9486 in the collection  

Chester Finn's e-mail
Below are two responses from Finn's e-mail address--to people complaining about his language of terror directed toward colleges of education. For that language, see:

http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=4

Subj: the determination of resisters
Date: 4/15/03 1:18:57 AM
From: WMZEMKA
To: Cefinnjr@ aol.com

Dear Mr. Finn,
I read your comments about protests against standards-based, test-driven state accountability systems. In my experience, the most determined "resisters" to the concept has been parents, not the education schools --though I can see how much easier it would be to demonize universities.

We parents are very determined to make our voices heard on this issue; our children's education is at stake. We absolutely do object to the concept that you so happily embrace. And while research about the negative consequences and failures of the high stakes testing policies is becoming increasingly clear, all the evidence I need that it isn't working comes home every day in our children's backpacks. Multiple choice, drill and kill, and teaching to the test. Yuck.

Mickey VanDerwerker
mom of five kids in Virginia

Reply:

Thanks for your e-mail, which Chester Finn has seen as well. Please let me know if you'd like us to run this letter (or a version of it) in the "From our readers" section of the Gadfly.

Marci Kanstoroom

Finn's own response to criticism isn't quite so benign. Nancy Creech, noticing that Finn was online at AOL, decided to “instant message” him. That didn’t work, so she e-mailed him.

04/15/2003 6:49:39 AM
Subject: Re: Good Morning Mr. Finn
I am a teacher who believes using the language of war and terror to discuss educational issues is offensive, and I think our problems should be solved using deliberation.

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 06:54:56 EDT
From: Cefinnjr@aol.com

and I suppose you would have left Saddam in power, too. Go to school and stop cluttering my inbox. Brainwash your students with foolish ideas. You don't have to read the Gadfly. Unsubscribe. And I never answer IMs [Instant Messages] except from close friends and relatives of which you are neither.

Chester E. Finn, Jr.
President, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation and Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
1627 K Street NW, Suite 600, Washington DC 20006
Office phone (202) 223-5450, fax (202) 223-9226
Home phone (301) 656-4489, fax (301) 718-7395





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INDEX OF OUTRAGES

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