Speaking of Jay Mathews, he's the best education writer in America, but about once a year, he writes something that I completely disagree with (last year was his initial take on the tough stand Deb Gist took re. Central Falls HS in RI).  This year's example is his firm dismissal of Parent Trigger legislation:

This idea has already reached the Washington area and may someday inspire legislation here. That would be bad. Despite its worthy proponents and democratic veneer, the parent trigger is a waste of time. Let's toss it into the trash with other once fashionable reform ideas like worksheets for slow students and brief constructed responses on state tests.

When I dismissed the parent trigger a year ago I received unfriendly e-mails calling me a tool of the state and local educational establishments. I don't like much of what those power centers do, but firing on them with the parent trigger is like attacking Fort Bragg with a pea-shooter. The trigger will do nothing but sap parent energies, provide work for lawyers and lobbyists and give us pundits and activists another divisive issue to fill our blogs with.

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Why parents can't save schools

By Jay Mathews

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/why-parents-cant-save-schools/2011/08/10/gIQAgbbz6I_blog.html#pagebreak