In response to my call for John King’s resignation, this principal in New York wrote:
“Thank you, Diane! Last night I finally had the heart to review my school’s test scores, child by child. As I read their names and numbers, I saw their little faces on the days of the testing, so many in tears, and I cried.
“This is so wrong for children.
“I have an excellent school, smart, hard-working kids and outstanding teachers. My students were not 30% smarter a year ago, but John King has deliberately turned many of them into “failures.”
“In the year ahead, the students will not miraculously get 50% smarter or the teachers suddenly better, yet I already know that the scores will go up – so that John King can look like a hero on the backs of little children. Mean-spirited is too kind a word.
“Should John King resign? No. He should be removed.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I’m thinking of a much more befitting consequence for Dr. John King:
Step 1: Remove him from office and replace him with a career educator who has taught in the classroom for at least 20 years, has moved on up the ladder and who thinks outside the Rhee-styled reform box.
Step 2: Offer King back his position conditioned upon the following (see following steps).
Step 3. Mandate that King teach in a testing grade for two full years in a row in a high needs, low income, high density ELL public school, and place him IN THE CLASSROOM to teach and behaviorally manage.
Step 4: Limit King’s budget to that of an average public school in New York.
Step 5: Evaluate King and his students by comparing “baselines” under the very system he has designed and enforced.
Step 6: If King does not make the grade, place him on a TIP, per RttT’s APPR (teacher improvement plan).
Step 7: If King does not improve his scores, allow the LEA (local educational agency, aka “school district”) to decide whether or not he should continue his employment.
Step 8: If King’s scores make the grade exactly according to the APPR system approved in NY State, then allow him to continue teaching or resume his post as Commissioner of Education for New York State. Remember that at least 89% of his students will ahve to achieve passing grades on the standardized tests.
Step 9: If King’s scores do not make the grade, then do not allow him to resume his post as Commissioner, but decide if you want him to keep his teaching job. If no to the latter, send Dr. King off into joblessness, where I’m sure he’ll be snapped up by Students First or the Broad Foundation or a mob of very angry, frustratede citizenry who would love to have him in their presence for a chat.
Step 10: Gather all of King’s teacher/student data and publish them in as many mainstream and non-mainstream venues that exist.
Step 11: Let the general public decide upon the merits of Dr. John King . . .
Removal from his post is simply not enough.
Robert, as a 27 year veteran in NY, I couldn’t agree with you more. Best post I’ve read in a while. John King must go.
Thank you.
H-m-m-m. I wonder if you’re someone I know . . .
Robert…as usual, you are ‘right on’…thanks.
Robert, Probably never met, but in spirit we’re one. I’m tired of this crap.
This is what John King really thinks of
parents who “opt out”, or even complain
about his “education reform.”
http://www.southbronxschool.com/2013/10/fine-dining-with-new-york-state.html
King draws an asinine analogy between
parents bitching about Common Core, or
excessive or inappropriate-for-grade-level
testing or whatever…
to…
the lack of restraint to a customer
would show at a restaurant when that
customer has a problem with
the wine or food served to him:
http://www.southbronxschool.com/2013/10/fine-dining-with-new-york-state.html
He puts himself in a higher order of class
than those belly-aching parents because
when a waiter brings him substandard
food or wine… well… in such a situation,
he doesn’t complain, or send it back. He
sits there and eats it whether he likes it
or not…
(*** actual quote… no joke***)
JOHN KING: “When I’m in a restaurant,
and the waiter opens the bottle of wine for
me to taste, I never say ‘No,’ send it back,
even if it’s horrible. The same with my
meal; if I don’t like it I’ll eat it anyway.”
AND DAMN IT!!! THAT’S WHAT THE
PARENTS AND STUDENTS IN NEW
YORK STATE SHOULD DO AS WELL!!!
Why do we want this man in a classroom? The students have enough to cope with.
We want him inside a classroom to see how his very own policies play out when he is the one following them and facing their consequences both on hehalf of himself and his students.
You can’t approach justice, truth, or perhaps hypocrisy any more effectively, I think . . .
The man had a cup of coffee and then left the classroom before he was anointed his (questionable) degrees, and has spent the rest of the time in the so-called education reform racket.
He should be kept away from damaging any more children, anywhere, under all circumstances.
Quick question, as a parent – are percentile ranks included in these test score results? As a parent, if I knew that my child had “failed” the standardized test but also ranked in the top 40 percent, I would have a talk with my child about what that meant.
Call the principal of your child’s school. He/she might be able to guide you with an answer . . . It’s a great question.
Reblogged this on Critical Classrooms, Critical Kids and commented:
“Should John King resign? No. He should be removed.”
We bow to no King!