Respectable Academics Standing Up to Chief Corporate Goon, Rick Hess

Of the many things I get red in the face about is the fact that education academics, my colleagues,  have been sitting on their hands in in their pre-fab towers (ed school people don't get into the real university Tower), thinking they are above the dirty fray or the screamers on the Right who want to take down the Republic by dismantling public instituions.  Recently, however, I have noticed a number of relevant and readable pieces coming from Teachers College Record, one of the chief hangouts for academics who usually write for an audience of 5.  I was so impresse that I actually gave up $16 to renew an online subscription. 

Apparently the bots of the Borg have noticed, too, for recently they sent out their chief ed hack unit to attack a TC article by Valente and Collins on the idiocy and unfairness of RTTT.  Well, Valente and Collins have come out of their mobile home tower to defend themselves.  Here is a clip, but do read the whole thing here:

. . .  .Who is getting Race money? It is those who are already achieving on standardized tests and who were already winning the Race.

Take a look at the numbers on who receives the benefit of the Race to the Top funds, this from a joint report by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law, National Action Network, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., National Council for Educating Black Children, National Urban League, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Schott Foundation for Public Education:⁹

1) 37 percent of the finalist states receive free and reduced lunch

2) 14 percent of the finalist states are Hispanic

3) 2.5 percent of the students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch nationwide receive monies from Race to the Top

4) 3 percent of Black students nationwide receive monies from Race to the Top

5) less than 1 percent of Latino, Native American, and Hmong students receive monies from Race to the Top

In short, the Race to the Top disproportionally benefits affluent or well-to-do, white, and “abled” students.  

Is this a race to the top or a race rigged for the top? . . .

Ooh, good one.