Is Alexander Russo "Working the Refs" on Common Core Protest Coverage?
By Anthony Cody.
Education blogger Alexander Russo has offered an analysis of recent education journalism in a piece entitled “Common problems with Common Core reporting.” Russo hosts a blog called This Week in Education, sponsored by Scholastic corporation.
Russo reached out to me for input as he was researching the piece, but my perspective does not appear there. Here is Russo’s thesis:
…so far, at least, much of the media’s coverage of this spring’s Common Core testing rollout has been guilty of over-emphasizing the extent of the conflict, speculating dire consequences based on little information, and over-relying on anecdotes and activists’ claims rather than digging for a broader sampling of verified numbers. The real story—that the rollout of these new, more challenging tests is proceeding surprisingly well—could be getting lost.
To make his case, Russo focused first on a recent report by veteran journalist John Merrow, focused on the opt out movement. Russo writes:
There are a few problems with the news segment. The opening footage showing Newark students protesting the local school board suggests that the new tests are a main concern of the protesters, when all previous reports have them rallying primarily against Christie-appointed Newark school superintendent Cami Anderson. Eleven of the 12 states that “dropped” the official Common Core tests have developed their own similar assessments, according to right-leaning think tanker Mike Petrilli. And—perhaps most problematic—the piece speculates about the future of the entire endeavor based on vague assertions about parents opting out without any hard numbers.
As I mentioned, Russo reached out to me for my thoughts, and here is what I shared with him.
I disagree in two regards. In the first place, it is the job of a journalist to look for the kinks in the system, the signs of disruption. In that regard, the reporters who are reporting on these things are doing their jobs. In the second place, this is a shift in public attitudes and behaviors that could spell real trouble for high stakes tests,Is Alexander Russo "Working the Refs" on Common Core Protest Coverage? - Living in Dialogue:
Alexander Russo Speaks for Scholastic Corporation?
Alexander Russo High Priest of
Corporate Ed Reform (self appointed)
