Reformers Continue to Spin Failed Accountability Schemes
By John Thompson.
The Education Post’s Peter Cunningham sent out a mass email saying,
Meanwhile, Chalkbeat Tennessee explores the ‘healthy tension between accountability and instructional freedom’ triggered by Duncan’s signature reform program, Race to the Top, and asks if the policies will continue now that federal pressure and funding has gone away.
Such spin is to be expected, but it would be newsworthy if the reliable Chalkbeat actually reached that conclusion. In my experience, there’s always tension between accountability metrics and the professional autonomy of teachers. Rarely is the tension healthy, however. So, I was legitimately curious when I followed Cunningham’s link.
The real statement Cunningham quoted was uttered by a director of the State Board of Education, and her words were so ridiculous that even Cunningham didn’t quote them verbatim. She actually said, “There’s always a healthy tension between accountability and … instructional freedom,” (emphasis added)
So, did Chalkbeat explore the allegedly healthy tension that always happens? What was it’s conclusion on that give and take? The article’s subtitle was: “Educators say emphasis on test scores prevents them from improving their teaching.”
Early in the report, Chalkbeat recalls a Nashville lesson that the teacher’s immigrant students loved. The kids “observed birds in order practice scientific language in English.” But, after the teacher received the Reformers Continue to Spin Failed Accountability Schemes - Living in Dialogue:
