WEEKEND QUOTABLES

The wisdom of the elites

"The fact is that what we’re experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. The policies that got us into this mess weren’t responses to public demand. They were, with few exceptions, policies championed by small groups of influential people — in many cases, the same people now lecturing the rest of us on the need to get serious. And by trying to shift the blame to the general populace, elites are ducking some much-needed reflection on their own catastrophic mistakes." -- Paul Krugman, NYT

Freedom riders

Nancy Flanagan responds to Duncan

"It's time to remember the Freedom Riders, who risked their very lives fifty years ago this week, to achieve democratic equality. Not segregated charter schools which a handful of lottery-winners get to attend. Not classrooms staffed by two-year adventure teachers . Not watered-down, low-level curriculum and test items.' -- Edweek

Punishing L.A. high schools for low scores

"The original goal of the funding was to see what a struggling school could accomplish with an infusion of resources in key areas. Instead, the money has allowed these schools to hold the line against deep statewide cuts to schools over the last three years."  -- Howard Blume, LAT

Joel Klein on J.C. Brizard

"If you're going to take a tough stand on certain issues, talking about closing down schools, which he did, or talking about teachers' evaluations, you're going to rock some boats," Klein said. "(Brizard) understands that." -- Chicago Tribune

Pelham City, Georgia Supt. tells Duncan

 If you are sincere in your belief that teaching is an honorable and important profession, please use the power of your position to begin a national conversation on teaching and learning and helping kids that does not begin with the “failure” of public education or discussions about “bad teachers.”-- Maureen Downey at AJC

What happened to Huberman's "Culture of Calm" in Chicago?

“It’s very easy for C.P.S. to make these kind of stopgap-measure decisions and say, ‘Well, it’s just for a year. Sorry. Thanks, you did a great job. Keep it moving,’ “ Ms. Pacione-Zayas said. “I’m not surprised, because that’s kind of been the history of it.”-- Chicago News Coop