WEEKEND QUOTABLES

L.A. Supt. Ray Cortines as he cuts more days from school year

"Our people will be asked to do more with less." (L.A. Times )

Herman Brewer, acting president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League

"These folks who have known nothing but prosperity are now in shock because all of a sudden the crisis they have generally associated with poor communities -- with the city of Chicago -- has hit them," Brewer said. "Our funding formula has created disparities so acute, people are starting to see it now." ("Layoffs could top 20,000 in school districts" Sun-Times)

FairTest's Lisa Guisbond & Monty Neill

George W. Bush’s education secretary, Margaret Spellings, often said we need to give state tests every year, because otherwise we would have no way of knowing if students were falling behind. But that’s hogwash, as any teacher, student or parent could have told her.In the classroom of any reasonably competent teacher, student progress is being evaluated constantly, each time he or she looks at classroom work, not to mention frequent quizzes, papers, projects, and discussions. (The Answer Sheet)

Dumb & a moron, both...

Look, down here there are these groups from the far left. Whatever we do, they want to make it look like we are dumb morons. They're very effective, dadgummit. Jefferson's name was taken out of a list of Enlightenment philosophers in world history because he didn't fit the period of the Enlightenment. (Texas school board member Don McLeroy in Globe & Mail)