The logic of Arne

“Diane Ravitch is in denial and she is insulting all of the hardworking teachers, principals and students all across the country who are proving her wrong every day."

 Arne Duncan

This is a fascinating logic statement, and my brain's smoking trying to parse it.

I'm a hard-working teacher, working for a hard-working supervisor, under a hard-working principal. And yes, our test scores have incrementally risen over the past few years, and yes, we're recognized as a nationally distinguished Title 1 school.

Incremental gains in "standardized" tests, tests that have us slapping our foreheads as we push mediocre writing habits on our borderline kids so that we make the grade, hardly counts as education.

Getting through another year of AYP successfully is like passing a ridiculously large and hard stool. You do it because you have to, there's a modicum of relief when it's done, and you pray you haven't done too much damage when passing it.

I'm hanging on to the edge of civility here, but if Arne keeps up his nonsense, I'm going to ask him to perform another bodily function not often mentioned in polite company.

There's not enough castor oil on the East Coast to put up with Arne's nonsense.

I really have things I'd rather do than go to D.C. in late July. But I care about my kids. 

I'll bring the wheat berries....

When you get down to it, this is what matters in our class.

We grew plants, using nothing more than our hands, a little peat moss, some dirt, and light.

This might not seem like much in a culture that rewards style over substance, words over efforts.

Our national Secretary of Education thinks little of promoting untruths. He's too bright to plead ignorance. I'm too polite to call him a liar.

A child who grows a head of wheat from a single wheat berry learns a powerful lesson. The stuff that matters most, the stuff that keeps us alive, the stuff of sustenance, comes from a little work and a lot of grace.

The picture above came from our windowsill--that's a gray sky behind it. I used to babble on about this matters. After doing this 5 years, I've learned that 15 year old humans recognize what matters, when they get a chance.

So I give them a chance. Despite Arne.

So I'm going to Washington, D.C., on July 30th. I might some wheat berries along for anyone who wants some.

Jose Vilson will be delivering a speech, reason enough to go. If you're going, let me know. I want to meet you.