WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Science Teacher

"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." -- The Logic of Arne

Kate Spade in Afghanistan???

 As part of his efforts, Brinkley brings in corporate executives on trips to Afghanistan to try to get them to invest. An array of executives, including from Citibank, IBM and even Kate Spade, have accompanied Brinkley on these types of trips. When he's making his pitch, he wants to make it clear this is not a charity opportunity. It's strictly business. "I want them to come in and see that they can make actually make money, that there's a market," Brinkley says, "that there's talent that can be brought to bare for their particular business interests." -- Paul Brinkley, head of a Pentagon group called the Task Force for Business Stability Operations 

Duncan attacks Diane Ravitch

"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." -- Jonathan Alter at Bloomberg

L.A. teacher responds

"Teachers at schools like mine are concerned that education reform policies are not helping our students, because threats of turnarounds, takeovers, and poor evaluations can’t make us work any harder or make our students any less poor.  Dr. Ravitch understands this reality, and recognizes that the true insult in this debate is the allegation that teachers like me are not working hard enough, or don’t believe enough in the potential of our students, because if we did, our schools would have miracles too."-- Martha Infante at InterAct

 Dr. Cornel West

"There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie." -- Truthout