David Coleman and the victorious SAT

David Coleman has never taught in public schools
but "was turned down for a job teaching public high school in New York.
so at least he tried, eh?

David Coleman sent me a letter.  
(Well, not just to me, and to be fair, the return address's domain was "noreply.collegeboard.org," but still....)

David Coleman is both the President and CEO of the noreply.collegeboard.org, it said so right in the letter, but hope he forgives me if I'm a bit ignorant and have no idea what the difference is between a President and a CEO. Apparently it matters to him, because he wanted me to know.

Mr. Coleman was in full chest-beatin'-horn-tootin' mode as he rambled on about the new SAT he's we're developing, how the New York Times loves the direction he's we're going with the new test, and with the "College Board's special commitment to help low-income students see broader college possibilities."

The College Board is engaged in a listening tour! It's listening to us! Just like David Coleman listened to teachers as he led the development of the Common Core.

The final line in the letter sealed it for me:

"[T]he SAT will be a substantial victory for students, K-12 and higher education."

Substantial victory? Maybe for the few kids who end up on top, but what an odd, nonsensical way to end the letter. "Victory" has all kinds of connotations that play well in corporate boardrooms, but not in my classroom.

Mr. Coleman, the same man who guided the construction of Common Core, possibly the most influential person dictating the content that will appear in your children's classrooms, ends a letter meant for thousands with, well, mushy pablum that would not get past a sophomore high school English teacher.

Apparently the new SAT frowns on the Oxford comma....

OTOH, it loves irony,- highlighting a "listening tour" in a noreply letter.