Welcome to The Gullog, the official voice of The Gulliver Initiative. Like TGI, The Gullog was inspired by nature’s most entertaining stroke of impertinence—the seagull. But the reader might also sense a peppering of darkness found in those old Siberian prisons. In short, The Gullog is dedicated to questioning the American education system—that most astounding blend of mission statements and irrationality ever to befuddle the free will.
Let’s begin with words uttered by a school superintendent from Tennessee, one of the two states named as winners in the first round of Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s education reform initiative called Race to the Top. Secretary Duncan tells us that his initiative is a competition among states to promote innovation. What you’re about to read describes a data system that is supposed to improve education in The Volunteer State and set an example for the other forty-nine states.
Through our longitudinal data system plan we’re also going to make links both vertically and horizontally with other data systems in the State of Tennessee, other state organizations, other state agencies, other educational agencies, so on the horizontal access, sort of connecting to higher education and early education and going across organizations to connect with the data from organizations like the Department of Children Services so that we can draw a more comprehensive 360 degree portrait of each of our students and that will really help serve their needs and help us to look at the effectiveness of the efforts that we put out. Through our longitudinal data system plan we’re also going to make links both vertically and horizontally with other data systems in the State of Tennessee. . . .
