If I had to choose one individual for the title of Most Polarizing Educationist, that person would certainly be Michelle Rhee.

(You know– educationist— the genuine article, like the Rolexx watch or Louis Wuitton handbag.)

Though Rhee has received much press in venues including Time, the  Harvard Political Review, the Washington Post, and the New York Times for being “polarizing,” the problem with being polarizing is that those with influence might like to read about you and talk about you, but because they are mindful of their own career climbing (as many educationists and politicians tend to be), they won’t want to be closely identified with you.

Sure, in your only year as the single teacher in the classroom, you might tape children’s mouths and cause them to bleed— and later joke about it to a group of first-year teachers– and never be called…

The Lee School Board in Florida wants to opt out of all standardized testing. They have listened to parents. They are tired of enriching Pearson.

“FCAT. Florida Standards. Common core.

“No matter what you call it, the school board wants it gone.

“Board members unanimously expressed their disdain for standardized testing at the school board meeting Tuesday, pledging to research the possibility of “opting out” the entire district from standardized testing.

“There needs to be a come-to-Jesus meeting … to talk about these issues point blank,” Chairman Tom Scott said.

Board member Don Armstrong said the district cannot afford to continue testing at the current rate.

“A lot of our money is being poured out of this county to go to one company, I won’t say names,” he said. “But on this board or not on this board, I won’t stand for it anymore.”

Dozier asked the board to…

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Ferguson, Missouri is in suburban St. Louis.

Last June Desiree Harris, who lives in Ferguson, watched her grandson Michael Brown, an African-American young man, graduate from high school.

On Saturday night she saw Michael as he was heading for her house as she passed him in her car.

Minutes later, she found his body on the street.

He had been shot dead by a Ferguson police officer.

By all eyewitness accounts he had done nothing wrong and was unarmed.

“He was running this way,” she said. “When I got up there, my grandson was lying on the pavement. I asked the police what happened. They didn’t tell me nothing.”

Last night there was plenty of anger in the streets.

People gathered around police headquarters chanting, “Don’t shoot me! Don’t shoot me!”

“Right now, the small group of people are creating a huge mess,” Ferguson Mayor Knowles told reporters “Contributing…