Gary Rubinstein–math teacher, blogger, author, ex-TFA turned TFA critic–has been writing a series of letters to reformers, asking friendly but pointed questions. The first letters went to reformers he knows, the second to reformers he does not know. This letter to Arne Duncan is in the second group.

It is one of Gary’s best. He has done extensive research into Arne’s life as a Harvard College basketball star. He has studied the team’s record as well as that of other teams. He knows about the team coach. He knows that Arne was a great player but the team had a losing record.

Gary writes:

“To illustrate the issues with the accountability metrics that have been the trademark of your tenure, I’ve applied them to something you know intimately, your senior year Harvard basketball team, the 1986-1987 Harvard Cagers. Were the 1986-1987 Cagers a ‘failing’ team? Was Coach Peter Roby an ‘ineffective’ coach? Were you and Keith Webster ‘ineffective’ co-captains? It all depends on which metrics you use.”

“Your last place finish 9 and 17 record is just one way to judge your efforts. Some would use it as the sole metric and declare this a ‘losing’ season. But if you just look at points scored, you didn’t do so badly with 2152, which was pretty close to the 1972 Harvard record of 2221 points at that time. So if we look at just offense, the team was not failing. But you also gave up 2169 points, which is not so good defensively, though only 17 points less than how many points you scored. The ‘average’ game that season, you lost 82.8 to 83.4. Doesn’t sound so bad when measured that way.

“But what if Roby was judged on your performance of just one day? Well, it depended, then, on what day. The ‘86-‘87 Cagers were streaky. You started off 0 and 3, all away games. Then the next ten games you went 7 and 3 bringing your record to 7 and 6. The last two wins were against Penn and Princeton on January 9th and January 10th 1987, who finished respectively 1st and 2nd in the Ivy League that year.”

Gary even includes video footage of the historic match between Harvard and Penn.

He adds:

“How would you react if the President appointed a Secretary of Physical Education who had never played sports or coached sports? And what if this person declared that our lackluster performance in the World Cup soccer tournament is evidence that our physical education system in this country is horribly broken? And what if he made the argument that he has identified the problem as the weakness of one of our most popular games, your beloved basketball?…..

“Secretary Duncan, time is running out for you. It’s like that game against Penn on January 9th, 1987. There are only a few minutes left and you are down big. Teachers are fleeing the profession and there is soon, I believe, to be a teacher shortage as new candidates will avoid the profession for the same reason that the older teachers are leaving. Standardized testing is out of control. How much money is this country paying Pearson each year? How much time, energy, and resources are being spent on testing? Your legacy is not looking good from my view. But it is not too late. Please can you rise to the occasion as you did that time you scored 14 points in three minutes to force overtime with Penn? Please captain Duncan, would you muster up the will to lead a final charge and again turn an almost hopeless situation into one of the great comeback finishes of all time.”