It’s even worse: reformers want to use testing to make public education look bad

@ The Chalk Face points out some hypocrisy from the reformer Jay P. Greene (h/t Steve McLeod)

So, in case you’re confused, let me summarize Jay P. Greene’s innovative arguments: Standardized test results and consequences driven almost exclusively by them are wonderful ways to hold public schools accountable, up to and including shutting down public schools, because public schools are funded by taxpayer dollars and the taxpayer has a right to expect accountability for the effective use of his or her taxes. On the other hand, standardized test results and consequences driven almost exclusively by them are terrible ways to hold voucher schools and tax-credit scholarship programs accountable, even though voucher schools and tax-credit scholarship programs provide the exact same service and are also funded by taxpayer dollars and the taxpayer would normally be right to expect accountability for the effective use of his or her taxes but is (for some reason) not right in expecting those things of voucher schools and tax-credit scholarship programs.

The truth is actually a bit worse, though I’m drawing on memory as I can’t seem to find the post.

I used to read Jay P. Greene’s blog quite regularly, as I wanted to get a perspective from someone whom I disagreed with, though I stopped when the blog degenerated from actual insight and thoughts to mocking and name-calling. However, if memory serves, Greene (or one of his co-bloggers) wrote a post basically arguing the same thing, with the goal being much more explicit:

To build support for his suggested alternatives by undermining faith the public education system.

It was couched in terms of “why support testing when you know it’s mediocre/terrible?” or something, and the response was more diplomatic[1. Something about revealing the truth about the public edu system to help spur reforms.] but the idea was still the same.

This isn’t hypocrisy, per se; this is an intentional tactic. They just believe that their cause is so just that anything that brings them closer to their goal is just.