Peter Cunningham, former U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary and current Executive Director of Education Post*, writes in today's Daily News,
New York State and city just posted significant gains on state test scores, particularly in English, defying expectations and affirming the benefits of high standards, accountability and choice. While celebration is in order, the results complicate the narrative for all kinds of players in the Empire State, starting at the top...
For example, Cunningham writes, "It might be gracious of [NYC Mayor Bill] de Blasio to show [predecessors Mike Bloomberg and Joel Klein] a little love instead of throwing shade on the strategies that have clearly worked: closing down chronically low-performing schools and replacing them with new small schools and charters."
Yet,
As expected, the legions of anti-reformers across the state are dismissing the results, insisting they don’t mean anything and retreating to their negative talking points. After they are done licking their wounds, perhaps they can grudgingly extend congratulations to students, teachers and parents instead of rooting for failure.
*Full disclosure: I'm a consultant at Education Post.