Re: Winerip on what happens to history when it becomes a graduation requ

["John Lawhead" <twoflightsup@hotmail.com>]

> State education officials defend the test. Tom Dunn, a spokesman, said,
> "We did not hear negative feedback from teachers in the schools."

In case anyone's wondering this isn't part of the standard defense of the 
regents.  It's one of the more absurd moments of a familiar formula.  
Experts vs. teachers vs. parents vs. kids.  Each group so inimically 
disposed to the others it's no wonder the state must step in to make the 
decisions that matter...like who's going to graduate.

Furthermore, now teachers *in the schools* must be distinguished from 
teachers and former teachers on expert panels.  We also have to separate 
them from teachers protesting in the streets of Albany since shouts, 
chanting and speechifying don't qualify as "feedback."   Letters and 
statements to the media, calls for boycotts, sworn affidavits (I did one of 
those) for which the global regents has been a rich source of inspiration 
don't qualify as feedback either.   Why not?  Here's the reason.  In every 
school in the state there's already a special secure phone for working 
teachers to call Albany with their candid feedback on the testing regime.  
Tom Dunn's been waiting for four years (if he's been there that long) for 
the one at his end to ring with someone offering something besides another 
compliment.  Not really...  He's lying.

John

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