Few things cause skoolboy to laugh out loud uncontrollably, but this line from a story filed by Elizabeth Green at GothamSchools hit the spot:
As part of its new approach, the Gates Foundation will advocate for the politically thorny goal of national standards — and will aim to write its own standards and its own national test.
Read it again, slowly: The Gates Foundation will develop its own national standards and its own national test.
Does anybody else think this is a really, really bad idea? I’m delighted that the Gates Foundation has realized that throwing money at small schools didn’t work, but I’m not prepared to turn over the public’s interest in what is to be taught and learned to a private philanthropy, no matter how civic-minded it may be.
Update: Bad form on my part not to acknowledge that the title of this entry comes from an LA Times op-ed written by Diane Ravitch, available here. She deserves all of the credit for coining the phrase. Sorry, Diane!