Educational Arguments

Austin Bramwell has an interesting piece up on educational reform. He explores some of the underside of "accountability" measures for teachers:

Except that the school accountability movement is almost certain to achieve the very opposite of what it intends! Suppose that you are an aspiring teacher. Suppose, further, that you are one of those saints who would to prefer to teach in a high-crime, poverty-stricken area than, say, in a wealthy suburban district where students gobble up AP credits and compete for admission to elite colleges. Would you in fact choose to teach the most underprivileged? All else being equal, under school accountability, you would not. For, if you do end up serving the underprivileged, there is a good chance that you or your school will ultimately be demoted or punished as “failing.” School accountability tells teachers to avoid potentially under-performing schools.

More at the link.