The Howler on Times Test Editorial: The New York Times had a very poor week

Does [editorial writer Brent] Staples have expertise in education? There’s no sign that he ever covered education, or that he knows any more about the topic that your neighbor’s pet duck.

That editorial was loud and unintelligent. When it comes to the public schools, this highly self-impressed board has been and remains a long-running joke—a long-running public disgrace

The Times is a fatuous, low-IQ paper. Powerful forces in our culture work to obscure that key fact ..... The Daily Howler

The alleged drops in scores!

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 08:03 AM PDT

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2013

The end to a very poor week: In our view, the New York Times had a very poor week.

.....notable was Thursday’s editorial about New York City’s new test scores. 

“Some candidates are looking for ways to blame Mr. Bloomberg for the drop in scores?” Pathetically, that seems to be true, but the editors don't seem to understand the key point—no one can be blamed “for the drop in the scores,” since there hasn’t been any “drop in scores” in any meaningful sense.

There is no way to compare this year’s passing rates to last year’s passing rates, since they emerged from completely different tests. That is a bone simple point, but the editors don’t quite seem to get it. Despite this, they demand that teachers improve the children’s reasoning skills!

More at: The alleged drops in scores!