For Whom The Bell Tolls; It Tolls For Rhee
One of the benefits of the Common Core, supposedly, is that we can finally compare the performance of schools in different states. Originally the dream was that a majority of states would sign on to use common tests from either the PARCC from Pearson or SBAC from Smarter Balanced.
Michelle Rhee-Johnston became chancellor of Washington DC schools in 2007. As proof that a major problem in education is the absence of standardized test scores in teacher evaluation, Rhee-Johnston frequently said, in speeches, that when she came to DC, only 8% of 8th graders were proficient in math while 97% of teachers were rated as effective.
In a feature on the CNN blog in 2009, it said:
Her plan is ambitious: To completely transform the District’s system within eight years for its 50,000 children. The plan focuses on top-down accountability, quantitative results like standardized test scores and, ultimately, working to close what she describes as “the achievement gap between wealthy white kids and poor minority kids.”“I think it’s absolutely possible within an eight-year period,” she said.
Reformers are always saying things like “Kids can’t wait. We have to act with urgency.” Ironically, though, they seem to have a near infinite amount of patience while watching For Whom The Bell Tolls; It Tolls For Rhee | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:
