Times Uses Flawed NCTQ Report

I am disappointed in the Los Angeles Times and, particularly, the Seattle Times for using the National Council on Teacher Quality’s report as a basis for two publications.  On June 23rd, the Times published an editorial that used data from the NCTQ report.  Now the Times did say the report should not be used alone.  But it went on to use the report – alone. 

Today, the Seattle Times reprinted a Los Angeles Times editorial, written by Eli Broad of the Broad Foundation, praising the NCTQ report.  The LA Times did acknowledge that the Broad Foundation is a sponsor of the NCTQ, which should have warned readers as to the lack of objectivity of the writer.  But printing the editorial, praising the NCTQ’s report and drawing conclusions from it, counter acts that warning in louder terms. 

Why am I disappointed?  The NCTQ report gave a four of four star rating to two Columbia University Teaching College’s programs.  Yet these programs enroll no students and do not exist, says Aaron Pallas – Columbia University.

Such shoddy methodology should not be used in making any program or reform decisions and the Times should never have used that report as the basis for any editorials.