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Once again: it is all the teachers' fault

Maybe if we say it again and again, education "reform" advocates appear to think, people will finally believe that the most dysfunctional part of our public education system is not the US Department of Education, not No Child Left Behind, not Race to the Top, not Wall Street data coaches, not Vision 2015, not tests that don't actually employ reliability and validity, not inadequate funding models, not the withdrawal of School Resource Officers, not the elimination of the Minner Reading Teachers, not the failure to fund special education, not the creation of a charter "slush" fund, not the emphasis on high-stakes testing that lacks any real research base ...

Nope.

None of those.

Once again the News Journal editorial page places the blame squarely where it belongs:

It's all the teachers' fault.

Who knew that nice Ms. So-and-so who spent all those extra hours working with your son who can't quite read up to grade level was really plotting to leave him illiterate?

Who knew that passionate Mr. What's-his-name who sponsors the yearbook, works with after-school study groups, and calls parents at night and on weekends because he can't get them during the business day was secretly part of the Educators Illuminati?

Who knew that Coach Growler who laid down the law to his football front line that if they didn't pass algebra they weren't playing on Friday night was a conspirator deftly undermining America's potential educational success?

The News Journal knew.

The Rodel Foundation knew.

Governor Markell knew.

It's all the teacher's fault.

Oh, and Matt Damon's.  Don't forget him.  In one impromptu thirty-second set of remarks the actor appears to have driven a stake into the heart of public education.

And here I just thought he made mediocre movies.

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