“We know that some people don’t agree with higher standards and accountability.”
Avi Wolfman-Arent updated his DSEA article late yesterday with the above quote from Governor Jack Markell. The Education Governor is absolutely right, and it starts with him. The people of Delaware need higher standards and accountability with their Governor. We are tired of the comments meant to bring down teachers, parents and students who object to any of his authoritarian methods. We want someone that understands education is more than test scores. Our definition of higher standards is not the same as yours. Higher standards would be making sure the funding cuts were restored. Accountability would mean recognizing your own failures with education. You are not a teacher and you have never been a teacher. You are a savvy businessman, and that’s how you have chosen to run the government of Delaware.
You issue all your proclamations after everything has been put in place, and then get snippy with people when they object to it. That’s not a democracy, that’s a dictatorship. Education isn’t some elite country club, it’s a place where children of all different colors, minds and circumstances come to learn. But you don’t seem to understand that. You need to come off your hill and get down with the people Jack. It’s not about us bowing down to your agenda. It’s about you serving the people. If we are all screaming “hey, this isn’t good” you need to start listening. This your way or the highway isn’t working. Can’t you see that?
At the end of the day, before you crawl into bed, you are a human being, just like the rest of us. You aren’t perfect. You’re decisions aren’t perfect. I challenge you to do something tonight Governor Markell. Look in the mirror. Take a good long look. See what’s in your eyes, in your soul. Ask yourself this one simple question: Do you truly believe in your own high standards and accountability? Because unless you are privy to some top-secret information the rest of us don’t know about and you are doing this for the good of the citizens of your state, then you are mistaken.
The Exceptional Infinite 
Markell’s statement about, “not everyone agrees with higher standards and accountability”, is a bunch of crap ! He must mean the inappropriate standards and useless standardized testing being pushed on everyone
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The question begging asking is this one: why would a governor go through with something so abusive, so horrible, so pointless? Would a dad do that? Would a mom do that? Would a manager do that? Would a business owner do that? Would even Rick Jensen do that?
So…. why would a governor?
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This is just more of the “bullying” that the reform and standardized testing proponents have been doing for the past five years or more. Kill the teachers, bust up their unions, degrade them to the point where they just look like a bunch of lazy cry-babies. Well, Governor, you should be ashamed of yourself! I think I’ll report your bullying to Matt Denn. Who, by the way had better start putting a wide, very wide and very distant divide between himself and you, Governor. Especially if he wants to keep his political career intact and play the “Carper, Biden, Castle” musical chairs phenomenon Delaware career politicians are famous for. : /
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