▁average ▁e ighth - grade ▁math ▁score ▁into ▁" last ▁among ▁the ▁ 5 0 ▁states " ▁by ▁looking ▁at ▁differences ▁rather ▁than ▁absolute ▁numbers . ▁Among ▁other ▁frequent ▁education ▁them es , ▁Som er by ▁critic izes ▁reporting ▁on ▁Te ach ▁For ▁America ▁and ▁what ▁he ▁calls ▁" high - mind ed " ▁p und it ry . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Som er by ▁started ▁a ▁companion ▁blog ▁How ▁He ▁Got ▁There ▁where ▁he ▁is ▁posting ▁a ▁book ▁on ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁U . S . ▁president ial ▁election ▁piece - by - pie ce ▁as ▁he ▁writes ▁it . ▁ ▁Bob ▁Som er by ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁professional ▁stand ▁up ▁com ic . ▁ ▁He ▁has ▁appeared ▁on ▁Larry ▁King ▁Live , ▁with ▁Bill ▁Mah er , ▁Bill ▁O ' Re illy ▁and ▁with ▁Brian ▁Lamb ▁on ▁C - SP AN . ▁ ▁In ▁college ▁at ▁Harvard , ▁he ▁was ▁ro omm ates ▁with ▁the ▁actor ▁Tommy ▁Lee ▁Jones ▁and ▁former ▁Vice ▁President ▁Al ▁G ore . ▁After ▁college ▁he ▁taught ▁for ▁twelve ▁years ▁in ▁Baltimore ▁public ▁elementary ▁schools . ▁ ▁Comment ary ▁ ▁From ▁a ▁Columbia ▁Journal ism ▁Review ▁article : ▁ ▁Bob ▁Som er by ▁needs ▁no ▁introduction , ▁of ▁course , ▁unless ▁your ▁days ▁are ▁spent ▁sole ly ▁in ▁the ▁brick - and - mort ar ▁world ... ▁ ▁Paul ▁K rug man ▁opened ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁op - eds ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁as ▁follows : ▁▁