Here.The DOE's response to the mistakes?
City officials said the exams were not high-stakes and not required for minimum graduation requirements.
Actually the tests are high stakes - for students looking to received an advanced Regents diploma.
In any case, this is not the response you would want from an agency that is now going to issue tests twice a year in every subject - from ELA to math to science to social studies to music to art to physical education to foreign language - so that teachers can be evaluated on the local part of Governor Cuomo's vaunted new teacher evaluation system.
The response you would want is, "Oh, no! We don't know how this happened and we will work very hard to make sure it doesn't happen again!"
But that's apparently not how the Tweedies feel about these mistakes.
So much for taking responsibility for one's mistakes.
So much for accountability for NYCDOE officials.
You see, accountability is only for the little people.
What happened that the NY Daily News (NY Post Lite, run by Murdoch/lackeys) actually decided to cover this story? My guess is that it went something like this...
ReplyDeleteHey Tweed, you know we have to cover this story, (have to make some pretense of journalism, we don't get to have people say, oh that's just the Post) but how the hell are we going to blame the teachers for this? I mean the blogs broke the story, so it is out there.
Tweed replies, give us 36 hours to figure it out, we are usually pretty good at finding a way to blame the teachers and the union. Does not have to be too good a story, because we all know what kind of PR idiots they are over at the UFT, but give us 36 hours.
DNews comments back...okay, but I am telling you this will be hard.
Tweed says...I know, but just give us the 36 hours and we'll see.
After the 36 hours, a soon to be fired Tweed employee in a dejected voice responds to the Daily News, which says, well???? Soon to be pink slipped Tweedie replies...we got nothing. Best we have is that these tests really do not affect anyone or anything, so just down play it. If we take any real heat for this, not that we will because we control the media, we can just unjustly accuse another teacher of fooling around (John Edwards style) with another student, with any luck we can come up with a good orgy story, really make sure that the story of the crappy job we did with these tests disappears.
Just before hanging up, the reporter says, are you sure? People starting to figure out what is going on, can't afford to show even any sort of blemish.
Tweed employee (as he is packing up his desk) yeah, I am sure, I can't believe that they are actually holding me responsible for not being able to spin this. I have to pack up, hope to talk to you again, bye DNews reporter.
This is the exit exam after 3 YEARS of a sequence of courses in a particular language, or after 6 high school credits. How can this NOT be high stakes?? The DOE has demonstrated high levels of stupidity over and over again....it's just the rule of the stupid. Wait until I call the Daily News with an update on the statements of the so-called "city officials". FACTCHECK!!!
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