in question was none other than Arne Duncan, who ran Chicago Public Schools from June 2001 to January 2009, at which he time took his act nationwide.
And the person who pointed out Arne's, shall we say, lack of apparel?
Her name is Annette Gurley. She worked for many years as a CPS teacher, assistant principal, and principal before moving up CPS's management ladder. She's now near the top rung of that ladder, serving as the district's Chief of Teaching and Learning. She reports directly to CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett.
I know all this because I cross-examined Gurley on July 18 during a preliminary injunction hearing before United States District Court Judge John Z. Lee. I'm one of the lawyers currently