The state of the nation’s schools: The 31-year itch!

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

The Washington Post catches up: We’re on a semi-reduced work schedule this week due to a matter of national importance.

For that reason, we’ll take this occasion to clap ourselves on the back. Our reason:

On Sunday, the analysts semi-derisively cheered as they read the Washington Post. Across the top of page A11, they read this banner headline:

“Suspicious test score across U.S. raise questions of cheating”

The headline sat atop an AP report. To read it, just click here. Then click one more time.

Why the semi-derision? We tried to recall: When did we first discuss this general problem in the Baltimore Sun? We tried to recall, then checked.

Ah yes—it was February 1981! To read the text of our ancient report, just click here. In fact, we had cited this general problem in the Sun before—and we had been talking to Sun reporters about this matter for years. But this was a complete column.

We cheered as the Washington Post caught up! Based on this 31-year lag time, we can now make a Daily Howler projection: The Post will report the rise in the nation’s NAEP scores at some time in or before the year 2043!