Luke Rosiak’s new book, Race to the Bottom, blames public schools’ problems on special interests that put ideology before education. Rosiak, who broke the story of how Loudoun County, Va. school officials lied about a bathroom rape, writes in the New York Post about a data-loving dad who was dubbed “Enemy #1” in Loudoun after seeking statistics on teacher effectiveness.
Brian Davison, an operations research specialist, had two children in Loudoun schools back in 2014. He learned that state law required at least 20 percent of a teacher’s evaluation be based on the “student growth profile (SGP)” of their students. (Elsewhere, it’s known as “value-added” data.) Teachers don’t like the idea because it can show teacher effectiveness — not just who’s teaching high, middle or low achievers.
Davison asked for a copy of the growth scores from Loudoun and other districts. When districts said “no,” he sued the Virginia Department of Education.
One school board member called him, “Enemy #1,” reports Rosiak.