Intercepts
A listening post monitoring public education and teachers’ unions.

It’s not April 1 yet, but this one is almost too good to be true.

Martin Johnson, the acting deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, a British teachers’ union, wants the national curriculum and testing system done away with. That’s not such an unusual stance, but his suggestion for a replacement is unique:

“There’s a lot to learn about how to walk. If you were going out for a Sunday afternoon stroll you might walk one way. If you’re trying to catch a train you might walk in another way and if you are doing a cliff walk you might walk in another way. If you are carrying a pack, there’s a technique in that. We need a nation of people who understand their bodies and can use their bodies effectively.”

Teaching kids different ways to walk instead of, oh, reading and math, might seem a bit odd, but Mr. Johnson thinks all knowledge is created equal:

“For the state to suggest that some knowledge should be privileged over other knowledge is a bit totalitarian in a 21st century environment.”

Apparently Mr. Johnson has an incomplete knowledge of totalitarianism. But I’m convinced he has a bright future ahead in British government.

“Let me tell you how it will be.
There’s one for you, nineteen for me.”

Read this and tell me some enterprising legislator somewhere here in the United States will get right on it. Something we can all get behind for public schools: a sense of focus.

Click here to read:

1) Sometimes I Just Can’t Believe What I’m Reading
2) Is There an AFT “Policy Shift” on NCLB?
3) Qual è il Titolo del Film in Italiano?
4) Credit Where Credit Is Due
5) Last Week’s Intercepts
6) Quote of the Week

U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy has some fighting words on the No Child Left Behind Act. Key pull-outs:

* “Most of us in Congress know that a retreat to mediocrity is wrong.”

* “In the weeks ahead, those opposed to doing what it takes to leave no child behind will do everything in their power to impede our progress. Don’t let their rhetoric fool you.”

* “No Child Left Behind is not just a slogan. It’s a national commitment, inspired by our fundamental values and aspirations. It’s a promise to do all we can so that every American child receives the high-quality education he or she needs and deserves. We may never achieve that lofty goal, but if we hope to keep America strong and just, prosperous and free, we can never stop trying.”

I happen to think this is a lot of blather designed to protect a gigantic and costly federal program. But that is Sen. Kennedy’s primary weapon, and it’s amusing to see him use it to target NCLB foes.