Internal Resistance

Even with Stantons approval, there remained much to do before publication. Building the Times website capacity was key. While Felch and Songs stories would appear both in the print and online versions of the Times , the website was the only place where the enormous database listing the 6,000-plus teachers and their ratings could be posted. It was time to involve the data team. On June 18, Lauter explained the project to Online Deputy Editor Megan Garvey, who would oversee the effort. She was dismayed. She says:

He tells me, and I immediately have almost a visceral reaction, honestly, against it. Im thinking, well, are we validating test scores as the only way to measure whether a teacher is good? [13]

Hear Megan Garvey discuss her doubts:

Garvey worried especially whether it would be fair to name the teachers. She had worked at the Times for 12 years and knew and trusted many of people on the project team. Yet she didnt like the sound of this undertaking. Neither did Web Producer Ken Schwencke, whose assignment was to design the online presentation of the teachers names and ratings. He said that if he didnt believe in the project, he would refuse to create the database. Schwencke explains:

I was more worried about the accuracy of the methodology than anything. At that point, I had never heard about value-added methodology. I think there is probably initial discomfort whenever you talk about disclosing job performance, basically about people. But my main thing was, I didnt understand the methodology. [14]

Listen to Ken Schwencke discuss his hesitation:

Editor Stanton, AME Lauter, other top editors, and reporters Felch and Song had already considered these issues during the year-long build-up, and were ready to move ahead with the story. It was now mid-June, and Lauter wanted it published before September. He had not expected Garvey and Schwenckes reactions. He had no doubt that he could get the work done in time, either by ordering his team to do it or by hiring outside programmers.

But their questions gave him pause. Were they a harbinger of how the public would react? What might the fallout be from publication, and how should the editorial leadership prepare itself? Above all, had the LA Times leadership made the right calls, or should it reevaluate?


[13] Authors interview with Megan Garvey on March 30, 2011, in Los Angeles. All further quotes from Garvey, unles otherwise attributed, are from this interview

[14] Authors interview with Ken Schwencke on March 31, 2011, in Los Angeles. All further quotes from Schwencke, unless otherwise attributed, are from this interview.