Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, August 1, 2014

Tennesee’s Fool of Merit | EduShyster

Tennesee’s Fool of Merit | EduShyster:



Tennesee’s Fool of Merit

 Accountability for thee but not for me…

By Joe Nashville
huffman 3During EduShyster’s last visit  to the Volunteer State, we were left to wonder if the sword of punitive accountability cuts both ways.  Fortunately, if you’re a Tennessean who puts students first, the answer is still no.  In fact, Kevin Huffman, aka the TNeduCommish or K-Huff, seems to be competing withLouisiana’s John White for the honor of most excellent excellence.
Data Driven
Reader, it’s no mystery that K-Huff was once Mr. Rhee (husband of Miss Interpretation herself). In other words, there is absolutely NOTHING political about data. Of course, itadds value to realize data are *neutral* regardless of the instruments and methods used to collect them, the analytic techniques employed, or the validity of the inferences made. If K-Huff says gains were made, that is *unassailable evidence* that gains WERE made.  See, K-Huff doesn’t spin data because numbers don’t lie.
planeOnly a Test
Speaking of numbers, last fall, more than 60 school directors signed aletter of complaint to K-Huff’s boss, GOP Governor Bill Haslam.  And now 15 GOP legislators have signed a letter to Haslam calling for K-Huff’s resignation just because TCAP scores, which are supposed to count toward students’ final grades, weren’t ready by Tennesee’s Fool of Merit | EduShyster: