Dear Commons Community,

The NY Times has an article today referring to the achievement  gap among New York City’s public school children.  For years we were told by our elected officials and the schools chancellor of the progress that had been made under mayoral control.  That myth came crashing down a few weeks ago when the NYS Department of Education admitted that passing rates had been lowered or “dumbed” down to give the appearance of student progress in our schools.  Hundreds of thousands of school children and their parents were duped into thinking that they were achieving when in fact they were not.  A number of articles have been published on this but it is sad at how gentle the NY Times has been on the issue.  The NY Daily News (see a sample below) has done a much better job of alerting the public to the ruse perpetrated by our mayor, schools chancellor and former NYS Education Department officials.

Tony

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/07/30/2010-07-30_ed_scores_dont_pass_smell_test_kids_losers_in_mike_and_joels_game.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/08/01/2010-08-01_the_sound_of_bubbles_bursting.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/08/02/2010-08-02_critics_howling_in_ed_test_mess.html