The Selling of School Reform

TIM LANE

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: Al Sharpton, Newt Gingrich and Mike Bloomberg--all failed presidential hopefuls--arrive at the White House for a joint meeting with President Barack Obama. Upon leaving the Oval Office, they convene a press conference on the White House lawn.

But far from tearing one another to bits or sniping at the man whose job they coveted, these unlikely comrades--a self-appointed civil rights spokesman, a former Republican Speaker of the House and a billionaire New York City mayor--were in total agreement. The topic of the meeting? Schools.

"You have to hold people accountable, and those that perform should be the ones that teach our kids, and those that don't, unfortunately our children are just too important," Bloomberg said, referring to his support for teacher merit pay.

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