The NY Sun reports that Chancellor Klein, in his search for "accountability," is no longer content to simply blame teachers for his myriad failures to improve public education in NYC. Apparently, the chancellor now wishes to hold schools of education responsible for his failures as well.
If only Chancellor Klein were certifying teachers, the reasoning goes, they'd all be excellent, everyone would be happy, students who came last week from China would suddenly become totally fluent in English, the 80-million dollar computer would suddenly work right, and everyone would forget that this administration can't raise test scores without cheating.
Yup. You don't need to produce results if you have enough places to spread the blame. That's what "accountability" means. I know this because every kid who ever gets kicked out of a class and sent to my office tells me so.
"Why are you here?" I'll ask.
"Ms. Penska sent me."
"Why did she do that?"
"She's crazy. She always picks on me for no reason."
Of course, Ms. Penska usually has a different version (which I'll get to), and the kid, unlike Mr. Klein, doesn't have the New York Post and the Daily News to write editorials pronouncing the absolute guilt of teachers. Fortunately for Mr. Klein, neither of these tabloids has anyone (like me, for example) who bothers to question his assertions.
In other news, young students are demonstrating and writing letters protesting cuts to their schools. Predictably, Mr. Klein blames the state. Apparently, the state wishes to direct the CFE funds toward wasteful frivolities like quality teachers, reasonable class sizes, and decent facilities for children. The chancellor, of course, deplores such nonsense.
As for Ms. Penska, she suggested her student was upset because she declined to allow him to do whatever the hell he liked, whenever the hell he liked, however the hell he liked. In fact, it appears Mr. Klein shares that student's agenda. This may account for why he spends so much time and energy disparaging working teachers.
Hat tip to Chaz
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