Ed “reformers” throw Edelman overboard.

Ed Sector, a leading voice for education “reformers” has tossed Stand for Children’s Jonah Edelman overboard.

Talk about kicking a guy when he’s down.

Many self-styled reformers are now mortified by Edelman. Despite his self-renunciation, it is the first version of his comments that activist teachers and their advocates are seizing on as accurate. They seem to confirm their worst fears that all reform policies and legislation focused on improving teacher effectiveness are really just poorly disguised attacks on teachers unions by wealthy philanthropists

Audrey Soglin, the executive director of the Illinois Education Association, was deeply involved in drafting the legislation and she said Edelman’s narrative sets “true collaborative” work on improving education “back light years.” Instead of learning from Illinois, unions in other states will be more likely to dig in their heels. When “we can’t collaborate,” she said, “kids suffer, the profession loses, schools don’t improve and real reform can’t take effect.”

Edelman set collaboration back “light years?” Ouch.