In a fit of pique, I intemperately suggested in the title of my last post that the content of Diane Ravitch’s recent Washington Post op-ed was ridiculous. That was over the top: As is obvious, I disagree with Ravitch on school choice, and my review of her latest book makes clear that I am dubious about her various policy prescriptions. But, heck, we agree on much about what ails the No Child Left Behind Act, and her thoughts on choice are hardly on the fringe. So even though I think her choice critiques very wrong, one’s opinions can be thought wrong by me without qualifying as ridiculous.

That said, we do still need to talk about such things as federal teacher-quality demands…