GUTCHECK
“[P]erhaps you notice how the denial is so often the preface to the justification.”
― Hitch 22: A Memoir
You would think that if a politician stood in front of a room full of microphones and made a pronouncement about pending dire outcomes, that the easiest question to answer after the announcement would be, where is the data to support your announcement? After all, if you are in a room full of microphones, you are likely in a room full of reporters. However, if the recent presser by Governor Lee and Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Lee is any indication, the follow up is much more difficult than one would anticipate.
Last Thursday, at one of his weekly press conferences – remember these events are scheduled in advance – Ms. Schwinn announced that she and Mr. Lee believed that proficiency rates for Tennessee students were fixin to drop by 50% in ELA and 65% in math.
Myself, I would view that as a pretty big announcement. One that I would anticipate requiring further explanation. Before leaving for the press conference I would probably give a shout out to department data guru Mike Hardy, and say, “Yo, Mike, don’t forget the data that backs up these dire warnings.”
If I was the Governor, I might text the Commissioner and say something like, ‘Yo Pen, make sure CONTINUE READING: GUTCHECK – Dad Gone Wild