Anna Griffin impresses me

The O's newest Metro columnist, Anna Griffin, is off to a good start.  Her column in this morning's edition is a case in point. 

Writing about Mayor Sam Adams vow to cut the student dropout rate in the city in half, a goal Griffin finds not only laudable but eminently measurable, she throws in this little gem:

"Slap that number on a bumper sticker or a T-shirt. Tuck it away somewhere where it can be easily found in four years. But remember: Teaching to the test is rarely a good idea."

In other words, accountability is good.  But test scores to hold teachers accountable?  Not so much.

At least that's the way I read it.

Griffin also reminds us that that the education of our young people, in public schools, is of vital importance to all citizens:

"Regardless of whether you live in the city or have school-aged children, the health of Portland's public schools matters in your life if you live or work in Oregon."

Impressive.

(Well, the part about education's role in stoking the state's "economic engine" is maybe a bit limited.  Education benefits society in lots of ways, not merely as a conduit to a good job.)

But that's nit-picking, I guess.

So far, so good, Anna Griffin.