There is a post from over at NYC Schools Parents that is worth the read. The long and short of it is that many facts were used, and re-used in Waiting for Superman. Those facts weren't entirely vetted to ensure quality- or perhaps they were, but used anyway. The end result is a gross misrepresentation of public school teachers in reference to other professions (namely lawyers and doctors).
Don't get me wrong, there are many districts in need of help, support, and reform. Data is one way to show that. But, numbers can be used in a myriad of ways to prove the point you want to make. Even embedded in the post above is an extrapolation that says public school teaching is on par with the attrition rates of the other professions (which I'm not sure has been fully vetted). The point in all of this is that when we use data to draw conclusions, we best be sure our data is accurate. Even more important is the need for discussion about the data, and the reasons for it. Instead we've had a really vitriolic reaction on both sides with no end in sight (one angry about the system and saying blow it up while the other is equally angry for being villianized sans-debate).
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