How to render TEAs terrible accountability system moot
What makes a dollar bill represent some amount of value is that we’ve all come to agree that it does just that. If we universally reached agreement that a dollar bill is meaningless, it would be worth nothing. Perception, it turns out, determines our reality. Thus there’s power in agreeing that something is meaningless because it can render it so. Let’s apply that logic to the Texas Education Agency’s efforts regarding accountability, because the way they do accountability produces results that are entirely meaningless. So we’d really just be doing them a favor. Here’s how you can know that. First, remember that compliance never signals effectiveness. That isn’t something any of us can change. Compliance with FERPA, meeting the requirements for a driver’s license, or passing the food handler’s test at the health department, does not also mean that you are a great school, a great driver, or a great cook. That judgment is elsewhere. On the other hand, you could be a great school, a great...