These Things Take Time

by Robert Pondiscio
December 11th, 2008

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Posted in Education News, Humor | 5 Comments »

Still no Education Secretary?  Flypaper is getting tired of waiting for Obama to make his choice.  Just a hunch, but there might be an obvious explanation for the hold-up.  Instead of the standard FBI background check and seven-page questionnaire, perhaps the President-elect’s education advisors are insisting the candidates submit portfolios and other “authentic assessments.”

5 Comments »

  1. OK, that was funny. Were I your teacher, however, scoring your “authentic work product” (i.e., your blog) on a rubric, I’d give you high marks for humor and style, but a C+ on structural logic.

    Shouldn’t a Secretary of Education have authentic work products to share? There’s test data, yeah, but what about the ability to envision a better system, inspire leadership and dedication, articulately lay out a plan for productive change? You’d measure those things through an authentic assessment process.

    Comment by Nancy Flanagan — December 11, 2008 @ 2:08 pm

  2. So let’s see then…100 for humor, 100 for style…even if I got a zero on structural logic, that still nets to a 66 average, or an D. But if you’re one of those teachers who believes no grade should be lower than a 50, then my average is an 83 and I get a B.

    Failure carries a stigma, Nancy. You wouldn’t want to break my spirit now, would you?

    Fondly,
    Robert

    Comment by Robert Pondiscio — December 11, 2008 @ 2:16 pm

  3. Dear Robert,

    I recognize bait when I see it. Some people just don’t feel that any analysis is real until there are numbers and calculation involved. Were this a real assessment rubric, I doubt if humor and style would be equally weighted with a score for substantive content–not in my classroom, anyway. So let’s give you 60/100 points for weak support of your implication that a portfolio of relevant work experience or evaluation of actual generated policy products aren’t reliable or valid assessments. And 50/50 style points. Total, 73%– or a C minus. A good teacher would give you the opportunity to argue more persuasively in a second draft, but we don’t have time for that. January 20 is coming right up. Sorry. (laughing)

    Question remains: What is the best way to rigorously evaluate what a candidate for Secretary of Education brings to the proverbial table? One of my non-negotiables would be respect for exemplary leadership practices in the field. Maybe Obama should be looking for someone with extensive experience in curriculum, instruction, school leadership and finance. What are the indicators of success and mastery? It’s a serious question.

    On a side note, most people who are grumpy about re-aligning the 100-point accrued grading scale see the purpose of grading as sorting and selecting, not providing feedback. But that’s an entirely different question.

    Equally fondly,
    Nancy

    Comment by Nancy Flanagan — December 11, 2008 @ 7:41 pm

  4. My joke about the selection process notwithstanding, I think it’s safe to assume that the eventual Ed Secy will be chosen more for political acumen than instructional experience. The best ed secretaries, I think, have used the bully pulpit of the job to good effect. Given the deep fractures even within his own party about what is needed to move the education agenda forward for children, I think your point about respect for leadership practices is a good one. I’ll be happy to see a track record of success and mastery in diplomacy. No lightning rods, please. There’s too much work to be done.

    You’re grading me without having given me the rubric in advance, then denying me the chance at a second draft? Sorting and selcting indeed! My lawyer will be in touch.

    Comment by Robert Pondiscio — December 11, 2008 @ 10:13 pm

  5. It’s going to be hard for Obama to choose someone who will not be seen as symbolic–a lightning rod. I agree that political savvy is the #1 desirable quality in an effective Secretary. What bothers me is the breathless anticipation of the blogerati, once again dividing EdPolicy World into prospective winners and losers. Where did they learn that this is the way the world works? In school, probably.

    Thanks for a good dialogue. You know what we call no-advance-rubric, no-second-drafts assessments? Standardized tests. They’re useful, too, as part of a bigger assessment, ummm, portfolio.

    Comment by Nancy Flanagan — December 12, 2008 @ 10:58 am

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