We're not sure if our endorsement helps or hurts, but we'd love to see Samuel Freedman, now filling in for Michael Winerip as the "On Education" columnist for the New York Times, get the job permanently. By contrast to Winerip, who has only two gears - frothing and grumbling - Freedman is calm, clear, and open-minded. Two weeks ago he wrote a super piece on bilingual education. This week's column is a great example: he cuts through the wailing about New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to hold back underperforming third-graders to pose the crucial questions. What's wrong with demanding high performance and the mastery of basic skills? Isn't it, in fact, a greater crime to graduate a student utterly unprepared to navigate the world? We never thought we'd say it: right reason has found a home at the Grey Lady.
"No more social promotion? Studying instead of criticizing," by Samuel G. Freedman, New York Times, August 4, 2004 (registration required)
"Latino parents decry bilingual programs," by Samuel G. Freedman, New York Times, July 14, 2004 (registration required)