Schools

Dimino Attacks NYTimes Columnist Calling His Common Core Statements "Unqualified"

Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association president Beth Dimino wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Times in response to a story published by columnist Frank Bruni.

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni recently wrote a column about his take on all of the common core controversy. Basically telling parents that they are coddling their kids too much, that calling it a disease might be premature, and that some people might be overreacting. 

Bruni continued to make remarks on comments from teachers and parents at a recent Common Core forum held at Ward Melville High School. He quoted  Port Jefferson Station Teacher Association President Beth Dimino who made a comment that children are getting actual "diseases" from this new implementation.

Bruni said that comment is a little premature. "If children are unraveling to this extent, it’s a grave problem. But before we beat a hasty retreat from potentially crucial education reforms, we need to ask ourselves how much panic is trickling down to kids from their parents and whether we’re paying the price of having insulated kids from blows to their egos and from the realization that not everyone’s a winner in every activity on every day."

Dimino wrote a letter taking a hard stand against what Bruni said in his column calling him "unqualified" to make any comments regarding education. Read Dimino's unedited Letter to the Editor below. 

Mr. Bruni,

It comes as no surprise to me that as a food critic you believe that you are uniquely qualified to comment on the ramifications of the high stakes testing portion of the Common Core on NY's children.

You're not a parent or an educator and you weren't at the forum where I spoke, but you believed that you could write an informed article for the NY Times and insert my speech without bothering to ask me why I made the comments or to familiarize yourself with the topic.

It seems like so many intelligent people, even NY Times writers, just don't get it or is it that you don't want to get it... Teachers give atudents tests to evaluate what the child has learned and to better inform themselves about their pedagogy.

These tests are not administered for those reasons... Are you aware that the students who are tested in the spring do not receive their grades untill the fall? Did you know that Commissioner King created a test that he accurately predicted 70% of the State's children would fail? Does it matter to you that children as young as 4 years old are required to take these tests? I have some suggestions for you Mr. Bruni.

Buy and Read Diane Ravitch's book, Reign of Error, if you want a different perspective about American Public Education. Investig ate why more than half of the States are now reevaluating whether or not to withdraw from Race To The Top. Contact me if you would like to know what's really going in a NY public school classroom.

Count your lucky stars that your English teachers prepared you for your NY Times gig!

What do you think? Do you agree?


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