It may feel like it was just yesterday, but former American Federation of Teachers president Al Shanker died 10-years ago today. The people who claimed that it was hard to overestimate the nature of education's loss at the time were right.

I still love talking with people who worked, befriended and even battled with Shanker but it always hammers home the idea that education reform today remains slightly lacking in the colorful character department.

Slightly unrelated note: AFT John yesterday offered an important post on how stupid it is to refer to teachers unions as terrorists. He's absolutely right. And that is coming from someone who referred here to NYSUT as the "big freaking macho gorilla." There's a big difference. (Charter Chuck, you want to become the big freaking macho gorilla in the statehouse someday!) You have to remember: When Woody Allen joked in the movie Sleeper that modern America was destroyed after a mad man named Albert Shanker got hold of a nuclear weapon, it was considered high praise for the militant teacher leader.

It's a different world today.