By Azi Paybarah

January 4, 2008 | 11:15 a.m.

Michael Bloomberg hit back at Assemblyman Mark Weprin this morning after Weprin criticized Bloomberg's use of high-stakes tests in public schools:

“You know, I don’t know what he’s running for," Bloomberg said on his weekly radio show, "but it’s hard to argue that you can do as much damage any other way as when you try to stop what has been a phenomenally successful, model program for the country, and arguably, lots of other countries.”

He added, “Maybe somebody in the legislature doesn’t understand it because they don’t work in the private sector or the executive branches of government, but the rest of us are all held every day to results, and we’re tested every day. And our children are tested every day.”

Weprin, who actually does have private sector experience, emailed me this response, “our students are spending too much time learning test taking skills. A parent or teacher of a 3rd-8th grader knows exactly what I’m talking about.”

As the comment suggests, Bloomberg doesn’t have a kid in the school system, while Weprin does.