Anthony Cody, the exemplary science teacher-mentor (NBCT), from Oakland, California, has engaged the Gates Foundation in a dialogue about its agenda.

Anthony was concerned that the foundation has propelled the frenzy to test more, to blame teachers for low scores, and to ignore poverty.

Vicki Phillips of the foundation responded here to his challenge.

And on the same page, you will see Anthony’s response to Phillips.

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On another site, for which there is no link, I saw the following comment on the foundation’s statement to Anthony Cody:

      Right off the bat Phillips presents us with an argumentative frame that does
      not exist — that there are people who “defend all teachers at all costs” —
      and uses that erroneous frame to claim a vaunted “middle ground” where, of
      course, all the “serious work” is being done, implying that anyone who
      disagrees with her agenda is not engaged in “serious work.”
      Then there’s this:
       “The notion that student learning should play no part in teacher evaluation
      systems, or that test scores should be the only measure of teaching
      performance, represent two extreme but unproductive camps.”
       Again, a made-up polarity. No one I know of maintains that “student learning
      should play no part.” She uses this false frame to conflate test scores with
      “student learning” and again imply that her point of view is the only
      “serious” and legitimate perspective.
      The whole emphasis on “multiple measures” is yet another erroneous
      construct. The crux of the matter isn’t whether to use multiple measures but
      whether to include erroneous measures and give them undue emphasis that is
      harmful to teachers and by connection students.
      Finally, she does nothing to contradict the now conventional wisdom that
      evaluation is something done TO teachers rather than WITH them because
        public school teachers can’t be trusted. That’s just my quick-and-dirty assessment of this PR blather.
      Another commenter on the same site wondered why Phillips did not acknowledge the foundation’s role in creating astroturf groups of young teachers who can be counted on to speak publicly against tenure and seniority and in favor of using test scores to evaluate teachers.