A Pack Of Dogs, A Fire Hydrant, And A Powerful Lobby

Lots of takes from the blogs on the NEA letter from yesterday, which, ironically, is signed by none other than Diane Shust, the NEA lobbyist who used to work for Miller. Joe Williams of DFER who broke the news notes tongue in cheek “Whatever happened to support for multiple measures? Isn’t it cruel/unfair to hold a Legislator accountable for the results of a single test?” I love it. PreaPrez, one of the most bilious people in the edusphere (at least towards me), says the NEA is just doing what it’s supposed to do. Indeed, that’s true. That doesn’t make it right for education, though, or wise, or tolerable. Scooped by the blogosphere, The Hoff weighs in to note that until 2005 the NEA only rated lawmakers on votes, not cosponsorships, and that one of the bills on the “good” list comes from a lawmaker who has previously been “bad.” Last but certainly not least, Charlie Barone’s blog depicts House freshman as dogs on the NEA leash looking eagerly at the NCLB fire hydrant. Funny and mean, it’s well worth clicking. (Former Miller staffer Barone noted on the HotSeat last month that Miller’s own rating has been affected by his votes in the past on class size and Katrina vouchers and teacher quality.)