GMG is working better today! I can therefore take some time for a monstrosity written by an "educationalist."
I could have written a "fraudulent educationalist," which in one sense would be redundant, but not in another.
Here is the background: the completely worthless edumbcational bureaucrats in my diocese decided that it would have every teacher read a book during the summer, and then sit through 4-hours of blah-blah-blah by the author at a convention.
I tried to read the book, but after going through the first 16 pages, and finding an average of three errors and/or incomprehensible and/or ridiculous statements per page, I stopped reading. Opening the book at random, I could find such things every time!
In fact, right now I am opening the book at random! Page 93 has this:
"Teachers, teacher leaders, school leaders, curriculum writers, and central office personnel who support schools must also have access to a succinct and accurate interpretation of the standards to be taught and assessed Why?Teacher leaders, school leaders, curriculum writers, and central office personnel who support schools must also have access to the interpretation of the standards so that they are able to provide meaningful feedback to teachers and make appropriate decisions for curricular programming.WHERE TO START??? The lack of a period, so that the first "sentence" ends with "Why?" The lack of a space between the sentences, the obvious cutting-and-pasting of the the opening of the first sentence into the next one, the curious part about giving "meaningful feedback" (as opposed to meaningless?), the preciosity of "curricular programming," etc. etc. etc.
One of my favorites from the end:
"When teachers, school leaders, and central office personnel who support schools authentically become members of the same culture of instruction..." (this goes on for a while)...(wait for it)..."then and only will the alchemy of student achievement become the resultant byproduct."Again, WHERE TO START??? The ambiguity of "authentically"? "Then and only will..."? "...alchemy..."? It would be bad enough if the statement said "student achievement" will be a "byproduct"?! But why will it not be THE PRODUCT? (What is therefore the product?) And yet it is worse: "...
the alchemy..." seems to be the "byproduct" with the redundant "resultant." Why do we want "alchemy"? Does he perhaps mean "The magic/mystery of student achievement"? If so, how is student achievement a mystery or an inscrutable, "magical" process?
Does his book not attempt to tell us how produce student achievement???On top of all this, the book makes remarkable discoveries: e.g. teachers should know their subject, teachers should be organized, teachers should know how to communicate, blah-blah-blah-find-a-rope-for-me-please-so-I-can-end-it-all!
Upon further inspection of the author's background, one finds that he has been convicted of check-kiting and other offenses. A $500,000 deal in New York county school system was for some reason kept hidden from the public. He has "Ed.D." behind his name, and another "Ed.D." supposedly edited his book, which is published by the author's own "educational consulting firm."
So, it is not just the bad grammar and the ridiculous sentences, etc. Teachers throughout the Catholic schools here are furious with the diocesan bureaucrats, who bought thousands of this huckster's books and then hired him to be the center of next week's convention (which we are "required" to attend)!
It will be difficult for me to keep from leading a massive walk-out!
