BREAKING VIDEO: Progressive Educators, Conservatives Fight Over Arne Duncan’s Secretary of Education Appointment
It’s official - Chicago’s Arne Duncan will be the new Secretary of Education.
The Twittersphere is abuzz as are the blogs. There’s no shortage of Duncan-related link dumps. You can get started on your own personal Duncan Familiarity Web Research Project over at Mr. Russo’s This Week in Education. Oil your scroll wheels, kids - there’s a lot to see.
I’ve pulled two clips that represent the two camps pow-wowing on Twitter.
First, the “progressives,” who feel betrayed and saddened that a charter stooge like Duncan will run the DoE in President-Elect Obama’s Land of Hopenchange:
I see four little scamps in the video - I’ve named them Constructiraptor, CharterRage, Unionmartyr and Dewey. I’d be remiss if I didn’t honor ed school ideology properly with a little Dewey-worship.
Actually, strike that - our fuzzy little Dewey’s had a name change. He’s now Hornswaggle.
And boy, are they panicking. I assume that piece of food is a piece of medium-rare public teat.
Look at’em fight!
But the progressives aren’t alone. There’s horror on the other side, too. Ms. Malkin, a favorite of mine, has missed the mark badly. Following E.M.’s lead, she’s popped three Alka-Seltzers in her mouth - Bill Ayers, Everyday Math and the Annenberg Challenge - taken a gulp of blog-soda and shaken her head vigorously. Here’s the resulting Duncan-drool from Malkin and E.M..
I’m as sympathetic to those arguments as anyone, especially on the Conservative side. I don’t, however, conflate three problems into criticizing Duncan’s appointment - Malkin et al. have made a mistake.
These scream queens sum up the Conservative reaction:
And then there are the more sensible folks like the Democrats for Education Reform. Peep their statement on Duncan’s selection.
Me? Well, I wouldn’t have chosen him, but we could’ve gotten much, much worse. Like Linda Darling-Hammond worse.
We’re in for a wild ride. I’ll criticize Duncan’s poor ideas and praise the good ones.
I dig the tasmanian devils. Nice touch.
Thanks for being intellectually honest enough to criticize Malkin and the incomprehensible right-wing (I think) dominatrix at http://americanprincessblog.com/?p=3521
When did Michelle Malkin become an expert in mathematics or mathematics learning? Do they just scour the landscape for something to attack? Sheesh!
PS: The “Democrats” for School Reform don’t resemble any Democrats I know.
I guess you have to love how big our party’s tent is.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-stager/first-we-kill-the-teacher_b_123421.html
Dr. Stager,
First, thank you for reminding me that you went to graduate school. Had you not put that Ph.D. after your name, I would have likely addressed you as Gary.
The horror!
Second, I’d leave a fuller comment in reply, but then I’d run the risk of suggesting to others that I take you more seriously than I do. Though I read just about every word you write, I’d prefer to keep it honest.
Third, you need to meet some more Democrats. Perhaps a Blue Dog, or at least one of those Democrats who pretends to be one? We have some out in the countryside.